#and their downfalls

[earl-of-grey]

Some Hazbin thoughts:

I liked how the first season ended, and while I do think the pacing was sped up to clearly reach this arc’s conclusion (but due to time constraints of course) I think ending it off with the scene showing Sir Pentious in Heaven is the perfect cliff hanger for the show.

Throughout the first season, we see both the characters, their society, us the audience, and even Charlie herself asks, “will this hotel even work?” That was what the pilot, the whole premise of the show centered on: is redemption for sinners even possible?

Of course we the audience already know the answer because then there wouldn’t be much of a message to learn from, much less a story to captivate on. But in this world, in their reality, the characters don’t know that. Charlie doesn’t know either. But she has faith that it does.

And what better way to complete this season’s arc with answering that question from the very beginning: yes, yes it does.

So now, the story can evolve from there. It’s not about proving her theory anymore, Charlie’s got the proof that she needs. Now it’s all a matter of facing the obstacles of those who don’t want it to work.

The Vees will definitely play a big part in season 2, and I’m guessing their motivations to stop the hotel from working would be to both to still gain control of sinners (if the hotel exists as an alternative, then they would lose their audience) and still gain access to specific individuals in the hotel (Valentino with Angel and Vox with Alastor).

And we might get to see Sera’s response to this new revelation. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she leans towards fear, but how far is she willing to go (or maybe how much is she willing to fall) in order to enact to her duties and responsibilities? (And keep in mind, holding onto her fears and encouraging the exterminations may just be the very reason for her Fall.)

And another thing, I can’t wait to see Alastor’s reaction to the news that the hotel works. It’s very ironic how (from what he’s only revealed so far) the main reason he wanted to help in the first place is because he’s betting on Charlie’s ‘passion project’ not working.

He’s made it very clear that he believes that the human condition is innately selfish and malignant (with a few rare exceptions). He says “Why does anyone do anything? Sheer, absolute boredom.” While there are plenty of hints foreshadowing Alastor having ulterior motives for helping the hotel (whether he’s forced to be there or not), that still doesn’t mean what he said ISN’T an extension of what he believes the world to be. He says “the world is a stage, and stage is a world of entertainment.”

Alastor is a performer. To perform means to believe in something you’re fabricating. So what makes Alastor’s situation interesting is that his whole character and predicament is entrenched in two opposing ideals existing at once. Paradoxical truths.

He has to help make the hotel successful in order to prove that it will fail.

He can’t show that he cares about the group because then others will use that against him, but at the same time, he has to show that he cares in order for the group to trust him. (But just enough)

So when that moment of revelation is revealed to the whole group that Charlie’s redemption idea is possible and works, Alastor will have to craft a balancing act of both helping and sabotaging the hotel to ensure that he still has control over the entire thing (even though this new information will shake it all up).

If the world is a stage, then Alastor wants to be the one to build it. He wants to be both producer and critic. But that balancing act could only go so far until the consequences of doing so will eventually bite him back.

And I cannot wait to see it happen.

But those are just my thoughts and predictions for the next season.

I’d love to hear yours as well.

[lgbtlunaverse]

The world exists in such a baffling state of simultaneous sex-aversion and sex-hegemony. Every social platform on the internet is trying to banish sex workers to the shadow realm but I can't post a tweet without at least two bots replying P U S S Y I N B I O. People are self-censoring sex to seggs and $3× but every other ad you see is still filled with half-naked women. Rightwingers want queer people arrested for so much as existing in the same postal code as a child and are also drumming up a moral panic about how teenage boys aren't getting laid enough. I feel like I'm losing my mind.

[loserwithanartacc]

I’m so happy with this one

Drawing sunlight thru trees is actually so fun I do recommend (it’s not as hard as you think it is probably)

Anyway I’m insane about her and very exited for ep 2 tonight

[circle-of-wildfire]

arrival of dawn

[i-kanava-i]

I honor and revere that which walks inside and around you, Queen

[skelerine]

marcille

[boasamishipper]

[floweroflaurelin]

As soon as they announced six new PCs for Downfall I planned to do this with my first paintings of each 🌈 Its so satisfying to see them all side by side!

[smilelikeawolf]

The Betrayers turned to their siblings and said, "Your creations are flawed and broken, they disappoint you, they hurt you. We have to destroy them."

And the Prime Deities replied, "No, they are our children. We won't destroy them. We love them too much."

The faithful of Aeor turned to their gods and said, "We believe in you. Let us help you. The Betrayer Gods are cruel and evil. We will use the Factorum Malleus to kill them all to end this war and make the world better."

And the Prime Deities replied, "No, they are our siblings. We won't kill them. We love them too much."

There's nothing like a tragedy born from love.

[yudol-skorbi]

some completely normal non suspicious mortals and their crate of apples

[gorgynei]

fascinating parts from this brennan interview about downfall

downfall was recorded in one week and brennan described it as "one of the most intense roleplaying experiences [he's] ever had"

if avalir was showcasing the age of arcanum, downfall will showcase the actual calamity

even though avalir and aeor seem similar on paper, brennan says the stories could NOT be more different. the themes, player motivations/briefings, and genres are completely unique

downfall embraces the nuance and complexity (moral and otherwise) of the gods and digs into the idea that the gods "called a truce" to fell aeor and what that actually means

brennan says aeor actually has a large population of refugees from the calamity by the time downfall takes place. however, they didnt have a large impact on the city's architecture and so by the modern era their cultures and presence in aeor (and wider exandria) have been almost entirely lost

overall downfall seems to focus on the ways that small errors in history can change a lot

brennan describes his experience with dm'ing in exandria as "going into a sandbox and creating the toys you're gonna to play with there"

the population of aeor is "demographically meaningfully different from who was living in aeor at the height of the age of arcanum," according to brennan. basically, not every aeorian will have bolo's accent (sad)

aeormatons will be in downfall in some way

setting, plot, and character backstories were worked on in tandem

on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of tragedy, brennan said downfall would need an entirely new axis. there is a "different kind of horror" in downfall, something that is distinct from "xenomorph chasing you horror"

brennan said "there are moments in downfall where i could feel my stomach wanting to drop out of my body"

[natp20]

the Arch Heart (arcane magic, the fey)

the Everlight (redemption, healing, temperance)

the Dawnfather (sun, summer, agriculture)

the Wildmother (wilderness, the sea)

the Raven Queen (death, fate, winter)

all art is official art by @agarthanguide and @kingcael!

[watchingwisteria]

listen there really was just something about how in the book, snow’s 3-page descent from hesitant lover boy to deluded mfer happens entirely in his mind. lucy gray gives him no indication whatsoever that she suspects him, that she’s going to leave or betray him. he’s just sitting quietly in the cabin waiting for her to return when that seed of calculated suspicion, which he has needed to survive the capitol, takes a hold of him and chokes the life out of any goodness left inside him. it really drives home your terror as a reader that “oh my god did he kill her? did she escape? what happened to her? why would he even think that?” in a way that when the movie had to adjust for visualization it lost some of that holy shit this guy has lost it emphasis.

[randombrainworm]

Now that's super cool

[midnightcrows]

Emhira my love

[definitionofacritter]

Our table for Downfall (and their presumed identities):

Ashley as Trist: Sarenrae the Everlight (mercy), paladin/cleric

Nick as Ayden: Pelor the Dawnfather (dawn), barbarian/cleric/druid/paladin

Laura as Emhira: the Raven Queen (death), warlock

Taliesin as Asha: Melora the Wildmother (nature), monk

Abubakar as S.I.L.A.H.A.: Corellon the Arch Heart (beauty), sorcerer/warlock

Noshir as The Emissary: servant of Erathis the Lawbearer (law), barbarian