#EXU: Calamity spoilers

[pandaspwnz]

just finished rewatching EXU: Calamity and once again cried so much. It really is one of the most masterful stories I've ever seen/heard, and absolutely the best actual play series ever done, bar none. I'm in such awe of Brennan's dm'ing skills, I adore Marisha's beautiful showing of emotions, I love seeing how much Sam and Travis love their children via how much they feel for these fictional ones, Luis' portrayal of Zerxus was so heartfelt and grounded, Lou always brings his whole soul into what he does and this was no exception, and Aabria being willing to make the difficult choices and how she shows Laerryn's dedication is just. Ugh. chefs kiss. Not to mention the group dynamics, the Aabria-Travis hype man squad, the Marisha-Lou/Marisha-Luis grabby shenanigans, how Sam and Aabria play the perfect divorcees, they're all just so fantastic and did such a good job, etc etc. I truly love Calamity so much, I can't believe it's a real show, I can't believe how fucking GOOD it is. Every single one of those people brought their A-game, but I really do especially have to call out Brennan Lee Mulligan. The way that man portrays people and humanity, how even in the end of things he speaks of the importance of hope, how he narrates and weaves the most beautiful tales and makes it so alive and tangible, how he knows exactly when to drop in some comedy amidst tragedy without detracting from it... he's simply fantastic. I'm in awe of them all!!

[blackmosscupcakes]

Speaking of things that are more exciting after watching Calamity: "I cast Blight".

[lesferatu]

I know Evandrin wasn't technically dead, just MIA, but it still counts to me cause it's funny

Edit: we get 3 nickels!

[konkonvt]

Sometimes it's 2 in the morning and I think about how truly magical ttrpg stories are. How amazing it is when chance plays a part in a story so perfectly.

I think about a bird man being the only member of the party to escape the collapse of their whole city, about how he had two children and a wife waiting for him. About how he promised he'd come home to them, and got to keep it.

I think about a hob goblin general tragically choosing to put his duty to his court before the first and only time he's ever felt seen. I think about all the little tragedies that held him away from love, and the moment of sweet release when he finally chose himself over the goblin court.

I think about a scared kid learning he's not just valuable for his ability to help, but because he's alive, and has friends for whom him being that is enough. I think about him losing the fight against his inner demon only to have them be the reason he doesn't wholly lose himself.

I think about all the stories we'll never get to see or hear about. I think about all the times a moment of randomness has heightened a moment of my own sessions.

I think ttrpgs are amazing.

[loreruinedme]

aabria. i need to know your thoughts on the following.

I have just done my third calamity rewatch, in Modern Exandria there are now two mortals walking with shards of Raushan and Ka’Mort and Laerryn abandoned her life’s work. her dream. what she almost lost her marriage over to stop those primordials rising at the calamity. If Laerryn knew in some twist of weird afterlife vision that the shards were active, what would she think.

@quiddie

[little-trash-mammal]

Somewhere in the astral sea Laerryn Coramar-Seelie is laughing her ass off rn

[shellem15]

Can I just say, I really appreciate how Critical Role plays the Devil trope straight. There's been this phenomena in a lot of modern media (I'm not going to mention specifics but I'm sure a few examples pop up in people's minds) where Hell and the Devil aren't scary or malevolent forces. Hell is portrayed as being basically the same as our world just "edgier", and the Devil is a pretty decent guy actually. Heaven are secretly the real bad guys!

But Critical Role doesn't do that. In Exandria, Asmodeus *feels* like the Devil. He's malevolent and manipulative and terrifyingly powerful and he hates you, personally. We never see that type of portrayal anymore! And it's amazing! And he still manages to be sympathetic and tragic without losing his edge!

And the "Good Gods" are portrayed as flawed without being secretly evil or something! Like, actual nuance? In my Heaven/Hell dichotomy? What!?

It's just such a breath of fresh air after so many "The Devil was right, actually" stories. So props to Matt and Brennan and the cast.

[undead-knick-knack]

I think Ludinus might have inadvertently converted all of Bells Hells to worshipping the Arch Heart

[somewhatsentientspellbook]

have we NOT learned our lesson?

[chungledown-bimothy]

Lou and Erika where y'all at with air and heart??

[nickmarini]

Tell the Bolo fans. I want them to know it was me.

[counterspelling]

Endless Burrow's End

[nellasbookplanet]

Ludinus is so funny like... 'poor innocent Aeor was just Minding its Business (and totally not developing weapons and blowing up other cities for fun) when the mean gods just DECIDED to start a war (which had nothing at all to do with wizardly hubris releasing the betrayers). They were just trying to Protect their Families (by developing a weapon that could kill all the gods, including the ones trying to save Exandria, possibly by harnessing Predathos itself) when the meanie gods struck them down unprovoked :( anyway, I shall now convince you of all this by making you look at the Unethical Aeorian Panopticon, which monitored all its citizens absolutely at all times :) surely this will make you realize how innocent they were!'

[the-last-knight-of-avalir]

Luis's face when his decision to play a deeply traumatized and tragic character plagued by visions is starting to have narrative consequences

[elle-thereafter]

Genuine theory: I really hope Sam’s new character is one of the Aeor mages that have been trapped in bubbles for hundreds of years and who has been recently released due to the solstice shenanigans.

Extremely unlikely theory: Loquacious Seelie somehow survived and was trapped in an Aeor bubble and he’s the person who’s been freed.

Crackpot theory: Bolo survived in one of the Aeor bubbles and Sam cements his reputation as a comedy legend.

[polarsirens]

gentlemen, witness Houdini manifest.