#critical role c3 spoilers

[isagrimorie]

I honestly love how angry Laudna was in the first half of the show, out the gate. The moment Orym called attention to FCG's new clothes, Laudna's face was this:

But even through that Laudna can't help but comment and compliment Imogen on her new look:

Imogen smiles at Laudna: "I love the new look."

She just lit up at Laudna's compliment.

And then Sam just goes straight into it, probably sensing the Drama potential and immediately Laudna's mood shifts from sad-soft to sharp.

Also, of course, Imogen's face when Ashton said: "You were the last person to have a complete breakdown."

Fearne also looked concerned.

And then Imogen's face when Laudna pointed to her and said: "You have a new best friend, apparently."

Completely bewildered by this classification of her friendship with FRIDA. I also love Travis's husband reaction of: 'Uh-oh.'

Imogen is completely startled because out of everyone on Team Wildemount she was the one who didn't want to rest and just want to be on task.

I live for Imogen's 'Excuse me?'

It's so funny because apparently, Laudna didn't get any of Imogen's messages that she WASN'T having any fun sexual or otherwise last episode. Like, Imogen really did need to spell it out for her, and another reason why Imogen decided to just make her feelings plain.

Imogen tries to explain and Fearne is also quick to buck up and defend Imogen. Meanwhile, Chetney offers his sexual healing services.

Laudna looked like whatever Chetney's saying isn't computing with her and later looks like she was half a second away from getting angry at him.

And then much later Ashton and Orym are gently trying to convince Laudna to try and unwind, feel what it's like to be Human again. Taking care of Laudna the way they failed to do, bringing her back from the brink of the abyss.

Imogen doesn't even know yet that Ashton and Orym just let her fall.

Orym and Ashton coaxing her back from the edge, directing her back to life, to Imogen.

And it starts to work especially when Imogen brings up visiting Zhuduanna and their old home in Jrsusar. Signs of the old Laudna seem to be softening her edges and her stare isn't as blank or blankly furious anymore.

But it's true they all need to unwind from the harrowing trip they've all been through.

Still, I feel there's hell to pay if or when Imogen ever found out that Orym and Ashton just let Laudna fall down the abyss and possibly let Delilah back into Laudna.

Fearne is just trying to navigate this seachange of emotions too, she was also deeply affected by the split of the team but she's just much better at hiding it.

(Also, Marisha Ray deserves all the accolades because she's so good!)

[zei-ord-art]

Spoilers for Ep33 of Critical Role Campaign 3!

Anyways, what an episode am I right fellas.

[anxiousflyfox]

Not me thinking about how Laudna accepted the first kiss but was STILL insecure about maybe "not deserving Imogen" because she was well herself, and she "did bad things" and was "a bad person", but when Imogen’s response was only to assure her that she WASN'T a bad person, Laudna immediately went for a kiss again!!

Like... She WANTED IT! She possibly have ALWAYS wanted it and she just wouldn't let herself go there because she didn't think she deserved it or that Imogen would ever look at her like that but THEN, Imogen went and kissed her and assured her she was worthy of love!!! AAAAA

[thessiastars]

"I called you my anchor, my tether. We're that for eachother."

[simplysparrow14]

The Apogee solstice is for lovers, apparently.

[artsyebonyrose]

finding out that ashton has chronic pain was such a powerful little moment. big tough muscle guy being consistently in pain and just never talking about it ever. fcg being in his body for a few moments and someone finally gets how ashton feels, someone understands the pain.

their little "yeah" with a subtle smile "its a lot all the time" after fcg describes their physical pain as a lot, was just so :'((( it broke my heart. until now no one but themself have known how it hurts, and have had to brave it and remain this tough guy. maybe its not so bad, maybe i'm just weak, maybe i'm exaggerating. having someone else feel what he feels and actually say those words "yes, it was a lot" are the much needed words of reassurance to prove to himself that yes, the pain really is a lot. someone else can finally see that.

ashton needed that, now their friends know they hurt, and that's good. they can do more for him now, give better support, understand his position more with this new knowledge. he doesn't have to feel as isolated as before. and they can feel solace in the fact that their closest and most empathetic friend gets it just a bit more now.

[critter-roles]

Orym, after finishing his turn: Next!

Ashton, after finishing their turn: Next!

Me: Guys, you gotta stop giving me crumbs. Let me starve I can take it

[pstelwitchcraft]

Ok, all of the chaos aside (no one died, I'm not accepting that shit unless they tell me for fucking sure that they can't revivify them), the Imodna feels tonight were immaculate. Imogen coming back when she couldn't hear Laudna anymore. Laudna going down, regaining consciousness and Imogen being the first thing she could ever think of, choking her name as she hid behing a house with ONE (1) HP left.

"Is she your favorite?" Otohan asked and the reaction from Imogen was also instant, visceral even. As soon as the words left her mouth Imogen was already begging, ready to give her anything Otohan wanted for Laudna, "Please take me. I'll go with you. Please don't hurt her." Said with NO hesitation (which is SOMETHING for Imogen, who we see doubt herself so goddamn much)

It made me realize they were both lying when they said they'd kill all of Bell's Hells if it meant the others got to live. They BOTH have massive blindspots and (surprise, surprise!) it's each other. That scares and excites me bc I just know Matt is gonna use their love against them, so I'm ready for some painful angst but also for them to be the most co-dependent, ride or die bitches CR has ever seen.

I haven't seen any relationship more starcrossed, fated lovers, shining north stars kind of love in CR before. I mean, "i would do anything for imogen. I just wish for her to be happy and have everything I never got to have", "her thoughts sounded like music. Not like the noise that comes from everybody else", "I certainly can't lose you" "you have the biggest spark I've ever seen, you don't need a heartbeat for that" "pales in comparison to yours". The looks. The smiles. The cuddles. The jealousy. The reassurance and softness they have for no one else. Laura and Marisha are taking shots at me with a BB gun from a 100 yards away and I can't HANDLE IT. I just want the nightmare lady and the purple cowgirl dark phoenix to be happy.

All I know is that we saw SOMETHING go on tonight, and if anyone wants to say they're "just good friends" after THAT I'll eat my goddamn hat.

[deer-with-a-stick]

TRAVIS FUCKING WILLINGHAM HAS TO STOP PICKING UP ALL THESE CURSED TALKING SWORDS BRO WHAT THE FUCK

[some-one-thing]

I get that the characters and players aren't too keen on religion, i get that Marisha and her characters hate the idea of gods controlling stuff, i get that ashton is a punk and that everyone else (aside FCG) isn't keen on the gods.

But they were given a vision by a god in her temple, even without believing in her as well as got multum of useful stuff about the perspective of the clerics, and yet they still doubt in helping the gods.

I may be ignorant here but i don't think any of them ever suffered because of the gods. In fact quite the opposite, Pike with the powers of Seranre allowed Laudna to even be resurrected.

Ashton feels abbandoned by them and doesn't care but to me his idea that the gods have "favourites" disregard that gods aren't there and the only way they help is through the people that truly commit to the belief and through doing stuff for their cause. I am happy that he doesn't wish to kneel for them and that he stands up for himself, but it severely damaged the idea of how the gods work in Exandria.

And only FCG speaks in true favor of the gods side and his arguments make sense, but the other players seem to be lost in the idea that gods aren't worth saving.

The goal of this rant is that i feel like the players seem to be so lost in the idea of gods not being worthy allies (which extends to their followers), that even after being granted a vision they seem to not acknowledge that the gods helped them- FCG being the main proof that the gods are willing to help.

(I am also mad they so much world changing info to themselves which definitely will lead to major casualties, like telling vox machina right away ab secret of Ruidus or giving advice to the soldiers on what to expect, - remember Predathos is a secret to all, i doubt few if any clerics know even about it's existence)

TL;DR Players are too convinced that gods and their followers won't help them even after getting a free vision, which in company of them withholding information on Predathos is gonna lead to unnecessary deaths and tragedies imo.

Also i think Laudna gonna find out ab Imogens lightning tiddies real soon-

[aquariusdeanw]

“You know you saved my life, right? If you hadn’t come into town, I don’t know how long I would have lasted. These last few year have been…they have been everything. Through it all, all the laughter and hardships…she was with you, she was choking you. If you come back, I don’t know how you’re gonna feel. I don’t know if you’ll feel free or if you’ll feel empty. But I want you to know that whatever holes she’s leaving, I’ll be there to help fill it, alright? I’ll be there for you. I’m not gonna tell you to come back, I’m not gonna try to compel you to come back. Because that choice Laudna is yours now. No one gets to control you anymore. Just know that I love you, and I’m here.”

[isagrimorie]

I do think what’s being lost in the discussion of chronic pain in Bells Hells is how Ashton isn’t alone in this, before Imogen acquired the circlet, Imogen had chronic migraines.

Something Talieisin acknowledged when he commented: “Hey, tylenol!”

Its just Ashton and Imogen have different ways of coping but also it explains why Imogen was so gentle with Ashton after she and FCG went inside their head.

They both have invisible disabilities although most of the time I feel fandom forgets Imogen has chronic pain too.

I do like how in the recent 4SD Taliesin explained how he is deliberating playing Ashton as not dealing well and is lashing out and projecting every which way.

I like the prickly dynamic he developed for Ashton and Laudna, and the friendly poking at he has developed between Ashton and Imogen.

I do wish Ashton and Imogen also talked more on this. Or just spoke to each other more in general.

“I will be his vengeance.”

“I have no fucking doubt.”

(But also, in the 4SD, I very much appreciate Dani Carr and Taliesin’s discussions about their experiences with chronic pain).

[its-your-mind]

ya know. I started this episode worried that the Current party was gonna start dropping. how foolish of me. I should of course have been worried about PREVIOUS PCS whose stories ALREADY HAD THEIR HAPPY ENDINGS

[thessiastars]

Im so normal abt them if you couldnt tell

[12pt-times-new-roman]

y'all I'm not fucking ready for this.

How many weeks in a row is this with no DDB sponsor?

Matt is dressed in Ruidus colors. fear

personally? I think it would be very funny if somebody replaced Liam's chair with one that's a foot shorter than everyone else's.

I'm fully expecting Ira to be a Garmellie/Artagan situation. This motherfucker is an archfey slumming it on Exandria and ancient god-killing wizard dilfs are his dive bar of choice.

Ira was around for at least one previous apogee solstice, but he was in the Feywild when it happened so he didn't get to see the true extent of is power.

"What do you think about the gods?" "I don't think about them." good answer, good answer

Aberrations and other "mythological creatures" born on solstices (even normal ones) are particularly powerful.

The circlet prevents Imogen from hearing the thoughts of people around her. It just eliminates that entirely. And with it goes most of the reasons she'd have to side with Ludinus and Otohan. Truly the peak of non-wizard mortal hubris, to consider killing the gods before looking for an item or a spell to solve your problem first

Sending to Keyleth from Imogen: "We're a couple hours out, to the southwest. Are we meeting up? Just going for it? Help?" "I'm gathering those of able-body who recovered from our last endeavor. I'll look for a tree. Let me know when you need the cavalry; our arrival isn't quiet."

"I go over and give Fearne a big hug." "Aww—" "I reach into her pocket." never change, Ashton

A ways out from the crater, the Bells Hells come upon a structure in the storm — the wood and stone wreckage of a skyship that carried a cathedral on it. It's mangled and burned; the brumestone has been scavenged. It looks recent, and the outer hull is covered in mounts for heavy armor, harpoons, and cannons, but it was brought down by battle on the deck, not by massive damage to the outer hull. The iconography indicates that it was from Vasselheim, possibly a Judicator ship.

jesus fucking christ. Matt could not say "DO NOT GO THROUGH WITH CRASHING THE SHIP" any more clearly.

if that dispel pulse is shutting down the automatons briefly, then maybe it's not actually intentional. maybe it's a by-product, an unintended consequence.

it never ceases to amaze me that without fail and across all of his characters, Travis manages to be both the voice of "fuck it we ball" and the person who slows down combat to calm players.

like, does CritRoleStats keep track of how many combat encounters each PC has started? bc Chetney has got to be up there with Imogen this campaign

this battle music has the same opening notes as the 2001 theme and now I can't hear anything else

The spellcaster has a +6 spell attack, but also cast hold person at 5th level and did 15 damage on a fire bolt, so they're most likely 9th level with a +2 spellcasting ability modifier.

Ashton rage build update: 2 on the d4 is the space build (portals!). they took the Crusher feat for their 8th level ASI. also, when the space build is active, they can use portals (either as a bonus action or as a result of hitting a creature or as a result of bringing a creature to 0 hp) to teleport to any space they can see within 30 or 60 feet of them.

As a reminder, shock flare is a reskin of arms of hadar, but it pushes creatures away instead of preventing them from taking reactions and deals lightning damage instead of necrotic.

Tal saying "five foot step" gave me hella flashbacks to Pathfinder 1e

"Well, I don't get to choose, do I? Let's just go with it." god fucking damnit. Ashton's rage abilities and how fucking random they are is so poetically and narratively intwined with the themes of this campaign, it's wild

it will never not amuse me that Matt, without fail, misunderstands the way the command spell works. it's super minor and not a big deal but as someone with a DM who's pretty on-top of it, it's very funny

Imogen gets pulled into a tent by a very quick and quiet force.

"Who are you, and why are you fighting the Vanguard?" "I've got friends coming in. Friends or enemies?" "I asked you first." "The question isn't why! It's 'are you fighting too'?" "Who are you with?" "

oh my god of fucking COURSE there are already infiltrators in here. of course there are. why wouldn't there be? Ryn didn't come here alone.

BEAUREGARD???

BEAUREGARD!!!!

y'all you have no fucking idea how excited I am——

"He can go say hi to the rest of his friends we've put there [in jail]." how fucking many of the Cerberus Assembly are in jail now? we know Trent is in there but who else?

CALEB!!!! blorbo!!!

"So. What's the play here, Beauregard?"

They're both friends to the Verity, and they've worked with Ryn before. They came here with her, trying to do a recon mission before she was taken.

The Children of Malice are a front for the Ruby Vanguard.

Caleb and Beau saw the other skyship go down. It was from Vasselheim. The Vanguard struck the skyship from the sky at Ludinus' request, though Caleb hasn't seen any sign of Ludinus being in the crater for many days. But the perpetual dispel pulse was intentionally installed.

Caleb, Beau, and Ryn were all on the Shadowfell team — they were able to damage the key, but unable to completely destroy it.

Caleb refers to Ludinus as the most powerful of the assembly, "the one who could topple it all" if he goes down. He and Beau came here alone;

The entire site is illusion-proofed, there's a dispel wave every minute. There are also mage-hunter golems here, which we've only ever heard of existing inside the Heirloom Sphere. I am forcibly reminded of the fact that Ludinus Da'leth is aware of the Happy Fun Ball.

"The absolute, absurd amount of muscles she has—" "Like Marisha?" *raised eyebrow* Matthew. (fuckin' simp (affectionate))

Ludinus has been reverse-engineering Aeorian technology and using distilled dunamis energy to power it, with multiple mesh-like power sources. He's "obsessed" with divinity and appears to be "counting on opposition, which makes [Beau] uneasy."

"What's dunabis?" "...there isn't time to lecture. It's a very obtuse form of magic that exists between the fabric of all other forms of power. It's one of the oldest and most fundamental forces within Exandria and beyond. It can alter time, space, probability, entropy — it is dangerous in the wrong hands, and unfortunately, a very strong source of it has been in the hands of Ludinus and the Assembly for some time." The 'very strong source' is presumably the beacon, which Ludinus has had since 835 PD.

The Cobalt Soul has been trying to nail down Ludinus for a long time, but "he's always one step ahead."

Caleb specifically refers to dunamis as chaotic, referencing Ashton.

Ludinus has apparently been doing this outside of the Assembly. Caleb's contact in the Assembly (Astrid, presumably) notes that even the rest of the Assembly is afraid to get involved in Ludinus' plans.

Halas, Trent, and "Bendathar" are in Beau's list of archmages they've fucked up.

Hey! Beau knows the Ashari! that's cool. She also knows Ira and his history of designing the keys.

There are dozens of mirrors and hook-like spires facing toward the key itself. Everything is reinforced with a massive amount of residuum — the device, the walls of the excavation site, and everything beyond. "An all-out assault would be far too dangerous." Caleb gives a sending stone to Chetney, who gives it to Laudna, under the assumption that the groups are going to split up to cover more ground.

given the fact that the solstice didn't actually happen this episode and that the Mighty Nein and the Crown Keepers are now attached to this, I feel like my "PFS2 special scenario" theory has some more merit

Beau disappears, Caleb goes invisible (they both start to circle around), and the Bells Hells start to descend the crater.

also, last minute update: Fearne would have flirted incessantly with both Beau and Caleb.

threads that have connected in this episode:

Missing residuum shipments: the malleus key and its surroundings are reinforced with residuum. that's a massive amount; it's possible that Trent's supply of residuum, the stuff the Nameless Ones stole, and the stuff the Paragon's Call were trafficking were probably all going here.

The Cobalt Soul and the Cerberus Assembly: It takes a long, long time to dismantle political systems. The Cobalt Soul has apparently imprisoned more Assembly members than just Trent.

Out-of-the-blue rolls: Those random rolls Matt had Marisha and Liam make were indeed rolls for the Shadowfell expedition that Beau, Caleb, and Ryn were involved with. They rolled shitty, so the Shadowfell key wasn't entirely destroyed, but was damaged.

[critter-roles]

Fearne: Can you give me some of Ratanish's molars? Just a couple of of teefers?

Ashton: Happily.