#critical role syldor

[vaxyl]

⚠️ BIG SPOILER WARNING FOR THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA S3E7-9 ⚠️

Just finished watching and need to debrief, so temporarily breaking my self-imposed break to do just that rn...

HOLY FUCK

I am holding Elaina and the twins close to my heart forever.

I started sobbing when Vax chased after Thordak and took the overgrown lizard out... 😭

That's my baby boy!!! 😫😫😫

Also everything with Vex and Syldor? The accusal and his reaction? The Elaina flashbacks and Vex's hallucination when she was caught in Ripley's gas?

My poor twinnies, my heart! 😥

AND THEY STILL DON'T GET A FUCKING BREAK AFTER EVERYTHING

Fucking Raishan!! 🤬

I won't lie, I really had hoped to see Syldor utterly destroyed by Thordak or his kin, fuck him forever. Hate that bastard.

But Percy and Scanlan?

Kash? Motherfucking Kash?

Okay, Pike said Scanlan is still alive, but oh my fucking god?

Also Ripley... Ripley, Ripley, Ripley... You motherfucker.

I feel bad for child!Ripley, but whatever the fuck she is now?

Cannot wait to see her fall.

Also The Hotis Arc lover in me was so hopeful that the scene where Raishan gets Vax alone would be a Hotis thing and I'm so sad that it wasn't, but also I'm not stupid enough to think there was a real chance it ever could be - maybe I'll use it in the Hotis Wins AU I'm writing?

That aside, I'm terrified and excited for the last 3 episodes.

Now, if you may excuse me, I will be thinking about my boy killing his mother's killer for the rest of the next 5 decades.

(Now resuming my break, see you all again on Monday! 💕 )

[otterlyart]

From Table to Screen: Percy’s first act of love

[counterspelling]

Endless TLOVM

[pocketgalaxies]

C1E60 || C3E88

[somewhatsentientspellbook]

Look. Look look look.

I was saddened by Percy's death, obviously, but it didn't hit me overly hard because I was expecting it the entire time I was watching E7. Damn episode is literally called Cloak and Dagger and had all the telltale signs of an impending character death (looking at you, score-less scenes and death-flag dialogue)

But KASHAW? Fucking KASH? They killed HIM off? That was the scene that brought me to tears. What the FUCK do you MEAN the loveable asshole is DEAD? That he got SQUASHED like a BUG by Thordak and joined the Matron's side?

He and Zahra were supposed to have a lovely cameo each season where we got to see their relationship progressing alongside the others! They were meant to end the show happy and healthy, joking with Vex and Vax about how twins run in Zahra's family!

I kinda desperately want Kash to be given a resurrection. Let Vox Machina repay him for his help in bringing Vex back last season! Let Zahra and him build their family together! Let me know some peace!

[passingthegravesoftheunknown]

"A look into Ambassador Vessar's family and where they are now, by the Tal'Dorei Tourism Board"

Here's my piece for @artists-guild-of-exandria’s #TGTT (South) project! Got to draw Syldor, Devana and Velora (now all grown up!)

✨do not repost my art | Reblogs are love✨

[harusuki]

the legend of vox machina gifset per episode season 2 episode 8: echo tree

tip jar

[keefechambers]

Vox Machina + parents

Bonus:

[curapicas]

It's not lost on me that Syldor thinks Vex is coming to be praised for what he thinks is her highest accomplishment (acquiring Fenthras), meanwhile her speech is a clear indicator of her mental state since it's a direct callback to THIS

makes me insane that she walked into that conversation feeling rock bottom. Makes me twice as insane that when she felt like that was when she really related to her asshole dad's feelings. The layers on this implication, god

It's in the way Vex's first instinct when crushed by grief was to run away and be on her own. It's in the way Syldor didn't let anything stop him from metaphorically doing the same

[rightpastnowhere]

TLOVM season 3 episode 3 thoughts from someone who's slowly losing her mind

PART ONE: campaign vex and perc'ahlia VS tlovm vex and perc'ahlia

(yeah. yeah it's part one. i have so many thoughts gang)

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

okay. so. i feel like i've made it clear how much i ADORE the perc'ahlia relationship timeline in campaign 1. and it remains to this day one of my absolute favorites, and i was very afraid of it being changed in tlovm. BUT. i'm actually kind of fucking obsessed with these changes.

because, really, campaign!vex and tlovm!vex are two entirely separate characters. they're still the same vex at their core, but the changes to the narrative in tlovm have changed the show version of vex in ways that i think are perfectly suited to the "i'm going to turn this into a fling even though we're both fooling ourselves" plotline. tlovm!vex seems overall more committed to the facade she puts out. she's a bit colder in the beginning, and has slowly thawed over the past two seasons, but not in the same way campaign!vex has by this point in the c1 plot, and like. on the one hand, it might just be a personality shift for the adaptation! something to make more clear-cut character archetypes. on the other hand, i keep remembering that vox machina haven't been a party for as long in tlovm. she's still questioning whether or not to stay with the party in season one. she doesn't have as strong of a foundation with these people, less trust and less comfort. she's got so many more walls built up.

and that, of course, includes her relationship with percy. campaign!perc'ahlia, in my eyes, is a friends to lovers slowburn. it's been mentioned that they hit it off well from the beginning, and while they both were attracted to each other to some degree, they both dismissed it as a bad idea and moved on. over the year of in-game time they spent together (maybe more? i get confused with the timeline) before we even see them on screen, they build up a steady and solid friendship. one filled with flirting and teasing, but still a friendship. and it's clear that they both value this connection they have, especially in the briarwood arc, with the mask and all of that loveliness. and sure, some of that could be read as romantic, but it's love all the same. vex loved percy before she was in love with him, and that dynamic is one she's terrified to lose! "wouldn't it be so awkward, though?" she says, as if she's already decided that all that confessing would do would be adding tension, that there's no chance of reciprocity.

in tlovm, though? it's barely been any time at all. she's fallen in love with percy in the same time it's taken to really be his friend, to find that she can trust him and rely on him. the weight of their history isn't nearly as bulky, here. sure, she won't dare risk any revelations of her feelings or any attempts at a serious relationship, but sex doesn't have to mean anything. if it makes things awkward then, well, they're still settling into their dynamic as friends anyway - things can be shuffled around and fall into different places. there's nothing solid yet to risk, if that makes sense. they're still building a foundation, she can build around the cracks.

and another significant point of divergence: syldor. i have a lot of thoughts on the feywild arc and the changes made, but i'm going to disregard all of that now because they're, same as vex, basically different characters. to put it simply: tlovm!syldor is harsh and gives bad attention, whereas campaign!syldor is neglectful and doesn't give enough attention. as a result, we see that tlovm!vex seeks out good attention, whereas campaign!vex avoids getting close enough to anyone for them to pull the rug out from underneath her. tlovm!vex initiates a fling, a dynamic of gratification and positive attention without emotional weight, because actually being in a relationship can result in that trust being used against you. she trusted in her father, and he used being her father as a way to beat her down. campaign!vex doesn't even try to initiate anything, because she fears the silence, the lack of reciprocity and care, the fear of being turned down. she tried to build a connection with her father, and was met with silence and quiet disapproval and barely even a second glance. i don't know if this makes any sense, and i'm bad at words, but these feel like different fears of rejection to me? and yet they're both fears of rejection, something that is at the core of vex's actions and personality in both adaptations.

two different stories of a person driven by fear, and i love them for their differences!! they both feel more fitting for their versions of canon!!! and both make me insane!!!!!!!!

[noodle555]

I find it very interesting that the only people who refer to Vex as “Vex’ahlia” are:

Vax, her brother, the most important person in her life, the one who loves her more than anything...

and Percy.

[the-element-siren]

A soon-to-be bride has a moment to lament the last year

It felt like the last year was starting to catch up with her, Vex was just grateful that she could finally have some time to herself. The last year had been filled with more than enough stress. First, her father arranged her marriage with no input from her, which was not surprising. She knows that he'd been trying to get rid of her through marriage ever since she came of age. What's the point of having a daughter if you can't sell her for the best deal? Fortunately for her, being illegitimate and only half-elf deterred most of the eligible bachelors in Syngorn. That had caused him to expand to the human world, but nothing serious had popped up, at least until the De Rolo family of Whitestone.

This De Rolo family had been perfect, they were nobility in the far north and were completely alright with her background, she's sure father paid them an overly generous dowry to keep her far away. They had been a surprise for her as well, she'd never heard of a groom insisting on a correspondence just to see if they liked each other. Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, or Percy as he wanted to be called, did admit that it was his mother and sister's idea, but he did like the idea of them at least being more than strangers before the wedding.

During their correspondence, he'd sent books about Whitestone and its history as well as some of the favorites of himself and his family, and she returned the favor. Once she'd written her consent to the match and the negotiations started, that's when the stress really started. Father must have been paying the mages a fortune for all the communications crystals he burnt through. From what she and Devana were able to overhear, the De Rolos were not letting him get away with any frugality. They were insisting that he help with all costs and he was not allowed to argue. Father was often in an even worse mood than normal on most days, even Devana wasn't immune from his temper.

Vax had been nearly as bad, his protectiveness had gone up to near possessiveness. He hated this whole situation and she was dreading being separated from him and Velora. From his letters, Percy didn't seem like he'd be too averse to letting them stay with them, at least for a time, or perhaps regular visits.

There had been some advantages, one being that she got a whole new wardrobe. Devana had worked some magic and Vex was able to have full control over all the clothes. They even had some clothes done in the De Rolo colors and some decorated with their family crest. It was one of the few times that Vex had been able to pick something for herself since coming to Syngorn.

The packing for the journey was organized chaos. The journey was only supposed to take two weeks, but with all the extra carriages, they had to travel slowly, and it took an extra two weeks. Let no one say that Syldor Vessar would let his daughter, illegitimate or not, go into marriage like a beggar. On top of that, Devana explained exactly what her marital duties would entail right before they left. She used books and drawings, needless to say, it took a while before both their faces went back to their normal skin tone once it was done.

The meeting with the De Rolos had been painful, everything that she'd been practicing to start with had died on her tongue. Percy was not what she'd been expecting. From his letters and own admission, she'd been expecting an awkward and maybe gangly youth. What she saw was a tall and pale man with white hair and looked almost statuesque, he was far from how he described himself in the letters. He wore glasses that would look silly on anyone else but on him, they highlighted his eyes. He was gorgeous and Vex didn't think she'd have too much trouble doing her marital duty. The thought of her marital duties with Percy made her go very red in the face.

His mother, Joanna, and sister, Cassandra, were very welcoming and steered most of the conversation. She had barely been able to say anything besides hello before they took her to her room. The wedding was set for two weeks to give the couple time to adjust to each other. Father had also wanted to finalize more details about their agreement.

It was going to be a long two weeks, she thought as she fell asleep.

[art-of-vox-machina]

THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA | Syldor's Office Backgrounds

By Addison Bell

[burr-ell]

I think one reason portraying Syldor as a more on-the-nose abuser doesn't work for me is that it just doesn't mesh with Vex's issues.

If Syldor had been openly vicious, rather than stern and cold and subtle, I don't think Vex would still in some way long for his acceptance and respect. I think it would have been easier for her to write him off the same way Vax did if he'd just said to begin with that she was worthless and beneath him; it's a lot easier to dismiss someone's opinion if they start out antagonizing you. People like Syldor seem like they could soften up, like they're just aloof at first but will warm up to you eventually if you can just get on their good side. He took the twins in and gave them a house and fine clothes and a good education and kept saying they should prove themselves; it is reasonable to believe that Vex thought she could earn his love. Now of course she never should have had to—but she was also a child, and children, especially those who have only known a loving environment, rarely have the maturity to understand that. Kids aren't equipped to recognize until it's too late when someone's moving the goalposts so they never have to respect you.

Syldor's attitude was so insidious because it got Vex genuinely thinking that she could belong and fit in and be loved by him if she just worked harder, and she didn't realize until that trauma and damage had already set in that she would never be good enough. If there was no reason for ten/eleven/twelve-year-old Vex to believe that she could be accepted, I don't think she'd have bothered; the fact that she tried so hard and was set up to fail every time no matter what is what really affected her. Getting your hopes up and then having them crushed is much more painful than if you never had hopes at all, and a character having those hopes only resonates if we, the audience, have good reason to believe that they could have had them.

Like, Vex wasn't stupid. If she thought she'd never belong from the beginning, Syldor and Syngorn wouldn't break her as much as they do. It's the fact that she thought she had a shot that makes it so heartbreaking to know she never did.

[admiraltusktooth69]

Incorrect Vox Machina #45 Syldor: There's nothing more threatening to a man than a woman who's smart and attractive. Syldor: We have to pretend you're both! Vex: Wow, you're a horrible father.

[the-velvet-worm]

no but the way Vex standing up to Syldor to defend Percy mirrors the way Vax stood up for Vex in that flashback was so good. in the previous scene Vex had backed down and given in to her father. and the minute he disrespected Percy she got between them. pure poetry my god