#(and then amanda maillard follows them out of the castle.

[willowcrowned]

it’s actually wildly funny that amethar’s epithet came about because he was the only person in his family not horrifically murdered. imagine if every single one of your relatives got stabbed and from that point on everyone called you “johnny no-stabs." that’s amethar’s life

[jennegatron]

For the ask meme. Theo. Hardwon. Aaaaand hmm.... dealers choice from neverafter.

Oh my goodness, thank you. 3 absolute gems. I'm SO sorry that this is so long, I just have a lot of thoughts, especially about Murph characters, but also just generally.

Theo

How I feel about this character oh my boy, the boy of my heart. I love him. His heart is so big, he loves so much. He's so kind and forgiving and sweet. I also love a man who lets a woman be in charge. More men should have a mean bisexual girlfriend/fuck buddy who bosses them around.

All the people I ship romantically with this character Gooey. I think that he needs someone who will be the one to initiate with him. Above the table, Brennan is the only one of the intrepid heroes who will go at someone that hard. Murph as a player doesn't really have romance at the front of his mind when he plays. He'll do it if it makes sense for the character or if it makes him laugh (Jens & Mac Son of Mumford), but he's not really one to pursue it or initiate. Like he does his best to shut down anything for both Riz and Kugrash. Gerard comes in married and even though Barry is the hunkiest of hunks, it's not something that character cares about. At the table, Theobald Gumbar is not a guy who lets himself be distracted from his work by lust or love, and I think that's central to his character. It's why even with everyone's permission he doesn't pursue/further his relationship with Gooey until after the battle for Castle Candy. He keeps his eye on the prize. I love the beauty and power of Gooey. He's not expecting it and it truly blindsides them both. Murph understands Theo's game of being a flunky and follower so well that when threatened by a big buff powerful chocolate lady, he simply has to say yes, you could dominate me. I do think you can make compelling cases for other characters but they're all unrequited/unconsummated to stay in canon. Like a Theo that's in love with Amethar is interesting. A dynamic with Calroy where he takes advantage of Theo's inexperience and knowledge is a fun sandbox to play in (though I think it just simply couldn't happen based on what we know about Theo. That's a ship that centers Calroy who is a fascinating bastard.) I don't mind ignoring canon at times so that you can set up the parameters of your world and see what happens under those circumstances. I think that's fun

My non-romantic OTP for this character I think about Theo and Toby so much. Theo stays busy and I think feels fulfilled by his work, but I think a lot about how few friends he has in Castle Candy. Like there is just a power disparity between himself and the royal family. They're not his friends. most of them find him annoying. Calroy seems like someone who is annoyed by him too. That His relationship with Lapin is one of deep mistrust. It's really only Toby we see him interact with, and in that interaction we get like low key rivalry with Amanda Maillard. This man does NOT have friends other than sprinkle & Toby. Sad! and then Toby dies and no one else even cares!!! Part of why i like Gooey. that's a friend who will fuck his brains out.

My unpopular opinion about this character My dislike of Theopin. I have so many things I don't like about the way Theopin gets talked about in the fandom. I don't see the Theobald I know and love in that vast majority of theopin content. I think Theo's hatred of Lapin as a member of the church was truly felt by him. I think the thing that could have allowed Theopin to happen was them bonding over non-bulbian magic and Lapin's life and debt to the sugarplum fairy precluded that from ever happening before the events of the season. Besides even if Lapin had lived, Zac is also not a player who goes for a romance angle really. He really only does it when he either 1. comes into a season with it as a goal (Esther and Ricky) or 2. if he thinks he won't have to live with the consequences of that choice (Not knowing FH would go into multiple seasons explains the Ragh kiss, and how he just immediately forgot about zelda in sophomore year, how the gorgug/zelda breakup is a total non-factor in junior year, Mary-Ann Skuttle happens in the last hour of the last episode because he thinks it's funny, how Lapin is gay confirmed only happened in the time quangle. He passed up on every Colin/Deli opportunity. It's just not Zac's game. He's very predictable in that exact way.) Also I think it's good that in the penultimate episode he decides that he cares more about magic than the crown and would stand by Saccharina regardless. Lazuli would be proud. Also, he has been cool the whole time!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. I am a Theobald is bisexual truther, he's just repressed and married to his job. That bisexual virgin is 50 years old when Gooey fucks him for the first time. Muprh, please confirm that Theobald is a perfect bi disaster.

Hardwon

How I feel about this character What a guy. One thing that's true about me is that I looooooove stupid men. Hardwon Surefoot, you're so stupid and I love you so much.

All the people I ship romantically with this character Hardwon & Gemma made me CRY. DEVASTATING. Hardshine is so sweet, I love them.

My non-romantic OTP for this character Hardwon and Maw Maw, greatest platonic love story ever told.

My unpopular opinion about this character I don't think I have one! I am so much more obsessed with Beverly Toegold IV that I poured all of my attention and opinion creation into him. I love middle aged men!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. I want to see the boobs reunited in the astral plane. RIP Beverley's boy angel voice. Hardwon you HAVE to tell Moonshine you love her.

Prince Gerard of Greenleigh

How I feel about this character SAD! he's TRAGIC. he loves his wife SO MUCH. and he's so ill equipped by his life to be a good husband before the events of Neverafter.

All the people I ship romantically with this character His beautiful wife Elody

My non-romantic OTP for this character Gerard and Ylfa have the most incredible dynamic. Adoptive uncle and rambunctious preteen girl. Both grappling with their monstrosity. Gerard modeling unconditional love for the people he cares about. That he would love Elody even if she was a spider just like he loves Ylfa even though she's a wolf. The end where she carries Gerard and Elody out???? That's my fucking shit.

My unpopular opinion about this character Do people have opinions about Gerard? I feel like people were way more invested in Rosamund being a lesbian or Ylfa and Pinocchio or something. I think that his reaction in the castle where he tries to get Elody to believe him and pukes in the hallway is so deeply sad and funny and real. You have all of this history with this person. You've changed so much in such a short amount of time but they didn't see it. they only know who you were before you were separated. She found HIS BODY. He's a FROGMAN. Leap of Faith you are everything to me.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. I'm okay with the gerard & elody divorce but only if we flash forward 2 years and they get back together better equipped to be partners. ALSO, i wish we had been able to see WHY the sword of truth didn't confirm that elody loved him. it didn't say she didn't love him. Rapunzel, I'm so glad you got eaten by the frog man you bullied. Murph WHY did you decide not to reconcile with Elody. She still loved you 😭. i do admire the bravery of not getting a happy ending, but it would have hit so good for me personally.

[chungledown-bimothy]

Last night's "what if Amethar made a different choice" was about what if he had gone back for Lapin, today is what if he'd asked Calroy to stay at Castle Candy. Never in a million years would that happen, and what ifs are especially pointless in an improvised media like ttrpgs. But it's a fun thought exercise.

He was only doing half damage in the ambush, but he was still drawing people away from focusing Amethar, so maybe even from the start things would have been drastically different. I'll need to rewatch the fight with that in mind.

In That Scene, he says something like "all the work [he and Alfredi] put in to getting the watersteel daggers in that carrot paladin's hands". When was his part of that work done? I'm 99% sure Keradin still would have had them, because that was Extremely Important, but how would it be different?

It was a big party, so other people definitely heard Manta Ray's joke about the girl in the Dairy Isles, but were they the right people? Would they have had the context needed to put together that they should follow up on that?

And then what happens in Castle Candy? Does he keep biding his time? Caramelinda is, above all else, a creature of duty. But Amanda Maillard is from Muffinfield, I wouldn't be surprised if Calroy knew about the affair, or maybe found out if Amethar's absence made her a bit less careful about it. Maybe between that and her extreme frustration with Amethar, he'd see a chink in that duty-bound armor?

[wildsorcerer]

champion of the queen

im currently losing it over the fact that sir amanda maillard (ally’s secondary pc) was from house cruller and the implications of that so i wrote a minific. ~600 words. read it on ao3

Sir Amanda Maillard looked furtively over her shoulder before ducking into an alcove just around the corner from where Calroy Cruller skulked, whispering plans to a more trusted soldier. Maybe Amanda would have been that trusted advisor once, but Cruller was too smart not to see the way that she served the Queen, the false devotion turned true. Amanda strained to hear even a small part of his plans, but she could hear nothing over the beating of her own heart. He was planning something in the absence of the king, she knew it. 

The stress was wearing deeply on Caramelinda, and Amanda had done everything in her power to locate her daughters, but every lead had fallen through. It was only after her failed attempts to search Candia for the lost royals when she had noticed something off with Calroy, and entertained the idea that maybe he knew more than he was letting on.

This avenue was clearly not working. Cruller didn’t trust her enough anymore to make her privy to any of his plans, and he was being too careful for her to find anything out on her own. She sighed in frustration after just a minute and quietly kicked her graham cracker boot against the wall. Patience had never come easily to her, and this was no exception. Without another thought she abandoned her attempt at stealth and rounded the corner, walking straight up to Calroy where he stood muttering to a General of House Cruller.

Calroy looked annoyed at her approach but waved the General away, leaving them alone in the hallways of the East Wing of Castle Candy.

“Sir Amanda, what do you need?” Calroy asked, motioning her to follow as he began to walk towards the throne room.

“What are you planning, my lord?” Amanda dived right in, ignoring the alarmed look that he shot her, “I can tell that something is going on, and as the Queen’s Champion, I should be aware of any changes in the political situation,” she tried to reason, schooling her face to avoid any hint of suspicion. Calroy looked at her for a long moment, searching her face.

“Sir Maillard,” Cruller began, pausing in their walk to look through a window out over the grounds of the castle and the twinkling lights of Dulcington, “Who are you loyal to?”

“To yourself and the Queen,” Amanda responded reflexively, her brow furrowing at the question.

“Hm. Myself and the Queen,” the cake-man mused, still not looking at her. “In that order?”

Amanda had to pause. She was more loyal to House Cruller, but she could not deny the affection she held for the Queen. There was a deep ache in her heart at the thought of Caramelinda married to someone she did not love, alone in her grief and responsibility.

“Are you not loyal to the Queen?” She asked, and Calroy finally turned to her, his expression so derisive that her throat closed and a sinking pit formed in the deepest part of her instincts.

“Of course I am,” he said with a tight lipped smile, “In Sweetness There is Strength, after all.” With that he turned and began to walk away, this time making no indication that she should follow. 

Amanda stood silently, a deep chill in her, then moved to the window Calroy had just been looking out of. There was some faint lights in the distance, a ship making it’s way up the Cola River.

She did not believe him.

[achorusofnonsense]

after poring over the a crown of candy trailer again and again i think i have determined how the rest of the season will play out. posting just to be able to say i told you so if any of it comes true. below this line are potential spoilers from the trailer.

we just finished episode 10 (escape from castle candy), and episode 11 goes up in an hour.

the three remaining battle sets are:

1) a candy village square with a gallows and a bunch of vegetanian and ceresian soldiers

2) the “freezer” set, with suspended popsicles over a cotton-ball abyss

3) castle candy under siege, a return to the battlemap from episode 10

i put them in the order i am guessing they will air, for the following reasons:

1) d20 has put out a content warning for the “next week on” preview in episode 11, saying that it contains visuals of a hanging; since this coincides with the gallows visible in the candy village set, it’s easy to assume that that’s the battle set for episode 12. (also, emily can be seen at the table for the candy village set, which if i’m right that it’s next, suggests that her new character shows up tonight.)

2) it seems likely that the freezer set is not the final battle for a few reasons: first, every player character we know to be alive now is visible in it, and (as i detail below) i think it’s unlikely that everyone survives to the finale; and second,  based on wardrobe, the siege battle is the same (possibly two-part) episode as siobhan’s “family is exposed” line, which happens with candia’s roleplay lighting (pink and purple) instead of battle lighting (red), suggesting that a lot more will have to happen over the course of that battle set than normally does in a single episode: if a crown of candy holds to the fantasy high/unsleeping city pattern, the finale will take place over two episodes.

3) in one brief shot of the siege battle, a “closeup” aerial stand can be seen featuring minis that are unrecognizable to me as any of the player characters we know now. lou is cheering in a very un-amethar fashion (especially post-jet), which leads me to believe that he is playing a different character. since amethar is in the freezer set, the siege probably takes place after that.

so my predictions:

emily’s new character is bitternight darknibs (brennan’s pronunciation) or darknips (emily’s pronunciation), a sugarfree chocolate warlock mentioned by both brennan and emily in the first episode. she is the spellcaster who holds a large spoon in the freezer set.

ally will have a new character who is the minifigurine we see briefly riding a flying, flaming red beast which might be a dragon and which i would bet has some connection to red-hot candies, maybe even the mixture of cinnamon and capsaicin that you get in some latin american or caribbean candies. (it’s also possible that this is an evolution for liam after reuniting with his family, but i’m guessing that it’s a whole new character.)

lou’s new character? i’ve seen a lot of people saying amanda maillard, because brennan mentioned her in or before every episode where he expected amethar to die, but i’m guessing it’s probably someone we haven’t heard of yet, possibly the secret dairy offspring of his marriage to catherine ghee, ferried to candia by anabelle cheddar.

anyway, those are all my guesses. time to wait and see how wrong i am!