#Cr fan theory

[myowndesertplaces]

I did not catch this on first view, but I think Matt confirmed the connection between the Malleus Key and the Factorum Malleus in episode 48. During the dream Matt says the following to FCG at the 2:51:45 mark:

MATT: I will say, there's something about the machinery that is assembled around this tower, and it didn't quite hit you before, because you didn't quite get close enough to view it, but now that you have a moment, there is an odd familiarity to the way this design has been built and implemented around this spire.

Upon waking, FCG interprets this "familiarity" to be about the other automatons. This is partially because Sam was specifically asking to get a closer look at the Automatons, which Matt describes before saying this. However, Matt is clearly referring to the machinery built around the spire. Therefore, it's possible FCG was in Aeor when the Factorum Malleus was being constructed. At the very least, we know this is Aeorian technology. I think it's fair to assume that Matt's use of "Malleus" here is not one of his red herrings, or an example of him re-using a name, or Ludinus simply being inspired to name his machines after what the wizards of Aeor were building. There is a connection between the Keys Ludinus is building and the machine Aeor built to destroy the Gods.

[critcatbar]

I can't remember if I ever actually posted about this, but...

Ever since Matt first described the Judicators and their masks, I immediately thought of the descriptions in Calamity about how the betrayer gods basically used up, corrupted, and disfigured their clerics as basically just belief-power batteries. I have to watch [Calamity] again for the actual description but I remember it being gnarly.

I just... have a gut feeling that's basically what the Judicators are. The weapon of the betrayer gods turned against them. That despicable method used in the name of good. Carefully guarded and limited, but not hidden or eradicated because it's too useful. Too powerful to just let die out.

I feel like... If anyone ever successfully removed one's mask... these respective followers of "good" and "evil" would be indistinguishable.

[darkfluffydragon]

CRK Character Analysis and Theory: Hollyberry Cookie

Hollyberry is so, painfully overlooked. And I think it's almost by design, really. She's a cheerful, strong-willed character who's never really seen to have been really upset, other than when the truth about White Lily was revealed. Sure, there were subtle signs of her struggle, but never anything that really stuck or was obvious enough that 'it seemed important'. This led to the fandom joking around about her traumas, dismissing what she experienced and acknowledging all the Ancient's hardships, except for hers. She became the joke of the group, the "Except Hollyberry" meme.

And yeah, it's funny when looked at in a quick, general view. It's also sort of...not fair on her. She suffered the same as the other ancients, just because she doesn't scream "I'M TRAUMITISED HELP ME", it doesn't mean that she doesn't have problems.

She may not be like Pure Vanilla, who lost his entire kingdom. She may not be like Golden Cheese, who returned to everyone she loved being dead. She may not be like Dark Cacao whose son tried to kill him, or like White Lily who has to experience the maddening guilt of the consequences of her own actions, but that doesn't mean that what she does experiences should just be dismissed because they're seen as "not as drastic as the others".

Hollyberry has always been shown to be a very family and relationship-orientated person. She cares for them a lot, and visibly cherishes her relationships with all her friends and family. It is her shame of being incapable of protecting them that made her flee, she deemed herself unworthy of being able to protect them. or calling herself not just her family's protector, but her kingdom's protector. This happened after she watched Pure Vanilla basically sacrifice himself to save them and the rest of Earthbread from Dark Enchantress, which she didn't. couldn't do anything to help. And she had been gone for so long, that the Hollyberry Kingdom had to start a contest to try and find a new heir. That entire time, did Hollyberry blame herself for "her failures? For the entirety of however long the period between the Dark Flour Wars was, to the present day?

Eventually, though, she does come back. She comes back and saves her kingdom from Pitaya again, so all is well. Right? Except not really? I've already mentioned that she's a family-oriented person. She defeated Pitaya with the help of Princess Cookie (and Knight Cookie), Princess Cookie who she basically missed her entire childhood of. She never got to see Princess Cookie grow up. The family lost Tiger Lily Cookie while she was gone, and she couldn't do anything. Because she wasn't there. Once again, she has failed them.

She's the Queen Mother again, she's come back and is the hero again with the shield and she defeated Pitaya Cookie once again. She got everything back, without getting any consequences from her disappearance. Pitaya returned because she had abandoned her kingdom. She's the 'hero again' and 'got her shield back again' because she threw them away in the first place. They lost Tiger Lily Cookie and they still haven't found her granddaughter, yet somehow the kingdom sees fit to call her the Queen Mother.

She may have all of this, but does Hollyberry actually think she deserves all of this? Is this not all stuff she would feel she should blame herself for? That she should feel guilt and shame for? Hollyberry has gotten her status back, but she hasn't gotten back the one thing that she cherishes the most. That is the close relationship she had with her family, because of just how long she's been gone. Like, during their reunion? Royalberry personally regarded Hollyberry only one time. The first time he'd seen his mother in who knows how long, and it was him questioning if it really was her or not. Almost like they're just...close strangers. To me, it didn't seem like a familial relationship or a reunion. Probably because that entire part was mostly focused on them talking to Princess, with Hollyberry in the background despite showing up finally for the first time in forever!

Despite the episode being about her, it felt like she didn't belong.

Moving on from the alienation within her own family, I think her drinking problem is really, really overlooked. Seriously, her fondness for drinking is one of her most notable character traits, often portrayed as a part of her hearty and celebratory nature. But there's a fine line between enjoying the drinks in moderation and using it as a coping mechanism. She drinks so much, that Wildberry Cookie is asked to watch over her and monitor her (presumably by Jungleberry as stated in the Legend of the Red Dragon storyline. Also, the fact that a third party has to be the one to ask, and be concerned about her drinking habits??? That it wasn't even her own son, that it was her son's wife. That Jungleberry decided to help, intervene not through confrontation, but indirectly through someone else.)

She drank so much, she literally had a goblet that would never run out of berry juice!

("Hollyberry Cookie's Never-drying Goblet: A goblet that is always filled with berry juice, full-bodied and fragrant. It gets refilled the very next instant one takes their sip, hence the "never-drying.")

Hollyberry drinks so much, in the past and now, that even her friends and the people who know her dismiss her actions and go as far as to even just assume that what she does in her free time, is drink berry juice.

Hollyberry's frequent indulgence could be seen as a means of numbing the emotional pain she feels, particularly in response to her failures and feelings of inadequacy. Her idealisation as a hero, protector, and "Queen Mother" might place immense pressure on her to appear unbreakable, pushing her to hide her vulnerabilities behind her jovial personality and a tankard of berry juice.

It's confirmed that when adventuring, she used to take on an alias name. Take on a different identity, hiding who she is as Hollyberry (the legendary hero, the ancient cookie, the queen of a kingdom), to simply be Sweet Pinkberry Cookie. This felt the need to use another name when travelling, Tarte Tartin Cookie knew her as Sweet Pinkberry Cookie, and the Dragon City knew her as Sweet Pinkberry Cookie, she specifically instructed Wildberry to keep her true name a secret and to call her by her alias while within the city. This could have been a method she used to have used to escape her duties and expectations as "Hollyberry Cookie", which had been tied to her name. Her responsibilities definitely weigh down on her, and it seems like her method of dealing with them is to run away. Whether it is through drinks, or through physically hiding who she is and leaving for an adventure. This is ironic, considering her CRK skill is quite literally her charging forward with her shield.

It is through obligation, and her will to protect those she cares about, like Princess and Knight during the Hollyberry Palace story, that she stands strong and firm as a shield. That's what she's passionate about.

Hollyberry’s coping mechanisms are more subtle but no less significant. Her drinking, cheerful facade, and detached family life all suggest an internal struggle that is often dismissed due to her strong appearance. Her trauma is less about obvious scars and more about the quieter toll of endless battles, unspoken regrets, and the pressure to remain a symbol of strength.

The way Hollyberry is perceived reflects a common issue in storytelling: characters who don’t display their trauma in overtly painful ways can be seen as having “less” to deal with. However, Hollyberry’s struggles with alienation and possibly self-medicating behaviour reveal a more subtle picture of a hero who, despite her laughter and strength, is quietly weighed down by the guilt she feels.

Now, into more...theorising territory. Specifically, how I think Eternal Sugar's story will go.

Hollyberry's drinking and avoidance are not just coping mechanisms; they also tie into the theme of sloth in a...nuanced way. Sloth is traditionally understood as laziness or a reluctance to act (WHICH CAN BE SEE IN THE HOLLYBERRY PALACE STORY), which can also manifest as emotional avoidance and a failure to confront difficult truths (GET OUT OF HER PURE VANILLA THIS AIN'T ABOUT YOU still love you though <3). For Hollyberry, her drinking and retreat from her responsibilities reflect a deeper avoidance of her guilt and emotional turmoils. Rather than addressing the pain of failing to protect her family and friends, she withdraws from it, numbing herself with berry juice and pretending that everything is alright.

She seeks solace in alcohol, allowing herself to temporarily escape the weight of her responsibilities. While drinking may seem harmless on the surface, it represents the passive avoidance of the emotional work needed to heal and make amends. This is where sloth comes into play. It is not the lack of physical activity or courage since Hollyberry is brave and strong, but rather a reluctance to face uncomfortable emotions.

Her drinking can also be seen as a way of slipping into complacency, allowing herself to remain stuck in a cycle of self-pity and guilt, rather than taking active steps to repair the damage done to her family relationships. The choice to rely on alcohol becomes an act of sloth, where it's easier to drown her sorrows and pretend they don't exist than confront them.

Each trial the Ancients had gone through so far had been related to the Beasts and their previous virtues. Pure Vanilla learnt Knowledge about the witches, about the beasts, about White Lily, and had to face a cruel mental quiz by Shadow Milk. Dark Cacao had a battle of will as he travelled up a seemingly endless journey, and had to keep his resolution as he watched all the people he cherishes fade into flour. While for Golden Cheese, it isn't clear yet what it is her trial will be, there has been quite a literal sense of destruction for her (cough cough 🍗 cough cough), and with her hiding the Soulcheese and all she cares about in a vault to avoid having them be destroyed in the following battle against Burning Spice Cookie). It would be safe to assume that the trial Hollyberry would have to go through would be emotional by nature as well, which conveniently fits the issues currently being discussed.

The theme of sloth in her character arc highlights how emotional avoidance can lead to great suffering, not just for herself but for those around her. By choosing not to face her pain, Hollyberry leaves her family to suffer the consequences of her absence, most notably the loss of Tiger Lily Cookie. Her Sloth is not just about failing to act physically, but about failing to engage with her emotional responsibilities. She allowed her guilt to paralyze her, keeping her from returning to her family and from offering the protection and love she knew they needed. Though this has been resolved, the emotional difficulties haven't, and rather, they've all been glossed over.

I believe that Eternal Sugar will use this against her, as her virtue is Happiness. In relation to sloth, happiness can sometimes be a way to avoid dealing with difficult emotions or responsibilities. Rather than actively pursuing genuine fulfilment, one might settle for a superficial, temporary happiness that prevents them from engaging with deeper, more challenging aspects of their life. This type of happiness can be slothful, as it involves choosing the path of least resistance, avoiding discomfort or personal growth. This fits in perfectly with Hollyberry's use of alcohol, avoidance, and happy attitude,

For Hollyberry, real happiness would come from reconnecting with her family, healing from her guilt, and accepting responsibility for her actions. By avoiding these challenges, she sacrifices the possibility of deeper happiness in favour of a shallow, slothful contentment. The cost of this avoidance is not only her own emotional well-being but also the relationships that matter most to her, as her absence leads to greater harm for her loved ones. In order to overcome Eternal Sugar, she'll need to learn to finally confront these problems. Finally learn to properly heal, and not rely on the berry juice to solve her problems.

[sisyphusrequiem]

AFFOGATO COOKIE ANALYSIS! +some art

Affogato cookie, my favourite in the game and one of the most underrated… and hated, for decent reason.

He also stands as one of the most mysterious, with little to nothing being given regarding his core motivations or past. As a result, this is my psychoanalysis of Affogato Cookie, and what his past may look like!

Starting off with evidence we can draw from the main quest, we can easily surmise that:

- Affogato is intelligent, cunning and manipulative. He knows what to say to sway people to his side, and make their opinions into his. He holds a subtle disdain for Dark Cacao through his dialogue when conversing with and about him, as if he has to force himself to say the words ‘My Lord’ and such.

- He shows an apathy towards the people of the kingdom, and yet also shows respect. He is quick to turn away villages desperately seeking need, but quick to reward those who follow him. Despite his cruelty regarding everything, he states his wish as a ruler is to “Make all cookies in this Kingdom able to spend their days happy and free.”

- Regarding his past he says, “Most of my life I was down on my knees. Even the moments I was allowed to sit in a chair, none of them were spent in comfort.”

- And, when sharing delicacies, he seems to favour the priests most.

Evidence outside of main quest:

- His description says: Affogato Cookie spent restless years without a place to belong until he came up with a simple solution: to create a land of his own once and for all! He appeared out of nowhere on a frigid night in the Dark Cacao Kingdom and has been busy earning the trust and favour of the locals with the help of his strange concoctions and mysterious chants.

- One of his ascension quotes is: "The Coffee Village? I barely remember my time there... "

- And his loading screen trivia reads: "After leaving his home, Affogato Cookie wandered the land and learned a lot about magic and witchcraft."

With all this evidence compiled, this is my theory for his past and motives!

It can be believed he grew up in the coffee village, spending his childhood years there. Since, however, he hardly remembers his time there, it can be assumed it was destroyed long ago, from a rough timeline of Affo’s pre-teens to young adult years. The description for its place on the map says ‘the only known home location has been left abandoned and in disarray.’ This means the villagers must have left in a hurry, so it can be theorised that something must have attacked, possibly some wild animals, especially since something similar happened to the Milk Tribes village.

He said he spent his time without a place to belong, suggesting he was travelling alone. Because of how destroyed the coffee village was, and how little we’ve seen of other coffee tribe residents, we can make the assumption Affogato cookies parents, caretakers, and/or other family died in the attack, if they weren’t already dead prior to the destruction of the village.

My belief is this event made him want to become ruler of the kingdom, so he could prevent it from ever happening again, and could protect all other tribes and villages in the area. I also believe that as time went on, this belief became distorted, until he began to prioritise his own role as leader as the most important thing. I still do believe he desired prosperity within the kingdom, but we’ll discuss that later!

Following his travels we know he learned many things about magic, witchcraft, and manipulation tactics. However, there aren’t many other specifics to fill this large gap of time in his life. From comments such as “Most of my life I was down on my knees”, his knowledge of ‘mysterious chants’, his favour of the priests, and even his decor, where he burns incense and prays, it can be surmised he was a priest or at least performed religious rites. Whether or not this is something he did as a kid, and then continued to do as a way to make money or simply devoted himself to such a thing, or if it’s something he picked up along his travels and then decided to utilise is unclear, but we know it’s a talent he picked up. It also suggests his ‘strange concoctions’ may be a form of apothecary, and that this may also be a job he picked up or pursued, perhaps even both at the same time to make ends meet and further his skills?

Finally, his lovely entrance into the Dark Cacao Kingdom itself! It says he appeared on a frigid night, quite possibly using a vulnerable day as a way to make himself appear as a sort of angel, helping them at their most desperate, and earning their trust. He probably started as a helper, earning the affection and approval of the locals (which was probably easy even without manipulation, because he had first-hand experience of the difficulty of surviving without security!), before working his way up as an apothecary, priest, (these are both implied in: ‘busy earning the trust and favour of the locals with the help of his strange concoctions and mysterious chants’) and finally becoming the king's right hand man. Then it continues on with the events we already know from the main story.

From my theory of his past, these are what I surmise as his motivations: Following the destruction of his village, he wished he could become ruler so other villages could stay protected and be safe forever. Along his journey of furthering his skills, he began to lose sight of this goal and instead wished to become ruler of the land and have everyone under his rule. However! My belief is when he became ruler, he looked back on his previous wish of safety, and thought while safety is important, comfort should be valued above all. Spending his life on his knees and in discomfort, he wishes for everyone who went through similar things to no longer have to suffer the way they always have. He begins to slow the security of the walls surrounding the kingdom because he prioritises his subjects happinesses before their security, the complete opposite of Dark Cacao.

Dark Cacao and Affogato parallel each other in a way no one else seems to realise, with Affo growing up in harsh environments and wishing for no one else to experience the same, sacrificing their security to do so, and Dark Cacao, following the dark flour war, became so terrified of losing his citizens that he put all his focus into security, sacrificing their happiness to do so.

It’s sort of tragic, two people who at their core want what’s best for the kingdom, but can’t seem to find a mix between protection and comfort like they should. I genuinely think if they worked together they could make the kingdom as great as it could— (gets dragged off stage) “”HEY HEY!!!! I WASN'T GOING TO RANT ABOUT AFFOCAO— DON'T BOO ME????””

Regardless, I really hope they do expand on Affo’s character!! If you have any alternate theories or headcanons you wanna add on feel free to hit up my inbox or add your own tags to the post!

[abitcaughtinthemiddle]

Okay so after looking at IMDb with the rest of equally obsessed Critical Role TLoVM fans, I must say, if the cast list is truly accurate in that no one is missing…we’re not getting Percy back this season (which hurts my fangirl heart so so much) and Ripley is still on the lam.

That being said, here’s my final updated theory before Thursday:

Percy’s resurrection is going to be tied with Ripley more than it was in the campaign- since she’s still alive and kicking, the party still needs to deal with her and I believe that in doing so, it will end up freeing Percy’s soul and they’ll get him back then. (And, if IMDb isn’t hiding any cast members, this will likely happen in S4 during the Whispered One arc)

[wherethemagichappens]

So - if fan theory about 9th level demi-plane is true and Eseek casts the spell, and maybe the gang even meets with Caleb, do you think Liam will survive? 🤣

[thesilenceshh]

Random theory I pulled out of my head with nothing to back it up, let's go. Slight spoilers to CRK and Witchs Castle ahead

This fella:

The ultimate cookie, what if they this world's Gingerdozer, Gingerbrave's brother? I don't mean like related brothers since this guy was made in the lab, but I mean something similar to Witchs Castle, where the two aren't related but have a sibling-like relationship. Or the ultimate cookie could somehow tie into Gingerbrave in some way instead of being Dozer. Definitely, since Gingerbrave has survived through many things and done a lot, even tho he's like a child or young teen, I think. It would be interesting to see how Gingerbrave and this ultimate cookie will react to each other if they ever do in the story

[nellasbookplanet]

The funniest kind of critical role "critique" is always going to be the 'they present themselves as if they aren’t rich/a company no I will not give any examples' crowd. Like what does this even mean. They start literally every single episode with informing you they are professional voice actors. They have clearly advertised sponsors. They have an entire line of merch and an animated show. The production value of the set is bonkers. They run a charity foundation. Do you want them to start every episode with a blaring siren and a warning saying 'beware! company run content! we make money!!' Are you just angry that they are friends having fun as they make a living. Do you have any understanding of how money works.

[madd-draws]

I have a lot of ideas regarding Cinnamon Cookie's backstory. Here's the gist of his teenage years:

In his youth, Cinnamon Cookie was a lot like his nephew Wizard Cookie: studious, ambitious, and determined to master the art of magic. However, unlike Wizard Cookie, Cinnamon Cookie lacked "natural talent." Try as he might, channeling the chaotic energy of magic was impossible for Cinnamon Cookie. He also had difficulty understanding advanced subjects no matter how hard he studied. In the end, Cinnamon Cookie took comfort in perfecting basic, first-level illusion spells. He dropped out of the Parfaedia Institute of Magic and called himself a "magician," much to the chagrin of his professors and other practicing wizards. Regardless of whether they earn the approval of others (including his uptight nephew), Cinnamon Cookie's silly magic tricks make him happier than he ever was in school.

[orymsblueflower]

So I saw a post hoping that Sam's new character is a paladin, and I got this idea in my head and ran with it...

Imagine Bells Hells exploring Aeor even further, come across yet another bubble with someone in it, but this one looks different, and Orym with his high ass perception notices that this person's eyes are moving ever so slightly and the bubble is faintly glowing. They start debating about whether they should try to help or leave, but before they can talk further, the bubble glows bright and cracks on its and Sam walks in as his character whose this Paladin of the Crown, thanking them for apparently being the catalyst that freed him and saying this must be the time of great need he was required for. They're all like wtf are you on about and he tells them a tale of just before he was put in the stasis bubble by his god, the city of Aeor had decided to try to strike down the gods, and of course that goes against everything he stands for and he tried to lead a group internally to stop them, but of course there was a big fight and his own god froze him in this bubble with the message that it would be opened in a time of great need and his life wasn't over yet - it was merely at the beginning. And that was the last thing he remembers until now, and after looking around at the remnants of Aeor and their clearly underground location, he pauses and asks "what year is it?"

[enjoymorestuff]

Betcha Oscar's wife called him Cary.

[flowerhays]

SOMETHING I'VE NOTICED (CRK / CRWC THEORY / SPOILERS AHEAD)

* ** *** ** * Okay so remember these lines from Shadow Milk Cookie in the Wind Archer Cookie storyline?

Okay, so I thought as soon as I saw this that Shadow Milk Cookie was talking about Milienial tree cookie due to the context, And like- who else would have "Become one with nature" beside him, right? Sure it is a possibility Shadow Milk Cookie is lying, but it's been said in cannon that even through his lies there is a lick of truth. Anyways something in the most recent witches' castle story, more specifically with First Grain Cookie's story could possibly point to this being the case.

I have a feeling that First Grain Cookie is talking about Millennial Tree Cookie. If he WAS a sort of knight or protector for the witches before he became a guardian, this could indicate that he was sent to deal with the beast cookies when they turned to darkness, but yet failed and- to me- implied to have died in this battle yet sort of reborn, now being tied to nature. I wonder if this version of MTC had a different name before this happened? I don't know I think this is really interesting.

[tangledbean]

I bet Whitestone is sitting on an apogee solstice Nexus (the ziggurat beneath seems to be placed in a place of great power so it would make sense. And if that’s the case how many people are scattered to the winds? Are the Whitestone residents of Vox Machina separated as well?

Plus we know the Briarwoods had been using the regular solstice to their own ends beneath Whitestone…

[critcatbar]

My latest theory is that FCG's programming was altered by Ludinus. If that bitch was alive during the fall of Aeor he absolutely would have manipulated aeormatons just like he manipulates everyone else.

I know previously they talked about the "Care and Culling" as a targeted attack at political enemies, but... somehow the newest descriptions of FCG's rage being "alien" or foreign to their mind, the imagery of the hands altering their core... it just seems sneakier, somehow.

[mallevsmaleficarum]

the more we learn about the calamity across campaigns, the more it seems like Matt is eventually building up to a calamity 2.0

[wolfstarkittie]

So I just watched C3E49.

And I really hope that Ira has been replaced by Oltgar.

I mean what do we know about Chetney's former mentor:

- he cheated on the craft, according to Chetney. Since Chetney hates metal, it stands to reason that Oltgar started working with metal and making something that had nothing to do with toys anymore.

- He comes from Wildemount, Ludinus too.

- He is not a great inventor, but takes ideas from others, tinkers with them, and then sells them as his.

- Before he came to Wildemount he lived in Marquet.

What if Chetney found out that the Ceberus Assembly hired Oltgar and the last thing he got was anything with the name Calloway.

Chetney wants Oltgar dead, maybe he joined the group to get to Fearne Calloway and through her to her parents.

Then the circle would be closed again.