#if the laudna we know and love comes back then it's sweet

[mostlyanything19]

WHEW that back half of the episode was JUICY, HUH??

[ratinayellowbandana]

Hound "baby boy" of Ill Omen for prompts!

first off, thank you for carrying this whole ship on your back. you are our strongest soldier and we appreciate you.

second, even more thanks for sending this my way! I hope this is something like what you had in mind!

if anyone else sees this and would like to toss a little prompt my way, feel free :)

wc: 934

cw: body horror…kind of? it’s just canonically what the good boy looks like

~~~

Imogen loves Laudna. She does. Quite a lot, in fact.

Because it is a fact. 

It may as well be written in stone. In the stars. Recorded on one of those dusty scrolls in elegant script and stuck on a shelf in some stuffy library for the next bored student who may happen across it and learn of two witches who saved the world.

Laudna, it must be noted, is a woman of many quirks. 

And Imogen, it must be noted, adores her for them. 

They are just as much a part of Laudna as the angle of her nose, the brightness in her eyes. As are her projects, macabre and scrounged as they often are, and so Imogen adores them, too. 

(If it takes her a moment to come around, Laudna must never know. Each new creation, presented to Imogen with all the glee of a child in a sweets shop, will only ever be met with enthusiasm. Laudna, she knows, has spent too long squirreling away the odd parts of herself. Imogen is determined to recover them.)

“Come here, darling,” Laudna calls, and the flesh-and-bone creature that scared the everloving fuck out of Imogen the first time he burst from his maker’s chest trots happily to her side, tongue lolling from a fleshless snout. 

The hound twines between Laudna’s legs, and she lifts her skirts to allow him through. He leans heavily against the inside of her knee, and Laudna beams. She bends at the waist to wrap the creature in spindly arms. His back arches, and Imogen can hear the vertebrae curving, clacking, as Laudna scratches behind his one intact ear. The ichor-tipped remnant of a tail begins to wag, shaking them both with the force of it.

He spots Imogen several paces away, and his green eyes glow, peering at her curiously.

Laudna has stopped her scritches, and the hound tilts his big head. Laudna looks up, meets Imogen’s fond gaze, and her lips split into a wide grin.

“Go on,” she pats the creature’s sides encouragingly, “say hello if you like.”

The hellhound bounds forward, released from his command. 

Imogen recalls the day he learned his tricks.

Laudna had found Imogen lounging beneath a copse of trees one afternoon, just as the sun was beginning to sink, casting the forest in dappled shades of orange and gold. The festering hound loped diligently at her heels. His paws colored the leaf-strewn ground iridescent black in their wake. 

“Look!” Laudna had said, chest puffed. She turned to her newest creation and pointed one finger. “You’ve been so obedient all afternoon. I’ll see about giving you something from my collection if your other mom approves of your skills. I should have a deer leg that will suit you nicely.” She contemplated for a moment. “Ready?” 

The hound stretched into a bow, muscle snapping over exposed bone, yawned, and shook. Drops of blood and ichor spattered the clearing, but Imogen hardly noticed, too caught up in Laudna’s casual statement. 

She had said it nonchalantly, as if she hadn’t just gifted Imogen something extraordinarily precious. As if Imogen’s senses hadn’t suddenly gone askew. As if she hadn’t just sent Imogen’s worldview slip-sliding into something new and dangerous and so welcome that it felt like a homecoming. Her mind spun until she was almost giddy with it. She wondered, then, how something said so simply could feel so significant. If Laudna understood what she had done. 

She had appointed Imogen the caretaker of a fragment of her soul. Of a creature that had been born of her, born from her. Crafted from the essence of her with whispered words and a desire to protect. 

“Imogen?” Laudna had said then, “Are you ready?”

And Imogen had glanced between Laudna and her hound, who sat on bleeding haunches and looked expectantly at his mother, and it was all she could do to swallow the creak in her throat.

“Let’s see what you can do.”

Now, as the hound nearly bowls her over, Imogen cannot find it within herself to be mad at him. Not even at the dark stains on her dress. They’ll come out with a prestidigitation or two. She knows from experience. 

She falls back in the grass and stares down twin emeralds. A broad tongue laps the side of her face, and she laughs, trying to dodge a cold, wet nose against her cheek. Her hands come up to cup the sides of his muzzle. 

“Hi, baby boy,” she coos. She rubs at his ears, and he presses harder into her palm, groaning loudly. She can feel the vibration in her chest.

Laudna scolds, “What have I said about knocking people over?” Her hands rest firmly on her hips. “Honestly, Imogen, you could at least discipline him. How will he learn?”

Imogen rolls her eyes, shrugs. “I’m the fun mom. He comes to me because he knows he can’t get away with anything when you’re around.”

Laudna huffs. “I’m sorry that I want our son to be civilized.” 

“Where’s the fun in that?” The hound flops to the ground, sprawling over Imogen’s outstretched legs, and she lets out an oomph of surprise. “Are you going to join us down here?” 

Laudna sighs and settles beside Imogen, resting her head on Imogen’s shoulder. She runs her hands over the creature’s exposed belly, avoiding the biggest of the perpetually oozing wounds. His jaw unhinges happily. His tail thumps a steady rhythm against her shin.

Imogen presses a kiss to the top of Laudna’s head, and Laudna relaxes into her.

A soft smile spreads across Imogen’s lips.

[unicyclehippo]

Happy new year, i hope 2024 is kind to you. For the word prompt structure:)

a very short snippet for ep97 of cr

//

Fearne paused as Laudna did, their arms still gently looped together. It felt so much better that way like they were on a garden walk instead of the creepiest tunnel ever.

Her tail waggled anxiously when Laudna frowned and tilted her head. Her eyes were still that glossy, sightless black—vision lent to her familiar ahead. The odd purple gleam, faint and rarely there, was a reflection from Imogen’s lights. Had to be.

‘Laudna?’ Fearne stroked her shoulder, gave one of the golden chains of her corset a gentle tug while she had the chance. (Boy, they were really well attached. That would be some effort to take.) ‘Laudna? What is it?’

Laudna’s arm spasmed, tensed. Her free hand flung out and knocked painfully against the stone wall; she didn’t seem to notice, didn’t seem to care, only placed her palm more gently on the stone to hold herself steady. A delicate tremor ran through her, like she was cold. Freezing.

Fearne bit her lip. Then stepped closer, and wrapped her arms around her.

‘Laudna,’ she said again. Slid a warm hand beneath the heavy cloak. ‘Come back. What is it?’

Like an ice statue thawing, Laudna slipped more fully into Fearne’s arms. Tilted her head until it rested against her shoulder. The sharp chilly point of her nose grazed Fearne’s pulse, which jumped at their closeness. She couldn’t help it! Her friend was hot! Well, cold. But gorgeous, in a deliciously dark kind of way.

‘Are you alright? Did you see something?’ Fearne lifted her other hand to twirl one of Laudna’s flyaway strands. There was a little flinch as she neared Laudna’s ear—so little, she wouldn’t have noticed if Laudna weren’t half buried in her bosom—and she couldn’t help but lean in, press warm lips to Laudna’s forehead.

They stood there for a moment. The rest of the party was following, in the slow cautious way that the deep shadow forced. For this moment, they were alone, unseen.

Fearne wondered if that was a comfort. Laudna liked shadows. Didn’t she? It would be awfully sad if she didn’t, given everything about her.

‘Fearne?’

‘Mhm?’

‘I do love you so,’ Laudna croaked. ‘We - I don’t say it enough. I don’t show it enough. I hope you know.’

Fire scorched the walls of Fearne’s lungs, hot and sweet, licked up the length of her spine.

‘I know.’

‘You do?’

‘Of course.’ There was a lot she wanted to say—like, once when she was really little a monster made it into Ligament Manor and Nana had torn it to shreds and eaten every last bit of it and it was the safest she’d ever felt. So she did, adding, ‘I think you’re a lot like her. Super beautiful too.’

‘Not…a monster?’

Fearne shrugged. ‘If you mean evil, no.’ She scritched at Laudna’s back between her shoulder blades. If she took the time to carefully feel if there was a matching lump of scar tissue to the one on her sternum, well. Laudna didn’t notice.

Laudna sighed. Snuggled closer. ‘There’s a structure. A room, up ahead,’ she whispered, almost sing-song, tone sweet and sad and scared. She sounded so young. ‘With bodies. Dangling. On ro- chains.’

Fearne let the curl of hair drop from her finger and closed Laudna in a tight, warm hug. The fire came up from her lungs to her throat, but it didn’t feel as good anymore.

‘Don’t look,’ Fearne said, demanded, asked. Her voice trembled. ‘Don’t look at them anymore. Okay? Please?’

Laudna shook her head. ‘I must.’

‘No-‘

‘I must keep us all safe. Whatever the cost.’

Fearne felt the flame in her chest tremble. It always did, in a strong cold wind. Pushed in a direction. But she always found her way.

‘Okay.’ Fearne pressed another kiss to her forehead. ‘Laudna? I’m here. We’re all here. You’re not alone this time.’

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 98 (THE LIVE SHOW!!!)

BRENNAN?!!! Hi! Mah boy! We're feeling so great, Bennan! Even those of us who AIN't in LA ... yes, we are excited. There's AUSSIES here? You mad bastards, that is COMMITMENT ... and he has NNOUNCEMENTS!!! Okay, then ... yeah, please don't jinx us, Brandan, we DO NOT want a live TPK right now ... oh the cosplays ... THE COSPLAYS!!! :3 Oooooh ... SOCKS?!!! Sweet ... ROLE!!! ROLE!!! YOU!!! YOU!!! DO THIS!!! DO THIS!!!

Oh, here they come ... ASHTON LIVES!!! Holy fuck, Travis! And the booty! Orym! LAUDNA!!! IMOGEN!!! My god Laura you're so CUTE!!! Nice suit, Rob! Awwww ... so Fearne! And then there's Matt ... so chill and casual ... I mean he COULD have cosplayed Essek at least ...

NordVPN? Oh dear gods ... what's it gonna be, then? oh, it's ALL the girls? Nice ... we're imaginary? Interesting ... yeah, we pretty. Yup! Happy Pride to YOU TOO ... boogie? Oh dear gods no ... a ZUNE? So early 2000s ... oh boy ... yeah, this is getting surreal now ... oh, now Marisha's getting in on the act ... of course she is ... I love how she's doing Laudna's Bane dance ... XD

LIVE recap this time ... okay ... ah yeah, the purple Hot Boi gets a cheer AS HE SHOULD ... oh, the howling ... that's so cute ... NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! NOT DORIAN!!!

No, that's not it, no, he DIDN'T do that, Cyrus WASN'T his fault ... wait, so ... that WASN'T an attempt to taunt him, then? What WAS that?

FIRST ROLL!!! OKay ... 24? Of course it is. How is it Liam ALWAYS rolls so well? It's almost uncanny, is he a halfling FOR REAL?

Laura: "Mmmmm ... I'm gonna make a mistake and ..." O.O Oh shit ... "... cast Detect Thoughts." Holy fuck, Imogen ...

A Wisdom save? Of course ... here we go, then ... PLEASE roll decent, Laura ... A NAT1?!!! Holy fuck ... O.O again ...

CRAP!!! That fucking Ruidian storm again ... her mother? Oh hell no, there's NO WAY she'd EVER say THAT to Imogen ... yeah, she doesn't believe that FOR A FUCKING SECOND ... seriously, Imogen don't trust ANYTHING this fake ass bitch has to say ... yeah, that's my girl ... "destroy the Pinion"? Hmmmmmm ...

CHetney: "You talked to your mom? That's what the demon showed YOU?!!! I'm going to hell." Ashton: "Probably pretty soon!"

Oh yeah ... Tevan is SEXY ... "Roleplay?" Oh boy ... REALLY, Laudna?

Gods yeah. Fearne really DIDN'T think this shit through, did she? Oh, she's so adorable in her cluelessness, I love it ... and now Dorian's trying to help "lawyer" her way out fo this ... XD

Tevan: "When it's done, I'll be waiting." Oh boy ... so she's, like ... BETROTHED now? Really? O.O

Which way to go? Yeah ... decisions decisions ... oh, split up? Really? Don't you know the Gold Rule?

To the left, then ... hmmmm ... oh ... that's not, like, OMINOUS or anything ...

Laura: "We're gonna DIE at the Greek!"

Matt: "Iogen sends her little balls into the room." Uh huh ...

Perception check! What do you smell, Chet? 17 ... okay, then ... a silver door? SILVER? Yeah, that's rather pointed ...

Burgandy scalemail? Interesting ... is that loot? Or is Taliesin right? "Chemical goop" ... Matt questions his good friend's past in knwogin what THAT smells like ... as he should ... O.O

Oh, it's a CLOAK? Interesting ... oh yeah, that's definitely loot ... IN THE BAG!!!

Orym hears something move VERY SUBTLY close by ... of course he does ...

"Read the Runes" ... Laudna uses Eyes of the Runekeeper ...

Travis really is rolling BALLS tonight ...

So what IS that breathing behind the door ... somebody's anxious and ready to run, apparently ... but they're definitely NOT a demon, interesting ...

Dorian just does "Shave & a Haircut" on the door ... and somebody finishes it? ALSO Interesing ...

A guest? Oh cool ... SAM RIEGEL?!!! Sam's back? SAM'S BACK!!! He's back! Oh my fucking GODS!!! Cute jacket, Sam! It'sd very loud ... not to mention the fucking HAIR ... Liam: "I do hope this doesn't awaken something within me ..." Yeah, you and the rest of us ...

He's a MINOTAUR?!!! Wow ... oh yeah, our boy's FINALLY playing to his ACTUAL height ... oh man ... he's had his throat cut? FUCK!!!

No, I don't think THIS is Dominox, somehow ...

His deception roll is a 4 ... so EIGHTEEN? Holy shit ... Divine Sense? Whoa ... okay, so is he a cleric or a paladin? Wait ... this guy KNOWS who Tevan is? Hmmmm ...

Who's his god, then?

Yeah, they already KNOW all this, new guy ... Ashton gives him a health potion ... so he's able to regain 4 HEALTH POINTS because Tal rolls balls ... XD

Dorian's Cure Wounds works a lot better ... 24 points back! Okay ... he Lays Hands on himself to cure himself the rest of the way ... Yeah, that's JUST as dierty sounding as you THINK it is ...

He's flirting with Fearne already ... oh boy ...

Oh, he infiltrated the Vanguard? With some friends? Oh, the rest of them died? Oof ... yeah, Dominox has been BUSY ...

While they talk Ashton gets a little needle from the evil demon ... 14 WITH advantage ... great ... oh no ... NO NO NO NO ... don't do this to him, PLEASE ... no, not FCG ... Matt Mercer you evil fucking bastard ...

Go off, Rock Boy ... you are SO awesome for this ...

Braius Doomseed ... oh, cute character art ... oh, the PLatinum Dragon? DID HE? Chetney Insight Checks ... wow, that is QUITE the fakeout cockblock, Riegel ... I mean who does he REALLY serve?

Something tells me Tevan's more invested in this "relationship" than Fearne is ... XD

Oh he is DEFINITELY the servant of some DARK GOD indeed ... yeah, Dorian's right, he's gonna fit RIGHT IN here ...

"Herald champion" ... oh yeah, definitely a paladin, then ...

Dorian's already trying to "mentor" him ... this is adorable ...

Oh, that is DEFINITELY the ancient Aeorian engine in question, isn't it? PURPLE CRYSTAL!!! Yup, that's definitely it ... the Pinion of Service, yes ...

Robbie: "I've literally never done this ... Insight check?"

Yeah, I DO NOT like the way those chains are moving AT ALL. That is just a nightmare waiting to happen ...

And now Braius is starting to flirt with ASHTON ... yup ...

The door was already open? Oh yeah ... that's great ...

Oh, Ludinus went TOWARDS the engine room? So he might already be ahead of them in this ... great ...

OF COURSE Ashton just wants to BREAK IT ...

A small girl? Oh great ... Travis is ALREADY noping out ...

Ah ... so she's a really CREEPY little girl ... yup, that's Dominox ... Imogen: "She's kind of cute." Laudna: "Yes! She's fun scary!" Orym: "But what's the ratio of that?"

Laudna really is tempted to just ADOPT this freakish little Japanese horror movie icon, isn't she?

Braius casts Bless on the group ... in a really cheesy way ...

Laudna: "We should've had him when we tried to do the porn." Dorian: "Some things are better off missed."

Fearne casts Locate Creature on Ludinus ...okay! Ah shit ... it's REPELLED? Oof ... bad sign ...

Chetney and Tevan are going into the chamber with their weapons at the ready ... okay, then ... Fearne and Ashton follow ... then Orym and Essek ... now Dorian's fluttering above for cover ...

This really doesn't feel like a smart place for a fight, people ... oh, and now they're clearly locked in ... Chet wolfs out ... MIrror Image for Laudna ...

Did Dorian just quote Hasbin Hotel? :3

Persuade the Grand Demon? Marisha rolls a Dirty 20 ... okay then ...

Matt makes Travis nope out again ... yeah ...

Fuck, Ashley ... INSANELY good roll there ...

Important door alert! Yeah ... oh, she doesn't like THAT at all ... oh, and now she's ATTACKING?!!! Fuck ... OUCH!!! That's nasty ... wait ... 21 FAILS?!!! Holy fuck ... NO!!! Chetney's been caught!

Wait ... Braius is climbing straight up for the Pinion? Hmmm ... this is going to be interesting ...

No, she's really NOT single ... O.O whoa ... Imogen WHAT?!!! Careful there ...

The TRUE form of Dominox ... oh yeah, no, REALLY don't set THAT SHIT free ... that's just HORRIBLE ...

Imogen casts Telekinesis to try and grab the crystal ... Laura: "Oh, there are so many dice in front of me!" Liam: "Who did that?" And he's FREE!!! Nice ... but now he has to follow through ... yeah, that didn't go well at alll, did it?

And now we got a massive demon thing in the middle of the room INSTEAD of the little girl from the Ring ...

CAREFUL, Orym ... crap, he's been rumbled ...

A|nimate Object ON THE DOOR?!!! That's SERIOUSLY bold, Laudna ... Robbie: "It's Doorie! Brother!" XD

Laura has to roll for repurcussions ... what did she get? How bad is it?

Roll Initiative! When we get back from the break ... O.O

BATTLEMAP!!! Sweet fuck that is an EPIC creation ... and it's moving an everything ... FUCK ME that bastard is TERRIFYING ... Robbie: "I always knew I'd die by furry!"

Time to roll Initiative, then ... cue Marish'a Wizzkids plug!

Sam: "I missed this!" The audience loses it ...

Tevan goes first ... oh, he's going RIGHT for the kill ... Divine Smite! 68 points of Radiant damage? Holy fuck ...

Orym holds his action for JUST IN CASE ...

A FUCKING LAIR ACTION?!!! Now EVERYBODY has to rolls dexterity? Fucking chains ... Oof ... Laudna, Ashton, Imogen and Fearne are now grappled with chains, but Braius' Aura of Protection saves Dorian, Orym, Essek AND Braius himself ...

Holy fuck Dominox is an EVIL fucker with this brutal attacks ... suddenly it's starting to look like a TPK may actual be genuinely IN THE CARDS for the night after all ...

Wait ... Dominox is SUCKED INTO A VOID by Ashton? Where the fuck did it just go? Oh, he drops the demon ON THE CRYSTAL ... which just BOUNCES IT RIGHT OFF some invisible forcefield ... right onto Fearne? Oof ...

Travis (chuckling): "A Grand Demon just fell on your ass!"

Dorian casts Shatter at the centre Spire ... 18 points of Thunder damage! Nice! Whoa ... this that ALREADY spring the crystal free? Holy shit, Flyboy! Bardic Inspiration!

TWO Legendary Actions? Holy shit ... he tries to BANISH Tevan but LAUDNA COUNTERSPELLS!!! Wow ... Perception Check to make sure she CAN ... 14 ... YES!!! It works! Fucking badass, Dead Girl!

Braius is the Herald of ASMODEUS?!!! They group go apeshit as their suspicions are confirmed! Poison Pen? Interesting ... so THWWACK with that massive flail thing ... oh, it's IMMUNE to poison damage? Balls ... so only 22 points of damage ... okay ... second strike WITH Inspiration ... Divine Smite means another 23 points! POW!!!

PAINT IT BLACK, RIEGEL!!!

The door is now Animate! NIce one, Laudna! The room beyond is now OPEN!!! In she goes with Orym in tow! Oh, there's somebody inside ... fuck, is it Ludinus? Perception check! 17 BOLLOCKS!!!

Laudna (screaming: "LET HIM OUT!!!" Tevan: "You will do NO SUCH THING!"

Form of Dread!

Fearne is free, at least ... she Wildshapes into a little mint-green wombat? Wow ... interesting choice ... she bolts to the crystal and stuffs it into her marsupial pouch ... bloody hell ... and when Dominox tries to swipe at her Matts CRIT FAILS THE HIT!!! Awesome ...

Chetney charges at Dominox ... Misty Step! He retrieves the crystal from Fearne and stuffs it in the Bag of Holding ... wow ... this is bizarre ... Dominox is now REALLY PISSED at Chetney and makes the post terifying threat possibel at him and the wolf starts to BRICK HIMSELF ...

Essek unleashes a Lightning Bolt right into Dominox ... 38 points of Lightning damage ... but it's HALVED due to resistance? Okay then ...

Ashton shifts into black and white as he charges and drops into the ground, books it towards the open door but attempts to destroy the engine on the way ... 19 hits! Phew ... 21 points of damage cracks it BADLY ...

Travis: "Does Dominox have an opinion?" LIam (as Dominox): "I'm big on crypto!"

Ahston makes another heavy slam into the engine ... another 16 points of damage! it's getting VERY messed up ...

Imogen gets as close as she can to Chetney and uses Telekinesis to pick him up and YEET HIM towards the door ... he barrels RIGHT THROUGH IT ...

Ludinus (almost REIGNED): "My goodness ..."

Yeah ... Ludinus almost CASUALLY baps him away from him with a Shield spell.

Oh fuck ... the tether yanks Domiox away and INTO Braius? Oof ...

Tevan attacks Dominox twice ... Smite away, Hot Boi! 22 damage from the first, then 36 for the second! Nice! And NOW the monster is FINALLY starting to look messed up ...

Orym chugs down his Speed potion and STREAKS back towards to Dominox to attack him ... 20 damage for a GOADING attack which he FAILS to resist ... second hit lands 9, then he hastes but the next THREE miss ... Action Surge! 19 points of damage and he trips it ... and then he Crit Fails ... oh shit ... so he skims away and BRAINS HIMSELF on the wall ... ricochets back and comes right back with another attack and SLICES AWAY at him again ...

Now Wee Man is just spinning like a dizzy top ...

OF COURSE Dominox IMMEDIATELY attacks him right back ... oh fuck ... 46 points of slashing damage ON THE FIRST HIT?!!! Dear fucking GODS ... MInd Feast? Sweet fuck ... this one's aimed at Ashton ... and he fails to resist ... 14 points of Psychic damage ... and he's drawn right towards him and HEALED?!!! Son of a BITCH!!!

Ludinus FUCKING Da'Leth swoops into the room right behind Dominox and casts Gate ... O.O ... wait, he's genuinely trying to HELP right now? Is this for real?

Dorian's turn ... oh, Robbie can't BELIEVE it's now up to HIM ... so he psyches Dorian up and casts Otto's Irresistable Dance on Dominox at SIXTH FUCKING LEVEL?!!! And Braius uses Sorrowful Fate to CHANGE DOMINOX'S SAVE so it's a FOURTEEN, which is a FAIL!!! Holy shit ... it FORGETS to use Legendary Resistance, so the Grand Demon starts to BOOGIE ... Matt has SO MUCH FUN describing what happens ... and even starts BOPPING HIMSELF ... I am IN AWE of the moment ... LOL

Braius turns his focus to Ludinus and casts Moonbeam at him ... oh my gods and Sam DOESN'T EVEN KNOW what that does ... O.O ... Dominox saves, but Braius still inflicts five points of Radiant damage ... so he Bonus Actions Hammering Horns to PUSH Dominox ten feet back ... which he ALSO fails to save against ... holy FUCK Samuel, HOW OP'd is your new character? Now the demon is IN HELL just inside the portal ...

Laudna tries to work out if this is THE Ludinus or just SNOWdinus ... no idea ... okay, she tries something COMPLETELY untested on him now ... she conjures up the spirit of Vess Dorogna as Spirit of Death to attack him ... only for him to Counterspell ... so she just Counterspells RIGHT BACK?!!! Holy shit ... so she succeeds in her plan ... HOLY SHIT ... so now, FOREVER he is permanently HAUNTED by this vengeful ghost? HOLY SHIT, Dead Girl! You're so awesome!

Fearne casts Polymorph on Ludinus ... SWEET FUCKING FUCK!!! This is BEAUTIFUL ... 25 on his save? BALLS ... that was almost SO awesome ...

Chetney turns back and turns Invisible, then holds his turn ...

Essek casts Gravity Fissure on the remaining spires, shatters them so they pierce into the portal and IMPALE Dominox ... damage is halved bu that's STILL 20 piercing! Holy fuck ...

Ashton takes a passing swipe at the engine ... 22 points of damage ... oh shit ... it just slowed to s stop! He takes one more swing ... 23 points and it is SHATTERED!!! Nice ...

Imogen runs as close as she can to the gate, tries to grab holdo of Ludinus with Telekinesis ... and he FAILS to save, but instead uses his Legendary Resistance to wipe it off instead! Asshole ... so she Lightning Bolts him at 7th Level instead ... most of the damage is deflected, but she still deals 12 points ... it's something, at least ...

Tevan charges in to attack Dominox, misses his first hit but catches the second ... oh, and it's the KILL hit? The live audience goes NUTS ... Matt: "How do I wanna do this?" He carves the demon in two and it just ASHES ...

Orym runs up the wall and then uses Grasping Vine to swing himself up behind Ludinus ... Pushing attack! 18 damage and he fails his save so Ludinus is SHOVED towards the gate! Ludinus drops the gate so Orym just attacks him hard with his sword instead ... come on, Wee Man! Kill this bitch!

Ludinus flies into the tunnel just past Chetney, then turns back to face them all ...

Wow ... fanboy Braius actually GETS HIS AUTOGRAPH from Tevan ... nice ...

Here we go ... cue arrogant self-important monologue from the supreme douchebag ...

Wait ... Imogen's goint to FOLLOW HIM?!!! Well OF COURSE Laudna's gonna follow her ... looks like they're ALL going, then ... I hope this isn't a problem ...

And now Braius is flirting with ORYM ... Orym: "Bro, you're HUGE." Braius: "It's okay." Wow ...

Heading deeper in, then ...

The Occultus Thalamus, then ... here we go ...

Here comes ANOTHER overblown monologue from Ludius, then ... he really does LOVE the sound of his own voice, doesn't he? At least we're getting some information while he's at it ...

Blah de-blah de-blah-de-blah ...

Okay, FINALLY something's happening ... hmmm ... "the memories of Aeor"? And now he's ACTIVATING this thing ... oh shit ... is this a BAD THING? Are we too late?

What the fuck ... BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN IS TAKING OVER FROM MATT?!!! For real?

Brennan: "Light!" Yup ... here we go indeed ...

So ... are we setting up another Exandria Unlimited flashback game? "Is it Thursday yet?" Oh shit, yeah, I think we might be ... sweet ...

What an AMAZING way to end this most interesting Live Show ...

Oh ... so we gotta wait until SECOND WEEKEND in July for more? Makes sense after a LIVE show, I suppose ... I was already half prepared for the wait, really ...

[critter-rarepair-reccs]

Good afternoon, my friends! This week, we have six fics featuring our favorite fun scary warlock, Laudna, and rarepairs that include her! As always, you can find them below the cut and if you check any of them out, I encourage you to leave kudoes and comments to spread the rarepair love 💕

Touch Me Like You Do by xLoveMx (1,513 words, Teen) Pairing: Dorian Storm/Laudna (MacabreMelody) Warnings: Brief implication of sexual assault

While on watch, Laudna thinks about touch and about Dorian and even gets to indulge in those thoughts a little.

Reccer Says: It’s soft and it’s sweet and “you know you’re important right?” has my heart

oh, person, person by pigflight (1,945 words, Teen) Pairing: Fearne Calloway/Laudna (WitherBloom) Warnings: Form of Dread Typical Body Horror

Fearne and Laudna go out into the woods to sing with the flowers.

Reccer Says: I honestly don’t really know how to describe this one. It’s fascinating and weird and strange in a way that suits Fearne and Laudna very well. It’s more than a little haunting. It feels like there’s so much going on when it’s quite simple, really. And I love it for that.

standing offer by spillentireuniverses (5,538 words, Mature) Pairing: Yu Suffiad/Laudna/Imogen Temult Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

30 times Yu made an offer (sort of) and 1 time they took one.

Reccer Says: It’s a delicious exploration of Yu and their relationships with Laudna and Imogen, a great depiction of an evil character growing to genuinely care for people without losing that evil edge, and also a great use and expansion of the 5+1 format!

waltzing matilda by the_jennster (4,247 words, Teen) Pairing: Ashton Greymoore/Laudna (Laudmoore) Warnings: None

During the party split, Ashton wakes up to find Laudna crying instead of sleeping.

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

Of Pet Rats And Chicken Nuggets by xLoveMx (1,790 words, Teen) Pairing: Dorian Storm/Laudna (MacabreMelody) Warnings: None

Admittedly, despite the talk about a pet rat, Dorian doesn’t actually expect Laudna to come back carrying one in her hands, and it takes him a moment to realize that yes, this is in a fact a living rat and not just a plushie.

Reccer Says: It’s very sweet and cute!

the branches bend / to the growing sea by pigflight (2,865 words, Teen) Pairing: Yu Suffiad/Laudna Warnings: Reference to Gore, Cannibalism, Body Horror

Yu takes Laudna on a date in the Feywild.

Reccer Says: It’s eerie, it’s atmospheric, both Yu and Laudna are sharp as barbed wire, and all of that together makes for a fascinating, captivating read. Also excellent use of 2nd person!

Thank you for joining us this week’s recc list! All the love to everyone who submitted a fic 💕 All enclosed recommendations were submitted by the community via our submissions form, which you can find here. All fic information is as it was provided by the reccer, so it may not be accurate to the author’s intent or the precise contents of the fic itself. Please assume good intent from all parties 💕

Submissions for next week’s list are already open! We’ll be featuring Grief & Mourning. If you have any you’d like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Summer and the weeks after that we’re taking recommendations for Meet Cutes and Pets & Animals! Submissions for all of these themes are currently open.

If you want more rarepair fic, check out @cr-summer-wildflowers and their event collections on ao3! If you want some friendship after all this romance, take a look at @critter-genfic-events and their recc lists! And if you’re interested in everyone’s favorite wizards, you can’t go wrong with the lists at @aeor-is-for-reccing !

Thanks all and have a lovely day/night/timezone! 💕

[itzfloater]

What if when Imogen tried to reach out to Laudna, Delilah responded instead...

CR Campaign 3, Episode 78 Spoilers

-----------------------------------------------

The tunnels underneath Whitestone Castle were dark and expansive. A place where sound seemed to travel forever, but also be consumed into the shadows in an instant. A voice with a southern lilt echoed throughout the halls. 

"Laudna? Where are ya, darlin'." A few more steps echoed out. "Darlin'?" 

The purple-haired sorceress sighs, leaning against the rock wall with her hand and focusing on the person she is looking for, muttering an incantation under her breath.

I need to know you're okay. Where are you?

The caven somehow gets quieter as she awaits a response from her favourite person. And what she gets instead is a response from the person she hates the most that has ever existed in Exandrian history.

We are just fine sweetheart just taking some time to ourselves. 

The hair on the back of Imogen's neck stands on end when she hears the smug voice of Delilah Briarwood reverberating throughout her mind. She casts the spell again, this time changing the intended recipient to the monster who has bound itself to the kindest soul Imogen has ever met.

Where is she, Delilah? I will not leave you alone with her, not when she needs me. I will find her.

Imogen could feel her heartbeat increase every moment that passed before the response.

Oh, Sweet Imogen. I'm not hiding her, she's running away from you. And besides, she's been alone with me for longer than you've been alive.

xxx

"LETTERS!" Imogen's voice could be heard through the door right before it slammed open. "Do you have the spell that can find somebody?"

Fresh Cut Grass, who had been staring out the window overlooking the entirety of Whitestone startled at the loud noise, slowly moved towards the door. Ashton, who had been staring blankly at the ceiling snapped their head in Imogen's direction when she asked about the spell.

"Laudna didn't-" Ashton began to speak, but Imogen interrupted without acknowledging them.

"Do you have it!?" 

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it in case Ludinus-" 

"Laudna, we have to find Laudna," Imogen interrupts F.C.G.

"What? Is she in danger?" the automaton asks as they pull out the needed component from their bag.

"Yes. No. I don't," Imogen voice falters and she runs her hands through her hair. "I tried to send to her, ask her where she was and..." she lowers her voice. "Delilah answered."

Grass' mouth drops. "Delilah's back?"

Ashton doesn't say anything, just gets up and grabs his hammer.

"No, absolutely not. You are in no condition to fight if it comes to that." The purple-haired woman glares at the Titan-blooded genasis. "Not to mention the fact that she already wants to kill you."

He opens his mouth to say something, but it closes without anything coming out and they sit back down on the side of the bed. Fresh Cut Grass finishes casting his spell, looking around the room.

Imogen's voice cracks, "You don't feel her?"

Grass puts a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, not yet. But this is a big place! She could still be inside the castle and not be within 1,000 feet of us!"

xxx

Laudna was in fact not still in the castle. Imogen became more and more frantic after every spot they checked came up empty. "Where else could she be letters? She's not in the tunnels, she's not at the Ziggurat, she's not at the Sun Tree."

"Maybe if you tried sending again, she'd answer this time." They offered her. Imogen kept the tears at bay and focused once more on the soul of her favourite person.

Darlin', where are you? I'm really worried about you. I love you.

Even the breeze stopped blowing as they waited with baited breaths to hear who would respond. And when she did, the voice was so quiet any wind would've been louder than Laudna's voice.

Imogen? They burned it down. And I wasn't even in it this time. It was small and out of the way. Why would they?

[paperglader]

Episode 52 thoughts:

1. I am LOVING this FRIDA & Imogen dynamic. I am loving the FRIDA & FCG dynamic, FRIDA and everyone dynamic. I love FRIDA.

Seriously, they’re AWESOME. I feel like they just arrived and flirted with everyone and was just the sweetest. Them and Deanna, too??? And their first meeting was so imodna coded😩

I’m obsessed. The coolest bb:

Can we keep them?

Anyways,

2. Loooooved Deanna. Love Aabria in general, tbh. She’s coming for me with this divorce backstory, so delicious. First Laerryn and Quay, now her and Chetney. I love her. Love that she’s making Travis play a romance storyline, too😂

Backstory was amazing, when she was talking about passing and the after life. Poetry.

The way she dealt with Imogen when she woke up from her nightmare made me melt as well🥲 my girl needs some soft people around her at all times (mostly now that she and Laudna have been separated) and I love that she’s meeting people that truly see and appreciate the good in her besides the hells.

3. Ashley freaking Johnson screaming for Imogen to come back from the dream ✨an actress✨ No, for real, it shook me to my core. Cause Fearne doesn’t scream like that. She was desperate. Fearne who just lost Orym, who just lost Ashton and Laudna. And it’s not the first time it happens either. Not too long ago, Orym and Laudna were gone and it was so close to being final. And now Imogen, the superhero, about to be consumed by the storm that she has spent a decade being haunted by and terrified over. These people that she’d grown to love in spite of her hesitance to form any sort of meaningful bond with anyone from this mortal realm, disappearing from her side, and she’s holding on tight but it seems to be like grasping on sand as they slip away from her fingers one by one. Trauma is very much present in this Chili’s tonight.

4. “I got lightning titties!” please someone put it on the Imogen temult once said compilation 😂

5. Loving these new characters making FCG question his faith even further. Generally, I love the back and forth about what they should actually do about the gods, talks of faith and fate. I am here for it.

6. “Smirks in monster fucker” another star quote of the episode.

7. Imodna is constantly at the forefront of my mind and Laura Bailey delivered, as expected. Immy was literally crying any time that anyone showed her any form of kindness or affection. The girl was so sensitive🥲

The sendings, the urgency, the stuttering and how she kept trying, the Whitestone is for lovers T, “I hate not knowing”, her reaction to hearing FRIDA and Deanna’s first meeting, when she was like “this is the first time that we haven’t woken up to Orym doing push ups OR…” and she got so freaking sad. How she looked for her in her dreams, how she touched the red tether right before she went to sleep.

In summary: I’m loving this separation arc so far and I cannot wait for Laudna’s side of things.

8. Ship talk: FRIDA and Deanna are SO imodna coded, it’s crazy and I adore them. They love each other so much. But ALSO, imodna is my endgame but I would not be upset if we get to see something develop between FRIDA and Imogen. I just think that it would be interesting to see Imogen explore something with someone that is more emotionally available at the moment.

I’m not saying they could fall in love or like become endgame material or something cause I do believe that Imogen’s in love with Laudna and that it’s highly likely that she’s aware of it. Also, her priorities are very much on finding her and she’s very much heartbroken by the distance between them, so she is not looking for romance with anyone else at the moment.

(And also, the world is ending sort of)

But FRIDA is so freaking sweet and Imogen’s having an honest to god hard time, and Laudna’s so freaking far (they’re soulmates, they’ve professed their love for one another, but they’re not… romantically entangled? Are they? Imogen has not said anything and she doesn’t know if laudna feels that way, if she’s even capable of ever feeling that way…)

I wouldn’t blame FRIDA if they became infatuated with Imogen, and I just think that Imogen deserves to be called beautiful and wonderful and good and some harmless flirting would just be nice to see.

It’d be a little like Yu and Laudna, just sort of a reminder of what some of those aspects of a romantic relationship would look like for them. It’d definitely be a “my heart belongs to another” type of thing but also it could be harmless and sweet.

Anyway, none of this probably will happen because FRIDA has chemistry with literally everyone and I’d like to see any version of that anyway.

[hearteyedfeelings]

Apparently I’m on my Laudna bullshit and I had two musings about her from last nights episode, here we go:

So, when Laudna put a minor image of the little girl screaming through the door to scare the guards as they were about to leave Joe’s- I had a thought that I think she does that, (puts minor illusions of scary things up) because of those times where guards and townspeople would come after her with pitchforks/weapons/fire when she was on her own, scaring the shit out of her, driving her away, and this is kind of her way to maybe get back at people like that because from what I remember, any time that she did it- it was always at guards, which were mainly the people going after her in her homes.

And the second musing was about how paranoid she got when Ashton and Imogen left to go to the All Mines Burn. She said she didn’t know where they were. So she jumped to implausible conclusions- things she wouldn’t normally think, mind racing with the possibility of losing Imogen and that caused her to…well, freak a bit. Same thing happened when they were about to go wind-gliding off the mountain in Zephrah, telling Imogen that if anything happened to her, she should “move on.” I think Laudna is truly terrified, scared shitless that she’s gonna lose Imogen at any point. So she’s thinking of all of these out of box things the second Imogen leaves her sight and/or they do something dangerous. Laudna didn’t think love was possible for her and now that she has it, she’s bound to lose it right?

BUT- BUT. The hug, something sweet and simple, Imogen’s: “you were worried about me?” She didn’t invalidate Laud’s moment, she reassured her. God I love them.

[overnighttosunflowers]

Uh, hi! 👋 I’ve read all of ur fics (obsessed with ur fics) and bookmarks for imodna. I was wondering if u have any other recs? I am dying for this ship. /fans self. 🥵

do I have two imodna anons now or is this my same friend back again. either way HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR THE ASK I am sure I do have recs!! also apologies for the delay in answering this because it was a good question and I had to think about it and also my week has been nuts

a lot of my smut bookmarks are on private because (shrugs vaguely in the direction of self-consciousness). while I don't know exactly what kinds of fics you're looking for, judging by your emoji usage I'm gooooooing to guess smut is up your alley and I will rec some under the assumption that this post is going to get buried real quick. also sticking some non-smuts by the same authors. if you are looking for sfw fic specifically shoot me another ask and I'll tack on some more

all 3 of HoodieHeda's fics, also rec High Speed Connection which is sfw and a goddamn delight

all of picturesofthegoneworld's fics but there are a bunch so I will specifically say I'll Come Running and Horripilation (but also seriously read them all)

doribuki's Something To Be Said About Delights anthology fic, plus I already recced her That Look That's Perfectly Un-Sad (sfw) on a different anon post and their current WIP To All Things Housed In Her Silence (sfw) is rewiring my brain

all of marleybone's fics but I'll pick out Flashing Colors because I reread it recently. also his WIP Consequences of a Bleeding Heart is brilliant

vividfriend's true refraction is absolutely wonderful and the rest of their fics are too, homecoming (sfw) was a really lovely post-rez fic

if you like my fics you will probably like lorelei_de_rolo's fics

AstoriaColumnStaircase did a really cool fic called Command that played with use of that spell in a smut context, also her Flowers (sfw) lives rent-free in my head every day of my goddamn life and she does really cute comics too

the_chainbreaker's Think About Me does really cool fun hot things with differing POV narration

imogntemult wrote a really lovely morning sex fic called golden (like daylight)

pmonkey816 wrote a great post-episode-33 fic (i.e. when we knew shit with Otohan had gone bad, but Laudna wasn't quite dead yet) called Wrap me up, Unfold me and I've been meaning to read their We Do, but Friends Don't for ages and ages and have heard good things

acquario wrote a really lovely fic called before you go, can you read my mind?

pieces by Bugsquads is hot as hell

not smut but rozecrest has two lovely poetic little fics that I highly recommend which you have probably already read as I think they are in my bookmarks (as are a number of these probably)

and, not smut but every single goddamn pigflight fic but more specifically I Feel Blood or Amory if you're looking for fucked up and i let it turn me 'round or you wanna be friends forever? if you're looking for sweet.

OKAY THERE ARE DOUBTLESS MORE but my brain is, frankly, melting and I need to go to bed so PLS ENJOY <3

[non-neutoniangender]

Well the train is started and so I guess I'm watching episode 35.

McAdverbot .... Sam this one is good, but you can't rap lol

Top table has a new member..... :/ I'm not sure putting Fearne next to Chetney was a good idea...

Oh I hadn't realized that they lost their note-taker

10k gold 👀 Thats a lot.

I gotta say, I love portable holes as a extraplanar storage option, because they require organizing, like you can just chuck shit into a bag of holding with very little care but with a hole, its just a easy to carry, very large box.

(Also its really funny how the starting storage options are worse in each subsequent campaign, bag of holding -> haversack -> portable hole)

Treshi got involved in stuff he didn't quite fully understand huh... Interesting that he is in some ways happy to be pulled out of it.

MOLD STORAGE!!!!

I love the question of "Is Laudna undead"

"I'm tired of leaving people behind" ....I should've finished EXU

Its really interesting that they players have to ask "is this above board or does your character know this" with regards to Delilah. The whole situation is very interesting

The whole "take notes about the briarwoods" is a really funny bit. I really like how big this world has gotten that character knowledge is much bigger than player knowledge in ways that doesn't happen in a typical campaign.

Sam....... the flask...... its way too on point, but its also such an odd callback to c2.

"at this point we're friends" found family my beloved!

I need to be normal about Matt playing his wife's character.....

I'm not being normal about Matt playing The voice of the Tempest

aaaaaaaaaaaaa voice actors are good at their jobs

"That is the best use of wood I've ever heard of" Chetney 🤣 I love how much everyone is essentially fangirling over keyleth, to be fair, she is a very cool level 20 character....

Oh this was back in the ✨Enhance✨ era of the internet

"Wow that was a big waste" "Ok Jester" What a great comeback. (you poopin?)

"Sweet little metal boy" good LORDY

Poor Ashton with character development. They're going soft. He's not happy about it

SAM MADE A SPELL!??!?!?!?!?! Share Dream?!? thats so fucking cool

Also I love the casts reactions to that.

Chetney just accidentally yelling

Since Travis loves a good d6, he should play a wizard!

Finally googled the meaning of Pyrrhic.... a good title choice.

I really appreciate that Matt is continually correcting people on Xandis' pronouns, I don't appreciate the cast continually forgetting.

.....oh my god. Will is gone because the resurrection didn't work....

Thats so much worse, I hadn't thought about that....

God I had almost forgot there was a city on the moon. Moon's haunted

I really love the idea of ashton, I love how dunamancy is now a central part of the world

Anyway, these mind sequences are very cool, I love them.

How does Matt even come up with, or plan these things?!?? I can't even imagine

"There is strength, but there is pain. There is pain but there is strength" good God!! Matt, that is so cool.

Oh my god Ashton..... poor kid.

I... I love this story though. Ashton. And the chronic pain is..... wow

It's really interesting to watch them try to figure out dunamancy from zero knowledge and just random stuff.

Perhaps not definitely, but I bet Matt's description of the inside of Ashton's head with stars and possibilities would've been different if the person had seen inside a beacon before.

"Do any of us know who we are?" asking the right questions

Delilah is dying with Laudna........ good God.

Man these players created some fucked up characters.

The moment of realization that the wisdom save was against Keyleth's scry lmao.

Keyleth!!!!!! I love her!!!

I love how she's like, buckle up fuckers, you're coming with me on a trip to whitestone.

Anyway, that episode was amazing and the ending was perfect, I cannot wait to find time to watch the next one!!!!!

[remjl]

CRITICAL ROLE SPOILER WARNING

Episode 38 - solid, packed with jokes, sweet and sad moments, not so emotional as previous one through. And that great, since we had quite a ride last 3-4 episodes.

Laudna is back, however it was very close to fail, thank goodness for 16 on Matt's dice. Very thematic that Orym was successful and FCG failed. Also, concidering contribution that Imogen made, it was also quite interesting twist, since she just speak to Laudna and asked her to choose herself. Yeah, I was hoping that we will have some big romantic moment with a kiss/declaration of love and... actually we had it. If you love person, truly love them, you are willing to let go so they could be happy, even if might hurt you. And this moment was very in Imogen character. She is there for her friend, her everything and she didn't push. Because she knows that Laudna not in that place yet and... after Resurection and all this trauma that she've been through no need to add another layer about her best friend pining. But there are fierce protection and deep care.

So, with Imodna we are kinda back to this will they/won't they area, but I still think they will after very good portion of great slow burn moments, probably they will talk this out by the final chapter of the story. It seems to me that Imogen is already there from all this moments with Dusk and especially after loosing Laudna, but Laudna obviously didn't enter this part of her brains yet. Hope, we will get some talk between those two in the few episodes.

Night under the Sun tree was a heartwarming moment. BH is coming back on track with all this Ridius mystery. Oh, that last part of episode got me worried, since I was really afraid that Otohan will make an entrance and f*ck up team again. They really need to be careful next 3 days at least, otherwise Laudna might fall again due to heavy penalties that she had.

I've got a feeling that we are slowly moving towards FCG/Ashton character arcs, since Fearne and Laudna's play their part and Imogen's being entangled with a main plot. Would like to know more about Chetney and Orym through.

Oh, Mister now indeed had a gun, BH had a skyship and Pate is alive and talking.

P.S. It was very nice move to have Laura and Marisha sit together in the first half of episode, I wish they stay like that through.

P.S.S. I love X-Men costumes this year. Perfect fit.

[loquaciousquark]

4-Sided Dive Highlights - Critical Role C3 up to E52 (Mar. 22, 2023)

I will catch up with these if it kills me. No fluff tonight, only hard-hitting facts! Tonight's guests: Liam, Marisha, Taliesin, and Ashley. We open with a recap from the previous episode where the broom was murdered while the lights were out. A montage shows us all the times we featured Broomy on the show. Rest in peace, bristles. The rest of the opening is an in media res discussion about pickles and a Kentucky vodka/Koolaid/pickle juice horror. Ashley wins host and the script lampshades the irregular show schedule along with the chaos of the show at this point. Broomy gets a moment of silence and we are introduced to his replacement, Moppo.

What the Fuck is Up With That? We start with a discussion of creating Nana Morri. Ashley reminds us that the birdhouse her mom made (which looked like a hag hut) was a big inspiration for the character. The double-face situation and the ET neck were all Matt. Ashley did know she had two heads before everyone else; she sent him a whole doc of ideas at the start (tree house, creepy Swiss Family Robinson, Fearne's menagerie, beauty from a distance but creepy up close), and Matt came back and extrapolated upon it. Ashley loves the idea of all Fearne's wildshape animals being misfit idiots all the way down.

How did everyone feel about the Fey Realm? Orym was sad they had to leave so soon. Ashton loved the rule of chaos. Laudna loved Grandma and how creepy everyone was; Marisha loved the idea of having two heads to take over the work. (I haven't fully caught up in my show watch and I miss Laudna so much!)

Everyone thinks the break-in with the portable hole usage was fantastic. Everyone wants to know about the Fey creature riding the dragon.

Dani sometimes sends them lore updates during games: "y'all, that item is literally sitting on the table in front of you, that just happened an hour ago." Neat!

How did the Apogee Solstice go? Marisha: "medium." Matt said they went right down the middle, could have gone better and could have gone way worse. Ashley felt completely paralyzed by indecision; Marisha was proud she stuck to destroying the power sources. They wish they could have done more with their previous campaign characters.

Marisha felt like she was in a fugue state when Beau showed up; Liam was devastated he couldn't roll better. Ashley was really struggling against her personal desire to get them out of chains ASAP. Liam loved the "sweet sweet irony of Caleb being collared y Aeor tech." He was really excited about the idea of destroying Otohan's backback, frustrated in the moment with his rolls, and then on review still felt like he'd made the right decision pursuing that for his character.

Marisha was convinced she was going to watch at least one of her characters die. Liam short-circuited and couldn't talk for half an hour after the episode, and almost everyone (except Sam & Travis) couldn't sleep that night.

Liam had completely closed the door on Vax in his head. He never expected to see him again after the wedding. To have him show up now both flabbergasted Liam and blew him away with the recontextualized attack on Keyleth in Orym's backstory. Both Marisha & Liam kept looking back and seeing seeds that Vax might show up later having been planted very early in the story. "It's not the first time Keyleth's been attacked. Fuck!"

Would they be okay if either of their characters are dead? Yes, they trust Matt. Marisha would prefer Keyleth to die over Beau; Beau has more to do, and Keyleth's biggest fear was always "being the last leaf on the tree."

Liam always felt that VM was a complete, closed story, while M9 was more a chapter in those characters' lives. He feels they're often going to come together over the years.

Ashley felt she was too timid in the Apogee attack. She wishes she could take a second shot at it. Marisha was mentally tracking Keyleth's HP for the whole fight and panicked when she realized how close she was to death.

Liam loves the challenge of taking the straight man role (similar to Keyleth in C1), except EVERYONE is Grog. Everyone thinks Deanna and FRIDA will be a calming influence.

Ashley loves Aabria's range and ability to jump from comedic to serious on a dime. Christian is incredible and brings energy to the table.

Liam is jealous he doesn't get to play with them. Marisha laughs that every time she sits back and just watches the show, she's like, "damn, this is good." She never realized how much Travis has been emoting this season since she sits next to them. Ashley loves watching people perform and be at the top of their game.

The Tower of Inquiry! What has been your favorite scene not involving your character? Ash: Laudna & Imogen & the breaking rock. Tal: Chetney getting dark with the shopkeeper. Liam: Fearne & Chet sexual tension scene. Marisha: Chetney calling bullshit on Delilah, Fearne as a quokka.

Liam pulls again: What surprises have you discovered about your character? Tal: what punk in Exandria means for Ashton: "life's not fair, and you either believe that it's not fair because life is chaos or you believe life's not fair because there's a bunch of interventionist assholes above you who have decided that you don't get to be a winner. Is is it a world where there are winners and losers, or is it in a world where there are interventionist gods?"

Both Ashley & Marisha love Laudna's relationship with Ashton. Ashton brings up parallels Laudna wants to deny: "she really wanted to be past this." "Right! It's--how fucking dare you be past this? How dare you!" "Exactly!" Ashton chooses not to believe Laudna is past it, because otherwise that means it's a thing you can get past, which means Ashton is wrong, which is impossible. "It's amazing the way [Ashton] is obviously projecting."

Liam goes to Zephra a lot in his mind palace. He never expected how much he was going to think about Orym's dead family and wondering if they would meet again. He has synthetic memories of interactions of Orym and Will, Orym's mother...

Tal has enormous portions of Whitestone fastidiously mapped out in his head: he knows the library, the gardens, the clock tower, and the ruins to the east. He can walk there and back in his mind's eye.

Ashley has learned that she really enjoys making everyone else cringe, ahaha. She loves when she can feel Laura looking over in concern. Everyone LOVED her stealing Ira's spyglass. Everyone lists off Travis's tics that tell Ashley she's on the verge of going too far.

Character's daily routines? Every night, Laudna gets out her little house and tucks in the dolls and puts them to bed properly. "Pate has to die every night." Everyone adores Pate peeling his ribs open. Ashton's routine is medicinal chronic pain management and deciding every night whether he's going to get drunker or get angry tonight. Both Dani & Tal talk a little about their personal struggles with chronic pain and enjoying seeing Ashton learn to deal with it.

Favorite spell or class feature? Laudna: Form of Dread. Fearne: Sleight of Hand.

The Deep Dive! Orym feels completely played as regards Keyleth & the Apogee. Everyone agrees there were lots of failsafes to make sure Keyleth showed up even if he hadn't reached out.

Ashley is very curious to see how magic has been affected by the solstice, but she's more panicking that Orym is gone and she's off the leash (ha!).

Laudna will always be there to validate Imogen's feelings; it's okay to have these thoughts and questions about what if the Ruby Vanguard is right, examining whether the relationship with the gods is healthy or cyclical abuse. However, "we can all sit here and do a nice big thought experiment about what the world would be like without gods, but that thought experiment doesn't necessarily include all of the consequences of the Ruby Vanguard's plan...which is a world without gods, not necessarily a bad thing. Unleashing a god-eating-elder-old-one-type being, maybe a bad idea. Worse." Liam talks about how these people killed a bunch of people precious to him. Dani reminds us that the god haters killed Laudna and a god-lover (Pike) brought her back. "You can't deny the existence of the gods. All you can do is be really resentful of them." They're manipulative if you choose to take the cynical point of view; Caduceus, for example, takes the complete opposite viewpoint. Taliesin had to sit down and build a discrete theology for Clay.

Whenever Marisha and Taliesin's characters have conversations in game, she always thinks of things she wishes she'd said or phrased differently. Ashton really struggled with watching Laudna go through what he did, except with the support of so many friends. "Oh, fuck you!" It's an unhealthy, jealous anger. Liam loves the jealousies, the petty faults. Ashton probably does know abandonment more than anyone else in the party, but both Marisha & Laudna were affronted at his claim that he knew loneliness better than her.

Orym is worried about Dorian & everything going on in Tal'Dorei.

Fearne is terrified of Ludinus. Seeing what he did to Sumal put a lot of fear into her, which was a new experience for her.

For about five minutes, both Liam & Marisha had all three characters sharing a map. Laura had said something about how Marisha's characters keep showing up: "Well, I habitually keep making characters that have an issue not working and just won't retire, so they just keep doing things, and maybe that speaks more about me than it does anybody else! Everyone else lets their characters rest and go to sleep, and I don't! I don't know why I'm like this!" It felt personal, but also representative of eight years of work building up the company and the world and the family. It hit everyone very hard and made them emotional.

Ashton is conscious that their abilities are a metaphor. Ashton does not know how his abilities work, but if he doesn't understand them, then neither does your enemy. He counts on being unpredictable. He's scared to death that he cares about Laudna.

Liam: "the three strange witches, their three bodyguards, and a robot." Orym would killed the halfling who surrendered but would have regretted it. Ashton took the locket because he believed this was not a dad who had something to lose; this was a dad who had lost something. "This was not an orphan being made." Ashton does not feel good about it, but there's no second guessing.

Ira is a regular old schmo to Fearne, which is a word I've never written in my life. Laudna is very taken by his confidence.

Laudna HATES not knowing where Laudna is. She loves having Pate with her all the time. If Imogen had been there during the dreams, she would have just held her hands.

Tal: FCG thinks he's dangerous because he's going to turn on everyone. Actually, FCG is dangerous because he's going to keep running headfirst into danger and everyone else is going to try to save them. "It's a monstrously selfish robot." How will FCG deal with someone eventually getting hurt in their defense? That they keep volunteering themselves for dangerous/painful tasks is a selfish sort of martyrdom.

One day with your character? Orym: gym, ballet. Ashton: concert. Laudna: taxidermy class. Fearne: Disneyland.

What would your room in Caleb's tower look like? Fearne's room would just be her own room but more expanded. Ashton: a mid 90s 16-yo kid's room. Caleb would have everyone's rooms connected. Marisha: Children's Museum in St. Louis.

What moments made you really feel you were in Exandria? Tal: the trudge through the snow with Lucien. That was the most he ever felt like Clay. Liam: going to Rexxentrum with the rain and griffin riders and arriving at the church and shattering the stained glass windows. Marisha: the jungle backstory conversation with Liam with the lighting cues and projections and the fireflies and the rain; having everything green and lush in her head really cemented the moment. Ash: descending on Aeor and realizing how old everything was. Liam: the Matron arriving on the steps at the end of C1. Taliesin: "I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday and I remember every fucking moment of that day."

Favorite movie genre? Laudna: regency romance. Orym: Crouching Tiger, Errol Flynn. Fearne: soap operas. Ash: documentaries.

Post-Break Shenanigans: "Moving Out" on the Switch. I love silly little games like this and yet this one doesn't scratch the itch at all!

Orym understands Imogen's waffling about the Ruby Vanguard; he knows she wants a relationship with her mother. "It's a simple solution to a pretty complicated problem, though."

Ashton thinks Jiana Hexum is what he deserves. "I know a supervillain" is what he has to offer the group.

Fearne loved that Nana Morri came to her rescue, but just doesn't want her to get hurt.

Laudna loved the Fey Realm. She wishes they could have spent more time there. Liam wants the beating-heart topiary collection. Tal wants a mug.

Tal will drip out what happened with the kenku over the next five years. Ha! There's so much crosstalk; even with captions, this is awful, haha.

Fearne knows her position with the Ruidusborn means she might have been used as part of this plot. She's not excited about it, but it's such a complex problem that she's going to wait and see what happens. Fearne would be the least helpful in a move.

Laudna both misses Pate and his ability to heal her to full hit points. Everyone marvels at Matt's ability to rhyme off the cuff.

Orym is marvelling that the Wildmother finds him important enough to give him a sword. "I'm a real boy!"

The post-credits scene has an evil voiceover telling Ashley that she has no idea what's coming. Ominous!

ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO. Let's ride this train until the wheels come off!

[pocketgalaxies]

I know you said in another ask-answered that you’re not into speculation as much. But can I ask if you have any thoughts on the coming episode of 4-sided dive? If I’m not mistaken, they pulled costume prompts for it last month but we don’t know who’s assigned what or technically even who’s on it this time, though at a guess it would feasibly be the other 4 (Matt, the Baileyhams and Tailiesin - though Marisha might be because Laudna died?) How would you feel about Matt answering any character questions as Keyleth?

oh i ALWAYS love hearing matt talk about keyleth. he truly loves keyleth so so so much it's very sweet, and i'm sure he put heaps of thought into it (and talked to marisha) before bringing her into the campaign, which i would love to hear about. i wouldn't expect him to be asked any Character-Building questions about her, and even if he was, he would probably just attribute it all to marisha anyway dkfjskdf but yeah i would actually love to hear what that process is like and where he and marisha think keyleth is in her life now?? ANYTHING ABOUT KEYLETH. I'LL TAKE ANYTHING

also i have no idea if there's any rhyme or reason to the 4sd cast appearances (there probably is) but i'd guess marisha won't be on the show until she's back at the table. at this point they're just too in the trenches with laudna, i feel like she won't have much to talk about that isn't just "idk we'll see what happens!" laura MUST be there next week, i will riot if she's not. the other three guests idc, everyone had juicy things happen to them lol

[12pt-times-new-roman]

c3e38

The connection between Delilah and Laudna is diminished, not gone.

"She means a lot to you, right?" "...she means everything."

In theory, the final roll for this resurrection ritual should be 1d20 + 5, since Pike has to make the final check and her wisdom is +5. If Laudna's DC is 11, and if all the contributions are successful, that puts the DC at 2.

......oh. Matt is implying that this resurrection ritual will succeed no matter what, but if the check fails, Delilah will come back, not Laudna.

Pike is casting this ritual with dispel evil built into the resurrection! That's what the powdered silver is for :)

Orym's contribution: "Laudna. I know I don't know you any better than the rest of us, but I know your history. You deserve to be more than a footnote in Delilah's story. There are people here who need you. They need your life and your heart. I don't know what Bells Hells will be without your darkness, Laudna. Or your light. Please, we don't want to leave anyone behind. Least of all you. We gotta get that blood flowing through your veins again. Please, come back." Red poppies bloom through Laudna's black hair. Nature check: 11, against a DC of 10.

FCG's contribution: "Laudna, you might not have been perfect, but you loved and you loved, Escargot and Sashimi, and you loved Imogen, and I've always been told that a soul that loves at least touches perfection. You once said to me that the worst thing that ever happened to you has already happened, and now I can say that the worst thing that ever has happened to us has already happened. With you not here, it's really scary, and not the fun kind. Pike said that you might not want to come back, so I'm afraid we can't let you do that." They cast compulsion on her to compel Laudna to come back. Intimidation check: natural 1.

Imogen's contribution: "You know you saved my life, right? If you hadn't come to town when you did, I don't know how long I would've lasted. These last few years have been everything. Through it all, through all the laughter and all the 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, whatever hole she's leaving, I'll be there to help fill it, alright? I'll be there for you. I'm not gonna tel 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, alright? Just know that I love you. And I'm here." She puts Pate on Laudna's chest. Persuasion check: 7.

Pike makes the final caster check.

"A moment passes. In that stillness, you hear Pike exhale. 'Come on, come on.' Vex leans forward. 'Pike, did it—' 'I don't—' She leans forward and places her hand over Laudna's mouth, nose. 'Is she a real shallow breather?' She slaps the side of Laudna's face, and Laudna jolts awake."

Laudna's DC started at 12, went to 9, then went up to 11. Pike rolled a 16.

she's sitting next to Imogen!!!

"I remember hearing you, I remember seeing you— all of you. I remember all of it."

There's no apparent visual/physical change. From a passing detect thoughts, FCG gets "a flip book of all the memories she was reliving and going through. Confusion. Terror. Frustration. Regression. A little lost."

Percy had five dozen riflemen and fifty pale guard surrounding the house, plus himself up on a platform with some "perfected" version of Bad News.

Pike used raise dead, so Laudna has -4 to every ability check, attack roll, and saving throw. The penalty reduces by 1 after each long rest.

Hollow Ones count as undead for the purposes of hunter's bane.

"It feels like a dream, this one's just not a nightmare... are you sure this isn't one of her tricks?" "I promise."

oh the sweet, sweet parallels between Laudna and Percy.... Laudna knowing that these children will never know anything different than a Whitestone that is beautiful, alive, colorful, and Percy fighting tooth and nail to ensure it.

Laudna's form of dread no longer has a mourning veil; it cracks and crumbles away, it falls like the leaves fall from the Sun Tree. Branches start sprouting from her shoulders as she leans against the tree-- almost an entire lifecycle, years' worth of seasons as the branches bloom, wither, then fall.

did Laudna just take the Sun Tree as her patron?? form of dread is a warlock ability so???

"Have you felt it? The tree? It's warm... Lady Vex'halia, Imogen, you should feel it too."

"Miss Trickfoot, may I give you a hug?" FEARNE

Well, she tried. but Pike's passive wisdom is 21 — meaning both passive perception and insight.

Laudna took pact of the chain!

it gives her the ability to cast find familiar, and lets her familiar take additional forms. because he can fly and speak Common, he's using the stat block of either an imp or a sprite, but I'm guessing he's an imp.

FCG and Zerxus have equal and opposite brands of hubris based in the "I can fix him" mentality

Fearne got a gun for Mister. from the man who invented firearms. that's more or less a tiny potato cannon.

Whitestone has been aware of missing residuum shipments for some time, but the care that was taken to keep them enshrouded was extensive. Threads led them eastward, and they believed the involvement came from Wildemount. Percy thinks the Assembly are a "messy" organization to confront, and had hoped that they weren't involved.

As for the solstice— the Apogee Solstice is a once in a (human) lifetime thing that tends to draw out "the best and the worst of Exandrian society." Anyone with an interest in cheating their way into a better position through magic will be trying their damndest to achieve things normally unheard of or impossible.

and on Ruidus— Percy sketches the pattern of the Divine Gate, which has a design to it, "something that looks like a kaleidoscope, a fractal pattern within the lattice that spirals around." It looks very similar to the lattice around Ruidus. "The Divine Gate is one continuous entity, a barrier. It's hard to describe; it's a boundary that exists between these dimensions, but it's not a thin sheet, it's a bit more esoteric. It only exists in the spaces between dimensions, and only exists around Exandria."

They have contacts in Vasselheim who can look into this and try to connect the dots, but again, a lot of things are happening in a lot of places very quickly.

that's a lot. so is Ruidus the "gate" part of the Divine Gate, the lock that's holding the door closed? if it's appearing in the Feywild, does it still have this lattice while it's there? and if it doesn't, then was Imogen seeing the lattice just a result of looking through the lattice around Exandria, not actually a lattice around Ruidus?

Vex gives Laudna a ring of protection!

aw Marisha moved back

MOON DREAM MOON DREAM

and FCG has share dream up

FCG's spells come from the arcane weave?

Imogen finds herself "standing in the same grass field, the same childhood open field that the dreams continue to start in, but there isn't green, there isn't your horse. The red storm is already around you... you can see the faint outline of FCG joining you in this dream... you see, ahead of you, a shadowed shape that just moves away and vanishes into the dust, away from you. You step closer and closer, and you can see, it's a broader shape. Not the thin, familiar feminine warrior body that you faced off with in Bassuras. This is more of a masculine warrior's outline. It's hard to make out the specifics, but you see the walking figure stop and glance over its shoulder for just a moment, and then it's gone. (It had similarities to when Bertrand and the twins walked away.) You keep walking forward, and the wind gets stronger and stronger, the grasses of the field giving way to dirt and broken rock... You've acknowledged in this space that spellcraft has no effect, but the will of your mind influences the journey you take. The storm continues to grow colder and darker, until eventually the vibrant red becomes a deep, dark maroon. As the wind begins to die, the space above you begins to thin. Where the dust dies down, instead, you see a dark voided scape filled with thousands and thousands of stars. You glance up, and the stars begin to blink out, until within a few moments inky blackness sits above you both. The storm subsides and you put your consciousness back down to where you're standing, but there's nothing there. Lightless space beneath you, around you, until you can't even see each other. In that moment, all you have is the physical sense of your hands holding together, you feel yourself being pulled away until your grip finally gives, and you both come to consciousness in the morning."

Fearne talks to the Sun Tree! [Can you open a door?]

"Eyyy Fearne. I mean. People make doors outta trees, we don't do it ourselves. But you figure it out, you know where I am... [How long have you been here?] Oh, a looong time. [Did you ever notice when they put up a new moon?] No, s'long as I've been here, there's always been two. [Are you excited for the solstice?] I guess a little. It's interesting, and makes me feel all tingly."

Sending to Eshteross: "Are you alive still? I had a dream." No response.

Chetney's gift to Imogen is a big movable wind-up horse! it's very pretty.

"Gilmore's Glorious Goods: Whitestone Expansion"!!

The guy working the shop at the moment (Gilmore is in Emon) is apparently very skilled at carving wood. He enchanted a little wooden gryphon to fly. And I mention this because Chetney looks very suspicious of him.

FCG has run off to the temple of the Changebringer. "I'm drawn to [this coin]... it's little and it's metal, but it has a purpose... I'm thinking more about what my purpose is, and I'm wondering if you have any insight, or if she might... I guess I'm just wondering how to talk to her."

FCG speaks toward the Changebringer. "I don't know if you can hear me, and I don't know if you can speak, but I'll be listening, and I'll be waiting, and I guess I'll be hoping for you to... just let me know that you're there. I guess that's the first step. I don't need anything more than that just to know that someone out there knows who I am and that I exist."

We're back in Jrusar!

Another sending to Eshteross: "Eshteross? Tell me you were just sleeping earlier. Are you there? Wake up!" Nothing.

Eshteross' estate is covered in blood and sprung traps.

At the base of the bed, there is a "humanoid body, face down, reaching underneath. A familiar maroon-patterned robe." Chetney goes in and smells "blood, but it feels a little off." Getting close, the body is riddled with wounds — gash marks, fine slashes, the robe is barely held together.

"The smell of blood is strong, but it... it smells off. It's hard to describe. You're very familiar with the blood of humanoid creatures, and there's something off about it. The other thing you smell is the smell of blood you've tasted before. There's the faintest smell, a sage or an oil, that is distinctly Otohan that just barely lingers — barely."

Beneath the bed, where Eshteross was reaching, is an iron lockbox. Chet fails to pick the lock on it.

Yeah. No pulse. This is one of those situations like the Nicodranas vs. Felderwin thing in C2, where if the M9 went to Felderwin instead of Nicodranas they would've been there when the town was attacked, right? They went to Whitestone instead of staying in Bassuras, and Eshteross is dead because of it.

In Eshteross' pocket, Chet finds a bunch of different keys on a ring, presumably for different things in the house.

Inside the box is a cluster of envelopes. Sealed letters, all with names. Evelyn Ress. Lex Emnar. Chief Wilder Neimenoros. Ajit Dyal. Orlana Shishadri. Menaia Trei. Bells Hells.

The letter to Bells Hells—

Travis is reading this way too fast for me to transcribe ;-;

There's something in there about fate and people who bend history to their wills?

In essence, it's a final will and testament. Eshteross knows he was living on borrowed time, and thanked the Hells for their time. He gave them his cookie recipe, the blade in his cane (named Turmoil), and the ownership of the Silver Sun, along with a year's worth its crew's time.

They finally have a sky ship!!!

From the blood on the cane, Orym identifies that odd smell as the same type of poison that affected Will and Derrig, that "locks away" any chance of resurrection.

Hold up. If Eshteross is dead and Imogen saw him walking into the storm the night that he died, the same way she saw Bertrand...... what does that say about the Lumas twins? She saw them weeks after they (supposedly?) died.

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 96

Ah, I see, so THIS is why Liam looks like a cute beatnik from a 50s jazz club ... oh boy ... he's brought back the German accent BIG TIME and it's giving me massive Caleb vibes ... meanwhile Tal's clearly having EVEN MORE fun with this ... oh my gods ... wow ... that's a DOOZY, definitely ...

Marisha (cracking up): "It sounded like there was more!" Travis: "I know!"

So ... yeah ... it was all SO HEAVY when we ended it last week ... the group is WELL on the way to imploding under the weight of what just happened in the night ... can they come back from this? This is SO WORRYING ...

Oh boy ... RIGHT BACK where we were at the end ... wow ... so it's just the two of them again ... O.O

Fuck ... now even LAUDNA can feel Delilah's starting to take over ... that's not good at all ...

This is starting to sound SO MUCH like Laudna knows she's not going to be around when this is all done ... oh man ... AND she's starting to think maybe that's A GOOD THING? Fuck ... no, really, NO ...

Imogen's trying SO HARD to keep this all together for BOTH OF THEM but I can feel her breaking too ...

Come on, Imogen, that's it, bring her back from the brink ... LISTEN TO HER, Laudna. She's the best thing in your life, and she feels the same way about you, luv. You need to buck up ...

Imogen: "I'm gonna miss our little cottage." Oh fuck ...

Ah shit ... the tissues ... yeah, that's how it is with ALL OF US right now ...

Crap ... that's right, Dorian's missed A WHOLE LOT, he doesn't KNOW about Delilah, not really ... oh, and also about IMODNA ... XD ... AND Chetney's threesome with Fearne and his ex ...

Oh yeah ... Bordor ... that was a whole bunch of wrong ... that took a whole lot out of ALL OF 'em ...

Ashton being all philosphical again abdout villains trying NOT TO BE ... yeah ... he's pretty spot on ...

Dorian: "CAN she be trusted?" Oof ...

Ashton: "You okay?" Imogen: "No." Ahston: "SHE okay?" Imogen: "No." Ahston: "Okay."

Laudna's just been having a good powerful MOPE while all of this has been going on ... yeah, of course she has ... oh FUCK OFF, Delilah. You're not welcome right now ... oh yeah, Fearne, great timing, snap her out of it!

Orym: "Are you all right? I didn't hurt you too terribly did I?" Laudna: "Oh, I think I can see a few ribs ..."

Yes ... please, come on you too, make up. You're FRIENDS, you mean so much to each other. MAKE UP. Yeah. That's it. Exactly that.

Yeah, exactly. Fuck Delilah, we just want our LAUDNA.

This is exactly it, yeah ... she's not alone, they're ALL carrying their own big mistake baggage, she's not alone in that ...

Awwwww ... Ashton's BIG SISTER Laudna ... I love it ... :3

Wow ... yeah, it may be a joke, but Chetney DOES have a point there ... Dorian's the one true innocent in the group now ... you poor sweet summer chaild ...

Nice move, Chet. Yeah, that works.

Oh, that's interesting ... yeah ... that pipe ... yeah ... that could be REALLY GOOD for Laudna right now ... go on, girl, take a puff ...don't be afraid, this can only HELP ...

And then Dorian comes in with the sweetest cap for all that ... awwww ... :3

AAAAAAND just like that Chetney's OUT. XD ... of course he is.

Spin the bottle? REALLY?!!! LOL ...

Wow ... not they're just getting ridiculous ... XD ... "Hammer time?" Yeah, that's the worst one yet ... "Chetney needs sleep"? Slightly better, maybe ...

More rest, at least ... which is needed ...

Liam'#s giving Orym a point of exhaustion for NECESSITIES ... of course he is ... wee selfless lad ... we love him but he does punish himself sometimes ...

THAT'S what the Gambler's Blade does? DORIAN!!! O.O

Essek is a bit ... MOODY this morning ... hmmmm ...

"I like pulp!" XD

Ah, so everything's ready for them ,then? Sweet ... cue gearing up montage ... LOL ... oh, and descriptions too ...

Hot Shots: Part Deux for Chetney ... XD

Oh shit ... that's right ... they're back from the Moon ... IS Orym a little different? And our boy's a bit toussled now ... yeah, that's CUTE, I'm sure ...

Imogen's wearing PANTS now? Okay ...

Dorian's wearing "THE SLUTTIEST SHIRT"! Cute ...

Nipple talk ... oh dear ... XD

Oh wow ... Laudna's kind of giving me some subtle Harrow the Ninth vibes right now ...with a touch of DELILAH too, which is ... worrying, just a little ... O.O

Ashley's alwasy SO GOOD at weaving a beautiful picture, she really is ... and a utility belt. Yeah ... :3

Ashton's rocking a CROPTOP right now? Awwwwww ... and a spike trade with Fearne, too ... cute ... ooooooh ... and "Smiley Day" ... oh man ... I love it ...

Matt makes a rather pointed "prepare your spells" statement that everybody IMMEDIATELY takes as SUSPICIOUS and I'm right along with them. What are you planning, Mercer?

Yeah ... that fucking bloody apron's just gonna leave a trail behind them THE WHOLE WAY ...

Divvying up stuff ... here we go, ten minutes of inventory bookkeeping while we wait for the game itself to start up again ... XD

Ah ... sucking up one Ring of Protection with the harness ... hmmm ...

Imogen's jealous of Essek's floating thing ... not surprising ...

Ooooh ... ExU: Calamity recap ... cute ...

A FEW tries? Oh, I don't like the sound of that ...

Wow ... they're all REALLY crossing their fingers ... XD

Rolling a D100? Oh fuck ... 14? Hmmmmm ... ouch ... oh, that didn't go well ... they went NOWHERE and took 11 points of Force damage each ... bugger ...

Second try ... ANOTHER roll ... 45? Okay ... SEEMS like the right place ... an abandoned encampment? Interesting ... oh, sounds like it's NOT where they should be, then ...

Lyrengorm? Where?

He can only do it ONCE MORE for the day? Bollocks ...

A final roll ... 61 ... MORE snow ... much colder ... Orym's ENTIRELY BURIED ... a particularly AGGRESSIVE mountain range this time ... some kind of VERY fancy castle ... oh, so we ARE in Eisselcross ... but we're not sure WHERE ... oof ...

Crap ... they've been spotted ... by SOMEBODY ... big lumbering somebodies ...

Undead ice giants? Yeesh ... yeah, better hide ... argh ...

Matt: "There's a reason you took a BOAT to Esselcross last time!"

And now it's time for a break ...

Do they run? Do they fly? WHAT DO THEY DO?!!! Hiding's obviously out of the question ... eep ...

A DISTANT Command on one of them? Risky, Imogen ... "HALT!!!" Oh, it doesn't work on undead? BALLS ...

And now one of them flung a rock ... BAIT & SWITCH!!! Nice save, Orym! Crunch ... STILL 26 points of damage ... ow ...

There's a whole BUNCH of 'em coming now ... AAAAAAAH!!!

Essek's trying a HIGHER level Teleport ... okay ... one more roll ... 48? Oh bollocks, Laura! This is so bad ...

DO NOT give Mercer ideas, Ashley! O.O

More snow ... elsewhere ... hmmmm ... Essek has no idea where they are ... great ...

Yes. Sniff the wind, Chetney ... the air is THINNER ... oh, they're AT ALTITUDE right now ... cute ... on a mountain, then ... that's just PEACHY ...

Oh, if they had something FROM Aeor? I mean THEY COULD just use a piece of FCG ...

Looking into Essek's memories, then ... O.O ... and a glimpse of Aeor ... it's all VERY dramatic ...

Aha, a specific anchoring point ... good idea ...

Laura: "Guidance? Will that help?" Matt: "No, but it's nice to have." XD

So, the Staff ... oh boy ... this could go SO BAD .... she rolls 99 for it ... well, that's ... potentially good?

A frozen woodland glade ... Huh?

Don't shoot the rabbits with your harp, Chetney. They'll only explode and that's not what ANYONE wants ...

An amber coloured dome of energy over them? Oh, yeah, that definitely rings a bell ... XD

At least it's nice and warm in here ... although they are in danger of getting buried under the snow before morning ...

Essek's just IMMEDIATELY going to sleep, then ...

Fearne, you're adorable ... :3

Chetney's going hunting. WITH THE HARP. Oh boy ...

And he shoots a boar? Oh, okay, I suppose that's too big to just blow up ... food!

There's a huge city out there? Hmmmm ... no chance that's Vasselheim, maybe?

Time for food, then ...

Another try at Teleporting, then ... roll AGAIN ... 53? Fuck ...

They land ON THE SLOPE of a mountain ... AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Another jump ... another roll ... 46? No, NINETY-six ... somewhere icy and cold ... oh, that's it, then. They made it ... phew ...

Yup, they're here. On the VERY EDGE of the ruins, then ...

Time for Stealth, then ... group check time ... oh boy ... fucking hell, Travis ... 41?!!! How the FUCK did you do THAT?!!!

Shit ... are those more of theose undead ice giants? Oh no ... gods, bo what to know WHAT these things are ... eep ... O.O

Going down into the gloomy underground darkness ...

ICE TROLLS?!!! Lovely ... yeah, just GO QUIETLY, please ...

It's getting STUPID tight in here ... this is NOT GOOD ... Chetney's going ahead to check the route ...

Oh, that's a DROP. Great ... now what?

So they have to climb down with the rope ... great ... oh, Chet wonders if he could ICE-CLIMB down? I really don't know about that ... oh, the Immovable Rod, that shoudl be helpful ...

Yeah, this couldn't possibly go wrong ... O.O

A ruined courtyard? Fascinating ... smelling for anything alive down here ... a clean must? Strange ...

So he's climbing down, then ... okay ... the others getting down will be ... INTERESTING ...

Oh yeah, some light might be helpful now ...

Bones? Frozen into the ice underfoot? Hmmm ... that could be ... problematic ... and some bodies too ... oh lovely ... there's SOMETHING unpleasant down here, clearly ...

Wait ... WHO is this? Oh ... FUCK ... shit! Oh, that is SWEET!!! Nice callback ... O.O

So, going EAST then ...

The Praesidis Ward? Hmmm ...

A giant cavern that was once a city ... weird ...

It's getting WARMER? Hmmm ...

Fearne has a point ... this DOES look like that weird ruined city in the cavern on Ruidus ...

Wait ... there's SCARY things down here to be on the lookout for? Way to bury the lead there, Essek ...

Yeah, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING, people ...

He became a FISH. Really? Fascinating ...

Another Group Stealth check ... generally good rolls once more ...

Skeletons? Lots of them? Great ... this place is like a necromancer's wet dream ... I really hope this isn't where Mercer's heading with this ...

Grim Psychometry? IN HERE?!!! Whoa, Chet ...

That is ... troubling and not terribly infomrative, really ...

Crap ... was that a troll?

Moving on, then ...

Weird creepy corpse ... which wasn't there LAST TIME Essek passed through ... charming ... it IS moving, but, like, RIDICULOUSLY slow? Oh, that's unnerving ...

Imogen, AGAIN, don't touch ...

Oh, this seems like a nice, fancy place ... but Essek's not taking any chances with it, clearly ... and somebody's been through here, too ... hmmm ...

HE did this? Interesting ... well, at least he hasn't lost his sense of humour ...

Another cavern ... more industrial environs this time ... fascinating ... and it's curving UPWARDS as it goes ...

The Genesis Ward ...

It just smells of metal and water ... okay ...

So we have a specific destination now, then ...

What, try to home in on Ludinus' Harness? Could that work?

Oh, so there really ARE other things moving around in here besides the group ... that's disconcerting ...

A tent? Really? Well THAT is a pretty major sign of life ... I think they may have found what they're looking for ...

Arcane Eye? Cool ...

Oh, so something happened here ... something VIOLENT, according to the blood ... and CORPSES ... Ruby Vanguard? Oh wow ... THAT'S interesting ... this was ... relatively recent, looks like ...

More of an eagele's eye view of the cavern now ... a big jagged hole in the floor, off in the distance ... great ...

Heading in to take a look at the tent, then ...

So the deaths happened within a space of DAYS, then ... it looks like they all killed EACH OTHER?!!! O.O ... whoever did this was ENJOYING themselves? Charming ... and one of them killed HIMSELF ... and apparently was very HAPPY when he did it ... that's just LOVELY ...

It's a pretty nondescript knife, Imogen ...

Grim Psychometry again, then ... oh boy ...

Oh, so the elf was the one who killed them all ... really violently, with SIGNIFICANT manic strength ... carves soemthing into his chest ... and then kills himself too ... wow ...

Chetney DRAMATICALLY unveils the elf's chest ... a sigil ... what is it, then? Ask Essek ... he doesn;t recognise it ... Laudna casts Eyes of the Rune Keeper ... no joy, it seems ... hmmmmm ...

Oh ... Laudna asks DELILAH if she recognises it ... great ... she doesn't either ... great ...

Don't take a pee on the arcane time dome, Orym ...

Something's grinding out there ... stone on stone ...

A group stelth check, but grading everyone individually as they hide? Oh boy ...

Two groups, then ... roill well, guys ...

It's VERY TALL ... oh boy ... that is DISTURBING ... that's like ... it's a hood, but it DOESN'T actually have a head? Ye gods ... and it has a VERY BIG HAMMER it's gragging behind it ... and there's LOTS of teeth in a maw in its belly ... well THAT noise was just unsettling, Matthew ...

Fuck ... a whole bunch of creepy translucent scorpion-like creatures seem to crawl OUT OF IT ... charming ... and they're searching the area ...

Laudna just gave herself away ... and they're all going RIGHT FOR HER now ... oh fuck ...

And THIS is where Matt chooses to end it ... but not before he gives us a look at the Battlemap for next session ... and it's MASSIVE ...

Oh, this is gonna be a SCARY encounter to start things off next time ... But it's the end of the month, so that's gonna be a FORTNIGHT'S wait ...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

[samuraiko]

With fcg recently gifting Chetney a wooden toolbox, I think it would be really sweet if each of the hells made something for chetney (either everyone gives him one thing each or they all team up to make him something) could you write a vignette for this?

All right, I am gonna bang out ALL of my vignette Asks today!

"All Art is Collaboration"

"Hey, Chetney!"

Chetney looked up from where he was whittling on the stern of the Silver Sun and saw Orym approaching, and he hastily put what he was working on behind his back.

"What's up?"

"Listen, so..." Orym fidgeted and looked down at his feet, then reached into his backpack and pulled out a small packet wrapped in leather. "I know that Letters gave you that toolbox while we were in Bassuras, but I don't know if you started stocking it yet or anything. But just before we left Jrusar, I popped down to one of the shops and got you this."

He handed the packet to Chetney, who opened it to find several small sheets of sandpaper of varying grits.

"I wasn't sure which one was best, so I got you an assortment. Some are rough, some are fine, I don't know a lot about these kinds of things. But I thought you could use it."

Chetney sniffled. "Orym, that is so thoughtful of you. Thank you so much."

The halfing gave him a lopsided grin. "You're welcome." Then he headed back downstairs and out to the bow of the ship to begin his morning Zeph'aeratam routine.

Chetney stuck the sandpaper in his toolbox, and was about to get back to his whittling when Laudna and Imogen came up.

"Chetney! Since we're going to have some free time up here, Imogen and I picked up something for you while we were supply shopping!" Imogen rolled her eyes fondly while Laudna produced a small bottle and proudly presented it to Chetney.

He cautiously unstoppered the bottle and sniffed. "Is that licorice?"

"It's fennel oil," Imogen explained. "The shopkeeper said apparently it stops mold when you polish wood with it. And well, we ARE in a jungle..."

Laudna briefly shrugged. "Not that there's anything WRONG with mold, per se, but-"

"That's very nice of you, Laudna, and you too, Imogen."

"And you DID say not to get you orange oil," Laudna pointed out.

"Very true. You've a good memory, Laudna."

The two women left, and Chetney placed the bottle in his toolbox, then once again reached for his wood carving, but then Ashton showed up.

"Hey, old man." He sniffed the air. "You been eating licorice?"

"No, it's... did you have a reason to come over here?"

The earth genasi tossed him a pair of metal files. "Yeah, thought you could use these."

Chetney looked them over with a professional eye, then he glowered at the barbarian. "Ashton... one of these is for filing METAL."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't get your fucking beanie in a twist. I know you only work with wood."

"Then why would you give me this... this..." Chetney was sputtering in indignation.

"For the next time we have to break someone out of a fucking jail cell."

Chetney's indignation immediately evaporated, then he glowered at Ashton again as another thought occurred to him. "Are you saying that my lockpicking skills aren't up to the task?"

"You did lose that contest in Eshteross' manor," Ashton said cheerfully as he turned and left, leaving Chetney grumbling in the wake of his departure as he stuck the files in his toolbox with rather more force than was necessary.

"Impertinent whippersnapper... just wait, I'm gonna tear his kneecaps off one of these days-"

"Oooooooh, Chetney!"

He immediately stopped grumbling as Fearne came up the stairs with Mister perched on her shoulder. "Fearne! You look lovely as ever... what can I do for you?"

"Well, I was thinking... you know all about wood, so you might know... is this stuff any good for woodworking?" She held out what looked to be a large honeycomb. "I got this for some honey and I've been snacking on it, and now it's just the beeswax."

Chetney's eyes lit up. "As a matter of fact, Fearne, did you know that beeswax is one of the things you can use to seal wood against fire damage?"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes... obviously there's only so much you do to repair the wood, but still..."

"Oh, then why don't you keep it? Just in case. I mean, you never know when something might get burned. Not by me, of course, I'm always in control of my fire magic, but-"

Mister screeched on her shoulder.

"I wasn't implying anything about you," she reproved the monkey.

"Well, I very much appreciate the gift, Fearne." He gave her a leering grin. "Unless you have anything else for me?"

"Nope!" she said cheerfully and left.

"The ending was kind of a letdown," he muttered to himself, but as he added the beeswax to his now-nearly-full toolbox, he couldn't help but smile.

But not before hastily making sure none of the other Hells saw him do it.