#and before that i used to just think about the savalirwood all the time because i have so many questions

[justalittlebluetiefling]

The Critical Role plot point that keeps me up at night is the corrupted portion of the Savalirwood/Molaesmyr and how it’s connected to the corrupted forest in Aeor.

[angelsndragons]

Clay Timeline

Or our best guess at it, really. I am trying to reference Matt primarily because it is his world and because Taliesin has admitted to being fuzzy on some details, owing to Caduceus’ own navel-gazing/not paying attention to said details. There is also the chance that Matt swapped things around in the background in the six irl months between Dust and Clay and Family Shatters. 

Update as of 130/131: No one can keep track of the Clays and it is hysterical. You know you have a problem when the Lorekeeper has to ask for a family tree. 

~545 - Molaesmyr falls to whatever corruption or experiments its elves were running. This corruption is eerily similar to that of the corruption found in Aeor, a floating city once known for having god-killer weapons. Ref. EGtW and the timing of Ludinus Da’leth founding the Cerberus Assembly in A Game of Names.

~735 - The Corruption of Molaesmyr begins assaulting the Blooming Grove. Ref Caduceus and the Clays saying the corruption within the Savalirwood began overtaking the temple about a century before the start of the game.

~715-755 - Caduceus Clay is born. Taliesin has said he is anywhere between 80-120, however the lower numbers have come up more frequently. What is also interesting is that the reference age for Caduceus settled into early 20s/23, down from mid 20s/23-26.

826 - The Gorgon comes to the Menagerie and petrifies the inhabitants. Ref Family Shatters, Eremus Stone confirms he was frozen ten years ago.

826-827 - Constance and Corrin leave the Grove together. Ref. Family Shatters, Constance confirms that they left around 827. Also reference Calm before the Storm.

828 - The last of the Clays leaves the Grove. Ref Family Shatters, Caduceus says that Clarabelle left eight or seven years previously. Also Ref Within the Nest, Caduceus says that one of his sisters was the last to leave, heading East.

      - Okay, so Taliesin talks like they left one by one once they had their visions but we know that is not strictly true because of Constance and Corrin. Either way, this timeline lines up with Taliesin’s ‘once every six months the next one would leave’ comments; you can accommodate more individual trips by adjusting the time of year they left. For example, put Constance and Corrin later in 826 for leaving pairs or put them earlier for the rest of the family leaving individually. Remember that the Exandrian calendar only has 11 months.

        ---Update from Episode 130, Calm before the Storm. Caduceus says that after Corrin and Constance left, Calliope left by herself, followed by Colton (who may have left with Cornelius), Cornelius, and finally Clarabelle.

We also know that the Family Shatters Clay pairs probably did not travel together exclusively throughout their journeys.

- Constance and Corrin arrive separately at the Kiln. They also leave separately, lacking the residuum they need. This was ‘a few years ago,’ according to the Dusts. Ref Jeramiss Dust in Clay and Dust.

     - On a maybe relevant note, Corrin is the Clay who comments on Uthodurnian food, stating she likes it a lot better than the Empire’s food in Family Shatters.

- Constance and Corrin arrive at the Menagerie together and are petrified. They came hoping the Stones might have some residuum to use at the Kiln. Ref Family Shatters, Constance confirms they came together and that the trip took ‘quite a few months.’

- At some point, Colton also arrives alone at the Kiln. He leaves like his mother and aunt do, confused and lacking materials. Ref Clay and Dust. Note that we do not know if Colton got there before or after his mother and aunt, he is simply brought up later in the conversation, as though it was easier for Jeramiss to remember Constance and Corrin than him.

- Colton is found with Clarabelle inside the Menagerie Cave, protecting her from something.

- Clarabelle is the most visibly confused of the Clays re Caduceus’ apparent age. She also is not panicked or defensive like Colton is when he awakes. I would guess her lack of darkvision meant that she did not see the statues or the gorgon when she entered the Cave, even if she brought a light source.

- Calliope has a single residuum seed on her when she is restored, indicating she too went to the Kiln at some point and had residuum on her when she did so. Ref Calliope Clay, Family Shatters, she straight-up tells Beau she got it at the Kiln.

- Notably, she is found with Cornelius, who has residuum glass on him but no seed. He states that he got confused when Caduceus shows him his residuum seeds. 

- Also notably, Cornelius had spotted Constance and Corrin before he was petrified, indicating that he and Calliope arrived after them.

835,  Fessuran 22 - Mollymauk Tealeaf dies.

835,  Fessuran 23 - Caduceus Clay has visions of eyes in the trees, sky, spring, and stones in the Blooming Grove. He then sees nine butterflies.

835, Fessuran 24 - Caduceus Clay joins the Mighty Nein.

836, Thunsheer 25 - Cornelius, Calliope, and Constance Clay reunite with Caduceus. Corrin, Clarabelle, and Colton are found but are unable to be restored due to a lack of spell slots.

836, Thunsheer 26 - The Clays reunite as Clarabelle, Colton, and Corrin are all successfully restored. They begin their trek back to the Grove. 

     Update as of 131: Reani totally dished the deets on the Nein while she escorted the Clays home. Reference Clarabelle asking about the Xhorhaus’ tree when no one mentioned it around her in 96 or 130.

836, Brussendar 19: The latest date the Clays make it home; Jester checks in with Calliope on this date and confirms that they have planted the seeds. They probably have been back for a while at this point, as Colton and Corrin are on a supply run on Brussendar 31 during Calm Before the Storm.

Speculation on the timeline below - 

Updated as of 131: Matt and Taliesin apparently mixed up which sister is the crafty one, aka which one made the armor. Clarabelle is the sensitive artist while Calliope is the warrior but according to 130 and 131, Calliope made Caduceus and her own armor (which honestly was my thought the whole time, the two of them being a matched/equal and opposite set, but the idea of Clarabelle making her siblings’ matching armor is too dang cute). Obviously Calliope can be a warrior and make her own stuff, in fact, it is probably smart on her end considering she wants to go out on her own.

The fact that Calliope has a seed but no residuum and her father has residuum but no seed and seemed confused by Caduceus’ indicates to me that Calliope and Cornelius met up at the Menagerie not too long before they were petrified. Calliope did not have the time to explain to her father how she got the seed or perhaps that she even had it in the first place. I lean towards lack of time because she, like Colton, seems really gung-ho about being the hero of the family/Grove. It seems weird to me that she wants that validation but would withhold the seed from her dad.

Given that Calliope does have a seed but was not mentioned at all during the stay at the Kiln, I wonder if she came in behind Caduceus and made it to the Kiln after the group reforged the sword and left. I thought that Caduceus mentioned he wanted to leave a record of his time there but I cannot find it at the moment. Maybe someone else will or maybe that was all in my imagination. If she actually did come in behind Caduceus, that means that she was aging for the vast majority of her time away from the Grove, as was her father if they met up at the Menagerie. CritRole Stats tells me that the Nein were at the sanctum on 18 and 25 Misuthar, while the Clays are reunited on 25 Thunsheer, two months later. It would be a tight schedule for Calliope to make across the entire freaking continent in that two months but considering that Matt has said that Molaesmyr is only a few days to a week from the Sanctum and the fact that she is a badass, it might be possible.

I think we can reasonably say that Clarabelle found the Menagerie first and that she probably came alone. Colton found her statue when he came and tried to protect it before he succumbed. Or Clarabelle and Colton met up at some point and she wandered off for a hot second before being petrified.

Out of universe, I think Matt just flubbed with which sibling made it to the Kiln and flubbed the girls’ introductions; I think he meant to have Clarabelle and Cornelius together outside and Colton and Calliope inside, esp given the potentially poetic imagery of Calliope and Colton being that close to saving their home before they are taken out of the game. But if mistakes were made, they have yet to be clarified so until then, we just have to deal with what canon gave us.

[dungeonsanddragonsfifthedition]

5, 9, 14, 31 for the DND ask game!

dee and dee questions

Which of your d&d characters has been the most like you?

hm... not d&d characters, but ves and keeper are probably my biggest self-inserts; if i'm choosing a d&d character specifically, i think it's probably eirlys? she's more jaded than most of my other self-inserty guys which is. more like me. + her family situation is easily the most like mine.

Has one of your d&d characters ever died? How?

well. io and eirlys both died pre-campaign, io from fall damage and eirlys from The Savalirwood Is Fucked Up. anthe died in a religious ritual pre-game too. but anthe is my only character who has died during a campaign i think? and she's done it twice. once, she was eaten by a purple worm (nev brought her back) and the other time, it was a hunger games poison berries situation in a puzzle where all of us had to "die" before we could get out.

Have you ever had a romance with an NPC or another PC?

anthe is the big one because she is. happily in a relationship with nev, clay tumblr user quillith's firbolg paladin. ori, in curse of strahd, had hook-ups with ireena and esmerelda, but she isn't really the romantic type.

Tell me about your current party!

i am in wayyy too many games to do this so let's just go over the two games i dm!

divinity & doors is a wildemount game, and the party has referred to themselves as the hypesquad and the shapes. it's made up of adaeze agubanko, a protector aasimar great-old-one warlock with a fucked up sword and a habit of handing out citrus fruits; agnodice abbadelli, a human alchemist artificer & divination wizard who makes research alchemical compounds and who lives in a basement; cyrus thorn, a half-orc redemption paladin who loves to make art and who i have hurt far too much; elvira cain, a drow grave cleric who makes knitted tapestries for the dead and whose passive perception is like 100; felicity perpetua, a tiefling divine soul sorcerer raised to be a prophet of tharizdun in the cult that's causing a lot of the campaign's big issues; kai murdoch, a beasthide (polar bear) shifter storm barbarian and profane soul (goo) bloodhunter from a giant pirate family, he is 17 and he loves to fish; and of course theodosia wright, a human blood cleric and also a bit of a narc, who is trying to solve the mystery of the strange, arcane illness that killed her mother.

thirty-six is a game set in arryl, my undeath/fey/psychological horror homebrew world, and the party doesn't have a name yet, but they are involved in a silly little prophecy together. it's made up of aeon, a firbolg rune knight fighter whose memory is spotty at best and whose history is... confusing; ainé, a reborn eladrin undying profane soul bloodhunter whose patron is the manifestation of her depression; echo goldaline, a half-elf enchantment wizard & ritual dancer who is very normal and who has nothing wrong with her; fraim tinkettle, a ghostwise halfling inquisitive rogue and trickery cleric who is running away from her temple after accidentally killing her uncle; thyme, a dhampiric wood elf hexblade warlock and cookbook writer who eats people's pride at the encouragement of their pact weapon, a chef's knife; and ymira, a flower nymph bard of songbirds who is subject of a mysterious, fucked-up curse.

[joycrispy]

i was considering the implications of the kenku spirit and hurt my own feelings so i wrote a thing about it

CW: Disordered eating and sleeping, Saduceus Clay.

*

Caduceus had found that, by establishing a routine, he could propel the endless identical days along. Each one over and done with was another day closer to the day when they would come home.

So, there were a few things he always made sure to do: tend the graves, gather the tea, check the wards, and so on. Stuff he could do without having to think, too much.

What had gotten away from him a little bit was the timing of it all. He ate when he was hungry and slept when he was tired, but, he noticed, he was getting less hungry and more tired all the time. It was probably fine –at least, it wasn’t a problem yet— but it did mean there were nights like tonight, when he would start awake in pitch darkness, another full cycle of daylight lost without him noticing.

He wasn’t raised to complain. So he skipped breakfast, lit a lantern, and went out to gather.

He was bent over a flowering grave in the moonlight when he heard:

“Help!”

He froze, hand hovering.

Listening was one of the few things he considered himself truly good at. Sure enough, the voice came again, ghostly, echoing across distance. “Help! Help!”

Gooseflesh rippled over him. It wasn’t the situation, really –he was a gravekeeper of the Savalirwood; he’d heard his fair share of desperate screams in the forest (and just as many of those were suddenly, ominously silenced)— but the voice itself. Because it sounded like…

“Calliope?” a second voice called. “Colton?”

He leapt to his feet, knocking the lantern over. The little candle sputtered out, leaving him standing in the dark.

“Clarabelle?!” he shouted at the tree line, louder than he knew was wise.

(Something in the magic of the grove seemed to groan, the way a house groans when its walls expand or contract. His call had caught some-corrupted-thing’s attention, and the wards held it off. Barely. He didn’t care. He didn’t care.)

He felt like something electrified. A tree petrified by lightning, standing so still among the graves, straining his ears for a response.

It sounded further than before, but now he was sure it was Calliope’s voice. “Help!”

And then, unmistakably Clarabelle, and further still. “Lost!”

He bit his lip --and then looked all around, trying to find where he’d placed his staff when he’d had a light to see it by. It was leaning against the headstone. He held it close to his chest in two hands and, with wide eyes, started to walk towards the threshold between the grove and the wood.

Colton’s voice drifted into the grove, making him jump, “Be of service!”

They were all there. They were all right there.

The magical current of the wards prickled his skin. A thousand lessons ran through his head --never abandon the grove, never go anywhere alone, and never, ever enter the woods at night…

But he was gripped by a longing so sharp and immediate it felt more like panic.

“Clarabelle!” he called again, taking another dangerous step forward. “Calliope! Colton! You guys, I’m over here, I’m—!”

Something unseen but large moved in the brush only a few feet away; he stumbled back, brandishing his staff wildly. Once again the limits of the wards seemed to stretch, straining against the intruder –and then shrunk back in again, tight enough to make him gasp, and for a dizzy moment it looked like the trees were rushing in to crush him. Like the entire grove was contracting to an unbearable, claustrophobic point…

The illusion passed. The sense of being trapped remained.

He was beginning to feel like he might cry from frustration, when Clarabelle’s voice rang out again, a little closer than before. But what it said was wrong, “Strange voice,” it said, soft and lilting. “Are you near or far?”

Strange voice?

He opened his mouth to answer, incredulous as he was, but the beginnings of a memory curled into being, and kept him silent.

“Strange voice,” it said again, coaxing. “Are you before me or behind me?”

“I…”

I’ve heard this story, he thought.

And the truth clicked into place.

He let his staff fall to his side, arms limp. 

After a moment, he turned and walked back to the temple. He leaned against the southern-most wall, sliding into a sitting position on the ground, knees pulled to his chest. Pink eyes half-lidded, unseeing.

He didn’t answer the voices when they called for him again.

 *

It was just after sunrise and a cool layer of dew had settled on him when he felt the pop of someone crossing the threshold. Nothing corrupted, nothing dangerous –but no one came in or out without him knowing about it.

Of course, he knew who it was. He’d listened to them searching for him all night.

(He’d listened to their voices searching for him all night…)

A dark shape appeared around his feet. He lifted his head to see what looked like a shadow suspended in mid-air, becoming gradually more solid even as the morning light passed through it. Its beaked head was bowed towards him.

“Calliope,” said the voice of Clarabelle. “Colton. I, I, I.”

“They’re not here,” he said. “They left some seasons ago. It’s just me.”

The kenku spirit didn’t move. Although there were only pockets of darkness where the eyes should have been, he could feel them looking him over, questioning. He sighed, propping up his staff as something to lean his forehead against. He was so tired.

“I’m the other sibling. Caduceus. We’ve never met, but my brother and sisters told me about you. And how they helped you.”

He glanced towards the woods where he knew, somewhere a mile or two out, a pile of kenku bones lay intertwined with flowers.

“I guess they probably used to visit your grave now and then.” Without him. “To perform the rites…and of course Belle would just want to say hi…”

“Caduceus,” his own voice echoed back at him. He tried to ignore the deadened, rung-out sound of it.

“Yeah. It’s nice that you came to check on them.” Actually he could have done without it. “I’m sure you were starting to worry, when no one had swung by in a while. Rest easy, friend—they’re on a long journey, but they’ll be back. In time.”

“Caduceus,” his voice said again. “The other sibling.”

“Mmhm,” he closed his eyes, willing the spirit to be gone when he opened them again.

There was a considered pause. Then, Calliope’s voice rung out, fierce and declarative, “I will defend this cleric charged to my care!”

Oh, boy. What must he look like, to inspire pity from the dead?

“You’re very kind,” he said. “But there’s nothing I need from you. I’m just fine on my own.”

The magic of the grove shivered, so he opened his eyes a crack, to see.

The shade of the kenku was bowing its head, and then lower, shrinking in on itself as it began to fade. After a moment the light streaming through was clear again, unobstructed. He sensed that he was, once again, alone.

Well. He wasn’t raised to complain.

He realized he’d been awake for hours and eaten nothing at all, and just as quickly decided he didn’t care, and that all he wanted was to sleep.

(Years later he would reflect how, when he really compared the two in his memory, loneliness and starvation felt so very much the same).

His chores could wait until tomorrow, too. Let the world –his world, this tiny orchard, and the temple and the dead within it— be the one to wait, for once.

He hauled himself to his feet, using his staff for support.

At the very least, he comforted himself, another day was over and done with. One day closer to the day when they would come home.

[galacticdrift]

"What happens when you take the crystals to the pool in the jungle? After the pool does-- whatever it's supposed to do to them. What's the next part of your quest?" They're on watch together, talking quietly as they keep an eye on the landscape around them.

"I take them back to the Blooming Grove, I believe. That was my original mission, to cleanse the Savalirwood. It makes sense that once I've made my pilgrimage to the Dusts and the Stones, it's time to go back to the ancestral home of the Clays to finish things."

"Oh. Right." Fjord blinks. "Do you want-- us to come with you for that?"

"Absolutely. Whatever I need to do, I have--" Caduceus smiles, "Call it a hunch that it won't be as simple as planting these crystals in the garden like seeds. There's some kind of power behind that corruption, something that's been feeding and driving it this whole time, and it may be that these crystals provide nothing more than a way to locate and confront the heart of the curse."

"Oh. Of course, we'll back you up. Whatever you need to do."

"Thank you, Fjord." Cad blows out a sigh. "The Wildmother's vision only took me as far as the Kiln and the Menagerie. Perhaps once I get that far, the next time I die she'll grant me a new vision."

"Don't-- don't joke about that." Fjord steps in close for a moment, his throat closing up over anything else he thinks he might say. His hand reaches out and curls around Cad's, squeezing.

Cad looks at him for a moment in silence, then squeezes back. "It's not part of my actual plan, no."

"Good." For a few moments, there's just the forest noises around them. Fjord hangs on to Cad's hand. "I never saw your home, last time. I look forward to it."

"Oh! That's right. You weren't around to see it before I left with the others."

"Yes, you could say I was rather tied up at the time." It's a pain he can just barely manage to joke about now, with the reward of Cad's soft chuckle.

"It's a beautiful place. I think you'll like it."

"I'm sure I will." Turning aside, Fjord drops Cad's hand, unable to look him in the eyes or even face him, but equally unable to keep the question trapped behind his teeth. "And after that, would you be-- finished? Would you remain at the Grove?"

Caduceus steps up next to him, arms crossed, and bumps their shoulders together. "No. No. Far be it from me to abandon my friends and their troubles just because my own has been dealt with. So long as we defeat the curse, I've got all the time in the world to return home after the adventures of the Mighty Nein have come to an end."

“Oh.” His throat closing up with emotion again, Fjord leans his weight against Caduceus and lets his head tilt to rest on Cad's shoulder. He feels Cad unfold one arm and wrap it around him. "I’m glad to hear that. Thank you, Caduceus."

[dracoqueen22]

[CR] Cordially Invited

Title: Cordially Invited Universe: Critical Role Campaign 2, Bloodlines Characters: Caduceus Clay, Clay Siblings, Mollymauk Tealeaf, Yasha Nydoorin Rated: K+ Desc: Caduceus wanders into Shadycreek Run at his siblings’ behest, and runs into a very colorful duo.

"Get out of the house for once," Clarabelle says as she all but shoves him out the door, and he nearly trips on the front stoop. "There's more to life than fungus, brother," Cara says as they tumble a bag into his hands, filled with mushrooms and rations and one of their anti-poison poultices. They’ve always believed in being over-prepared, and now is no exception.

"The dark hasn't taken us yet," Colton says before she closes the door in his face, and Caduceus hears the distinct sound of her throwing the heavy beam over the door. "Go have some fun!" she shouts through thick wood.

Caduceus stands there, frowning, ears twitching. He's haphazardly adorned in his beetle armor; his shield lies at his feet. He's clutching a travel bag. It seems like they want him to leave for longer than a daytrip. Has he really been that much underfoot? "I don't have my staff," Caduceus tells his siblings, knowing good and well they can hear him through the unshuttered window. The pane lifts. His staff sails out, clattering to the ground. Caduceus sighs and finishes pulling on his armor, buckling it in place. Travelling through the Savalirwood is not without its dangers. He’d best be prepared. They won’t let him in unless he does as they suggest. Granted he could go off into the woods, camp overnight, and return in the afternoon and lie about where he’s been. Caduceus, however, is not a very good liar, and Clarabelle always seems to know when he’s lying anyway. “There’s a circus in town,” Colton says, appearing in the open window, making shooing motions at him. “Go see it. Come back and tell me all about it.” She grabs the window and shuts it with a noisy thunk. If Mother were here, his sisters would have never gotten away with this. Fine. He could use a few more ingredients which can't be found in the forest anyway. If they're so desperate to get him out of the house, he'll leave. They'll miss him when they realize they have to cook for themselves. Caduceus scoops up his staff, murmurs a prayer to the Wildmother to watch over him, and heads for town. Given a brisk pace, he could be there in a few hours, none the worse for wear. Luck is with him, and the Wildmother as well. She guides him straight through the woods, avoiding all obstacles, until he's stepping into Shadycreek Run. It's a crisp fall afternoon, muggy and damp with the threat of storm. A nice shower will cool things off, Caduceus thinks. He moves into the main thoroughfare, thick with the unwashed masses, all with their heads down as they go about their day. Caduceus' favorite shop is just around the corner, but before he can enter, something else catches his eye. Bright flags. A huge tent. A colorful collection of people. The circus. Caduceus pauses, head tilting in consideration. Part of him wants to turn away on principle alone. Simply because his siblings had been so insistent on it. Another part of him is curious. He's never been to a circus before. What exactly are they? "Well, you are definitely someone in need of a good time, if I do say so myself." Caduceus blinks and turns to acknowledge the voice sauntering up next to him. It belongs to a tiefling, as colorful as the flags fluttering around the circus tent. He's lavender-skinned and red-eyed, and jewelry dangles from his horns, making a delicate chime of metal on metal. "Are... uh... are you talking to me?" Caduceus asks. The tiefling breaks into a big smile as he looks up at Caduceus. "Well, I don't see any other charming firbolgs around." He squints. "That is what you are, yes, a firbolg?" "I take it you've never seen someone like me before?" Caduceus asks. "Well, maybe I have, maybe I haven't." The tiefling's shoulders roll in a shrug before he dips forward in a wide, sweeping bow. "Mollymauk Tealeaf at your service, friend. And I am happy to personally invite you to attend the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities." Well. That is certainly a mouthful. He’s impressed the tiefling managed to get it out without tripping over a single syllable. Caduceus chuckles. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Mollymauk. To what do I owe the honor of a personal invitation?" "You're the first spot of color I've seen in this place. Kind of dreary, isn't it?" Mollymauk winks at him, and Caduceus catches movement in his peripheral vision. The tiefling's tail is twitching madly, and rings sparkle on the end of it. "I suppose that depends on your point of view," Caduceus says. Mollymauk blinks but seems to shake himself. "You're a different sort, aren't you?" "Aren't we all?" "That's fair." Mollymauk laughs, and it's so genuine and carefree, Caduceus smiles along with him. He flicks his wrist and a sheaf of paper appears between two fingers, which he then offers to Caduceus. "Here you are. A flyer from yours truly." Caduceus takes the paper and unrolls it, admiring the carefully inked words, the swirls of color splashing across the page. It's five copper, which is entirely doable, but still... "And what do you do?" Caduceus asks. Mollymauk grins up at him. "Now, now." He shakes a finger at Caduceus in a parody of a parent's chastisement. "That would be spoiling the surprise, wouldn't it?" "I suppose it would." Caduceus folds the paper and tucks it away. "Well, Mr. Mollymauk, if I find the time, I will certainly check out your show." "I hope you do. I--" "Molly!" The tiefling twitches, and his tail does, too, as he looks over his shoulder. A tall woman with long hair and dark clothing stalks his direction, her face cast in a glower. "Yasha, my love, were you looking for me?" he asks in a bright tone, his hands spread wide in greeting. "Yes," she says, and her gaze slants to Caduceus. She tips her head in a terse nod of greeting. "Gustav says you're supposed to be handing out flyers, not flirting." Mollymauk chuckles, and his tail swishes around playfully. For a moment, Caduceus is captivated by the sheen across the bells, and the sound they make. He’s never seen someone with such animated behavior before. "Gustav doesn't understand that advertising and flirting are the same thing," Molly says, and he drapes himself against Yasha's side like a cat begging affection. "Wanna meet my new friend?" "Everyone is your friend," Yasha says, a note of fond exasperation in her voice. She pats him on the head, between his horns. "But fine. Introduce me." Molly laughs and makes a broad gesture toward Caduceus. "This is..." He pauses and blinks rapidly. "Wait. I don't think I got your name." "You didn't." Caduceus chuckles and extends a hand in greeting. "Caduceus. Caduceus Clay. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." "Yasha," she says as she shakes his hand in a firm grip that makes his bones creak. Her shoulders and arms are impressive, and Caduceus thinks Clarabelle would love to wrestle her. "It's nice to meet you," Caduceus says with what he hopes is a friendly smile. "And what do you do for the circus?" Molly winks and elbows her in the side. "She's the charm. And the strong arm." "Yes, I can tell," Caduceus says. "I hope I can make it to the show tonight." "You should. It's a good one," Yasha says, and her monotone doesn't do much to hype up Caduceus' interest, but he finds both her and Mollymauk curious. If the rest of the circus is anything like these two, perhaps Caduceus will find himself attending after all. Yasha looks down at Mollymauk. “Come on, Molly. Gustav wants us to keep spreading the word.” “Yes, yes, I know.” Molly flaps a hand at her before turning his charming smile back toward Caduceus. “Hope to see you there, Mr. Clay.” They wave and wander away, Mollymauk jogging ahead to catch the attention of a passing soldier while Yasha trails in his wake, better resembling a bodyguard. Perhaps a man such as Mollymauk needs one. He seems to be the sort to invite trouble. Hmm. A warm wind tugs at Caduceus' ear. There's a tingling in his chest, the core of his being where his faith resides. He hears his goddess, not with words, but with emotion, guiding him in the direction of Mollymauk and Yasha. "Oh, they're important, are they?" Caduceus murmurs. "For me or for the world?" The warmth spreads outward, radiating through his entire body, an echo of a forest song at the back of his mind. "Oh. Both," he says. And then he mutters a curse. Clarabelle and Cara were right. They're never going to let him forget it. **** Feel free to comment if you like! I’d love to have some feedback! ^_^

[justalittlebluetiefling]

I feel like the campaign is wrapping up to a close, but I can’t tell if it’s in a Thordak to One Year Later vibe or a final chapter-epilogue vibe. How much longer do you think we have with campaign 2?

I have three (including yours) asks about this!! Here are the other two from a couple anons:

Unfortunately it really seems like we are in the last arc of C2. While I respect their decision to end their campaign when they want to, I can't help but feel like leaving the Trent and Ukotoa plots unresolved to be unfulfilling. I don't think one shots of those plots will be fulfilling either, as they will have to pack in so much into one episode. I just wish we got to see them resolved properly.

Hello hello, genuinely curious how you feel now that, the latest 2 episodes confirmed C2 coming to a close "sometime" this year (maybe end of Summer? Or early fall? That's my thoughts anyways on time), I know you expressed your feelings prior, but now that this is the second time it has come up live in the last 2 weeks, I wonder how you feel specifically after such a fun episode this week. I know many have different feelings about it, and while I myself am bummed in some ways, the cast and Matt look like they are having fun and enjoying themselves and if this is the last "arc" they want well, it's their story and I just hope C3 is as fun of a ride as C2 has been IMO.

So, my answer is still sort of the same as it was last time. Or maybe I've just been thinking this in my head and haven't said it out loud yet. I think it's likely that the campaign will probably be wrapping up sometime this year.

Obviously I'll be fine with their decision if they decide that whatever this is with Lucien wraps up their campaign. The thing is, we do still have two big storylines left outstanding that are a little bit too big for oneshots: Fjord/Sabian/Uk'otoa & Caleb/Trent. And I know that there are a bunch of you yelling at me right now about other characters and their backstories. But hear me out.

We're getting a Yasha origins comic this summer. The likelihood of her backstory being addressed in campaign is lower imo because of that.

Caduceus and the Savalirwood and Molaesmyr is the bit I'm the most anxious to see right now, but I bet that could be a one- or two-shot.

Everyone else has addressed their stuff.

Anyway... I'm hoping that they pick up with Fjord and Sabian and then Caleb and Trent before calling it quits on the campaign, but ultimately it's up to them. It's possible that they need to get out of the city now that Lucien has switched things up and do some more research, which could lead to downtime and dealing with the remaining loose ends. But I mean, between those two (maybe three, if we're including Cad), I bet those stories could all be wrapped up in about 4 months worth of sessions. Which would leave a few for whatever finale event and possibly have us ending campaign two in October or November, barring any breaks they need to take.

But I bet 2022 is the year of campaign three and it will absolutely be as entertaining, but I will miss the Nein dearly. I love them more than Vox Machina at this point, which I didn't think was possible, so I just plug my ears and pretend I don't hear Matt when he says things about the ending. But when he says that they're getting near the end, we should also remember that we're three and a half years in at this point. Which means the beginning and middle have taken that long. The "end" is possibly farther away than everyone is thinking.