#also I know emily wanted to retire fig

[jq37]

I know that high school is traditionally four years but it really feels like they might cap it at Junior Year. The whole season has been really full circle. Long running bits like the vulture, the Night Yorb, and even Fig's vendetta against Porter were paid off. Beloved NPCs like Ragh and Aelwyn are settling into their post-plot lives. The two-part finale of this season involves fighting a teacher and his student allies in the gym and even follows the naming convention of the analogous Freshman Year fight--Prompocalypse vs Ragenarok. I obviously don't know what their plans are but if they wanted to call it, it wouldn't be a narratively bad time to do it.

[rush-valley]

okay so although im sad that emilys most likely retiring fig i think it makes the most sense for her character. She has been focusing on everyone but herself (ex. giving credit for her feats to her friends and thinking of multiclassing to a paladin of cassandra not for her own benefit or want but to help kristen) heck she even pretends to be wanda childa for about half the season. I know she says its because she wanted to try to turn ruben against the other rat grinders, but i think its also because fig has such an easier time pretending to be anyone else.

Her entire reflection monologue is about how lonely she is despite being surrounded by friends, she loves her friends and family but she doesnt know how to ask for help. She doesnt think she, the archdevil of rebellion and a rockstar who has saved the world multiple times, is good enough or deserving of help.

so she puts on a front, she does what she always has done. she pretends. she pretends shes okay, she goes out of her way to help others even at the expense of her own interests. She pretends that shes not hurting because her friends are already going through their own bullshit, why add to it? On top of all of this, ayda is gone. The one person she could most likely open up to about all of this is unavailable for the entire year and her absence hurts.

all of this is to say that fig needs time to focus on herself and not worry about her friends needs because they will always come first in her mind. she will always put her needs and wants to the side for her friends. fig needs a new beginning and hopefully the bottomless pit can help her to prioritize herself

[msnova-scotia]

Maybe a weird idea, but what if for Fantasy High: Senior Year, it was set ~50 years in the future or so, where all the Bad Kids are seniors now (hence the name). This can allow the Fantasy High series to get out of just the high school setting, the huge time jump means the characters can be level 20, the plot doesn’t have to revolve around immediate things that happen a year after this last season.

Fig can have her separation from the group where she’s lived many years doing her own thing growing. Emily can even choose to keep her retired, saying she’s happy just being a rock star or arch devil in hell or whatever she wants Fig to ultimately do, and can have another character or bring Fig back for a little here and there if she wants, without it being expected to bring Fig back.

Fabian can have his little sibling all grown up, and we can explore more about that. Chungledown Bim can be defeated during the time skip or even as a side plot during the season. He can be retired and not have to worry about keeping up his maximum legend status all the time, and live peacefully but accomplished.

Riz will probably have spent tons of his time exploring other planes of existence, being a secret agent with his dad, taking down all kids of baddies across the universe. He won’t have to be so stressed all the time having to keep tabs on his friends and make sure they don’t get themselves killed (though now he does have to do this with all of the newbies at his job).

Kristen is finally living her best life with a huge congregation following her pantheon of gods, spreading the word of doubt and justice and the true meaning of what these gods stand for. And who knows, maybe Kristen resurrected even more. Now Kristen is making sure each god has a following that believe in and shape the gods in the way the gods want to be shaped.

Adaine has long killed her mother at this point. Her and Aelwyn are best friends, inseparable, though each with their own independent life. I’ve also seen a couple posts about how Adaine would make a good principal (much better than Augefort at least), so she could be doing that as well as changing Fallinel to be less stuck up and pompous. Also she’s settled into her role as the Elven Oracle, and while it may still annoy her that every elf and their mother seems to want a prophecy from her, she at least accepts that her visions are important enough to change the tides of the world and her role shouldn’t be taken so lightly.

And lastly, Gorgug has proven himself as the greatest wizard of all time. Barbaficer has become as common as any other class. He’s changed the world with his inventions, and could be head of some engineering department or whatever that’s brought the entire world of Spyre into the future with crystals and vehicles and all sorts of technological advances that could never have been dreamed of before he came along.

And after all of this personal growth each of the characters had, they have to get together for “one last adventure, for old times’ sake.” But none of them have really adventures in a couple years. Not like when they were younger, that is, but whatever’s going on can’t be stopped by just anyone.

I was also thinking that tbh, it would be neat to maybe explore permanent deaths for the characters at the end, whether it’s from the final battle or the epilogue where each Intrepid Hero gets to choose how their character finally passes, and ends their story. It can put the Fantasy High series to rest in a good way, maybe leaving an open ending to give way for a new generation of heroes but also a final ending to the Bad Kids (so fans don’t keep asking for another year, then another, maybe college this time, etc etc.)

It would also be fun to start off the season with their deaths, have the typical introductions and scene settings that happen with each season, and then the end of the episode: BAM! They all die, put to rest, who will avenge them, the story begins, the Intrepid Heroes start their actual characters, and the whole season is whatever the cast wants it to be, I’m just not sure how well that would work, or how it would still play into being Fantasy High without the main characters. Maybe it could be a side quest or even a longer one-shot or something if they did it this way

[strugglingatart]

Something about knowing Emily wanting to retire Fig and the very real acknoldegment through that conversation with Zara that you can (and sometimes should!) work and change your plans around the good of people you love but never fully give up the thing that'll make you happiest really get's me and I think it's a GREAT story beat and lesson in general and I kinda love it

BUT ALSO there is something terrifying to me personally and emotionally about a senior year without Fig because to me fantasy high more than other intrepid heroes campaings is about their FRIENDSHIP and I struggle to see a mechanic where they could show them all still keeping contact with Fig and Ayda and properly, like the little we've seen of Ayda this season, or how Hallariel and Gilear don't call or check in even in down time and I completely understand why honestly but it stings a tiny bit as an audience member

And here is the thing I have many deep and meaningful long distance friendships, people who have an active and big part in my life just live far away and with how much Fig looves and is dedicated to her family and friends it's obvious that would be her, especially with the help of full on MAGIC that they have. BUt whilst I have no doubt Emily would come up with an amazing new character and be incredible as usual I don't know if it's possible in actual play to have someone be away but present and that would make a kinda huge underlining sadness to a future season in elmville for me

And obviously I think I'd still like it in general and want the creatives I like to tell their stories in the way that feels best for them, I'd never actually begrudge them for it, but creative decisions can still get a sad emotional response out of you without being the "wrong" decision and not every criticism is an I hate this thing and evryone now

[whoblewboobear]

I don't doubt this is happening because misogyny is real but WHO is hating on Emily she always is one of the funniest PCs in each season

Also I like how big of a role Wanda childa is playing given that Brennan didn't let her retire Fig even though she wanted to

There were a few posts that came through the tag this week that were overly critical about Emily wanting fig to drop out and other in character choices. I did miss the post prev anon mentioned about wanda being problematic bc she’s messing with Rueben. I will say, the Emily hate hasn’t been as bad as the saccharina posts were when acoc was airing though which is good. I feel like overall Emily has more fans than she does critics but the critics are loud.

I can’t WAIT to see the pay off from Wanda and I’m soooo glad it wasn’t just a one off goof. Rn Fig is the only one with a solid connection to the ratgrinders. The amount of info she can get out of him later is so juicy! I just know the reveal to Rueben is gonna be insane I’m so excited~

[msnova-scotia]

Keep in mind, Brennan talks about so many of his story ideas with the players so that they can feel comfortable with his decisions while also keeping it somewhat a surprise. Like unsleeping city s2, the decision to give Ricky’s ax away or have Sofia be pregnant, or in crown of candy, when to introduce the backup characters, and all kinds of other decisions in the other seasons.

We know Brennan talked to Emily about his ideas for Fig, even though Emily wanted Fig retired. But clearly whatever they talked about was enough that Emily felt comfortable bringing Fig back. It’s not like the players are powerless to decide big decisions in the story, nor are they ever coerced into going along with whatever Brennan wants. I mean shit, Brennan had to create an entire self insert character for this season to keep Emily/Fig in line because she goes off the rails so much, and it’s still not working that well.

It might have been as simple as Brennan telling Emily about an overarching unlucky curse from Gilear, or a chance to change Emily’s class because it’s not what Fig really wants, or whatever, but it was clearly enough of a conversation that Emily agreed to continue playing Fig.

Maybe her unlucky bardic inspirations are because she doesn’t even want to be a bard anymore

I think Brennan went too far in nerfing Fig being a bard this season.

I get Fig/Emily made a deal but to make nerf her entire class without explaining how, it's not really fair. Brennan is a great DM, but I don't think anyone should be free from criticism, Emily seemed to like it according to her interview, but it's still something bad DM's do. Brennan is a good DM and friend so I don't think he is being malicious, I think he's doing it to tell a better story that he knows Emily will enjoy in the end so it is okay for them, it doesn't change that it's an overreach of what a DM should be able to do in my eyes.

As a viewer, my opinion does not matter, because the game is not for me, but also as a viewer I am allowed to criticize what I watch. I get that Brennan is trying to do something cool for the story, but at the very least to me, he went too far. Right now, Fig/Emily are afraid of their bardic inspiration, it's poisoning her against the class. Bardic inspiration is a huge part of the bard class, one of it's staples. It's like if a barbarian lost their rages or monks lost their ki abilities, that alone is too far without talking to the player first and explaining how the mechanic has changed.

The mall fight in episode 5 was the most egregious example, I see people talking about how it was almost a TPK and the bad kids were only saved because of Brennan, but I disagree. They were only put into that situation because of DM overreach. Yes, Brennan let them live in the end, but they were only in that situation because of an unfair and insane Diabolus Ex Machina specifically targeted against Emily/Fig. a Fire elemental that did not exist before that turn, appeared out of nowhere with a tray of shrimp and it getting knocked away with one of the shrimp somehow landing in Cassandra's mouth, and being something that she a goddess is somehow allergic to and resulting in her getting knocked out, all because Fig gave her a bardic inspiration.

That's not fair, I don't care how cursed or unlucky Fig is because of the deal she made, that's a crazy amount of bad luck to correlate to a single bardic inspiration. That's like 2 nat 1's in a row bad, not a d8 or bardic inspiration bad. That's one of the worst rolls possible on the wild magic surge table twice bad.

This is not saying that Brennan is a bad person, a bad friend to the people at the table, it's not even saying he's a bad dm. But it is a criticism for that moment because it was unfair. I might be in the minority here, but I personally don' think a dm is above the table, I think they are another player with a different rulebook. They have their own rules that they cannot/should not break just as any other player at the table.