#i get why zerxus was down bad

[johnnyspells]

Downfall: Part Two

[abitcaughtinthemiddle]

TLoVM epsiodes 4-6 - my initial thoughts (and theories?)

Allura calling out Perc'ahlia bullshit is primo

ZERXUS!!!

AWWW MY CALAMITY BABIES

Pike is and always will be a badass

Trickfoot mention! The Scan Man knows her family’s name reasoning? Interesting…

Yes! It’s the power of love that shakes folks every time, Pike. Get him with that family talk! (Zerxus I’m so sad!!)

What do YOU MEAN, Zerxus????? She has no idea what courses through her veins??

Yenk “his ascension???” THE WHISPERED ONE?!?! Are they connecting Zerxus to him???? (*takes out conspiracy theory board and connects red strings*)

Kima and Allura so cute and couple goals tbh

Aw their flashback- antagonistic allies to lovers is a great story!

Oh this FWB percahlia thing is gonna hurt so bad

The tree bursting from Vorugal!! Yay C1 Easter egg!

Vex and Percy being cute (idiots)

I knew it- the key is his “mansion”

Chateau beach episode?

Keyfish! C1 watchers knowww

Yes the bathtub scene lmao

Vaxleth is still pain - I’m pouring one out for the shippers (we can make it through!)

Aw Percy and Vex pillow talk and future talk (idiots- you are each other’s future)

Pikelan hug! Cuties!

Oh we’re so getting bard's lament this season

Whitestone attack !!! So soon?

Why has no one noticed Scanlan missing???? Omg this is gonna be important for later

Sun tree!! Noo!!!

(Side note: what if? What if??? Percy’s resurrection is only possible bc of The Dawn Father and that’s how Vex gets linked to The Dawn Father?? )

Yeah we’re so getting “Glintshore” at the end of ep 7 (bc of interviews hint and Ripley giving up Whitestone's location)

(Side note- what if Pike stays behind in Whitestone to wait for Scanlan when the rest of the team hunts down Ripley (or a smaller team) and that’s how we cannot get his resurrection right away? Or the hints being dropped about pikes faith being shaken? She’ll be unable to resurrect him?)

Yes we get a Raishan confrontation! Angry Kiki is best Kiki

Percy’s fear of losing Whitestone again (valid and this is totally setting up true love’s natural 20 “Whitestone still needs you”)

Percy determined to end Ripley…it’s episode 7 y’all it’s gotta be. Glintshore is coming…

[nellie-elizabeth]

The Legend of Vox Machina: Hell to Pay (3x04)

Another great episode, turns out!

Cons:

This is going to be a bit difficult to articulate but it almost felt like we were missing a narrative beat somewhere before Pike and Zerxus began their card game. We know that there's a vestige, we know that the vestige is supposed to be instrumental in defeating Thordak, we know the stakes are high to get it... but it's also just a mostly abstract tool at this point. The others have powerful vestiges, is one more vestige worth the eternal damnation of not only Pike but also all her friends? I think I was missing a beat where the group seriously contemplates turning around and leaving, and then there's one more nudge as to why this is worth the astronomical price of failure. I also felt like it was a little silly that J'Mon apparently sent them down to Hell with absolutely no context or warning other than "this one dude has the armor, go get it." Wouldn't they have gone in a bit more prepared to have to offer something in return?

So there's this interesting tidbit with Zerxus (who I loved and will praise in a moment) where he says "we are his blood," and it seems like he's maybe working for the Whispered One? That would be a cool little tease for potential future seasons, but I feel like viewers who aren't really dedicated and deal-oriented might be confused by that, so I felt like a more concrete reminder might have been warranted.

Pros:

Despite that little wobble in the stakes-setting, I overall really enjoyed this episode. Great for us to get some Pike-centric story going, here!

The setting of Hell was so cool and creative, I felt like every moment gave me a fresh opportunity to enjoy a gruesome sight or creative character design. Scanlan's disguises for the group were also a lot of fun, I especially loved seeing Pike all furry and snugly.

This was a strong episode for Keyleth comedy, I loved her trying to lean in to being a disgusting Hell beast and eating the worm, and Vax's reaction of horror. Plus just her trying to do a scary Hell voice instead of her usual more timid register.

Pike's struggle to figure out the right thing to do is really interesting here, with the Everlight trying to warn her but also wanting her to choose her own path. I appreciate the way her relationship with her goddess functions in this show; it feels like a lot of what the Everlight is doing is empowering Pike to make her own fate, rather than doing more direct divine intervention, which is great for keeping the stakes balanced. Also, whenever we see that light flickering out in her little pendant, we know it means Pike is going to be without the backup/security of her goddess's presence. We've seen how bad that's shaken her in the past, so it was extra cool to see her buckle down and be a bad-ass even when she had those doubts planted in her head.

Let's talk about Zerxus!! So hot! Luis is here! I loved loved loved seeing him. What a cool added element for those of us who have seen Calamity, but also I feel like narrative-wise it's a perfectly reasonable swap-out for how the story went in the original. It felt like having secret forbidden knowledge when he was like "my friends ruined everything with their hubris, and then Asmodeus tricked me." Like, sir. Sir. Are you mayhaps editing the truth just slightly? But I also thought it worked on its own terms. I noticed that the backstory was slightly different as to his husband, but thought that was interesting too, feeding into this idea of his punishment being about being forgotten.

I loved Pike's moment of triumph specifically - the way it tied into Zerxus's story, and Pike's understanding of what it means to have ugly, uncomfortable, and selfish thoughts. Pike has admitted that she wonders if her life would be better without the Everlight, and now she gets Zerxus to realize that his loneliness overrides his desire to keep his family safe.

We didn't have much of a check-in with the Draconia crew, but we did see them briefly, on the cusp of finding out if Kima is okay. I'm excited to check in more with that story when I get around to watching the next episode!

That's all for now! Still loving this show, still hitting on all cylinders. It's interesting to watch the show when I feel really unsure of how things are going to shake out! Things are so different from what I've seen before.

8/10

[theroseandthebeast]

Yuletide 2023 Recs, Batch Two

17 recs for Castlevania: Nocturne, The Chronicles of Riddick, Crimson Peak, Critical Role / EXU Calamity, Daisy Jones & The Six, The Devil Went Down To Georgia, Dracula, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

The Safety of Abstaining, Courteously, Olrox/Original Male Character + Mizrak/Olrox

Love is a dangerous thing for all vampires. It makes them vulnerable. Olrox has had the misfortune of experiencing this first hand. He is not doing that again.

Strange Allies, Olrox/Mizrak + Mizrak/Richter Belmont

Mizrak can’t figure out why Richter Belmont is still alive.

Three Principles, Dame Vaako/Vaako

Society among the Necromongers is cruel and ruthless. Death is the natural order of things, and life is to be endured. This is the story of the man and woman who would become Lord and Dame Vaako. Don't forget: you keep what you kill.

Blood in the Snow, Lucille Sharpe/Thomas Sharpe

Before the house, there was the earth, and the blood.

tempter or the tempted, Asmodeus the Lord of the Nine Hells/Zerxus Ilerez

“The tempter or the tempted, who sins most?” - William Shakespeare Zerxus won't give up trying to save Asmodeus. Asmodeus won't stop trying to damn Zerxus.

You Wanna Try That Again?, Billy Dunne/Daisy Jones

There are so many lines in the sand between Daisy and Billy - boundaries they won't cross, words they won't say, urges they won't give into. Right up until they do.

The Devil Went Down to Georgia Station, Gen, The Devil & Johnny

Me, I was just about ready to play the fool myself when the Devil arrived. You see, the sector sheriff had died a little while back, and the spaceways were so infested with bandits that no law-abiding ship dared to fly. The bandits didn't come stop at Georgia Station for a drink and a fiddler either—nobody comes down here unless they've got a resupply contract, for there's only one safe route in. I was feeling my old wanderlust, what with being cooped up in one place for so long, and besides my free meals were getting smaller by the day. That's why, when the Devil came sauntering into the station's only saloon and slid into the booth across from me, bringing out her fiddle from Devil-knows-where, I listened when she made me a deal.

The Calm before the Storm, Gen, The Captain of the Demeter

The Demeter's log was not the only tale of note to be found upon the ship.

Sanguine, Gen, John Seward

John is having bad dreams. Most of all, he dreams that Quincey might not be as dead as everyone thinks he is.

Into That, Edgin Darvis/Xenk Yendar

Edgin returns the Helmet of Disjunction. Xenk rewards him.

Not Certainty, But Hope, Edgin Darvis/Xenk Yendar

In which Xenk proposes. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you to repeat that," Edgin said. "I have come here to ask your hand in marriage," Xenk said in that annoyingly calm voice, like dropping in on someone at their local pub and asking them to marry you was just like popping next door and asking for a cup of sugar from the neighbor, "that we might infiltrate a temple of Ilmater and discover the means by which so many happy couples have disappeared."

Deception Check, Edgin Darvis/Xenk Yendar

Ed had lied a lot. Did lie a lot. There was a lot of lying, was his point. But the trouble and the lying did not typically involve Xenk Yendar, and this was proving to be the problem. (or, Edgin Darvis attempts to lie and rolls a one.)

Legends & Lore, Edgin Darvis/Xenk Yendar

Xenk gets truth potioned and doesn't say anything interesting at all.

Ink of the Covenant, Gen, Edgin Darvis & Holga Kilgore

Holga and Edgin get drunk. Edgin gets a tattoo. Standard 8th day in Targos, really.

it's a (fake) love story, baby (just say yes), Edgin Darvis/Xenk Yendar

“Back up,” Edgin said. “Explain how that’s connected to me going with you to a wedding.”

Perception Check (Roll for Romance), Edgin Darvis/Xenk Yendar

"I bet Xenk fucks like a metronome, too. You know." Holga makes a highly suggestive, repetitive gesture. "In, out. In, out. No variation. Same exact rhythm every time. Boring." Edgin stares at her, torn between horror and fascination. "You've really thought about this, huh?" (So has he. Unfortunately.)

you'll find us in the meadowland, Edgin Darvis/Xenk Yendar

Xenk let himself in with a slow turn of his key in the lock. The obedient door let out not a solitary creak or groan. It had better not; he plied the thing with oil as often as he cleaned any of his gear. There was a little moonlight seeping in through the window - enough to see the shape of the man rifling through his things. He was standing at Xenk’s desk, tucked into the corner and lined by shelves stacked with holy texts. Not his most valuable, of course - he wouldn’t be so careless as to keep the most precious of his collection here - but any one of them would feed a hungry man for a few days, at least. And yet this man wasn’t hungry, and he was no ordinary thief. Xenk judged this not only by the strong slope of his shoulders and broad back and the fine weave of his coat but also by the fact that he had recently been awarded the highest honours the Lord of Neverwinter could bestow. No, Edgin could want for nothing; even he could not have spent his rewards so quickly. There was only one explanation. This was an affliction of the soul.

[a-couple-of-notes]

So I've seen a bunch of people talking about why it's so narratively perfect that Cerrit was the only survivor, and while I don't disagree, I did want to chime in about why.

(Under the cut, it got long.)

I think there's a case for "Cerrit was the least selfish and therefore the dice gods/Brennan reward him," though some of that discussion slides a little too close to "more moral = more deserving of life" for my taste. (Death as comeuppance for being bad and survival as a treat for being good is, like, the least cool way you could view this story.)

I think there's also a (stronger) case for "It's poetic that Cerrit, the one with no magic, was the one to survive the fall of the age of magic." It's definitely a dark kind of poetry - life survives after the loss of a great and terrible thing.

But my favorite read on why Cerrit's survival is so narratively perfect is this:

The great fault of the rest of the Ring of Brass - Laerryn, Nydas, and Zerxus especially - is that they reach too far. They dare too much. Brimming with hubris, Laerryn and Nydas want to wrench a part of the world up and claim the stars for their own; Zerxus tries to redeem the Lord of Hells with a gentle touch. Patia believes she can ignore what's going on and acquire knowledge from the Tree of Names; Loquatius, that he can protect Laerryn if he just stays by her side.

Cerrit doesn't have that foolish hope. He keeps his head down. Does his duty. Doesn't look up. When Laerryn shows no sign of caving, he caves and goes to protect what he can. Cerrit is mundane in a city full of wizards; Cerrit is also humble in a city full of hubris.

So there's the story, right? The Ring's hubris backfires in an explosion of magic and blight, and the one with humility gets to fly away.

Not quite.

See, there's this reversal that happens in episode four. Everything is destroyed in fire. The Ring of Brass has caused the Calamity in all their pride. But instead of humbly bowing their heads and lamenting their foolishness (literally - Laerryn says, "There's no time for self-flagellation"), everyone immediately turns around, gets right back on their pride bullshit, and tries to save the world.

And that's a foolish, impossible dream. To defy the Lord of Hells? To look at the inevitable ruin and say no? To reach out a doomed hand and try to redeem Vespin Chloras? To redo the Astral Leywright in half an hour, and then use it?

If the Ring of Brass had been cowed, had left like Cerrit in episode 3 (and to be clear, I'm not blaming Cerrit for that choice), Exandria would have been doomed.

So now we come to Cerrit's last-ditch survival. Here's a character who doesn't have the foolish hope that doomed his friends. He doesn't have Laerryn's ambitions or Nydas' big dreams or Zerxus' overriding convictions. Maybe that's what saved him.

Except now, at the end of it all, in the face of inevitable fire and ruin, Cerrit decides to do the impossible. Literally. He wants to fly up out of the crumbling labyrinth, past shrieking devils and waking gods, and get back to his family on another continent. To believe he could do that is a foolish hope.

But he does it. With aid from his friends, he beats a DC 30 - a setting for truly impossible things.

And that's why I think Cerrit's survival is so narratively perfect: because it perfectly caps off the duality of EXU: Calamity. Laerryn's Leywright led to the coming of the Calamity; it also saved Exandria. Zerxus pulled the Lord of Hells through with his unwavering belief in redemption, but he also saved Vespin Chloras with the same act. And though trying to achieve the impossible may have doomed his friends, it is what saves Cerrit.

[warlockglock72]

It's been almost a month. And there's still not a day I don't think about Exandria Unlimited Calamity

There's gonna be a lot of quotes here.

There are many reasons for this like the fact that it has some of the best players in the live play industry. And one of the best DMs. And I'm gonna talk about Brennan a lot in this one

But it's specifically because I have always been most fascinated by the Devil's and the 9 Hells in the lore of most DnD worlds. Lawful Evil has always been far and away the most interesting form of villainy that one can face in game. Chaotic evil can be fun and interesting. But it's just nothing compared to the stark cold logical evil that most lawful evil is. Not to say that lawful evil can't be passionate and I'll talk more about that.

Anyway. All this to say. Brennan Lee Mulligan using the Lord of the Hells as the big bad, the catalysing figure of this calamity was especially good for me. For multiple reasons. Having to do with Vespin Chloras being the right hand of TLotH (Asmodeus. We can say it).

From the very first moment we have seen Asmodeus completely and utterly bamboozling and ensorcelling our first knight Zerxus Ilerez. All of his visions have been targeted to take a man who already did not trust divinity and, drive a wedge further and impart this idea of the betrayer gods but specifically Asmodeus as a wrongfully punished being. And truly while in this ruse, Asmodeus said some of the most chilling and effective things I can think of

"Just ask yourself Zerxus, whom did we betray?"

"Zerxus if you look down and see the stars, what will you see if you look up?"

"I don't look the same to everybody."/"I sometimes look like the most beautiful face that mortals have seen."/"I never know who I'm going to look like to people" (I love these. Fucking bold faced lies)

And here we get to his explanation of the Schism

"The primordials were here when we first arrived, it was their world first"

"I thought to help, I had seen the gifts of love and courage and truth and honor and sacrifice and I said 'these are the greatest gifts we could create and we must make them matter' and I said 'these will matter because in their absence we will know deceit and in their absence we will know betrayal, in the absence of love there will be visciousness' I-I thought I was expanding on a creation. I thought I was making something that would make the earlier work more- More... Mortals called them evil, said that they were wicked said that they were wrong and I said 'well yes but that is the point is it not?' and they hated me"

"We had already leant on the hospitality of the primoridals enough. We had leant on it enough! We stepped in and said 'the game has gone on too far' the primordials rose up against them and the *Prime Deities* as they called themselves stepped in to fight them. To double down on their overreach. Our promises were to the primordials. AND WE WERE CALLED BETRAYERS?"

"Do you want to know your fault Zerxus?

You are very trusting. You say I am being used? You are being used." Zerxus even says "By you?" Which Asmodeus shakes his head to! "I am the father of lies. You are being lied to, and not by any God."

Which brings me to a point. Brennan mentions in the wrap up. Asmodeus almost never just straight up lied to Zerxus. And I believe him! The reasons that the 9 Hells and the Devil's and Asmodeus are so interesting to me is easily because why lie and deceive outright when you can just say the truth to get what you want. You can certainly frame it differently than others might. But if the shoe fits do your best to sell it. The very best lies and deceptions have a version of truth to them. Something to keep your mark placid and malleable while you're playing them. But most importantly. It need only be the truth to you! It just matters how much you believe yourself when you say it. Because people loathe to contradict a person who is confident about what they say. You see it in any example or explanation of conmen, it's why they're called confidence schemes. People are raised by birth to not fight or question a person in who looks like they belong where they are.

All of this to say, while Asmodeus' beliefs about what he said have different emotions. I don't think for a second that any of it contradicts what all ended up happening.

Which is why it's so fun to see the mask fall. The iconic (to me) moments and lines

"You tried to resurrect Evandrin when he wasn't dead. You're trying to atone me when I didn't do anything Wrong."

"You have refered to yourself and your fellow mortals as our children, you're not our children. You are a bad first draft."

"Now. I'll tell you why I spit on your forgiveness, I'll tell you why I loathe your redemption. To reach a hand down to somebody they need to be BENEATH YOU, and I'm beneath nobody!"

"In the vision in the hall of prophecy you told me that, you would help me confront those that did this to me. WAKE UP ZERXUS! YOU DID THIS TO ME! You and your kin. You think my enemies are the Prime Deities? Those. Are. My. Siblings!"

My favorite one

"Has it never dawned on you that before the Schism, all was well between us? We came here to make something. And then, one of our puppets, one of our foolish paper dolls mattered so much to them, that they threw US into the PIT. You think that my quarrel is with them? No. All of you did something to them. You made them turn their back on us. My greatest heartbreak is that when I have collected every last mortal soul and all of my siblings into my pit. That I will only have eternity to punish them."

Genuinely that monologue. I've barely stopped thinking about that since I first heard it.

I love. LOVE. That Brennan took the Lord of the Hell's. And made his evil, his anger, his hatred. Fueled by GRIEF and FRUSTRATION. He misses his siblings! He doesn't understand why they turned their back on them. And he will take all of that out on everyone else. It's such a fun and interesting take on the devil. Usual DnD lore has Asmodeus just believe that he could rule the multiverse in the most beneficial way possible out of all other options. Which is also good. But Brennan giving him so much EMOTIONAL motivation is so so good.

[queenjulia11]

[the following was originally posted as a twitter thread on 6/29/2022]

Got #exucalamity on the brain, let’s discuss!

I’ve been thinking about “To reach a hand down to someone they need to be beneath you” and what a *wrong* sentiment that is. I mean obviously right?

To reach a hand down to someone, you need to have empathy and a desire to help.

But the fact that *that’s* how Asmodeus sees it says a lot about him. He’s the literal devil, so I’m not surprised that his outlook is so negative, but it is kind of shocking to think that there are people in our real world who see every reaching hand as an act of pity.

And that, in and of itself, is pitiful. So I can’t blame Zerxus for reacting that way.

Now Zerxus is not an egoless being but I don’t think it’s fair to say he’s “just as bad” as the wizards of Avalir.

What he did right and what he did wrong is another conversation that I don’t feel fully equipped for. But again, I *understand* every action even if I don’t *agree* with every action.

But this is something that I think he nailed. Perfectly.

“You hate everything so purely. Look at how much you hate yourself.”

That little lip bite before Asmodeus responds. He knows that Zerxus is right.

But he’s the devil. He can’t admit that. So he lashes out with violence.

A childish response. Again, Zerxus nailed it.

“You are a child and you are lost.”

Seeing someone as a child is by no means the same thing as seeing them as beneath you.

*Does* Zerxus see Asmodeus as beneath him? That’s a question only @Luiscarazo can answer. (Would love to hear your insight but no pressure lol ❤️)

I stand by the belief that Asmodeus wasn’t lying about everything in episode two.

He *was* in pain. He *was* never shown kindness. And that’s probably why he can’t recognize it correctly.

In some ways he’s one of the most tragic characters in the CR cannon.

And I pity him. And I want to see him get his ass kicked.

I’ve spoken before about how extraordinary Zerxus’ empathy is. His kindness is an inspiration, and I don’t ever want him to lose that.

But ultimately it will be Asmodeus’ decision to change for the better.

[addendum written on 7/13/2022]

A little add-on to this based on what Brennan said about Asmodeus in the #exucalamity talkback:

I still think the pain, and the tears, were genuine. It may not have been real physical injury, but Asmodeus is still, ultimately, a lost child. There are some things you can't fake.

[I actually got a response from Luis on the original thread! He said “I am with you 100% and I absolutely do not think Zerx ever thought Asmo was ever beneath him.”]

[chiakery]

Some thoughts on Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, Part 1. Spoilers under the thingy!

- Brennan really isn't fucking around. But the exchange between gods was so curious to me: "if you look down and see the stars, what will you see if you look up?" The "Who did we betray"? I'm sorry, are you implying that the Betrayers aren't completely evil and we should rethink the fundamental believes we hold about this world??

- I already have one grieving husband who rules my heart, I won't survive having two of them, mister Carazo sir

- the sheer audacity of Sam naming his character, a changeling Seelie. I'm glad to see Sam playing bard again but the warlock part is throwing me off. Warlock of whom?? And why did Brennan alluded two or three times to Sam's character not being entirely mortal? What the fuck is up with that? And is it just me, or did his accent change multiple times during the episode?

- I watched it expecting Aabria's character to be some shade of evil and I stand by it even though Laerryn is so precious and I wish her nothing but long and prosperous life. (But what's up with that secret something you need a piece of heavenly gold for, love?)

- also, once again: I love Aabria and Sam so much for giving us an ex-married characters. I've seen people wish for this sort of dynamic pre C3 but with all the hubris and apocalypse hanging in the air? It's even sweeter and more tragic.

- Zerxus, just know I'd die for you. Also, your gryphon is amazing and I wish (despite logic telling me otherwise) that you'll see your son again. Also, did I get it right that he's filling the spot of the First Knight, the title that his husband used to have? Cause that'll be a fucking low blow.

- Purvon being an emo teenager amongst the political-savy adults is something I didn't know I needed.

- Marisha is amazing and intelligent and I can't wait to see the chaos she creates with Patia.

- regarding Marisha's bit on the Instagram about Laudna: I feel now like she was referring not to the Undead itself but the Necromancy used to bring Laudna back. With the Frankenstein monster/zombie whatever it was, I feel like the Necromancer person (can't remember their name, Hola? Holo?) will be somehow associated with the BBEG of this campaign and we're about to witness the shift from Necromancy being a normal type of magic to an illegal art.

- Nydas has such a Gilmore vibe but with more prominent business side (since we're watching him with important people instead of from the perspective of the adventuring party) and I'm all for it. Lou is incredible and I get it why everyone was prising his so much. Also, dragon sorcerer?? What is up with that?

- Travis bird detective? He'll yeah, let's put the CSI opening music! And it looks like he grew to like playing rogues (fun thing to watch after his playfully strained relationship with rogues of VM and MN). He's just so cool in embracing the mechanics of moving and body language of the bird person. And I want to meet his family so bad??

- Overall, an amazing start, can't wait for more! All the name drops of characters mentioned in prev campaigns were so rewarding and the new lore is Intriguing.