#and in the time he's been away from them fearne and orym (and laudna) died

[septembermonologues]

when we get dorian back with the hells, this is the side of him that i want to see when he's actually fully caught up on everything he's missed.

[zeephyre]

CRITICAL ROLE CAMPAIGN 3 EPISODE 85 SPOILERS

IM LITERALLY ABOUT TO LOSE MY MIND YALL

Where do I even ??? start ???

I haven't been posting c3 as the episodes dropped in...a while actually, like right before they went to the feywild. i have many thoughts and many feelings about so many things that have happened since then and I'll summarise them so I can get to THIS episode.

fearne and ashton - love their shard powers, they're literally royalty and terrifying, and i want them to make-out. i can't wait to see them go full primordial again in a real combat situation.

imogen - save her. literally save her. free her, even. i love everything about the call of ruidus when it comes to imogen on a narrative standpoint, but...God I get so worried that we're gonna lose her. I don't mean she's gonna betray the hells, but...ruidus could take her and then i would simply perish.

laudna - before i really get into wtf went down this episode with her and she who must not be named, i gotta say... im worried. very very worried. however, that fireball was objectively the best shit ever.

fcg - i can't even really remember anything stand out abt fcg except what Sam pulled last night so.

chetney - still the heart of the team, still my baby girl, still my favourite. love him to bits.

orym - i think laudna is going to beat his ass one of these days and im... even more concerned about that after this episode. his nana morri powers are cool as fuck tho... does that make him a warlock now? i know he isn't multi-classing but wouldn't that be cool

ANYWAY WE'RE ON THE FUCKING MOON AND WE GOT MOON LORE AND EVERYTHING WAS SHITTY THEN FUN THEN SHITTY THEN FUN AGAIN THEN REALLY FUCKING SAD THEN IT ALL WENT TO SHIT AGAIN.

the moment imogen reached out to ruidus and matt mentioned that she could sense where other ruidusborn were i fucking knew that otohan was high tailing it in their direction, and i thought they instinctively knew that too but they probably got so distracted.

we were travelling for hours and had a huge fight that almost got them captured (not to be confused with the OTHER two fights that almost got them captured) and I was begging and screaming and crying for them to get a long rest safely hidden away AND THEN THEY SPLIT THE PARTY WITH BARELY ANY SPELL SLOTS OR HIT POINTS AFTER BEING DRAINED FROM ANOTHER BATTLE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM

(Sidenote, the willmaster really opened up the door to the further increase in moral pondering in a certain number of hellians. i do think using the harness is disgusting and hypocritical, but i don't condemn them for it, it just...makes me wanna vomit thinking abt what ludinus did with it. not to mention the HUNGER parallels between laudna and ludinus...its just not good yall. also??? objectively funny that fcg seemed weirded out by the idea of killing the willmaster, not just with the harness but in general, considering how many people they've killed up to this point)

idk if its just the inherent terror that an evil old hot lady can inspire that makes otohan so much more terrifying to me than ludinus. like, objectively, ludinus is a worse threat and could wipe them out EASILY but jesus otohan is like the damn reaper to me. it's the trauma from the laudna, fearne, orym massacre mixed with the underlying little drop from their uthodurn romp that let us know that resurrection spells are NOT working and idk if that got fixed bc of time passing or distance from the leylines but i really did not want to test that shit out in real time

thank...god that sam riegel is a damn genius player, that banishment of fcg and fearne was the ONLY reason fcg survived. and thank GOD FOR KEYLETH BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT CLOUD SPELL BELLS HELLS WOULD BE VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY DEAD RN.

God, "otohan has us. run." is going to haunt me just as much, if not more than the almost tpk. it just...shot me straight back to bassuras and the plan to run that just...immediately fell apart.

god fcg truly could have died there. and fearne would be captured. i know the hells would be too stupid and too brave and too loyal to leave fearne with otohan in their cloud form but can you imagine a world where fcg was gone, fearne was captured and the hells had to switch from recon to rescue... itd be stressful but pretty fun.

thankfully it didn't come to that and some good came from the shit.

ruidus is so beautiful. i was worried they'd end being trapped under ruidus while they explored (not that I wasn't on board with the detours, I wish this wasn't a time sensitive mission), but matt's imagery of the fossilized elven structure and garden made me sad but also happy that we got to see it.

i cannot believe that the stupid plan to shove fearne up a water hole happened AGAIN and it ended up with us FINDING A BACK HOLE TO RUIDUS GOD I LOVE THESE CHUCKLEFUCKS WHEN IS THE NEXT EPISODE MATT YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME. WHERE EVEN ARE THEY??? IS IT EVEN EXANDRIA???? WHAT DO WE DO IF IT IS EXANDRIA??? WHERE DID THIS HOLE EVEN COME FROM???? DOES IT CLOSE AND REOPEN??? IS IT STAGNANT?????? IS IT FUCKING STABLE?!?!?!?!?!

God...we could go back to keyleth and the others and actually invade ruidus without encountering the ruby vanguard. (that's if they're alright because otohan did go out onto the battlefield and we don't know what fhe fuck she did when the illusion fell through)

GOD. IS IT THURSDAY YET??? WE HAVENT EVEN FOUND THE RESISTANCE????

[c-is-for-circinate]

God I have so much to say about the mechanics of the Delilah fight, and how they relate to the emotions and the themes of what was going on, and how the new ruleset of, nobody here can die but once you're out you can't come back either changed everything. And I can't get my thoughts straight, so: bullet points!

I think it mattered a lot when FCG went. I think it mattered because it was proof that they weren't all going to be here until the end of the battle, because it changed the way they were looking at the math -- and I think it mattered because FCG is the main party healer, and not having him there completely upended the math. Recovery was not going to be a thing! Not with the kind of hits Delilah was throwing around, and the tiny amounts of healing they had left. Damage race was all they had.

(Honestly, the best thing I can liken it to is a roguelike video game, where you know you're probably going to die, and you know all you'll lose are the things you didn't have to begin with. The goal of survival, then, isn't to safeguard your own welfare -- it's because if you die, you can't win. And oh did they need to win.)

And this is SO DIFFERENT from the Otohan fight! It's the exact opposite! Everything there was about the potential for death and the fear of it. Everything in that fight was about the defensive play, the cruel horrible math of, if I save myself what will protect my friends? If I don't save myself, how will I help them? Can I even help them at all anyway? The only way for them all to survive the Otahan fight was for all of them to survive the fight, and they didn't, because they couldn't!!!

And so oh, how much this feels like redemption for that. How this triumph feels like a triumph not just against Delilah, but against their every failure last time.

(FCG, their healer who survived the end to the last time -- who was short on spells because he tried to kill them that morning, who healed too little and too late because he was so afraid of himself -- who made the choice at the end, who to save and how, and hated it! -- FCG who's short on spells now because he prepared only for a resurrection, not to kill. FCG who fights and heals with all they've got, who clears the minions in a single blow the way none of them could stop Otohan's shadows. Who gets to leave early, absolved from decisions, from responsibility, given a break.)

(Orym, who felt so very very useless last time -- who tried to get up and tried to get up and failed and failed and fell again -- who died, who died and saw the person he loved most in the world for one gentle second, while Laudna ended up here -- who died, and got the chance to come back that could have been hers. Orym who spends this fight trying to get up, not to his feet but to the crown of a tree, who fails and fails and makes it this time. Orym who strikes a killing blow, the first killing blow, who rends the tree's crown asunder. Orym who dies again, still safe but without taking anybody's time, attention, magic, any of it away from the fight at hand for his sake.)

(Fearne who didn't know what to do, Fearne who had to flip a coin! Fearne who panicked and ran and muddled and didn't know, didn't know, she's not from this world! People don't suffer and die like this where she's from, in the world where archfey are immortal and time is soup! Fearne who didn't know didn't know didn't know, being the one to figure it out. The one to leash Delilah to the ground. The first one to target the tree. The one with the power to make it burn.)

(Ashton the tank, whose job it is to take hits -- Ashton the battlefield control barbarian who couldn't control a goddamn thing -- Ashton who ran, last time. Ashton who made it out only to discover that nobody else made it with them, Ashton who left them behind -- got to stay. Got thrown to the edge of the battlefield, off the map, and made it back. Ashton handing Imogen his only potion, I'll stay as long as I can, getting to protect this time.)

(Chetney who was maybe the only one actually with it, last time, tooth and claw and blood hunter curses to the very end. Chetney doing the same now again. Chetney who I still can't quite figure out, who didn't have anything to redeem but the loss.)

And Imogen. Of course, of course, Imogen.

Imogen's fury. Imogen's wrath.

Imogen calling down the moon. Imogen grabbing her power with both hands and bending it to her will. Imogen using every last ounce of magic that Otohan forced her into, when she was terrified and confused and cringing and trying to surrender rather than fight -- using it to rend Delilah asunder. To shatter a tree with lightning. Imogen blazing and brilliant and unafraid.

And all of them, together. Working together. Spreading out, each to their own jobs. To get to Laudna; to take down minions; to harry, to draw fire, to bind Delilah, to get to the tree, to throw damage. Nobody in anybody else's way, nobody scattered at cross-purposed confusion, everybody perfectly united in this one goal. The Bell's Hells, raining down hellfire, together.

At the end of it all, I'm still struck down by the fact that the one person they were at risk of losing with this fight was the one person they'd already lost. The only life in danger here was Laudna's. There was no risk to any of them, if they failed. But they fought. They fought with everything they had. They spent everything they had to spend, the potions they might not get back upon waking, every ounce of energy, the very last spell slot that wouldn't be able to take them home. They had nothing to lose that wasn't already lost, and it meant they could throw everything into the fight. And it was beautiful.

[thewickedkat]

no one is a hero here. neither is anyone a villain.

yes, Ashton fucked up. they did a Thing--a big Thing! a Dangerous Thing!--and consulted precisely one (1) person about it. that person enabled and facilitated said Thing without really stopping to pause and think about it. Fearne fucked up by not doing those things. Ashton almost died because of their combined short-sightedness.

these things happened. tell me that no one else in the history of ever has done a Dumb and Dangerous Thing. tell me you never have. fuck knows i have. and?

more than anything, Bells' Hells strikes me as a party of Firsts: it's Chetney's first time really doing anything with something that resembles a pack (i say this without knowing a thing about werewolf dynamics in Exandria and at this point i can't be arsed to learn more). it's FCG's first time in a group knowing more of their own provenance, knowing what they are capable of (good and bad), their first experience with faith. it's Laudna's first time around people who aren't actively trying to either burn her home down or run her out of town on a rail, her first experience with something resembling love (despite Delilah's poison trickling into her ear). Fearne is still learning how to people, given that the only other people she really hung with were the Crown Keepers, and that wasn't for a very long time. Imogen is quite literally learning how to human without hearing the inner voices of folk around her, since she got the circlet, and is learning how to define people not by the worst intrusive thoughts skirling across their brainmeats. Ashton has never been around people who weren't ready to immediately take advantage of any kind of weakness perceived on their part, or ready to abandon him at a moment's notice. he is learning that not everything is defined by a quid pro quo. Orym is really the only cat in the group who has been around stable individuals throughout his life, and most of those people have been there since jump for him. that, and he has a calling, a duty, something that he views as greater than himself that he is willing to submit to. he finds comfort in that, where Letters is just now starting to have an inkling. but even he is learning how to mesh into a unit that isn't a squad, or a platoon, or a guarding body. with the Hells, he isn't just defined by that calling--he is a friend, a brother, without the mutual cultural understanding of the Ashari to back it up.

my point is, all of these people are still discovering new things about themselves. they are still young from a maturity standpoint--even Chetney is, because he is being confronted with emotional entanglements that he (assumedly) hasn't had to deal with before.

there are going to be fuckups. there are going to be scares and hurt feelings and things shouted at each other that are difficult to take back and apologise for. this doesn't mean that one should scorch the earth and piss on the ashes when there is a fuckup.

furthermore, understanding why the characters do what they do is not the same as excusing it. reasons are not the same as justifications are not the same as excuses, etc etc etc. i can easily follow the reasoning behind Ashton taking the shard into themself, because who doesn't want to feel special and badass? it went to his head! i can also understand why Fearne wanted to help--it's what you do for friends, yeah? you help them? and if you're kinda crushing on that friend, the urge to go along with what they want is doubly strong. also? no one ever taught her emotional regulation, i don't think. i fully think that's why she got so viscerally angry with what happened, all that fear and adrenalin and terror at what have i done had to go somewhere, and so she kicked Ashton in the head and tried to break their hammer, and it was Chet who recognised that urge to break and destroy and he allowed her to channel it away from harming anyone else.

people do dumb things, sometimes. they do dumb things and say dumb things because all they want to do in that moment is make something else hurt the way they do. and then they regret it, and internalise it, hopefully learn from it, make amends and move the fuck on. both Ashton and Fearne are having their 'oh if it isn't the consequences of my actions' moment, and they're allowed to have their shitty, messy, all-over-the-place feelings about it. there has been quiet screeching in the fandom about character growth and conflict and the 'necessity for all of them to sit down and talk,' and now that such a moment is here, it seems that many people are saying 'wait, not like that.'

Ashton and Fearne are both traumatised individuals, yes. i think Ashton understands a little more clearly than Fearne what that means, with regard to themself, because (and i don't mean to minimise here at all) his trauma is more evident and obvious and 'conventional,' for lack of a better term. Fearne's trauma is more...nebulous and isolating, because she has normally had Nana Morri to prevent giant fuckups like this, or worst-case, fix those fuckups. as a result, it's entirely possible that Fearne doesn't really grok just how real and bad not thinking things through can be. this doesn't make her naive or a babe in the woods at all, but there is a vast difference between being aware of the potential for something to break bad, and then seeing a good friend explode in front of your face. i dunno, i'm spitballing here.

there are no heroes, nor are there villains. just folk--messy, self-centred, short-sighted folk. let them have their fuckups without putting any of them on crosses or pedestals.

[towards-toramunda]

I just saw this post: https://www.tumblr.com/multifandom-damnation/734280499157221376/laudna-who-died-in-such-a-terrible-violent-way and as an Ashton and Laudna fan I'd love to hear your thoughts because I feel feral tbh

Heyo I just read through the post, and I honestly don’t know how I feel. Like I agree, but I don’t? Cause this time Ashton woke up surrounded by people who are pissed and angry and distrustful towards him, but they stayed and thats gotta count for something.

Last time Ashton was abandoned out of self preservation from the other nobodies. He didn’t do anything morally wrong, just got caught in a trap that left them on the ground bleeding out as a liability, but this time they fucked over their friends and they know it. They hurt the bell’s hells and they KNOW it, and yet the hells stayed.

But its also more complicated than that because right after coming back Fearne tried to bash his head in and break their hammer, FCG told them they didn’t think he cared about anyone but themselves, Chet told him to leave, Laudna ran away because the eldritch horrors in her mind were making her want to kill him, and Orym didn’t say a word (I know its bc Liam was out but… for character reasons Orym has been silent to Ashton).

But Imogen, angry as she was, just wanted to understand why he did it. Stayed with them even as Laudna ran off clearly not okay. She cared. FCG, even as upset as he was, stayed, explained how he felt and why he felt that way, and asked for better. Chet was harsh as hell, but when Ashton stayed and committed even in a small way to be better he was the first to back them up. Fearne talked to them, and came back, and is still very very angry, but there’s a possibility for growth. And Laudna, after running away from them for fear of betrayal and becoming murderous, made them a doll. She made them something they’ve never had before. She wouldn’t do that if she didn’t care for him (I think thats why they cried. Because he did this shitty thing, but she made him a gift and that showed she cared). She called him a child and said she likes children. (And Orym still hasn’t talked but… we’ll hopefully get to that next episode).

So… yes? It’s bad that Ashton didn’t wake up after dying a second time surrounded by loving friends who went to the ends of exandria for them like Laudna, and maybe they’ll hold some kinda resentment about that, but (unlike Laudna’s second coming) he’s surrounded by friends who he severely fucked over but they stayed.

They told him he could stay.

That they wanted to make things better.

They paused their very important mission to scout on the moon and prevent the end of the world to go on a feywild vacation because they wanted the group to be okay. Even after Ashton fucked up so fucking much.

And isn’t that in itself just fucking beautiful?

Isn’t that proof of some kinda love? Of family even?

I’m not saying Ashton isn’t in a bad place right now they obviously are, but their friends have just proved that they’re not leaving him if they can help it.

[unicyclehippo]

Stoic

Here’s how it ends.

Ludinus dies. There isn’t much more to say about it and he doesn’t deserve the recounting.

The fight takes a lot out of the Bells Hells, which they thought was worth it at the time except that when Ludinus dies, the tether holding Ruidus in place doesn’t dissolve or snap, the moon doesn’t return to its place in the sky, and the reilora—crawling hand over hungry hand down the bloody bridge—continue to vanish into the surrounding desert. Instead of any good thing happening (because of course it doesn’t), the rumbling grows. A crack like a long, jagged mouth opens across the moons ruddy shell. There is something waking up, there is something coming for them. For everyone. For the world.

‘Alright,’ Imogen sighs. ‘One more fight.’

‘One more fight,’ Orym groans from where he’s laid out on the ground, Fearne’s hands closed around his knee, healing a terrible wound there.

‘We sure it’s gonna be just one fucking fight?’

‘Hope so,’ Chetney says, which earns him a few odd looks. ‘What? A bitch can’t want a rest? I’ve ripped my skin off four times today. I’m tired.’ The bloody bib drips around his feet. His own blood drips down his fingers, patters onto the sand. FCG, eyes flickering with the red of Ruidus and his own design, trundles over. They had all agreed not to heal unless strictly necessary, so he only takes Chetney’s hand and holds it.

Ashton grabs the two of them by the shoulders, gives them a brutally loving shake. ‘Here’s the way I see it. Ludinus is dead. Win. Moon’s still here. That’s shit. But - bridge is here too and so are all of us. So. Partial win?’

‘We always knew it was a possibility,’ Laudna agrees. She abandons the fused and fractured remains of the Malleus Key, slinks down the side of it to rejoin her companions. Loops her arm around Imogen’s and kisses her hello; she tastes of blood and sand and power, as does her counterpart. Laudna brushes cool, questing fingers over Imogen’s cheek. Trace the ever growing leylines of Imogen’s power. ‘To the moon?’

Something flickers behind Imogen’s eyes. Laudna cannot discern it but if Imogen wishes to share, she will. For now, she takes Laudna’s hand and kisses the back of it. They step into the Bloody Bridge together.

//

Here is how it ends.

Predathos begins to rouse. They all watch as a lazy tendril of red power licks out across the surface of Exandria and everywhere it touches turns to so much dust.

‘We gotta end this,’ Imogen growls. ‘It’s not takin’ anything else. It’s not takin’ anyone else!’ From a bag on her hip, she removes a familiar device. Mostly familiar. It has been adjusted, Laudna realises, and glows with a red light. Imogen drops the bag to the ground, and her coat, pulling the loops of the harness over her shoulders. ‘Ashton—what we talked about, can you?’

Their face goes stony. ‘Are you sure?’

Imogen laughs, a hysterical note to the beloved sound. ‘No?’ She meets his eyes. ‘I gotta try.’

Ashton nods. ‘I hate you a little bit,’ he says, very soft. ‘And I love you. Forever.’

‘Excuse me,’ Laudna trills, gouging worried lines into her cheeks with sharp nails. ‘What the fuck is going on?’

‘Far enough away but—close. In case…in case,’ Imogen continues.

Ashton nods again. He steps forward, gives the harness a rough tug into place. Then, gentle giant, he cups Imogen’s head and drops a kiss to the top of her head. When he turns back, his form blurs and bleeds with grey.

‘We asked the tinker nerds to change the funnel. Team Titan is going with me to pin Predathos to the fucking moon. That’s all of us. Imogen’s got this.’ He reached out to collect them all in the gravity of his portal.

‘Touch me and die,’ Laudna snarls. She tries to grab Imogen but in the blink of an eye, Orym has interposed himself. Sword out, eyes harsh.

‘I am sorry. Some things are more important than love.’

‘You knew about this too?’

‘It’s hard to hide stuff from me. Imogen and Ashton—it’s a good plan. And this is the end of the world. We knew we might not make it back. We have to do this,’ he insists. ‘I won’t let you stop her. I’m sorry.’

He continues trying to convince her to back away, to let Imogen do this terrible selfless thing on her own, be a leader and a hero and whatever else he uses to convince himself. Laudna ignores him quite easily. Over his head, she stares at Imogen.

Sturdy, stoic. The red crawl of power, almost to her eyes. The wince of agony—mind against mind against mind here, the ceaseless noise.

‘My love,’ she interrupts, magic and message and her own voice. Watches Imogen’s shoulders relax, watches her turn, unerring, toward her. ‘This is our destiny.’

‘I can’t see you killed again, Laudna. I won’t—don’t make me.’

For all his intention, Orym does not stop her when she moves past him, closes with Imogen.

‘If I promise not to die, may I come?’ she asks sweetly, teasing. Imogen’s stoic expression, the certainty of one about to march into death, falters. When she cries, tears cutting gulleys down red dusted cheeks, Laudna pulls her close. Winds impossibly long limbs around her. ‘What is it that we learned about these ancient gods? Fate and order, darkness and winter. It describes us quite nicely, don’t you think? My goddess,’ she murmurs. The fear doesn’t lessen the love, merely colours it. Brighter, sweeter. ‘My goddess of fate. When you Command this thing to sleep, to die, let me be there at your side. Please, darling.’

Imogen laughs a watery laugh, snotty from tears. ‘I don’t know how I thought I could do it without you, honestly.’

‘You could, you’re very capable.’

‘Laud-‘

She pulls back. Brushes the tear tracks with a tender thumb, and kisses her slow and sweet. ‘You could, Imogen. You can do anything. But I promised you would not have to do it alone. Let me stay.’

Their foreheads touch. Mind to mind, the sand-soft sift of Imogen’s thoughts through Laudna’s attic.

‘I ‘spose it is kinda fitting,’ she breathes. Perhaps she felt the depth of Laudna’s devotion. Perhaps it is the simple selfish truth that she doesn’t want to be alone at the end. ‘My goddess of the dark,’ she whispers, and kisses Laudna again.

‘If you aren’t following the plan to fuck off immediately and be a big hero,’ Ashton interrupts, ‘I think everyone wants to say goodbye.’

Orym hugs them both. He says nothing more.

Fearne gives each a lingering kiss—since she didn’t get to before and if all this works out, never will. She passes over flowers from her hair and glinting, matching rings. ‘I was saving them for the big day,’ she confesses. ‘You could get married at the Manor. I would officiate, obviously. But,’ her delicate smile cracks, eyes overflow. ‘What are we gonna do?’ she whimpers. ‘I - I love you two so much.’

Orym takes her hand. Climbs up onto her back and hugs her tight. It’s not enough yet. Laudna takes the birdhouse from her back, and Pate, and hands him over.

‘Look after him?’

Fearne hugs the birdhouse tight. There are no words.

Pate crawls into Fearne’s hair, stares empty sockets to his creator, his oldest friend. ‘Any last orders, boss?’

‘Ooh. Hm. Yes. Be good, be brave. Make plenty of trouble.’

‘Right-o. Can do.’

‘Be yourself,’ Imogen adds. ‘You’re wonderful. Don’t forget that.’ She tickles under his chin, finger stroking the underside of his sharp beak. He nuzzles into her palm, clammy paws patting against her skin.

‘Good luck, Imogen. I love you.’

‘Love you too, Pate.’

Chetney sniffles mightily. Hugs Laudna so hard something cracks that was probably vital. Grabs Imogen’s hand. ‘I’ll make a statue of you guys. It’ll be a masterpiece.’

‘What kind of wood? Oak? Pine?’

‘I was thinking bone,’ he says, and snaps his teeth when Laudna gasps.

‘Tell me you’re not joking! Chetney,’ she wails. ‘You’re so—‘

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. It’ll take a minute! I’ll have to learn a whole new medium! So if you survive or your spirits do or whatever, give me a couple years to get it looking good, okay?’ He beams up at them. ‘Look at you two. I know it’ll work out. Take it from me, I’ve seen everything in the world.’

‘Oh, you’ve seen people stop a world eating god eating thing coming out of the moon?’

‘Geez, you’re so fucking literal, Imogen! No! But I’ve seen the little guy win fights. I’ve seen heroes and so much love, you wouldn’t believe. And I’ve seen you two.’ He squeezes Imogen’s hand. ‘You got this.’

She leans down. Kisses the top of his balding head.

‘Letters,’ Ashton grumbles, ‘what the fuck are you doing? It’s time to say goodbye.’

‘I know, I know!’ the little robot wails. ‘But I had something and I can’t find—has anyone seen a jar, so big, it’s full of silver dust?’ He only sighs thankfully when Fearne digs guiltily into her pouch and returns it. ‘Thank the Changebringer!’

‘Should be thanking me, I’m the one that gave it back,’

‘Let it go, Fearne, you know how Letters is.’

‘I’m just saying.’

FCG wheels up to them. ‘You know, what the two of you said before, it was kinda like exchanging vows! And Fearne gave you the rings, and you two kissed! It might not work because the ritual is supposed to take an hour but I thought it was worth a shot…’ He takes an unnecessary breath. ‘You two wanna get hitched?’

Imogen laughs. Turns to Laudna, quirks a brow. ‘I dreamed one of us would do the proposin’, when it did happen,’ she teases, ‘but what do you think? Wanna marry me?’

Laudna smiles. ‘I do have a veil already. Let’s do it!’

The words are simple. Silver pours over their palms. The magic, whatever FCG invests in it, turns it to a ribbon of silver that winds about their joined hands. When they kiss, the ribbon has changed. Irridescent. Opalescent, shining moments of greys and blacks, reds and purples. The ribbon remains tangled about their hands though it does not impede them when they part, semi-ethereal.

Ashton pulls them all into a bracing hug. Then, he drags their friends into a grey wormhole and steps into it himself.

Alone, together, Laudna and Imogen climb down into the core of the moon. What happens in there, no one can say for sure. What we know is this: the moon does not crack open. Predathos is bound there with shackles of the gods making, and the titans, and by one of his own power. What we know is this: where Ruidus once was a constant ruddy spot in the sky, never waxing nor waning as the white moon Catha did, when it returned to its place in the sky after the demolition of the Bloody Bridge, darkness began to creep across its surface. It did not follow a cycle any scholar could pin down, and many stories found their way to curious ears and halls of learning—if one watched for long enough, the shadows almost looked like hands, or the branches of a tree.

[masterqwertster]

Put That Guy In A Situation Prompt:

Ashton roleswap with Laudna or Chetney? i feel like they've got the most interesting similarities :D

Prompt The fun thing about roleswap is that there's a lot of different roles any one person fills. I think this is a fun/heartbreaking go at a Laudna/Ashton roleswap.

"We have to bring him back!" Laudna cries, spidery hands clasping around a stone hand.

It’s terrible to be on the other side of being alive when your friend has been killed. To know they died fighting for you, protecting you.

At least Otohan Thull is dead too this time.

"We're gonna try. Hopefully with the Solstice finally over it'll be possible," Imogen promises, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah. Like Ashton says, we don't leave anyone behind," Fearne tearily reassures as she settles in on Laudna’s other side for a side-hug.

"Not disagreeing with you ladies, but unless we can get them back up right now, we gotta pack 'em up and get out of here," Chetney growls, wolven ears flickering around. "FCG, Fearne?"

"I'm tapped," FCG whines, hands wringing as their eyes flicker red for a flash.

"Me too," Fearne sadly agrees.

"Alright. Let's get them packed up," Orym sighs, weary.

"Packed up?" Laudna asks, voice shaking.

"Ashton's too heavy to carry without seriously slowing us down. Even for me. He's got to go in the Hole," Chetney sadly explains.

"We can't leave them alone!" Laudna exclaims, FCG crying the same thing alongside her.

"I'll go with him," FCG immediately volunteers. "I don't need to breathe, and I can cast Gentle Repose while y'all are getting us out of here."

"I'll carry the Hole!" Laudna quickly pipes up. She can’t carry the earthkin, not with her brittle limbs, but she can carry a bit of cloth connecting to the pocket dimension that holds his body. It’s the least she could do to repay him for carrying her wrapped body everywhere the others went to resurrect her.

"Yeah. You do that," Orym agrees, a knowing look in his eyes. Too observant sometimes, that one.

They move quickly after that. Chetney hauls Ashton’s lifeless body into the Hole to rest gently at the bottom. FCG follows them down to begin his ritual to preserve the barbarian until life can be breathed back into them. Laudna folds the fabric circle up and tucks it into her meager cleavage, keeping her friends close to her barely beating heart.

Then they run, a desperate escape from the not-so-Red-anymore Center.

Thankfully, helpers from All Minds Burn are waiting for them, ready to quickly spirit them back to the safety of their palace in Bassuras. There Bells Hells can rest, gather the magic and strength they need to bring back a fallen Titan (of blood).

___

Ashton takes a breath and the world shakes and bends.

Another breath. They're alive. Their soul settles back into their body from that infinite star-scape. The world, their magic, settles with it.

He blinks mismatched eyes open, blurry world coming into focus. A stone ceiling, familiar mold in the corners–

That's all he has the time to take in before there's bodies slamming into him, hands patting at him, words echoing around him.

…Fuck. Laudna was right. This is the best thing ever. To come back to everyone you love fussing over you. Just here.

He can’t hold back the tears. Not that there’s really a reason to. These people care. They'll fucking wipe them away and hold him all the closer for it.

Ashton loves this fucking crew.

[paperglader]

Thoughts on C3EP77 of CR (I hyperfixate on imodna constantly, but I swear that I talk about the rest of the characters as well)

Delilah fucking briarwood. It has not gone past me that we got to have this great laudna moment on the same ep where they announced the book. WHICH I AM SO FUCKING EXCITED ABOUT.

Imodna will never not be iconic in the middle of a fight. That one moment when laudna was being cornered by the ghosts, and she kept going back and forth between acting like Delilah and pleading for them to understand that she wasn’t the one they were after, to finally Imogen killing two of them, and as they vanished, her gaze was finally visible to laudna as the cloud of smoke dissipated and she told her that it would be alright, only for laudna to lash out once again and unleash her attacks on the rest of them. Chef’s kiss. What a scene.

Imogen calling Delilah Briarwood a bitch will never get old.

Laudna making Imogen promise her to move on and be happy if she died- I can’t. My sweet farm girl was so heartbroken the entire episode. THERE WAS ONE MOMENT TOO, when orym was talking about missing Will every day, and how he would want him to live and be happy, and Imogen was just like 😣. She needs a hug. Someone has to give her a hug

FEARNE FINALLY KNOWS ABOUT IMODNA. The moment that laudna said “she makes me so happy!” I literally fell to my knees.

Fearne’s soft little “you are??” After Orym said that he was so glad that she was there with them broke me into a million pieces. Ashley Johnson you’re an ✨actress✨

Laura deciding to end imodna, not because of the moon, not because of the gods, or Delilah briarwood, but because marisha made a bad vex impression. I respect it.

Imogen still has her yellow scarf. This is very important to me.

Imogen praying for laudna to be alright- Destroyed, heart broken, I’ll never recover + Laura and marisha’s little smiles after the scene, when Laura was wiping off her tears😭 + THE FUCKING RAVEN QUEEN. She better scram the fuck away from the girls, cause I’m not ready for vaxleth 2.0. I’m just like imogen, I refuse.

CALLOWMOORE AT THE CLOCK TOWER. I was giggling, kicking my feet - then by the end of it I was like wtf taliesin, what are you cooking? And then fearne ran away 😭

Terrified of the amount of potions being distributed for the next episode… also, excited.

Ashton. It’s just so funny because Imogen was so hesitant about it all the entire way, but she had the circlet. She wasn’t inside Ashton’s head so he got away with it. Marisha’s innocent “what is happening?” To then being explained Ashton’s plan and saying “you’re gonna die” so incredulous, so sad, and everyone’s face after she said that. My heart started speeding up. Just what the actual fuck. The way he treated fearne… I will not be ok with him for a while because of that. He almost killed himself, he almost killed them all. They just burned a bunch of spells and potions and they’re going to the moon… honestly, I don’t think I’ve been this stressed since laudna’s resurrection

It’s just so… Ashton advocating for down time, so that they could remind themselves that they loved each other before anyone did anything stupid… I EXPECTED SOMETHING BUT I DID NOT EXPECT THIS

Just… Fearne… I understand being an asshole, but I do not understand being an asshole to Fearne. The way that he used their friendship to make her do his bidding, straight up awful.

[loquaciousquark]

4-Sided Dive Highlights - Critical Role C3 up to E35 (Oct. 4, 2022)

Good evening, spooks and ghouls! It's a Halloween edition of 4-Frighted-Dive, and Matthew, Marisha, Laura, and most excellently Travis bring us into the season in the very dramatic costumes promised by the cast last episode. Travis wins host for the first time and his plastic fangs make him almost entirely unintelligible. There's an enormous coffin set up at the front of the heavily decorated Halloween set, and while pondering whether we should celebrate Halloween without her, we all ask What Would Laudna Do? Pate arrives at the set door with a delivery: a letter read by Travis in a cockney accent telling them to go on and do the show.

What the Fuck Is Up With That? The Otohan fight was complicated by unexpectedly struggling with the gate/crawler and accidentally getting Otohan's attention. When Laudna went spiderclimbing up the wall, she was not at all anticipating finding Otohan right on the balcony at the top. They all agree the darkness was clutch. I'm so distracted by how Matt's head barely pokes out of his robot box.

The attacking force was not actually intended to break into the fort, just to be a distraction.

If BH had managed to escape more quickly & cleanly, it wouldn't have been a fight at all. (There would have been a bounty on the unknown perpetrators, though.) The slow and cumbersome exit, the getting of her attention, and the leap to combat all triggered her deciding to directly intervene.

Matt thinks the infiltration on the first half was done really well. Getting Treshi was very smooth and the crates were a great idea.

Everyone speculates on if they could make a dunamantic fig tree. Matt has no idea what would happen if they tried to graft Possibility into a tree.

Travis says the Secret Word (Tempest) and must draw from the recently reassembled Tower of Inquiry. #41: How do cast members sent out of a scene avoid seeing spoilers on Twitter? They actively avoid social media! Episodes are still pre-taped, so they know when to avoid episodes & remind each other not to watch protected moments from the show. Great question!

Travis thinks Otohan knows who Imogen's mom is. Laura has deliberately not tried to cast Sending on her mom. Everyone does think she is alive; that Imogen has a memory of her being alive when she was about a year old & other people saw her twelve years ago when she'd originally been told she died in childbirth--surely she must still be around. Everyone wonders how Imogen's explosion managed to spare her friends yet destroy buildings. Did they go to the moon briefly? Matt descends turtle-like into his robot shell to avoid answering.

Marisha watched the last episode by herself. ;-; It was very weird.

Everyone peppers Matt with questions about the moon. "Answer, Robot!" Matt: "I'm thirsty." Marisha VERY clumsily tips a water bottle to his mouth and just about waterboards him. Her raptor hand gloves are too big, oh no!

When Orym, Laudna, Chetney, and Fearne all went down, everyone was convinced that was it--total party TPK. Travis is always looking at Matt's fidget energy when stuff goes down, trying to read his face for lifelines and hints, and he noted that Matt was unusually stoic and calm. Matt knew Otohan was powerful and important; he needed to honor that. When he built the encounter, he did build in escape routes, including the idea of a hostage held to draw the others back. The group did a huge chunk of damage to her and a lot of her resources were tapped by the end of the fight; she did have a damage threshold where she'd leave, and they were close to that. They all wanted to run but couldn't get away. The moment she did the 80-foot jump really scared them all. The fight reminded Travis of the Chroma Conclave attack in C1 where a 19 missed and took their breath away.

Laura says it scarily reminded them so much of Molly in C2--the villain was way beyond their means and the smart move was to get away. They just couldn't execute it cleanly. Matt suggests the conversation could have continued, but the party choices were too scattered: run, hide, fight, talk.

Otohan was more interested in information rather than murder at the start, but when she recognized Imogen & realized her personal connection to the party, she wanted to push Imogen instead & was willing to be ruthless in the process.

Travis loved the brush with total hopelessness. For as large as their party is, it's very rare to do the "advanced chess" and see no way out. They don't get to experience that risk of TPK often.

Matt has to constantly adjust encounters to keep them from becoming a slog while still making them hard. He thinks the party is really smart & have found ways to decimate encounters he'd thought would be hard in the past, and he knows this party likes the challenge and the risk of real danger, so he built this to be very challenging. Marisha says everyone at the table was completely okay with the way everything went down at the table. This is still a safe space for them as players and they are okay with the possibility of loss.

They all had a stairstep of expected outcomes in the following episode, starting with Laudna's die roll. Travis looked over to see the natural 1 and literally couldn't believe it. She has so many ways to get back up, but the Ruidus die refused to cooperate. Travis lauds Matt for the choice of Otohan striking an unconscious Laudna rather than moving on; it was realistic and terrifying.

They had planned for the possibility of everyone getting back up: Laudna rolling well, FCG bringing back Fearne to bring back Orym. Then Laudna rolled a 1 and FCG barely scraped the DC for Fearne coming back, and everything got a lot dicier.

The trouble with the death spiral is that when people start going down, people have to spend their turns bringing back other people rather than attacking. With this many healers & revivifiers in the party, Matt has to really push threat to make encounters hard.

Marisha had a bad feeling the entire break between the episodes. She did not think Laudna was going to make it out. She whispered to Travis at one point that they should rez Orym. The moment Ashley flipped the Changebringer coin and told Laudna they'd find a way to bring her back, it was like a punch in the gut and fatalistically accepting at the same time.

Laura, on the other hand, had convinced herself Marisha would roll her way out of it, so her failing was totally devastating. She was convinced they'd be able to persuade Delilah to heal Laudna through the rock. Matt acknowledges that they didn't expect Delilah to be so powerless.

Travis thinks Delilah was trying to take over Laudna's body, which is what Gentle Repose interrupted. Matt refuses to answer.

If resurrection magic were readily available, death would be meaningless. Matt relegates it to powerful casters, heroes, and noble classes that can afford it.

Everyone agrees it must have been so painful for Orym to ask Keyleth to heal Laudna when he knows she couldn't save his husband. Matt reminds us she tried to rez Will but couldn't.

Marisha keeps imagining VM burying Delilah in an iron box & throwing it in the ocean, just for BH to somehow recover it and open it right back up.

Matt knew with this campaign's characters' histories that there was a higher risk of crossing over with VM, and he was nervous about doing it justice while still avoiding the Essek free-taxi situation. More than that, he NEVER expected Keyleth to show up as a means of taking the whole party to Whitestone. Matt tells us Pike is likely in Whitestone too, possibly Grog. Marisha is so excited to see Matt talk to himself as all their old characters for an hour. Matt is STOKED to be able to revisit old PCs down the line--he's always wanted to explore this idea but has never had groups persist long enough in the same world.

Everyone got incredibly emotional seeing Keyleth & Whitestone.

Favorite scary movies? Laura: The Descent (we just watched this in movie night!). Marisha: Amityville Horror. Matt: Hereditary or the original Poltergeist. Travis: The Exorcist & The Thing, which he watched in increments because they were too scary to watch all at once. He also hilariously apparently bailed out of a theater during Jurassic Park & Neverending Story, haha! A concession stand worker gave him pity Reese's Pieces, bless his heart. Laura bailed once out of her grandma trying to show her Poltergeist when she was like six. Matt bailed out of the Ghostbusters. Marisha has never left a theater. Me either, Marisha! I paid for this ticket, I'm seeing the show.

I've hit that block limit again! Come on, tumblr.

Tower of Inquiry, Redux: minor character superpowers. Imogen never has to change a lightbulb. Chetney has super strong fingernails and doesn't need tools. Laudna wilts flowers when she walks by and would probably be a good crash test dummy. Eshteross always bakes the perfect cookies. Marisha is directed to pull from the tower with her enormous raptor gloves, which she does with tremendous aplomb. Who in TV and film would complement your character well? Chetney + Bilbo Baggins. Laudna + John Constantine (Matt suggests Elvira). Imogen + Jean Grey/Scarlet Witch.

Deep Dive! Matt can't reach his tumbler with both hands and it's honestly just sending me. He's loved introducing C2 elements into this campaign; he's been thinking about threads from the start of C2 and even into C1 that he's now able to bring into the world.

Marisha: What is it like to see Keyleth back without being at the table? It's like going into a fugue state. She thought Matt did a great job mimicking her more staccato mannerisms. "It was cute. It was good! Now do Vex." Matt descends again into his box.

Travis didn't recognize either name Matt dropped during the white out: Diana & Frenella Deanna and Frudell, I guessed VERY wrong on those names, sorry! He's going to see if he can meditate and ring a bell. Imogen might deep dive into him herself if he wants.

Laura struggled with the gnarlrock situation & Laudna. She would have kept the rock on her if they hadn't needed to move the body. She was going to leave it at Joe's then didn't; she was going to throw it off the airship then didn't. The draw of power the first rock gave her is such a background thought now with everything else.

Matt has the same conversation with every player about what happens when a character dies. His purpose is to have the players enjoying the game, and if a character dies prematurely, he is willing to open avenues for the party to pursue to bring them back. He also offers the chance to make a completely new character, a new character with strong ties to the old to continue the story, etc.

"With Taliesin, I asked him that question, and he said, 'No, Molly's not coming back. I intentionally made Molly as a character that if he died, he's not coming back, he's gone.' [...]He said, 'No, I'm going to start working on my new character,' and that's where Caduceus came from. And that's an example of character death being a very harrowing but important shift in story tone and character bonding & intense buy-in into a narrative. And then out of that, a great character like Caduceus that no one realized how badly the Mighty Nein needed him until he was there."

When Matt asked the current three what they wanted right after the Otohan fight, Ashley & Liam both started talking to him about their next characters (Liam sent a whole email of his secondary character right away), but Marisha didn't. Marisha wants to pursue Laudna's story but isn't necessarily invested in her coming back exactly the same. She's interested in what Pandora's box they're about to open in Whitestone and expects there will be consequences. Matt is excited to give her new character choices.

The art team asked for Marisha's backup to get character art going and she said no. She'll sit out as long as she needs to and will not play another character in the meantime.

"That shit's fucked up" that Laudna is being brought back to Whitestone to get resurrected. She has no idea how this will go.

Chetney is a sleuth because Travis played an idiot for his first character. He's learned so much from watching the rest of the table play over seven years. The detection of Yu happened because he was watching a spy show where assassins are texted a picture of the target, and he realized while on a treadmill: "Oh!" Calamity wrecked Travis in a beautiful way; he watched everyone else scheming and wanted to be part of that.

Matt laughed that this little trinket Fearne has been carrying for years as part of her backstory was immediately smashed by Ashton.

Imogen does not feel like a superhero; she feels dangerous and guilty. Marisha lauds Laura's roleplaying in the aftermath. Laura suggests that Imogen IS the moon.

Tower of Inquiry, Re-redux! Before the campaign, everyone shared classes & affirmed they didn't want to be as secretive as C2. Marisha & Laura both wanted to be sorcerers, so they paired up. Fearne & Orym were linked from ExU & Ashton & FCG matched up naturally. Laura's original character had Feywild & hag connections and changed it to not overlap with Fearne. Travis originally had someone else drafted but wanted to get away from the buttoned-up captaincy of Fjord.

Oh NO, hahahah! Travis goes to pull a block and someone in a black cloak and long claws creeps up on him behind to alarm him. It's hilarious and yet he manages to avoid toppling the tower.

Where did your character's names come from? Chutney is not Chetney; Pock O'Pea is a sound Ronin was making when he first started talking, adorable! Marisha had a long list of possible names for Laudna and liked the reference to laudanum; she wanted something weird and hazy that messes with your head. Travis is still on guard after the scare, poor thing. Laura just likes the name Imogen; she wanted something soft and flowy.

Five Nights at Freddy's in the OCULUS??? They want to kill this man, don't they? He dies immediately on the first night before the announcement even finishes. I will say that Laura's response to going second makes Travis look positively stoic. The editors also keep editing in a picture of Sam flickering in the shadows, and it's hilarious. Marisha accidentally picks the sequel to play and dies on night 2 IMMEDIATELY. Matt picks Dark Rooms, the sequel where you're in a house & have to play Red Light, Green Light with a monster coming towards you down the hall & by far handles the game the best. Travis gives a couple tries to the Vent Repair game and gets three of four lights on before being stymied by Simon Says. Good for him! The episode ends with the crew trick or treating and TPing the set. Adorable.

Great episode! Is it Thursday yet?

[superbat-is-king]

At first, Fearne thinks the twin looks of relief are because they’ve finally found each other again. Overjoyed at their reunion, and sandwiched in between a much needed group hug, she doesn’t notice until after they’ve broken the embrace. She doesn’t notice, or maybe ignores, that their relief is also twisted up in sadness.

When she sees Imogen and Laudna hold onto each other like they’ll never let the other go again, when she sees Ashton give FCG the most affectionate fist bump they can muster, that’s when she realizes… twin looks?

“Where’s Orym?” She asks, smile still spread wide, looking around the forest they’re in.

If she didn’t want to acknowledge something was wrong before, it’s hard to deny now.

Because now Ashton is looking down, at Chetney, at Grass, anywhere but back at her.

Because now Laudna has black tears collecting in her eyes, hands squeezing tighter around Imogen’s.

Then she notices the sling on Ashton’s back. One that looks eerily like the one he used to carry Laudna back then. They start to undo the knot to lower its contents to the ground.

“No,” Fearne says, taking a step forward. “No, that’s not—” She pauses, unable to look away as the genasi bends down to pull back the shroud. “Stop.”

Ashton does, just lets a hand hover over the fabric. They still can’t look at her. “I— Fearne, I’m so sorry.”

“Stop,” she repeats, “It’s not— it’s not.” She kneels, barely registering that Chetney has skittered over to her side, the rest of the Bells standing quietly in a half-circle before them. Deanna and FRIDA have hung back, expressions of worry and curiosity gracing their features.

Fearne grips the edge of the shroud, slowly pulling it down, until brown hair is visible, until his face is visible. She calls his name once because he looks a little like he’s sleeping. (But she knows better, because he hasn’t looked this peaceful in a long time.)

“What the fuck happened?” she demands, though it comes out pleading.

“We got into some trouble,” Ashton starts. “He tried to… he did save me— and Laudna! We didn’t see— we were going to find someone to heal him, and then we found you guys!”

“He died protecting you? Why didn’t you help him!?”

“I tried, Fearne, I did, but we didn’t have any potions and I don’t have that kind of magic,” Laudna exclaims, despair in her tone. “But it’s only been a day, not even a full day! We can help him, right? We can find something?”

The magic is already sparking at Fearne’s fingertips before Laudna can even finish her sentence. She brought him back before with this, obviously she can do it again. She sends the revivification spell through his still body, and does what she knows can work. “Hey, best friend, you gotta come back, ok, please? We— we’re here, we’re all here, we're back! Just missing our fighter!”

He lies there, unmoving.

“Hey… hey, Orym?”

FCG wheels over, spindly fingers reaching out towards her. “Fearne, that only works one minute after they’ve—”

“I can do it!” She snaps, putting both hands over his torso and trying again, even though the magic has already fizzled out, even though she doesn’t even have the components needed. She can’t do it again. “I can— FUCK!”

She looks up at everyone there, searching their faces, all broken, all helpless. “Deanna? Can you-? You have to have something!”

The gnome shakes her head, apology on her lips.

“Ok, then, what do we do?” The druid asks, gathering up her friend again, cradling him close to her. Mister crawls out from under her hair then, and climbs onto her shoulder. He paws at Orym, screeching quietly, eyes fixated on him. “Wha— what can we do? We should call the— umm, Pike, right? Imogen? She can get him back!”

“Yeah, yeah, of course!” Imogen nods, one hand letting go of Laudna’s and finding Fearne’s. “Messages are still— they’re still not working, but that’s ok! We- we just… we need to figure out what’s going on with the solstice and- and the teleportation circles and we’ll find a way to Whitestone!”

“Here, let me—” Motioning for the faun to pass him towards them, FCG gently bumps heads with the halfling, a spell coursing through to bless him. “There, it’s like what I did with Laudna, so his body stays protected and we can have more time to get him back.”

“As long as the spirit is willing,” FRIDA adds and before the thought fully leaves him, he knows he’s made a mistake.

Fearne whirls on him, a fire rapidly simmering behind her eyes. “Why would you say that? You don’t know him! Orym would never leave us, leave me, like that!”

“No, no, we don’t doubt that!” Deanna jumps in, bailing the aeormaton out. “FRIDA just means it does get… more difficult to come back the longer— at least, that’s sort of what it was like for me.”

"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" Ashton questions, though no one has a chance to answer before Fearne gets up, her little spoon laying limp in her arms.

“Well, ok… then, I’ll just get him back now!”

“Fearne, we will,” states Chetney with conviction. “But we can’t right this second. Where would you—?”

“I’ll figure something out! The magic here is all— what if we take too long? What if Pike can’t-?” She doesn’t allow herself to finish, just shakes her head clear. “I need to go home— Nana… she’ll— she’ll know what to do!”

“Yeah, yeah, Nana Morri, that’s a good idea!” FCG chirps, wheeling back the way they came. “We just have to find our way back to the gateway! Let’s go!”

“No, no, what about the solstice stuff? Your mom, Keyleth? You guys focus on that, I’ll go—”

“What?” Imogen interrupts, “that’s— no, come on, we’ll get Orym back first. That can wait. We’re coming with you.”

“It’s ok,” Fearne says, a bit tersely. “We need to figure out what’s happening out here with the arcana, divide and conquer is the best way.”

“But we just found each other again,” Laudna mumbles, a sad smile finding its way to her lips. “We should do this together. Like you all did for me.”

“What’s…” Chetney wonders aloud when he notices the conflicted glower on the faun’s face. “Do you not want us to come with you?”

“… not really.” Adjusting her hold on Orym, Fearne blows out a breath and rubs at her eyes with one hand. There’s a memory coming forth in her mind, one of a dark fey— of a fanged, soot-black skinned, angry version of her. She glances down at her one hand, forming the blackened claw-like fingers into a fist. “If this doesn’t work… I don't know if you'll like the person I'll become.”

When there is only stunned silence, she flicks her gaze back up to her friends, letting out a short laugh. “But you guys will figure it out, I know you will! So even if I can’t, I’ll come back and magic will be turned on again and we— we can try again, right?”

“Are… are you sure?” Imogen asks, stepping closer to her, cupping Orym’s cheek with her other hand.

“Yes,” Fearne nods. “I wasn’t there for him before, but I can be now! I’m going to get him back.” She looks at everyone assembled there for a moment, then turns to Deanna, lowering Orym down to her. “Can you hold him for just one second?”

“Of course.” Without hesitation, the cleric hands her staff off to FRIDA, taking him in both her arms.

As soon as she does, Fearne reaches out towards Bells Hells, pulling them all in for one more hug. Separately giving one to FCG and Imogen, she says, “he’s gonna be fine!”

“We trust you,” they reply in unison.

Doing the same for Chetney, she stoops down, lays her head on his yarn hat for a moment and declares, “I’ll be back before you know it! You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“How could I not?” She hears him mumble back and bites back a snicker. “Be safe,” he tacks on, “bring him back to us.”

She turns lastly to Ashton and Laudna, holding her lost companions a little tighter and a little bit longer than the rest.

“Fearne, I really—” They both start to say, stumbling over their words slightly.

“I know,” Fearne cuts them off, nuzzling her head in between theirs. “I know it wasn’t your— We got separated and you got into a fight and… I know it can’t be helped, because that’s just the kind of guy he is! He’s selfless and protective and really, really great… so I am going to get him back, ok?”

“Ok,” is Ashton’s only reply.

“I wish you’d let us go with you,” Laudna laments, hand carding through seafoam green hair.

“I can’t,” Fearne reiterates. “If he’s gone…” she trails off. It’s not their fault, she knows, but she can’t help thinking otherwise. It’s cruel, she knows, but she can’t help the way she feels. “If he’s gone,” she whispers through tears, “I will never forgive you. I’ll never—”

She stops there, places one more kiss to Ashton’s head, squeezes Laudna once more, and turns to take Orym back.

“I’ll come back… We— We’ll come back,” she promises, “we’ll find you.”

With one last look at her friends, she leaves into the forest, Mister at her heels.

[divinesouldariax]

Can i pleas have three with Orym 🥺

@innocent-until-proven-geeky

Prompt: "Hold them down."

Word count: 2,329

Content warnings: magic mind control, accidentally hurting a loved one, injuries, blood, minor (bad guy) character death, alcohol, guilt n trauma n stuff

Send me these?

*

They were fighting an obnoxious caster that the Paragon’s Call had sent after them in Yios, to wear them down or gather information or for some other fucking reason that Ashton didn’t care enough right now to contemplate. But the caster was currently on top of a building, raining hell down on the Hells while they struggled to land a blow. Laudna, FCG, and Fearne were throwing spells, and Imogen had made it so that she and Chetney could fly, so Chetney was up in close quarters with him already, slashing out with his claws and harrying him. Conveniently, Ashton’s head had gone all transparent and let them swing their hammer up and through a hole in space at the caster. 

Orym wasn’t having that kind of luck. He was scaling the side of the building to get within range to try to help Chetney, who honestly seemed to be getting his ass handed to him. He was just reaching the top of the building when the caster noticed him and slung a spell in his direction.

Ashton saw him stiffen. He fell, more than climbed down the wall. Ashton cursed and started running towards him. “Orym!” they called. “Orym, you good?”

Without acknowledging Ashton, Orym turned and began to rush towards Fearne. His eyes were unfocused, and Ashton had a moment of weird clarity.

“FEARNE!” he yelled. “Orym’s not hims–”

Orym’s blade sank deep into Fearne’s calf, and she cried out. The bright sphere of fire she had been maintaining to attack the caster on top of the building flickered and died, darkening the area significantly--the sun was already setting. “Orym!” She stumbled backwards. “Orym, why did you do that?”

“Knock him out, hold him down, get him pinned down, he’ll thank you later!” Ashton said. He swung the hammer, popping through space like it was a thin sheet of glass and smashing it against the back of the caster’s head, who swayed. “Need help?”

Fearne cried out again as Orym’s sword caught her again, piercing her thigh. She flung her hand out and vines sprouted out of the ground, wrapping around Orym and beginning to drag him to the ground. He was fighting his way out of it, slashing towards Fearne still and landing another couple of blows. “Orym, stop it!” Fearne said sternly.

Ashton had seen Orym get accidentally entangled in this spell of Fearne’s before, not strong enough to escape it. So it was an irritating irony when Orym managed to get out of the plants this time and continue going after Fearne. Continuing to shout curses as they abandoned attacking the caster, Ashton sprinted towards Orym. They didn’t have any qualms about hurting Orym to stop the caster from using his body to hurt Fearne, but he didn’t have to. If he could just get their hands on Orym, it would be almost laughably easy to keep him still.

So they just tackled him. Orym tried to dodge, of course, and he might very well have succeeded, except that Ashton could still fold space a little bit. Their hand went through a portal and grabbed Orym by the back of the collar like scruffing an angry cat, shoving him forward into Ashton’s other waiting arm.

Orym’s sword drove its tip into Ashton’s side and gouged a deep gash down his hip and almost all the way to their knee before Ashton managed to wrench the blade away and throw it as far as he could. “OW!” they shouted. They dropped to one knee. “You’re too fucking good with that thing. Hold still.”

But Orym was thrashing. He was strong for his size, of course, wiry and snappy. Ashton just gathered him up and squeezed him against their chest, falling all the way to the ground and laying halfway on top of him. Probably crushing him a little, if his choked gasp meant anything, but he’d recover. 

They looked back up at Fearne, who was staring with wide eyes. “I’ve got him,” Ashton said roughly. “Fuck up the caster, it’ll make the spell stop. Kill him!”

She nodded and turned back to shoot three streaks of red-hot fire towards the caster. 

Ashton felt Orym weaken, his struggle getting less difficult to contain. Still, they didn’t relinquish his grip, knowing how explosive Orym could be in bursts of movement when he wanted to be. “I won’t let you hurt anybody,” Ashton promised. “You can probably hear me. Fucking swear. It’ll be okay.” His head was fading back to normal. He took a deep breath as the full brunt of the pain struck them. Blood was soaking down his leg, and everything fucking hurt. Fuck, he wished he could have gotten the rest of this battle in with the blindness of rage numbing everything. But holding Orym down was more important. Chetney and the witches could take the caster.

Sure enough, there was a deafening blast of crackling lightning and then a dying scream from on top of the building, and Orym went totally limp.

“It’s over,” Ashton managed to say. “You’re fine. We’re fine.”

After a moment, Orym began to shake with sobs.

Ashton winced and rolled slowly onto their side, letting Orym go. “Breathe,” they said exhaustedly. “It’s over.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Orym choked.

“Fearne!” Ashton called. He wiped his face. They had bitten their lip at some point, and blood had smeared down their chin. “Fearne! Come tell Orym you forgive him!”

Orym didn’t move from where he was on the ground in the fetal position. “So sorry,” he whimpered.

“Oh, I’m fine!” Fearne said. She limped over and crouched down next to him. “Orym, what happened?”

He shrank away from her. “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t…I couldn’t stop myself.”

Imogen had landed nearby, brushing some sparks off her hands. “That was a pretty fuckin’ strong charm spell,” she said. “Not your fault, Orym.”

Orym just sobbed again.

Ashton reached out to touch his shoulder consolingly. Orym flinched from them as well. “Orym, it’s fine. Letters, can we get some heals over here?”

FCG had been on the other side of the battlefield, having followed underneath Imogen and Chetney, and was only now managing to get to them. “Sure, if everyone gathers close and we take a minute?”

“Fearne first,” Ashton said. He sat up painfully, starting to put pressure on the deepest part of the gash before realizing it was too close to his hip and being unable to force themself to touch it. Oh, well. They could bleed a little. It wasn’t going to kill them.

“I’ll take care of everybody,” FCG replied. The warmth of their healing started lapping over the group. Fearne’s many injuries closed first, and then Chetney’s, and Laudna’s, and then Ashton’s. Not all the way, but the worst of the bleeding stopped. “Anybody else?”

Imogen was magically cleaning the blood off of Fearne’s dress. “I’m alright,” she said. “Head’s ringin’ a bit from that big thunder boom the caster did, but I’ll be fine tomorrow.”

“Orym,” Ashton said. “Did I hurt you?”

Orym hadn’t stopped crying. He didn’t respond.

FCG reached out and cast a healing spell on him. “Orym, I’m sure you’re feelin’ awful,” they said quietly, leaving their metal hand on his back. “You know, me and Chetney both know what it’s like to attack a friend when we don’t mean to, if you want to talk about it.”

“I’m all better now,” Fearne added. “See?”

Finally, Orym looked up at Fearne. Upon seeing her, his eyes overflowed with tears again. “I still hurt you,” he whispered hoarsely.

Fearne shrugged. “Well, it’s okay, though, I didn’t mind. Can I give you a hug?”

Orym choked out a little laugh and sat up and scooted over to her side. “Sorry, Fearnie,” he said again. “Yeah, I’d like that.” As Fearne put her arms around him, he looked over to Ashton. “Thank you,” he mouthed, tears still falling.

“Anytime,” Ashton said, and they meant it.

“Your leg.” Orym winced. “I’m so sorry, Ash.”

“Do I look like I care about a little paper cut?” scoffed Ashton. “I’ll be fine.” Then, “I didn’t crush you too bad, did I?”

Orym coughed. “I’ll live.”

Ashton nodded. “Fuck, that was a rough fight. It's getting dark. Back to the inn for drinks?” They stood up, testing out their leg. It hurt, but not anything he couldn’t handle easily. “I’m buying. We need ‘em.”

“Yes, please,” Laudna sighed. She was popping her jaw back into place.

“Mm-hmm,” Orym said. He started to stand up. “Where’s–can somebody carry my sword?” he asked, and then he fell back to his knees, shaking.

“I’ve got it,” Chetney said, bringing Orym’s sword over and offering it out to him.

“No!” Orym exclaimed. “No, no–Chet, no, no, I can’t--please just carry it for me, just for now."

Chetney's expression softened to understanding. He nodded and retracted the blade. "I'll keep it for whenever you want it back," he said shrewdly.

Ashton offered a hand down to help Orym up, gritting their teeth as Orym took it and tried to get up, which tugged on Ashton's shoulder. Even with help, Orym's legs seemed to be shaking too much to support him.

"Sorry, just--j-just a minute," Orym said helplessly.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Ashton sighed, not unkindly. They held on tightly to Orym's hand. "Can you sit on my shoulders?"

Orym blinked a few times. "Yeah?"

Ashton was aware that it was more of a question as to whether he was serious, but they decided to take it as agreement. They leaned down and scooped Orym up, depositing him on their right shoulder and keeping hold of his hip to keep him steady. "There we go." He started to walk off towards the inn. 

As they walked, Orym leaned in a little, putting his hand on top of Ashton's head.

He winced. It was a little too close to the glass in the other side of their head. "Careful," he said softly.

Orym recoiled. "Shit, sorry," he said, sounding immediately very upset. "Did I hurt you?"

"Nope." Ashton reached up and took Orym's wrist, pulling it back down and guiding it to rest on the left side of their neck, away from any scars. Orym tried to tug away again, and Ashton didn't let him. "You just got a little close to a sore spot, but it's fine. Here is fine."

"Are you sure?"

Ashton rolled their eyes. "Orym, you're fucking sitting on my shoulder, I'm clearly fine with you touching me right now. Trust me to know my limits, alright?"

"Okay. Okay, you're right. Sorry," Orym said again.

"Shut up," Ashton said. He patted Orym's side. About halfway to the inn, they felt Orym start to slip down his shoulder, his hand slackening on their neck. Without a word, they paused, lifted Orym up off his shoulder, and began carrying him in one arm instead, still sort of sitting up, but resting securely against their side now.

"Oh, I'm fine, I can walk now," Orym started to protest.

"You're falling asleep," Ashton said. "It's fine, we had a long fucking day and the last part of it was particularly fucking awful. You can close your eyes for a minute, it's fine."

Orym let out a shaky little breath and rested his head down on their shoulder. "Wake me when we get there?" he mumbled.

"Sure." And Ashton did, of course, but when Orym fell asleep again after his second drink, tucked against Fearne (who he had apologized to another several dozen times) he put down his own cup and looked over at the exhausted halfling. "Fearne, think it's time to head upstairs?"

"Hm?" She  glanced down at Orym and smiled, running her fingers over his hair. "Oh, he's sleepy.”

“‘m awake,” Orym murmured.

“Sure,” Ashton said. “Ready for bed, though?”

“...yeah.” He rubbed his eyes and got to his feet. Ashton watched carefully, but he didn’t look too unsteady.

“I’ll be up soon,” Fearne promised.

“Take your time.” Orym started up the stairs.

Ashton followed without a word. When he had kicked off his boots and sat down on one of the beds while Orym cleaned his armor, they put their chin in their hands and said, “You okay?”

“I stabbed Fearne. And you. Multiple times.” That was a no, obviously.

“If I grabbed your arm when you were holding your sword and made the sword stick into Fearne, that’s not your fucking fault,” Ashton stated.

“Mm. It’s different.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Feels different,” Orym insisted.

“Yeah, that’s probably true. Lots of things feel fucking true and they’re not. I’m not Letters, I’m not gonna fucking therapy at you. But you’ve gotta decide to keep telling yourself that it wasn’t your fault until it does feel true. Also, like, Fearne’s fine. She can take a few hits. I’m fine, I can take a lot of hits. And you know none of us are ever gonna let you–or any of us–really do any permanent damage in a situation like that,” Ashton said, feeling a little like he was rambling. “You know that, right? You fucking trust us?”

Orym’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Of course I trust you.”

“There you go, then, nothing to worry about. It was fine this time and we’re never gonna let it not be fine,” Ashton said simply. “Problem solved.”

There was a quiet huff of resigned laughter. “You’re not going to let me feel terrible about this, are you?”

“Oh, absolutely fucking not.”

“Fine. I’ll–fine. I’ll work through it, I’ll be fine. Thank you.” He sounded sincere.

Ashton yawned and laid down on the bed, pulling a couple of blankets over part of themself and wincing as he had to shift around to get marginally comfortable. “Don’t fucking thank me. We’ve all agreed to do that for everyone, it’s not a fucking ‘thanks’ situation.”

“Okay, okay,” Orym said, with more of a laugh this time. “Goodnight, Ash.”

“Night.” Satisfied, Ashton fell asleep.

[jedishywalker]

The Party Split

CW: self harm, suicide

So I’ve been thinking a lot about the party split for a couple weeks. Obviously we know that Team Chetney’s Personal Hell are on the material plane, but what about Orym, Ashton, and Laudna? 

Where are they and why them?

My first thought after Matt’s initial description was that they are somewhere on the other side of the Divine Gate. It seemed to fit because each of them has died and been brought back. Maybe that’s the dividing line.

But then I remembered Fearne also died at the same time as Orym and both were brought back with the Revivify spell. But I can’t shake the thought that those three must be beyond the Divine Gate and the fact that both Ashton and Laudna have truly *died* seems like too much of a coincidence to overlook.

So, I’m now wondering if something in Orym’s past is also placing them in that *really died* category. We know that the weapons used made it impossible for even Keyleth to bring Will and Derrig back. When if Orym was also killed in the battle by a traditional weapon and was one of the few able to be resurrected.

Or, perhaps, he survived the battle, but the grief of his loss was too much and Orym tried to end his life. He was brought back by Keyleth and it was she who gave him purpose again in sending him on his mission to discover the identities of the attackers. She understands his grief maybe better than anyone and knew that he needed to not only have something to keep him going but also that his healing would be easier away from the constant reminders of Will in Zephrah.

I think he has truly been dead, in the way Laudna and Ashton have been dead, and that is why he is part of the trio currently beyond the realm of the material.

[uselessgayshit]

Imogen came back to the room alone and Laudna didn’t return. The red light of Ruidis came through the round glass window, painting her skin a light pink. Her cheeks were wet, streaked with tears. She paid him no mind - even though she had to have heard his thoughts not his dreams - and climbed into bed, absently pulling the covers to her chin. She looked so small. He had never seen her curled up by herself; she was always curled into Laudna’s long, lanky body. 

He waited for some time but the door never opened again. He glanced to the bed. Imogen was too still to have fallen asleep. 

Orym pushed himself off the ground, doing his best to move the faun leg that he was trapped under without waking Fearne.  He pulled the door open and padded silently down the hall, finding the stairs that led to the deck. The wind was soft against his face, a little chilly so high up. A low cloud whisked wet across the edge of the skyship. The deck was empty. He glanced up to the wheel and saw a spectral green hand gently guiding it.

At the bow was a lone figure. Long, greasy hair hanging down her back. Shoulders hunched forward, spindly fingers curved over the edge, gripping tightly. Her body was wracked by silent sobs.

He stood in a state of indecision. His fingers rubbed at the moons on his bicep. And then he turned around and returned to the room. 

She was almost like a child the way her eyes constantly followed Imogen and how her fingers twitched to reach out for her. But not once over the next couple of days did she. She was listless, her usual brand of weird replaced by a painful longing that caused Orym’s heart to ache. Pate hung forgotten by her side. Sashimi with her new hair left to her own devices. He briefly wondered how they occupied their time before shaking the thought from his head. They’re puppets, Orym. They don’t talk to each other.

And he watched Imogen consciously choose to let her eyes drift past the the dead girl. He watched her cross to the opposite side of the deck. He watched her isolate herself from the only person she ever fully let in.

So when they all sat down together on their last night on the skyship to regroup and make a tentative plan, Orym couldn’t bare it any longer. They may have only sat ten feet from each other, but they were worlds away. Imogen staring at the floor and Laudna staring at Imogen like she had died once again. 

A gentle rage began to boil in him as he watched these two people who so ardently loved each other choose distance and silence. Will had been ripped from him before they had had enough time, violently and suddenly. Dorian had chosen to leave, however reluctantly, for his family and there was nothing Orym would have ever done to stop him but that didn’t make it hurt any less. 

He couldn’t watch them choose their own destruction. 

“Excuse me, Laudna, you seem… a little off. More than usual.”

The room went silent and he was suddenly aware that he had interrupted a conversation he had stopped listening to many minutes before. 

“Oh,” she perked up, eyes going comically wide, “oh, well… it’s nothing.”

Imogen’s hands wrung together, twisting and pulling. 

“I would beg to differ.”

It often happened like this with Laudna: if you gave her enough space to think and speak, she would without encouragement.

She smiled sideways and sadly. “I don’t really think it’s my place to say.”

“If there’s something bothering you, I’d like to hear it.”

Her eyes darted frantically to Imogen as if the woman across the room would save her. When Imogen remained silent, Laudna’s long spindly fingers smoothed the creases of her skirt. “I broke… um… I sort of… “

A clanking across the wooden planks of the ship drew Orym’s attention. He watched as a familiar yet different crystal dropped out of Imogen’s hand and rolled across the floor. 

“She ruined it.”

There was no longer a glowing, garish light emanating from the rock. It lay lifeless, devoid of magic, on the ground.

Orym’s brow furrowed. He felt safe with this group much quicker than he often did, but they were still figuring each other out. Ashton’s morals were grey but specific. Chetney had an aggressive streak that he wasn’t yet acknowledging. But the one thing that Orym knew in his bones, was that Laudna would do anything for Imogen. This wasn’t adding up.

“What does that mean?”

“I ruined it.” Laudna said, following Imogen’s lead with a whisper.

“I’m missing something here. Can you start from the beginning?”

“You know, D? The voice in my head?” Her eyes rolled wide and her head cocked to the side as she spoke, her usual way of downplaying something horrific. 

And then she explained. About Delilah taking over her faculties. About the fear. About how for a split second she felt a heart beat in her chest. 

Imogen’s eyes flashed white as she looked to Laudna. “You didn’t tell me that.”

Laudna stumbled in her storytelling, caught off guard by the interruption. “Well, you were… well, quite distraught.”

A heartbeat. Maybe not such a dead girl. Maybe the hint of Imogen’s love coming back to life.

“I don’t know what happened.” Laudna had gone introspective, as if taking herself into the memory. “She wouldn’t explain. She said, ‘I’ve taken care of it.’”

Coming back to the room, her tear-filled eyes found Orym’s. “I don’t know what that means.”

He smiled wistfully. “Laudna, it doesn’t sound like you did anything. You have…” 

It was hard to quantify exactly what Delilah Briarwood was at this point. An uncontrollable evil sounded about right.

“This being that exists within you somewhere - well you would know best the horrors she is willing to commit. She did this. Not you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Imogen’s jaw clench. She was smarter than this. She knew Laudna would never betray her, but she needed something tangible to blame. Orym harbored enough of his own blame to understand how relieving it must be to push it off on someone else. How painful it must be to give it to someone you loved. Imogen had pierced her own heart.

“None of this was your fault.”

Orym looked at Laudna and came to the conclusion that he might be looking at the strongest person he would ever know. Her endless bravery and optimism was something he idolized, but it wasn’t unwavering. Delilah seemed to have mostly left her alone, coming out of the abyss when called upon, but otherwise, leaving Laudna to her second chance at life. But, she had only been biding her time, and like the past had proven many times before, when she chose to strike, she was ruination. 

Laudna’s voice wavered, croaking as she tried to hold back the desperation. Her lips pulled back from her teeth as if she was attempting to smile but no longer had the wherewithal. “I have to fix it. I have to fix it for Imogen.”

He was trying to focus on the here and now, but his mind kept drifting to Whitestone. They had to contact Lady Vex’halia again. They had to warn them.

“Orym.” His name brought him back. “How do I fix it?”

He reached out, placing his hand on her knee. “We will fix it.” 

He looked around at the group. “All of us.”

He looked to Imogen, intending to impose the last word on her but he didn’t seem to need to. Her eyes were fixed on Laudna, a tear rolling down her cheek, and she finished it for him. “Together.”

[impossiblegirlposts]

Since C3 is taking a bit of a break I want to share some of my ongoing theories for some of the characters and reoccurring NPC's

F.C.G: What if they were stuck in one of those blue stasis bubbles in Aeor? There could be a connection to the Cognoza ward and when the Mighty Nein defeated the Somnovem there was a ripple effect into the ruins of Aeor and maybe one or multiple of those bubbles broke. F.C.G could have been trapped in one of these bubbles and his party could have been stuck on the outside. If F.C.G had a residual dream of the Eyes of Nine and then woke up from the stasis and saw their associates dead they could have mistaken the eye(s) as a monster that killed their party. As well the memory issues that he has could be because of a safety protocol to avoid secrets and information being shared.

Laudna: My crack theory for Laudna is that she is secret child of the Briarwoods. In the way of their baby disappeared to another family and there was some necromancy /blood magic in her (Laudna) so that she can talk to her child from beyond the grave or that Delilah sacrificed her to further her powers and Laudna was brought back by something outside of Delilah’s powers or Delilah is forced to be apart of Laudna now because of the blood connection/necromancy. I also have a list of beings/people who may possess Pate at some point in the campaign. I think it will be one (or more) of these four. Vax'ildan, Delilah, Orthax and/or the Raven Queen.

Orym: I love Orym a lot and as of right now I do not have a ton of theories for him but here are the few I have. My crack theory for him is that Apollo is his father for the sole reason that he referred to the sun as his father. I also think he could worship the Dawnfather as well as saying that the sun reminds him of Will's dad Derrig. Lastly I want to know wtf is up with Orym referring to (dead) family members as celestial bodies.

Fearne: I get a lot of Tangled vibes from Fearne's grandmother and do not believe that she is as nice as Fearne makes her out to be. I also think that Fearne is related in some way to Artagan. In campaign 1 Artagan was disguised as a satyr named Garmilie, he also stated that the hag living in the fey wild, named Wodenna is an ex so I believe that Fearne's grandmother is in fact Wodenna and Fearne is the child of Wodenna and Artagan. I also think separately but still related that Fearne's grandmother may be stealing/kidnapping children who have animal qualities (Fearne and Morrigan) and sending them through the Fey Wild gate.

Imogen: Is Imogen a seer of death? Her dream which included Bertrand happened the night he died but she also saw the Lumas twins in a separate dream a number of weeks after they died so it would not be a far stretch to say that she can see death in some way. I am curious to see if her obsession and proximity to the stone will come back to haunt her later, either in the way of physical changes like the shade creepers or mental changes (like withdrawal symptoms from not having the stone).

Ashton: I think Ashton is consecuted in some way. With the dunamantic magic being given to them later in life there is a bit of a further connection to Xhorhas and dumamancy but when he said that he was not always rock that reminded me of the dreams that consecuted individuals get when they have had another life connected to the beacon. There is another theory that I have where they went through a physical change and ended up at the Greymoore estate when they were older. This physical change could have scared their parents so much that they sent him away. Especially when thinking they could have at one point been a drow.

Chetney: Along the same lines as Orym, I do not have tons of theories for Chetney but I do want to know if he is okay. He has gone below the threshold of being able to control his werewolf powers a couple times now and after those times he has gone and hurt someone. First Orym in the museum and then the shop owner in Jrusar. Is there going to be an intervention from the group at some point if they find out Chetney hurt and threatened the shop owner?Also is there going to be a point where he becomes less and less able to control his werewolfness and the group will have to seek out the gorgynei to try and help Chetney and or seriously consider Dayal’s offer (who I am still on the fence about, I do want to believe that Dayal is a good person but also his ulterior motives may be hidden).

Lord Eshteross: No one is that paranoid without having a good reason, there is more to his story than what he is telling the group. Also I think that at some point he will betray the group. It could be a small betrayal such as sharing secret information or as big as giving them up to a bad group of people (possibly one trying to kill him seeing as he says that a lot of people want him dead).

Jianna Hexum: I have so many questions! Why is she buying/selling/shipping dumamantic magic? Does she know what it is? Has she kept any for herself? Is she in league with the remaining assembly members? Is she trying to get the evidence of the distilling of the beacon out of the continent before the assembly is fully disbanded? Or are there more beacons that have been found and someone is using previous notes from an assembly member/Yeza to create the same stuff and sell it (kind of like recreating the super soldier serum)? There is also part of me that thinks she may be connected/knows more about F.C.G's story than she lets on. considering how fascinated she is with automatons, especially him.

Thanks for reaching the end of the post! I have many more theories but these are my favourite so far. Bidet!

[sylvanfreckles]

Day 05: "I Hate You"

Part 5 of Deck the Hells

Fandom: Critical Role Rating: G Warnings: None

Summary: Fearne struggles with her feelings toward her parents after a difficult day and a brush with another Unseelie assassin. (Read on AO3)

...

As tiring as the day had been, Fearne found herself unable to drift off to sleep as fast as she usually did. She lay curled up on her side, back to the fire, staring out at the shadowed jungle around them as everything that had gone wrong played back through her head.

They’d been doing just fine until today. A nice man at the university had offered them a lot of coin, and access to the restricted archives, if they gathered a few ingredients and samples he needed from the jungle. She’d found two flowers she’d never seen before, and Laudna had had proved to be a remarkable fisherwoman and easily caught plenty of fresh fish for dinner. For a few hours the Apogee Solstice seemed too far away to worry about.

Then the shadows struck.

Horrible, smokey apparitions, appearing out of nowhere to cut the Bell’s Hells down. Imogen had fallen with a cry, and for one heart-breaking moment Fearne had thought her friend was done for…like Eshteross and Orym’s family…but FCG brought her back.

The truth had made Fearne sick to her stomach. It was another assassin from the Unseelie, hoping to kill or capture Fearne to get to her parents. Just as Yu had said, this assassin didn’t bother to reason or try to see their side of things, and they’d fought to their last breath, spitting in Orym’s face as he made the killing blow.

He’d been quiet after that. Fearne knew he never liked killing, even to protect his own life. He was taking first watch with Ashton now, though she suspected Ashton had suggested it so they could keep an eye on Orym.

She rolled over to stare at their little group. Laudna had wrapped herself around Imogen protectively, and FCG rested next to them, holding hands in case Imogen had a dream. Chetney was on the other side of the low fire, a little too still to be sleeping peacefully. He blamed himself for not catching the scent of the fey before the attack and had been on high alert ever since. Orym was sitting on a tree stump, staring out at the jungle, knees tucked up to his chest. Ashton sat on the ground with their back to Orym, but Fearne didn’t miss the way they had leaned back enough to rest their head on Orym’s shoulder.

It was too much. Fearne rolled back over, facing away from them. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting down the pain that tried to overwhelm her. They hadn’t done anything to deserve this. They’d been pulled into this conflict with the fey courts because of Fearne’s parents. Because of her.

They all said it wasn’t her fault, but she had a hard time believing that most days.

Fearne fumbled with one of the pouches at her waist and pulled out the dolls Chetney had made for her all those weeks ago. Back when she’d been trying to figure out how to talk to her parents, when all of this anger first started bubbling up in her chest.

She curled up tighter and cupped the dolls in her hands, bringing them close to her mouth.

“I hate you.” With that first whisper, a tear trailed down her cheek to soak into her hair. “I hate you. Imogen almost died today, Orym’s sad, everyone got hurt, and it’s all because of you.”

Fearne sniffed, hugging the dolls to her chest as her heart ached. “I don’t, really,” she whispered. “I just…why couldn’t you just be my parents? Why couldn’t…” she swallowed, unable to even whisper it. Why couldn’t she be enough for them? Why couldn’t they give this up for her?

“Fearne?” Imogen’s hand on her shoulder pulled Fearne out of her dark thoughts.

“What’s wrong?” she sniffed, sitting up to look at Imogen more closely. “Are you okay?”

Imogen gestured to where she and Laudna had been curled up together. “Just thought you looked a little lonely over here. Wanna join us?”

She shook her head, looking down at the dolls still clutched in her hands. “No, I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

“Mm-hm. Just can’t sleep, that’s all.”

Imogen let out a sigh and lowered herself down to sit next to Fearne, looking out over the darkened jungle with her.

“You know, sometimes I hate my mom,” she said, after a few moments of silence had passed. Fearne looked over at her, and Imogen offered a weak smile. “Now that I know she’s not dead. There’s so many things she could answer, but she just keeps telling me to run away.”

“I’m sure she has a good reason,” Fearne suggested.

Imogen’s smile softened, and she leaned against Fearne’s shoulder and gently traced one of the dolls with one finger. “I’m pretty sure they do, too.”

Fearne sighed. “Well…that doesn’t really make it any easier.”

“I imagine not,” Imogen said with a chuckle. They were quiet for another few minutes, but it was the easy kind of quiet. The ache in Fearne’s chest was loosening up a little, and she glanced over her shoulder to find Orym watching them.

She lifted her fingers to wave at him, and he returned the gesture. He looked a little better now, which was a relief. She hated seeing her friends so upset.

“You know, I think I’m tired after all,” she said.

“That’s great.” Imogen climbed to her feet and held a hand out to Fearne. “Come on, there’s plenty of room with us.”

Fearne took her hand and followed her over to where Laudna was waiting, and they settled down with Imogen between them. Fearne wrapped her arms around both her friends, muffling Imogen’s giggle as her face was squished into Laudna’s shoulder.

“Love you guys,” she whispered, resting her chin on top of Imogen’s head and her cheek against Laudna’s. She barely heard their answers, thinking of the dolls she’d tucked back into her belt pouch.

Love you, too.

[12pt-times-new-roman]

initial thoughts on the lore drops from 3x17:

Laudna was Vex's body double who the Briarwoods hung from the Sun Tree. Vindication. And veeeery interesting that Delilah has decided to inhabit her head, given that Vex was the one who killed her twice.

Ashton's skin wasn't always made of stone — it started changing when they were 11-12. I'm not versed enough in genasi lore to know whether this is something that usually happens, but it could be, and it makes me very interested to know what their lineage is.

Orym's husband, Will, died in the attack on Zephrah, which is part of why he's so invested in finding out what happened. He has a tattoo of the moons to represent him — "big moon, little moon." Interesting that Orym uses Ruidus to represent himself, indicating that he doesn't really view the moon as an ill-omen but rather as just another satellite like Catha.

According to Milo, FCG has "long, long accumulated buildup" in their joints. Which basically confirms that FCG was built in Aeor, not two years ago. But from what we know, and given that they were found in the Oderan Wilds, I think it's more likely that Dancer was an explorer who found FCG, repaired them, and brought them back to the wilds. If FCG was repaired and then given a directive that was contrary to their original programming, could that be why they're having such cognitive dissonance? And what the fuck is up with them vibrating? Is that what those "two points" were, some kind of arcane buildup of energy?

The last post card that Fearne got from her parents was from Aeor. So her parents had some kind of reason to go to the ruins in search of something. And the Wilds appears to have a significant fey presence. What if Fearne's parents were the ones who found FCG and woke them up, then brought them back to the wilds to investigate/deal with whatever's drawing the fey to the jungle? What if one of Fearne's parents is Dancer?

Imogen.... honey..... I'm so afraid for you. And again with the stone feeling so much like a beacon. It being in her hand, offering her a "different path," the storm explicitly being described as "hungry," her mother warning her away from the storm but the stone calling her to face it... and we really get to see a side of her that we haven't yet: she is afraid. She's afraid of losing control, of taking a chance that could lead to that loss, even in the alluring face of being free from her nightmares.

We also saw FCG's memories, their sense of belonging with their troupe and Dancer, and then their deaths — "a figure darting off into darkness." Not into the night, but darkness — so possibly the darkness of a dense jungle, or of a cave/mineshaft. Also, they were "bloodied" — but automatons don't bleed, do they? So they would've had to have been pretty damn close to the blooded members of their party. I'm starting to lean into the idea that FCG and their automaton buddies were the ones who killed Dancer, and then began to kill each other until only FCG remained.

Honestly, I love the mutual detect thoughts thing. I don't know if that's a homebrew of Matt's, or if it's in the RAW somewhere, but I'm 100% integrating that into my games. And I'm super curious about what would've happened if FCG failed that initial roll and they felt like they were being drawn into an ouroboros loop of thought. Laudna should also have access to Detect Thoughts, since it's a sorcerer class spell, so if she decided to prepare it she literally could see Imogen's dream like she said she wanted to.

FCG is taking a lot of necromancy spells. Like. Mx?? Why?

Ruidus is about a month away from its zenith. That's the third time Matt has mentioned that. Like, sure, in astronomy "zenith" just means "highest point in the sky," but......

(Also, given given that we know the current date, two approximations of Ruidus' orbit (either 11 or 12 Exandrian months), how far away it is from its zenith, and exactly where the party is on the globe, one could, in theory, create simulations to reverse-engineer where Ruidus would be in its orbit at any given point in time with reasonable margins of error.)

(I may or may not be working on this. Updates will be provided.)