#cr c3e51

[justaddeyeofnewt]

so mad >:(

[blorbologist]

Kiki: i mean. If i don't dispel this... ball, that the Raven Queen probably can't break... *pocket boyfriend*

Percy: Keyleth-

Kiki: I HAVEN'T HELD HIM IN THIRTY YEARS LET ME HAVE THIS

[eldritchpalette]

"Don't You Dare." . . This scene. Forever in my heart. From @critical_role campaign 3, episode 51. I cannot WAIT for Thursday. . . Keyleth, the Voice of the Tempest created by Marisha Ray, Vax’ildan created by Liam O’Brien, and the Raven Queen created by Matt Mercer.

[simplysparrow14]

The Apogee solstice is for lovers, apparently.

[lautstaerkeriegler]

I dont't know somebody else has already said this, but did this

remind anyone else of this?

[viiriidiian]

they ORBED my BOY. 

[fluffyapplecat]

MATT BE LIKE HAPPY EIGHT YEAR ANNIVERSARY GUYS, I KILLED VAX AGAIN

[kind-of-genius]

oh fuck. in researching further, I found where this information came up

campaign 2, episode 135 - The Genesis Ward

Caleb investigates a room labeled Records 104 and uncovers documents. one such "document refers to the 'Factorum Malleus Project'" AKA hammer of creation

later in the episode, they repair Charlie the Aeormaton, who reintroduces himself as Devexian.

"Devexian at first doesn't remember what happened to the city, but then recalls the experiment that the gods must have deemed too dangerous: the Factorum Malleus. It doesn't translate to the 'Hammer of Creation.' It translates to the 'Creator Hammer'"

now, that document Caleb uncovered also references an individual at the head of this project "named 'Athodan', who made the inspired find of 'The Relic' and was working in rejuvenation"

it is my belief that this relic either is or is something similar to the ruins in the Hellcatch Valley and the wizard who uncovered them, working on rejuvenation, is Ludinus Da'leth

he is far older than an elf should be and talks about the Calamity as if he witnessed it. after surviving the Calamity, "the relic" so-called could have been lost.

remember, Marquet used to be a jungle continent where societies of orcs and elves flourished. Gruumsh was offended by this and tried to destroy all of Marquet. thanks to the Ruidus-born hero Alyxian, Marquet was simply turned into a desert instead of being wiped from the face of Exandria.

because of this, and the loss of Aeor and the power granted to him, Ludinus wouldn't have been able to access this relic until the dust settled, and he built up power and influence again. ergo, founding the Cerberus Assembly.

In summary: the machines are called malleus keys because they are from the original, pre-Calamity project Ludinus, then Athodan, was working on: the Factorum Malleus project.

the "creator hammer" is Predathos, and the goal was always to free it

[abladeofgrass]

get orbed birdboy

(Edit: look in the rbs for another version lol)

[shadowgasp]

Orym thinking Vax is an angel is making me feel a lot of feelings

[non-binary-smurf-nerd]

I need to learn how to do edits because Twilight of The Gods needs to go over the top of Ludinus monologing in C3E51 So what if the chorus is about them sleeping the verses are relevant enough. Also I'm right at the end of the episode and the audible "Ohh" from Marisha when she realises Imogen is with the other team and hasn't died/gone to Ruidus is a deep core gut punch of relief.

[masterqwertster]

I think we now know why Zephrah was attacked six years ago: it was a test run for summoning Vax.

[blorbologist]

Yawns, g'morning.

I'm thinking about Vaxleth and episode 51, as. Most of us are, really. Holy shit.

And I think Vax's divine nature played a role in how Ludinus was able to set and bait this trap. I don't think we'd have gotten this outcome if Vax was still a mortal Champion, like his sister. Furthermore, Keyleth’s position as Voice of the Tempest was also critical here.

Let me explain: let's say some other half of a ship could have fulfilled this orb critera. If we pretend that any Champion could do (I think they needed the divine aspect of Vax's unlife but play along here), why not bait the trap for Vex, or Pike, or Scanlan, or Yasha?

Beyond the 'Vax is practically an angel now and has orb properties' angle, I think part of it is the sheer... everything that is mortal. If Percy was captured Vex would have any number of solutions - send Trinket in, attack at range, Rogue it up, or do the sensible thing and bring in friends. The living are variable, you can't count on them to behave as you need.

Ludinus loathes gods and their servants: of course he'd expect them to be predictable - and he'd be right! Vax is not all Vax anymore (see Dalen's Closet and Tal’Dorei Reborn), he's a deathless shepherd and servant of the Raven Queen. Why would he think this through? He has no life to lose, only Keyleth’s to save. You don’t need to consider how to use a shield, you just do. People shape their plans around the steady expectations of gods, their almost immutable domains, and Vax is divine enough for that to apply to him. They'd know he would behave exactly as he did. It could be argued living!Vax would as well, and there are several songs and historical records about him, so worst came to worst Ludinus could hope that this is maintained. But that's an uncertainty, and not fitting for a centuries-long plan.

And now the second part: it had to be Keyleth. They couldn't have used Vex to draw him out, I don’t think, as much as it pains me. Either the story of Dalen's Closet was limited to the guests and any lil kids who heard the Ballad of Derrig or it proves the Champion cannot willingly approach his sister. It took a Wish for that.

Vex has had five kids, spent thirty years protecting Whitestone, and has her fingers in the financial goings on of all Tal’Dorei. By no means does she have a small impact on the world: her smallest taxation decisions could mean poverty or wealth for thousands! But many of her biggest impacts on the future, on destiny, have already come to pass. Her adventures in Vox Machina, the children she bore, the decades of decisions she's already made (I doubt she'd be on the council for even a few years without changing much of her sphere to her liking.)

Keyleth is the Voice of the Tempest. She will, hopefully, live almost two thousand years. Imagine all the lives she will impact in that time! Directly! The Matron must be so familiar with her strand of fate because it touches so many, many others!

Even if Vax, somehow, did not remember her. Even if he was a shell of himself. This is someone the Matron cannot let die before her time (hopefully a thousand plus years from now). This is one person she would have to bend the rules for and see saved, and there's just the man for the job. She would not allow intervention for Vex, or Percy, or those nieces and nephews Vax surely watches. Not Velora, not Scanlan, not Gilmore. Keyleth, with centuries of work to do in this world, with generations to guide, is too valuable.

What I'm saying is... literally no other ship could have pulled this off. None. This was built for Vaxleth, from its very bones. You could have, say, an AU where Vex is the Champion of Ravens (wink), and this would not be certain enough for Ludinus to bank on it. Very likely, but not assured (the Matron could refuse to intervene, or they could intervene in a less 'take me instead you lil red-storm shit' way, etc.).

Evil plans bank on the inevitable. Gravity, greed, time. Their love is inevitable, a law of nature.

It could not have been anyone else

[losergaynerd]

i know im late to the party here but i just wanna say this. ludnius' plan being so intricate is really fucking cool in more ways than the obvious. the main one for me is that it manages to make bells hells, a level 9 party fighting a level 20 threat, feel important. it's because they're nobodies, because they're new on the trail, and because they're not incredibly powerful that ludinus didn't know about them enough to work them in to his plans. they feel like a genuine cog in the works of an otherwise meticulously designed machine, and that's fucking awesome. like keyleth? caleb? beau? incredibly powerful, but they were easily stopped *because* ludinus knew about them. the only people that could make a difference were the 7 weird fuckers that nobody knew about

[rentoast]

I just finished episode 51 of campaign 3 of Critical Role- and that. was the most jaw dropping rollercoaster of an episode. I have no words other than that was the coolest thing I’ve ever watched

[i-is-v-tired]