#fjords posts for his creatures

[s0apmactav1sh]

What if? Vander x rival bar owner M!Reader.

Cw: old men, smut, Blowjob (Reader recieving) Vander is just an old man who wants to get fucked, rivalry between old men, Alt AU version of Vander.

-

You and Vander who have been rivals since ye both opened your bars. The Last Drop being ultimately more popular than your for the obvious reasons. I mean who wouldnt want a man like Vander to serve them a drive. Many of his patreons going just to gawk at him. His popularity surpassing your own regardless of what you did.

It wasnt as if you were unfavourable but the hound of the undercity was optionally the better choice when it came to drinks. He had the charm and the friendliness that bartenders require whereas you were gruff. Rarely smiled and lacked the proper social ediqute that made you likeable to patreons. But god if it didnt make Vander stiffen in his pants watching as you huffed while bringing in barrels filled with drink. Hell he wanted to swap out being a bartender jusy to go to your bar to watch you work.

Underneath the whole rivalry sat a stable relationshio that no one in zaun wouldve suspected. (Silco was the one that pushed it to happen because he's a good brother to Vander and does want him happy) both of you getting on like a house on fire outside your working environment. The office in your bar being the usual meet up spot. Mostly because of the couch you had installed in it. (It was already broken from you two having sex on it one too many times.) Both of you are in your 40s and still that doesnt stop the shit you get up to.

Maybe thats what landed you two in this situation. With Vander on his knees, mouth wrapped around your thicker than average cock, sucking your soul from it. The man being obviously skilled in this practice. And you with your hands pulling his hair to keep the full length of yourself buried into the back of his throat, head lolled back against the wall lip being bit down on harsh enough to draw blood to supress the groans and grunts that wished to leave you. Anyone could see the both of you if they came out the back of your bar. And what a delicious sight it would be.

It wasnt the first time this had happened, no it was a constant situation you and Vander found yourself in, being unable to keep your hands off each other for more than 5 minutes when you were alone together.

Vander left you to do all the work, only hollowing his cheeks to bring the added pleasure when he sucked you off. His hands focused on steoking himself to an orgasm at the same time as your thrusts into his mouth. Not bothering to even attempt to keep his muffled sounds down. Each choke and gag that came from you hitting the back of his throat. Furiously picking up the pace when fisting his cock when you sped up. Using his tongue to poke at your tip to furthen tease you.

You who cant help but be rough. Its all you know to be, thrusting as quick as you could into his mouth and begging silently to the gods to let you cum quickly because your back was beginning to ache from standing for so long. (Chronic back pains that came from the various angles Vander had suggested when you two were fucking on the sofa.) The pressure building up in your stomach as a sign you were about to cum even though you had barely lasted 2 minute. But that didnt matter seeing as Vander was going cross eyed from how well you were fucking his mouth.

Both of you cumming at the same time. Your cum being eagarly swallowed by him while his cum was shot into his fist as he continued jerking off while you spurted cum into his mouth. Onky stopping when he became sensitive. Small huffs coming from you as you slowly pulled back and out of his mouth carefully pulling back up your trousers and doing the buckle on your jeans. A small glare on your face when you look at him (out of love of course. He always looked good when rode out his orgasm.) Helping him get back up because his knees had gone numb from kneeling.

Both of you kissing after it, deciding that you still had time to head up to your office and get a quickie inbefore he headed back over to the Last Drop to sleep.

-

That felt good to write. Been holding that in since I busted after seeing Vander in the Alt AU. Fucking foamed at the mouth imagining him on top of me. Hes just so fuckable as an old man.

Cannot tell me he doesnt want his hair pulled constantly while hes getting fucked

[goryhorroor]

horror of 2025

here's the list (hoping i get every movie but mostly will be kinda focusing on the ones i'm either excited for or is super popular)

the wolfman - leigh whannell's take on the classic

final destination: bloodlines - tormented by recurring violent nightmares, stefanie returns home to break the cycle

black phone 2: sequel

sax xi: eleventh installment in the saw franchise

28 years later - it's been three decades since the rage virus escaped a laboratory and some groups have been able to live amongst the infected but when they leave the safety of their island they'll discover dark secrets

m3gan 2.0 - sequel

companion - after being invited to a weeekend trip at her new beau's lakeside estate, iris uncovers a terrible secret

they follow: sequel to it follows

frankenstein: guillermo's del toro's take on the original

the strangers: chapter 2 - sequel

the strangers: chapter 3 - end of a trilogy

scary movie: return to the horror spoof series

sinners - trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back

untitled jordan peele film - plot tba

poohniverse: monsters assemble - a team of evil childhood cartoon characters i didn't know we needed but i guess we're getting one

vicious - a young woman must spent the night fighting for her existence as she slips down a disturbing rabbit hole contained inside a mysterious gift from a late-night visitor

blade - i mean i hope so but i'm not sure if we're actually getting it this year

the bride - in the 1930s, a lonely frankenstein travels to chicago to seek the aid of dr. euphronius in creating a companion for himself. they murder a young woman and the bride is born

scary stories to tell in the dark 2 - sequel

thanksgiving 2 - sequel

the auditors - nikki, grappling with post-job loss financial strain, inadvertently ignores the fine print of their MDPOPE purchase, and their descent into horror begins with the arrival of the auditors who subject them to torture

grind - a group of college students host a midnight grindhouse film festival. they discover a cursed arthouse horror movie called the creeping chaos. in screening the movie, they unleash absolute mayhem

you take can now - plot tba

scream 7 - plot tba

kraken - marine biologist johanne is doing research on a fish farm in vangshe, a rural community located by the fjord. when she encounters strange occurances along with two brutal deaths, she discovers that a mythical creature rests

the woman in the yard - a mysterious woman who repeatedly appears in a family's front yard, often giving chilling warnings, and leaving residents to question her identity, motive, and potential danger

i know what you did last summer - reboot of classic

fear street: prom queen - prom season at shadyside high is underway, but when an outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and other girls start disappearing, the class of '88 is in for a hell of a prom night

until dawn - live action of the video game

let the evil go west - a railroad worker stumbles upon a fortune teller in distubring circumstances and horrifying visions drive him towards madness

the monkey - when twin brothers hal and bill discover their father's old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start occurring around them

hell house llc: lineage - fifth installment

screamboat: a late night boat ride turns into a desperate fight for survival in new york city when a mouse becomes a monstrous reality (what the fuck)

body farm - the forester johann only wants to warn his ex-wife sophie of a forensic research facility, but when he gets to the site, fast-growing slime has infested the corpses of the dead and brings them to life

i know exactly how you die - when his slasher-fiction novel manifests in real life, rian burman has to finish his story without getting his protagonist killed

le fanu's carmilla - retelling of the book

devil's work - when a couple, traveling on their vacation, meet a desperate girl seeking for her missing sister, they encounter terror and up as hostages to a twisted family and their son

the seductress from hell - hollywood actress undergoes a horrific transformation after being pushed to the edge by her husband

hyde - modern take on the classic novella by robert louis stevenson

crawlers - in the year 2030, a zombie pandemic decimates the united states population. american surviors rush to mexico where a plateau is believed to be zombie free

the children of the woods - in january 1999, a group of five disappeared after they went into the woods of york, south carolina for a camping trip, their story is being told 25 years later (inspired by blair witch project)

the dreadful - in the backdrop of the war of roses, anne and her mother-in-law morwen who live in solidary, run into a man from their past

presence - a family moves into a suburban house and become convinced they're not alone

victorian psycho - winifred notty arrives at a remote gothic manor, and as she assimilates into life, staff members begin to disappear

heart eyes - when the heart eyes killer strikes seattle, a pair of co workers pulling overtime are mistaken for a couple by the couple-hunting killer. now they must spend their valetine's day running for their lives

peter pan's neverland nightmare - after her brother michael is abducted by "the boy who won't grow up," peter pan, wendy darling goes on a rescue mission

[utilitycaster]

Level Up Post: Mighty Nein: Echoes of the Solstice: The Speculation Version

DO NOT POST SPOILERS ON THIS IF YOU ARE AT THE LIVE SHOW IN PERSON. YOU WILL BE BLOCKED.

So here's the deal: I don't know what level they'll be (18-20), I am frankly assuming they level up in the first place (but like. why wouldn't they) and I'm going to have to make a bunch of assumptions, but here is a manageable-ish, I hope, summary, to be refined once we know more. Also: I'm assuming we've got Caduceus rather than Kingsley (I DO NOT KNOW THIS FOR SURE DO NOT RELY ON THIS BEING THE TRUTH) but I will make a Kingsley post if that is not the case (short answer - I'd recommend solely leveling up in blood hunter). As always with level-ups: if there is a significant omission or an error, please let me know. If I simply did not choose the same spell or feat you did, feel free to reply with "ooh nice, what about [spell]" but do not send me asks or get weird and sanctimonious about having different thoughts on subjective assessments. Anyway, here's the pre-show version; I'll make a new post Friday if appropriate.

Fjord: Let's get Mr. Complicated Tusktooth Stone Lavorre out of the way. He is currently Warlock 12/Paladin 5. Warlocks get a mystic arcanum at level 13 (7th level spell once per day) as well as another known spell for regular casting, a subclass feature at 14 (Master of Hexes for Fjord, which allows him to move his hexblade's curse from creature to creature if the first dies), and a mystic arcanum (8th level) and another invocation and another spell at 15. Paladins, meanwhile, get Aura of Protection (+CHA mod, so 5, to all saving throws to himself and all allies within 10 feet) at level 6, a subclass feature at 7 (Aura of Liberation - he and allies within 10 feet cannot be grappled or restrained, can use 5 feet of movement to get out of prior restraints [THIS WOULD HELP BEAU IF SHE SHOWS UP CHAINED BTW], and ignore penalties to underwater attacks) as well as another L2 spell slot, and an ASI at 8; his lay on hands pool also scales up by 5 HP per level. My personal feeling is: for the next level, take paladin level 6, which gives him and anyone within the aura +5 to all saves so long as he is not incapacitated; paladin auras are ridiculously good and every day I wish someone would play paladin straight through in CR, for me, much as I adore Fjord and Vax's dips into it. For his 19th level, I'd either take paladin 7 for the aura of liberation, or take warlock 13, which grants the mystic arcanum of which I'd take Etherealness, probably, or possibly Forcecage; the clerics can handle Plane Shift, and Finger of Death seems off-brand. He also gets another regular spell of which there are many; Contact Other Plane might not work under these conditions so I'm leaning towards Dream, which is just a great weird spell few people take, but also he could take a low level spell given he has paladin spell slots. And for 20th, take the one he didn't take for 19, for a final 13 Warlock/7 Paladin split.

Beau: Much more straightforward in comparison...but let's talk about the leveling up process. Level 18 grants Empty Body, in which she can spend 4 ki to be invisible for 1 minute and resistant to all damage other than force damage, or she can spend 8 ki to cast astral projection on herself alone, which is just hilarious and great and I would like to see it. She also increases her speed to 60 feet. Level 19 is an ASI/Feat; her stats are great so I say take Mobile because it's funny to make her normal speed 70 feet/round, or mage slayer for obvious narrative and "Beau, don't you want to pull a Cerrit on Ludinus" reasons. The capstone monk level kind of sucks (4 ki points back if she's tapped when rolling for initiative) but I don't have a good multiclass for her in mind so may as well ride it out. And of course she gets a ki point per level.

Caleb: Perhaps the only person for whom level 18 is actually fun (other than the multiclassed characters), at level 18 he gets to pick a 1st and 2nd level wizard spell in his spell book that he can cast at will. He can exchange these, but it requires 8 hours of study, so probably what he has going in to this show is what he has for the show. 19 is again a Feat/ASI, and honestly a con or dex boost never hurts a wizard. Level 20 gives him two 3rd level spells in his spellbook that he can cast once per rest (long or short) without using a spell slot. Might I suggest counterspell as one of them? And both he and the clerics gain extra high level spell slots at each level (5th, 6th, and 7th at levels 18, 19, and 20 respectively).

Veth: So she is actually trickier than Fjord, as the multiclassed character, in that I'm less sure how to split it out, but we'll go through the options: Level 17 in rogue grants her the ability to temporarily steal spells from another spellcaster who attacks her (Spell Thief) which is GREAT and she should definitely take it. Level 18 is Elusive; as long as she is not incapacitated, attack rolls cannot have advantage on her. And Level 19 is an ASI/Feat and an increase in sneak attack dice and also grants her a fourth level spell slot and new spell to go with it, which must be enchantment or illusion; Greater Invisibility seems like the obvious choice. I'd take the ASI to INT. On the other hand, if she pursues more wizard levels, Level 2 would give her a subclass and its features and another 1st level spell slot (and 2 more spells), Level 3 would give her 2nd level wizard spells and corresponding spell slots (and again, 2 more spells in her spellbook), and Level 4 is an ASI/Feat, a cantrip, and another 2nd level spell slot. I say take L17 in rogue first, then get a wizard subclass (transmutation does seem obvious for a number of reasons though abjuration, illusion, and divination have better L2 features and illusion makes narrative sense - divination would simply be hilarious), then take her final level in rogue for Elusive; but with both Veth and Fjord I think there's an obvious level to take (L17 rogue for Veth, L6 paladin for Fjord) and after that I respect Sam and Travis to pick what feels right.

Jester and Caduceus: At level 18, they can channel divinity 3 times per rest rather than 2. At level 19, they take ASIs, which honestly are up in the air for me - I'm excited to see what they pick, though @captainofthetidesbreath suggested Eldritch Adept for Jester which I would enjoy, and we haven't seen Caduceus's feat from the final episode yet which means I'm not sure about what he might take as a new one, though I'm personally always a fan of Chef. And at L20 divine intervention is guaranteed (though you can only use it once per week)...but to be honest if they are level 20, I am expecting this to be nerfed for solstice reasons because it is kind of game-breaking.

Yasha: So here's the thing. Barbarian 18-19 is kind of eh and 20 is good but not amazing. She could take it; she'd get indomitable might at 18 (treat any strength check as her strength score, 18, if she rolls lower than that), an ASI/Feat at 19, and her strength and con jump up by 4 each (and can exceed 20) - this would put her at 18 CON and 22 STR, assuming she doesn't increase either with the ASI (and to be fair I would take the ASI to strength). This is solid and entirely valid as a choice. HOWEVER, might I suggest the Grog move of taking her final three levels in fighter, which would give her a fighting style and second wind at L1, action surge at L2, and an archetype and its 3rd level features at L3. I like how Battle Master feels for Yasha but really it's that action surge that makes this great; Rune Knight or Champion are also decent options.

[critter-genfic-events]

Queer Platonic : A Critical Role Gen-fic Rec List

Hello everyone! Please enjoy these seven amazing Queer Platonic fics that have been recced by the Critter community! Oh, and don't forget to show the authors some love if you liked their work!

Spider Silk Vows by hanap (88103,Teen) Warnings: no archive warnings apply Pairings Beauregard Lionett & Essek Thelyss

Beau and Essek are required to enter an arranged marriage. There's suspicion on all sides, and other forces at work.

Reccer says: It's got some amazing characterization and a developing queerplatonic relationship, plus all of the arranged marriage + political machination tropes I love.

fate (is but dandruff) by Meridas (1794,General) Warnings: none Pairings Mollymauk Tealeaf & Yasha Nydoorin

The Inherent Queerness and Triumph of Cutting Off All Your Hair

Reccer says: There's not enough fic about Molly and Yasha's relationship. This is a post-canon Mollymauk who is dealing with his fractured identity with a little help from Yasha.

Still The Same by The_Singular_Peep (4104,General) Warnings: Alcohol & a very messy hangover Pairings Caleb & Veth

After finding out about Veth's past, the relationship between Caleb and Veth becomes strained. Veth get's drunk and Caleb realizes that there was a misunderstanding

Reccer says: I always love when a fic actually digs into the feelings of "This isn't romantic or sexual but there is definitely love here".

count your blessings (not your flaws) by Enby_Tiefling (2152,General) Warnings: Pairings Yasha & Kingsley, Past QPR Yasha & Molly

She loves Molly, but he isn’t here anymore. Kingsley is.

Reccer says: I have a soft spot for Yasha dealing with her grief for Molly while also trying to be fair and treat Kingsley as their own person, and this hits the spot.

It's a Date by daretodhampir (stardustedknuckles) (2744,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings QPR Fearne/Laudna/Imogen

Fearne takes Imogen and Laudna on something resembling a date and it's just what you'd expect from a fey creature doing her best to be a good friend in a strange new world. And also making it up as she goes, but it's fine. Truly, it's the thoughts that count.

Reccer says: I like that there's definitely different types of sexuality and interest in sex within the triad, and the casual, loving feel to their interactions

Philia, Is That You? by Professor_Rye (2034,General) Warnings: None Pairings Molly & Yasha

Yasha gets hurt and Molly makes sure to take care of her. This causes some confusing feelings for poor Yasha

Reccer says: I like how Yasha works through her confusion and feelings as she accepts that she loves Molly, just not like that

Same Same Different by hummus_tea (1117,General) Warnings: none Pairings Fjord & Caduceus

Caduceus hears from some old friends and has a reunion, and goes on a hike, makes some tea. Fjord is awkward.

Reccer says: I really like Fjord and Caduceus's friendship in Campaign 2, this is a short and sweet fic that's about their relationship afterwards

If you liked this rec list, follow along for more! We'll be posting a new list with a new theme each Monday. And if you would like to make a rec yourself, feel free to reach out to @professor-rye to request access to the submission form! Next week's theme is going to be our first character focused list! We'll be doing a character list each first monday of the month, so stay tuned for those! Next week's list is going to be about our favorite grave cleric, Caduceus Clay!

[soath]

Not hating on the players but I cannot get behind Fjord as the Marquis of Nicodranas wishcasting floating around. This man has taken an oath to forever roam the seas! He is addicted to getting on boats and getting his shit rocked on boats, and sinking the boat but it’s okay because there’s always a new boat out there for him, the Wildmother’s special little boy. Politics would not allow him to pursue his passions (pushing big red arcane buttons and casting Underwater Breathing on his whole crew every twenty-four hours). He needs a larger enclosure, preferably with haunted shipwrecks and fucked up creatures to upset.

He is admittedly a very charming man who could and would depose the current Marquis of Nicodranas, I’m just not sure he’d keep the post for himself. Here’s a short list of other people he’d install into power and then backseat Marquis whenever he’s in town.

1. Vandran. Worried about your old Captain in his retirement? Make him a local political figure and stack his court with loyalists. He definitely won’t get bored and you don’t have to worry about tariff laws.

2. Marion Lavorre. Nicodranas loves her anyways, she’s one of the most diplomatic people out there, and it would be very funny if The Gentleman escaped the law by becoming the local authority’s boy toy.

3. Marius LePual. You know who can be peer-pressured into absolutely anything and loves fancy shirts? Marius isn’t going to get swayed by some chump from the Cerberus Assembly. He saw Fjord get stabbed by a fish man at midnight he knows what side his bread is buttered on.

4. Kingsley. There’s no rule that the Marquis of Nicodranas can’t also be the Plank King. This sets off three years of furious cold war and ultimately mends the rift with the Revelry.

5. Veth Brenatto. She receives: a big fancy house, power, unlimited hors d’oeuvres, something to do when camps aren’t running. He receives: insider political intelligence, another way to make fun of Veth, the best guest room guaranteed and sealed with a blood pact.

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

Look below the cut for eight great fics featuring Wild Magic and other strange magical mishaps! And also! Don't forget to leave comments and kudos if you liked the fics!

Exercises in Humility by talesofsymphoniac (1808,General) Warnings: None

Essek loses his hair instead of Fjord

Reccer says: It's a pretty silly premise, but gets into deep feelings about where Caleb and Essek are during the Aeor trip

The Baa-llad of Essek and Sheepleb by allmadeofstardust (574,General) Warnings: none

Jester decides to get Essek to kiss sheepleb

Reccer says: It's some soft, cute, fluff!

Wild Magic Surge by literalfuckinggarbage (4907,General) Warnings: none

A wild magic surge de-ages Caleb into a seven year-old Bren.

Reccer says: It's very sweet

Wild Magic is a Bitch by literalfuckinggarbage (5478,General) Warnings: None

A wild magic surge de-ages Essek into a toddler. Cuteness ensues

Reccer says: Its just so precious! Little Essek is adorable and polite and just so sweet

Something Fundamentally Wrong by ProcrastinatingPalindrome (3214,Teen) Warnings: None

Essek touches a strange magical pillar in Aeor and accidentally turns into a strange but cute little creature with far too many legs

Reccer says: It's very cute and silly

A Flumph for Your Thoughts by toneofjoy (3715,Teen) Warnings: None

Caleb gets turned into a flumph

Reccer says: It's very sweet, but also has Caleb being a bit of a brat (in a good way)

Everything in Aeor is Fine by mousecookie (18017,Teen) Warnings: Body horror

Essek and Caleb discover a dark object in the depths of Aeor. It begins to subtly corrupt the mind of whoever comes into contact with it.

Reccer says: With switching perspectives, this fic is able to dive deep into the thoughts and emotions of both Caleb and Essek.

And two recs each for wild magic is for lovers by jakia (1870,Teen) Warnings: none

Set directly post 135, five ways Caleb or Essek experienced a wild magic surge

Reccer 1 says: It's a fun and cute exploration of the wild magic table Reccer 2 says: It's a lovely look at what could have happened to Caleb and Essek during some of the Aeor wild magic surges. Wild Magic surge number 5 is my favorite.

soft and safe by royalgreen (allyoop) (1323,General) Warnings: none

Essek cuddles sheepleb as they head through the astral sea

Reccer 1 says: Sheep cuddles! Love confessions! Polymorph Shenanigans! It's a wonderful bit of fluff, and even has fanart! Reccer 2 says: Goes AU after c2e136, so Essek is the one carrying Sheepleb when the Mighty Nein enter the Astral Sea and approach Cognouza. It's the Sheepleb cuddling scene we all wanted to see and that canon cruelly denied us.

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. And hey! Don't forget to leave comments and kudos for the lovely authors! Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week’s theme is our recurring theme: Old Favorites!

[wardensantoineandevka]

would love to know your thoughts on the circle of needle and thread pcs please and thank you

Hello! Sorry I kept you waiting, but my thoughts on this wonderful circle follow! I didn't really speak at length or unpack a lot of it, but I wrote some broad strokes of what interests me about each of them.

I might unpack some of these things in future posts, but if you want to hear more about something specific I mentioned (or about a specific thing I didn't), please feel free to send more asks!

Nathaniel

I am well-known to be a Travis Stan On Main because he is into the same sorts of characters and archetypes and narratives and themes that I'm into. Nathaniel is no exception. I knew I was going to love him off the Q&A, and by God, do I love him.

I think there's something terrifying in how he often is so (endearingly) nervous and hapless yet commands absolute unthinking loyalty in Sean and Marion. But, I do love a character with an unexpected iron force of will underneath a more easily dismissed surface, and I'm always lucky Travis loves that too.

The Trapp family dynamics are absolutely BONKERS, and I've been turning over in my head the reveal that Nathaniel has lived his entire life in the shadow of not just an older brother, but an older brother who died when he was young—and he feels responsible for it. Truly blisteringly deep well to draw from here, and he's another example of how efficiently Travis can sketch a character and imbue them with a sense of deep and heavy history, a dense web of relationships, and a very present absence looming over them in so little time.

A classic Travis character. He's like what if Fjord was Cerrit.

Beatrix

I have to, unfortunately, admit that she is my least favorite of the circle. She is a solid character and well-executed in this episode, but unfortunately, she is of an archetype and is generally a type of character that I don't vibe with. (I had this same issue with Auggie—very well executed, just not my type.)

I am very interested in her place within this circle as the longest-serving among them, and I am very interested in the way she hovers over Jean and the old histories with Marion and Sean. I do also find that sort of distanced assessment of the three men and observation about having watched them go through flashbacks constantly; she is right that they, ultimately, need time, but her distanced tone teeters close to It Is What It Is and that's a fascinating, somewhat jaded perspective if so.

Sean

What a darling, violent boy. I love characters in this genre who take a shotgun or a baseball bat (literally, in this case) to supernatural creatures. Big energy of: "The horrors are incomprehensible? Buddy, I ain't interested in comprehending them. [cocks shotgun]"

His relationship with Nathaniel in particular is fascinatingly bonkers to me in the best way, and I think Sean's devotion to Nathaniel is wild in that like, even factoring in the war history, Nathaniel does not seem like a man Sean would normally respect—so this level of trust is quite evocative. The dead brothers throughline between them is going to drive me insane.

I'm so interested in leaning more about Sean's history during the war, especially because Sean is framed as that's all he has left. He is so stuck in that war that it's in his specialty, and I think there's a lot to explore in grappling with how important it is that Sean's brothers (apparently) died on the same mission Sean stopped being able to look at himself.

Jean

My girl! Like Nathaniel, I knew I was going to love her off the Q&A and, like Nathaniel, I very much do. I ADORE a character who is so tightly controlled they threaten to unravel at any moment. I love characters who seem cold and cool but care so much and is so full of warmth.

I'm also fascinated by the glimpse at her relationship with her father. There's also something very sweet and interesting in the way she dotes on Marion, and I'm definitely watching that relationship closely.

All in all, I wanna see her get her hands dirty, and she's started this chapter off with making a hard choice and I hope that she keeps struggling with them. It's very fun to watch a character who thinks they know the direction they going get all turned around. I am very excited to see this clear code she has further unravel across the chapter, and I love to watch a character with poise become undone.

Marion

As said, a sweet boy! He is so dear to me, and it tickles me that Luis comes onto the channel and immediately experiences The Visions. I'm really curious about the origin of this scar, and why the pointed plant imagery with the window and the patterned shirt and the promotional images. I also would love to know more about Marion's history during the war and what that breakdown at the end was about specifically.

I alluded to it above, but I find his relationship with Jean to be very endearing and I Am Looking while that develops. His relationship with Sean has some fascinating hesitation in it—the exchange about would you know if I was okay / would you tell me in particular—and I do have some thoughts about how interesting it is that it doesn't necessarily feel like Marion quite Gets Sean post-war even though they seemed very close pre-war. I also again find the intense loyalty Nathaniel inspires in him to be so well developed but also terrifying. Marion's is subtler than Sean's, but he is just as quick to listen to what Nathaniel commands, and I'm curious to see if we learn if there was a specific incident that earned it.

He is an enigma at the moment, but I love a haunted seer, and I'm so looking forward to it.

[tiny-elf-of-doom]

✨My Mother’s Reaction to the Mighty Nein Characters✨

My mom had a fun time with these ones… thank you for making the Vox Machina post so popular! Please enjoy pt. 2 of her humor!

Me: this is Caleb and his cat, Frumpkin. (I showed her a depiction of both, not just this image). Mom: ooohhh, he's an animal person! I like him. Me: did the cat give him bonus points? Mom: yes.

Me: this is Mollymauk, he's a tiefling. I think he's very handsome. Mom: (being a medical professional) he's got hella conjunctivitis. Me: well, he's a type of demon, so his eyes... Mom: ah, now I see the evil smirk! He's got a cute, little dimple. A lil' dimple.

Me: onto Yasha, our lovely barbarian. Mom: she's got a lot of pretty hair! She looks like she's been crying, her mascara is running a bit. Me: *laughing* you don't know the half of it...

Me: Beau is a monk and kicks a lot of ass. Mom: so she's a badass? Me: yes, she's an absolute badass. Mom: she's got pretty blue eyes... she's sexy. Me: fuck yeah she is! *proud son moment*

Me: our adorable goblin, Nott. Mom: *deep analysis* she's creepy... but I'd still hug her. Me: you'd be very careful, though. Mom: yeah, I feel like her ears would hurt me.

Me: (I had expected the worst reaction, but I might have gotten the best)...Caduceus. Mom: *dies of laughter* he's a My Little Pony! Me: *I laughed so hard it hurt my ribs*

Me: thoughts on Fjord? Mom: yeah, you know the pet pig down the road? The big one with the bottom teeth, or tusks, or whatever? Me: *realization* don't do this to me... Mom: that one.

Me: Jester and this little creature on her shoulder! Mom: she needs braces... she's got buck teeth. Me: what? Hang on, let me zoom in *I proceed* there, better? Mom: freckles! Is that a weasel? I need her hair. Me: and you don't have a diagnosis for ADHD? Mom: no, do I need one?

Me: almost forgot one of my favorite npcs, Essek. Had to add him! He's a purple boi. Mom: I like purple bois <3

<Art can be found on the Critical Role Wiki with links to the artists under each image! All artistic credit goes to them!>

[captainsspnanon]

C3E58 - reaction

I am very entertained that they are fighting a creature with many mouths who causes psychic damage from the sounds, considering I'm in the gibbering mouther section of my C2 rewatch and about to get to the laughing hand, so it's all just fucked up mouths for me XD

LOL the fact that FCG has started consistently fucking with who doesn't get bonded and it's an issue each time. I love it! Though I'm worried about their stress points, I'm also kinda looking forwards to a little blow up.

I saw a few spoilers about the episode before I watched so I WASN'T terrified when Fearne went down and got swallowed, but holy fuck if I hadn't known she lived for a threesome, that would have been so stressful!

I'm so glad we got to see at least a tiny glimpse of the wolf-king! I want Matt to post a picture of it on twitter please! Please please just for me!

Huzzah for bag of holding! Great with the notes and harness and rod for plot development, good for funds for refilling some pockets, especially because ...well, I don't even know what the funds status is of this group. VM was rich AF, M9 was poor AF, I have no clue where BH falls. Especially because a lot of it is based on RP (I think M9 probably had as much as BH, but rped as much poorer - nope I lied, counting today's haul, BH has like double the amount that M9 had by the same episode)

Wish we could have gotten more from the FRIDA moment, interesting that Matt has Christian be much more active in the rolls and directions, whereas with Ashton and Fearne's dad (not Birdie, I can't remember his name) they were much more passive while Imogen and FCG/Laura and Sam really took the lead. Confirmation of Aeor though! Sounds like they got smited by the gods though I don't think we had any idea previously that some Aeorians were against using the malleus factorum. Not surprising once I think about it for like, two seconds, but never considered it before.

THREESOME!!!!! Oh I SO hope that Fearne holds to her early game comment and does 'work her way through all of them'. PLS PLS PLS. Anyhow, a touching and mostly hilarious moment, I loved every second of it. I'm also pleased that the first kiss and first sex scenes were from PCs that it seemed like the fans went out of their way to desexualize, I love it.

All the gifts! Hoodies were adorable, and then two wooden gifts from Chet! With how frequently the table gave each other game related gifts out of game previously, I do enjoy how much it's a lot of in-game gifts now.

Oh fuck those scenes with the Changebringer and Dawnfather were INTENSE. HOLY SHIT. I am very hyped, for the gods to just force visions and make demands (at varying levels of demandingness)!!! I wonder how many non-PCs are also receiving these visions? Did Caduceus get one? Fjord? Pike and Vex and Scanlan? Random other clerics and paladins of the world?

Seriously, I am so hype. C3 took me a bit to settle it, but it is a very easy second place for me out of the three campaigns! Still won't beat C2 for me, but I'm pretty sure that's because 1) it was my first campaign and 2) it's when I really hit hyperfocus on CR and could watch two and a half to three episodes a day. ...yeah, I binged HARD on C2. Started late January 21 and finished in time to watch the finale live.

I'm also intrigued to see how all this is going to go. They physically CAN'T have Aabria and Christian playing once everyone is back together, there's just no room at the table. What is going to be the thing that splits them up? I wonder if it'll end up coming down to an NPC having to be 'group regulars go to this location, group guests go to this location' to have a natural and realistic separation.

[burningdarkfire]

this post marks the end of my queue! i'm probably back from my vacation but not back at my computer yet. in the meantime, here's a rundown of the top 5 fics i'm proudest of posting in 2023:

blood moon: 47k words, M, fjord/caleb, AU. New threats stir in the dark of the woods. Fjord suddenly finds himself with magical powers and in need of a teacher.

the clear pebbles of the rain: 17k words, M, astrid/wulf/caleb/essek, post-canon. A new opportunity arises between the Empire and the Dynasty. (Sequel to meanwhile the world goes on.)

to be your slave: 11k words, E, essek/caleb, post-canon, canon divergence. Trent Ikithon and his creatures come to the Blooming Grove. The archmage is defeated. Essek remains with Caleb—and so do the Volstrucker.

down to the marrow: 4k words, E, astrid/wulf/caleb, pre-canon, omegaverse. Astrid hated this tower, despite every logical reason that immediately came to mind—the master was preparing them for worse ahead, they needed to be able to survive under any and all circumstances, and it was not so bad, not really, they had a roof over their heads and some shelter from the elements.

the mercy of a palm upon your head: 3k, E, fjord/jester/wulf, post-canon, canon divergence. Every full moon, Eadwulf needs to go on a run. Jester and Fjord go with him.

[your-enby-antihero]

Caleb and the two very hot purple people that are sitting at the next table over

Based on a  tumblr post

Caleb works as a teacher at the Soltryce Academy. His life is fairly normal, not very notable at all, but when he meets two people at a bar he becomes an utter mess.

also available on ao3

—————————————————————————

Chapter 9: Caduceus Clay Enters at the Most Inopportune Time Ever

Summary: Caduceus Clay is a normal good man, though his friends are a bit strange he enjoys his life in Rexxuntrum. He goes about his normal day before walking into something he did not expect.

—————

Caduceus Clay was a simple creature, he liked plants and making good tea. He liked breezy mornings with comfortable cardigans. He liked seeing the good morning texts from his friends wishing him a pleasant day. Caduceus liked living in Rexxuntrum, the hustle and bustle of academy and university students filled his cafe for all the hours of his day and the locals around the area were nice as well. He was glad that Molly and Essek had decided to move here as well, it would have been disappointing if they all had been separated. Yasha was very sweet, Caduceus enjoyed her company a lot. She would swing by the cafe in the mornings and they would chat about gardening and weird bugs and life. Overall he was happy, life was easy and the people were good. No massive problems to be dealt with or friends in grave distress. 

Jester was a welcome new addition to his life and Fjord was a nice friendly face at the temple every now and then. Molly had introduced the couple to Caduceus a few weeks after they had all made the move from Rosohna. Fjord had been a bit lost in his early studies and a loss of one of his family members brought him to the temple of Melora. Fjord had introduced Caduceus to the community of Melora followers here in Rexxuntrum and he was grateful. As for Jester, her sweet and vibrant personality added such colour to his day, he actually had one of Jester’s forays into pottery proudly displayed on his cafe bar. He enjoyed experimenting with her in the kitchen of the cafe, making small batches of cakes and getting her expert opinion on the optimum level of cinnamon to add to his bear claws. Veth had been a recent addition to Caduceus’ life as well, even though meeting her was relatively recent. She was kind and funny and incredibly intelligent, and her family was lovely, Luc especially. Caduceus had babysat for the Brenattos on a few occasions recently, Veth worked as an event coordinator for a nonprofit that helped kids who were from financially struggling families gain practical life and career skills, she also ran the summer camp that the nonprofit put on every year. Considering that the kids who attended the programming throughout the year didn’t pay to be there, Caduceus was amazed at how nice the facilities were. When he had asked, Veth had just laughed and said that Jester’s father had been kind enough to make ‘generous donations’ a few times every couple of months that helped Veth and her staff provide such a great experience to these kids. 

Caduceus reminisced whilst he cleaned, the cafe was pretty empty by this time only a few people were finishing cups of tea or coffee, some getting the last few words of an essay done. As he smiled at a lavender-haired woman, Imogen, a college exchange student from Jrusar who was attending the local university to research astronomy. She had come in and had her usual, a warm cup of non-caffeinated lavender vanilla tea. Caduceus wished Imogen luck on her essay as she walked into the evening. She gave him a wave back before running to a rusted black and red car that blasted a mix of jazz and punk rock as she hopped into the packed seats. 

He also gave a wave to a cute older couple, with a few young kids in tow attached on the hip or at the side, that had recently been coming by. Supposedly they were in town for some business. They had first come in about a week or two ago but quickly became regulars. Caduceus appreciated the fact that these tourists, who seemed fairly nice, stopped by so often. The white-haired gentleman had also helped Caduceus with the till, one of the springs on the cash box had come loose and Caduceus hadn’t been able to properly close or open it. The day the couple, along with their children, walked into the cafe Caduceus had been on the phone with a repair worker but no one was available to come at that hour. The white-haired man had offered to fix it whilst the dark-haired woman that accompanied him sat with Caduceus and chatted. The couple, Percy and Vex, along with their two children, Vax’ildan and Gwendolyn, were now regulars, the family happily chatting during the mornings before declarations of business to be done sounded Caduceus’ direction.

Caduceus said his goodbyes to the other few patrons before turning his wooden sign, that Jester had made him, to closed. He gathered up his things, including the cake that he had made that day. It was a sponge cake lightly flavoured with lemon and was topped with a light glaze. It was something he was planning on adding to his menu of sweets but wanted his friends' opinions on whether the recipe was just right. As he took off his apron and locked his door. He wandered over towards where he was meeting up with Beau, Yasha, Essek, and Molly for a quick meal.

As the door pushed open Caduceus heard the lovely sound of chimes and also heard a tirade of shouting. 

“Lucien, you- you sick motherfucker. You don’t- you don’t just say that to someone! You barely even know him! I should take this to the press!”

“Molly you prude, if you aren’t going to make a move I will,” Lucien balked back.

He took a few steps in, observing the site before him. He saw the plethora of bodies moving and Caleb’s unmoving. His eyes moved towards the worried shouts and the sight of two drow in a booth.

“Oh sweet Luxon, Essek? Essek are you alright,” Verin wasn’t paying attention to the mess that was Molly and Lucien but more on his brother, who was very much mumbling himself into a panic.

Beau and Yasha chuckled (well one would probably say Beau’s chuckle was more of a gut-heaving laugh but…) together at the vision before them. Molly’s other brother, Kingsley, was barking out his own laughs, shouting for Molly to quote ‘get ‘im’. The aforementioned Caleb was face down on the bar top. Yasha turned in the direction of the new noise and locked eyes with Caduceus. 

“Oh my, well I’m sorry to interrupt-” Caduceus started before the rest of the eyes turned to him, “but Caleb isn’t awake. I going to check on him, that looks like a pretty nasty face plant. Yasha where do you keep your first-aid kit Molly and Lucien might need a bandage or two. I can check on Essek in a moment but Verin looks like he’s got it. Oh, and I brought cake?”

[neciebee]

This drabble is only vaguely tangential to the prompt, but that's what prompts are for. Right? Right?

First time posting a drabble. I'm overstimulated again and I punched this out to quell my roiling brain. No idea how long it is, I just made words go after, before, or between other words. Hounds are involved.

The bond between a smokehound and its master is immutable once formed. Fae and beast hunted with one mind, one heart, one soul. They shared their meals, their spaces, their lives. Smokehounds were so rare, many believed them a myth. To have been chosen by one of these ethereal entities was to have been blessed by the Mother.

When Eris first found the tiny wisp of a whelp, he knew his future would be vastly different from what he had previously planned. There was no other sound in the forest; not even the whisper of winds through leaves red as his hair disturbed this poignant moment. It was as though the land of Autumn held its breath for the Heir to accept his Companion. There had not been a smokehound in the Royal Court for millennia. The last was the legendary Cerberus, who - with his High Lord master - oversaw four hundred years of smouldering peace.

Nowadays, all known bonded smokehounds accompanied so-called 'lesser fae' - creatures so in tune with nature that one might think they were avatars of the forests, fields, and fjords. Rarely heard and never seen, the faefolk and their elemental beasts stewarded the most magic-imbued enclaves of the Autumn Realm. Smokehounds were thoroughly Autumn, and they elected their masters as such.

Eris held the tiny creature to his heart, appreciating the enormity of his gift from the Mother. Autumn had chosen him.

~

The second smokehound was no more of a surprise than the first. Though bony and lean, the wild, savage hound took down a puca that Eris and Artaban had been tracking through the forest. At first, the Heir thought the animal a manifestation of illusory puca magic. When the hound laid the carcass at his feet and its intelligent eyes met his, he knew he had been granted an unprecedented second blessing.

The Court was in uproar when he attended the throne room with both hounds in tow. Not even his High Lord father, Beron, could say a word against the holy union between the Autumn Heir and the Autumn Protectors. The Mother will do as she Wills.

~

Five centuries since he laid eyes on his first pup, he was called before the throne. Nine hounds shadowed his steps in refined formation. He approached his father, High Lord of Autumn, and graciously bent to one knee.

"Eris," spoke the High Lord in a high, snide tone. "Eris, Eris, Eris. It seems you are more mutt than prince these days." He surveyed the assemblage coldly, though Eris could taste the undercurrent of jealousy in his words. Autumn had not bestowed its High Lord many favours throughout the centuries, and he was loath to wonder why.

"I assure you, Lord Father, that every last one of my hounds has the purest power of Autumn's Holy Protectors." Each of his nine hunters had come to him as an evocation of Autumn's old magic, chosen as a custodian of the Kingdom of Fall and Flame.

"I would not begrudge you Artaban, nor even Bellamy - though plural bonding is unprecedented. The Mother has deemed you a dog, and a dog must have his pack. But capturing nine mutts is vulgar! You are flaunting your avarice before Nature and the Gods!"

Eris smoothed one hand down Artaban's sleek crown. His first hound was the most devoted, the most protective, the most vicious. "Until I stop encountering Autumn Vitae in need of their true master, I will be taking care of my twelve hounds."

Beron shot from his throne, nearly tumbling down the dais. "HOW DO YOU ALREADY HAVE THREE MORE? WHERE ARE THEY?" His puce visage became mottled with anger... and fear.

The picture in Eris mind coalesced upon the three new additions to his pack. No... four. Wagging tails and wet snouts overcame the gleeful grasping of scarred hands. Eyes of hazel lit up with elation as they beheld the infantile howling of unweaned, furry beans. Fat, stubby paws padded unforgivingly over the sensitive membranes of Illyrian wings. The sounds from the shadowsinger's throat would either end him, or fuel him for countless eons.

Eris raised his hands in a signal to his pack of loyal and lethal hounds. "The pups are with my mate," he said plainly, as nine shadowhounds tore Autumn's Menace apart.

~

@chunkypossum @mistandmemories @the-darkestminds @jules-writes-stories @shadowsandlint @secret-third-thing @pippsmcgee @astro-h0e-4azris @buffy-vanserra @brunetterebel010 @g00seg1rl @born-to-riot @acourtofladydeath @iftheshoef1tz @mudandmire @fieldofdaisiies @murphbees @nus4y @areyoudreaminof @greenvelvetcouture @fourteentrout @packdontendwithblood @aurorasleeps-27 @buffy-vanserra @queercontrarian @amarillis39 @climbthemountain2020 @a-novel-idealist @talibunny30 @ysmtttty @jolenes-library @molcat07 @hnyclover @catboyjamesbond @yanny-77

"you know you are only supposed to have 1 apprentice maybe 2 not 15." said the wizard council member "well until people stop leaving surprisingly powerful orphans at my doorstep I'll be taking care of my 17 apprentices." The council member snapped their wand "WHERE DID YOU GET 3 MORE!"

[a-wandering-imagination]

Chapter 23

The events of the past few days weighed on Anton’s mind as he piloted their boat south towards Ketchikan. He had been glad to get out of Juneau and leave the mysterious black creature behind, but the events in Taku Harbor were now making him reconsider his plans. Perhaps there were more of those creatures? Something had killed that bear in Taku Harbor. His mind wandered through the various fiction stories he read as a child, with their fantasy creatures, his mind pausing on the mental image of the large mountain trolls of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and their inhuman hunger for creatures big and small. Had something like that sprung up here, in the real world, he wondered. For the most part, Anton was left to himself to chase such thoughts as he motored the endless, quiet fjords on their way south as the girl still refused to speak. Anton was sure she understood every word he said (as well as some unspoken criticisms--she seemed to read his mind at times) and he found himself rather irked that she continued to remain silent. She spent most of the trip either asleep down in the v-berth or staring quietly out the window, watching the mist-shrouded forests and mountains slip slowly by.

The voyage to Ketchikan took nearly two days, what with Anton not being well-versed in the area and having to rely on paper maps and line-of-sight reckoning. As they passed Petersburg and Wrangell on their way south, they watched for any signs of life. Both of these villages appeared to be totally abandoned and Anton, still nervous about what might be lurking unseen, was loath to go exploring in these desolate villages and chose instead to motor on. They anchored once in a small protected cove somewhere south of Wrangell and slept for about six hours.

He kept an eye on their food supply but they didn’t seem to be going through it very quickly. He ate sporadically, when a hunger pain happened to strike, but the girl seemed to eat even less. He would fix her a small plate of something and more often than not, she would just push it around and leave it uneaten. Anton was worried about this at first as he wanted to provide for her properly, but she never seemed any worse for wear. All he could do was continue to offer. Her lack of appetite was just one more thing that was stacked in that corner of his mind reserved for the ever-increasing pile of things in this post-pandemic world that he simply did not understand. Giving thought to any of these items simply made him more edgy and twitchy and that wasn’t good for anyone. He was learning to just roll with it. The girl seemed perfectly healthy and she had access to food any time she decided she wanted to eat. Just roll with it.

So it was that Anton was daydreaming a bit when they came past Danger Island in Tongass Narrows and the small town of Ketchikan slowly came into view. They were still a few miles out when the girl came up out of the v-berth and looked around. She suddenly grabbed Anton’s arm and pointed to the left. He followed her gaze and saw the little anchorage at Refuge Cove. He couldn’t see anything that would have piqued her interest so he just nodded his head and continued on. Suddenly the girl grabbed the wheel and yanked it hard to port. The action caught Anton off guard and he lost his balance a bit as he tried to regain control of the wheel. 

“What the hell!” he stammered as he tried to wrestle the wheel away from the girl, but she wasn’t giving in. “Fine, whatever!” he muttered and turned the boat into the harbor. There was a road from the harbor into town but Anton was none too happy with the prospect of having to walk to town if they couldn’t find a working car. As they motored into the small harbor, Anton noticed that the girl was looking back up the channel the way they had come, straining to see as the boat rounded the south shore of Danger Island and the channel slowly slipped from view. Anton guided the boat to the empty pier and, once alongside, he cut the engine, stepped onto the dock and tied the boat’s bow line to the nearest cleat. He then repeated the process at the rear. He had just finished when he heard the cabin door open again and saw the girl standing in the doorway. She once again had a scared look on her face and was waving her arm madly, signalling for him to get inside with her. Since it had been his experience that she was usually spot on with her assessment of impending danger, Anton jumped aboard and stepped back into the cabin. She slammed the door shut as he entered and held her finger to her lips. She then pointed up. Anton was perplexed. He looked at the cabin ceiling, half expecting a monster to come crashing through, but nothing happened. He waited for what seemed like several minutes. When nothing happened he looked down at her with a puzzled look on his face and was about to voice his confusion when he heard it. At first the sound had been so soft he hadn’t noticed it, but now it was louder and quite noticeable. It was also unmistakable. It was the sound of an approaching jet aircraft. Anton looked out the window in the direction of the sound but immediately felt the girl’s hand tugging on his arm. She was pulling him away from the window down towards the v-berth. “What is it?” he asked without really thinking. Her finger once again came to her lips and she pulled him down the steps into the v-berth. Anton glanced out the window as best he could from their location in the v-berth stairs and caught a glimpse of the small jet as it shot past not more than a couple hundred feet off the water in the direction of the airport at Ketchikan. The jet was quite small but obviously not a military plane. It looked like a small corporate jet of some sort. Anton turned to the girl once more to find her hiding under her blankets on her bunk.

“Hey, it’s okay. That’s nothing to be afraid of. That is a good sign. There is someone else alive. Someone who can help us get to other survivors. You don’t need to be afraid of the airplane.” His words seemed to have no effect on the girl. She just crunched up tighter, balling her blankets around her. “We need to hurry downtown to contact the people on that plane...” He was mid-sentence when she sat bolt upright, threw off her blankets and grabbed his hands. She held both of his hands in hers and pulled them to her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut. Anton was about to pull away when it happened. He was suddenly standing on the tarmac next to the plane. He could read the numbers on the tail. He could even read the safety warnings alongside the entry hatch which now stood open with the stairs extended onto the tarmac. The plane’s engines ticked and popped as they cooled in the chilly afternoon air. The interior of the plane was dark and Anton suddenly had a deep sense of foreboding. A chill swept through him that reminded him of the sensation back on the docks in Auke Bay when he had been attacked by the superhuman man. Anton knew almost immediately that whomever had arrived on this plane was not a friend. He had no sooner realized this when he snapped out of the vision and he was back on the boat. He looked around and the girl was now staring quietly into his eyes, hands at her sides. Anton knelt down in front of her so that he was looking at her face to face. “How did you do that?” he asked. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she didn’t say a word. “Thank you,” Anton whispered as he gave her hand a squeeze.

Anton then turned and pulled the Mini-30 out from under the bunk and checked the clip. The girl’s eyes went wide once again and she grabbed his arm. Anton turned to her, “I know, I know, I will be careful. But we have to see if there is anyone else in town that is alive. We have to find other people. We can’t just live by ourselves forever. Don’t worry, I will be careful.” With that, Anton turned and stepped up into the cabin. He grabbed the binoculars off the dash and the revolver off the table. He tucked the revolver in his waistband and hung the binoculars around his neck. Then he shouldered the strap of the rifle and stepped out of the cabin and hopped onto the dock. The girl followed him this time, scurrying to stay right behind him as he made his way up the dock and towards the road that led to town.

[utilitycaster]

Wizard Breakdown Tracker: Mighty Nein Reunited, Part 2

Gather ye wizards while ye may, though with the return to Campaign 3, we are finally headed to Yios, where there are wizards, once we finish with the Gloomed Jungles, where there are were-creatures, which are also very cool. The hierarchy is, as always: paladins; wizards; were-creatures; literally everyone else; dhampyrs, kalashtar, changelings, and "hey DM, can I play a tiefling bard with intelligence 7". But I digress.

Ludinus Da'leth: So at this point (ie, shortly post-this episode), Caleb, known bridge between the Cerberus Assembly and the Cobalt Soul, has taken a job at the Soltryce Academy, which means any efforts to make a new, slightly more palatable volstrucker program and quietly keep it from Archmage Becke are going to go straight out the window. The walls are closing in, and he doesn't even know that Jester can go to the Feywild. 7/10.

Astrid Becke: Caleb listened and took the job! That's one success in what's got to be a thankless new position in many ways. Also I still really want to know who the hell has become Archmage of Antiquity, or if the Assembly just writes that one off as "make a deal to bring back a powerful Age of Arcanum entity and raise it to godhood once, shame on you; make a deal to bring back an powerful Age of Arcanum entity and raise it to godhood twice, shame on us and also what the fuck are we going to do with two nickels in a society that uses gold, silver, and copper currency." 3/10; Astrid's doing better than she ever has in this tracker, and good for her.

Eadwulf Grieve: Caleb is still keeping him in mind, which is good, because he really is like...look, he's a wizard, so he's not dumb muscle, but compared to his two former lovers he's very clearly the 'And Peggy' of the bunch. On the other hand this means he's probably just organizing the Temple of the Raven Queen Yulisen Night Potlucks and inventing the Exandrian equivalent of Minnesota Hot Dish or something. 0/10.

Yussa Errenis: Is aware of the storm on the horizon. Is chilling in his tower. Is largely unbothered. Other people pointed out that while he has developed a reputation for fucking around and finding out, he has also technically never physically left his tower to do so, which is honestly impressive, but does explain why Beau did not have to bamf out a partially dissolved old wizard when she ended up in Uk'otoa's gullet. Anyway, glad he's keeping up with Caleb and making potions. 3/10, for being aware of the storm.

Allura Vysoren, whose name I keep misspelling: Yasha did give Kima back the sword, and Caleb doesn't seem to have her staff, and she helped make a new, cooler sword! 2/10 for League of Miracles reasons only.

Essek Thelyss: Still under a lot of political pressure, regardless of where he is...but he's also getting, as Figueroth Faeth would say, his kisses in, so better than I expected! 5/10.

Caleb Widogast: So here's the thing. It is, as the other post said, about the green beans. And it is, as my last iteration of this said, not time for deep Caleb meta in here. But I do have a lot of thoughts about the similarities between Caleb and Fjord, as I always do, and about how neither of them really had much of an understand of what happens in their life past That One Big Thing They Need To Do, having already woken up at some point and been like *Mitski voice* I used to think I'd be done by 20. I do feel that the Caleb Widogast of part 1 of this two-shot was truly a Caleb Widogast who could go either way re: the T-Dock usage, and the Caleb Widogast of part 2 of this two-shot is not; the event has not (in my understanding, at least) occurred but the decision has unconsciously been made. Also he's dating Essek and he gets to have Dragon Time, which sounds like Floor Time but better. He does get a 4/10 though, because he takes it upon himself to become the Mighty Nein's Social Event Coordinator. As someone who just had to cancel a carefully scheduled D&D session for tonight because I am sick but also the DM and if I have to talk for 2 hours while simultaneously using my brain I will cry, this is very stressful.

Veth Brenatto: Camp's going great! Only one kid died, and not permanently! 1/10.

Known Gem Wizard Hotsauce Lutefisk: Oh so the demigod leviathan CALAMITY SNAKE gets released from its prison beneath the sea, three seals in three temples broken in under 18 months, and yet, I, Halas Lutagran,

Bonus!

Warlock Breakdown Tracker

Fjord: For real? Who knows. I personally imagine that it does, as they say, briefly go to 11, because though Uk'otoa is dealt with and Zehir seems to have understandably gone "you are way too interested in love and the ocean for me to give a shit, I'm going back to bed", Fjord (not unlike Caleb) has to sit with the fact that he's done with that and he's happy OH GOD HE'S HAPPY WHAT THE FUCK DOES HE DO WITH THIS. Also he has to deal with the orphanage, which is going to be traumatic and unpleasant for sure, plus you know someone named "Grankton" is going to be holding a massive grudge against the world at large. But with time, it settles back down somewhere more reasonable, only to briefly spike and resolve again during Kingsley's little maneuver. So you know. Some numbers, probably.

[critter-genfic-events]

Minor Character Genfic Recs

This week, the rec list is featuring minor characters! From Kiri to Maya to Jourreal, we have fourteen fics that flesh out people who don't get much of a spotlight during the campaigns. Check them out below the cut, and if you like them, please kudos or comment!

center of attention by tusktooth (9257,Teen) Warnings: none apply Pairings: Veth & Nila, Veth & Keg

When the Mighty Nein travel back through the Shadycreek region, Veth is forced to confront the feeling of being painfully visible when she has to explain her past and her transformation to old friends.

Reccer says: I love Nila, and I think her talk to Veth here is very touching

broken not shattered by joyfulsongbird (3664,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings:

Cassandra, on succumbing to darkness.

Reccer says: A glorious post-canon story that takes something Matt mentioned in the CR1 wrap-up and runs with it in the most visceral way.

Especially the Lies by Operafloozy (7800,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Minor Beau/Yasha

A look into some of the interview sessions Beau has with Astrid and what is learned from them.

Reccer says: While the story is told from Beau's POV, it is very much an Astrid story and remains one of my favorite CR fanfics to date. It's well-characterized on all counts and includes marvelous worldbuilding.

Whatever You Choose To Be by A_Orbit (1338,General) Warnings: Pairings: Yussa Errenis & Wensforth

On Wensforth's journey with Yussa

Reccer says: It allows for Wensforth to have a lot of depth and background - and when fandom gives a minor characters a full background, it's one of my favorite things

Separate myself from me by wtgw (2031,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Fjord & Eadwulf Grieve, Past Blumentrio

What’s a living magical weapon without a wielder? In the Blooming Grove, Eadwulf Grieve tries to come to terms with making his own choices after 17 years, and Fjord comes to recognize the uncomfortable similarities between them.

Reccer says: It's a fantastic Eadwulf point of view

we take our turns on the altar by grayintogreen (5093,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Caduceus Clay & Cree

While in Aeor, two clerics on opposing sides find themselves in a sticky situation and Cree gains some perspective.

Reccer says: I liked it

ghost is a verb by mousecookie (1954,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings:

Jourrael investigates rumors that Lolth has a new champion and encounters the Crownkeepers.

Reccer says: This fic is absolutely everything anyone could want from a series of encounters between The Inevitable End and the Crownkeepers and I wish to all the gods it was canon.

I will be made a new creature, one bright day by PryingBlackbird (1619,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings:

A glimpse into the life of a lonely soul locked away in Vergesson Sanatorium.

Reccer says: If you like unreliable narrators and being kept in the dark initially until it all falls into place, this is the fic for you.

Looking Out of the Window by Beauteousmajesty (1382,General) Warnings: Major Character Death Pairings: Bren Aldric Ermendrud & Una Ermendrud

Una Ermendrud watches her son grow up as she works on her loom. From the babbling baby to the awkward teen, she is so very proud of him.

Reccer says: It's absolutely heartbreaking

don't be chosen- make the choice to choose by grayintogreen (3003,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Kingsley & Orly, background Kingsley/Marius

Kingsley ends up getting some accidental advice from Orly.

Reccer says: Orly is very intimidating to write, but I like this take on him!

Lay Your Bones by LadyOrpheus (4961,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Verin & Essek, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Thinking only of justice and restoring his family's honor after Essek's betrayal, Verin Thelyss finds something he never expected, an Essek he never expected. A mission for justice turns into a race against time and a family finds their world upended.

Reccer says: It's very much a Verin-centric adventure fic that looks into what his thoughts would be on Essek's post-campaign state

Benediction by Sandtalon (53587,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Maya Agrupnin & Cerrit Agrupnin

Maya after the events of the Calamity

Reccer says: It's absolutely incredible and what Maya deserves

Shopping With the Baby Birb by Beserk (6399,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Kiri & Caleb

Back in Zadash, Caleb babysits Kiri for a bit. They go shopping!

Reccer says: It's the sweetest dang thing

Lens Interrogation with Verin Thelyss, PD 838. by Operafloozy (1801,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Essek Thelyss & Verin Thelyss

Essek disappears from Eiselcross in PD. 837. The next year, scrutiny on this disappearance leads the Lens to interrogate his brother.

Reccer says: A delightfully tense outsider POV

If you liked this rec list, follow along for more! We'll be posting a new list with a new theme each Monday. Want to make your own recs? Check out the rules, and then use the form to submit!

Next week, we'll be looking for Gen fics with budding friendships! It's like 'getting together', but only for coffee and gossip.

And hey, if you're looking for more great genfic, check out all of the critter gen week creations!

[keyleth-clay]

Critical Role Character Meta

I just wanted to take a second to acknowledge certain character choices and common themes that I’ve seen the CR cast make with their main campaign characters over the years.

*Obligatory disclaimer that these are just my opinions/perspectives, and not meant to suggest that these recurring themes are necessarily intentional on the cast members’ parts, or that these are the “correct” way to read these characters.Also, feel free to add onto the discussion!

Travis (Grog, Fjord, Chetney) – The biggest commonality here is themes of masculinity and strength. Does your strength and rage define you, and how do you know when to use it. Yes, Grog is a 7.5-8 foot tall goliath berserker barbarian, and fits into the “dumb jock” trope with little difficulty, and it would be so easy to play him as the stereotypical dumb jock, with all of the toxic masculinity that comes with that – hell, Kevdak and the rest of the Herd fit that bill to a tee. But when they beat and pillage and destroy whatever they want, simply because they can, Grog is the one to stand up to them terrorizing an old man and say this is wrong, this is not what our strength is for. “It all comes down to one word, really: family. Before I was a part of this group, I had no family. Pike took me in, I met all of you. And I had a purpose. So before that, I would be down to fuck anything up, anytime, no problem. I still kind of am. But I realized that if I fly off the handle too soon, it screws over my family. That's no good, because I care about you.”

In the same vein, pretty much the entirety of Fjord’s character arc through campaign 2 is gradually unlearning all of the toxic masculinity he learned from Vandran. Now, that’s not to say that all of those ideas were intentionally taught to him, nor was everything he learned from Vandran bad. But he still felt the need to pretend to be somebody else, someone less emotional and less willing to acknowledge vulnerability, in order to be taken seriously and be respected. I couldn’t help but notice, but after Fjord broke his pact with Uk’otoa (U’kotoa) and started talking in his actual voice, he started being more emotive, he actually said when he was afraid or uncertain or even just uncomfortable, instead of just pushing it down and pretending that he wasn’t affected. One could argue that the entire joke of Fjord being weak is only funny because he’s a half-orc and a man, somebody that’s “““supposed””” to be strong.

And then, with Chetney, it’s right there with his lycanthropy. It’s I’ve got this super cool ability that makes me tall and strong and gives me claws and fangs and it’s awesome, except he doesn’t have it as under control as he thinks he does, and he’s unwilling to acknowledge the downsides, even after attacking a teammate – and let’s talk about that, shall we? Let’s talk about this strong, raging creature within him that he lost control over, not long after having a serious and vulnerable heart-to-heart with Orym, and ended up clawing him up. Even while he was in the throes of bloodlust, he was apologizing. Even the “Recognize The Alpha” tattoo/motto, and how it’s based in the (debunked) idea of alpha wolves, and how it also has come to represent the (bullshit) idea of alpha males, but it’s never something he uses to act like he’s better than everyone around him, it’s never a point of ego. Rather, it’s emblematic of the through-line of these characters: that strength is only what you make of it, and being stronger than others doesn’t mean you’re better, it means you have a responsibility to use that strength to lift others up.

Taliesin (Percy, Mollymauk, Caduceus, Ashton) – Taliesin literally talked about this on an episode of 4-Sided Dive, but he didn’t go super in-depth with it, and also I’d already planned on making this post then, so :p.

Honestly, the biggest thread between these four is that all of them scream The Refusal Of The Call. How all of them looked at their backstory and immediately turned their backs on it and powerwalked the fuck away. When asked during the Q&A after episode 4 of campaign 1, Taliesin says that “[Percy] has no interest in going home yet, ‘cause that’s terrifying. So we have not dealt with that.” Mollymauk hears the name Lucien and says fuck that, fuck him, that’s not me, that’s not my life, I want nothing to do with him. Caduceus’ ENTIRE THING was that he was the one that stayed behind, that he even felt guilty for going out and adventuring like Calliope wanted for her life. It’s not quite as clear with Ashton, but they’ve made it very clear that they don’t want to go looking for the Nobodies, he doesn’t need to know anything more of what happened that night or since then. On top of that, Taliesin mentioned at some point that whenever Ashton came into money, he ended up spending it all on booze and gambling – which, when he’s trying to get out of a very steep debt with Jiana Hexum, doesn’t seem like he’s trying all that hard.

Laura (Vex, Jester, Imogen) – The thread that I tugged on for Laura’s characters wasn’t really something that I could sum up in one simple statement. I think there’s two things that really stand out to me. The first is this running theme of loving mothers and distant fathers – but that love is never perfect, and that distance isn’t always intentional or malicious.

Elaina loved her children dearly, and they loved her, but they were taken away when they were only ten, and she died while they were gone. Syldor only cared about the twins because of his own reputation, and that coldness was something that Vex could never fully forgive. Marion adored Jester, and Jester certainly didn’t feel like her childhood was bad, but Marion’s own fears and her business led to her keeping Jester indoors and secret for so much of her life. Babenon loved Marion, and if circumstances had been different he would have loved to be a part of Jester’s life from the get-go, but circumstances were not that kind. He didn’t even know she existed until she walked into his bar, and once she was there, he didn’t believe that he deserved to be a part of her life. Relvin might have been a good father to Imogen in her childhood, but as soon as her powers began developing he pulled away, keeping her isolated from the rest of Gelvaan, and keeping her away from him – Imogen goes so far as to speculate that he’s happier with her gone, because he’s uncomfortable with her seeing into his head. I don’t think a feeling like that comes out of nowhere, especially not when the person saying it can read minds. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about Liliana yet, or why she left, or even if she left rather than being killed or kidnapped or something. But I think that her love and protectiveness of Imogen is clear, considering it’s her that always shows up in her dreams, urging her to run from the storm.

The second thing is the masks that these characters put up. Vex tries so hard to be confident and in control, whether that be in a fight or through snark or while flirting or bartering. At moments she can be a bit bitchy, but never for long and she makes sure to take responsibility for any time that she gets too harsh towards someone. But it’s the moments that that mask of control falls, the “Do I look like I come from money”-type moments, that show her heart. Jester is pretty much the opposite; she’s always big smiles and pranks and goofy stories. She’s light and peppy and energetic, which is often genuine, but also becomes her armour when she’s vulnerable. The way that she forces a smile and pretends to not be crying, during the pirate arc and later leading up to Travelercon, are absolutely heartwrenching because it’s such a departure from how we typically see her. Imogen’s mask is much more straightforward, and much more of a foundation for the character. Because she can read minds, and she has to constantly act polite, act like the thoughts of everyone around her doesn’t weigh on her every damn day. Her mask is the shields she keeps up in her mind, and when she’s around too many people, it is constantly on the verge of falling.

Liam (Vax, Caleb, Orym) – Everyone brings up grief and loss as a major through-line across Liam’s characters, and that’s true, but that’s not what I’m going to dive into here. There’s an interesting theme across these three, of this… sort of question, of characters starting from humble beginnings, and what forces them onto the path to greatness? How does a half-blooded runaway with sticky fingers with a dead mother and a shitty father become a Paladin of the Goddess of Death? How does a small-town farm boy with a love of books end up on the fast track to becoming an elite magical assassin? How does someone who is essentially a town guardsman end up travelling across the continent, across the ocean, and help to uncover conspiracies and end enormous threats and discover long-lost civilizations? It feels like it’s very common for people to go into creating their DnD characters with the knowledge that they’re going to be Going On An Adventure, and that they could very well end up as some sort of Chosen One, or going toe-to-toe with dragons and gods and demons and the like, but it never feels that way with Liam’s characters. They’re all just average people who somehow found their way onto this path.

Marisha (Keyleth, Beau, Laudna) – Marisha’s characters, like Laura’s, have two different commonalities across them. The first is kind of similar to Liam’s, in that they all have some sort of expectations and importance placed upon them that they don’t want and didn’t ask for. Keyleth only ended up going on the Aramente because her mother failed – and she wasn’t asked, she was chosen for it. Beau was literally kidnapped by the Cobalt Soul and essentially forced into monk training, which she very loudly complained about for a long time. Laudna was fucking killed, and then was unintentionally brought back to life, and now she’s got the woman who murdered her in her head, and granting her her warlock powers (which she didn’t really need – remember, she’s a sorcerer, and was already a sorcerer before she died).

The second is that they are all, in some way, off-putting. Off-putting by design, no less. Keyleth’s simultaneous awkwardness and bone-deep, stubborn conviction makes it difficult to hold a conversation with her at times. Beau is brusque and abrasive, and for a long time, kept people at arm’s length. Laudna’s fucking dead – she’s scary and weird and dripping ichor and vomiting bees? And I love that Marisha leans in to that, that she doesn’t make her characters easy to like or overly kind and sweet.

Ashley (Pike, Yasha, Fearne) – The dichotomy of gentleness vs. ferocity. Pike is sweet and compassionate and is a cleric of a goddess of redemption, but she’s also tough as hell and, as we all know, a monstah. Yasha is a barbarian with the power of the Stormlord at her back and rage in her veins, but she also is soft spoken and awkward and collects pressed flowers and her greatest crime was simply falling in love. And Fearne has her soft, breathy voice and wide-eyed “innocence” in this world that she’s not a part of, who steals things because she loves them, but then she also steals things. She can summon a wildfire with a flick of her fingers, she can shapeshift into wild animals, she has her feral side with fangs and claws and viciousness. All of them are soft and sharp at the same time, and neither side is a more accurate version of their character.

Sam (Scanlan, Taryon, Nott/Veth, Fresh Cut Grass) – You know, I was originally going to try to come up with some character trait or narrative element that this fandom hasn’t talked to death about yet, but fuck it. Yes, the biggest commonality here is that Sam makes the most ridiculous fucking characters – the stereotypical horny bard (fun sized), the pompous rich boy who’s never been in a fight, the shrill and alcoholic goblin, the fucking Southern Hospitality Robit. But then he gives them so much heart and soul, so much depth, that they’re no longer ridiculous. He gives them “Well, that's just it. I'm a really good liar”, and “No, Taryon's on the floor, weeping, holding his necklace,” and “They made me everything that I thought I was: not pretty, not good, just not,” and every conversation F.C.G. has had regarding whether or not they have a soul. Sam sees these goofy, fun, ridiculous characters, and decides that they also have a story, and it’s one worth telling.