#him and orym give me so much life

[zwoftt]

GUYS. orym pulling dorian over to PRIVATELY tell him that he thinks his dad is present. the soft hand on the shoulder, the worried gaze.... dorian brushing it off... dorian being the shyest, most nervous bard to ever walk the lands- and yet somehow manage to steal the breath of everyone in that fucking room with his speech about "his heart". SUMMONING A FUCKING STEED???? A DRAGON????????? the mention of the haunting tune, dorian soon finding its wavelength in that moment is so touching. finding his voice finally. orym BLUESCREENING AFTER HIS CRUSH ABSOLUTELY SLAYS THAT MONOLOGUE???? LIAM LOOKIN LIKE HE WAS GUNNA SAY SOMETHING UNTIL HE WAS BLOCKED OUT ?!?!?!!!!11111/111! ---AND THEN coming back to have orym chase after dorian's dad and chat with him. liam clearly and actually stating "how much he loves dorian" for the first time in the campaign. the fucking FACE ROBBIE MAKES!!! dorian's little "you did great!!" to ashton after their conversation. the fist butt into a literal piece of walking rock... getting called 'the soft one'. UGH. the genasi cousins!!!! i love them! the talk between dorian and his father is just.... heart wrenching. peak fucking dnd. i was sobbing. dorian as a character is just so, unbelievably real to me. as a younger sibling of my household, and constantly having nightmares of my older brother passing before his time or getting hurt; dorian as a character just speaks outwardly to me. the struggles with his parents' vision, the nervousness he gets in crowd even when he puts up an extroverted facade... etc. etc. its deep. this episode was deep. dorym is inching ever closer! i can feel it!!! our boys have LOVER SWORDS! TWIN. FUCKING. HOLY SWORDS!!!! if anyone knows what happens in cooldown, anything dorym, let ME KNOW!!

[kerosene-in-a-blender]

The thing about how Laudna deals with the many terrible things that have happened to her throughout her life is that she (and tbh many of her fans) acts as though she has uniquely suffered in such a way that no one else possibly could understand her pain. But several of the other members of the Hells share experiences similar to hers.

Had suffering inflicted on her for the sake of something she wasn't involved in that concerned people greater than herself? Orym experienced that when the Vanguard murdered Derrig and Will as part of a test, to see if the theory that Vax would appear to protect Keyleth was true. And sure Orym didn't die that day; he wasn't murdered as a part of this the way Laudna was. But this did serve as the impetus for him to leave his home and start wandering Tal'dorei, the same as being murdered and waking up on the Sun Tree did for Laudna.

Wandered the world for decades unable to make meaningful connections or really properly settle in one place because of something traumatic that happened in her past? Chetney's family all left him without a word at the start of the Icelost Years; he lost both his home and his family in one fell swoop, the same as Laudna. He then spent decades wandering the world afraid to make sincere connections in case those people left him too. He also can understand what it's like to be scorned and rejected specifically for the kind of creature that he is: Chetney's a werewolf in a world where such people are considered monsters by many.

Has the voice of some powerful, dark force whispering in her ear telling her she's nothing without her and needs her power to protect those she cares about? Dorian had that exact thing with the Spider Queen. Lolth preyed hard in his insecurities and feelings of inadequacy in order to try and convince him to put on the Circlet of Barbed Vision and become her Champion. She specifically leaned into the idea that he needed her power to protect his friends in much the same was Delilah is leaning into the idea that Laudna needs her power to keep Imogen safe. The message from both was: "You need me to protect that ones you love."

Laudna has experienced and continues to experience some very terrible things, but those experiences and the resulting pain aren't unique to her in the world of Exandria; they aren't even unique within her own personal circle. But she focuses so heavily on her own trauma that she doesn't notice this, and in fact specifically holds up her own trauma as greater when the pain of others is brought up ("Don't speak to me of loss"). It means she loses out on the wisdom the others could give her in dealing with her own life: building up a new life after a major and pointless traumatic event from Orym, learning to truly trust and open up to other people again from Chetney, and pushing back against the literal voice in your head telling you you're shit from Dorian. Instead she wallows in her own trauma blind to what it's truly doing to her and to the people around her.

[dol--blathanna]

Thinking a lot about Orym choosing a rabbit when asked what animal he would pick if cursed with lycanthropy.

Because, it makes sense. Orym is small, quick, agile, jumps well, and is highly perceptive. That definitely evokes rabbit imagery. But a lot of Orym’s identity is also tied up with being a protector – giving people AC bumps, the shield being as much a part of his fighting style as his sword, even his title: Saviour Blade of the Tempest. He wants to be a “Shield that protects Exandria”; his priorities about saving the gods are less about the gods themselves, and more about protecting the people of Exandria from the unintended consequences and bloodshed of releasing Predathos. And it would’ve been very easy to pick a large, strong predator to try and evoke the sense of a protector – a wolf, for example, an animal associated with loyalty and protecting its pack. Yet Orym chose a rabbit.

And I think that’s interesting, because rabbits are often seen as ‘cute’ animals – but they’re also a prey animal. In fact, they’re a common food source for many animals across several ecosystems: foxes, wolves, wild cats, dogs, birds of prey like eagles or owls, coyotes, stoats, and humans (and that’s just off the top of my head). Rabbits are skittish, easily frightened; to be rabbit-hearted is to be timid or cowardly. They are not generally associated with fierceness or prowess in fighting. Mice and rats are prey animals too, but typically seen as vermin (rabbits are sometimes seen as vermin too, but a farmer could eat a rabbit – they wouldn’t eat a rat). Deer are prey, but they have hooves and antlers that bring a danger to hunting them, for any animal – the difficulties of hunting rabbits are more related to their evasiveness, speed and good hearing than any life-threatening danger they might pose. Rabbits are, first and foremost, prey animals. They are killed and eaten, so that another animal might live.

Which made me think a lot about one of Orym’s other key traits: self-sacrifice. Bait and switch doesn’t just bump up his ally’s ACs, it specifically switches their place to put him directly in harm’s way. Goading attack is meant to encourage enemies to attack him instead of his friends. He literally made a deal with a hag, essentially exchanging his own life for power to protect his friends. How many times has he gone down in a fight? He’s not the only tank – but unlike Ashton (and Chetney, who also uses ‘self-sacrifice’ in his fighting style with his blood curses) he has no abilities to reduce the damage from the hits he takes (barbarian rage and the werewolf form).

(Side note: I think it’s pretty interesting that Chetney, the wolf, has attacked Orym, the rabbit, more than anyone else when losing control. That Orym’s facial scar was given to him by a friend, not a foe).

Of course, Orym isn’t the only character with self-sacrificial tendencies (FCG wins by a landslide), but I just can’t stop thinking about how weirdly perfect it is that he chose a rabbit for his animal. Rabbits are prey animals. They are eaten, so that other animals may live. Orym takes the hits, he goads and switches with his team mates to put himself in danger, he makes a deal with a hag at the cost of his own life. He’s a soldier, throwing his life away for a cause over and over again because Ludinus must be stopped, because Keyleth has put her trust in him, because it’s the only way to protect his friends, to protect everyone, because it’s the right thing to do. Orym is a rabbit. He’s always been a rabbit. That day in Zephrah, it could have easily been Orym who died instead of Will and Derrig – “unfortunate but necessary sacrifices”, as Ludinus viewed the attack. It’s unfortunate they had to die, but it was for the greater good, according to Ludinus. It’s unfortunate that a rabbit has to die, but it will feed a family of foxes, or stoats, or even a hungry human, so it’s acceptable, right?

Orym is a rabbit. He is giving himself to a greater cause that could very easily kill him – he already willingly signed his life away to Nana Morri. Because that’s what rabbits do. They die to feed others.

And the theme of being disposable is present across the entire group, not just in Orym – Bell’s Hells has been called a “party of NPCs” before. Aside from FCG’s death, I’d say Laudna perhaps fits this theme the best: she was literally murdered and hung from a tree simply because she looked similar to Vex, acting as a warning to adventurers she had never met before. But FCG’s death was – rightfully – viewed as a terrible tragedy by the group. Laudna’s decision to remove Delilah, finally freeing herself from her abuser and emphasising she is more, and deserves to be more, than just some disposable puppet – this was rightfully viewed as a very good thing! But Orym seems to be embracing this identity of self-sacrifice instead, rather than this mindset being properly challenged or acknowledged as a bad thing. After all, there’s no time. There’s too much at stake. Keyleth, Bell’s Hells, all the memories of those who have died in this fight, all the people who might die if Predathos is released and kickstarts a second Calamity – they’re all relying on him, right? A rabbit feeding so many animals with his sacrifice. And it’s not malicious compared to the way that, say, Delilah killing Laudna was an incredibly evil, fucked up and unnecessary thing to do. If Orym died to save everyone else, well, at least everyone else would be saved, right? Saving lives is good, isn't it? How could he complain?

Because rabbits are prey animals, and Orym is a rabbit too. Destined to die so that another animal may feed.

Except, that’s not true. Rabbits are more than just prey. They’re highly social, and thrive best living with others. They’re playful, they enjoy running around and kicking their legs just to show their enjoyment. They’re inquisitive and mischievous, even being associated with tricksters in some folklore and stories. They’re also associated with innocence, playfulness, spring, youth – all manner of things, depending on the story or culture. And they’re not helpless, either, even if they might be thought of as such. They can bite and scratch and draw blood quite easily if they want to! In fact, freezing up isn’t their only response when being attacked by a predator, they are known to fight back if cornered. They can sprint quickly, they have excellent hearing and senses of smell, they know how to evade predators.

Rabbits are prey, and they are also survivors. They have their own social dynamics, their own habits and dislikes and preferences. They are more than just a wolf’s meal. And Orym is more than a soldier, too. He’s more than a “necessary sacrifice”, he’s more than just a shield and sword. He deserves more than to die for a cause. He deserves a happy ending, just like everyone else. I hope he remembers that.

Orym is a rabbit. And the message isn’t that he shouldn’t be a rabbit. It’s that rabbits are worthy of surviving, too.

[lilpandrea]

You know what's sad? I bet if the opposite happened in which Dorian threw Orym's husband and father's death straight to his face like that, much more of the fandom would've been enraged. Tbh as someone who is a Dorian fan first before a Dorym shipper, some of the reactions to this interaction in the episode has been so frustrating. The downplaying, the invalidating, the hypocrisy of how Laudna/Orym fans are allowed to feel indignant for things because of their favorite character's trauma, but Dorian fans are being too much. (Props to those who have been actually objective and/or are excited to see where these two flawed characters go from here).

Now, as a Dorym shipper it really sucks to see Dorian come back, do many things for Orym: gave all (what happened to the money they got from the heist?) his money for the armor, reassured Orym before Swordgate happened, stood by Orym during Swordgate, gave Orym a piggyback ride (he wanted to princess carry gdi lol), saved Orym's life twice in one fight...only to have Orym throw his brother's death to his face like that...sure it's nice when a ship has complications but really? When his brother just died not too long ago??? Please don't compare this to Imodna divorce arcs, it's not the same. Oh gosh and then Dorian checking out of the conversation afterwards.

God, if his parents are in Vasselheim right now and sees him in gold too would that be his final breaking point until it all finally comes out? (I would love it if Robbie is waiting for the perfect moment for Dorian to finally boil over. Give me that tasteful angst)

No, Dorian Storm isn't stupid and needs to be re-educated, he is a complex character like the others and has his own reasons for thinking certain ways, just because you don't like or agree with his opinions doesn't make him a suddenly bad character, he is his own character and isn't there to prop up another character, he isn't the team's therapist, just because Robbie is newer to d&d than the others doesn't mean he doesn't know what to do with his character, Dorian didn't have to tell all the details of his brother's death for Orym to not throw it to his face like that...

Anyways, kudos to anyone who even reads this since it could've been organized better and written more eloquently but it was a frustrating itch that wouldn't go away until I threw it all up 😅 (and no, I don't hate Orym, I get it, just frustrated w/ fandom reactions)

[utilitycaster]

I love Ashton and it is interesting to me that the way they think about the gods parallels the way Ludinus thinks about them at least in parts. It is also interesting to me that his issue with Ludinus seems mostly to be that he is the wrong person to make that choice rather than the fact that the choice of killing the gods begs the question of which powerful person or entity gets to live and who gets to draw the line. It truly is interesting and I loved reading your post about the whole "who is strong" issue ^^

Thank you!

I do feel like Ashton, Orym, and Imogen are sort of the most obvious foils for Ludinus among the party (Essek and Liliana being the obvious NPC options), and Ashton is quite honestly the most like him - whereas Orym is a foil in the sense of "what if you didn't dwell in vengeance fantasies", Imogen and Liliana are "what if you did have at least some consideration of other people's feelings, and the capacity to grow and change, and also you had Predathos Powers" and Essek is "what if you admitted your mistakes, made friends, and focused on making the world better" Ashton really is just "what if your trauma and skill set were different and so your vengeance fantasies varied accordingly."

Ashton's view, like, Ludinus's, is both highly informed by their own very specific traumas, at least partly informed by "why didn't the gods give me things," and ultimately is, as you pointed out "I don't think That Guy gets to be the decider." However, he's even removed from Ludinus here in that the gods did destroy Aeor and cause much of the destruction of the Calamity whereas Ashton's traumas come from his shitty parents and their shitty cult; the aftermath of said shitty cult's shitty experiments that turned him into an orphan in the Hellcatch Valley; life within an orphanage in a city known for being something of a dumpster fire; and an ensuing life of crime and robbing the wrong someone who was, uh, at least tangentially involved with the Ruby Vanguard. Honestly the only thing that would be significantly different in this god-free version is that the Vanguard probably wouldn't exist so Hexum wouldn't have had the potions of possibility so that Ashton would be straight up dead from their injuries, if we follow that logical thread. He's alive because some assholes wanted to kill the gods, and also because of a fortuitous (ha) application of Essence of Luxon (a god). Their trauma response in-character is completely valid, but it's also literally 100% without factual support.

[pearlaquaoceans]

We haven't had Liam on 4sd since before swordgate and there has been so much with Orym since then and now will be 4 episodes of 4sd before we get a chance to hear any of his thoughts.

Between Dorian being very apparent with his feelings via healing and armour, SWORDGATE, Essek and Liam's determination to find evidence he is very in love with Caleb, a whole lot of wildmother stuff, Will telling him to live his life, etc etc etc. and I just really wanna hear his thoughts. I am sure there are plenty of circumstances that could reason why he isn't on but I just really wanna hear his thoughts and where Orym is right now. I am begging, give me all the thoughts on the little guy.

I'm being selfish and silly, I know, believe me I know, it's ridiculous and I'll be happy no matter what hearing people's thoughts.. I just really want to hear about Orym

[its-mekjt]

Favourite parts of 3×95 (potential spoilers below the break)

PART ONE

▪︎ ashley's photo of sam

▪︎ chepeku ad. could have made me think it's a perfume ad.

▪︎ ESSEK THELYSS

▪︎ they got tusk love oh my days

▪︎ WOO HOO SHOPPING EPISODE

▪︎ oh my god, having parts of fcg/things that remind them of fcg in their outfits. i'm on my floor.

▪︎ lesbians with the matching corsets. it's a canon event i fear

▪︎ i just know that armoury went out for drinks that night

▪︎ the pumats + their existential crisis

▪︎ "HIGHWAY ROBBERY" (honestly surprised they didn't try to steal it)

▪︎ sugar daddy dorian storm (and Laura's face as he hands over 2,500 gold. I can just imagine imogen going 'mhm. that's gay'.)

▪︎ do the pumat's have a soul?

▪︎ "do you want- eh we're the same."

▪︎ chetney pock o'pea. maths wizz. high school maths teachers across the world are terrified of you.

PART TWO

▪︎ essek constantly misses leg day

▪︎ 28 persuasion to make essek join their sleepover

▪︎ DORIAN WANTS TO SEE THE SHOW SO HE WILL SEE THE SHOW

▪︎ matt's description of the show. i love it.

▪︎ laudna i love you, please come to the theatre with me and tell people to, respectfully, stfu with me

▪︎ ESSEK QUOTING CADUCEUS: it's not pain that makes people. It's love (crying)

▪︎ LAUDNA QUOTING FCG: it's good to make every day a smiley day (on my bedroom floor sobbing and throwing up)

▪︎ orym keeps looking to the right. (WHO'S ON THE RIGHT. SOMEBODY PLEASE REMIND ME I DON'T REMEMBER. LIAM O'BRIEN STOP MAKING ME SCREAM INTO MY PILLOW)

▪︎ YEAH, THIEVING IS THEIR LOVE LANGUAGE (why did i think ashton was gonna go for that fucking huge sword earring from the beginning of the campaign)

▪︎ "chetney's sitting in the front row, legs out, slumping in the chair, baguette in one hand, a bottle of wine in the other. fucking riveted." (that's an insight into my daily life)

▪︎ chetney and dorian are my two personalities while i'm zoned out

▪︎ love how they all thought it was kiri (i did too)

▪︎ chetney and his delusions + cloaca

▪︎ why did i think orym was going to get in the bag of holding

▪︎ i fucking love dorian storm. you don't know how much i love him.

▪︎ "i saw my mom mess with time." essek's internal monologue must have gone insane.

▪︎ marisha and robbie casually rping arts and crafts

▪︎ "you're kind of like his dad." "do not put that on me, please."

▪︎ ashley johnson doing the lords work. thank you. (essek thelyss you simp)

▪︎ wildMOTHER

▪︎ I KNEW THIS REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING. GETTING READY FOR A CON.

▪︎ YES ANIMATE OBJECT

▪︎ dorian's face when he's introduced to patê is giving: i have never wanted to be cyrus more in my life right now.

▪︎ emotional support faun and her damaged little halfling

▪︎ 17 strength let's go (beefy boy)

▪︎ laura bailey i am making the same face as you.

▪︎ WHO WAS MAKING IT RAIN. WHO.

▪︎ OH THIS BITCH. I HATE HER (delilah briarwood)

▪︎ nervously giggling

▪︎ travis willingham is a lover and instigator of chaos.

▪︎ liam o'brien giving advice. he loves this.

▪︎ i love this. orym, if anyone comes for you, get behind me. (he doesn't know this is laudna. he thinks he's getting fucked with in the middle of the night. HE CANNOT SEE FUCKING ANYTHING).

▪︎ YEE HAW INNER PARTY CONFLICT

that's all folks.

[butterflydm]

cr3 102

I really enjoyed Bells Hells' questioning of Ludinus. I think they hit pretty much every point that I would have wanted them to make (even with them being less sympathetic towards the exandria gods than I am) and the way that Ludinus dodged every single question that they tried to put to him was... definitely less than convincing. And the way he left (encouraging the unleashing of Delilah) seems likely to only sour them even more towards him.

Because the huge point that needs to be made is that even if Ludinus was 100% correct about the gods -- even if that were true... how is what he's proposing any better? And he doesn't have any answer apart from "trust me bro".

Why is his super-powerful entity from beyond the stars better than the prime gods? It's just that it's his super-powerful entity that he prays to and communes with and devotes his life to empowering, and so that makes it different (and definitely not at all his god lol).

Launda being the one to point out how the prime/betrayer gods are a messed up little family just like Bells Hells is a messed up little family feels very poignant given the circumstances. And it tied really well into Launda very much fighting Delilah and giving her family permission to take her down to take down Delilah, which really made me feel like Laundra was paying real close attention to the interactions between the gods and she is determined not to be a 'betrayer god' to her own family.

Very emotionally intense fight overall but with some great moments of humor too (Essek the goat!). Launda fighting her way out of Delilah was fantastic every time. And Imogen (and the others!) trying to reach her.

I know that Orym has had more interactions with the Wildmother than any other god, but I am really feeling the Dawnfather energy from him tonight -- fighting but always hoping for another way out. At one hit point, staying in the fight and doing everything in his power to do his part for his family -- feels very much like Ayden/Dawnfather taking all that damage for the Emissary in the fight last episode. (and that's just the way that Orym is but, you know, that only reinforces the vibe)

(but, yeah, "She's hurt us worse than anyone." "That's why we have to help her." just... big Asmodeus-Everlight-Dawnfather vibes)

Dorian darting over to Orym after seeing him fall twice and trying to get him out of danger and just worrying over him the whole time. Lots of Dorym & Crownkeeper emotions going on tonight. And some tension, too! Because Dorian is more anti-god than anyone else at the table (due to what happened with Opal, I assume).

Was that Ashton leaving a piece of FCG in Aeor? Oh, man, my heart. There is also even more self-hate going on there than I realized, given the logic train of "if the gods are like us, they probably do deserve to die".

Braius is hilarious and I do not trust him even the slightest bit. And sorta bonding with Fearne over how all the gods are family (even the betrayers - so yeah that's an interesting vibe to be bringing in).

And we have a way to maybe separate Delilah from Launda, which is very exciting!

Yeah, this was a fantastic episode. We got everyone dunking on Ludinus, we got a tense fight, and we got to deal with the aftermath of the pvp in some safety and comfort afterwards. It had it all!

[cringefaecompilation]

not to dunk on junior year again but i am noticing a pattern here with the treatment of certain storytelling elements here.

both bell’s hells and the ratgrinders were pcs that gained sapience. the difference is that the ratgrinders were villains and the hells are heroes.

one of the most love-it-or-hate-it aspects of campaign 3 is that it does not only focus on the main 7 or 8 characters and everybody else is tossed to the wayside unless they benefit them like usual. all npcs (with downfall, that's including the gods!) deserve a chance to have their story told and they are all written to be that. the generic runaway prince you have to help escape to a life of freedom! the cute little helper robot npc! generic spooky evil minions based on public domain monsters! the quirky quest-giving fae! the rough and tumble hired goon! the brave captain of the guard protecting a strong lady in charge!  yes, even imogen, who in any other story would be the sad little abandoned daughter of the bbeg who would mourn the hero killing her mother but understand that the hero had to do what needed to be done.

and again, you don’t have to like it!

but there is a weird sort of thing i noticed amongst all the critical role c3 criticism that reminded me of people defending fhjy. an undercurrent of insisting that all the ratgrinders (who were teenagers. who were groomed and then murdered.) were pure evil spoiled brats and just wanted to be handed everything on a platter because they didn’t deserve what the main cast earned their place as the main characters and made passive aggressive posts saying things to the tune of you know they’re evil right. very Watsonian with a staunch refusal to look at a Doylist explanation. it got so bad to the point where people were insisting that if you liked the ratgrinders and sympathized with them then you were a fascism apologist.

astoundingly enough c3 criticism has only scraped the surface of this sort of overdramatic accusation, but it goes in the opposite direction. if you like where the story is going and how it's being told, then you’re not a real critical role fan. the story should have just been about the characters fighting evil fae or just wiping out the ruby vanguard and everyone in it without all this stupid introspective discussion on power because it’s retconning the gods being bad guys! grey morality sucks, why can’t good guys just be good? they all feel like npcs except for imogen because she’s the only one with a chosen birthright!

(of course, if they say that last part out loud, that might not look so good for them)

 yes, we know the gods are imperfect. that’s what we’ve been saying this whole time. but all these passive aggressive gifsets of liam-as-orym saying that the gods aren’t pure evil and it’s stupid to think so or laura and matt ooc saying that the gods have a grey area don’t mean fucking jack if you turn around and insist the gods have zero flaws and everything they do is good, actually and Aeor Had It Coming.

important caveats:

the actors on d20 could not react to things they were doing in the moment. they were tired after filiming 3 episodes back to back and wrapped up their season faster than usual to join the sag-aftra strike. i am aware of this.

yes i know that d20 is a comedy improv series! that does not prevent it from having deep themes and character introspection! ayda aguefort and zelda donovan still very much exist and had their own arcs despite being npcs!

yes the ratgrinders were working with a man trying to kill and replace a goddess and yes he is a colonizing twat. however, doesn’t that also make it the fandom’s insistence that liking the kids is bad and fascistic but making ship art of him and the other teacher that killed all of them is totally okay? rules for he but not for thee? 

[lizablee]

Done Enough (Critical Role Fanfic) Chapter 2

For the first time in a long time, Ashton wished his weapon had a blade.

The fleeting satisfaction of reducing branches to splinters had worn thin, leaving behind only the sturdiest trunks and the most resilient saplings that bounced off his hammer as if mocking his fury. His rage boiled beneath the surface.

With a shout filled with desperation and anger, he leveraged his full strength against a nearby tree. The tree shuddered under the impact but stood firm, immovable and indifferent. Ashton’s shoulders heaved, sweat trickling down his stony exterior,

“That’s an ironwood. Your hammer’s as good as useless.”

Chetney's voice cut through the tension, oddly calm amid the destruction. He stood a few feet away, idly whittling away at one of the half-pulped branches Ashton had discarded.

Ashton panted, his breaths coming in heavy, labored gasps. “Can’t sleep?” he managed to say between breaths.

“Not when there’s so much good wood being wasted. It was calling to me,” Chetney said wistfully. The branch in his hand was starting to vaguely humanoid. “And you’re loud as hell. I’m surprised half the camp isn’t awake.”

Ashton didn’t have it in him to feel regret. Chetney continued.

“I wonder what FCG would say if they were here,” he remarked.

“They chose to kill themself. They don’t get a say in how we grieve.”  Ashton replied sharply.

“That’s not fair, Ashton.” Chetney said coldly. “They saved our lives.” Ashton tasted a pinch of shame, and tried to wash it down with anger.

Chetney sighed deeply and took a seat among the roots of the ironwood, his whittling becoming almost unnaturally quick. “You get to be angry, that’s fine. But don’t poison their memory. The rest of us have to grieve too.”

Ashton’s knees felt weak. He sat down, resting his hammer over his lap, and breathed deeply.

“If FCG were here,” he said tiredly, “they’d say something about us all coming together and supporting each other as a team. And they’d probably say they were happy. I bet they were happy, at the end. They got to do what they’ve always wanted to do.”

Chetney tutted. “Very edgy, Ashton. You act like they did this to you and not for you. Listen, I’m made of stronger stuff than the others, and even I’m feeling a bit fucked up by this. So I get it. But keep that bitterness between us, okay? Or between you and the hardwood.” he added, patting the scarred trunk of the tree. “The others aren’t doing very well. We need to keep an eye on Orym. He’s getting pretty dark.”

Ashton leveled a long look at Chetney. The gnome looked weary but resolute. “How are you doing?” Ashton asked gruffly.

Chetney smiled wryly. “I feel old. And I don’t normally feel old. It’s just... it’s tough when someone so young loses their life. Imagine how long FCG could have gone on for. They might have been practically immortal with that body, we don’t know. They could have outlived all of us.”

“They were hundreds of years old.”

“Maybe in body. But they’d been alive, what, like three years?”

“Give or take.”

“Three years old... That’s truly tragic. They never even got to have a childhood.” For a moment, Chetney had a hollow look that made him seem every bit as old as he claimed to be.

“They made me this horrible toolbox when they tried to—” Chetney made a sawblade motion, “—carve me up that first time. The craftsmanship was just appalling. You know what that looked like to me?”

“A waste of wood?”

“No. Potential . Nowhere to go but up.” Chetney looked up to the stars, his voice filled with a mix of wonder and sorrow. “They had only just figured out they could live, hadn’t even worked out what that meant yet. It just sucks.”

Ashton let the words wash over him and sank a little deeper into himself.

“Try not to think about it.” A soft voice sounded from the treeline. Orym dropped down, quiet as a shadow, wandering into the newly made clearing. “Their potential… what they could have been. It’ll drive you crazy.”

Chetney sighed deeply and returned to his whittling. Ashton turned to see Orym, who looked smaller than usual, haunted. His eyes were red, his cheeks puffy, and it was almost too raw for Ashton to bear; he suddenly felt like he was intruding just by being there. If FCG were here, he’d offer a hug.

“Are you okay?” he said, as gently as he could. Orym scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Right now, no. Eventually, yes…” Orym’s voice trembled. “But it doesn’t feel like it yet.” He took a shaky breath. “I know how this goes. So I just need to remember that it won’t feel like this forever. It’s hard to imagine... It’s just hard to... It’s hard.”

Ashton felt tears welling for the second time that evening. He scrambled mentally for that anger, that blessed distracting rage that could hold them at bay. Something else came to mind, unbidden, and he latched onto it. He moved towards Orym and pulled the halfling into a gentle hug.

Pain rippled through his form as Orym hugged back, sobbing. The hug was nice; the pain was grounding. Everything else dimmed a little for a moment. He could see FCG behind his closed eyelids, and for the first time that evening, he felt that the little Aeormaton would be proud of him in this moment.

Orym released Ashton earlier than he expected, probably not wanting to cause more pain. The absence of that sensation felt almost lonely. Orym sniffed and rubbed his eyes.

“You need to sleep.” Chetney remarked gently. “You both need to sleep. I’ll take watch.”

Orym stilled, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “Back to back?” he stammered suddenly. Ashton stared at him blankly. “Sorry, it’s just something I saw—something Dorian—listen, do you want to sleep back to back? I think I’ll just sleep better if I’m not alone. It might help you, too?”

“Back to back,” Ashton echoed tentatively. “Yeah, I can do that. Just not too close.”

“Got it,” Orym said gratefully. He moved to pack up his bedroll.

“Enjoy your sleepover,” Chetney remarked offhandedly, returning to his whittling. He was gently carving a pair of mismatched lenses onto a tiny smooth face. Ashton let his eyes linger on the carving a moment longer before following Orym to camp.

It turned out going back to back did make it easier to sleep. And to Ashton’s great relief, he didn’t dream.

[meid4]

Why are Bells Hells

i was thinking about people saying that Bells Hells didn't have any reason to stay together or go on the moon mission so here is me getting some answers to it even if there is more i'm sure !

Imogen :

She started the campaign by wanting to know more about her mother, find her and so even if she has found her mom once, i think she would want to stop her now bc she knows she is with the bad guys. She feels involved.

She gets her powers from the moon, from predathos and she wants to know more about her powers and going on the moon would help her understand who she is more.

She wants to kill Otohan because she killed Laudna who she loves very much and otohan is part of "the release predathos team" so it gives her the want to stop it.

She grew also as a recluse at some point because her own dad didn't talk to her anymore and the town hated her so now that she has met people that understands her, she also tries to make things to work with them.

Laudna :

She has been following Imogen for years now, they have been going from town to town and she just wants to stay with her friend (now lover), someone that accepts her and just be with her wherever Imogen goes.

She always wanted to belong, she enjoys being with a group that accepts her, that she can be herself with and if these people want to save the world, she wants to protect them and stay beside them.

Her life was taken at such a young age and was a recluse for many years and now she is finally enjoying seeing the world and meeting new people, she is always happy when they go somewhere new.

Orym :

Otohan killed his family, he will do everything to stop them and kill them or at least stop their plans.

He serves people, he is a fighter, Trent is a threat to the people he wants to protect and so he will do everything to stop him.

He absolutly grew fond of the people he is travelling with, especially Fearne and he thinks they can help him get revenge or stop the bad guys.

Fearne :

She grew up in the feywild and was only surrounded with fey creatures and Nana Morri, she just loves to be on Exandria (even if i know that she misses the feywild) and explore. She is absolutly fascinated by everything and just wants to have fun.

About the moon stuff, i think her parents involvement peaked her interested about it and it has to spark something in her.

Orym of course is her best friend and she just wants to stay with him. She is also close with the witches and really bond with them. Than her relationship with Ashton, wathever it will be, she likes them.

Ashton :

Ashton always wanted to find a purpose kinda, we've seen it in the latest episode, they wanted to be stronger, find why they are on exandria, to be part of something big.

They always wanted to have a group of friends that would stick up with them, that would'nt leave them behind like the nobody's did, like previous people did and them "fucking up" last time but the group not leaving them has made them like them even more. And they wanna heal, they are trying.

FCG :

They started being there mostly bc they were with Ashton and just have a friend, they had just lost their group, they were grieving. And now finding this new group that again doesn't judge them for what they did and try's to make things work, they love it.

They are absolutly going against what they were made for (harming people) and they want to help people, heal them emotionally and physically. They are trying to make up for the wrong they did.

Their connection with the Changebringer absolutly make them want to help the gods even if there is questionning but they think it's the right thing to do. Their god also gives them purpose.

Chetney :

He doesn't want to be forgotten, he wants to be powerfull, especially. He is scared he will die and that nobody will remember him so Chetney saving the world and go to the moon, would absolutly make him known.

I think he also just goes with the flow, he has done so many things with his life and he has this group now, it's just new adventures, they helped him get to the Gorgynei and to know his powers better. He just has fun with them and wants to see more and have fun.

He thinks going to the moon is bonkers c'mon

Bells Hells are going on this crazy adventure for many reasons that are mainly to finally have this group that accepts them and have an actual happy ending so even they all don't want SPECIFICALLY save the gods, they have other motivation to do what they do. If one wants to do something, they will all help them do it.

They are not perfect and don't always work good together but they are trying and maybe that is enough for now, trying to be better, to stay with eachother and make things work. The most of them were lonely, never had a group of friends, are grieving and them wanting not to lose their bond is normal. And predathos maybe destroying the world is a bit of an obstacles to that.

Also they are having so much fun together c'mon.

It's dnd guys, it's a game, it would be annoying if they were just like "nah i don't care", they can but they love what Matt is building for them, the story. If mostly the players sometimes want to know more and get on the adventure, maybe that's enough. They can just play how they want.

And if they think their character doesn't want to be there anymore, they will just make them leave. Sam already had a character leave the campaign, it can happen again. The players know better what they want for their character.

[zwoftt]

WEEKLY DORYM MOMOS N OTHER STUFF!!! (in no particular order)))

the chemistry between bells hells and the mighty nein is just so good. i had an absolute blast watching

the settle nod orym gives when jester says dorian is “really handsome” when shaking dorian’s hand

”mr. dorian” cad says when calling over to dorian, who looks a little startled at the professional nickname

dorian nodding in agreement to orym’s plan, as he normally does.

the way dorian tries to show off his abs next to beau after orym asks her what her routine is. the laughter afterwards when he gets embarrassed!!!!

jester winning over braius and getting more backstory than anyone else. so golden.

the jealousy of dorian when he sees how many people are in relationships and [not him] because he’s being a scaredy cat

caleb knocking sense into orym. CALEB KNOCKING SENSE INTO ORYM!!!

anybody else think dorian was trying to set up braius and veth really hard just to get him off of orym??

no thoughts just dorian and yasha bonding over music

the nervous glances robbie and liam share when they’re thinking about what to do with their characters …. especially after robbie tried to knock on orym’s door earlier in the episode but it was drowned out by shenanigans

the frantic inspiration dorian gives to braius when he’s painting orym

everyone getting so silent and so excited when dorian knocks on orym’s door. so is liam! his eyes light up immediately!

the whole confession scene was just so, so, so good. so beautifully well done. it made sense for both characters, and honestly so satisfying to see the moment happen after three years of consecutive pining/yearning. dorian giving orym the chance to make his own choices, and orym curling up in dorian’s embrace immediately just to be there,,, “not wanting to spoil the moment”. some of my favorite lines though, “let me comfort you for once,” from dorian; unaware that he WAS[is] in fact orym’s form of comfort but also implying that dorian finds immense comfort in orym, and orym’s “this is okay.” accepting the fact he is in love with dorian, finally, and truly. INTERLOCKING THEIR FINGERS. sound familiar??? something he couldn’t do with will in the vision???? but he instead does it now with dorian????? uuuuuhghhhhghhhhhh …. dorian fantasizing about them before falling asleep to the sound of orym’s breathing,,, orym staying awake longer to once again watch dorian sleep before passing out too.

also the fact the confession scene wasn’t too dramatic but still surprising and amazingly done just makes that feel so much more REAL. like how REAL LIFE confessions would be with highly traumatized people. not even mad they didn’t kiss yet because boy… just—- ugjjjjhh it was so beautiful, so raw. and it was robbie’s first time doing a romance roleplay too!!!

in the cooldown and [from introspection] robbie says dorian is very inexperienced with love and the feeling of it- since he was sheltered for so long; so orym is basically his first love(but dorian is just also super nervous and respectful towards will and orym’s relationship so that explains why he was so careful about expressing himself too.) and liam mentions orym was too shy to do anything himself so that’s why he had his other character go in there and just slap him on the ass because he wanted orym to talk to dorian somehow. which means that both robbie(dorian) and liam(orym) WANTED to have that exact moment between them, BOTH WANTED them to talk. and also the entire cast was fawning over them, matt getting teary eyed and the girls whispering and laughing to each other, sam getting excited himself and tal just smiling like a dork. everyone was just so proud of them!

DORYM NATION HOW ARE WE FEELING FOR NEXT EPISODES??? IM SO EXCITED TO SEE THE AWKWARD LAUGHTER, LOVESICK FLIRTATION AND EVEN MORE FROM OUR FAVORITE BOYS now time to start the cycle again of waiting years for them to kiss (i hope not please god)

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 96

Ah, I see, so THIS is why Liam looks like a cute beatnik from a 50s jazz club ... oh boy ... he's brought back the German accent BIG TIME and it's giving me massive Caleb vibes ... meanwhile Tal's clearly having EVEN MORE fun with this ... oh my gods ... wow ... that's a DOOZY, definitely ...

Marisha (cracking up): "It sounded like there was more!" Travis: "I know!"

So ... yeah ... it was all SO HEAVY when we ended it last week ... the group is WELL on the way to imploding under the weight of what just happened in the night ... can they come back from this? This is SO WORRYING ...

Oh boy ... RIGHT BACK where we were at the end ... wow ... so it's just the two of them again ... O.O

Fuck ... now even LAUDNA can feel Delilah's starting to take over ... that's not good at all ...

This is starting to sound SO MUCH like Laudna knows she's not going to be around when this is all done ... oh man ... AND she's starting to think maybe that's A GOOD THING? Fuck ... no, really, NO ...

Imogen's trying SO HARD to keep this all together for BOTH OF THEM but I can feel her breaking too ...

Come on, Imogen, that's it, bring her back from the brink ... LISTEN TO HER, Laudna. She's the best thing in your life, and she feels the same way about you, luv. You need to buck up ...

Imogen: "I'm gonna miss our little cottage." Oh fuck ...

Ah shit ... the tissues ... yeah, that's how it is with ALL OF US right now ...

Crap ... that's right, Dorian's missed A WHOLE LOT, he doesn't KNOW about Delilah, not really ... oh, and also about IMODNA ... XD ... AND Chetney's threesome with Fearne and his ex ...

Oh yeah ... Bordor ... that was a whole bunch of wrong ... that took a whole lot out of ALL OF 'em ...

Ashton being all philosphical again abdout villains trying NOT TO BE ... yeah ... he's pretty spot on ...

Dorian: "CAN she be trusted?" Oof ...

Ashton: "You okay?" Imogen: "No." Ahston: "SHE okay?" Imogen: "No." Ahston: "Okay."

Laudna's just been having a good powerful MOPE while all of this has been going on ... yeah, of course she has ... oh FUCK OFF, Delilah. You're not welcome right now ... oh yeah, Fearne, great timing, snap her out of it!

Orym: "Are you all right? I didn't hurt you too terribly did I?" Laudna: "Oh, I think I can see a few ribs ..."

Yes ... please, come on you too, make up. You're FRIENDS, you mean so much to each other. MAKE UP. Yeah. That's it. Exactly that.

Yeah, exactly. Fuck Delilah, we just want our LAUDNA.

This is exactly it, yeah ... she's not alone, they're ALL carrying their own big mistake baggage, she's not alone in that ...

Awwwww ... Ashton's BIG SISTER Laudna ... I love it ... :3

Wow ... yeah, it may be a joke, but Chetney DOES have a point there ... Dorian's the one true innocent in the group now ... you poor sweet summer chaild ...

Nice move, Chet. Yeah, that works.

Oh, that's interesting ... yeah ... that pipe ... yeah ... that could be REALLY GOOD for Laudna right now ... go on, girl, take a puff ...don't be afraid, this can only HELP ...

And then Dorian comes in with the sweetest cap for all that ... awwww ... :3

AAAAAAND just like that Chetney's OUT. XD ... of course he is.

Spin the bottle? REALLY?!!! LOL ...

Wow ... not they're just getting ridiculous ... XD ... "Hammer time?" Yeah, that's the worst one yet ... "Chetney needs sleep"? Slightly better, maybe ...

More rest, at least ... which is needed ...

Liam'#s giving Orym a point of exhaustion for NECESSITIES ... of course he is ... wee selfless lad ... we love him but he does punish himself sometimes ...

THAT'S what the Gambler's Blade does? DORIAN!!! O.O

Essek is a bit ... MOODY this morning ... hmmmm ...

"I like pulp!" XD

Ah, so everything's ready for them ,then? Sweet ... cue gearing up montage ... LOL ... oh, and descriptions too ...

Hot Shots: Part Deux for Chetney ... XD

Oh shit ... that's right ... they're back from the Moon ... IS Orym a little different? And our boy's a bit toussled now ... yeah, that's CUTE, I'm sure ...

Imogen's wearing PANTS now? Okay ...

Dorian's wearing "THE SLUTTIEST SHIRT"! Cute ...

Nipple talk ... oh dear ... XD

Oh wow ... Laudna's kind of giving me some subtle Harrow the Ninth vibes right now ...with a touch of DELILAH too, which is ... worrying, just a little ... O.O

Ashley's alwasy SO GOOD at weaving a beautiful picture, she really is ... and a utility belt. Yeah ... :3

Ashton's rocking a CROPTOP right now? Awwwwww ... and a spike trade with Fearne, too ... cute ... ooooooh ... and "Smiley Day" ... oh man ... I love it ...

Matt makes a rather pointed "prepare your spells" statement that everybody IMMEDIATELY takes as SUSPICIOUS and I'm right along with them. What are you planning, Mercer?

Yeah ... that fucking bloody apron's just gonna leave a trail behind them THE WHOLE WAY ...

Divvying up stuff ... here we go, ten minutes of inventory bookkeeping while we wait for the game itself to start up again ... XD

Ah ... sucking up one Ring of Protection with the harness ... hmmm ...

Imogen's jealous of Essek's floating thing ... not surprising ...

Ooooh ... ExU: Calamity recap ... cute ...

A FEW tries? Oh, I don't like the sound of that ...

Wow ... they're all REALLY crossing their fingers ... XD

Rolling a D100? Oh fuck ... 14? Hmmmmm ... ouch ... oh, that didn't go well ... they went NOWHERE and took 11 points of Force damage each ... bugger ...

Second try ... ANOTHER roll ... 45? Okay ... SEEMS like the right place ... an abandoned encampment? Interesting ... oh, sounds like it's NOT where they should be, then ...

Lyrengorm? Where?

He can only do it ONCE MORE for the day? Bollocks ...

A final roll ... 61 ... MORE snow ... much colder ... Orym's ENTIRELY BURIED ... a particularly AGGRESSIVE mountain range this time ... some kind of VERY fancy castle ... oh, so we ARE in Eisselcross ... but we're not sure WHERE ... oof ...

Crap ... they've been spotted ... by SOMEBODY ... big lumbering somebodies ...

Undead ice giants? Yeesh ... yeah, better hide ... argh ...

Matt: "There's a reason you took a BOAT to Esselcross last time!"

And now it's time for a break ...

Do they run? Do they fly? WHAT DO THEY DO?!!! Hiding's obviously out of the question ... eep ...

A DISTANT Command on one of them? Risky, Imogen ... "HALT!!!" Oh, it doesn't work on undead? BALLS ...

And now one of them flung a rock ... BAIT & SWITCH!!! Nice save, Orym! Crunch ... STILL 26 points of damage ... ow ...

There's a whole BUNCH of 'em coming now ... AAAAAAAH!!!

Essek's trying a HIGHER level Teleport ... okay ... one more roll ... 48? Oh bollocks, Laura! This is so bad ...

DO NOT give Mercer ideas, Ashley! O.O

More snow ... elsewhere ... hmmmm ... Essek has no idea where they are ... great ...

Yes. Sniff the wind, Chetney ... the air is THINNER ... oh, they're AT ALTITUDE right now ... cute ... on a mountain, then ... that's just PEACHY ...

Oh, if they had something FROM Aeor? I mean THEY COULD just use a piece of FCG ...

Looking into Essek's memories, then ... O.O ... and a glimpse of Aeor ... it's all VERY dramatic ...

Aha, a specific anchoring point ... good idea ...

Laura: "Guidance? Will that help?" Matt: "No, but it's nice to have." XD

So, the Staff ... oh boy ... this could go SO BAD .... she rolls 99 for it ... well, that's ... potentially good?

A frozen woodland glade ... Huh?

Don't shoot the rabbits with your harp, Chetney. They'll only explode and that's not what ANYONE wants ...

An amber coloured dome of energy over them? Oh, yeah, that definitely rings a bell ... XD

At least it's nice and warm in here ... although they are in danger of getting buried under the snow before morning ...

Essek's just IMMEDIATELY going to sleep, then ...

Fearne, you're adorable ... :3

Chetney's going hunting. WITH THE HARP. Oh boy ...

And he shoots a boar? Oh, okay, I suppose that's too big to just blow up ... food!

There's a huge city out there? Hmmmm ... no chance that's Vasselheim, maybe?

Time for food, then ...

Another try at Teleporting, then ... roll AGAIN ... 53? Fuck ...

They land ON THE SLOPE of a mountain ... AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Another jump ... another roll ... 46? No, NINETY-six ... somewhere icy and cold ... oh, that's it, then. They made it ... phew ...

Yup, they're here. On the VERY EDGE of the ruins, then ...

Time for Stealth, then ... group check time ... oh boy ... fucking hell, Travis ... 41?!!! How the FUCK did you do THAT?!!!

Shit ... are those more of theose undead ice giants? Oh no ... gods, bo what to know WHAT these things are ... eep ... O.O

Going down into the gloomy underground darkness ...

ICE TROLLS?!!! Lovely ... yeah, just GO QUIETLY, please ...

It's getting STUPID tight in here ... this is NOT GOOD ... Chetney's going ahead to check the route ...

Oh, that's a DROP. Great ... now what?

So they have to climb down with the rope ... great ... oh, Chet wonders if he could ICE-CLIMB down? I really don't know about that ... oh, the Immovable Rod, that shoudl be helpful ...

Yeah, this couldn't possibly go wrong ... O.O

A ruined courtyard? Fascinating ... smelling for anything alive down here ... a clean must? Strange ...

So he's climbing down, then ... okay ... the others getting down will be ... INTERESTING ...

Oh yeah, some light might be helpful now ...

Bones? Frozen into the ice underfoot? Hmmm ... that could be ... problematic ... and some bodies too ... oh lovely ... there's SOMETHING unpleasant down here, clearly ...

Wait ... WHO is this? Oh ... FUCK ... shit! Oh, that is SWEET!!! Nice callback ... O.O

So, going EAST then ...

The Praesidis Ward? Hmmm ...

A giant cavern that was once a city ... weird ...

It's getting WARMER? Hmmm ...

Fearne has a point ... this DOES look like that weird ruined city in the cavern on Ruidus ...

Wait ... there's SCARY things down here to be on the lookout for? Way to bury the lead there, Essek ...

Yeah, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING, people ...

He became a FISH. Really? Fascinating ...

Another Group Stealth check ... generally good rolls once more ...

Skeletons? Lots of them? Great ... this place is like a necromancer's wet dream ... I really hope this isn't where Mercer's heading with this ...

Grim Psychometry? IN HERE?!!! Whoa, Chet ...

That is ... troubling and not terribly infomrative, really ...

Crap ... was that a troll?

Moving on, then ...

Weird creepy corpse ... which wasn't there LAST TIME Essek passed through ... charming ... it IS moving, but, like, RIDICULOUSLY slow? Oh, that's unnerving ...

Imogen, AGAIN, don't touch ...

Oh, this seems like a nice, fancy place ... but Essek's not taking any chances with it, clearly ... and somebody's been through here, too ... hmmm ...

HE did this? Interesting ... well, at least he hasn't lost his sense of humour ...

Another cavern ... more industrial environs this time ... fascinating ... and it's curving UPWARDS as it goes ...

The Genesis Ward ...

It just smells of metal and water ... okay ...

So we have a specific destination now, then ...

What, try to home in on Ludinus' Harness? Could that work?

Oh, so there really ARE other things moving around in here besides the group ... that's disconcerting ...

A tent? Really? Well THAT is a pretty major sign of life ... I think they may have found what they're looking for ...

Arcane Eye? Cool ...

Oh, so something happened here ... something VIOLENT, according to the blood ... and CORPSES ... Ruby Vanguard? Oh wow ... THAT'S interesting ... this was ... relatively recent, looks like ...

More of an eagele's eye view of the cavern now ... a big jagged hole in the floor, off in the distance ... great ...

Heading in to take a look at the tent, then ...

So the deaths happened within a space of DAYS, then ... it looks like they all killed EACH OTHER?!!! O.O ... whoever did this was ENJOYING themselves? Charming ... and one of them killed HIMSELF ... and apparently was very HAPPY when he did it ... that's just LOVELY ...

It's a pretty nondescript knife, Imogen ...

Grim Psychometry again, then ... oh boy ...

Oh, so the elf was the one who killed them all ... really violently, with SIGNIFICANT manic strength ... carves soemthing into his chest ... and then kills himself too ... wow ...

Chetney DRAMATICALLY unveils the elf's chest ... a sigil ... what is it, then? Ask Essek ... he doesn;t recognise it ... Laudna casts Eyes of the Rune Keeper ... no joy, it seems ... hmmmmm ...

Oh ... Laudna asks DELILAH if she recognises it ... great ... she doesn't either ... great ...

Don't take a pee on the arcane time dome, Orym ...

Something's grinding out there ... stone on stone ...

A group stelth check, but grading everyone individually as they hide? Oh boy ...

Two groups, then ... roill well, guys ...

It's VERY TALL ... oh boy ... that is DISTURBING ... that's like ... it's a hood, but it DOESN'T actually have a head? Ye gods ... and it has a VERY BIG HAMMER it's gragging behind it ... and there's LOTS of teeth in a maw in its belly ... well THAT noise was just unsettling, Matthew ...

Fuck ... a whole bunch of creepy translucent scorpion-like creatures seem to crawl OUT OF IT ... charming ... and they're searching the area ...

Laudna just gave herself away ... and they're all going RIGHT FOR HER now ... oh fuck ...

And THIS is where Matt chooses to end it ... but not before he gives us a look at the Battlemap for next session ... and it's MASSIVE ...

Oh, this is gonna be a SCARY encounter to start things off next time ... But it's the end of the month, so that's gonna be a FORTNIGHT'S wait ...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

[awaytobeunshaken]

The More They Stay the Same

Orym is still sitting in the garden long after the rest of them have scattered. He still wishes Fearne had said something to him. He’s not sure if she really wanted it, or she just felt like she had no choice, but either way, it was over now. And she seemed satisfied, seemed to be bonding now, with Ashton, in their shared elemental powers. Good for them.

It did almost make him wish he’d taken up more of the druidic practices of the Ashari. He’d never really had much interest in it, or aptitude to be honest, and deep down he doesn’t really think he’d be as comfortable with that life, but he’s feeling more alone than he has since he started traveling with the old crew, and that's never bred anything in him but regret.

His ears perk up at the sound of footsteps crunching across burnt leaves, and he swivels his head around to see Ashton crossing the platform. Not the Ashton that walked away an hour or so ago; they’ve still got the lava rock arm, but apart from that it’s the same genasi form that Orym first met.

“Hey.” And he could swear his voice sounds smaller than it used to. “You’re back.”

Ashton seems to grasp his meaning, taking a long look at his arm before answering, “Yeah.” He sits beside Orym, bicep not quite touching his shoulder but close enough for him to rest against, if he wanted. He doesn’t, though, keeping his gaze off into the wilderness. “You know this doesn’t change anything between us, right? Between any of us.”

Orym shrugs. “What’s there to change?”

“Just, like, stuff like this, being able to check in with each other… Look, I’m not gonna go off and hook up with Fearne just because everyone seems to think we should.” Orym draws his knees in, hunching over them. “Hey, I mean it. We just both figured out some cool shit we can do, that’s all. I’m not stealing your best friend away from you.”

“I never even realized she was having reservations about it before. She never said anything about it to me. Maybe I’m not as good a friend as I thought.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“I would’ve taken the shard myself, if I’d known. I was ready to take it today, if she hadn’t changed her mind.”

“Maybe that’s why she didn’t want to tell you. You, ah, don’t always show the highest concern for your own skin. And yes, I realize what a massive hypocrite I am to tell you that. Still, I’m not gonna lie, that would’ve been pretty cool.” He reaches over to tousle Orym’s hair, in an attempt to approximate Fearne’s fiery mane as best he could with the short strands. “We could’ve been, like, brothers. Or maybe not… fuck, I dunno. This is crazy.” They shake their head like they’re trying to knock something loose. “But I guess a lot of crazy shit has happened today.”

They turn towards Orym, and place their right hand on his cheek, and the stone is rough and dry and yet somehow it feels so alive as it guides his face toward Ashton’s. And Ashton’s lips are cool, and not rough at all, and they settle against Orym’s like they belong there, just for a moment before pulling away.

They’d come to the Feywild in an attempt to slow down time for a moment, but now it seems to have stopped entirely, Orym’s entire world resting between one heartbeat and the next. But as reality reasserts itself around him, he recalls what Fearne told him about what happened on the ziggurat. “So. You’re just giving those out to everyone, now?”

“Not this time.” Ashton’s eyes lose focus, his gaze drifting toward the background. “But, like I said, today’s been weird, so if you wanna just forget…”

They don’t get a chance to finish as Orym stands and leans in for another kiss.

ao3

[zipzin]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Critical Role Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ashton Greymoore & Imogen Temult Characters: Ashton Greymoore, Imogen Temult Additional Tags: Episode: c03e104 The Cradle's Convocation, He/Him and They/Them Pronouns for Ashton Greymoore, Campaign 3, Discussion of the Gods and Predathos Summary: The bottle never landed on them, which is fine obviously. But that doesn't mean he can't use his own bottle, he just has to empty it first. And if Imogen wants to help, they won't stop her. Might piss her off, but that's always been their nature.

A/N: I wanted Ashton and Imogen to have a convo, especially with all the things that happened in the past episodes (yeah it took me awhile to get this finished). This fic explores (what I see as) Ashton and Orym’s disagreements at the end of the spin the bottle stuff about the Gods, so if you are tired of God discussion this fic is not for you.

The wood creaks as the Hells stand, chairs scratching against the floor, and begin to shuffle out of the room. Ashton holds up the bottle they’ve been nursing through the night. It was still two-thirds full.

He didn’t realize he’d been laughing that much.

Of course, he glances over to where Imogen is standing and rubbing Laudna’s arms as she utters something urgently to her, they also didn’t think they could watch a more awkward kiss between two adults who had fucked someone before. If Laudna thought they were going to forget about that, well, they always were an asshole.

They start to chug, the liquor burning oddly like it was made out of tree sap instead of wheat, and when he sets it down, Imogen is beside him.

“You good?” 

“I’m, uh, just needing the empty bottle for um, you know. Things! Later.” Fuck is he blushing? Imogen doesn’t even try to hide the laugh that’s coming out of her mouth and he looks towards the doorway that Laudna’s now disappearing through. “I thought you were erasing Laudna’s memory from that whole, uh, whatever that with Orym was.”

Imogen snorts as she follows their gaze and gives them a terrible wink and not for the first time, he wonders how she became their friend.

What a fucking dork.

She sits down in the chair beside him and grabs the bottle from them, taking a swig and scowling at the burn, “I’ll help.”

“Did Laudna not erase your memory of Braius?”

“Ugh,” Her head pounds into the table, and then she looks up at them, “I didn’t know it was possible for a kiss to have a lot of nose.”

His laughter echoes the now empty room, “Really?”

“Yes!” She shivers, “And it was like sandpaper.”

They laugh as Imogen sullenly drinks some more, wincing around each swallow and he wrenches the bottle away from her. “I’m glad you and Laudna have figured things out.“

Imogen smiles, eyes going soft and starry. If they hadn’t seen her literally glow and fly it would probably be the most magical they’ve ever seen her. “For now.” 

“For now?”

She sighs and just levels a glare at him, “Do I really need to explain?”

He pauses, bottle halfway to his lips as he stares at the wall of the fucking tree the room is carved into and then shrugs, “Fair enough.”

Imogen wrenches the bottle from them, “How did we get in this position?”

“An old man recruited us after battling some furniture,” They grunt out.

Imogen laughs weakly.

“I hate to say that you’d probably be here no matter what, I was just the fucker who thought maybe I’d gotten Hishari and Ashari mixed up my entire life.”

“You are a beacon of optimism.”

He sticks out his tongue, “If you weren’t with us you’d probably been recruited by the Ruby Vanguard already.”

“Gee thanks,” Imogen sighs.

“Do we have the moral high ground over some random Ruidusborn who joins them looking for answers at the twilight of it all?”

Imogen gives him a sharp glance.

“We’re walking around with a follower of Asmodeus,” they point out, “I mean what the fuck is up with that?”

Imogen rubs her temples and takes another swig from the bottle.

“You think he really is a follower of Asmodeus?”

“Really fucking weird thing to lie about.”

“Do you think he’s gonna betray us?” 

“Braius?”

Imogen rolls her eyes, “No, Orym?”

“Hey!” they say, “I mean, I don’t think Orym would, but if the Tempest specifically asked for something or some shit he might.”

“Ashton.”

He steals back the bottle, “The only thing I trust Braius on is that he wants to kill Ludinus. If Asmodeus asked him to release Predathos he probably would throw you face first. And fuck if we know what’s going on with him and Platinum Dragon. Pretty sure if something happened with him, Braius might reswear his loyalty or some shit, I don’t fucking know how it works.”

Imogen chews her lip, “I don’t think Laudna could handle another betrayal, even with fucking Delilah locked up.”

“He’s not with the Ruby Vanguard, but believe me, if he makes a move, I’m going to be right there,” they promise, “I’ll put him down myself. We’ll keep your girl safe.”

Imogen’s eyes twitch to his. He couldn’t be sure she wasn’t examining his brain, diving through the compartments to ensure that he was speaking the whole truth. It still unnerved them, made them sweat and grateful that after everything, they trusted Imogen. Even if every time they stood next to her mother he was one twitch away from trying to take off her head.

At least Otohan was fucking dead.

She looks down, back to the scarred hands that mirror his in some fucked up coincidence. At least hers don’t hurt. “Okay,” she mutters.

“He wants to kill Ludinus, that’s the only thing I’d count on. Anything else is a lie.”

“Even those eyes he keeps making at all of us?” Imogen weakly chuckles.

They snort, “Okay, I trust that he is a horny motherfucker in more ways than one.”

Imogen sighs, “But when it comes to the Gods-”

“If Asmodeus does talk to him and tells him to release Predathos, then he’s probably pushing all of us in there as fast as possible.”

“And you think that’s a good idea.” Imogen levels her gaze at him and they take another long drink.

“Look,” he finally settles on, “I trust Orym and shit, but it seems like he’s so focused on Ludinus he’s missing out on all the other pieces. Ludinus is a shithead and we all agree we should kill him, and anytime it comes up, that’s all Orym can hammer on.

“I just think that he might be a fucking terrible person who did things that no one, god or person, should do, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a point about the gods. And Orym won’t let us even talk about it.”

“Ashton.”

“That’s what it feels like.” They huff.

“And you’re set on this? Killing the gods?”

“I’m not set, I just think it might be the best option. The least collateral damage.”

Imogen is quiet and all the tension the alcohol had started to zap away zings up his arm and he barely dares to breath.

“What about all those things divine magic is holding up? The demons? You remember the Gray Valley? What happens to all those places when we kill the Gods?”

“I mean yeah, there’s already fucking collateral damage. There’s a lot, it’s already started, People is already dead, so are countless others. We can’t change that and who knows how fucking more are going to die in the next days? But the fucking status quo, the one that left us behind and how many others? The one we might be able to change?”

Imogen’s lips flatten and her eyes pierce into him.

They stare back and put down the bottle with a heavy clunk, “We all heard you at the resurrection ritual.”

Imogen’s eyes widen as she gasps and then in a flash, her face is a smooth mask of indifference again. “Right.”

“I’m sorry for bringing it up,” They wince.

“Don’t be,” She spits out and he lets her take the bottle again.

“I just, Orym’s family is already dead, so are the countless others at the key that we dropped the ship on. Warriors are getting ready and saying goodbye and the Reilorans can’t even try to say no because they have some fucking device in their head.

“People are going to die all around us, and if we’re too slow, the gods might just bring the entire moon down and start another Calamity. I know that we’re trying to figure out what’s best, but I’m not sure there is a best. Hell, even if we release Predathos what the fuck does that mean for you? Fearne? Your mom?”

Imogen inhales sharply.

He growls, “There’s already so fucking much of it, let’s not pretend that this fucking cycle kills and spits out people like they’re ants already.”

“And so what? You think we should release Predathos?”

“I don’t know if I could ask either of you to do it,” He says softly, “Even if I think that’s the play.”

“You think Predathos is just gonna leave everyone alone? Just chase the gods and it will be fine?”

They pause, hands clenching and feeling the radiating fissures up their arm. He chews his lip and then stares at her, meeting her violet eyes, “Do we eat the dirt beneath our feet? Fuck, it sustains us, gives a place to stand, anchors us. We kill and destroy what grows out of it, but the dirt itself? No, we leave it and we thank it and we go.”

“You think we’re just dirt?”

“To a being that eats divinity?” They scoffed, “If you got a taste of that would you want anything else?”

“And that’s a play you want to make?”

“You watched the same fucking story as me, right?  You think the gods aren’t trying to figure out what to do about all of this? You think they aren’t worried and fearful about this? You saw as they danced while they rained down destruction on the best mages who’ve ever lived.

“You think they didn’t scoop up Ruidus, regardless of the people that lived on that continent? Just to save themselves? At the end, they don’t care about collateral damage if it’s between us and them. And that’s why I think he has a point. We sure as hell don’t have wards or some shit to stop them from bringing down entire cities. There’s no power like that here.”

“Just destroying entire city blocks.”

They look at her, the hunched shoulders, the lines that had formed in Bassarus and might have started to fade in Whitestone, but never left. And for a second, he was back on the airship, Imogen fading as she sat next to Laudna in the Hole and none of them knowing what to do except find Esteross.

“You’re a good person.”

Imogen gives a hollow laugh and scoffs, “Sure-”

“No, I fucking mean it,”  they sigh, “Look, Letters,” They both breathe out harshly, “Letters was a guiding post for me for a long time. I’m not really from good people, even the shitheads I don’t remember, and he, idiot he was, helped me figure out what was good.

“I’m fucking still figuring it out, but you and Laudna, the others, I’ve been looking at you guys too. You care, so fucking much, and yeah some shit has happened, but that doesn’t mean you’re not still a good person.”

“Ashton.”

“Don’t fucking cry on me now.”

She gives a soft smile, “I miss him.”

“Me too.”

She wipes at her face, “You know, you’re a good person too.”

“I don’t kn-”

She grips his volcanic hand hard, “You are. You care about making sure no one is left behind. No one’s saying that you’re always right, fuck knows none of us are, but you’re a good person.”

They snatch the bottle up and drain the last of it. 

“Fuck this was not supposed to be, whatever this was.”

Imogen laughs, held tilted back and some of the trouble smoothed from her forehead. She nods at him, “Go get your girl.”

“Get your own.” He mutters back, feeling the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks.

“I plan to.” They stand and Imogen winks at him, “You got this.”

He nods and rolls his shoulders to loosen his muscles, “Right.”

She gives him one last nod before following where the others disappeared to and he rolls the bottles beneath his fingers before following her. He’s got this. All he has to do is point the bottle. And fuck, if Fearne isn’t feeling it, it’s probably mostly not personal.

[12pt-times-new-roman]

c3e86

Fearne emerges in cold air beneath snow-dusted peaks. She immediately goes back through the portal at the bottom of this lake, and her telepathic communication is restored.

Imogen and Fearne exchange spell slots -- Fearne expends a 4th level spell to give Imogen 4 sorcery points. The language Matt used here is very similar to how he described the feeling Orym got when using Ludinus' funnel.

Slowly but surely, they all pull themselves through the portal. The sun is setting, and they can see both Catha and the leylines, so they're definitely on Exandria somewhere; Chetney identifies the trees as high-altitude pines, and the air is cold, thinner than sea-level, so they're somewhere up high.

They turn into clouds, and travel straight up: they're in a lake cradled in the middle of a sprawling mountain range, but even from this high up, they don't recognize this region. It's not the Alabaster Sierras near Whitestone, or the Flotket Alps, or even anywhere on Marquet. Even with a high perception check, they can't see any towns, cities, or even light sources -- but there are structures built on the edge of the lake, like a village.

They enter and find that it's a very simple village, but there are no lights, no sounds, no people wandering around -- just silence. It looks abandoned, and much of it has fallen to the elements, decayed. There are still supplies on the shelves of a shop, but they're covered in dust.

In the clerk's office, they find records of the town: Ria'doin village, on the shores of Lake Umamu. They gather, from the nomenclature and the position of the sun, that this village is Issylran, but there's not a single temple anywhere.

It doesn't look like there was a battle or a struggle here. Laudna finds a thread of notes in the clerk's space talking about business abandonment, people just getting up and leaving the village. There were disappearances here: a child, an entire family, the Otises, all in succession -- there must've been a rumor making people leave, but the next night, there were four families gone without a trace. Then the fishmonger was seen walking into the lake. Rumors spread about bad blood, business competition, small-town politics -- before the clerk disappeared.

FCG talks to a bird, and is very rude about it. But the owl tells him that she last saw someone five years ago; they wandered through, looted some stuff, and eventually walked into the lake too.

They decide to rest here for the night, and plan to relay information about the lake portal before returning to Ruidus.

They identify the two silver rings they took from the Willmaster: one of them is a "ring of life detection," which is paired with another one somewhere else that alerts the wearer if something happens to them; and the other they have to save until morning.

Chetney update: As a result of his deal with Morri, he gets a feat. He can craft a very well-made and well-carved wooden toy with an hour of his time. It's unclear if this does anything other than generate money/story, but hey!

Sending stone to Caleb: Caleb Widogast, we are in a village called Ria'doin. It's a backdoor to the moon, maybe. Do you hear me? Come for a visit? Ah! Hello. This is strange. This has not worked in some time.

SENDING WORKS, BABEY! Time to run Matt through his paces and make him play a half-dozen NPCs!

Imogen casts sending to Caleb: I assume this means you're alright. Again, that's Lake Umamu. Can you get word to the resistance? Jas, this is Caleb Widogast. I don't know what's changed; these communications have not worked for some time. I do know where -- (sending cuts off.)

Imogen sends to Keyleth three times: We found a secret entrance back on Exandria, in Lake Umamu. Leads to subterranean Ruidus. We're in Ria'doin. Hi! Hello! Is everyone okay? You're in Umamu? That's the Karamoran Reach, Issylra. What about Ruidus? After the Bloody Bridge, the capital city of Kreveris is where they're gathering forces. There's a tunnel that leads down. Halfway there. We'll show you. Alright. Let me finish some business here, and I'll try and meet you. I'm curious to hear how much you've learned. Time is starting to run short. The portal is in the lake. We're heading back in in the morning -- haven't learned enough. Going to Kreveris. We'll leave markers for you to follow. Very well. I'll send a team to follow and see what this secret door is in the lake. Good luck moving forward. We're counting on you.

Another voice pushes into Imogen's mind. Um, hello? Mr. Caleb said I was supposed to talk to this person! Is this working? I've tried this so many times and -- so anyway, I'm curious if this is going forward! Is this working?! Please respond! Yes, it works. We met Caleb at the key. We're at Lake Umamu, we just talked to Keyleth. Okay, I don't know who that is but I'm extremely happy for you, and I'm so happy this is working! Who are you? What are you doing? How do you know Caleb? What-- I'm Imogen. We went to Ruidus. We met Caleb at the key, he was captured, we haven't seen him since. Okay, well he's fine now, and it's nice to meet you that knew Caleb at the key. Don't know what that means either, but thank you! Okay. Who is this? Oh! My name is Jester.

aDSFsdgkjghfdk my heart---

Orym sends to Dorian: Dorian. We're alive. Been to the moon, going back. Find the Tempest. If I don't get the chance again... I really missed you. There's no response, but Orym swears he hears something outside. He needs to check in on that, needs to see what it was. It might be Dorian. They wake everyone, and Orym wants to go outside, but why wouldn't he have answered?

So if sending just suddenly works now, there's one of two options: either it's the proximity to the lake -- a rift between Exandria and Ruidus -- that's causing it, and the same thing would've happened at the bridge; or the Vanguard's plans are advancing and the leylines are calming down because of that. Or, y'know, the entire sending thing was a complete fabrication by whatever's in this lake (but that doesn't explain Jester).

Meanwhile, Matt is rolling saves for all of them behind the screen -- they at least got a short rest, but there's something calling them toward that water to inspect it, make sure everything's okay. There's a presence in the water that makes them wonder whether there's an ally in that lake -- they're not alone, but not in a bad way.

They start making their way through the fog, toward the bank. The lake is appealing to their sensibilities -- Orym senses a presence that could be Dorian, Chetney senses a disturbance in the portal, Ashton senses a useful tool, FCG senses an ally.

Imogen uses detect thoughts on the lake, and there is an intelligence that settles behind and below her -- those enthralled are wading into the lake, being pushed -- they disappear under the water, and we go to break!

Can I also just say -- Liam is portraying a soldier's hope so well with Orym. Like, the situation is near-hopeless, the deck is stacked against them, they are staring into the face of unfathomable threats, and yet. And yet. They have to do it. They must. Not because it's easy or even because it's right, but because it must be done. Fate has dealt them these cards, whether they like it or not, so they have to hope. They have to. If they don't hold on to that, if Orym does not put forward and wholeheartedly throw his entire soul into paradoxical hope against all hope, then what else does he have? What else is there? He can't cry, he can't bargain, he can't even grieve. Hope is all that's left, left bleeding at the bottom of the barrel -- and if he doesn't have that, if he doesn't even have the delusion of hope, then all truly is lost. So Orym falls, hard, for any shred of hope beyond ephemera, anything that just might be more than whim and blindness, like sending, like Keyleth, like Dorian. And fuck is it heartbreaking.

Imogen grabs Orym as he dives, and she gets pulled down too.

Laudna sticks her head underwater, spots one, and casts animate object on a boat! "It's ghost ship time." It grows little hands out of the front and starts fucking talking -- "what do ya want, missus?"

For the ones in the water, it's nothing but chemical impulse that pushes them forward, toward the bramble growths that surround the portal to Ruidus. It wraps around them, cradles them, and it's a warm sensation, like this is where they're meant to be, it's everything they've ever fought for, ever wanted. While they're down here, everyone takes cold damage.

Fearne spots them, the cocoon where they're being held, and also sees a graveyard of scattered bones. Dozens and dozens of corpses, cradled like children.

Imogen damages the shadows that hold them, and everyone ensnared gets to make another CHA save -- everyone but Ashton breaks free from its influence.

As he breaks away, Orym slashes at the shadow and frees a skull; but as he grabs it, the shadow re-envelops him.

Laudna boards her animated boat and rides it beneath the waves like Captain Jack Sparrow. As she passes, FCG grabs the side and coasts down, and casts turn undead on the shadows: the tendrils turn to hair, the roads of the Changebringer leading away, and although it succeeds this does confirm that this is some kind of undead creature.

Ashton is still trapped inside the mass, and they try desperately to free him. Orym swims down, dashes the tendrils away, and spots them -- he casts misty step somehow to reach Ashton and hacks at their bonds. He action-surges and hits Ashton to wake him up (that's a whole fucking thing that I will get back to--) but Ashton succeeds, they're still buried in there and Orym is still right next to him.

FCG's second turn undead succeeds, and the tendrils all scatter, pull back -- and they have a terrifying view of this underwater graveyard that lies here. Ashton gets to make their save again and finally succeeds -- they see exactly what's below them and dart away, dart toward the surface (alongside Laudna, who also failed the turn undead).

As they surface, all the effects subside, and the shadow recoils.

(Also, I love how Matt has incorporated Candela Obscura's "initiative" rules in C3. This entire encounter happened without rolling initiative once, but it still felt very fluid and inclusive.)

The center of this undead entity is closer to the village, whereas the portal to Ruidus is around 80 feet from it.

They return to the docks, and carve a message into the wood: Beware! Dead shit down there.

Orym leaves the skull he retrieved on the dock, too, assuming that Keyleth can cast speak with dead (and not saving it in the portable hole for FCG to cast that later).

Imogen, with the statement that "none of us are thinking clearly right now", decides for the group that they should all go back through the portal to sleep rather than waiting for Keyleth's envoy to appear.

Now that they've defeated the undead entity here, it's easy for them to re-enter the portal to Ruidus. They immediately go to sleep -- even with tired watches, they get a long rest.

As they sleep, Laudna talks to Delilah. She wants more power from Delilah in exchange for keeping Imogen safe -- "grant me power, and I'll give you everything you need." [You promise?] "I keep my word, if I have a strange way of expressing them." [I have a strange question -- Pate.] "I am no more pate than you are me. We are bound inexplicably, yes -- we are strange bedfellows... Laudna. We will endure. Always." Delilah's visage fades, and Laudna falls to sleep.

Long rest, finally!

They climb out of the tunnels they slept in, and continue across Ruidus to Kreveris. As they go, they leave trails and signs for anyone who might be following them out of the portal in the lake.

FCG identifies the other ring as a ring of protection, which is huge for basically anyone -- it gives a +1 bonus to armor class and all saving throws. Orym takes it, since Ashton already has two rings attuned.

Laudna uses the syphon to absorb the power of the ring of life essence -- it strips the ring of all its magical power, and gives Laudna +2 hit points (permanently) and advantage on al attacks and ability checks until the next long rest.

The Bells Hells leave the cave and move across meandering tunnels for miles, leaving Ashari symbols as they go so Keyleth's forces can follow them.

They all continue in this tunnel for a while, until it comes to an abrupt end. Ashton, although reticent, activates the shard of Ka'mort -- they get bigger, spiker, everything becomes odd and off, a fractal, an exaggeration that is six feet tall kneeling, with the elemental arm a claw. As they phase into the rock, they sense tunnels and caverns around them, and they are not far from the surface -- Ashton clears the way and the Bells Hells emerge onto the surface of Ruidus. There's a mild dust storm going through, but Imogen rolls with advantage (with the help of Fearne) and determines the direction of Ruidus' capital.

Laudna brings up that they all need to agree on when exactly to get the fuck out of dodge. Ashton is determined not to leave until they find allies, but Laudna brings up the fact that they need everyone to complete the mission.

They set off across Ruidus toward the capital, and start walking to save their more powerful spells for the future; but Imogen casts a magic mouth spell for when Keyleth's team comes through. "Hey. We are going toward Krevaris, the direction is slightly due north. Head toward the mountain range. Hope you find this. Heading toward Krevaris."

As they travel, there's a strange vibration in the air, an anticipatory change -- and every stone arounds you becomes incandescent with bright light, time seems to instantly stop. Everyone feels like they've been around forever, the blip of immortal essence passed through them -- and Imogen, eyes white, hair bright red-violet, drops to the ground as the feeling ends. Imogen and Fearne both gain 15 temp hp as Ruidus flares beneath them.

There's a fading warmth to them, and Ashton, as elemental, feels it -- a warmth under the ground, following that trail.

When Ashton comes out of his transformation, it's rough -- they are drained, tired, even after the long rest -- he takes two points of exhaustion . But Fearne offers to carry him, and they puh into the storm, they ear the thunder in the distance.

As they emerge from the fog, from the carved valley before them, they see the faintest view of a skyline, a real sign of civlization that they are on the cusp of reaching (with Ashton on 2pts of exhaustion).