#cognouza is fucking terrifying

[12pt-times-new-roman]

lore! lore! lore!

This thing bears way too many resemblances to both Obann, the Punished and Cognouza for it to be a coincidence. The mini even looks the same. And both of those are directly related to Tharizdun.

For anyone wondering, because I had to look this up -- Imogen has resistance to psychic damage from a 6th level aberrant mind sorcerer ability. It also gives her advantage on saving throws against charm and fear effects.

"I'm gonna cast....... blight." the entire top table immediately looked up at that. they know.

"It's trying to find a form, but can't." Semblances of the party's faces can be seen beneath the skin, like a head under fabric.

ARBY'S: WE READ THE MEATS

A close second to "Arby's: What's in the meats?"

Them not putting out this fire when Matt has given so many hints that they should is legit hurting my rogue-playing soul a little bit

The illusory wall follows the same rules as the doors in Aeor: it requires a certain level (and possibly school) of magic to open. A 3rd level enchantment opened it. Behind it is a little cubby with a leather satchel, and it isn't trapped.

Deanna has a staff of healing!

Holy shit, that wolf king mini is fucking amazing and terrifying and I love him

As Ludinus' tower burns, the Bells Hells flee into the city, then into the forest. They find a large abandoned nest, where they build a fire to camp for the night.

They open the satchel. Inside, it's "empty" -- but it's a bag of holding. Upon asking for "Ludinus' notes," FCG brings out a cluster of vellum and parchment, some sections of half-bound journals.

"Toy transfers out of Rexxentrum"?? Chetney??? Got a bag of holding from a "credible source" within the city?

And he turns the bag inside out. There are coins, gems, a staff, more papers, and half a piece of armor.

All the papers are blank. Using the same technique as before, plus an Investigation check of 22, Chetney can see that these papers have something written on them, but can't make anything out, let alone discern what language it is.

It seems like this satchel was either a rainy-day fund, or "something left behind when the owner left in a rush." The coins and gems together amount to a little less than 3000gp.

There's also a tiny piece of dark burgundy wood. "It's a dildo!" "NO!"

The armor looks like a harness of some kind, like a torso harness. (Matt walked right into that one.) It's mostly dark-stained leather, and it's almost a vest, but it has a brass-gold inlay on it and it looks like where some of that metal is, it continues into an "emerging, arisen portion, almost like a... it rises like a metallic volcano, like an open funnel, but there's an empty space there." They're not sure if it's the front or the back, but it seems like there's space for something to fit in -- a gem (though none of the gems in the bag fit it), a vial, a beacon.

With detect magic, the armor is faint, the burgundy wood is faint, the staff is very strong. The staff is a "staff of dark oddessey," which has 8 charges that can be used to cast a whole bunch of spells. It requires attunement by a spellcaster. It has teleport, which can be cast using 6 charges. It regains 1d4 charges each day at dawn, and when it's used, it deals 1d4 to the user for each charge expended.

All the papers have a script that Deanna can see and read. LORE TIME! LET'S GO!

"The first bath of notes seem to be revolving around experiments on divine magic. Attempts to distill the base nature of divinity as an energy that can be replicated or destroyed... you also see notes that have designs, sketches, almost engineered blueprints for that strange harness that you saw. This is not in elven -- the text here is specifically arcane glyphs, like it's instructions for an enchantment. There are some notes in elven that follow those initial blueprints that speak of a physical regiment of magical infusion. As you continue on, they note on a synthetic recreation of the powerful natural magics that sustain the venerable wardens of the wilds. Beyond that, there are addition notes on dryads and fey, different fey entities that have locations throughout Wildemount, with eight crossed off... notes about 'feeding the root.'"

A nat20 investigation check to follow Ludinus' shorthand logic. "These notes are definitely batched with this harness. They are the next stage past its design. These are the resources needed for it to function. The dryad and fey entities, the locations that have been crossed out, are probably powerful dryad or fey entities that have, in the past, been discovered and utilized to power whatever this harness was supposed to be... the way it's designed, everything seems to funnel inward, so you imagine whatever resources presented into that portion of the device is funneled into that portion of the device. The last bit of notes speak of expanding his 'restoration sources' into the fey realm." So Ludinus was feeding this harness with fey and dryad magic. Travis clarifies that the elven word for "root" here refers specifically to the root of a plant, not the root of a phenomenon. Keep in mind that this was all written over 300 years ago.

"Oh my god, this Gildamesh motherfucker is grabbin' Smurfs!"

One of the marks delineating a fey-ish fane is "deep in the northeastern part of the Flotket Alps, one is in the lake deep in the Rimeplains, three are in the Savalirwood (though it's referred to here as the Veluthil), one within the Ashkeeper Peaks, and one that exists on an island to the northwest, past the waters." oh I will be COMING BACK TO THIS, JUST YOU WAIT

Best that they can tell, the portion of this chestplate that extends outward has an almost diamond-shaped gap. This probably rules out a Luxon beacon, because each of its sides is a pentagram.

The next cluster of notes is "about Ruidus, the red moon. Studying its curious superstition and religious scripture imploring its curse over Exandrian fanes and magical currents... he makes a lot of assumptions that the great temples fear this moon, and he wishes to know why. He theorizes that the gods continue to push to not even question or look in its direction, and you can see where this study is an obsession... for all the great shadows and villains that have been written about through the scriptures of history, there have been deep understandings to inform the populace of faith that what exists in evil should be understood so it can be avoided. But this is the one thing that exists int he skies of Exandira that the gods just say, 'look away.' That has been something on his mind since Moalesmyr. He notes the odd flares, odd notes mentioning the historical Ruidisborn. He quietly curses that he was not born under, wishing for the gods' fate. He hopes to employ a communion ritual timed under a flare to understand and decipher it. He talks about forgotten gods, about divine unravelling, of an ancient primordial that wasn't sundered after the Founding, all these theories of the red moon trying to ascertain its nature. Another entry complains of the Emerald Cross priests undermining his research, but he still managed to contact something, like reaching into an alien dream. He can't quite reach it yet -- it exists on the peripheries, and needs something stronger to break through."

The third and final batch of notes is "on the slowly expanding chaotic nature of the arcane crystals that form the power well beneath Molaesmyr. It notes of Aramond, who theorized that the well was a gift from the Archeart that was lost in the Calamity and rediscovered in the founding of Molaesmyr. Others believed it to be of Arcanum descent, fallen from one of the floating cities... harnessing this long-buried power source interests Ludinus' endeavor. In his final notes, he theorizes that if this crystal well is focused through his design without them knowing, while Ruidus is above during the solstice, he hopes a channel of consciousness could be opened, and that which is calling his attention to the red moon could be contacted."

Laura connected the dots! Maybe this "well" was a collection of Luxon beacons, or a singular one that was somehow elevated -- whether by unleashing or by malfunction -- beyond the power we've seen so far, or one that was infused with the divine magic of the Archeart, or any number of other things.

End of lore dump

Chetney on Rexxentrum: "there's a king, but we know who's really in charge."

The party contemplates who they should take this information to. The king and queen of Uthodurn, the king of the Dwendalian Empire, the Vellum Steeple, Vasselheim, Ivodel...

And Imogen suggests the Cobalt Soul. (please. i am begging. also, Fearne and Imogen being absolutely enamored and turned on by Beau's abs and ass is absolutely peak)

Goddamn, I thought I would never see the day-- SAM being the voice of reason, and TRAVIS being the lying voice of chaos?? I mean, at least Fjord had some kind of logic to his voice of "fuck it we ball," but Chetney's straight-up lying!

Hey, there we go! Religion check on "emerald cross priests." FCG recognizes that some of the symbology of the Archeart leans on cross designs and verdant colors, so the "Emerald Cross Priests" may have been a faction of their worship. This tracks, since Molaesmyr itself was built on the belief that its location was protected and preserved from the 100-year fire by Corellon themself.

They decide to sleep in the abandon nest instead of teleporting, and Imogen and FCG are set to dive into Frida's mind using a dual detect thoughts.

oh my god Christian had matching sweaters made. he gets one in FCG's colors and gives Sam one in Frida's colors. my heart can't take this. gift giving as a love language is so special to me.

Into Frida's thoughts! (Deanna cries in Chetney's arms.)

First, it's a familiar space for FCG, but for Imogen, it feels like a waiting room. It's different, organized, segmented, separate -- unlike organic minds. Even FCG's mind leans more into the chaotic space of organic brains, while Frida's has a clarity.

The three of them come to rest in a room, and FCG and Imogen see Frida as a mist, standing before a doorway waiting to be opened. Through it, it's like being pulled down a lazy river. It's dreamscape, comfortable -- "a trek through a consciousness where you pick up memories. A waking moment, a hooded figure with a metallic mask rousing them from a dark, closed space. (Imogen recognizes them as D.) Struggle, survival in a harsh wilderness, wandering through unfamiliar streets and fear in the eyes of people as the consciousness of Frida steps, seeking connection but being fled from. You see children, playing, and that protective energy swelling, and that fear fades. You see the laughter and smile on Deanna's face over a cooking fire, the polishing of armor. A smattering of memories, but much like FCG's -- a fresh existence. It's like peering into the memory of a child, though there is a more extended, sourceless confidence and maturity."

Frida focuses on the names that he heard in the tower -- Laerryn, Vatora, Vishtaron, the child that FCG saw -- and (with a straight d20 roll of 5) Frida gets lost in the current. Memories begin to bleed into images of the child from before. "You have images that completely envelop the horizon for just a moment, of warfare. Of weapons, of people being cut down, then back to the river. [Frida] has had these dreams, rarely -- but it couldn't have been you, right?"

When Frida looks down, they see the river of energy that pulls them through the memories, and it obscures the lower part of their body. But they see their spiritual self, a bipedal entity of energy.

FCG and Imogen try to push deeper into Frida's memories.

NAT 20 FROM LAURA, and Matt makes a roll with a glance at Frida. They feel a pain in their mind, like a headache even though they've never had one -- the pain builds, and the others see the image of Frida fold and emit white light.

"That flash of warfare seems to emerge once again. It's less a battlefield -- stone hallways, bodies on the ground. Somebody rushes out of a room, and you watch as they fall to the ground. Standing before them is the spiritual form of Frida. A warrior, cutting through enemies in some sort of a structure. A very beautiful, unrecognizable structure... [Frida pushes forward, not knowing who's a friend, who's an enemy.] Some have brown and gold robes with gentle leather chestplates or armor. Some are preparing to cast spells before a blade catches their throat. A soldier runs up with a spear and shield toward Frida, who takes a hit before grabbing the spear and breaking the soldier's neck before pushing forward... [for Frida], it's an odd experience, like you're riding another person's experience. [Frida feels this is right. They know an objective when they see one. They keep going. They roll a d20, for a 10.] The details are fuzzy, but the people around you -- you begin to realize, it's not you pushing into a stronghold, you're defending. But the people you're fighting at the sides of and the people you're fighting against aren't dressed all that differently, and you feel a sadness at what must be done. You are not fighting an enemy from outside -- you are fighting an enemy from within."

Behind Frida, they see what they're defending: a beautiful structure, long halls, tall arched sealings with pipes or metallic tubes. The floors and walls are metallic, polished. Very much like the description of the A2 crash site, with the metal walls and "plastic" tubes. Frida is defending whatever's behind them, and they turn back toward it. Others go past them -- "what are you doing? Where are you going?" The hallway goes on, and on, and on as individuals walk past. The hall widens, and they see a central, massive chamber where "there is a contraption of such immensity, you've never considered or seen something on this scale. All manner of glowing crystalline devices and whirring mechanical devices, funnels and tubes and glass domes, sparks and dozens upon dozens of architects and engineers and magical practitioners all focused in this space. A voice shouts in Aeorian, 'protect the factorum!'"

The room carries a buzz, a hum that grows to a growl. "An engine of such immensity within this space that the chamber itself, the ground beneath you, vibrates and shakes. Stones and fallen instruments just move and cascade across the ground by the immensity of what is growing. The crystals are alighting. The space itself is preparing for something incredible. Then, it's just white." Everyone takes 8 points of psychic damage (no save, no roll to hit, no nothing) as they are shunted out of the vision.

Chetney puts the dots together, between the malleus factorum and the malleus keys. In Aeor, Frida was defending it from assault. Frida remembers one thing: "when you were discovered by D, you were ruined... he didn't just resuscitate you, he repaired you, brought you back from the brink of annihilation and set you free."

Frida was drawn to Aeor, and Deanna implies that that's why they went to Eiselcross.

Imogen recognizes some similarities between the energy signature, the structure, the vibrations between the malleus factorum and the malleus key -- but the key in Marquet was far smaller, far less powerful, far less immense.

Chetney recognizes that the crystals in the malleus factorum are distinctly different than the arcane batteries on the malleus key.

Facets of the clothing was semi-recognizable to FCG, but nothing about the location or the project rings a bell. Travis and Aabria suggest that FCG was in Avalir, not Aeor, hence why they recognize the clothing but not the location.

"Xhorhassian"? Deanna, where the fuck did that come from??

Deanna and Frida were in Eiselcross because Frida felt drawn to Aeor's central ruins, like Imogen felt drawn to Ruidus.

Frida feels a twinge of memory at the back of their head at the names Laerryn, Vishtaron, and Vatora, but they don't know why. But they know they were protecting the creator hammer -- whether it was because they believed in the anti-god sentiment, believed wholeheartedly in Aeor itself, or were going along with their orders.

(Meta note: Aabria says she "saw a room full of people doing what one person did" in relation to Laerryn.)

Chetney gives Frida a little wooden robot! It moves and everything. "A pillar of protection and I feel a connection to you, because you protect children and I bring joy to children with these [toys]." Fearne tries to comfort them too -- "you were being commanded then, but now, you're free to do what you want." The cast makes the connection between "Frida" and "free to."

I'm honestly loving the suggestion that Morri and Ludinus are exes, and that's part of why the Nightmare King hates him so much.

"But wherever we go... what about you two?" FCG.... honey.......

Deanna feels like Frida is moving on, and she's afraid of being left behind again. They have FCG now, and all of them have a mission, and maybe she should go back to Uthodurn -- no. Chetney's with her. They would've been swiss cheese, would've been ground meat without her. "I just don't want anything to happen to you." "I... made something for you, too." It's a little cup, like the ones they used to drink out of on the Menagerie Coast.

"Just-- a real quick question-- is the werewolf thing only for fighting?" "Y'know... there's... only one way to find out." "(full of sarcasm and irony) Help. Chetney has gone feral. Oh no. Anyone. Preferably Fearne, if you're into that. Help. The safe word is parmesan." And Chetney, Deanna, and Fearne run off into the woods.

Oh, how far Travis has come. This is character development. and it's canon now, fuckers!!

Now, they need to find out where to teleport. Uthodurn, Rexxentrum, Jrusar, Whitestone, Bassuras, Zephrah -- they could go anywhere. But they need to find out where the other group would think of to meet up.

FCG casts commune. And Matt does make an interesting point -- "should we go here" is different than "should we go here to accomplish this task."

As they cast the spell, they feel their consciousness rise "to a space within all horizons, at a crossroads, paths spreading out from you in all directions that converge here. There's a sign post, and it's blank. On the sides your vision, you see strands of hair, and you turn, and you see once more a feminine form upon the same horizon. She looks two inches tall, two miles tall, you can't tell -- it's strange. But she's present. [Hi. First of all, thank you, for all your guidance and for sending me Frida. We're trying to find our other friends, and we're wondering if we go to Jrusar, if we would have a chance to find them there at some point.] While previously, there was an inference of an answer, this time you hear a voice on the wind. 'Yes.' [Are they alive, Changebringer? Are they okay?] 'Yes.' [Even if I never know about my past, even if I never find out who made me or why I'm here, will I know Frida for a long time?] The wind picks up, and blows past.. the answer challenging to write, when the future has not been... In an immediate rush, this towering woman appears before you, her dark skin, her light brown hair that entangles around you. Her presence is bold, terirfying in proximity, her eyes these golden, open spaces, an intensity about her presentation as she looks upon you. 'A terrible fate looms for all of Exandria. An alien malice menaces the skies of the Marquesian sands. If you indeed wish to show your faith, to walk my endless paths beyond, then rise to our call. The winds of change blow cold against us all, yet hope remains unmoving in you. Our grace guides those who carry our banner. Hold it high, and traverse the path that I alight with purpose and fated destination. Do not turn from this road, for only shadow and solitude awaits beyond.' The light on the horizon grows cold, she grows more immense, you feel even more insignificant. 'The red end stirs in its slumber. Do not let it wake.' And she looks over her shoulder, and you see the distant gleam of the red moon, before--"

At the same time, the rest of the party watches as a sudden, almost sleepiness comes over Deanna. "Deanna, you sit for a second, before suddenly, this bright light fills your consciousness, the immensity of a star burning before you, something you've not experience at this proximity in some time, and comes with it a strength and a frustration long-felt. You try your best to avert your gaze, but the source of this light burns your retinas, and there you see before you the Dawnfather, encompassing the sky, nothing but his light. 'Mortal arrogance makes union with a forbidden scourge. The ruddy moon beckons over the skies of Marquet. Child, reborn of my grace and my will, I command you: strike out against those who would snuff our light. The gifts I grant you are the sword and shield against the darkness. Forsake these gifts, ignore our charge, and be abandoned... faith needs not logic, nor truth, but unerring conviction... the red end stirs in its slumber. Do not let it wake.'"

There is a warmth to the coin in FCG's hand, and it looks shinier. They identify it as a "coin of the Changebringer," and it... does a lot of things, according to Sam. (I bet it's an improved amulet of the devout +1, which by default gives them an extra use of channel divinity per day.)

Deanna gives Chetney her ring of temporal salvation. This is a ring that, when the wearer would die, instead they're healed for 3d6 hit points.

She also identifies the little piece of wood as a tuning fork for the planeshift spell, which is tuned to the fey realm.

Chetney took orders directly from the Cerberus Assembly. He made enchanted furniture. Allegedly. (This is a reference to C2E48/49, if anyone doesn't know.) Also, "RTA" may or may not stand for "Rexxentrum Toy Authority." Most of them were fine -- Ludinus was an ass, and Traversky was his best customer. This means that Chetney likely knows Delilah Briarwood by name, and knows her...... toy preferences.

Using the rod, they all teleport to Xhadana's house.

[marius-lepual]

i'm so obsessed right now with what the dynamic must have been between caleb and essek for the six months between cognouza and now

their interactions had all been with the m9 or with the m9 nearby, and i think being truly alone for the first time would change things a bit. there's nobody to interrupt them in the middle of a moment, but also, there's nobody to interrupt them if things got too overwhelming. no group to fall back to to cool off.

i think there was a lot of tension, at first just awkwardness as they tried to adapt their dynamic to the new circumstances. and nervous tension as they talk and learn more about each other, both afraid of accidentally crossing any unknown boundaries or bringing up a painful topic.

they would exchange spellbooks, nerves firing as they each try to acclimate to this level of intimacy

and it slowly gets easier and more comfortable and the tension transitions into wanting and yearning. the awareness that they both wanted more, and that they were both fucking terrified of that. hearts pounding as their casual touches stop feeling quite so casual. hands lingering longer. there's no reason for them not to go for it, but there's also all the reason in the world. so it goes unspoken, the elephant in the room.

to me this is why he didn't contact essek. things had changed between them in a way that the others would absolutely pick up on. and the m9 aren't exactly subtle. questions would be asked that caleb and essek weren't ready to answer. it was best to keep things between themselves for now.

[mareastrorum]

"statistically this has to happen sometime, and you are outlier georg" is a powerful fucking quote. (from your tags on an essek post a couple of days ago)

Referencing this post.

Omfg, Matt rolled so bad for Essek. And he didn’t want to do AOE effects that would nuke his new friends, so thankfully he had magic missile. But jebus, I meant it. He is the opposite of fate-touched. Every fate-adjacent NPC was watching and laughing. He could have been such a terrifying force in Aeor and Cognouza, and the dice decided NO.

[grayintogreen]

“I Don’t Take Insults Lightly” by Madds Buckley sounds like it was written for shattered stage and it terrifies me how fucking accurate it is to Jayne and Lucien. It sounds like it could be her big villain song during the Cognouza Field Trip. I am LOSING IT.

“With just a touch I could disperse your atoms into dust. With just a breath I'll bring you screaming from the brink of death.”

“I break the high and mighty- I don’t take insults lightly.”

“If God's a Woman then you should be praying/‘Cause I'm the only bitch that capable of sparing you”

“You could apologize or you could get hurt/Count to three/To make up your mind/Do what you can on borrowed time/Convince me that I should be kind/I might let you leave aliv- no?/Fine.”

“I don't take insults lightly/And since you'd rather fight me.”

JUST…. /WAVES HANDS

[the-great-infinity]

I don’t think anything will terrify me as much as that fucking prison in the city of Dis, but at this rate Cognouza is getting real close

[songofwizardry]

every episode I am more and more amazed by matt mercer's ability to make. literally any fucking sound.

anyway what a horror-filled episode! the fucking *screaming* really got me, as did the eyes, as did the city *reaching up to reach the people's feet*, as did the weird fleshy staircase... anyway there were many audible "nope nope nope"s from me in this episode.

cognouza is terrifying thanks

[defilerwyrm]

genius dumbass (the curse of high int low wis)

Drowning cw here.

Something like 12 or 14 years ago I was visiting my parents and we realized I, a former water hound, hadn’t been swimming in a good 10+ years*, so I got talked into suiting up and going out to the river at the edge of their property. The water level was up so I thought it’d be fun to use a boogie board.

WELL.

There was a tree whose roots had grown out into the river, forming a sort of cage. The current liked that for some reason, and before I knew it, the board that was attached to my wrist by a string got sucked up under these roots, and me with it. I was bashed up against these roots by the current and had to literally fight for my life to get to the surface while the edges of my vision went grey. All those songs and poems talking about drowning as a quiet, romantic death? UTTER HORSE SHIT, it was painful and terrifying like nothing I’ve ever experienced in a long, hazardous life, 0/10 do NOT recommend.

So, being a Smart Person, once I’m free I get myself up on the shore and take a moment to say “well THAT happened.” There was no one else around at the time. I almost fuckin’ DIED again and had to come to terms with that.

But, I told myself, I am a Smart Person, and I know where that hazard is, so I can avoid it next time. Yes, facepalm away, I said next time. Because what did I immediately go and do? Walked upstream and got back on the board. When that tree was coming up, I paddled away from it. The current laughed and said “ROUND TWO, BITCH” and sucked me back under the fucking tree roots where once again I had to literally fight for my life to keep from drowning. I got the message the second time.

So, yanno, when Yussa Errenis got his dumb ass trapped in not only the Happy Fun Ball but ALSO fucking Cognouza after TM9 had to save him from the former, I felt that. Sometimes smart people do deeply stupid things, and he and I are proof of that.

*Because I was, yanno, still in the closet and hadn’t had top surgery so my self-esteem was tunneling to Hell on a daily basis

[jeannedarkterraguard]

took us three days to get through one episode but here they are

my Critical Role Campaign 1 Episode 2 Thoughts:

-keyleth is still not having a great day

-and now they’re talking about going into holes... why do these people always want to go into holes? the Ashhole in ExU, the flesh tunnels in cognouza, this...

-hey, they finally got the ale

-Laura: "Can I ask a question" Matt, still in character: "yes?" Laura: "Not you, the other guy, Matt" Matt: *drops character* "yes, Laura?"

-bags of holding are not freezers... good to know

-oh right the rogue class-feature “Knock on door” that’s why every party needs a rogue

-what was THAT accent Marisha?!?

-sorry matt.it’s too late. it’s the house of vulva now

-”any goblin corpse is a good goblin” oh the irony...

-in an elevator with a bear... that sounds terrifying

-Laura: "Should we take a pee break?" Matt: "As your exit the tunnel, you hear the cascading flow of a river that leads to a waterfall..." that’s mean matt

-Keyleth turning into a cave bear because it has darkvision... but elves already have darkvision... and so do half-elves and gnomes...

-this combat is brought to you by dwarvenfor- ...colored sharpie and paper

-oh... umber hulks... that could be a problem

-throwing the snail into the waterfall... that’s gonna come back to bite them in the ass isn’t it?

-yeah first umber hulk down

-and there is the snail again...

-crit at disadvantage... wow

-poor scanlan

-NO GROG DON’T RUN OFF!!!

-oh fuck! that’s an intellect devourer isn’t it? that means mind flayers! ARE THEY IN THE UNDERDARK ALREADY?!?

-and grog is down... intellect devourers are nasty

-i just saw like 20 people write “Brain freeze” in chat and i hate that that made me laugh

-NO! don’t end the episode yet i wanna know who this master is! oh and also grog needs his brain back

[grayintogreen]

I’ve talked a little bit about how I view Lucien (and by extension the Tombtakers) as “fallen heroes of another story.” I’ve discussed the possibility of them being Dark Mirrors to Vox Machina. I’ve gone on record saying that they’ve MOSTLY only protected their own asses as any adventuring party would do and that if the stories were reversed and we didn’t know damn well Cognouza was Bad News Bears, we’d have a hard time figuring out whether they or the Nein were the villains of the piece.

With 138′s twist, Matt took it a step further. He wrote us the Fallen Chosen One narrative of my personal dreams. Lucien has all the hallmarks of a Fate-Touched, and being touched by a spark of something so powerful didn’t turn him into a great hero like he thought- because, again, for being a cultist and a con, Lucien’s ultimate motives were only questionable because we already KNEW that Cognouza was bad. If we didn’t, his ambitions would seem almost admirable! Oh, you want to return this ancient city home? These powerful wizards want you to help them? Cool! 

(Wait it’s a horrible, terrifying flesh-warping nightmare city???? NO WAIT I TAKE IT BACK)

But Lucien believed in it. The way his voice breaks a little when he says “and they chose ME” speaks a lot to how MUCH he believed in it. He felt special and seen and validated by the idea that he, of all the people in Exandria, was touched by Fate to become some great cosmic Herald of these brilliant minds and invite their second coming. Even if he DID know it was going to become a horrific nightmare the whole time and his altruism was based on faulty logic or it was never about any of that and he just wanted the power, the way he acts suggests HE viewed himself as a hero. Their hero. Their SAVIOR, as he says. He even flat out SAYS the Somnovem saved him- which could be about the soul thing, but maybe it goes deeper than that. Maybe they gave him the only purpose that really mattered.

And then it turned out that this so-called Fate he was blessed with was as errand boy for a bunch of whinging monstrosities no better off than the Cerberus Assembly he clearly has some fucking beef with beyond Vess. Or maybe Vess just really got his goat that much because of the whole murder thing. Either way, he was just another paid servant for a wizard AGAIN, and the payment this time might be in power, but he’d still just be under their thumb, once again smashed under the heel of an authority he doesn’t respect.

If the Somnovem were truly benevolent and just as the Exandrian gods we’ve seen can be to their followers, you could see so easily see how Lucien could be another Vax. Another  cocky outcast hunting for a purpose, brushed by Fate to become a Champion. And, instead, he was chosen by something that was corrupt and horrific and literally everything he already hated about the world, full of squandered potential and wasting his time, despite all the promises they gave him when he was wide-eyed and blind. So, of course, he turned on them, but the problem with being chosen and being arrogant enough to believe you’ve always known best and you deserved better is that instead of walking away, you have the option to take the throne for yourself.

So, of course, the disillusioned Chosen One falls. So, of course, the Chosen One takes all that power and madness from seeing beyond the Veil and decides that if he’s the one who put all the work in, HE should be the one in control. He earned this.

I always knew Matt wrote a FASCINATING story for Lucien that made him, while not entirely sympathetic, a very realistic look into someone who was just a person who came into a power he couldn’t possibly comprehend and was set off on a destiny, but now we see that he’s a walking example of the dark side of being Chosen and how wrong it can go if you’re chosen by the wrong thing.

And given the Aeorans were ultimately all about deposing the gods and probably ridding the world of even a vague notion of anyone being Fate-Touched by their grace, the fact that they did exactly as the gods did and mishandled the whole damn thing to such an extent that it became their undoing is just chef’s kiss. Lucien and the Somnovem is just a cautionary tale about the Chosen One narrative, and I am INTO IT.

[songofwizardry]

long critical role thoughts post time again! spoilers for c2e136 under the cut. also it's been like six weeks since I last did this, damn. moving house will do that to you.

so like of all the abilities for the two humans to get, I will say getting darkvision is a pretty good one

okay so I feel like fandom figured out that Caleb had seen the Traveller the last couple times, but sorry. the WEASEL. artagan is fucking SPRINKLE? that I. did not see coming. at fucking all.

says a lot about this episode that this reveal stopped being the focus so quickly holy shit a lot happens

oh AND telepathic communication! I was expecting this possibility, but I was really surprised by how well it was done/how cool I found it.

love Caleb's 31 arcana check

"transmutation merged with dunamancy... with elements of temporal alteration" right so at this point I was just :o all the way

and the Primal Artifact is the Luxon, right? cool cool cool

way back, I remember Caleb's research and him saying that maybe Aeor had time travel magic. I also remember Beau's theorising about the Luxon coming from Aeor. I was FULLY not expecting both those fucking theories to be confirmed so fully in this arc!!! what the fuck Matt!!

also this is the second or third time the wizards have had cool magic bonding time (TM) in Aeor and I love it.

Jester: "does that mean what I think it means? is he coming on to you?" / Caleb: "what do you think it means?" / "I think he's coming on to you!" / "... it's complicated." y'all my shadowgast heart is THRIVING

love how Veth keeps suggesting marine layer right now, and within a little while they are going to be surrounded by entirely natural fog

the entire CHAOS plan of throwing the cellabone/using mage hand/not using mage hand/just walking away is peak D&D

the intuit charge took me COMPLETELY by surprise, but holy shit, such a good move. also, I had completely not grasped just how much damage those deal when they were previously talking about them/using them against the tomb takers! seeing Matt roll for that damage was very revealing (and fuckin terrifying)

also made me realise that using them against the tomb takers was a brilliant idea, you go mighty nein

I don't know the stats for the intuit charges, but I was very relieved that they could be dispelled with a fourth level. I was very concerned that it wouldn't be the case

aaaand Lucien is here!

veth: "here's my plan, we're all cows." I mean, sheep-leb did happen so close enough?

Lucien is a smooooth charismatic fucker. like, he's such a good smooth talker cult-leader asshole archetype, and I am really enjoying how he's played.

the TWITCH at "circus man" what is going on Matthew Mercer??? I need to know!

I was... actually quite surprised that Lucien didn't set off the intuit charges as he left, or close the portal, or something. like, what is his game here? does he really just want an 'audience' that bad? or did he need to get back through the portal and so couldn't close it?

idk how travel in the astral sea works but I'm assuming there's a reason he had to get through a portal buried deep in a dangerous ruin, and not just show up in the astral sea another way

idk I was just expecting the other shoe to drop, not really expecting Lucien to flat out invite them to follow and be his audience... but upon thinking about it, that's sorta been his style through the whole thing, hasn't it?

aand fighting an elemental!

the sheep puns were the best tbh, as was the image of a sheep floating through the astral sea

it's also really fun to see Essek in combat and get a better idea of what his capabilities are

I was fully expecting the episode to end with them just being in the astral sea, but NOPE we get a fucking chilling description of Cognouza, AND we get creepy voices in Beau and Caleb's heads!

they are in the literal astral sea y'all I have no idea where we go from here but I am very hyped. the next episode is gonna be something huh.