#I align mostly with orym

[ittybittyremy]

The Braius betrayal is juicy but now is NOT the time to deal with that

[cassafrasscr]

I think it's worth remembering that for all that Orym leans towards kindness as much as he can, he's always been a stark pragmatist in the face of existential threats.

Like, he has a reputation for being 'the nice guy', but... he straight-up threatened Dorian back in EXU Prime over the Spider Queen's crown. I feel like people keep forgetting about that?

IIRC, Liam said Orym was so hard on Dorian because he believes in Dorian's goodness and was worried that the crown's power would corrupt him (and on some level, it did - Dorian's alignment was changed by it, going from Chaotic Good to Chaotic Neutral).

I'm seeing a lot of parallels between that and Orym’s relationship with Imogen now. He’s said before that he'd be proud to have a daughter like Imogen. He's asserted repeatedly that he believes in her and has faith she won't betray them. He needs her at his side in this fight.

(All things he also said to Ashton in the wake of Shardgate, btw.)

Like Orym said in the Honesty Trial - he has all the faith in the world in his friends... and has also seriously considered how best to neutralize all of them. He’s been this way from the beginning.

Orym loves his friends - don't forget, he sold his life away to Nana Morri for the ability to protect them on this mission. But at the end of the day, he can't protect them from themselves. If they give in to their worst impulses and become a threat to others, he'd rather take them out himself than let them do harm to innocent people.

(For what it's worth, I don't think he was pressuring Imogen to dive right back into Predathos' mind right away - what I got from what he said was that he's pressuring Imogen to stay on this mission rather than running away completely. It's dangerous and scary, but he needs her to gather her courage and steel herself to keep going anyway. She's powerful and important, and Orym's feels that he's just a regular guy with a sword. He can’t do this without her.

Orym’s not always the best communicator, and tensions were high in the moment. I think it was mostly a misunderstanding/miscommunication about what his exact intentions were with that speech.)

[utilitycaster]

So. I finally watched last Thursday`s episode. If youd rather just tell me to go look it up myself, I totally get it, but I dont get the Big Deal with Orym supposedly Going Dark?? Like. He is right. They ARE at war and its time that they put aside the Are the Prime Deities Good (they are, we as an audience have canonical proof of it through 2 main campaigns and Calamity) debate and get behind Ashton`s `The Ruby Vanguard is willing to kill anyone, and thats too dangerous to allow` mindset.

Hey anon!

So I can't speak for people who are saying this, since naturally I disagree, but my suspicions are that it's largely coming from people who were hoping for the campaign to more explicitly affirm their personal politics or ideals and are upset that a heroic fantasy D&D show set in a world with very different norms...continues to be set there, and the characters and stories carry out those norms. It's always been a problem, that some people do not like to acknowledge how different Exandria is from 21st century Earth not just in like, there's elves and magic, but in social mores, and this was a jarring reminder to them.

But I agree that this is Orym affirming Ashton's mindset. I also agree that while we have canonical proof from past works, it's best to craft an argument that doesn't rest of that. It does not matter that we know the prime deities' alignments or how they've acted towards past PCs or more generally whether you do or do not like the idea of a world with gods in it. You have one group who is preying on desperate people to the point that one of those people, when confronted but not injured by people who made him feel like he belonged, nearly killed one of them, and who has murdered and destroyed the minds of anyone in their way; and you have a group that is trying to stop them. Orym is just affirming that he is, absolutely part of the group trying to stop them.

Someone asked me last week what the point of the split was, and I said we couldn't really tell until it was over, but I think it served to show the human side of what had been this grand, overwhelming plan, and what the work might be, if Bells Hells can successfully stop them.

Team Wildemount did see more of the macro level - the destruction of Molaesmyr, the gods calling upon FCG and Deanna - but they also saw the survivors of Molaesmyr in Uthodurn, still morning the destruction of their home almost 300 years ago. We saw Umudara, who can't go home. We saw the infrastructure of Uthodurn break as enchantments failed. We saw clerics and followers of gods feeling terrified and lost. We saw people who were absolutely not involved in pain because of Ludinus and the Vanguard's actions.

Team Issylra, meanwhile, saw what kind of people might be drawn into the Vanguard and Ludinus's words - people dealing with oppression in the name of the gods, and people who have suffered faith-shattering tragedies. I think it's an important element of the story, since we've mostly dealt with high-level people (Otohan, Ludinus, Liliana) and only had a few tussles at the Malleus Key.

Essentially, this all served to say "gods aside, Ludinus, as head and founder of the Ruby Vanguard, is exploiting the oppressed instead of freeing them." Because do you know what would have happened had Hearthdell attacked Kiro on their own? This would have been a bloodbath, and a village would be wiped off the map, because some asshole with a magic microphone is entirely happy to use them up and discard them. What if Bor'Dor hadn't been recruited? What if he just got teleported as just a con man in the Cyrios Mountains, and he came across the party? Ludinus never actually stopped wearing that magic funnel, he just changed the methodology.

I think, similarly, the moment with the locket isn't "I shall become a killing machine." Remember how Ashton said the guy with the locket probably didn't have a family anymore? Orym is, in fact, in my opinion, looking at that, and at Bor'Dor, and saying "I'm not going to become this, despite my own losses and grief, and I'm going to stop it from happening to more people, and the path to that might be difficult and require some actions I wish I didn't have to do but which must be done." And I think Hearthdell shows that there will be work to be done if they stop Ludinus; that the next step is to make sure that worshipers of the gods truly do leave other people alone to live their lives in the places where they're genuinely overstepping and engaging in oppression.

My final thought is that there was a lot of discussion during these arcs that there be someone more unambiguously in favor of the gods, and with all of the above, I think that it worked out beautifully that there wasn't, and that we can stop focusing on the gods and start focusing on the people.

[dontgofarfromme]

I do really want to know more abt what Orym thinks of the gods. His reaction here is so happy at the prospect of being watched over. I just rewatched ep 5 of EXU and his first conversation with the Wildmother in EXU aligns quite well with what we see here--he actually gets a much better glimpse of her than anyone else in the group--but he doesn't seem quite as impacted there, maybe because it's pretty clear that at that time her purpose was guarding and testing them wheras at this time she specifically called him out and gave him a gift. He does however note that they've been in contact with three gods when proposing names for the group and proposes "gods' folly, which mostly gets passed over in favor of the others, but wow that's a suggestion, clearly he's been thinking about those interactions even if it's not with quite the same level of wonder and delight we see in cr3. I wonder if his amazement at being singled out and at the idea of the gods watching them has something to do with what Liam is always saying about Orym--he's not supposed to he a leader, or anyone special or chosen; he's used to being there as support and protection, so to be pointed out and given a gift by a god must feel wild.

[chaos-burst]

ooh, 60. "A day at the zoo, is what you need." with fearne? or 1. "It's called a safety pin for a reason" ft ashton mayb :3 have a good day ♥!

It’s not like Ashton is dumb. Sure, maybe he’s not the brightest candle on the chandelier, but they’re well aware of their own emotions even if he doesn’t much talk about them. Feelings are, most often, a fucking nuisance and also damn embarrassing—which says a lot because Ashton is rarely embarrassed by anything.

And to be fair, this specific type of emotion is not really embarrassing. Not per se.

It’s just that the person Ashton has those feelings for is embarrassing.

If someone had asked him two months ago if he could ever be into a rich boy from a noble family Ashton would have laughed so hard their head might have cracked a little further. So it’s easy to imagine the fucking disgrace Ashton feels when he first discovers that they have the hots for Dorian fucking Storm.

The pristine, awkward and somehow still charming bard of all people. Ashton would have preferred to be horny for Imogen or Laudna, or really pretty much any other member of his newest ragtag group of idiots—well. Maybe not letters, because that would be awkward and weird, even for them.

Ashton is aware that, objectively, Dorian is handsome. Maybe even fucking pretty. Whatever. But that doesn’t mean that Ashton has to be into him.

There are hundreds of hot people who aren’t rich boys.

Ugh.

But now that it’s come to that Ashton would feel foolish to pretend that the attraction isn’t there. He enjoys watching Dorian play music. They enjoy the shy smiles and the awkward laughter, mostly because he imagines Dorian getting flustered as fuck if someone made sexual advances on him.

Something that Ashton won’t do.

Seriously.

They have standards.

And Dorian has enough people fawning over him, it’s not like he needs another admirer who wants to get into his perfectly clean pants.

Ashton can keep looking at Dorian when no one else notices it and imagine what kind of pretty sounds he might make if Ashton sucked on his neck or pulled his always terribly orderly hair.

Fuck, Ashton would love to get his hands on that.

Before he met the others they would never have been concerned about someone finding out about their secret masturbation fantasies but now Imogen hangs around them and Ashton wonders if she’s ever been hit by the unwanted picture of Ashton holding Dorian down and making him sing.

As long as it’s just being horny Ashton can deal. They’ve been horny for many people in their life. And if the next person he picks up in a bar they go to is a blue-skinned tiefling with long hair, then there’s nothing wrong with that.

Or with the weird disappointment that comes after they wake up in the morning and have a sleepy and still half-drunk second of thinking that the blue-skinned person next to him is someone else.

It happens.

Shit happens all the time.

Especially to Ashton.

Most of the time Fearne and Orym have the pleasure—or the privilege—to share a room with Dorian when they stay at an inn or a tavern, but from time to time, if them taking watches in turns aligns just so, Ashton and Dorian end up in the same tent or next to one another in their bedrolls.

And oh, Ashton is tempted.

Dorian, that fucking nuisance of a blueberry, even looks pretty while he’s asleep. Ashton is one of those people who sleeps with their mouth wide open while snoring. Dorian just looks like a princess from a fairy tale who’s waiting to be kissed awake.

Fuck him and his pretty face.

Preferably in a very literal sense.

“You’re staring”, Imogen says quietly as they sit around the campfire, roasting some type of bird that Orym got for them.

“Huh?”

“You’re staring. At Dorian?”, Imogen clarifies and nods towards Dorian who sits with his back against a tree, his lute in his arms. He’s been playing softly for a while now, his eyes closed while he hums quietly.

Ashton turns his head to look at Imogen.

“Did I accidentally harass you with my indecent thoughts?”, they ask, feeling like it doesn’t make any sense to keep his sexual attraction a secret from someone who reads mind frequently.

Imogen’s smile is tired and a little pained, but she pats Ashton’s shoulder and shakes her head.

“I’ve gotten pretty good at blocking you guys out, don’t worry. Your ‘indecent thoughts’ are your own.”

“Well, thank fuck for both our sakes”, they say with a grin. Imogen snorts.

“That bad, huh?”

Ashton shrugs.

“I could do without it. It’s fucking distracting.”

Imogen looks at him from the side and smirks slightly. Then Ashton hears her voice in their head.

“Could just try to get it out of your system”, she says inside their head.

“Nah. I have standards.”

Imogen raises an eyebrow at him.

“He’s perfectly nice and handsome.”

“Yeah, I’m fucking aware. Too nice for my tastes.”

Imogen shakes her head and doesn’t say anything in return, so Ashton allows his gaze to travel back to Dorian who’s eyes are now open. When their eyes meet Ashton throws Dorian a wide grin. Dorian blinks and a smile that looks almost uncertain appears on his pretty face.

If Ashton’s head wasn’t already cracked they would very much like to bang it against the next best tree.

*

Ashton really didn’t need to see Dorian in an almost transparent chiffon outfit because Fearne urged him to show it to the others to demonstrate how great Dorian looked during some fucking pageant in a shithole called Byroden.

Seeing all those toned muscles does nothing to make his traitorous dick any less interested.

Fuck Dorian and his fucking abs.

*

“You seem a little grumpy, Ashton. Anything I can help you with?”, Letters asks him while they spend their evening in the fanciest tavern Ashton has ever been to. The glasses are too small and clean for their tastes, but Dorian seems entirely delighted by those ridiculous napkins and way too small portions of food.

“’M good”, they say and throw back another shot.

“You sure? You seem on edge for some reason. Does your head hurt again? I could take a look at that if you’d like.”

“It’s not my fucking head, it’s what’s inside it. Never mind”, he says and waves at the waitress to get another glass. FCG looks at them with their head cocked.

“If something inside your head is wrong I definitely should—“

“Nothing you can cure, okay? It’s just my brain being an annoying dickhead. Don’t worry about it.”

He knows that FCG will worry, of course, because they always do. But it’s not like Ashton is about to tell a fucking automaton that he’s been having blue balls for over a month now because they can’t seem to get Dorian fucking Storm out of his damn head.

Maybe Imogen is right and Ashton should just get it out of his system.

But Dorian doesn’t seem the type for fucking around—and especially not the type for fucking around with people like Ashton.

So he throws another shot back and ignores the feeling that seems to pull him forward and towards Dorian.

*

All of Ashton’s good intentions are thrown out of the window when one of their jobs goes sideways and he finds himself running through a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, dragging a panting Dorian behind them by the wrist.

“I don’t think—we can—outrun them”, Dorian pants as Ashton pulls him around a corner and into the darkest alleyway yet. They can hear footsteps and calls only a few meters behind them. Ashton is ready to throw hands until he feels a pair of hands pulling on his vest.

“What are you doing?”, Ashton hisses.

“Get this off, I have an idea”, Dorian hisses back and before Ashton can either protest or ask what exactly Dorian’s plan is Dorian has ripped half his vest open.

“Why is this such a pain to get off?”, Dorian whispers frantically.

“It’s called a safety pin for a reason!”

Any of Ashton’s further questions disappear into the darkness along some of the safety pins that hold their vest closed as Dorian pulls the rest of it apart and throws it to the side.

Ashton makes an undignified noise as Dorian throws away his cloak and opens his pants.

“Let’s pretend to make out!”, he hisses.

Ashton opens his mouth. Usually they wouldn’t be caught off guard by a suggestion like this. Hell, he’s wanted to make out with Dorian for over a fucking month. But right now they find himself speechless.

“Okay?”, Dorian asks hurriedly.

Ashton finds himself nodding a second later they can feel a way too soft pair of lips pressing against his mouth.

His body only needs a heartbeat to react as their brain turns itself off and his body takes over.

Ashton grabs Dorian and turns them around so that Dorian’s back is pressed against the wall. And then they’re kissing for real.

Not a chaste first kiss or a testing of lips against lips to find out how to move together.

It feels more like two starving people being offered a fucking feast after weeks without food. Somewhere in the back of his head Ashton is aware that they make a noise somewhere between a growl and a moan as he presses his crotch against Dorian’s thigh and Dorian simply seems to melt against them.

Long, strong arms wrap around Ashton’s neck and pull them even closer.

He has forgotten all about the people chasing them as they bury their fingers in Dorian’s long, silky hair to pull on it. The noise Dorian makes is even better than Ashton has imagined it and to hell with whoever is trying to shank them in this fucking alleyway, Ashton is going to make the most of this.

When he drops to their knees Dorian makes a whimpering sound that puts a wide grin on Ashton’s face but he doesn’t get as far as they intended because in that moment people round the corner and immediately stumble backwards, cursing, as they take in the picture of Dorian’s opened pants, Ashton’s naked upper body, Dorian’s tipped back head with his mouth slightly open and his eyes almost closed.

“Let’s try this way”, one of the bastards says and a moment later they’re gone.

Ashton takes a deep breath and sits back on their heels as he looks up at Dorian. His blue cheeks are flushed purple, his eyes glassy and he licks his lips as he looks down at Ashton kneeling in front of him.

“Well—“, Dorian croaks and clears his throat. “That was—uh. Sorry for springing that on you all of a sudden.”

Ashton resists the urge to get back up and swallow Dorian’s apologies.

“It was a great plan”, Ashton says weakly and gets back on his feet to look around for their vest as Dorian takes care of his pants and bows down to get his cloak.

“Great plan. Yeah. Really—uh. Shall we?”

“After you, your Highness”, Ashton says with a mocking bow and he manages a grin as Dorian walks past while rolling his eyes.

They’re not sure that this counts as getting it out of his system. At all.

[scoundrels-in-love]

I posted 15,453 times in 2022

345 posts created (2%)

15,108 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@it-may-be-dull-but-im-determined

@letmetellyouaboutmyfeels

@bumble-b-goode

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I tagged 9,203 of my posts in 2022

Only 40% of my posts had no tags

#critical role - 2,276 posts

#cr spoilers - 1,004 posts

#art - 927 posts

#video - 891 posts

#cr fanart - 655 posts

#cats - 447 posts

#ashton - 374 posts

#kdrama - 292 posts

#rainy rambles - 271 posts

#fashion - 198 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#i think this is good to internalize for myself and also for some people who might be weary and worried how to deal with me when i am in cert

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I love that Ashton is all "I will literally stand between any harm and any of these *gulp* friends", but then they just don't trust Chetney as far they could throw him (which is far) and I feel like it's mostly because he keeps being dick to Dorian and others. Like, you soft hearted punk, I love you so much.

204 notes - Posted January 7, 2022

#4

Ashton being the one to restrain FCG, one advocating for letting them down and even saying please, reminding they're all powderkegs that have hurt rest of the party in crossfire, trying to find kindest way to share the roughest news, setting up Orym's speech about taking care of each other and being first to agree with Orym's speech while most of the party didn't actually voice their agreement, just Ashton and their friendship with FCG and how much they care about their friends. /openly weeps

224 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

#3

I am thinking about Ashton, left to grow up in an orphanage, going through the change that perhaps is brought upon by one of their unknown parent's heritage, alone and confused, and like no one else.

Having to navigate that alone, most likely scared the first time they realized their hair was changing into stone, or even it first all fell out, the skintone shifting and all these physical changes truly no other puberty would be alike and there was no one to tell them they weren't straight up dying of some unknown disease and I just--

268 notes - Posted March 18, 2022

#2

One thing I think about a lot is how resigned, perhaps even inadequate, Ashton seems to feel about their role as purely muscle within the group.

There are definitely more than just these examples, but what comes to mind is post-duel at the ball when Orym approaches Ashton and says they might need Ashton, and Ashton immediately asks who needs beating up. As if that's the only input that they can contribute or be expected to contribute.

And then in latest episode, when they've all looked at Ruidus, someone needs to help the telecope to be moved so it can look at Catha and Ashton immediately volunteers all "this is what I'm good for".

And it's after everyone has chimed in with opinions about the moon storms and Imogen's experiences, but Ashton remained quiet, because what do they know? All these people are magic users or at least connected to someone wise and knowledgeable and Ashton's just a thug from orphanage.

I don't think it helps the way Bell's Hells sometimes don't hear them, like Ashton several times said they can have a go at picking locks (proficient), but the group always looked to someone else for that or a different solution.

The few times they're confident is when Gus "spoke Marquesian" and Ashton stepped up to speak bluntly with some cussing, and when they're fighting - and as they said themselves, it might be in part to make someone look at them and care. And when they're in smaller groups and dealing with odd vendors. Or have to protect someone, even if it's making sure FCG isn't hurting themselves emotionally.

I also recall how eagerly Ashton just echoed and boosted up Imogen's lines at first in the knick-knack store. They're eager to learn and support in more than just muscle-way, but so many of the current problems Bell's Hells have are magic and knowledge aligned, where they cannot help much and I feel like they feel kind of inadequate about it.

I wonder if it's something that comes from how they were treated in Nobodies, with how excited they were about their bribe moment early in the campaign, or just how cards have fallen currently in the story.

And I really hope they will gain confidence in themselves and their place with Bell's Hells. (And get a hug.)

308 notes - Posted April 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Between having been really into mermaids and underwater kingdoms as a concept during my childhood and the absolutely hauntingly stunning horror movie sequence where you root for the sirens introduction to Talokan, it's not really any surprise that I became instantly and deeply fascinated with this nation and its' people.

Like, there is so much I kept thinking about during the movie and even now, a whole day later. This great post by @thebctman raised even more that I hadn't gotten to.

Until the call to arms scene, I assumed that they cannot speak under the water, so I was quite stunned at the scene. But it does make me wonder just how much of importance does body language carry in Talokanian society! And how hard it might have been to preserve their native language, especially before the establishing of the cave sanctuary(ies).

And I have to think for how long Namor was only one who could only briefly exit the water, how, before the invention of water masks, there could be no sanctuary and he would be the only one wandering the caves. Pushed into role and revered as the leader from birth, fitting in with none of them.

The fact they ended up building this sanctuary and filling it to the brim with parts of their cultures they couldn't practice under the water - like the murals. How they must have lost their national cuisine, without access to ingredients or ways to practice it - or even consume, since they cannot eat above the water. I have no idea how much jade deposits are under water, but perhaps even that became a scarce material.

It makes me think of Namor's speech the first time he meets with Queen Ramonda and Shuri - about how clean and unharmed the land is and how much Wakanda's people have not had to change and compromise who they are, their culture, just to continue to exist. Though Talokan is their new land, it is still an exile. Exile deep into the cold waters that have slowly been poisoned and polluted by people.

Somehow, they've managed to befriend sea animals and even communicate with them (which leads back to my point about non-verbal communication under the water, maybe they quite literally can emit sounds similar to dolphins or whales), there is no way that they do not know the absolute devastation done to the oceans, that it has not impacted them, that Namor or his people haven't personally known whales that have been killed by whalers.

And yes, I do wonder about the pressure - how fast can they raise and lower themselves in these depths, without reprecussions, and just how damn fast can they travel because they seem to traverse incredible distances so very swiftly. One moment they're near USA, then Namor can respond to Queen Ramonda's call very swiftly. Like, just how fast can they all swim, without exhaustion?? Fascinating.

I know most of these things will never be answered, if any at all, but a lot of them are just lot of feelings about things in the subtext and I'm gonna go drown in those kthxbye.

392 notes - Posted November 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[today-only-happens-once]

Please gush about your D&D campaign! and tell me your favorite moment so far between Dorian and Orym?

THURIIIII hi

Task: Wiped down kitchen counters and started dinner.

I'm gonna ramble forever about my dnd campaign but my favorite Dorym moment is probably a three-way tie between "there are no debts between us", "you have something in your hair", and Orym with the sending stone when Dorian came back. T.T

Now, for MY campaign... (I get in my feels a bit woops)

Right now, we're a party of three with my half-elf monk (Kyssarda), a tiefling paladin/warlock, and a triton bard. We just spent like, a month in the Underdark which was BRUTAL, but had fantastic character development for all of us I think. The path to get to the Underdark (which we went to with the intention of rescuing a friend) involved going to this country we hadn't been to before.

I've been using Kyssarda to sort of explore internalized issues in some ways, mostly internalized homophobia (saying this as a queer woman) by putting some emotional emphasis on her coming to understand that she is the direct result of a love (between her parents) that at least parts of society deemed taboo and bad (because her father's lineage would not have approved of him marrying a human). She also feels like she can't share this aspect of her identity freely with the party, because the party member she felt closest to (the elven rogue) has been super prejudiced against the country her father is from (because of backstory.... it's a tangled web).

BUT ANYWAY we come out of the Underdark after like, a month. Kyssarda lost an arm and gained a scar. Our paladin/warlock changed alignments and then changed back after what has been probably my fave RP I've ever done. Other trauma was had that I won't get into. It's been a rough time for everybody. And we emerge and suddenly.... the country her father is from got overthrown, and the tyrranical rule is no longer in effect.

Which leads to her having a lot of mixed but very strong emotions. Because on one hand, that's great! If only her father could see it now! But also.... if only her father could see it, period, and she still carries the sort of trauma of knowing her father's love for her mother was seen as this terrible, dirty thing for so long, and she is a proud product of that.

So overwhelmed and needing someone to talk to, she DID tell her secret to the paladin and it was such a good moment. Oof. But she made him promise not to tell the rogue who we are currently about to meet up with (played by the player as the triton bard). Paladin promised, but also encouraged her to tell him. I don't think it's going to happen soon, but it's bound to happen eventually.

I'm really excited though because of what I explained above and also other trauma-related things that I haven't gotten to explain fully (or this would be a novel probably haha), Kyssarda's going to multiclass into barbarian soon. She's a character that hasn't gotten to acknowledge the pain and anger that is justified in her backstory and throughout the campaign, and I'm excited to explore the ways anger can be a catharsis and good even. That it doesn't have to be something buried and forgotten, like she has been doing for so long. I think my party knows its coming, because I've been planting seeds of outbursts of anger slowly but surely, and they keep making jokes/comments about her multiclassing.

Thank you for the chance to ramble!

[waukeentide]

Subclass Watch 2021

Ok so we saw a few hints last night (mostly during combat) as to subclasses, but I still have no idea about some of them.

Laudna: undead patron, don't know sorcerer sc yet

Imogen: first thought was aberrant soul but doesn't quite align, definitely has psionics of some kind due to her use of telekinetic shove

FCG: I'm thinking homebrew? I didn't recognize the feature he used to halve damage, but it does have peace domain vibes

Ashton: "chaos burst" made me think wild magic barb, but I don't think they get a feature like that

Fearne: wildfire obvi

Orym: battlemaster, yes?

Dorian: what are you sir? We never found out in ExU and we STILL DON'T KNOW

Bertrand: I can't remember what his sc was in Search for Grog but I would imagine same as that

If anyone has better insight into subclasses, please let me know!

[staggeringsmite]

HELLO! just finished properly listening to your (amazing!) corruption arc playlist! I have many thoughts, and so I wanted to ask you about specific moments and/or characters that you associate with songs (as mentioned in your tags), as I am simply SO intrigued. (did you have certain songs that were added for certain character(s)? were any songs for specific what if's? etc.) also, please consider this a free pass to ramble about anything related to the playlist that you wish. it is SO excellent!!

AHHHH!! thank you jade (both for the compliment and the free space to yell about my thoughts here because when i get playlist brainrot i get it Bad <3) // the playlist in question

i think i'm genuinely going to do a song-by-song thoughts below the cut, but here are some overview thoughts/associations if you don't wanna read all of that or don't have the time!

overall this started with athena by nova twins! i thought the sp*der imagery and overall vibe was great for a more sinister look at the wacky (mostly) chaotic neutral party as they are, just going full lolth. i wanted the pacing to be semi-slow and then drop into the more rock-heavy reckless villain-y section before moving into a (?) bittersweet? i guess? end that feels a bit more like a question mark of if it was worth it.

i think this party is full of extremely interesting motivations to side with an evil power for their own gain/the benefit of the people they care about, and each one of them has a very complex relationship with that so things spun wildly out of control as a thought about this.

for songs i associate with specific characters here's an overview, but you'll notice there aren't a lot for fy'ra rai or orym which i get into a bit more in the song-by-song:

all: i come with knives, into the spin, steady/steady, control, bad dreams / lolth: million years, athena, diggers / dariax: diggers, plenty, hollow / dorian: athena, grenadine, dangerous / fearne: plenty, you should see me in a crown, black wave / fy'ra rai: home / opal: home, grenadine, black wave, you should see me in a crown / orym: i'm not calling you a liar, dangerous

song-by-song >:)

1. i come with knives (acoustic) - this song, zoowee, so i went with the acoustic version because i think it's a nice slow but sinister start and it very much gave me the feeling of whenever you begin as a character to question taking this kind of power, that is a Source yes that you can do whatever with but is rooted in temptation and associated with evil, is there any real justification for that which is not in some part selfish. "i come with knives and agony to love you" if that isn't the chosen ones to a T in their overall reasoning for even considering a deal with lolth. and as much as that may be rooted in care, and wanting to be strong and powerful enough to protect the people they care about, it is a painful way to love when you really choose that path once and for all.

2. into the spin - this one is based on "slow climb but quick to descend" and i love the instrumentation as a part of the overall vibe, but it's about sowing the seed here. planting even a hint of consideration in accepting the power of the circlet and lolth's words is going to need time for the person to mull it over, but once it's on it is On baby.

3. million years - this is what i mean by All In Baby, and while it isn't the playlists narrative point of anyone actually accepting the power for good, it is a glimpse intended to shake things up after an 8 minute slow start with the first two songs, and this is all about lolth who is a Chaotic Evil entity, who is a reckless and hauntingly destructive force <3

4. home - "everything you made will end up broken" i think this song to fy'ra rai is more of an omen, of everything that she cannot fix but wants to, knowing that she cannot make choices for the group and seeing the potential path they could wind up on and knowing that fundamentally if they go that way it is their decision no matter how much it will hurt her - for opal there is SOMETHING about the tone of this song that feels very much like her, and the complete lack of care it seems to have to rattle off mundane things to the intimate drama of the place, to omens, to demands/declarations i think it shows her personality well and how that pairs with a chaotic neutral entity being offered something like the power of the circlet

5. steady, steady - idk if this is necessarily everyone but the mix of you know when you're ready and i am ready to be the one, this is the song about taking the leap and grabbing for power and/or fy'ra rai and orym's feelings of diving in with them or resisting/leaving them

6. diggers - for lolth this is just the consistent "i've been waiting for you" in the bg which i found fun and disconcering but also i think this is the perfect party and perfect storm for her to convince someone to use the circlets power >:) - for dariax! it seems with what we know he doesn't really know that he is a divine soul sorcerer? unless that is a show he is putting up. still, i feel like him carrying the circlet is Very interesting as someone with a divine bloodline who is in a way being given/chosen for that type of power holding onto this artifact born from evil and perhaps being tempted by it & i think this song works as an interesting back and forth for him with the strange double-entity grab for him in a way

7. athena - truly just a banger that fit the vibes wayyyy too well and started this whole thing, it's loud and reckless and out for blood babey <3 - i think i associate it with dorian mostly because i also associate it with lolth and he is the closest to really taking that leap in canon (and also probably the first one the go if we're following this playlist like a story with everyone/most everyone going corrupt, though it can be read truly infinite ways these are just compiled songs) i think it has a certain flair and appeal that just makes me Feel like it's the song that would play the second dorian puts the circlet on (which! fun fact! decreases your charisma by 2! have fun beloved bard!) - i think it's a very intense conversation

8. i’m not calling you a liar - okayokayokay it's orym thought time bc there are sooo many worlds and routes for orym here and i truly have no idea where he would even end up in this hypothetical. do i think that orym loves these guys and wants to protect them? yes. do i think that he may genuinely take the pain of loving them and keep his morals by walking away and/or turning on them if they all go evil? maybe. do i think he also might love them enough to throw that away? maybe. in a party of all chaotic neutrals besides him without fy'ra rai he is surprisingly the wild card here. while they have each other and no one else, he has the teachings and wisdom of the voice of the tempest and a moral compass that does not align with theirs at all. so, something has to give! dorian's slide into chaotic neutral was natural, but i think orym would be giving up Much More of himself to let himself slide from neutral good to chaotic neutral. i have no answers only sad, sad hypotehtical questions and scenarios so i will just, leave you with "and i love you so much, i'm gonna let you kill me." - this song also comes here before the storm of the 3-5 because whatever way he goes i think orym sees it all happen before anyone else does.

9. grenadine - Do Not Tell Me You Couldn't Hear villainous opal and dorian say the lines "what a big heart i have, i'll be your savior now. what a real catch i am, all the more to pull you down." - i see this song as playful but more genuine for dorian in terms of Truly Really believing any action he does to protect his friends is justified and good to him in his eyes whereas this is a very playful song for a villainous opal - they both give off this vibe strongly though (could see this one for fearne as well but don't have a good a justification)

10. black wave - helloooooo my favorite druid and warlock?? going apeshit with power? more so than they already are on a day-to-day basis (esp given episode 6 combat)? that's what this song is about. "stumbling down the street i swear to god you don't wanna test me" - i also think they both have an interesting question with "what do i believe?" with fearne being of the feywild which is a place of considerably different moral standing to exandria and opal being so young that she doesn't have the world figured out at all <3 terrifying and upsetting when you get into those questions on a corruption arc <3

11. you should see me in a crown - okay i knooooow this one is on the dorian playlist BUT vibes for my brutal babes <333 something about opal’s whole personality and fearne confronting the mirror self But eventually choosing/heading down the path anyway?? impeccable i love it there’s very few other thoughts here

12. control - OKAY not only does this song Fuck but i put it as party wide because i think it transitions nicely into the end of the mix which is more of the “questioning this decision after going all in but not being able to turn back/was it all worth it in the end?” part - i mostly love the “though i like the idea of providence... i’m in love with control” repeated because! i think the circlet is very interesting in that it has been iterated many times over that though it has connections to lolth and she has some claim/twisted abilities with it, it IS just a power source. so, the idea of going all in and accepting this power is an incredibly interesting dilemma of “who’s in charge here? did you really put it on/would you have without these dreams and lolth’s influence? are you really in control?” i think this song really represents that admission/delusion of control in this situation.

13. plenty - okay this song in any context is just my Feywild/Faerie Vibe song so i think this trails back to my feelings about fearne leaning into that different set of fey morals along a corruption arc, and as for dariax i think this is about abundance! following through that mixture of divine power source and chaotic evil god origin over dariax and his chaotic history of vast and varied experiences in emon, i think this very much befits a corrupt version of him.

14. dangerous - this song makes me insane, and the first reason i put it on the mix was the “the dead are true believers. rest assured. we are all believers” really just made me think of a terrible and cinematic moment of them discovering the circlet with the dead aboard the ship ESP in the context of this playlist’s narrative where that was the point they were destined to claim its power and go through their corruption arc - “how does it feel to be your own deceiver?” is the main reason and feeling as for why i made this a dorian song as well in line with “don’t worry i would do anything for my friends.” bc i personally find dorian’s corruption arc to be disillusioned with his own intentions and takes a lot of convincing himself that taking this power for his friends is noble in the scope of this group’s collective morals and self-interest in keeping each other safe and prosperous so <3

15. hollow - woowee dariax corruption, at least in this scope, i think is very frightening to me in that i think he’s going full maximalist, abundant, greedy, impulsive chaotic evil if we’re realllly leaning into a villain arc but still many of those things if we’re just going “this group is the only thing that matters and i’ll do anything for them no matter the cost” - i also think this song has a tone of resentment towards this? apprehension a bit? recognizing that this is how the person singing is but not entirely enjoying or feeling justified in it? as impulsive as dariax is, i think he cares A Lot, and is even a character i could see pulling a reverse dorian and going chaotic good in a different story than we’re in? “so simple when i was younger” and “i’d be a dancer of a different tune” really give me angsty dariax vibes in the height of his corruption arc

16. bad dreams - “don't you worry about your bad dreams cause I'm not in them. don't you worry about what change brings cause you can't stop it.” WOOF i don’t know that this one really needs to be explained but it’s the climax and the descent all in one of the party/corrupted individual being too far gone in their decision to step back or be saved. i think the tone of the song lends itself well to a mixture of uncaring but also giving some question to if they regret it or not based on the narration of the crowd against them.

[utilitycaster]

I have been thinking about FCG and Imogen's dynamic and how much it changed and i have talked about it in tags a couple of times

Like it changed from both of them going "there is something really wrong with you and you don't realize it, so i will help you fix it" to echother. And now they are both very much on a standstill and kinda waiting for the other to the other to "come to their senses"

I have a feeling that something is going to happen and they are gonna start arguing and snapping at each other, because there is a really fun tension forming between the two of them and their own arrogance is keeping them at bay

So here's the thing: I don't actually think FCG is acting this way towards Imogen! I think it's mostly one-sided and coming from Imogen, whereas FCG is kind of just rolling along doing their own thing.

FCG's arc so far has been one of learning their purpose and the truth about the demise of their party, which was obviously traumatic, but they were met with the support of Bells Hells and Imahara Joe and encouraged heavily to make their own path - and found a deity who represents exactly that: possibility, change, and chance. While his path towards faith has definitely been a weird one with its share of incorrect assumptions, it's also helped him through a lot of difficult circumstances, and it's been rewarded with the attention of the Changebringer. They also met FRIDA and were able to make a strong connection with them very quickly, and while they're still figuring things out, there's a sense of peace about it. FCG still does care about other people, but he's started to consider his own needs in a way he previously didn't and tentatively embrace personhood, and can see a way forward.

Imogen, on the other hand, despite learning much more about the source of her powers, knows less about what she wants now. Originally, she hoped to learn where they came from, and she wanted to be rid of them - or at least, she thought she wanted to be rid of him (Imogen's feelings about power lead me to believe she never actually wanted to be rid of them entirely, just, understandably, the downsides). She now knows that she is Ruidusborn, with all that entails...and the party is fighting most of the Ruidusborn, and the source of her powers. And, to be clear, I absolutely think the party is right, but Imogen finds herself wanting the thing she thought she didn't want (Ruidusborn powers). And whereas the party has largely been tolerant, if not always enthused with FCG's explorations of religion, Imogen feeling out the Ruby Vanguard was met with vehement opposition. Which, again, is fair, because FCG is saying some theologically incorrect and perhaps annoying to some but ultimately harmless shit about a canonically good-aligned deity, whereas Imogen was entertaining siding with a murderous group of cultists responsible for the deaths of Orym's husband, Orym himself, Fearne, and Laudna; but I can see why she felt upset about it.

I think Imogen is intensely jealous of FCG, actually, and she knows it's irrational, which only makes it feel worse. FCG is embracing personhood in a way she doesn't like, but that's the whole point of personhood, isn't it? To make the choices that are right for you, considering the needs of your friends but not erasing yourself to accommodate them. FCG has received support, and even a relationship with someone who can uniquely understand them - in fact, even more so, after this last episode, in which FRIDA has also killed at the command of Aeor. FCG, when unsure about their purpose and agency, received gentle guidance and encouragement to take their time and figure out who they wanted to be. Imogen, when plagued with doubt, has received none of that. She's been yelled at by Ashton and Orym (again: valid of Ashton and Orym, but we're focusing on Imogen's perspective and the fact that she probably even realizes they were right, but that doesn't help her actually feel better). She's constantly told by her closest friend (whose own darker power source was seemingly eliminated without ill effects) that she's "very capable" or that she's always been able to make her own decisions, both responses which give Imogen no room to actually grapple with that doubt and have a chance to address it head-on.

FCG didn't know what they wanted at the beginning, and has found an incredibly validating purpose and a companion who understands many of their struggles. Imogen got precisely what she thought wanted - she even now has a magical item that does take away some of the worst effects of her powers - and it's unsatisfying. She's full of resentment and she knows it's misdirected. I don't even think she's waiting for FCG to come to their senses. I think she just wants to feel what he feels and have what he has, but pursuing the gods isn't right for her, so she's lashing out.

[utilitycaster]

May I ask if you have any thoughts on Fearne and Orym from this past episode? Fearne especially-I keep poking at why she seemed relatively amenable to the cult and its goals in group conversations, but came down squarely on the anti-cult side in her conversation with Orym. I think I just have a hard time understanding her in general, though.

I'll admit I don't have a perfect recall of the discussion but I don't think Fearne seemed amenable to the cult? The only thing I can think of is that she gave Imogen space to recount what Liliana had shown her in the dream, which is not so much "the cult is fine" and more "let's let Imogen talk this out in full before we pass judgment and make our decisions."

I also think it's true that Fearne is a fey, and has a somewhat flighty, chaotic morality and has no real investment in the gods, and honestly might not care a ton about the political consequences - or even the cost of life - but she does know that Ludinus is a weird, bitter man who's lying about a lot of things; she does know that Otohan killed her, Orym, and Laudna; and she knows that Orym absolutely opposes this. She is going to side with Orym.

Honestly, because this party is not particularly aligned with the gods nor terribly cerebral, that's kind of where they're mostly at. I think a few of them consider the broad ramifications or considerations of faith, but Ashton kind of covers it: this is a group that kills anyone who stands in their way for some hypothetical idea of a utopian future they don't share with outsiders. Fuck that.