#Yasha back on his bullshit

[jiggleb0ners]

..Monsties? And you ride them? Am I doing this right?

[mareastrorum]

I hope that having the Mighty Nein around helps the cast help each other with the stagnant parts of Bell’s Hells character arcs.

The Hells are not good at communicating with each other about their faults. Enter Jester, Veth, and Caduceus, who absolutely will call people out on shit without shame or malice.

The Hells have a narrow view of religion. Here’s Yasha, whose god helped her break away from an apocalyptic cult; Caduceus, who was raised in a religious household and likes helping people even when they don’t share his faith; Fjord, who found peace and self-acceptance with guidance from a goddess who asks so little of him; Jester, who somehow has cleric powers from her fey best friend whom she also carries around as her weasel sometimes; and Beau, who doesn’t worship Ioun outright, but still thinks she’s not bad and seeks out a connection at times.

The Hells don’t much care about other people when they talk about what the world should be like. Here’s Caleb, who wanted to turn back time, then got Wish and could do it literally any day he pleased, but has accepted that in order to change from the boy who was willing to kill his parents, he has to be the man that won’t break the world to bring them back. Beau accepted that people can be flawed in how they love, but she couldn’t let that decide whether she or anyone else is worth love or protection; her whole job is about trying to help the people of the Empire when systems don’t care about them. Fjord handed over an eye of Uk’otoa to save Jester’s life, and then immediately got the Nein back together to defeat Uk’otoa rather than let other people suffer the consequences for his choice.

The Hells were sympathetic to the All-Minds-Burn and only really balked at the Weave Mind because there was a controlling group at the top instead of a regular hive mind. Here’s the team that destroyed Cognouza because it turns out hive minds are a great way for despots to directly control a lot of people and use them like resources. Yasha and Caleb also have profound experience with mind control, conditioning, and memory wiping.

The Hells have some serious identity issues that haven’t been addressed because there’s just no time. (Ashton was an aasimar turned into a genasi; Laudna was treated like a Vex voodoo doll by a wizard who hates Vex; Fearne was conceived and sought specifically to be an exaltant vessel for Predathos; Imogen was hidden to avoid that.) Veth was turned into a goblin by a hag, was racist against goblins for years, eventually realized that her racism came from self-hatred for traits she shared with a specific goblin tribe, and got turned back into a halfling thanks to the dedication of her friends. Fjord wrestled with determining who he was before realizing he had to choose, and that didn’t mean there was a right or wrong choice; just that he couldn’t be someone else.

Like, the Nein would be great for some targeted discussion of these points if the Hells let their judgmental bullshit shine through at any point. It’s just a question of whether (a) the cast want to and put in the effort to do that, and (b) how much time they have to spare for those conversations.

[a-menagerie]

Everything Has Changed

Cause all I know is we said, "Hello"

And your eyes look like coming home

All I know is a simple name

And everything has changed

Molly didn’t know where he was, barely knew who he was. When he finally opened his eyes - eyes? eyes never shut - and was faced with a pink firbolg, Molly was more confused than ever. So he ran.

Empty empty empty. He’s lost in himself and in this terrifying cavern - of flesh? - and he doesn’t know anything. There’s words in his mouth and people around him and he doesn’t know who anyone is. They’re hugging him and saying things and he’s just lost.

Except you, back behind everyone and quiet, you catch his eye and he knows you, he’s sure he does. But his heart is beating out of his chest and he can’t catch his breath so he gives in, lays on the ground, lets himself fade out.

*

Molly had never seen the Blooming Grove before, but he quite liked it and the Clay family. Eccentricity appealed to him - he was eccentric, wasn’t he? - but the family was just kind. They almost reminded him of another group, people he couldn’t quite picture or name, but the lingering feeling of family made him wonder.

For a week or so, you watched as Molly wandered the Grove, slowly recovering memories. He was never far from Yasha. Jester had fixed up his coat for him and he looked nearly like he had before you’d lost him. Some missing eye tattoos and slightly underfed but that would change with time.

*

“Is there a reason you’re avoiding a particular tiefling?” Fjord asked you, joining you where you were weeding a section of the cemetery.

“I spoke to Jester like an hour ago.” You reply without looking up.

“Alright, smartass.” Fjord scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“I’m not avoiding Molly; I’m giving him space.” You say.

“Does he know that?” Fjord asks. You look up at him sharply, frowning.

“He doesn’t remember…us. Whatever we were. I don’t wanna add any extra pressure on him.”

“And when he does remember, what then?” Fjord asks.

“I’ll tell him what I just told you.” You stand, yanking off your gloves. “What’s this about Fjord?”

“Everyone’s worried about you.” Fjord admits, rubbing his neck. “All of this is…a lot. Molly’s back but you’ve hardly reacted, barely talked to him. I just wanted to check in.” You try not to bristle at Fjord, he’s just doing what he does, checking in on his friends. But hardly reacted?

You’ve cried yourself to sleep almost every night since you returned to the Grove.

What was worse? Losing Molly or having a Molly who didn’t remember you? Losing Molly or having him so close but out of reach? Your chest aches and you fought hard not to cry in front of Fjord.

“I’m fine.” You tell him.

“Bullshit.” You and Fjord both jump as Beau speaks up. Sometime during your conversation she’d wandered over and now she was facing you with crossed arms and a raised brow. “You look like shit.”

“Beau.” Fjord hissed. She just rolled her eyes, waving her hand at him.

“You gotta talk to him or something, just watching you is making me miserable.” She said, poking you lightly in the chest.

“I don’t want to pressure-“ Beau cuts you off.

“Yasha said he asks about you, can’t figure out why you’re avoiding him. Molly’s not remembering everything yet but - just go talk to him.”

*

Molly’s been watching you, keeping track of where you were throughout the day. He wasn’t sure why. He’d wanted to speak to you before now but you seemed to disappear anytime he got too close.

Until today. He was sitting against a tree outside the Clay home, reading through Beau’s journal. Well, more specifically, he was struggling to read the journal and was considering asking Beau to just read it aloud. Molly looked up at the sound of feet crunching grass.

“Hey.” You greeted him with a small smile.

“Hello.” Molly replied blankly, confused - and intrigued - by the way his pulse quickened in your presence.

“Can I join you?” Molly nods so you settle beside him on the ground. You can’t bring yourself to say anything else though. What do you say?

“Did I…do something to you?” Molly asks and you jolt back to the present, out of your head. “To make you avoid me?”

“Oh no, no, I wasn’t-“ You sigh. “I wasn’t trying to avoid you but I was. I wanted you to have space.”

Molly cocked his head, observing you through narrowed red eyes. He looked back to the journal then his gaze wandered to your lap, where you were wringing your hands together.

“Space from you?” You nodded and he hummed in thought. “Because…we were together?”

“…yes.” You answer. Molly blinked.

“Wait, really?” He asked, grin curling across his lips.

“Yes?” You reply, slightly confused.

“I didn’t think I’d be right.” Molly laughed, reaching and grabbing one of your hands. “I’d hoped, of course, and obviously something had happened between us but- it really was like this, the two of us?”

Molly was looking at you so openly and adoringly that you almost couldn’t think straight, couldn’t really fight the heat rising to your cheeks.

“Yeah, for a while before…” You trailed off but started again. “I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to be with me, remember me right away.”

“Trust me, I’m very unhappy to have forgotten anything about you.” A sweet sentiment but you’re pretty sure Molly’s enunciation was meant to be teasing too. “Thank you for treating me so kindly though I would have preferred you spoke to me earlier.”

“Sorry.” You say softly, glancing up from your hand in his to look at him. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against yours.

“We’ll just have to make up for lost time.” Molly said. He took a deep breath, just enjoying your presence when something tickled at the back of his mind.

“You used to call me your Tea-lightful Tealeaf when you were in a silly mood.” Molly says it as a statement but pulls away enough to see your face, to see if he’s right.

“Okay, you could’ve waited to remember that.” You groan, covering your face with your free hand. “I only did it because it made you laugh.”

“Don’t you hide from me.” Molly pulled your hand off your face, held both of your hands in his. “We have all the time in the world now to be silly and laugh together.”

“I’ve missed you. A lot.” You manage to say without crying. Molly gives you a small smile.

“I feel like I’m missing me still.” Molly admits. “But I have you and our very odd friends, so my memories can take their time. They’ll return, in time.”

“And in the meantime,” Molly says, leaning his forehead back against yours, “I will delight in learning about you all over again.”

[frankensteins-mt-dew]

my brain is back on its mighty nein baybees bullshit

imagine Fjord and Beau (post ruidius chaos)going to liberate the orphanage where Fjord grew up and make it their mission to get the kids to good homes and also make the orphanage a much better place.

They meet and care for so many kids of all different races in that time, but some have latched on to them.

Literally, in Fjord's case. From day one a half orc that can't be older than four grabs on to Fjord's pinky and follows him everywhere. He doesn't speak, but he is very smart and knows everything and everyone in the orphanage. When Fjord mentions leaving for the night the boy releases his pinky and bear hugs his leg. After a bit of gentle parenting from him and Beau, Fjord accepts his fate and goes home to Jester with a kid on his leg. Jester's exuberance scares the boy at first, but she wins him over with sweets and hamster unicorns. Soon he starts opening up to them. His name is River. He likes pancakes. He's scared of storms, even dark clouds make him panic. He hates his tusks, too. Fjord and Jester never really sit down and discuss adopting him, or even ask River. It's clear without any words or labels that they are a family.

Beau has a rough time with this project. Sure, the first few days are great. The kids are cute, and they look up to her. But there are so many of them. And they are so loud and sticky,how are they so sticky, when did that even happen? But she knows what it's like to have a shitty childhood, and works to make sure they won't have one any longer. There's one that's different than the rest. A half elf baby that Beau almost didn't know was there. She's quiet but curious, eyes always wandering, and content to just lay around. Beau makes a baby Bjorn to put her in while she herds children and does paperwork. It's strange, she never in a million years thought she'd be anything close to nurturing. She's not even doing much. But this kid seems content with her, even smiles up at her when Beau looks down from her work. When Yasha comes by she is swarmed by children. They treat her like a jungle gym and she could not be happier. She takes turns caring for this nameless baby and is in awe with her. How tiny she is, her big beautiful eyes. Yasha nicknames her Bug and tells her stories. There's no changing her mind, this is their baby, she tells her wife. There's just the question of her name, now. They make lists of names for her: flower names, names conventionally used for boys, weather names, warrior names. Nothing seems to fit her. Then one day Beau notices she has a red birthmark on her back at the base of her neck, where she herself has a tattoo to remember a fallen friend. Then it's clear what their little girl's name is. Soon after, they throw a party at their home to introduce the rest of the Nein to their daughter, Molly.

[hello-eeveev]

Beau had half a mind to march over to the Candles and kill Ludinus Da’leth herself, if only so she didn’t have to spend another day looking over the same documents, trying to find something they could use to get him out of power. She didn’t trust him—hadn’t from the start—but the more she walked in similar circles, the more she had to deal with the Assembly’s bullshit, the more she was convinced that whatever Ludinus was up to at any given moment, it couldn’t be good. But he had spent centuries navigating Dwendalian politics; of course he knew how to cover his tracks well.

She was halfway through plotting out the assassination when Caleb, who was sitting at the desk across from her, closed his book and looked up at her. “It’s five o’clock,” he said.

“Finally.” Beau sagged in her chair, taking in a deep breath. As she exhaled, she let thoughts of work fade from her mind. Once she felt suitably non-murderous, she slapped her hands onto her desk and stood. “Let’s get going then.”

She and Caleb fell into their routine as easily as they fought side-by-side. Caleb collected all the files and documents and organized them as he saw fit, while Beau stacked the books in the order that she knew would be most convenient for whoever reshelved them. Then they switched. Beau ran the papers back to her tiny office and locked them in her desk drawer, and Caleb passed off the books to the nearest archivist to be put away. When they met back up, Caleb walked Beau all the way to the teleportation circle on the other side of the Archive. Outside of going home to Yasha, this was Beau’s favorite part of the day, because regardless of what they ended up talking about, they made sure that, for at least these fifteen minutes, neither of them had to think about their country’s corrupt systems and the horrible people running them.

By the time they arrived at the teleportation circle, her half thought-out plans of murdering the Martinet had been shoved into the back of her mind by Caleb’s fond tales of the kids he tutored and the progress they were making.

She really hoped he would take the Soltryce job, if not for the good he would do there, at least for himself. He seemed so happy when he talked about teaching, almost as much as when he was nerding out about spells with Essek or Veth.

The caster in charge of the circle beckoned Beau into the center of the room, and she jogged into position as they began drawing the sigils for the Zadash Archive circle.

“Hey, so tomorrow night, Yasha’s trying out a new recipe that she got from Martina,” Beau said, turning to face Caleb who lingered at the edge of the casting space. “It’s a stir-fry sorta thing that she learned on a trip to the Menagerie Coast. I think it’ll be really good, especially if we use some of your green beans. You down?”

The invitation was more of a formality at this point. Caleb joined them for dinner almost every weekend. But Caleb shifted awkwardly, looking down at his feet.

“Ah, I would love to,” he said, “but I already have plans for tomorrow. Maybe another night.”

“Eating a boba and reading all night doesn’t count as dinner plans.”

Caleb huffed a laugh. “No, it is a, um…” He picked at some fuzz on his coat sleeve. “A date.”

“Wha—” Beau blinked. Shook her head and blinked again. “What? With who?”

Caleb caught her gaze, expression completely neutral except for a growing redness on his face. “A friend,” he said.

She furrowed her brow. “I’m gonna need a little more information than that, dude.”

He glanced down at the runes being drawn beneath her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him run his thumb over the ring on his index finger—his Ring of Telepathy, it looked like—and his voice entered her mind.

“Essek.”

Beau’s eyes widened, but then the bastard smiled and waved like nothing happened. “Have a nice evening, Beauregard.”

Faster than she could run over and punch that smug look off his face, the chalk on the floor flashed and suddenly she was back at the Zadash Archive.

She fumbled for her Sending Stone. “Fucking piece of shit—I’m gonna—” She yanked it out of her pocket and activated it. “Caleb!” she shouted. Some poor young monk tried to greet her while an older expositor threw a stern expression her way, but Beau paid them no mind. She was already running out the door.

“The fuck kinda timing was that? What do you mean you’re going on a date with—” Shit, she couldn’t use Essek’s name in the middle of Zadash. “—with him? When did this happen? How? Who else knows?”

“You are the first, unless someone else has figured it out already,” he replied. “Unfortunately Sending is limited to twenty-five words, so I cannot say more. Goodnight, Beauregard.”

“I know for a fact that’s not how these Sending Stones work, you asshole!” She did a quick count of Caleb’s message in her head. Twenty-six words.

She could practically hear his shit-eating grin in the silence that followed.

Forget Ludinus, she had another wizard to kill.

Before long, Beau was sprinting up to her house. She waved off Martina’s sickeningly sweet hello and threw open her front door.

“Yasha!” she yelled. “Babe, you’re not gonna believe what Caleb just told me. Can you message Jester today?”

[sldlovescartoons]

Hi, I’d like to get back on my bullshit for a second.

My Essek Food bullshit, specifically.

Because I remembered Rumblecusp. And I had been enlightened.

Essek would be so excited to eat dinosaurs and whatever else fucked up bullshit lurks on that island. I’m so serious.

The Nein go on dinosaur hunts for old times sake and Essek is just listing fancy ass dishes to try and make because he is noble born elf fancy ass- so. The Nein are like, butchering this T-Rex and he’s just floating there, asking if they think they could make a roulade with that flank? Discussing fillings and sauces and being otherwise unhelpful.

He and Yasha would have the time of their lives hunting and munching on the crazy, huge, carnivorous bugs that live on that island. Like, they are in The Tower, and on one end of the table are most of the Nein with regular food with like exotic fruits they foraged that day and on the other end Yasha and Essek are having those pillbugs from The Emperor’s New Grove going on.

Essek might be treacherous heretic (Jester made him a tunic with it written across the Chester and everything), but he’s having a ‘sloppy Joe’ (will the wonders of the neins naming ever cease?) made with Ankylosaur meat. Suck it, Umavi.

[waltwhitmansbeard]

Empire Kids + "I won't let them put their hands on you”, perhaps?

25. "I won't let them put their hands on you."

Beau paces. She cannot fight, she cannot run, she cannot claw her way through the marble walls of the courthouse in Zadash, so she paces in this tiny antechamber, round and round and round and round until Yasha claims she is going to be ill and steps outside for some water. Beau just cracks her knuckles and continues, her mind whirring into overdrive with the practice questions the lawyer Yudala Fon had assigned to her gave her to answer. She's probably recited the story of her kidnapping to Yasha, to the bathroom mirror, to the midnight stars a thousand times, and yet every time she imagines herself in the courtroom, telling it just one more time in front of everyone (in front of Zeenoth, in front of her father), her tongue becomes a sailor's rope, knotted and briny.

It's stupid, to be so nervous. She is an Expositor. It is her duty to find the truth, and this is a truth, her truth. If she were to approach this like any report she'd give Dairon or Yudala Fon or anyone else at the Cobalt Soul, her insides might not feel like the deck of a ship on choppy seas.

(But she can't, because it's not a report, dispassionate and stale. This is her life, fucked-up and raw and bruised and hers. And she is being asked to go before all of those eyes and be seen? Fuck, this is worse than being kidnapped.)

There's a knock at the door, and Yasha's adorable request for entry, as if Beau would ever say no, okay, that's a nice little distraction. "Yeah."

The door creaks open, and instead of long, wild white hair, a mop of ginger appears, tired blue eyes and three-day scruff just below. "Are you busy?"

Beau lets out an ironic laugh, and finally, she stops her pacing. "No, actually, just thinking about laying down for a nap."

Caleb must take her sarcasm as an invitation, because he steps inside, closing the door behind him. "Yasha is just out in the hall. She seems...well. Not much better than you seem, if I am being honest."

Beau crosses her arms over her chest defensively. "I'm fine. It's whatever. It needs to be done, so I'm doing it."

"Ja, well, we know that sentiment well, no?" Caleb takes the chair that Yasha had abandoned, and somehow, his eyes feels worse than the dozens of unfamiliar one's she about to face. "This is the worst part, I promise."

Beau doesn't need to ask what he means. He's just come off the heels of his own trial, where he stared down the man who undeniably did worse to him than Zeenoth or her father ever thought about doing to her. Her eyes land on the slightly pushed-up sleeves of his jacket, on the few scars she can see. "I just want it over with."

"I know."

"I just wish I could..." She sighs. "I don't know! Write this shit down and have someone else read it. I don't know why it has to be me."

"I know."

"And why do they have to be there?" She doesn't say who she means. She doesn't have to. "I mean, Zeenoth, whatever, fuck that guy, but my dad? And, shit, I have no idea who else from the Soul is gonna show up, and you know that there are more people involved than just Zeenoth, people who aren't gonna like what I have to say. And...you know, with Yasha there, I just..." She stumbles back to slump against the wall. "I just want to go home."

There is a long silence, during which they stare at each other, these two Empire kids, so much bullshit between them, until Caleb rises and crosses the antechamber to stand before her. "You are Beauregard Lionett." He lays his hands atop her forearms and gently pries them apart, and it's only then that she realizes what a death grip she's had on her own torso. "You are the strongest person I have ever met. I am a very smart man—" She rolls her eyes. "—and I am telling you know that of all of the things that I know, the thing I know the most is how capable you are. And you are capable of this."

She's so fucking pissed at the way her eyes prick. "And what if I'm scared?"

"I said you were strong, Beauregard. I did not say you weren't human."

She runs her wrist beneath her nose with a sniffle. "Yeah. Yeah okay. Yeah, fuck them."

"And do not forget, Yasha and I will be in the room with you, ja? I will not let them put their hands on you. Neither of us will. You may stare down the world, Beauregard, but not alone. Never alone."

And much to her own dismay, she throws her arms around his neck, sinking her weight into this scrawny wizard who somehow, when she wasn't looking, became the closest thing she has to family. "Thank you, Caleb."

He squeezes her tight. "Of course. Now, let me go get Yasha before she tears her hair from her head."

Beau lets out a wet laugh and nods, releasing him. "Yeah, okay." And she watches him head for the door, and for the first time today, she thinks that maybe she's gonna be alright.

[artemis-pendragon]

For the chat thing a "a forgotten but unbroken promise to save each other always'

YES!! Such a good prompt!! You didn't specify a pairing for this one so like the gay little beast that I am I threw in a little Beauyasha for the sapphics amen 😎 hopefully that's okay!! 🖤💙

(this is for the game where y'all send me fanfic prompts, I feed them to ChatGPT, and then I take the cringiest part of the AI-written story and rewrite it lmao)

AI Excerpt:

"Don't worry, Yasha. We made a promise to each other a long time ago, and we're not going to break it now," she said, her voice full of determination.

Yasha looked up at her, a glimmer of hope in her dark eyes. "I remember that promise, Beau. Let's save each other," she replied, her voice soft but filled with conviction.

Together, they began to formulate a plan to escape. They knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were determined to keep their promise to each other. They managed to break free of their bonds and took out their captors one by one.

Rewrite:

"Hey, you remember what you said to me? When we did all the 'til death do us part' vows bullshit?" Beau said. A strand of loose hair stuck to the sheen on her forehead, tracing her glass-sharp features. Determination in every line, the taut flex of muscles under blue silk and gold-webbed bracers.

Yasha watched her. Redundant, because of course. When Beau was there, Yasha was watching her. A rule of the universe. Unbreakable as the words they'd said when they made their vows.

"Yes," Yasha said, voice soft like owl feathers hiding talons. "Saving you is saving me. That's what you said."

"Well, it's true," said Beau, and as always, despite the severity of their situation, she had the audacity to sound embarrassed. "It always was. Is. Will be."

Yasha smiled, corner of her mouth twitching up. Fondness, not mockery, but Beau was in a state, and she didn't want to make her feel bad for feeling. Beau felt so much, was so much. Was everything. "Can I suggest something?"

Beau cocked an eyebrow, tossing her head in a futile attempt to get the strand of hair to unstick from her skin. "I mean, yeah. My brain hasn't been working right since that asshole with the longsword knocked my skull in, so I was hoping you'd come up with something."

A flash of anger so pure and hot it burned a scar across Yasha's heart. "Thank you for the motivation," she murmured. In a flash of heat and electricity, Rage coursed through her and she ripped apart the ropes holding her hands as easily as a thread woven through a wolf's teeth.

"Thought that'd do it," said Beau, grinning, and jerked her head at her own bound hands. "Now do me."

"I think 'doing you' will have to wait, but good to know you like ropes," said Yasha, flashing her teeth in a sharp smile. See a chance, take it, that's what Beau always said. Beau was always a fan of dirty jokes.

Beau's grin grew and she bit her lip suggestively. "Y'know what? You're definitely onto something there. But let's kick these idiots' asses first."

As Beau held up her bound hands, Yasha reached down and untied them, tossing the ropes aside. Together they pushed out of the tent where they'd been held captive and launched themselves at their captors, gathered around the campfire outside.

The fight started and ended in a single round. Less than a minute and Beau and Yasha stood alone, surrounded by bodies. Yasha glanced around, locating the man with the longsword. Wordlessly she crossed to him, white wings unfolding, avenging angel unleashed. She grabbed him by the back of the neck, and lifted him. The man groaned. Yasha picked up his blade and dropped him onto it, shoving up as his body slid down. The groan gurgled into a scream, then cut off. Yasha dropped the body and the sword and turned back to Beau.

"Holy shit," said Beau. "Who says lightning never strikes twice." She grabbed Yasha's hand, tugging playfully at the strand of rope dangling uselessly from her wrist, and they started out together across the wastes toward the distant clouds lingering over the Ashkeeper Peaks.

[thatshadowgastwhore]

the mighty nein as college majors

i’m back on my bullshit. :)

Fjord My man went in undecided, and stayed that way as long as possible. He just gives me that vibe. He originally thought that he’d go through with marine biology, and i think he actually got a fair way into that major before finding a better fit as a conservation biology major

Beau Imo, beauregard is doing the most over here. she’s a double major in law and library and archives with a minor in gender and women’s studies. like, she really said, of course i’m going to be a high powered, shoulder pad wearing lawyer, who specializes in representing women and queer people, but i also fucking love libraries, and you can pry them out of my cold, dead hands. i know that’s kinda a weird take, but i feel like a college au where beau is actually super into school as a way of fucking with her dad could be a cool take

Caleb If wizard is what happens when you make stem kids magic, then transmutation is definitely the chemistry of this AU. as such, my darling blorbo Caleb is biochemistry major. chemistry also has fire, ta-da!

Veth She’s definitely giving me chemistry vibes, and i finally decide don specifically, inorganic chemistry. I feel like her, caleb, yeza, and essek are all chemistry nerds with slightly different focuses, so they all sort of understand each other when they’re talking about their shit, but they’re all slightly confused by wtf they mean specifically, and that could make for some very funny conversations. yeza, btw, i think is in organic chemistry

Jester She’s got art/art Studies with a focus in painting. she originally went into uni undecided and actually took a few theology classes before saying, screw it, and fully committing to the arts like she kinda knew she would in the beginning 

Molly Our other art kid! While he entered into uni as a Musical Theatre major, I think he actually changed majors pretty early on to focus specifically on Costume Design instead

Caduceus Okay, so he entered college as a mortuary sciences major, but added a double major in botany. he’s actually way more into the botany stuff, but his family owns a funeral home, and he doesn’t not enjoy the mortuary sciences, so he just added it instead of switching entirely Yasha She’s a botany major! Her family definitely pressured her to do literally anything else, and she reluctantly added a minor in ecology in general so that she’d have broader options just to appease them. But flowers are her favorite, and she and caduceus have some very long conversations about them together

Essek Our final chemist! Essek is actually a theoretical chemist and, because he can’t leave well enough alone, has a double major in theoretical physics, just because he’s to fucking smart for his own good. his friends often have to drag him away from his notes, lest he get carried away It’s really weird that i put most of these guys as science majors, because i’m notorious horrible as science, and even weirder that a solid third are chemistry, because chemistry makes no sense to me but eh. They’ve got jester and molly to balance them out when they’re too caught up in their own heads, i suppose. Yasha, Fjord, and Caduceus are over there like, nature! and beau alone is shouldering the responsibility of representing all of the liberal arts and sciences and she’s doing it like a boss 

[captainsspnanon]

C3E50 - reaction

Not going to trawl through the rest of tumblr tonight as I’ve got an episode of Columbo to finish but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

BEAU AND CALEB BEAU AND CALEB MY TWO FAVORITES FROM THE NEIN IT’S BEAU AND CALEB

You know how people say ‘you wouldn’t believe the noise I made’?  I always assumed that was the same as typing lol, you might feel the feels but your face is neutral as you type.  BUT I LITERALLY PAUSED THE EPISODE AND EMITTED HIGH PITCHED HALF SHRIEKS FOR LIKE A GOOD TWO MINUTES.  (was watching with my mom and she was laughing at me freaking out)

WE FUCKING CALLED IT!!  We even called the dice rolls being for the Shadowfell team!!!

*deep breath*  Okay okay, I’m calm, I’m calm.

Matt!Beau was pretty good for the most part, definite lines I could hear as Beau, but there were times that Matt drifted into more generic NPC speech and it lost the Beau edge for me.  I actually caught on to it being Beau MOMENTS before the players did, when he held his fist up for being ‘under imogen’s chin’. 

Matt!Caleb...oh Matt.  German accents is definitely not your strong point.  BUT you captured the flow of his speech very well, with the hesitations and pauses even when speaking confidently.  On the other hand, did you see Liam’s face when Matt!Caleb said deception wasn’t their strong suit?  By level 17, Caleb’s deception was a plus 10!  Beau’s was a plus 7!

WHO IS THE THIRD PERSON THEY TOOK DOWN????  can’t wait to find out later... I’m guessing the person who worked at the school and passed names to Trent?  also 100% astrid is the inside person

OKAY LET ME TALK ABOUT THE ENTIRE REST OF THE EPISODE NOW

first off, I feel bad for Sam and Ashley.  Sitting out the entire back half of a game?  Suuuuuucks.  At least this is a group that is very supportive and positive of others taking the spotlight (beau and yasha date took the entire back half of an episode too).  Hope Matt gives them some good bits at next episode.

I didn’t mind the fact that they didn’t plan between games.  While sometimes it may feel tedious, it’s VERY critical role for the group to plan and plan and PLAN through all three campaigns.  This time was fun not only for the hilarity of none of them being on the same page at the beginning, but also with the fact that lots of good options were raised.  I am a bit surprised that they made crashing the airship plan A, as I’d assumed that was a plan B or plan C.

Combat was quick (for combat) and fun, and yes - the Warden mini WAS super cute!  I’m personally not a fan still of the glamor shots, but I guess I don’t mind them that much.  They are usually fairly quick.

AAAAAAA BEAU AND CALEB BRING THE REST OF THE NEIN IT’S WORLD ENDING SHIT YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR TEAM WITH YOU (leave kingsley to his bullshit ending, don’t bring him with) BUT BRING EVERYONE.  They’re trying to kill the gods!!!  Caduceus and Fjord should definitely want in on this!  Jester too if Artie may be feeling threatened!

I cannot WAIT for next week.  AAAAA

[realm-of-the-mad-god]

Updating the rankings as of the end of episode 16!

Mollymauk ; Clawed his way right into the top spot after I got that first taste of his backstory. I just really, really like him.

Fjord ; I'm now extremely invested in Fjord after finding out more about his back story! The cut-away scenes in the water are *chef's kiss*, and I think it's a very stellar player choice for Travis in having such a seemingly self-assured person have a past with being bullied, and modifying his own body because of it years later.

Caleb ; Though I still love his character, there are a lot of things that are making me a bit more wary of Caleb as a person. Nothing in particular, it's just giving me strange vibes, and I'm trying to be as authentic in my first reactions as possible. Just not so sure about him right now.

Beau ; I'm absolutely loving Beau and how she's no-nonsense, and calls people (especially Caleb) out on their bullshit. Marisha is very subtle with her backstory so far and I'm loving that player choice as well.

Nott ; I'm also slightly wary of Nott as well. I think that my wariness of her comes from a slight suspicion that she's super duper using Caleb. Which... she kinda admitted to to Fjord and Molly. Still like her ofc, but I'm a bit wary.

Jester ; My opinion on Jester hasn't changed, just the other characters! It seems as though she's taken on a bit of a lesser role the last couple of episodes (one of which Laura WAS sick so that's understandable!)

Yasha ; Same deal as with Jester! I am enjoying seeing Ashley at the table more, I thought she was purely a guest, but a friend told me that she was actually filming a TV show at the same time, so Yasha is in and out. She's a super bamf though!

Okay, current standings on character rankings as of the end of episode nine:

1) Caleb ; still top spot, I want to know everything about him.

2) Mollymauk ; I'm extremely interested in his backstory and also he's hot. Sue me. Second fave easily.

3) Fjord ; Super funny, especially the way he interacts with Jester. Seems in a constant state of exasperated acceptance of his situation. Must know more about his water sword.

4) Nott ; Pure feral energy and I love her for it. I wanna know how she got linked up with Caleb.

5) Jester ; Pure chaos energy but Pretty. I love that she's a girly girl that takes no shit and kicks ass. Her backstory is really neat so far as well!!

6) Beau ; Somehow I feel like I relate to Beau the most, and I love how animated Marisha is while playing her. It really helps get a visual.

7) Yasha ; Super mysterious. I wanna know a bit more about her before I say more. I don't dislike her. Just no opinion yet!

[ziploc849]

Today I’m thinking about what would happen if Bells Hells and The Mighty Nein met.

Caduceus Orym and Yasha talking about flowers, and Orym silently wondering what flowers Will might have grown if he had been buried in the grove.

Beau and Ashton start a fist fight at some point. They both just think it’s friendly sparing but everyone else is worried they’re gonna fucking kill each other

FCG talking to Jester and Caduceus about faith and only leaving the conversation more confused than he started it.

Kingsley would probably think Laudna is just the fucking coolest and would absolutely adore Pate

Veth and Chetney would probably get into a real actual fist fight. I don’t know what would cause it it just feels right to me. Chetney would go full werewolf and scare the shit out of everyone

Caleb would probably get concerned seeing the lightning on Imogene arms before realizing no she’s not a scourger and calming down. He would then probably ask many, many questions.

And on top of that imagine the Nein realizing Ashton has fucking dunumancy juice in his brain??? Caleb’s (and Essek’s, if he’s there) panic and confusion (mostly confusion) about all the shit Ashton can do when he rages.

And just. Fucking imagine the Mighty Nein being told about all the moon bullshit. Imagine Beau and Caleb having a mini heart attack cause they remember that one conversation with that librarian who really liked Ruidis. Imagine the MN hearing city on the moon and just thinking “oh shit not again”.

And then imagine BH learning about what happened with the Nein. Imagine them hearing “yeah our friend died and then came back bad so we killed him and then he came back fine” all while vaguely gesturing to Kingsley and everyone just kinda. Glances at Laudna. Imagine them being told about facilitating the ending of an entire war and Chetney especially being so confused because how did he never hear about this?? That seems important (if he was still in Wildmount at the time idk)

Just. The chaos of Bells Hells and the Mighty Nein meeting makes me happy

[awesomefroggy]

Mighty Nein's Favorite Board Games

Fjord- Scythe

It's the crunch, the strategy, the 2+ hour play time. This man is nose to the board, into it. Most of the Nein grumble about it, but Beau and Essek will play it with him and get far far too into it.

Beau- Red Dragon Inn

This appeals to the Beaurebar in her. On the surface, she's got the silly drinking gambling party game. Deeper, she knows how to meta and has a hero that she's very very good with. She excels at stacking everyone else's decks against them. Making it an actual drinking game is a favorite, and she supplies really awful shots when called for.

Caleb- Root

Not only are you the resistance to the Cat overlords, there's resources! Strategies! Conniving! And adorablely vicious forest creatures! Caleb gets very attached to his factions. He likes playing with the Riverfolk expansion as the otters.

Veth- King of Tokyo

Yahtzee but with Kaiju. Veth will rule over Tokyo with an iron fist. There is now a rule that dice rolls that land on the floor don't count. Yeza is always apprehensive when she and Luc want to play, but he tries to be a good sport about it.

Jester- Unstable Unicorns

Fast paced, full of cute unicorns and puns, and there's an NSFW expansion. Jester is here to slam down some cute unicorns, shut down your combos, and cackle maniacally over pumpkin spice Basics.

Yasha- Cascadia

Puzzling together habitats for wildlife. It's lowkey, and Yasha likes to try and make the most realistic ecosystems she can. She'll play it alone for hours, but sometimes she can drag Beau or Caduceus in to playing with her.

Caduceus- Everdell

A sweet game of woodland creatures, resources, and collecting through the seasons. It's a pleasant game to him, and he sometimes he plays single player as a way to connect with the Wildmother. He has all of the expansions and the Kickstarter exclusives.

Molly- Mysterium

A ghost uses dreams in the form of surreal art to point mediums to solve their murder. It's the absolute cold reading bullshit Molly loves. If he's one of the mediums, it's just interpreting tarot cards. He loves helping everyone else interpret their cards and make up bullshit stories about how and why and where and who. If he's the ghost, he equally tries to help people and fuck with them.

Kingsley- Pirates

Stack up crews, steal other people's crews, blow up bases and collect pirate ships, loot, and glory. Kingsley is delightfully vicious at this game, and much like the man who taught me how to play it he wears his big pirate hat and coat whenever they play.

Essek- Sagrada

Sudoku, now with pretty dice and modifiers. The stained glass motifs remind him of Rosohna in the best way, and he finds it soothing to put it all together. Everyone is shocked the first time he swears in Common over someone taking a die that he needs.

Other related headcanons:

Beau, Fjord, Caleb, and Essek get together and play some of the crunchiest Warhammer you've ever seen. Jester paints Fjord's armies and Yasha paints Beau's, Caleb and Essek have dedicated weekly paint nights.

Essek hate drafts during Sushi Go.

There was an attempt to play The Mind once. It was never played again.

Caleb and Essek have fierce Scrabble games. Everyone made fun of them until Beau asked to witness one, and realized they play with four different languages at once and do not hold back about it.

Yasha has the Stardew Valley board game and plays it as often as she can.

Essek and Fjord play chess together. It freaks people out sometimes because they will sit in silence for a very long time until one of them swears violently.

Throw Throw Burrito is only allowed every once in a while, and they "burrito proof" the house first every time after they broke a vase at Beau and Yasha's.

[captainjonnitkessler]

"#essek's other relationships ESPECIALLY with Jester and Beau are just as important i think" PLEASE elaborate on this tag! I haven't seen anyone talk about Essek's relationships with anyone else in the Nein besides Caleb, and people don't talk enough about Beau's, Veth's, or Caduceus' relationships in general. ~aeoranexpat

I would LOVE to elaborate thank you!

It's really disappointing to me when people act like Essek's only major relationship is that with Caleb. For sure, they're great narrative foils and they understand each other in a way few others can. But it took a long time and it wouldn’t have happened at all without the others. Essek's redemption came about because of his relationships with ALL of the M9. (Under a readmore because it got kinda long!)

Essek and Jester's relationship is probably my favorite. This post already covers why Jester was the driving force of his redemption - she's the one who was constantly making overtures and friendly gestures and the rest of the M9 followed her lead on that.

I love this relationship because I think Jester was probably the person Essek disliked the most in the beginning. She’s loud, flamboyant, boisterous, overly familiar - the complete opposite of the stoic, dignified Shadowhand of the Dynasty. But no matter how many times he rejected or disappointed her, she kept reaching out because Jester’s love and friendship is unconditional!! Even when they found out he was the traitor, she never hesitated in calling him a friend! Can you! imagine! the feeling of being offered unconditional love and friendship for the very first time in your life! Of being offered almost immediate forgiveness for an unforgivable crime! I love Jester Lavorre and so does Essek!

I think Beau’s relationship with him is also very important. It is, of course, absolutely hilarious that Essek, Secret Traitor With Many Life-Threatening Secrets, got put in charge of liaising with an Expositor of the Cobalt Soul, Person In Charge Of Finding Secrets. This is another great narrative foil that I feel gets overlooked a lot. Can you even imagine how stressed out Essek must’ve been? Getting found out was probably a relief by the time it happened jfc.

Beau was initially welcoming, if wary, but she was also wildly awkward about it which hey! So was Essek! Watch these two socially inept nerds try to make friends! And then his betrayal was uncovered, and she immediately went hard against him. Which, fair! I appreciate that Essek always made it clear that he knew he wasn’t entitled to forgiveness or trust, because he wasn’t. And I love that Beau also made it very clear that she knew that. But he got it anyway, and honestly -

Jester forgave him easily because that’s who she is. Caleb forgave him because he saw himself in Essek. But Beau? Beau’s whole fucking deal is rooting out corruption and evil. It took longer, because he really had to prove himself. But I have to imagine gaining her forgiveness felt the best. Because if Expositor Beauregard Lionett says you’re a good person? You know she’s not bullshitting you or doing it for personal reasons. It’s because she truly believes it, and it’s literally her job to make that call.

Those are the two I find most interesting, although everyone else has their own relationship with him. Veth in particular was the one he most actively harmed by kidnapping and torturing her husband and almost orphaning her child, which was kinda glossed over a lot tbh! But he also helped develop and cast the spell that got her body back, and now he’s dating her best friend - their relationship is FRAUGHT.

Yasha and Essek both know what it’s like to be Xhorhasian in the Empire and to be socially awkward about it. Caduceus has such a drastically different view on life in general, and I think there’s a lot of potential there in their friendship and how it affected Essek’s view on things. And Fjord, the “leader” who considered himself responsible for the group’s safety, was willing to trust Essek with that safety both initially in Xhorhas and again in Aeor.

So yeah, when people portray it as “Essek’s relationship with Caleb (and-also-the-M9-in-the-background)” I think it’s doing a massive disservice to both Essek and the M9! Essek’s individual relationships with everyone in the M9 are complicated and important, and his platonic relationships are every bit as important as his romantic one!

[britcision]

If Yasha was shy she wouldn’t leap face first into Molly’s bullshit every single time he dangles the faintest hook

She is DELIGHTED to join shenanigans of any kind, she’s just too awkward to start her own and needs an emotional support tiefling

She deadass holds Molly above her head by his feet to juggle when they need a distraction. She backs up all his bullshit stories, whether she heard the conversation or not

Yasha’s not remotely against being looked at, she just sucks at interacting with people so if someone else does that part she’s set

I get the impulse to assume anyone who is socially awkward must also be shy but man it's so much more fun that Yasha isn't. She's unused to getting to choose her own path, hesitant at times for certain, but shy she is Not. This is the same woman who, when Jester joked that talent probably comes with height, smiled a little and said, "I must be very talented then." The same woman who said, "I'm Yasha, I'm very important." Who elbowed Beau to suggest she go cry with the ghost on Rumblecusp and fake tested Veth about her flask - and taunted her, lovingly.

Awkward, absolutely. But she's always trying anyway. Especially once she's at all of the games free of obann. She says what she wants and she means it every time, and it's beautiful. What a wonderful character.

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E123 (Feb. 2, 2021)

After last week’s thoroughly relaxing and brief episode, tonight’s guests are Sam Riegel and Liam O’Brien!

Brian, to Sam: “You look like Tim Curry moved to Nantucket to become a sommelier.”

How did Caleb and Veth approach the ally-ship with the Tombtakers? Sam: “I mean, we got some information, and I think we got a little closer to Lucien and knowing whether he has any of Mollymauk inside of him, which is I think the most important knowledge that we’re seeking right now. Is there someone to be saved inside there? We got glimpses, and we got a little hint that Mollymauk is maybe still in there? Maybe? And we got a little more insight into their plans, so that was useful.” Liam: “We know why we were having that fucking dream.” Sam: “But other than that, it was just a road trip with assholes.” Liam: “All our plans have been ripped in a new direction, and it’s just been improvisation.” Sam notes that it feels like we’re always about to rip into Caleb’s backstory, but haven’t yet followed that thread all the way through. Liam: “It’s partially frustrating, to be sure, but also I like the idea that-- his whole shit has been selfish, it’s been dealing with the trauma that he’s been through and not the greater world, and that’s been shifting somewhat.”

Does Caleb think the book was worth it, and is he still interested in reading more? Sam: “How do you ask Caleb not to read a book?” Liam: “Caleb has spent enough time with the Nein to know you shouldn’t put a hand on a hot stove. After what happened with the book, he knows it’s a terrible idea. But maybe. But it’s a really bad idea. But reserve judgment, but it’s a really terrible idea. I think that Caleb is very aware that mages and people like him very easily fall prey to their curiosity and it can lead to bad places. But there is still that amount of scientific endeavor where you think there is value in knowing and learning, and maybe we can ride that line. He was True Neutral at the start of the campaign, and maybe he’s Chaotic Good now, but part of him is hubris, even if it’s a little bit, still.”

What about Otis has drawn Veth’s focus? Sam: “I mean, he’s a little shit. She was curious about Otis because he’s a small like she is, and in talking to him, he seemed to be real creepy, but he was just creepy and distant and didn’t value his past or family or anything like that. She sees someone who’s like her, but so not like her, and maybe that scares her a little bit more.”

How does Caleb feel about Beau being on this ride with him? Liam: “The dream is another example of how Caleb had very narrow vision of the things he wanted to do. It used to seem so massive to him, but now... To have Beauregard involved feels right. If anyone in the group is going to stop him from grabbing something he shouldn’t, it is probably Beauregard. She’ll punch him in the fucking face to stop him, which I think he needs, to a certain extent. They’re two different kinds of nerds, and I kind of like that, that this group of nine philosophers, they’ve reached out and somehow grabbed the two nerds in the party.”

How do Caleb and Veth see the Somnovum? Sam: “I mean, they seem real bad. Anything that’s a quorum of powerful entities heading towards your planet to unleash an energy of any kind, typically bad? I assume they’re bad, or at least the Tombtakers wish them to do ill.” Liam: “I think they want the kind of peace that comes from snapping your fingers and turning people to dust. Caleb sees them as a cautionary tale; they’re the worst-case scenario for arcane inquisitiveness.” He sees Allura Vysoren as the antidote to that.

Why the staunch refusal to use Halfling Luck? Sam: “I don’t like Luck! I just don’t like Luck. I think it’s cheap, I think it’s a cheat, I think it’s stupid. It just feels like a do-over.” Liam: “I am your antithesis! If I ever voice a halfling, I am going to hammer that feature!” Sam: “What I love about D&D is that you don’t know what’s going to happen. If you roll bad, okay, that’s it. If you roll well, it makes the success more enjoyable to know that it’s a pure success and don’t one where you’re like well actually... it’s so stupid. If someone was about to die, I would probably use the fuckin’ Luck feature. Well. It depends who. If it was Travis, yeah, no, he’s fucked, sorry.”

Liam drops that he’s picked Sam’s character class and race again for a hypothetical campaign three. Sam: “It’s not what I was thinking for future characters, but I’m excited to explore.”

Cosplay of the Week: an amazing Mollymauk by KatofValkyrie!

What was it like to bring the Tombtakers into the tower? Liam: “It is complicated, because he does not like him. Lucien’s just a fucking dick. But Caleb also knows that Molly’s in there somewhere. That tower’s only for the M9, and Lucien’s not in the M9. Their situation with these people is shitty, it’s terrible. Caleb doesn’t feel like they have the upper hand. He doesn’t like that they’re even going on this journey per se, because life is bigger than his bullshit. He feels like they’ve been losing over and over again, so it was a gamble to try to get on equal footing.

What spurred Veth into making sure she and Yasha have some one-on-one time? Sam: “Yasha hasn’t been getting a lot of moments to shine. Now that she’s back, I just got the impression that Yasha feels out of place sometimes, or timid, or unsure of herself. When Veth was Nott, Nott certainly had her share of those moments. I think she sees a kindred spirit and wants to make sure that she’s been giving all the opportunity she can to flourish and thrive. Dani, you’re just laughing at my mustache, aren’t you?” Dani: “Yes, that’s the only thing I’m laughing at through this whole bullshit.” Sam denies all knowledge of trolling, but eventually admits, on the topic of Yasha and Beau getting together: “They’ve made me wait this long... I’m going to make them wait a little bit longer!”

What was it like to show his friends the upper floors? Liam: “I kinda expected somebody to sneak up there before that. That being part of the tower is not even a conscious choice of his, it just is. The reason Caduceus has creeped Caleb out for a long time is because he talks about how-- Caduceus is a really kind person and wants Caleb to let go of the past. And in a really simplistic way, turn that frown upside-down. And that’s just not who Caleb is, and it’s not who everybody is. There is something to be said for trying to stay open and positivity, but thinking you can shut out the past, especially a traumatic one, is just not true. When things happen to us, we carry them. But to candy-coat it and say, ah, I’m free, or everything is good, or I’ve turned the corner... life is way messier than that. It’s not flipping a switch, it’s not bad-to-good, it is such a work in progress. Even when you make strides and start to get to a better place, you can backslide a lot. So the tower is who he is, and the tower is 7/9ths love for his friends, and 1/9th hope, but there’s still a percentage of him that carries everything from the past, and knows that he should, and knows that he should not go back to where he was. And the way to do that is not to say everything is rainbows, but to remember it. The tower is just like an extension of who he is. He’s never going to forget the past, and he’s never going to be like, I’m good, or I’ve turned a corner. He should remember the past, and he should do better, always.”

Does Veth still believe it’s possible to get Molly back? Sam: “Well, she was a person trapped in another body for many years, so has some experience there, and definitely believes that the spirit and soul of Molly is in there and just needs to be unlocked somehow.”

Fan Art of the Week: an amazing group shot by HarpySN!

How are Caleb and Veth dealing with their guilt and fear about being in the middle of this? Sam: “It definitely was a deep conversation that might have repercussions going forward. The problem with all of what we’re doing now is that we don’t have time to deal with our petty problems anymore. It’s all high tension all the time!” Liam: “It’s true; they’re not in control of their situation at all anymore.” Sam: “It’s good to have these check-ins, but it’s not like we can do anything about them. We’re reactive right now.” Liam: “He’s not happy with where they are, but they wouldn’t even be this far if the goblin hadn’t pulled him out of the mud. So part of it is, you saved me from where I was and got me on my feet again, and now it’s disconcerting to see it all just get knocked sideways by something he never could’ve predicted. I think Caleb felt nostalgic for when things were simpler, in a way, for them, when we’re both troubled drifters.”

What was it like to see Gelidon’s return? Liam: “I am the least superstitious person at the table. Ashley’s dice suck.” Sam: “It was fun fighting a dragon!” Liam: “Two massive battles in one episode, neither of which came away with a victory. I guess surviving is a victory.” Sam: “I’d forgotten about the dragon, honestly.” Liam: “I loved it. I was so upset at the idea that we were going to stealth and not get into it.”Sam: “Mercer doesn’t keep a live dragon around and not do something with it. That dragon’s coming back.”

How do Caleb and Veth feel about going to see Essek? Sam: “He can be very helpful, I believe, but as Sam Riegel, a player of D&D, I’m super suspicious. What the fuck is Essek doing up there, so close, now? I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. And I can throw him pretty far because he floats.” Liam: “I 100% agree with you. I do not understand what Essek could bring to what we are going through. I know the audience loves him, I love him too. He’s a really cool character. But he’s fucking toxic. He out of curiosity caused a war between two nations. And Caleb has been changed for the good by the M9 from months of travel with them. Essek has had none of that. Caleb has changed for the good, but not because of people like Essek. Essek is where Caleb came from. We kept the lid on the pot during the whole treaty at sea and it almost all went fucking sideways, and only because we pressed him into a corner. I hope that guy finds some sort of balance and peace for himself, but I do not see how his input here would be helpful. There’s other heavy hitters that I would try to pull in.”

Liam notes that the Cloven Crystal is in the Bag of Holding. Sam: “Do I have Fluffernutter, or is Fluffernutter gone?” Liam: “Nope. 300 pounds of fireworks? Gone. A dead mage, a threshold crest, and fireworks.” Dani: “Your basic essentials.”