#c3 finale

[olessan]

Everyone else: Bittersweet and heartfelt projections of their future, how they'll go on after all this

Scanlan and Pike: horsie

[leafmebeeplease]

Relevant AGAIN

[mairyal]

"Can we take it day by day? Can we see who we become together?"

"I know day by day. We can take it day by day."

This dialogue means so much to me.

As someone who experienced a great loss and is still mostly closed off to the uncertainties of a relationship, Dorian's "day by day" felt like a flush of consciousness and acknowledgement.

And I loved (and cried at) how Orym was immediately understanding and caring.

He knows what it means to lose someone you love. How loss shapes and changes you from the inside out. How it takes time to find yourself again in the grey mists of grief.

And it's okay to live one day after the other. It's okay to get to know the new you with patience, one step at a time.

Until you find yourself walking again under the sun and the clear blue sky.

💙💚

[rationalnerd62]

"There were no consequences to Bell's Hells' actions!"

Oh my sweet summer child, ramifications of the end of an age don't happen in a single game, even an 8.5 hours long on. C3 is similar in that way to ExU: Calamity, in the sense that it described events leading to the end of an age, but didn't spend much time detailing the new one.

Still, there were plenty of indications that the story didn't end there for many characters. Braius, Opal, Morrigan, Vax, and Pike will all have to deal with mortal Gods at a point or another. Disgruntled mortal Gods could try to hunt down Bell's Hells if they're really unhappy about their situations (thankfully, it'll take a decade or two for that to happen aha). Some religious folks will have an issue with them, but let's be honest, Team Issylra will ask you "when do they not have an issue with us?".

Yes, there will be a few religious crises around Exandria. Those don't happen nor get resolved in a single game though, so maybe we'll see more of that in post-campaign one-shots and future campaigns. We'll have to watch and find out! The new ExU mini-series will already be dealing with a similar theme, as Divergence will come up right after a significant change in the relationship between mortals and Gods. That'll give us an idea of what could be or what can differ.

"But Divine Magic doesn't seem to be impacted! That sounds like a cop out!"

Well, Matt mentioned a few times that the assumptions on the metaphysics of his fake world may not be true. My understanding is that the realms of the Gods haven't changed, so mortal souls should get through a similar process than before. Maybe divine magic draws powers from those worlds instead of directly the Gods? Clarification can be asked in fireside chat and wrap-up aha. But also it's a fake world, Matt can change it as he wants, it's fine.

"What about other consequences?"

Well, I'm expecting Imogen to help for a bit with Ruidians on Exandria. Ashton will have to deal with the Kryn at one point or another. Fearne might get into trouble with the Unseelie court. Dorian is definitely still getting into trouble. Who knows whether Chetney's deal with Nana Morri will bite him in the ass at some point? So many one shot opportunities for Bell's Hells, I think we'll see them quite a few more times. I guess that's a consequence of having C3 being so focused on the overall plot and less on individual character arcs: the story of those folks is far from being over...

[greenteaandtattoos]

The glorious poeticism of Ashton, loudest and most vocal with his disdain and criticisms of the Gods, being the final piece needed to save them.

[arthurn9]

Three Different Proposals To The Gods

laudna: they will remember you, it's okay

dorian: who knows what's next? that's exciting!

ashton: do it little bitch you won't. cunt.

[trans-duck]

I know everyone has their own (incredibly valid!) opinions so I am just going to quickly voice my own on a certain part of the c3 finale

Vax coming home felt like releasing a breath I had been holding since c1

I was going through a really rough time when I watched c1 so I naturally fixated on Vax's character as a coping mechanism. At the time I was so sad about his ending but I grew to accept it because narratively it made such a great story but I was never able to watch any of the one-shots because of how tight my chest got at the thought of Vax not being there (very silly I know!)

I think the ending of c3 still honors that tragic story though - it will not be easy for either Vax or Keyleth - both have had a rough 30 years and its going to take time for them to fully come back to what was but that is also the beauty of it all - they get a fresh start at the start of a new age of Exandria

Its going to be messy and emotional and hard but they get to fall in love again with the new versions of themselves

anyway if anyone wants to come talk about how my favorite couple is finally getting their happy ending pls do I need someone to talk to!!!!!

[owltattoo]

Fearne:

a professor

a princess

Fey Scion of The Ancient Flame

(most importantly) a mother

NOBODY is doing it like her

[godaweful]

they had aabria at the filming of the finale???? AABRIA WHAT ARE YOU UP TO????

[danwhobrowses]

My dear Callowmoores, I need to talk to you about the finale again

So spoilers below the cut

I understand that we're reacting freshly to the finale in a more sad light, but I also think we shouldn't fall into despair.

Yes, it does suck that every other ship - including Dariax and Deni$e - got some degree of realisation in this episode while ours got a vague one, we have lived in vague for so long and given it's the finale it did feel that we of all the ships - not involving a Champion of Ravens and a Voice of the Tempest - were due something solid. And believe me, as much as I loved that Ashton cared so much for Fearne that they wanted her to make sure that travelling with them was what she wanted a big part of me also just wished they just said yes, or it was at least confirmed that she joined them as a couple in their epilogue talks.

I won't begrudge those reactions because I feel it too, but I also think we can't let it overshadow the stuff we did get, because we're letting the unknown take precedent over the known. Ashton told Fearne how much they loved her, and we can't understate just how important it was for Fearne to be the one to initiate the question rather than being offered, it shows that those feelings are still clearly in there and want to be realised.

Much of the despairing also seems focused on Ashton's epilogue, particularly that one day they 'never come back', but the context and details of that are also vague. For all we know that means they did find a place, or went somewhere beyond this plane, or simply went off the radar - something Nana Mori was suggested to be able to do for Braius regarding Asmodeus, and since Fearne is learning her Nana's craft she too would be capable of it in time. It's also not to say that Ashton went alone, Tal did say that they often would bring the Hells along, it's also not clear where this was in time - how long does a titan vessel live for? I was always under the headcanon that they were timeless, like elves in LOTR, so it could be centuries down the line for all we know. Finally we also have to point out that epilogues can change, remember when Caleb and Essek would divorce due to the aging thing? That got retconned.

It's just, it saddens me that we're upset, it saddens me that even with about 9 hours of content we didn't get something conclusive, and it saddens me that we will have to wait until March for answers we hope are positive in the wrap-up party and not more patented vagueness like we've gotten from prior 4SDs. But I don't want to despair; this isn't a nail in a coffin, this isn't a stake to the heart, or an iceberg at sea, this episode didn't say or do anything negatively about the ship: the unknown is unclear for sure but we know these two love each other

And there's still the hope and belief that Tal and Ashley will vindicate it.

[olessan]

A knock on Keyleth's door,

[ultranerdygirl]

It took all day, but now I’m getting hit full-force by the fact that I won’t get to see/hear from Ashton Greymoore every week anymore.

At least they were fucking revived in the finale and got a nice (suspiciously ambiguous) ending.

But I am going to miss my sweet, dumbass genasi punk rocker with my whole heart.

Thank you, Tal. Thank you so much for Ashton. 💜💚💜💚

[mairyal]

Maybe this is too deep, but I love how, at the end of the day, the most important things for Dorian were his loved ones.

I mean.

He is a prince and a bard. He could've easily reached power and fame, and yet the only thing Robbie wanted for him was connection.

Dorian doesn't care about money or the spotlight.

He plays for fun, to express himself, to encourage his friends, to keep his mother close to him...

And that's what gives him fulfillment.

I think that, in a world where everything seems to revolve around money, fame and success, this is a wonderful representation.

Life is about love.

[fearnesbells]

remember this?

[rationalnerd62]

Oh, hey, guess who can finally go to sleep without fearing any nightmare?

(It's Imogen Temult).

(In her dreams, there's no more red storms, no mother to beg her to run).

(And when she'll wake up, it'll be to the quietness of her cottage, next to the slightly warmer body of her partner).

(It's nice).

[greenteaandtattoos]

ashton sacrificing himself to "save" the gods, chetney "making" somthing out of metal by turning frida... we all must learn new tricks indeed