#formal mighty nein

[gravitycosplays-solarflareart]

Another fun shot from the Formal VM/M9 group!!!

Fjord: @corruptedwolfcosplay

Caduceus: @gravity_cosplays

Photo and edits: @mewmacaron

#fjordstone #caduceusclay #criticalrolecosplay #criticalrole #mightynein

[kidvoodoo]

Long May He Reign 🏴‍☠️👑🩸

[glyphknight]

I just want to say that Caleb being a private instructor for students who didn’t get into the elite magic school (and not just providing extra tutoring for his students at Soltryce) was something I hadn’t considered and is so, so heartwarming and affirming. 

Having been a “failure,” he accepts the “rejects” and “failures” - he sees and nurtures their potential. This flies in the face of Soltryce’s harsh “rigorous” standards which was used by Trent as priming / grooming for his even “harsher” “lessons.” It denies the commonly accepted idea that anyone who doesn’t make the cut is just not good enough. 

I think a lot of people have had this experience IRL, including myself, where a curricular program basically expected you to “do whatever it takes” even if it means running yourself ragged to meet extremely high expectations “for your own good.” 

Caleb’s gonna raise up some competent wizards who will think for themselves and not have their ethics dictated by loyalty-first to the Empire or the Cerberus Assembly. He is fully aware of how the Empire’s propaganda was used by Ikithon to groom students and commit atrocities (Oh man, I have...thoughts about how Astrid initially reacts to Bren breaking in the comic).

[monocycle-of-fresh-cut-grass]

HELL YEAH ORPHANTAKER!!!!

[utilitycaster]

If I may, as we go into what appears to be the clear endgame for C3, I think the lessons to take from the ending of C2 within the fandom are:

Do not freak out about the possibility of the campaign ending sooner than you expected nor you personally wanted

Last minute twists are not impossible, but if your enjoyment rests on a sudden reversal in the final hour you are likely to be disappointed

Just because it happened in prior campaigns doesn't mean it will happen in this one

Don't count your chickens before they fail to hatch

There will probably be one shots if it's a serious enough plot hook that we can't get to

Disappointment and anger are fine but eventually you do need to get over it

For the record, I think the particularly unpleasant responses to the ending of Campaign 2 boil down to the fact that it wasn't nearly as clearly signaled (the formal announcement was like two weeks in advance and while in retrospect it makes sense, at the time it felt very abrupt); that despite two relationships being established and a third clearly on the way people had convinced themselves that there would be some kind of last minute twist and their anger is entirely because that didn't happen even though there was literally zero sign it would; the fact that Molly didn't come back; and the general atmosphere of the world in June 2021 - I watched the finale while on my first trip to see my family in over a year and a half. I also think the ship wars for C2 were as bitter as they were because of both the strength of the party's bonds; but also the echo chambers that developed during a lengthy hiatus; and Campaign 3 does not and never has had anywhere near that level of serious ship warring.

The structure of Campaign 3 has been different in many ways from that of Campaign 2, which was different from Campaign 1 - that's not to say you can't make comparisons across campaigns, but I would not make assumptions based on the length of prior campaigns (plus, we're already in the same ballpark of number of episodes as C1, and the same level going into the BBEG combat as C2).

If your happiness rests on any of the now three current couples in Bells Hells breaking up, you are a weirdly bitter person, and you are likely to be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're already annoyed that a plot thread will be dropped, while there's like...maybe three plot hooks I can think of and every single one is related to Chetney, who I think will only survive the finale if Travis is unable to find a satisfying way to kill him off, we've had some excellent one shots post-campaign for both Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein and I don't see why this would be any different.

And as always I will never tell you that you can't dislike something, though there are things that, if you dislike them, I will think less of your judgment. But stick to expressing disappointment and anger; if you find yourself wanting to write out violent threats on the internet, you need to back away for a good long while. But certainly wait to be disappointed by a campaign that's already ended, and not pre-mad at things that haven't happened (or failed to happen) yet.

[galaxyostars]

The de Rolo kids are public schooled.

Preface

So I've been thinking. I don't believe Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the Third would (at least immediately) allow someone other than him, Vex, and perhaps the rest of Vox Machina, to privately tutor his kids. I'm using a combination of CR and TLOVM here, as the main campaign playthrough doesn't really linger much on Percy's relationship with Anders as the animation does, but the overall gist is that Anders betrayed the de Rolo family in favour of working for the Briarwoods (and in CR's case, Vecna).

You're the face I saw when murder entered my heart.

^ Percy, to his teacher, Professor Anders.

Home-tutoring

Is it impossible for Percy and Vex to teach their kids? Absolutely not. Is it impossible for them to teach their five kids, whilst also maintaining their own hobbies (and lives)? Eh... it's doable, but doing a Master's degree in Education myself, I cannot imagine the level of Percy's intended teaching and their kids' learning after Gwendolyn was born being left to just Percy and Vex as being remotely comfortable for them.

But then you have to consider what type of learning these kids are maintaining. I think Percy was initially within a factory model of education (based on what we saw in TLOVM) but broke out of it when he was on his own and started tinkering. I'm not well-versed with Vex's formal education -- I imagine she has one outside of her learned practical skills given she was in Syngorn for an amount of time with Syldor, but I imagine her idea of education is probably a little more "free" than Percy's. I like to think they had a conversation about what their kids' education would look like. Vex is not like Caleb and Beau in the Mighty Nein who constantly go to the library for additional information about anything and everything they don't know, but is instead already knowledgable, can deduce using logical reasoning, or goes and asks someone else (not to say Caleb and Beau can't do this either, but regardless). I think that indicates she's probably a little more world-wise than she is interested in classroom etiquette.

(Note: Taliesen Jaffe has joked that Percy probably took hits of pot now and then, delivered by Keyleth/Vax!Crow, to get through the day with his children around ("Do you see how many kids that is? Oh my god."))

I should also point out the interaction with Gwendolyn indicates she's at least accustomed to Percy's office/library where there are rules in place and it sounds like he might've said "Leave the book" because his kids have been taking them and not putting them back (which probably mortified him upon first incident).

Public Education

There is, however, an alternative I do like very much: this generation of de Rolo kids may actually be "public-schooled" (or at least, the Whitestone version of that).

Again, speaking as an Aussie pre-service teacher, it's a lot harder to be a good teacher while also planning to overthrow your government/be a cult leader at the same time when you've got a class of 20+ kids to look after and educate. Doable, but rather unlikely. Vex might've actually thought it safer and more to Percy's liking to put their kids' education into the system they have a direct gubernatorial say over, rather than allowing an educator direct access to his home, his family.

This would not only benefit the de Rolos, but also other lower/middle-class families in Whitestone, as there's no doubt they'd pump that education system with as much coin as would benefit their kids' learning.

Additionally, mentioning the pot joke again, it gets said five kids out of the home giving these parents some peace and quiet.

Obviously there'd be nobility etiquette teaching they'd have to undergo, but it's probably much, much easier to do that in-house than it is the entirety of their education.

I put it to you, fellow Critters: At what point, if any, would Percy relinquish the education of his kids to someone outside of Vox Machina? And, would that be in a regular school classroom with other kids?

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

Anonymous: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have eight incredible fics posted Anonymously! Check them out below the cut, and don't forget to comment or leave kudos if you liked them!

Taste Every Fire and Hold Every Song by Anonymous (23790, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con

The Mighty Nein formulate a plan to take down the Cerberus Assembly once and for all. The Cobalt Soul requires information before that can happen, and Caleb and Essek offer to infiltrate through an underground party, with Essek posing as Caleb's sex slave. For a while it seems the plan is working perfectly and then things take a turn for the worse and Essek is left to wonder if he really knows Caleb at all.

Reccer says: The emotions are realistically portrayed for the trauma described.

Give and Take by anonymous (1473, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

A wonderful study in submission and an exchange of power through the lens of a different society.

Reccer says: Very lovely writing with some incredibly hot smut that gives light to some wonderful character dynamics.

Love Letters to Toss Into the Fire by Anonymous (59420, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: None

Caleb and Essek write each other letters

Reccer says: Creative delivery methods, and the height of wizard flirting romance!

of more delight than hawks and horses by Anonymous (1431, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Jester keeps on giving Caleb gifts. Caleb isn't used to having thigns.

Reccer says: This feels very true to life for me, and gets into some of the complexity of allowing yourself to accept nice gifts from people who can afford them after going through very lean times.

techniques for perfect flavor pairings by Anonymous (8688, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Incest, Series has works involving incest, this fic has also one line referencing incest.

Through a series of trial and error Essek and Caleb explore sex together to accommodate their different sex drives.

Reccer says: Essek's struggle with his own expectations what sex should be is very relatable from an ace perspective.

ready now by Anonymous (1745, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek tries to formally discuss their developing relationship and Caleb misunderstands him.

Reccer says: I love depictions of their relationship becoming romantic and this is now how I imagine it happened – awkward and filled with misunderstandings. Featuring advice from best friend Jester

And then two recs for

Keys to the Castle by Anonymous (51812, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Set just after their Aeor trip Caleb gives Essek a key to his tower. Domestic fluff, pining and misunderstandings ensues.

Reccer 1 says: This is such a comfort fic for me. With the domesticity in the tower and their growing relationship, and then delicious angst with a happy ending. Reccer 2 says: This is A+ pining and mutually unrequited love.

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.  Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week's theme is Marriage/Engagement!

[sassy-cass-16]

when the mighty nein animated series is finally available, I would like to formally apologize in advance to the people who will hear me scream-crying through the entire Iron Shepherds fight

and also to those same people who will hear me cry-screaming at the first frame Essek Thelyss is on screen

[foxqueen-katarian]

Because I’m curious and we’re into the last full day of not knowing,

Obviously some of these are jokes and I don’t care

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

Chapter 3: Appearances (Waiting for Heartbreak)

Summary: When Essek's mother insists that it's time for him to marry, he thinks he's doomed to spend the remainder of his life in a loveless marriage. That is until Caleb volunteers to pretend to be his fiance until Essek can find another solution. Read chapter 1 here

The outings Dietra has assigned Essek and Caleb are not nearly as awful as Essek was expecting. Tonight they are to attend a performance at the theater, an opera. One of the few things Essek loves about the Dynasty is their opera so he’s rather looking forward to this evening. 

Essek wears his deep purple robes, lined with red and silver. It’s more opulent than he would usually wear, but that is what this event calls for. His hair is slicked back and his ears are laden with silver. Rarely does he take the time to dress himself in such a manner. Even he has to admit that he looks rather dashing. He can’t help but wonder how Caleb will dress. He’s rarely seen Caleb in any kind of formal wear.

He arrives at the Xhorhouse promptly at five, just as he arranged with Caleb. Even from the outside, he can hear the Mighty Nein talking and laughing loudly. He pities their neighbors. Essek has no idea how they manage to hear his knock over the noise they’re making, but a moment later Jester throws open the door with a massive grin.

Essek! You look so handsome!” Jester shrieks. She throws her arms around him and squeezes him tight around the middle. Essek tries not to wince, but returns the hug as she lifts him off his feet. 

When she sets him back down, he adjusts his robe before saying, “Thank you, Jester. Is Caleb ready to leave?”

Jester pulls back with a sly smirk, “Not yet.” She pulls him inside and shuts the door behind them, the noise of the Nein is immediately ten times louder. Somewhere Beau is cursing loudly and Fjord is trying to calm her down. Jester ignores it and tells him, “He’s been so excited all day.” Essek highly doubts that. Excited is hardly a word he associates with Caleb.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

Essek looks up and sees Caleb descending the stairs. Essek’s mouth dries immediately. Caleb looks incredibly handsome. His hair is loosely braided away from his face and he’s wearing the smallest bit of makeup around his eyes. 

Essek can immediately see that Caleb took Dietra’s words to heart. He is dressed every bit like a child of the Empire. He wears a suit in the style of a military uniform. It is in the Empire’s red with golden details and epaulets. If Caleb is at all uncomfortable wearing such a garment, he doesn’t show it in the slightest. Though, Essek understands Caleb wears a mask nearly as thick as his own. 

Essek comes back to his senses when Jester’s tail wacks his leg. He quickly clears his throat and says, “It is no worry, are you ready to leave?” Caleb nods.

“You two have funnnnn,” Jester giggles, tail flicking behind her mischievously. 

continue reading on ao3!

tip jar!

[thevalleyisjolly]

Critical Role parties ranked by mothers’ names

They might be sung or unsung heroes of the land, but the real question is, how well do they all know each other?  For example, what are their mothers’ names? 

Introduction

Results reflect the number of named mothers in each party divided by the total number of known mothers in each party.  “Known mothers” refers to mothers of PCs who are confirmed to exist.  In order to be a “named” mother, their names/titles must be stated in an episode of Critical Role.  Supplementary books and comics are for now excluded, although to my knowledge, this does not change the results in any substantial way.

If a character does not have a mother or mother figure (e.g. FCG, Molly, Kingsley) or does not know/remember who their parents are (e.g. Fjord, Yasha), those parents are not counted as known mothers here because it was not possible for the characters -much less the party- to know who they were/are.  At the same time, if a character does know who their parents are but it is never established whether any of those parents is a mother (e.g. Pike, Grog), they are not counted as a known mother/mother figure in the party total.

Additional notes:

Mother figures who are not formally related to party members are considered as known mothers if the characters acknowledge some type of parental/familial relationship with them (which does not equate to a mothering or a positive relationship).  Currently, this is only relevant to two PCs, Yasha and Orym.  With Yasha, the Skyspear is counted as a parental figure, although she did not consider the quality of that relationship to be mothering or positive.  With Orym, it is unclear whether he considers Nel (Derrig’s wife) to be a mother figure, although we do know that they had a good relationship and it is likely she also occupied a parental role in his life as Derrig did.

FCG, Molly, and Kingsley are unique cases of characters who came into existence under very particular circumstances.  While FCG is certainly a sentient person, he has no memory of his early years and relationships in Aeor, and they don’t appear to view their relationship with Dancer as a parent-child one.  Molly and Kingsley, on the other hand, were pieces of Lucien’s soul who became their own persons and who emphatically did not identify with or as Lucien.  Therefore, while Lucien certainly had parents, they are not counted as either Molly or Kingsley’s parents.

If party members share a mother (really just Vex and Vax), that mother only counts as one known mother for the party total and is not double-counted.

Party rosters are as listed on Encyclopedia Exandria.  This does mean that Tiberius is included for Vox Machina.  One-shot characters (Derrig, Lieve’tel, Bertrand in the case of Vox Machina) are not counted as part of the official party roster, even if they are referred to as party members in the game.

A huge shout out to Encyclopedia Exandria in general, which was a really great resource in researching the familial relationships of each character and what has come up in-game!  And now, let’s get to the stats!

Vox Machina - 6/6 (100%)

Grog - unknown Keyleth - Vilya Percy - Johanna de Rolo Pike - unknown Scanlan - Juniper Taryon - Mariya Darrington Tiberius - Penelope Vex and Vax - Elaina

The ones who started it all!  Perhaps thanks to Scanlan’s speech, Vox Machina gets a perfect score, with six out of six known mother/mother figures being named in-game.  With Pike and Grog, while we know that both characters had at least one father, we do not know the gender of their other parents, and they are therefore not counted as known mothers here.

Bonus fact: If we exclude Tiberius, Vox Machina would still be batting at 100%.

Mighty Nein - 7/7 (100%)

Beau - Clara Lionett Caduceus - Constance Clay Caleb - Una Ermendrud Essek - Deirta Thelyss Fjord - unknown Jester - Marion Lavorre Kingsley - not applicable Molly - not applicable Veth - Ashlee Smyt’hh Yasha - The Skyspear

The Mighty Nein also get a perfect score for known mothers, with seven out of seven known mother/mother figures being identified in-game.  Since we do not know any of Fjord’s or Yasha’s birth parents, they are not included as known mothers in the overall count.  Similarly, neither Molly nor Kingsley have applicable parent relationships.

Bonus fact: If we exclude the Skyspear (and her inclusion is extremely tenuous), the Mighty Nein is still at 100% when it comes to known mothers.

Bells Hells - 2/5 (40%)

Ashton - unnamed mother Bertrand - unknown Chetney - unknown Dorian - unknown Fearne - Birdie Calloway Fresh Cut Grass - not applicable Imogen - Liliana Temult Laudna - unnamed mother Orym - unnamed mother; Nel?

Bells Hells is where it gets complicated!  Out of five known mother/mother figures, only two are named, giving Bells Hells a total of 40%.  As stated above, FCG has never defined his relationship with Dancer as one of parent-child, and we do not know who Bertrand, Chetney, and Dorian’s parents are/were.  We do know that Ashton, Laudna, and Orym are all stated or shown to have a mother, although we do not know their names.  On the other hand, the mothers whom we do know have certainly made an impression as big as that red moon in the sky!

Bonus fact: Since it is not clear whether Orym also considered Nel a mother figure, she is excluded from the official count.  If she were included, she would raise Bells Hells overall total to 3/6 (50%).

Conclusion

While both Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein have a perfect score, Mighty Nein arguably has the edge over Vox Machina in terms of just having more known mothers to name.  The Mighty Nein also have the meta advantage of coming after C1, with the cast meme-ing the hell out of “What’s my mother’s name?” and making it an actual in-game icebreaker question.

Very understandably, Bells Hells has had fewer episodes than either Vox Machina or Mighty Nein at this point, so we know a little less about them.  However, it is worth mentioning that we do know a fair deal about the relationships that Bells Hells have with their families, even if we don’t know the names of their parents, and that the impact of those relationships have been markedly felt by the PCs and their personal arcs.  Someone who never appears in the narrative but their presence is felt by what grows around them, y’know?

And now, it’s only right to close with an acknowledgement of the adventuring mothers from within these parties whom we most definitely do know and love: Vex, Pike, Veth, Beau and Yasha (if they did end up adopting), and of course, Fearne <3  

[revvethasmythh]

For the critical role ask meme: 15 and 30.

Or, if you want to be spicy: 5 and 11. 👀

Or any combination of the above :)

15: Favorite one-on-one conversation (can be between two PCs, or a PC and NPC).

Caleb and Fjord in episode 62, Domestic Respite. That has been my favorite conversation since I first heard it and it still is. Caleb's "We can remake ourselves into something better" is, to me, the thesis of what the Mighty Nein campaign is about. That is The Ultimate conversation for me.

I do want to shout out Beau and Caleb's one-on-one in episode 57 though, too, because I do genuinely love that conversation and how it so viscerally feels like a turning point in their relationship and the campaign as a whole. Also Beau saying "You don't have to thank me for my time like you're a social worker" and then giving Caleb just a really long awkward hug lives in my head rent free

30: What is your favorite theory or headcanon that has absolutely no bearing on the plot and isn't important at all, but which is completely compliant with canon?

Okay as far as I am aware, this is canon compliant and if it's not don't tell me let me live in it, but it's "Eshteross is Fjord's dad." I have tethered myself to that theory. I am it's cheerleader. The only one who can take this from me is Matt

5: Meta you would write if you did not fear people would be SUPER weird about it. This is also an invitation to write that meta and block the haters.

Oh boy. there's quite a few honestly. But first that comes to mind is an expansion of that very brief (not maintagged) post I made exploring why Imogen has frustrated me as a character and despite wanting to like her, I really just find myself unable to connect with her. In conjunction with this, I think there is something to be said about Imogen and Laudna's relationship holding each other back from developing more. Something about the way they always reach for each feels like a stagnation of their developments that just leaves me wishing we could see them interact with more members of the group more often or to, honestly, see their codependency come up as a topic/be addressed in canon or sever more than it has to date.

It's like you know that conversation Nott and Caleb had in c2e46: Caleb said, "lately, I've gotten a little wrapped up in the group. I've forgotten about us. I've forgotten." And that's an interesting character beat! It'd be something different from the same homogeneity that their relationship has been dawdling in. The rock fight is the most interesting thing that's happened between them and that didn't even get all that heated or really change anything! Like not to abandon all attempts at maintaining a formal discussion on the topic, but I am emotionally poking their relationship with a stick saying "do something already"

okay. that felt good to get out. now ANOTHER THING

Honestly, I feel like a very long meta could be written about the way that fandom had pigeonholed Veth a "Mother" that doesn't actually leave room for her to be a person. I have seen so many people boil down her character to nothing more than a "mom," as if that's a character trait and not just something that she is. Like, yeah, she IS a mom. But "mom" isn't a personality and I don't know why the fandom treats it like one, and then goes so far as to continually behave like Veth is not just Luc's mom but Caleb's too, which she has not only repeatedly said she is NOT, but has openly and canonically admitted to having romantic/sexual attraction to him to the point where I'm like.......what do you think mothers are like? And that's not even about shipping. Shipping goggles are off, friends. That's about ignoring canon and vital character details that contribute to Veth's overall character arc that are willfully forgotten. And man, does that grind my gears.

Okay that's probably enough salt (this got long, sorry) and I can't think of anything off the top of my head for 11, but if something comes up I might add it.

Thanks for the questions!!

Weirdly specific ask meme!

[dndshakes]

Hello everyone, it’s Mighty Nein Night.

I would like to make a formal announcement that I am, officially, back on my bullshit

[utilitycaster]

I feel like something so many ppl just don’t get is it’s improv. I’ll see ppl be like “I hate this arc” or “this dragged on” I’m like?? If you want to watch a curated tight fantasy story with a normal beginning middle and end maybe don’t watch long form improv media? Also maybe I’m just fundamentally misunderstanding what ur post is about. I’ll constantly think and say “it’s their game” not as a “they’re above criticism” way but more in a “cmon it’s not like this is a script that’s being poured over by ten ppl sitting in a room debating whether this 30 seconds drags or not”. Like I love Play it By Ear from Dropout but I’d never hold it to the same standard as like Six the musical or whatever. Improv/normal media requires a completely different rule set for criticism imo

Hey anon,

So here's the thing - I agree with this in terms of formal, published criticism (Ebert's Law, if you will) where you are, to an extent, grading on a scale; you should be judging on what the work is trying to achieve and not some abstract ideal that applies equally to all works regardless of provenance.

However, for personal discussion (including your own personal Tumblr blog)? This is totally irrelevant. You're allowed to dislike things, whether it's a 30 minute improvised musical or whether it's the Marriage of Figaro, for any reason. It is 100% valid for someone to look at the Mona Lisa and say "eh, doesn't do it for me," and, moreover, it's just as valid for them to say "it doesn't do it for me because I don't care for representative art and prefer abstract, modern works, but Da Vinci's sfumato technique is indeed masterful" as to say "It doesn't do it for me because it's fucking weird to me that she doesn't have eyebrows." People's enjoyment of a work is not necessarily reliant on effort put in or how much the artist cares about - it should be based on how much the art appeals to them.

It's fine if people hate an arc. If they hate it so much that they aren't able to enjoy watching, then I think they should probably stop watching...but that's a choice for them to make, and as someone who loves complaining, I've talked about arcs dragging and had it interpreted by total strangers as "you clearly seem to hate this" when really it was just a case of me...not liking some aspects of a larger whole, and choosing to talk about that because I had things to say. Like, I do think the early Campaign 3 pacing was deeply frustrating, and I do think that this wouldn't be the case if it weren't improv, but there have been many improv actual plays that I felt had great pacing, and also it was still frustrating to me and I wanted to express that.

In fact, what I was getting at in my post is that if you're trying to provide a counterpoint to other people's criticism, you need to focus on the points they're making; and if you're trying to defend something in general, you need to be talking about what you find good that is specific to that thing, rather than making excuses like "the cast likes it" or "it's improv".

To give an example: I love the Aeor arc, which was, to an extent, divisive. Here's two responses I could have:

"I think the Aeor arc built up to a satisfying and emotionally charged final boss fight that was thematically resonant with the Mighty Nein as a group. I think the path there had a good balance of adventure, combat, and RP scenes, especially given its position as the final arc of the campaign and the one in which many of the character romances were realized. Eiselcross was a fun and well-crafted environment that was challenging for a party of their level, and Aeor provided new insight into the Calamity, which at the time had not been explored in depth, while also providing a lot of opportunities to tie into the arcs of the various individual characters, notably Caleb and Caduceus. I also personally am a big fan of exploring fallen technologically advanced civilizations in a fantasy setting as a trope."

2. "Well, it's the cast's table, and it's improvised."

Both are true, but the first one lets people know what I see in that arc and why I love it. The second one ends the conversation, is true of almost everything Critical Role does, probably doesn't address anyone else's complaints, and doesn't even explain why I like it. And for what it's worth I don't think meta needs to address anyone's complaints - you're allowed to look at the Aeor arc and say "cool, I think it took too long and dragged and was too stressful" and we can part ways knowing we are different people with different tastes. But if I were, hypothetically, passionately trying to defend the Aeor arc and were openly resentful towards people who disliked it, the first option is obviously superior to the second option, which makes me look like someone who cannot come up with a single specific reason why this thing I allegedly love is good, and who is whining because I lack the maturity to accept that my opinions are not universally shared by all.

[mareastrorum]

WIP Wednesday: TF&TS Scene

This will probably be my only WIP Wednesday because I’ve got the one story, but here’s a scene from a longfic I am working on. It is abbreviated TF&TS for now, though I’ll finalize the title later. I expect to start posting chapters once every 1-2 weeks beginning around June or July. I want to build enough buffer for regular updates.

Fanfic Summary: Mollymauk Tealeaf survived the encounter with the Iron Shepherds, but a short time later, a spirit had begun hunting him, claiming that he stole his body. This Campaign 2 AU begins with Episode 26 and continues on from there.

Of course, this inherently has spoilers, so you have been warned. I hope you enjoy it!

Chief Engineer Gren Copperfall was quite proud of his track record at the Hupperdook Assembly Yard. That, his gnomish intellect, and his expertise with brumestone were why he had earned the lead position on the Dwendalian Empire’s latest pet project.

When they handed Gren a design, he made it real, always better than they had planned. His team primed a prototype two weeks ahead of schedule, caught potential pitfalls before they caused any problems, and were prepared to proliferate a pack of copies once they received a military requisition. Gren’s team had passed every audit with perfect reviews, as predicted. 

Which is precisely why he was perturbed to hear that yet another officer from Rexxentrum had decided to show up unannounced for a surprise inspection. 

Gren made his way across the massive tent to the entrance, shaking out his annoyance before meeting with whatever high-and-mighty bureaucrat decided they needed to see this project up close. Half of them pulled this stunt just to get a sneak peak at the latest and greatest coming out of Hupperdook. Gren was certain he would have cut almost a day—maybe two!—out of the construction time if he had been allowed to tell them off.

The trio was easy to spot at a distance. They were just permitted entry by the guards at the front, now looking up at Gren’s masterpiece. A red-headed human dressed in a formal Righteous Brand officer’s red and yellow uniform, more suitable for a parade than the battlefield. Then an elf and a halfling, each dressed in proper military garb, weapons at their sides and on their backs. All three looked bored, as if they did not want to be there. They weren’t even impressed!

Perhaps this was a legitimate inspection after all. 

“Well, we shall plan accordingly,” the Bright Queen said once the Mighty Nein had provided their information to the court. “They will rue the day they tried to assail us on their terms.”

Gren did not understand the meaning, but he recognized that the human started barking things out in Zemnian.

Oh gods, a Zemnian bureaucrat. This was going to be terrible. And boring. And thorough. And waste so much time.

By the time Gren walked up to the group, the officer was already badgering some of Gren’s assistants to start the walkthrough. He did not even look up at them while speaking. The man just read something off of a stack of papers. So rude.

“Excuse me, sir, I am Gren Copperfall, the Chief Engineer for Project Albatross,” Gren interrupted. “I understand you are here for an inspection, sir?”

“Hallo, I am Captain Leucht Jäger,” the Zemnian responded in a flat voice and a thick accent, casting only a brief glance down at Gren before he handed down several papers. “You are correct. Let’s be quick about it, ja?”

Gren hesitated a moment. He thought he saw a red light in the captain’s eyes, but no, they were just an icy blue, almost silver. They must have caught the reflection of something.

“May I be so humble to ask what that plan might include?” Beau asked.

Gren did not appreciate the attitude, but considering that this bureaucrat wanted to be quick, he could forgive some impropriety. The documents looked to be in order. Oh, he had been delayed in arriving, and he had a short deadline to return to Rexxentrum. This wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

Now that Gren was closer, the two guards the captain had brought with him looked more sick of the officer than anything else. Well, spending a week with someone that dour would probably do the same to anyone. 

“A walk-and-talk then, sir? This way,” Gren replied as he turned and waved frantically to his assistants. “Go prepare for launch, we’re doing a test flight A-S-A-P!”

“That is not of your concern,” the Bright Queen replied, “but we appreciate your diligence in offering us this information.”

“O-oh, uh, sir, but,” one of the assistants replied (Gren always forgot her actual name, but she was Pigtails), “we’ve been loading supplies to do that long-distance test today. Should we tell the crew to stop loading? They’re almost done though.”

“Ah, right, just finish it quickly, we’ll do that as soon as the inspection is done,” Gren replied as he led the captain away. Pigtails nodded and ran off, calling out orders to the team. 

The captain was staring Gren down when he looked back at the trio. 

“If I may offer one more word, my lady?” Beau added cautiously. “Being of the Empire, what we can for sure tell you is that they do not take kindly to being bested or embarrassed and they will retaliate with the full force of everything they've been working towards.”

“Apologies, you caught us right before we were going to do a long-distance flight test,” Gren explained with an ameliatory smile. “As I’m sure you’ve read, Project Albatross is an ambitious experimental skyship that we hope to shift into production within the next month. It’s designed for speed, combat, and distance, and as you can see, we’ve achieved that by making the build much leaner.”

Gren indicated up to the only fully-constructed skyship in the tent, two in-progress builds visible beyond it. Unlike most skyships, which were usually constructed to transport cargo, his Albatross clearly had very limited storage space. It was almost as long as any other skyship, but thin and only had a single deck. However, the stern rose up another twenty or so feet and connected down to the deck at a sloping angle, ending just at the base of the main mast. 

A bevy of workers started gathering around the ship, removing tethers and quickening their pace to load boxes marked with white W on the side. Two armed guards escorted some workers carrying a single iron chest marked with a green R. 

“As you can see, an Albatross features a sharp deadrise hull to minimize drag, and in the event of a water landing, to ensure a quick pace at sea,” Gren continued, indicating the dramatically pointed hull as they walked towards the bow.

“If I am correct in my beliefs, this is retaliation for our retaliation,” the Bright Queen noted.

Gren pointed out the stands holding the skyship upright, “The ground landings can be a bit tricky because of the need for support beams, but they are easily deployed from the ship itself, and the ship can hover via brumestone until they are in position.”

He continued his usual rant about the ship’s design, which he had memorized after the tenth time doing it. The trio still looked bored, but Captain Jäger made some notes on his papers as they went.

Gren spotted two rather burly workers, a tabaxi and a really tall human (maybe?), carrying crates up the planks rather than using ropes to lift, but he supposed that made sense given that they needed to be quick.

“Yes, it's a lot of retaliation,” Beau agreed.

“There are three key prototype features that we have been testing on this initial model,” Gren explained as they walked up several ramps to the deck. “First and foremost, there are five modified brumestone crystals built into the stern, designed to provide ‘thrust’ to propel the skyship forward rather than just allow the ship to hover. Of course, there are four normal brumestone crystals built into the hull for typical skyship hover-flight.”

“This will continue until one side cannot retaliate,” the Bright Queen responded, “and we hope with a swift enough and well-planned plot laid out with this information, perhaps we can keep them from being able to retaliate for some time.”

“Second, there is the arcane engine, which is designed to consume an experimental fuel—primarily made from whitestone or residuum—to power the modified crystals, allowing for a consistent rate of twenty-five miles per hour and bursts of up to fifty miles per hour, respectively, not taking wind speed into account. As you know, the average skyship can only manage ten miles per hour safely. Third, the masts feature collapsible yardarms and several sails designed to withstand greater wind speed and high altitudes, particularly useful for long-distance flights, all controlled remotely from the helm. They are even enchanted to change color between white and black to avoid detection, day or night.”

It bothered Gren that he had to list the wizards’ contributions to the project before his own, but they all knew none of it would have worked without a properly designed skyship to hold everything together. That engine could power modified brumestone all damn day, and it wouldn’t do anything useful if his ship wasn’t stable enough to maintain direction or hold itself together while going at high speed.

And those sails! They were gorgeous! He even designed some of them off of a splendens fish fin for added elegance, but no, all the Rexxentrum elite cared about was wizards. Damn Assembly.

As they reached the deck, Gren could see that most workers had left the fuel crates on the deck for the two larger grunts to pick up and bring below. Good, that would minimize the number of workers in the way. Now that Gren got a second look, that wasn’t a human, that was a goliath. Well, all the better to do the heavy lifting.

“I am no war strategist or battle advisor,” Beau began, “but if you want to live for this vendetta and to retaliate another day, I would highly consider evacuating your troops from Ashguard Garrison and defending amongst the border.”

Gren briefly showed the trio the quick access to the engine room through the hatchway openings on the main deck, which could be covered and secured when flying at high speeds. He then herded them towards the helm room, which was built into the abnormally tall stern with a door on both the right and the left side. There was a massive glass window halfway up the front with a barely perceptible green hue, allowing them to see inside.

The two guards at the helm room saluted Gren and Captain Jäger, then one opened the left door outward for them. Gren walked in, admiring the brain of his ship for a moment. He never tired of looking at the piping and mechanics built into the walls of the lower room. The engineers stayed below to observe and record during each test, while the crew worked elsewhere. Everyone else loved the helm room or the engine room, but this was Gren’s favorite part of the ship. 

“After the inspection, we planned to do a long-distance test flight to and from the Wuyun Gates in a single day,” Gren continued. “We’ve loaded more fuel than necessary, enough for a few trips at maximum speed and some additional uses that I’ll cover in a bit. But it is best to have too much rather than trying to obtain rare fuel in the middle of nowhere if anything were to go awry. In the event that a crew runs out of fuel, they can still pilot as a normal skyship, though its speed will max out at perhaps fifteen miles per hour in good weather.”

“Trust that we do have military advisors,” the Bright Queen insisted. “We have individuals who have dedicated their entire existence and multiple lives to being tacticians on the battlefield. But you mentioned Scourgers. What can you tell me about these Scourgers?”

As they ascended the narrow stairs, Gren went on, “However, we have two more scheduled tests for the engine before any additional engines can be constructed for subsequent ships. For now, this baby is one-of-a-kind.”

The first thing anyone ever noticed was the view out the massive window to the front of the ship and a smaller window to the back. A helm room with windows!

Then there were the control panels on each side of the helm with several levers and gauges. The simplicity belied the complex mechanisms used to remotely control each of the many sails, eliminating the need for a rigger except in the event of serious structural damage.

In fact, the ship could operate on a skeleton crew of just two: one to steer and the other to operate the engine during high speed flight or to act as a gunner when the ship had slowed to attack speeds. Of course, a crew of at least four was recommended, as redundancy was always encouraged for experimental technologies, plus they should always have an engineer on board in case of emergencies.

Oh, Gren had said most of that aloud and not noticed. Well, it was important, and they should know it. Damn wizards demanding that he leave out details about his engineering marvel.

He should’ve stopped thinking out loud. 

“I know a fair amount,” Caleb began. “Years ago, I was training to be one. I-I made it quite far in the process before I was cast out. B-but I know things.”

“Anyway, if you’ll stand at the helm, you’ll see that there is actually a glass panel to view the engine room from here,” Gren droned on as he walked to the panel that was partially built into the floor that displayed a frontal view of a metal contraption built into a wall rather than the floor below. “We arranged a set of mirrors so the engine room and helm room can see each other. There is a call box in each room so the helmsman can communicate with the crew. The glass panels are also reinforced magically to ensure that it can withstand combat, explosions, and high wind speed. Those stairs at the back of the room lead further down to the engine room, storage, mess, and crew’s quarters. It’s a very barebones layout, intended for combat missions only.”

Captain Jäger stood at the helm and looked it over, as well as through the panels. He seemed satisfied, even interested for a Zemnian. Meaning that he looked neutral instead of bored. 

Caleb continued, “And I know I'm retreading past ground, but I hope that as you protect your people and your kingdom, you will consider instead of utter destruction, there are people on the other side of those mountains who are not happy with the ones running the show.”

Gren went on to his usual explanation of the need to seal the helm room and deck at high speeds, the various levers and controls for the sails and yardarms, the reference manuals that he wrote in plain Common (but a crew really wouldn’t need them, it was all so intuitive after a single test flight), and on and on…

And then he could get the last juicy part.

“Finally, there are the two arcane cannons we have built into the ship,” Gren said as he motioned to the oversized bow, visible through the window. “One can be lifted up from the hold, moved on wheels, and affixed to either side of the ship. The other is built into the front of the bow, capable of shooting ahead in a 120 degree arc. Either is capable of firing lightning or, well, fire, at an accurate distance of up to 100 feet or 150 feet, respectively. They both operate using the same cartridges as the engine, so the crew needs to ration them out accordingly, but each whitestone cartridge has enough power for ten shots. We included the extra fuel I mentioned just in case there’s some need for combat, but it’s really just a precaution given our planned route. Finally, each cannon can be operated by a single crewman.”

“Use us,” Caleb insisted. “Use us for your ends. Use us to find this other missing relic. Use us and our contacts to help supplant the Cerberus.”

Gren looked out at the deck and saw that it had been sealed, all the ropes had been removed, and the top of the tent had been pulled open. The mirrors showed the two workers below were organizing the crates to clear space for the crew to operate properly. It was a cozy fit, but six crew, four guards, himself, an extra engineer, and the captain should be comfortable during the test. The ship was designed to quarter up to fifteen anyway. Now he just needed the workers to disembark and to call up his test crew.

Loud rumbling echoed from below, and the ship shook. An earthquake perhaps? Not uncommon given Hupperdook’s prized volcanic Underbellows, even if it was a little ominous.

No, just a small shake, it would be fine. Yep.

Peachy.

The captain and his guards looked up, then through the window, concerned.

Gren waited a moment for the ship to settle before speaking assuringly, “Ah, that happens sometimes. Nothing to worry about! Just some typical seismic activity in this area and definitely not a volcano erupting. That would just be, haha—no, no, we’re good.”

“We can help you break the cycle,” Beau added.

There was another, stronger shift as the rumbling returned, boisterous and continuous. Then Gren heard screaming. There shouldn’t have been screaming. 

Oh gods, it was finally happening, Gren never wanted to live near a volcano, he told Pofan, he told him that was the worst decision they ever made, but no, he wanted to live near famil—

The rumbling overlapped, multiple sources below, and getting closer. Suddenly, a burst of dirt and stone shot from the starboard, pelting the deck with debris as a trilling roar filled the air, then a second, then a third. Then chirping, overlapping buzzing louder and louder, so much like a swarm of crickets.

Gren swore he saw a column of lava rise up, visible just at the right edge of the helm room window. It tore through the side of the tent. But lava was not purple and did not have yellow teeth and spikes.

No, that’s a worm. That’s a purple worm.

“Krick attack! To arms!” someone bellowed from below, barely perceptible over the din of screaming workers, roaring worms, and shrilling crickets. 

“The cycle cannot be broken, until there is nothing living,” the Bright Queen responded somberly.

“It sounds like it is time for an emergency launch, ja?” Captain Jäger said with a hint of urgency. Maybe that was how Zemnians panic. “Get to it.”

“R-right, yeah,” Gren replied, frozen a moment before he slapped himself and got to work initiating the launch. “Make sure the engine room is secure! We’re going to need speed!”

Gren quickly activated the brumestone crystals in the hull as the captain’s guards rushed down the stairs and the captain went after them. As it began lifting, he reviewed the panel to confirm that all systems were normal and that the yardarms were secured.

Once the ship had lifted several feet, Gren triggered the pulleys to retract the landing struts onto their horizontal resting place parallel with the bulwark. He heard the mechanism loudly turn and lock in place.

It would take perhaps half a minute to lift out of the tent, and then they could activate the engine and rush away from whatever chaos the Kryn were unleashing.

It’d be fine. Totally fine. The skyship’s fast.

“All we can do is our best to keep it slow.”

“Open the door on the wall!” Gren barked rapidly into the mouthpiece by the left panel while watching the mirror network. “As soon as you see out that window that we are passing the lip of the tent, add one cartridge of whitestone fuel to the opening, seal the door, and flip the left-most lever!”

The guards and workers in the engine room started at Gren’s voice, but the tabaxi and goliath quickly began opening a whitestone crate to pull out a cartridge. The elf kept an eye out a port window. The halfling opened the engine intake and looked over the rest of the controls.

Good. Gren had only mostly recited the manual he wrote, so it seems it really was plain enough Common for anyone to figure it out. He also heard the doors below locking, likely done by the captain. At least he was helping. Better than most bureaucrats would do, anyway.

The ship was not yet halfway to the top of the tent when a single cricket’s chirping intensified.

Through the window, Gren saw a flash of silver and purple as a Kryn soldier covered in chitinous armor landed on the deck below, their purple cloak swirling behind them. They wielded a massive glaive, with a shield strapped to their back and a sword hanging at their side.

The two Righteous Brand soldiers guarding the doors charged with weapons drawn, but the Kryn felled both in six sweeping slashes, cutting them down as sprays of gore painted the deck.

“Why can’t the cycle be broken?” Jester asked.

Gren froze and stared through the glass. It happened so fast. Just a few seconds for one Kryn to kill two soldiers.

And then the Kryn looked up. They vaulted onto the main mast and leapt off it into the air towards the window. Immediately after the jump, a shadow apparated inside the room, a gray copy of the Kryn mere inches in front of Gren.

It was looking at him. 

Gren had to run, had to move, but he could not get his body to do anything. Where would he even go? 

The Kryn switched places with their shadow (how did they do that? Gren thought that was made up, that’s ridiculous), impaled Gren on the glaive, then flung him to the side in one fluid movement. He couldn’t even scream as he bounced off the wall and collapsed.

It hurt. More than Gren ever imagined what he could suffer, it hurt, it stung and it was sharp, even with the blade gone. The world was askew, and his own blood formed a growing puddle on the floor. He felt colder, rapidly colder. Oh, this was not what he wanted either. He should have never come to Hupperdook. 

“Because life is pain for many,” the Bright Queen explained.

“Fáilte,” another man said blithely.

Gren did not recognize the voice or that word. He shifted his eyes to Captain Jäger, who stood at the head of the stairs as though he had just arrived. No one else had come up, but that had not been a Zemnian accent, nor did it sound like that language.

The Kryn stared down the captain, who had not even drawn a weapon. It was surreal to see the bureaucrat’s spotless decorative uniform of red and gold and the Kryn’s bloodstained armor of purple and silver only a few feet apart. 

“Tragic,” the captain commented languidly as he smirked at Gren. ”I had use for that one.”

Gren saw it then. He had been right before. There was a red light in the human’s eyes.

The captain looked back at the Kryn with a smug grin, “Fair trade, I suppose.”

“Jealousy, strife…”

The Kryn did not seem to care, thrusting forward with their glaive to skewer the captain as well and hoisting him up to keep him on the blade. The human almost looked upside-down from Gren’s point of view, crimson spilling from his gut up to the floor.

Bright light suddenly burst from the windows, daylight illuminating the scene clearly.

Gren had difficulty paying attention over the agony, but he was certain he heard a wheezing laugh from the captain. It did not sound right; not a he anymore, an it. Did not sound like a Zemnian, not even like a person.

It got louder. Why did it echo?

The captain gripped the glaive, and black ooze slithered out from his sleeves and hands down the weapon like a snake. Gren felt all the warmth drain from the world in an instant, his own weak breath and the others’ all visibly puffing in the air. The light from the windows dimmed to almost nothing.

“Oh, I like you,” the captain drawled in two layered accents, one Zemnian and agonizing, and the other lilting and predatory. “We’re going to get along so well.”

“Some need to conquer.”

The last sight Gren Copperfall saw before everything went dark was an outpouring of luminescent silver and red glass in inky mist rushing into the air from the captain’s orifices and wound, swarming the Kryn in a horrifying storm of bloodied mirror shards and writhing shadow.

The last sensation he felt—beyond the cold and pain—was the floor sliding below him as the skyship accelerated.

The last sound he heard was two voices laughing in unison.