#ALSO KEYLETH!!!!!!!!! MY BELOVED!!!!

[diabeticgirl4]

Holy shoot episode 35 was such a GIFT

[revvethasmythh]

"You'll get yours. It's coming. And I'm going to help you. And I'm going to high five you when it's done. But until then, you keep that shit tucked inside. Let it build. And then when the time is right, you let her have it." - Grog Strongjaw to Keyleth, Campaign 1, Episode 73: The Coming Storm

[maddyscrsideblog]

Thinking about Orym's relationship with Keyleth and how she's the president but also kinda his aunt

[ghostsarchives]

Happy Pride Month to all peoples and Critters! Enjoy a small one of our lovely resident Gunslinger.

(Refrences for shirt and mug idea below)

[what-a-messek]

Can't believe my most beloved boys Dorian and Essek have both returned to me over the course of two episodes I've never won this hard in my life!!

[rocinawanda]

So I just finished season two of The Legend of Vox Machina and holy crap what a step up they went all out i’m still shocked.

Firstly I’m so glad they killed Umbrasyl (rip Kamaljiori you were a real one) fuck that acid dragon, he had an unfair advantage and was an asshole good riddance. But ah.. they have much bigger problems like a nest of DRAGON EGGS.

Moving along I adore how much character development each of VM got this season, so many backstories and growth agh I love it. When is season 3 coming?

MY BABY KEYLETH. When I say I screamed. We got to meet her father and she mastered fire (she’s the avatar guys) I’m so proud of her and was not expecting to get to see any of the Ashari so soon but they did it for me! Also she’s fully accepted her feelings for Vax lets go!

Speaking of Vax what a journey he went on, with all the ghoul jump scares I bought into thinking the Matron of Ravens was bad news but turns out she has his back and gave him incredible speed so I see this as an absolute win (for now).

An even bigger journey for Grog! Also so proud of him for standing up to his uncle, helping to change the perception of his people, going through a whole transformation and discovering the crew is all he needs to remain strong. Best Buddies got healed by young Pike I almost cried.

Speaking of crying I definitely didn’t sob when Vex DIED WTF but we got her back I truly don’t think I could manage without any of VM being around it would not be the same. Meeting her and Vax’s father was painful and if not for the adorable half-sister I would have been calling for patricide. That ep really got the root of Vex’s fight between wanting her father’s approval and realising she doesn’t need it. This shit is deep.

So.. fathers.. Scanlan my jaw dropped and stayed dropped. Makes perfect sense all I could think when Kaylie showed up is that they looked alike and considering Scanlan has bed half the population it wouldn’t surprise me if he had other kids running around. It was clearly hard and him and he struggled pretty much this whole season between his usual actions and trying to be more sincere and focusing on doing good. That final kill was insane and almost as awesome as the dragon enema play.

Also loved Pike this season just overall supporting everyone especially Grog and we got to meet her Great Great Grandpappy who took Grog in. They’re a whole family and I adore em.

Now that the risk of spoilers is for the most part gone I shall retreat to the tumblr searches and ao3

Also fuck Ripley

[abitcaughtinthemiddle]

Photo credit @featherbow

We need to talk about this scene. Yes, I was taken aback by the ABSOLUTE WHIPLASH of flipping from Vaxleth angst to Scanlan pain to Perc’ahlia, -ahem, being together. What a bold choice and I think it’s bloody brilliant. Here’s why.

Not only was this scene a great way to showcase the Vox Machina romantic relationship drama all at once but it also foreshadows how we find each relationship at in the current canon.

First, we have our tragic, doomed-by-the-narrative couple: Vax and Keyleth (these two always break my heart). Each sitting on the other side of the door, alone, yearning for each other - so close but so far- the tragedy of Vaxleth is that Vax will never have enough time and Keyleth will have all the time in the world. Vax, blanketed by the sun doing down, nighttime creeping in. And Keyleth in her dark bedchamber: dark, cold, and alone.

Second, we have our short but sweet Pike and Scanlan. The future divorcees. From what we I know in the current timeline (admittedly I am behind in C3), after divorcing Pike, Scanlan is out traveling Exandria with his daughter. Pike is still connected with her found family of Vox Machina (again, as far as I am aware) while Scanlan has been more transient- him being the one to walk away after their miscommunication and missed connection. The sunset, beautiful and short lived.

Finally, we have my beloved Percy and Vex. We see them together (horny little devils those two I love them), in a moment of (to put it in a less sexually explicit way) connection and passion. They’re the only ones still together: ruling Whitestone with their horde of children (they’re just practicing that bit for now- haha). Perc’ahlia is the lucky couple of these three- defying their seemingly hopeless future together, becoming stronger through each other and helping each other grow and be loved. The warm glow of the light behind them.

Anyway, I can’t stop thinking about this. Well done, just well fucking done.

[bonisonline]

WE GOT IT BOYS

FLUSTERED VAX <3

I love them so much

Also, Kiki being the confident one in the relationship is so wonderful to see. The fact that it started with her being all flustered and ends up with her being like "heh, about time" is just....BEAUTIFUL.

Soft Vaxleth, my beloveds <3 Reminds me of that one fanart of Keyleth holding Vax in her arms as they laid in bed - except this time it's a reality.

[shorthaltsjester]

one thing i will say about matt’s vex is that i do love very much that he keeps the like . occasional goofiness of her as well. because like yes of course vex is badass and hot and vm’s quasi leader and she’s highly competent and diplomatic and charismatic and there are many times when laura played her cleverly funny or quippy but there are also many, many times when she played her in a way that makes it clear that vex is also sometimes just a silly guy playing dress up (my beloved) and i really like that in playing a version of vex who is actively fulfilling her Leadership Diplomat Coin Mistress role matt tends to stick to the charming and sarcastic lady that everyone knows and loves but there are moments when vex who did things like make horking noises when her brother talked to keyleth and wrote scanlan a limerick about the time he accidentally tried to fuck his daughter and would show grog her boobs to inspire him and apologized to a bartender because her friends are stupid and so is she comes stumbling out instead of the very put together Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt™. anyway. this is all just to say that matt’s choice to play vex as giddy about delilah being in laudna’s rib prison was inspired and delightful and i could See the pieces of laura in that interaction in campaign 1 quality cameras in my mind.

[samuraiko]

He's Still Gone, I'm Still Here

So a Twitter friend of mine asked for a vignette of Keyleth dealing with the PTSD of her time in Vox Machina, and my mind kept going back to something that Matt had said and that Marisha had loved. And from that came this.

---

Twelve hours later…

She lies in her bed, the massive furred form of Trinket curled up around her, protecting her as though she were one of his cubs. She can still hear the songs of the people of Vasselheim outside her window, singing of victory and gratitude. But she still feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

Two weeks later…

She lies in her bed, too exhausted to wash away the dust and blood from her foray into Pandemonium. She can still the voice of an elven woman in the back of her mind, talking of loss and comfort and pain. And still she feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

Eight months later…

She lies in her bed, her eyes fixed upon the massive cherry blossom tree that stands in the distance. She remembers the slight weight of a raven on her shoulder, its cool feathers beneath her fingers, its beak against her cheek. And still she feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

Six months later…

She lies in her bed, the covers pulled tightly over her head, though she can still smell the warm, salt-kissed sea breeze of Shamal Bay outside, still hear the soft susurring of the waves against the shore. She can still hear that voice, that beloved, beautiful voice, so warm against her ear as her own words failed her. So many things she wanted to say, and so few moments to say them. And still she feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

Days and months and years later…

She lies in her bed, guilt tearing her in two, the warring emotions of joy and love and grief and anger and regret and frustration burning the tears from her eyes. She can still hear her mother's voice, not just a memory anymore but real, but deep, deep down, she wishes it had been someone else coming through that tree, running to her, arms outstretched, pulling her close. And still she feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

Another year later…

She lies in her bed, eyes and nose red from crying, the taste of too much ale in her mouth from celebrating the completion of the Crisis Orbs and the Widow's Garden and the Snowdrop Memorial Trail. She can still hear Percy and Vex's speeches, and then afterward, in private, their shared grief and mourning. And still she feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

And another year later…

She lies in her bed, wounded and exhausted beyond all imagining after the attack, the smell of blood and death and rage still simmering in the air like heat above the desert. She can still hear the cries and wails and chants and prayers from outside as soul after Ashari soul are sung to the afterlife, but she also can still hear, whether real or just her imagination, the sound of feathered wings rushing just behind her, out of sight. And still she feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

Six years later…

She lies in her bed, battered, poisoned, clinging to life, though whether out of a desire to live or a refusal to die or sheer spite against Ludinus Da'leth and Otohan Thull and Liliana Temult, she cannot say. She can hear the anxious whispers of her retainers, of the herbalists, of the Master of Defense marshalling the Tempest Blades, but even louder in her ears, drowning out all else, she hears an agonized scream that echoes unrelentingly in her memory. And still she feels the cold, still feels the emptiness.

He's still gone. I'm still here.

A few months later…

She lies in her bed, the massive furred form of Trinket curled up around her, protecting her as though she were one of his cubs. She can still hear the songs of the people of Vasselheim outside her window, singing of hope and of faith. But now she feels the cold turn to fire, feels the emptiness filled by a singular, all-consuming, all-encompassing purpose, and a familiar rage that burns hotter than the sun.

He's... he's... I'm still here. I'm still here. I'm still here I'm still here I'mstillhereI'mstillhereI'mstillhere...

[throwmethatcello]

During campaign 1 Scanlan left the campaign. Just stood up and left the table, the rest of the cast was shook and furious, but it ended up working into a great storyline and introducing a new beloved character.

Keyleth fucking yeeted herself off a cliff because she though she was, and I quote, "basicaly a god". Instantly died what to this day one may consider the stupidiest death in critical role history, puting Vex (and Laura Bailey) in an awful situation that she must have hated but at the end of the day it was extremely funny and a moment to remember.

The campaign was over, Matt was preparing to close it all and have them live happily ever after, and Grog decides to pull a card from the fucking DECK OF MANY THINGS, JUST FOR FUNSIES!! Because it made sense to his character and also bc he was curious. Died in the act. All the characters had to press pause on their grief for Vax and their relief of it all being over to address the situation and a whole ass one-shot was made to bring him back. It was great.

Campaign 2, Jester went an pulled the fuckery of the century by attempting to modify the memory of an old, extremely powerful hag. The probability of that going south was real and for all we know, if the hag had succeded that wisdom save characters could have ended up dead. But it worked and I don't need to remind you how epic that was.

Also a lot of Mighty Nein shenanigans that were reckless and irresponsible and ended up turning out great, I'm just writting the ones at the top of my head.

What I'm trying to say is that maybe D&D is a game and maybe taking awfuly calculated risks pays off sometimes and others they don't, but maybe players have the right to be messy and reckless and even selfish sometimes, especially if it makes sense to their character. Yeah, what Ashton did was dumb and inconsiderate to the rest, especially Fearne. That happens. They are humans playing humans (or other races but you get where i'm going), it's bound to get messy and complicated and even ugly sometimes, that's what creates great storytelling, so be mad all you want but insulting Taliesin, calling him stuff and just attacking the cast in any way the moment they make a choice you don't like is dumb and unfair. I haven't forgotten the treatment Marisha got from the fandom during the entirety of Campaign 1 and I wont stand for any more of that shit. Learn to fucking behave yourselves.

[nellie-elizabeth]

The Legend of Vox Machina: Prisoners of Ank'Harel (3x02)

Shit, the Scanlan stuff that I assume is coming at the end of this season is going to fuck me up.

Cons:

Still slightly questioning the Vax/Keyleth angle here, I really kind of loved how in the campaign she was the one with all the doubts. But I'm trying to give it a chance this way, too! It's not like this is a bad story to tell about the two of them, it's just not the story I expected.

I liked Scanlan's subplot but the moment where he and Kaylie go back and he gets another drink and ends up getting shitfaced was kind of confusing to me? I think it was supposed to be that he knew his friends might be in danger, and he didn't want to screw up with Kaylie, and he got overwhelmed with the responsibility and got drunk... but there was some slight awkwardness with the sequence of events, I thought. He left to talk to Kaylie on a walk so he could, ostensibly, try and figure out what was going on with his friends, but then he turns around and goes back to the bar when he sees some guards? I guess I could have used maybe a concrete reminder that part of Kaylie's baggage is that Scanlan just goes off adventuring and that she has no sympathy for it. Because I kept thinking... Scanlan, just tell her you want to meet with her later and have a meal together, tell her you just came by to set that up. Then go off and find the rest of Vox Machina. This isn't that difficult to arrange! But I don't know, I'm complaining about a very small timing issue, I think.

Pros:

Soooo much cool shit to talk about with this one, I hardly know where to begin!

Percy playing along and then getting one over on Anna was so cool, he's such a genius badass, my beloved! The animation of Orthax is dope as hell. And we get a name for Ripley's cool cloak, which campaign watchers already would have known: Cabal's Ruin. For the most part I think they do a pretty good job of tracking all the Vestiges and giving them distinct moments to shine. So it was cool that the Plate of the Dawnmartyr didn't really have any play this episode, and then we find out that it's been a forgery the whole time. So its time to shine is still to come! For those keeping score at home: Vax, Scanlan, Vex, and Grog all have vestiges at this point. So it's Percy, Pike, and Keyleth who do not. We have two Vestiges named on the board: the plate, and the cloak. We're getting close to a full set! (I'm fairly confident they've cut Vax's second vestige, Whisper, from the show, because it would be overkill narrative-wise.)

My Percy/Vex heart is beating so fast, there was so much great content here with them! Vex is so scared for him, so desperate to find him, and then she throws herself in front of a bullet for him, and he holds her and calls for help as she bleeds... SWOON. I loved the group hug after Percy is saved at the end, and the little Vex/Percy handhold moment. Then they have a talk about Percy and guilt and what he really wants... I can't wait to see what awaits here as the season continues.

Combat-wise we got a couple of really cool moments, particularly the gang rescuing Percy. I think I want to give MVP of this episode to Grog, though, for his tactical brilliance of asking the little kids playing pretend with a fake gun if they knew where the real things might be in the city! That was such a precious moment. Grog as this big dumb giant who is just so protective and loving to small beings is just... everything I ever wanted for this adaptation of the character. Grog also calling out and trying to fight his way to Percy as Vox Machina are dragged away was another great moment for our buddy!

Pacing problems about the Kaylie stuff notwithstanding, I do still love the emotional journey Scanlan is going on here. Him calling out to her that she's his only family... ouch! And then Kaylie, trying to put aside her doubts and give him a chance, and him failing to live up to that... god damn, they're taking a plot thread that already hurt my feelings in the original campaign, and really twisting the knife! I can't wait for everyone to lose their shit when they see where some of this is going for Scanlan.

Gilmore was fantastic in this episode. It's a fun way to bring some of the energy from the stream forward to the story: Gilmore as an NPC, Gilmore as a true ally and valuable resource, who also is just kinda... not wanting to be super involved in all these shenanigans, for good reason. The poor guy has to fake being a guard in order to let Vox Machina investigate the archives looking for clues of where to find Percy, and while he does an admirable job, it's clear he'd rather not be involved in such a way! I loved the joke about his rival in Ank'Harel stealing his naming convention and even the font for his storefront.

J'Mon Sa Ord is SO COOL. Probably favorite character design of the season so far. The tall, lanky build, the eyes, the voice... I was so excited to meet them and this reveal does not disappoint. You know that they would have killed Percy (or "changed" him) without remorse, but you also know that they'd never want to do something unjust in any way. It's a cool setup for the ruler of a nation. You really feel like you can trust them to do what they think is right. And the scene where they used Mythcarver to see Ripley and understand Percy's innocence was so awesome to see animated! I can't wait to see them in their other form at some point this season, too.

I'll stop there. Just one more episode and then I have to wait another week for more! Boo!

9/10

[marcussour]

Random C3E113 bits and thoughts

The magic of editing on Sam's ad

"Silver Saddles"

Lionel being -possibly- a duck that was true polymorphed by Scanlan will never stop being funny

GOD DAMN THE COCONUTS ALA MONTY PYTHON FOR THE CENTAURS SOUND

Oh no, Percy and Vex conversation with Keyleth really got me

Old man Trinket!

"She's fenomenal at letting go"

Of course there's been conversations about Vex keeping Percy in the locket so he doesn't die of old age. The couple of all time those 2.

They remembered Junie and Wax! (Wax, damn it, I mean, if you have to find a way to shorten Wildhand'ildan)

Meat Man: Imports and Sexports

Cerkonos being Scanlan's biggest fan will never stop being funny. Bless Robbie for the way he took over the character and gave it a personality.

MAN, INCREDIBLE DICE ROLL. HAD IT BEEN CHETNEY, HE WOULD'VE DIED. THANKFULLY IT WAS GROG.

Of course Percy didn't wanted to leave Whitestone undefended, and also, had his doubts about sending troops with guns to fight

J'MON SA ORD MY BELOVED!

So the troops are arriving to the Malleus key basically in "Avengers: Endgame" final battle way.

FUCK YEAH, LIAM'S BACK AS LIEVE'TEL

I was waiting so much for the moment that Vex would break the news of Bertrand's death to Lieve'tel

I love how all these chucklefucks still behave as always among themselves, and then had to put their more regal faces when talking with Bells Hells or the rest of the world. And I know it's because there's a difference from them being player characters to Matt playing them as NPCs. Don't know if it was planned or not, but it certainly works.

"can you make the noise?"

Celestials!

FUCK SHIT UP

Man I hope we'll see one day this scene of the gathering of forces animated -and that they have enough budget to pull it through, cause there's a lot of characters here-.

Trinket <3

Amazing that Sam still has the old giant tankard

Look at you Essek (also, hilarious that Vox Machina has no clue who he is, even under disguise as Seth)

And Essek's brother is here too, aka, HOT BOY N°2

"I write poetry"; "That's fine"

"Keyleth, can you sign my tits?"

Oh the goodberries

XANDIS!!! I love that he now has to stuck around Vox Machina

Oh Lieve'tel, the silver bell was a memento from Bertrand

Don't remember where I read it, but it's amazing how Grog takes over Travis whenever he's playing it, a sight to behold

Oh how I've missed Scanlan's songs

Oh that map with all the minis is awesome. At this point it's gonna end up looking like a Warhammer map with all the minis.

Matt's gotta have a full box of minis just for Keyleth's transformations

Also, love the new Vox Machina minis

"There's some horse in this house"

The Krin Dinasty troops fighting remindes me of the elves at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring

NO MERCY PERCY!! Of course his first attack is a NAT 20, and also, of course his walking cane is a sword that's also a gun

That was the most Grog thing that could've happened

"3 headed white raven as a planar ally", Lieve'tel's not playing around

Nothing more on brand for Kiki than accidentally burning the Krin soldiers next to the Vanguard ones. But hey, fog of war

OPAL HAS ENTERED THE CHAT!

I wish Aimee had been there, but they might've need a bigger table for 10 people

Devo'ssa's new mini is so pretty

Grog's so OP that he made quick work of the vidulch almost as if was nothing. Gotta love high level barbarians.

Well, that was a great episode. I'm so glad to have Vox Machina back, at least for a couple of episodes.

[critter-rarepair-reccs]

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today we have eight fics in modern settings for you all! Have a look at them below the cut and if you end up checking some of them out on ao3, please don’t forget to leave kudos and comments! 🩷

Having Trouble Breathing In by Torchiclove (17,445 words, Teen) Pairing: Keyleth/Pike Trickfoot (Pikeleth) Warnings: None

‘The paramedic would take her breath away, if the asthma hadn’t done it for her.’ Keyleth falls for Pike in a modern AU.

Reccer Says: Enjoyable and well written fic of Keyleth falling for Pike in a modern AU. Explores Keyleth as a character with anxiety and it's a great, gentle depiction of falling in love with great characterisation despite the rare pair.

Live your whole life on a might-have-been by Chrome (2,681 words, Teen) Pairing: Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast (Widobrave) Warnings: None

Just a very short and atmospheric peice set in a modern au where Caleb and Veth met at university, and he’s driving her part of the way home for the holidays.

Reccer Says: I can’t describe the feelings this fic gives me. It’s understated and bittersweet and so full of longing that you’ll want to die. It feels like a Hemingway story almost with the way it manages to pack so much meaning in between the words the characters actually say.

And I became hypnotized by freckles and bright eyes by SunshineAndaLittleFlour (1,007 words, Teen) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk) Warnings: Drunk kissing

Molly didn’t realize he probably shouldn’t be kissing someone else’s partner until after he’d already started doing it.

Reccer Says: This fic, this whole series in fact, is absolutely wonderful! Its fun, flirty and emotional as well as smutty and one of the best stories/series for the purple boys and their ginger partner. Always a delight to read and this fic starts an awesome series off wonderfully!

softly, softly by maricolous (837 words, Teen) Pairing: Fjord/Mollymauk Tealeaf (Fjolly) Warnings: None

Fjord comes home from his shitty retail job to Molly, his roommate-turned-partner. They make out about it.

Reccer Says: It’s very cute and sweet, with a side of what feels Fjolly-typical horniness. It’s a fun little fic!

if we were a movie by burningdarkfire (8,800 words, Teen) Pairing: Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett (Beaujes) Warnings: None

Jester decides to try and set Caleb and Essek up and ropes Beau into it. Cue many “friend” double-dates, a classic disaster lesbian Beau crush, attempts at coping with it, delightful romcom nonsense, a fun side of Shadowgast, and a very sweet ending.

Reccer Says: It’s silly, it’s fun, it’s heartfelt. Everyone’s voices are so on-point and every moment Feels like them. Beau is a mess and I love her, I want to squish Jester in my hands, and the wizards are menaces of a side pairing. Also the conversation between Beau and Essek at the maid cafe is so good.

candy hearts (so sweet on you) by thaumasilva (5,149 words, General) Pairing: Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett (Beaujes) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Implied Stalking (not between Beaujes)

Beau keeps visiting the gift wrapping station at the mall to get her Winter’s Crest presents wrapped, and the cute tiefling working there keeps giving her candy hearts with flirty messages, or: Three times Beau wanted to ask Jester out, and the one time she didn’t have to.

Reccer Says: It's just a sweet as the name implies, aaaa it's so cute

Intervention by VioletTeaTime (1,965 words, Teen) Pairing: Fjord/Caleb Widogast (Widofjord) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Fjord intimidates the guy bothering bartender!Beau’s favorite customer into taking a hint and leaving. Then he gets flirted with and Beau complains about having to watch.

Reccer Says: ace fjord my beloved <3 also the boys' background friendships with Beau are very sweet

all actions and reactions by grayintogreen (2,879 words, General) Pairing: Astrid Beck/Jester Lavorre (Jestrid) Warnings: Depression, Burn-out

One of her friends suffered a breakdown, the other found religion, and now Astrid Beck, suffering from burnout and stress and a myriad of other things a pre-law student can suffer, has found the cherry on her misery sundae. Someone keeps buying all of the cinnamon scones she loves, and now she must end them.

Reccer Says: An amazing translation of the characters into a Modern AU, and surprisingly sweet

Thank you for joining us for our second 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 Whump. If you have any you’d like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Pre-Relationship, and you can also submit fics for that now!

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! 🩷

[copperhawkthoughts]

Dressed to the Neins 2 - Percy

Ah No Mercival Percival, my beloved…

Rambly design details below the cut!

As I said in the video, the design elements that drew me to this pattern for Percy were threefold:

1. The central four-pointed star motif just really looks like jewellery - something off of a crown or out of the vault of some kind of European royalty. In fact if anybody here reads Girl Genius, it reminds me strongly of the family emblems Gil, Tarvek and Agatha wear at their throats.

2. Paired with point 1, the fact that there is this thin, meandering row peeking out from behind the central motif was too good to pass up - it’s so easy to read that as curse smoke leaking out from collar and cuffs, from behind Percy’s veneer of embarrassed nobility.

3. The last big one is these “trees”, which I took to stand for Whitestone, and symbolize its ruin and recovery.

When it came to picking the colours, this palette was pretty straightforward. The sapphire blue was first - that’s Percy blue. I knew I also wanted to represent Vex in this square, so that’s the peacock teal.

After that we had to have black for Orthax (fun fact - the only other characters to get the true black in their squares are Vax, obviously, and through him Kiki and Vex), silver for wealth and nobility but also the polished gleam of a gun barrel, and white for Percy’s hair and also the sorts of things white usually represents in (western) art.

Last we have brown, for the dying Sun Tree and the ruin of Whitestone, and then that particular shade of green, which represents both the fresh hope of newly budding leaves and is also a little radioactive-looking, representing the residuum whose production and export eventually restore the wealth and power of Whitestone as a seat of innovation and industry.

When choosing the colour placement, I put Percy’s blue + white at the core to represent past & future Percy - the young lordling with the bright future and the fully-fledged Lord of Whitestone, recovered. Also, the alternating rings of colour look like a target :D

Silver borders that, both because it reinforces the visual of a piece of jewellery and also because that way it sort of looks like looking down the barrel of a gun, if that gun was a…four shooter? Look I know that’s not a thing and it’s a stretch but my brain made the association and now I can’t shake it.

The sneaky row is black, of course, and the row after that, which actually obscures a lot of the black stitches by design, is Vex “take off the mask, darling” ‘ahlia’s teal blue. The last two rows of the centre section are silver and Perce blue for the man himself, and the way he builds himself back up, wraps himself in his coat and his dignity and keeps going.

I said enough already on the brown and green rows, so the last two are black (can’t ever truly shake that darkness, Freddie) and white - for healing, for peace, for hair that’d have gone white by now anyway.

If you read all that, wow, thank you. Same bat time, same bat channel next week for Keyleth!

[random-french-girl]

Okay I'm doing it. I'm righting my wrongs. I am finishing campaign 1 of Critical Role, which I abandoned YEARS ago somewhere in the mid 90s episodes because, idk, life happened and I lost interest.

I started back at episode 94, I'm up to episode 99 now and my two main takeaways are:

1) I'm never gonna love Vox Machina as much as I love the M9 or Bell's Hells. Part of it is honestly just personal taste: there's like, only two characters I truly love (Vex and Keyleth, my beloveds) and a few relationships that I care about (the twins, Percy and Kiki's friendship, Vax/Keyleth to some extent, obviously Vex/Keyleth), whereas in the M9 and BH I'm interested in almost everyone, and I love soooo many dynamics! Another part of it (which may also be subjective) is that in CR2 and CR3 I find the cast SO much more at ease with each other's play styles. Like the group dynamic has truly solidified and they all mesh together so well. There's less cross talk, less awkwardness, less moments of tension; there's more balance, more understanding and patience and open joy at everyone doing their thing.

2) That being said, watching Vox Machina is still a uniquely rewarding experience, because yeah they're still finding their footing as a production, but they're also all playing characters they visibly know and love so so so much, characters they created/played for themselves before they ever did for an audience... I don't know, it's less polished, but also when you get to the later VM campaign episodes, the characters truly are family in an organic way that comes, I imagine, from the fact that the cast has spent more time with them than any other characters, and from the fact that these were their first PCs. It feels very nostalgic, in the best way.