#and Emhira is fascinating

[immeasurable-depths]

Imagine being the Raven Queen here, though. A powerful wizard who worked her whole mortal life to ascend to immortality to experience the infinite - and succeeding. Seemingly managing to get the rest of the pantheon to accept her, somehow, despite her joining them resulting in the death of one of their beloved siblings (I NEED to see them talk about this more, but that’s a whole other post).

And then spending… what, barely 200 years - barely the blink of an eye for an immortal being - before she has to return back to the mortal form she shirked, and live half a lifetime again to stop other mortals from ending the existence of the infinite itself?

I need an entire episode of Laura talking about all of this.

[floweroflaurelin]

I would have been lost without you. Thank you for guiding me, and always protecting me.

I don’t think you ever needed me as a guardian, though it was my life’s honour to do so.

—

Baby Emhira having a bright moment with her guardians Purvan and Galdric! I can’t stop thinking about Purvan helping to raise the Raven Queen as a baby. The mortal who became a goddess who became a mortal, and he’s there to watch her grow up. It makes me so emotional 🥲

[batwingsandblackcats]

I am absolutely fascinated by the implications of, as the web of PCs grows, who among the main cast chooses to play who.

Particularly considering Downfall.

Taliesin and Ashley are both playing the gods that their past PCs followed. Taliesin said in the cooldown that Asha, specifically, is Caduceus’ Wildmother.

Pike helped reconstruct a temple to Sarenrae in Vassalheim, and her relationship with Sarenrae is an absolutely intrinsic part of Pike’s character. Intentional or not, Trist’s daughter Haylie sounds a lot like Pike’s step-daughter Kaylie.

Laura as the Matron in particular though, is making me a little insane, and that’s because the connections are indirect. None of Laura’s PCs have a direct, sustained link to the Raven Queen, and yet somehow the connections are more numerous.

Emhira walked beside Purvan, the man who originally wore the armor that would eventually be trapped in a sunken tomb and kill Vex almost a thousand years later.

Emhira walked beside Purvan, the man who originally wore the armor that Vex briefly claimed after the tomb before giving it to Vax, who would wear it as part of the deal he struck with the Matron to resurrect Vex.

Emhira walked beside Galdric, Purvan’s wolf who later rested in a pocket plane attached to a crystal. A crystal that would later hold Trinket.

Emhira walked beside Galdric, Purvan’s wolf who was later released into the Parchwood to protect Vex’s chosen home.

Vex would later have a son named Wolfe.

Vex speaks to the Matron directly only once while striking a deal for Vax’s life.

The Matron appeared at Vex and Percy’s wedding, delivering Vax to Vex one last time via Scanlan’s last Wish spell.

In C3, Vex no longer wears two blue feathers in her hair, but two black raven feathers.

In C3, Imogen spends a long moment standing between (and potentially deliberating between) the temple of the Dawnfather and the Duskmeadow in Whitestone before ultimately deciding to appeal to the Dawnfather for help in saving Laudna.

I’m sure I’m missing other connections but it’s 1am and my C1 lore is a little rusty.

It’s one thing to start reaching back to past campaigns for cornerstones of new characters (I could talk about the ripples of connection concerning Orym and Laudna all day) but considering that Taliesin, Ashley, and Laura are playing gods right now, the backwards ripples stretch almost infinitely.

Do any of these connections actually mean anything within the narrative? Nah. They’re professionals and compartmentalizing different characters is what they do.

I just find it absolutely fascinating, on an above-the-table meta level, that as more and more stories across Exandria and across different times in Exandria are being told around the table, and the more characters are introduced, the bigger the house of mirrors grows.

[piratespencil]

I haven’t seen anyone talk about this yet so maybe I’m just missing something obvious but I’m soooo fascinated by Emhira being a warlock. Who is her patron? The original god of death? Purvan? Herself???

[life-ephemeral]

So, to get this straight, in order to take on mortal form, the Gods had to be born and raised as mortal beings!? Super cool if true.

I initially thought that Serenrae (Trist) had taken on a mortal form because she fell in love with a mortal, and this mission came to her later. But then Purvan said he was tasked with protecting Emhira since before she was born, and that boggled the brain a bit.

The ages of these mortal forms may allude to some fascinating things, like how long this plan has been in motion and when each God got on board...

- Serenrae was the first of the PC's to gain a mortal form, Trist is 39.

-Melora was not far behind, Asha is 38

-Corellon's mortal form S.I.L.A.H.A is 30.

-Pelor was the last to join... Ayden is 15. Why so late to the party, I wonder?

- Ioun A.K.A Arcadia's age was not stated, she's described as a beautiful woman, but no descriptors that denote age.

- The betrayers ages are also not clear... except for...

- Asmodeus, whose mortal form Milo Cowst was described as having the appearance of a kindly old man. This means, as far as we know, he's been a mortal for the longest.

I don't know why, but Asmodeus being the oldest mortal fascinates me. Was this his idea? If so, how did he get the Prime Deities on board and when? So many questions!

[queenjulia11]

One of the things that fascinates me most about Downfall is the fact that these deities are themselves and these mortal avatars at the same time. Where does one end and the other begin? Did these people always know who they really were and what they were made to do?

Trist has a husband and kids! Ashley said in the cooldown that she “committed to the bit,” so I’m assuming Seranrae adorably fell in love knowing full well what she would eventually put her family through, and chose not to ignore her mortal side for the sake of her divine one anyway. Emhira is likely similar, she was literally raised by the Raven Queen’s champion, she probably always knew what she was meant to do.

But what about Ayden? The teenager? Does he have parents?? How long did this boy get to be a child before he was called upon by destiny?

It reminds me a lot of the idols in Stray Gods: you don’t just become someone else, but you don’t get to completely keep who you were. You are becoming something and you are losing something. But in this case, that loss is going to be catastrophic. I can’t imagine not feeling any sort of resentment toward a piece of yourself ripping your other half into their world.

I’m so intrigued by how this avatar thing works. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but even though The Lights of Tengar all seem to identify pretty strongly as gods, they do still prefer to go by their mortal names. I wonder if there’s another war being waged inside each of them?

I guess only time will tell.

[bardly-working]

can I just say that Abubakar Salim is an absolute delight to watch in CR Downfall?

Like, I'm still utterly insane about SILAHA's conversation with Emhira last episode, and he continues to just be such a compelling and fascinating interpretation of Corellon/the Arch Heart. And on top of that Abu is just so clearly having so much fun, it's always awesome to watch actors having fun!

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 100 (Downfall Part Two!)

ACTUAL SAM ad nonsense, this time. Okay, then ... awwwwww ... this is actually really cute ... Liam: "You're the fakest person I know ... you don't have a genuine bone in your body ..." LOL Yeah, that's it, nice save. That was actually quite adorable, even if Liam WAS a little ... less than SWEET with his choice of words. I'm looking at YOU, O'Brien. (I am joking, of course, for those who DON'T get irony ...)

Oh yeah, in truth Sam really HASN'T lost his touch and it's great. Even though it's at Marisha's expense ... XD

"And there's a POCKET!" The way Laura said that was too good ... LOL

Yeah, I expected the stand-up from Matt this time ... hello again, Brennan ... and he's as geeky as ever. I love it ... "Everyone's laughing it up but I am DEADLY FUCKING SERIOUS, okay?"

Chamber of Secrets? Yeah, no ... Brennan: "HBO! No, no, I'm sorry!"

So, the first roll of the evening ... 30? Blimey ... off to a great start, definitely ...

Oh, she's a JOLLY little halfling, isn't she? Yeah ...

The Emissary: "You. Made. Her. Saaaaaaad ..."

What happened in Vasselheim? That didn't sound good ...

An object wrapped in cloth? Something new, seemingly hidden but not well? Oh, that's suspicious. Careful with that, Ayden ... a prayer to "the family that we used to be" ... hmmm ... oh ... that's interesting ... someone's prayed to the Dawnfather here? Recently?

Hallis? Who's that?

An ARCHMAGE?!!! Intriguing ... oh, so it was to the Everlight? also interesting ... so it IS a book of the gods ... a really really OLD one ... whoa, this is PRE-Age of Arcanum? Wow ...

Locate Magic? Or a tracking spell? Hmmmm ...

Umleta: "Is this part of the plan, or are you asking me for a favour?" Trist: "Yes."

Oh yeah, go Raven Mother about-to-die second sight ... aha, so is this kid still alive? Is this something that Emhira COULD fix?

So there's a hospital close? That must be it, then ...

Yeah, I was thinking this too ... if they win an ally in this, they could circumvent a lot of greif in this plan ... Trist's plan could definitely make things a liot easier for them ...

Ayden: "I'm having a difficult time, I like him but also quite despise him ..." Taliesin: "Welcomg to Thanksgiving!"

Disperse and split up, then ...

Sphere of Invisibility. Okay ...

Oh ... a tragic love story? And I was already so compelled about Asha ... also I'm definitely liking that she's bonding with the Emissary ...

The Emissary: "Her first forest ... for you ..." Asha: "That would be a better gift. How typical."

Yeah, she really is hungry ... EVERYTHING'S hungry, apparently ... hmmm ... O.O

Wait ... a SENTIENT lock? Weird ... oh, is it some kind of Aeormaton? Cool ... did it just FLIRT with SILAHA? Interesting ...

Chorus? Okay ... of boy, wow, SILAHA is definitely a little too into this particular facade, aren't they?

So it's some kind of bizarre Aeormaton speakeasy? Weird ... and it's a bit kinky too, apparently ... O.O

Umleta: "You are a clown." SILAHA: "Go join the circus, then."

Apparently SILAHA is having trouble letting go ...

That Aeormaton/elven lesbian engagement was incredibly romantic, ain't gonna deny ...

Oh yeah, 4X is fascinating already ... a stiff? Hmmm ... milk and honey? Sounds suspicious ...

Crap ... the imp is onto them ... Emhira: "Imp ... in my boobs ..." SILAHA: "Oh dear ..."

Slith ... hmmm ... I would already die for this adorable little letch ... clearly he likes Emhira VERY MUCH ...

Command? Oh, here we go ... Wisdom save of 19? Okay ... nice ...

A planetar? So definitely an angel, then ... and SILAHA already has them under his thumb ... oh ... for one round only ... crap ...

Roll Initiative? OF COURSE ...

Hold Monster? Nice ... good choice, Abubakar. Brennan saves ... Abubakar: "I'm gonna use a Lucky!" Of course you are. XD

Shadow Blade and Boots of Haste combo means Laura gets another action ... so Emhira hacks away! 29 DEFINITELY hits ... 12! OF COURSE this thing bleeds gold ... and she's a Warcaster? Wow ... second attack, then ...

SILAHA is going to LITERALLY bend the reality of the space around them to trap this guy ...

Wow ... so that LITERALLY just ended JUST LIKE THAT ... cool. Yeah ... OF COURSE nobody else REALLY saw that ...

Meanwhile the door LITERALLY SWALLOWED the angel ...

Oh yeah, those two demons WOULD just brick it, wouldn't they? Nice defuse, at least ... and that's a break then so Brennan can take a dump, I suppose ...

Over to Trist and Ayden, then ...

Somehow I doubt he really NEEDED to PRAY n order to melt that lock ... mostly he was just doing it to be an arsehole, I reckon ...

Emergency, yeah ... definitely the smart word in THIS environment ... 21 persuasion? Yeah ... not here? I kind of doubt that ... and it doesn't SEEM like it either ... another persuasion check? 25 this time ... Ashley's rolling HARD tonight ...

Archmage Previn? Okay, there we go then ...

Oh, this play is FANCY, yeah ...

Here he is, then ... poor kid's in a STATE, clearly ...

Graygill's Wasting? Sounds nasty ...

Aha! This would be Previn, then ... Cassida? Yeah, first names might be smart right now ...

The book? Oh, okay ... that's a risky move ...

Okay, yeah, figured she was a worshipper.

Oh yeah, get rid of that cranky git ... Milo: "It ever follows."

Trist uses Lay On Hands to remove his disease ... is this actually gonna work? Oh shit ... is she too broken for it to really succeed? Hmmm ...

That's right, Previn, you're in the presence of the Everlight herself ... so the kid's HEALED and now has 70 hit points ... wow ... O.O

Hallis: "I'm hungry ..." Yeah, you bet his mum just bursts into tears ...

Milo! You massive prick! Teach him a lesson, Ayden.

Channel Divinity? So Ayden's just on a healing tour, then ...

Well, that seems like a very ... humbling lesson ...

So ... Archmage Previn is DIRECTLY involved in this great undertaking of Aeor against the gods, then? So this is potentially a VERY helpful development, then ...

Wait ... is she trying to SABOTAGE this weapon?

The Society of Primes? Sounds helpful ... maybe they DO have some allies here, then ...

Oh dear ... yeah, this might NOT work out how they'd like after all, then ... oof ...

Back to Asha and the Emissary, then ...

A lone single tree ... at once beautiful and foreboding, really ...

One more hour of their Sphere of Invisibility ... so maybe just try a stealthy infiltration, then ...

"A gift of the Golden Scythe ..." Hmmmmm ...

Well now ... at least the little things know to honour their patrons ... but also I feel VERY SORRY for these poor tiny birds, this is a HORRIBLE place to be trapped in ...

Yeah, looks like being sneaky IS the smart move right now, then.

Oh, that's just SWEET ... see, nature isn't ALWAYS cruel ...

And now the tree's talking to her too ... O.O

Brennan: "It is not only humans that worship." Yes indeed ...

Holy fuck ... Asha just made the tree SPLIT THE WALL OPEN with its roots. That is a fucking FLEX right there ...

Asha takes a twig from the tree for later ... ALSO smart ...

The Emissary: "Bird ... she bares her teeth ... but I know what Mother sees in her."

Tishar cleaves the pipe open and starts burrowing into it ...

And now we're back to Emhira and SILAHA ...

So ... questioning the angel, then ... they followed their commander here? So ... this is NOT the rebel angel that came here to offer up secrets, then? Interesting ... but clearly they are still a moody shit ... hmmm ...

SILAHA's actually trying to SUCK THE ANGER right out of them? Interesting ... 9 on a Charisma check? Oof ... yeah, that's roundly rejected, then ...

Acastriel? Is that the traitor, then?

So that happened, the ... the angel just CUT ITS OWN HEAD OFF ... lovely ...

Oh dear ... yeah, so Garathran, the angel, is now FACE TO FACE with the ACTUAL Matron of Ravens on the other side ... yeah, they done fucked up after all ...

Yeah, they are SCARED now, clearly ... but she's being SO SWEET even when she's bracing them for information ...

Here we go, then ... the much needed infodump ...

A DRAGON?!!! Sweet fuck ...

The bottleneck and the breaking point indeed ... the information HASN'T gone out yet ... so they COULD just nip this in the bud right here ...

They just vanish in a puff ... and all the knowledge floods into her instead ... yup ...

It's all happening ALL AT ONCE!!! Yeah ...

And meanwhile Taliesin and Noshir have to roll Initiative ... CRAP!!! Oh, now he's getting EVERYBODY to do it instead ... okay then ...

So they burst out of the pipe into a chamber ... oh dear ... two massive constructs bar the way ... crap indeed ...

Yeah. Kill the Archmage, then ...

The Emissary charges their energy up and makes a dash for the mage. The closer construct swings and VERY MUCH misses as they pass ... attack as a BONUS ACTION?!!! Holy shit ... two big axes form one larger weapon and they CHUCK IT at the mage ... holy fuck this weapon cleaves CLEAN THROUGH the sudden shielf spell and cuts right into its target ... a rune that says "Denial"? No shit ... 11 damage, but with Scales of Justice he's also grappled and dragged ... so another 12 points, 23 altogether ... nice ... next attack which ALSO hits with a 28 ... holy fuck ... more axe action, then ... 12 points of damage this time.

The Emissary: "REPENT." Oof ... O.O

So Emhira and SILAHA have to get to the Engine under the Scribe, then. HOW?!!!

Emhira sends her raven, Dearest, through the pipe into the chamber ... okay, then ... Arcane Gate? Oh yes, nice one indeed ... so there's a portal RIGHT where they want to be, then, and she steps straight through ...

So she's right in the thick of it, then, and SILAHA casts Dimension Door in order to directly follow her.

Clockwork Cavalcade? Sounds FANCY ... yeah, DO THAT!!!

Abubakar: "Gimme two seconds ..." Oh fuck yeah ... yes, that's EXACTLY it ... SILAHA literally just PACMANs the fucking Scribe and ALL of its data ... fucking SWEET ...

A poem so beautiful it could convince reality to kill a god ... holy shit ...

Zaharzht hobbles in and casts Silence on the Archmage ... all the sound leaves the room ... hmmm ... two Counterspells from the constructs fail SPECTACULARLY ... yup, no verbal components, then ... essentially he can therefore now do FUCK ALL ... XD

The Archmage manages to slip free from the grapple, but gives the Emissary an attack of poortunity ... the mage gets out of the range of Silence and dumps a Misty Step to flee ...

The group at the hospital are currently very much OUT OF THE FIGHT ... hmmm ... so Arcadia casts Teleport and just jumps ALL OF THEM into the room ... okay, then ...

Trists casts Guiding Bolt on the Orb ... nice ... Nat20! Yeah! Double damage, then ... 8D6? Wow ... 36 points of Radiant damage! BOOM!!! Advantage on the next attack, then ...

Awwwwwww ... Topher gave her a little slingshot? That's so sweet ... she casts Blinding Smite on it, then holds her position for whatever's next ...

Which is a construct coming right at her ... oof ... she takes 44 POINTS OF DAMAGE in a single hit ... fuck ... and she just TAKES IT ...

Zaharzht takes a hit too ... and has to make a concentration save to maintain the Silence ... which stays ... phew ...

Asha runs round, lands on the Emissary and reaches into them, pulling out a rusted metal ring, produces a vine of briatwood, and forms them into a really nasty spear ... she spots the mage just in time before he emerges from Misty Step and attacks ... 24 to hit ... effortlessly bypassing the Shield, she inflicts a monstrous amount of damage and completely STUNS the fucker ... following through, she batters the prone body and then delivers a Flurry of Blows ... ouch ... HDYWTDT indeed ... yeah, she just rips his throat right out with her bare teeth ... O.O

Tishar rushes in, sees the Orb's already fucked up, and Rages as she starts battering it ... 38 points of damage, then ...

Ayden points his staff at the Orb and hurls a Guiding Bolt at it ... 30 to hit? Oooof ... 20 points of Radiant damage ... then turns to Tishar and says: "It's taking you that long?" before granting her an Additonal Attack ... fuck, REALLY?!!!

Oh, nostalgia ... hmmmm ...

She smashes it to pieces ... oh yeah, this shit EXPLODES, definitely ... both the constructs just instantly go inert and that's IT for the fight...

Wind? Hmmm ... osh shit, wait ... yes, of course, the gates are open as the gods are starting to come in ...

Meanwhile they all pile through Emhira's gate and leave the chamber behind ...

And that's IT!!! Branna calls it a night ... roll on next week, then.

[wayhaughtn7]

I’m obsessed with the theory that Tengar is whatever the Luxon was before its destruction and the creation of the beacons. The Luxon and the beacons are the most fascinating religion and form of magic Exandria has imo and the possibility that they are the same is mind blowing. When you add in the fact the gods the people of Exandria worship came from there it completely upends everything we know about the Founding and the Calamity. All the ancient squabbles between the primordials and gods have just been a form of infighting between pieces/creations of the Luxon as they’ve taken on more sentience and gained more autonomy from what they had in Tengar. I don’t know if the theory is true or not but it certainly seems possible based on how Brennan described it.

Also, I’m in complete agreement with the Matron/Emhira on the others not understanding what the people of Aeor are capable of. If it wasn’t for the innocent people they allow in as “refugees” I’d have no qualms about blowing that disgusting place out of the sky. I couldn’t help but compare the Aeor we got to see in the first part of Downfall with the way Dragon Age describes the pre-Andraste Tevinter Imperium as the episode went on. There are a lot if similarities between them and that honestly makes me hate Aeor even more. The mages of Aeor don’t seem to be good people at all and I still think whatever Ludinus thinks will happen by showing BH's this is going to backfire on him in a big way.