#that's purvan

[kerosene-in-a-blender]

We were all so convinced that Bolo was the most likely character to make a cameo in Downfall that we didn't even consider the possibility that PURVAN would be making another appearance

[floweroflaurelin]

I would have been lost without you. Thank you for guiding me, and always protecting me.

I don’t think you ever needed me as a guardian, though it was my life’s honour to do so.

—

Baby Emhira having a bright moment with her guardians Purvan and Galdric! I can’t stop thinking about Purvan helping to raise the Raven Queen as a baby. The mortal who became a goddess who became a mortal, and he’s there to watch her grow up. It makes me so emotional 🥲

[chiakery]

I'm thinking about the Matron of Ravens one day telling her champion, her first and most trusted ally since ascending to godhood, that she's going to leave him for some time.

I'm thinking about Purvan Suul, months or years later, following a raven until he arrived in front of a hovel. Inside it, there was a family. A mother. A father. A young girl with dark hair and green eyes, swaddled in blankets.

I'm thinking about Emhira's parents, not understanding why this stranger decided to take care of them but being infinitely grateful for this blessing - a skilled ranger bringing food and helping find shelter whenever their family had to move was more than anyone could hope for in times like these.

I'm thinking about Emhira, still young and mostly human, growing up looking up to this man who was so close with her he could have been her second father. Begging him to take her hunting, to teach her how to make and repair arrows. Playing with his wolf who was always so very gentle with her. Learning about Fate and Death and Gods.

I'm thinking about Purvan, patient as death, answering all of Emhira's questions but never pushing her in any direction, even when he saw her talking to ravens or idly drawing in sand symbols no one had ever showed her.

I'm thinking about Purvan and how, one day, this girl who was his god who was a little and vulnerable thing he had protected for the past decade and half, finally remembered. How she smiled at him in just the right way or placed a hand on his cheek with this look in her eyes and he knew. And he fell to his knees, heart bursting with prayer and joy and relief and said: "My Lady, welcome back."

[scattergoriesofevil]

Purvan Suul appearance #1: A long dead figure of legend, champion of the death goddess, a corpse wearing a Vestige in a booby trapped tomb, relentless jokes about his name, a deeply fateful point in the VM story.

Purvan Suul appearance #2: Greeted with derision and duplicity, excitedly recognized as a living legend by the table, chased off screen for more roleplay because It’s Him It’s Purvan, the herald of doom on the night it arrives.

Purvan Suul appearance #3: Beloved champion and guardian, the embodiment of faithful devotion, respectful advocate for his own choices, accompanies the goddess of death to the threshold of a horrific task in a terrible place and not one step further.

[essektheylyss]

he was present to herald the demise of not one but TWO great flying cities along with the ruin of the age of arcanum. and with your help, he can herald many more

[patchedfox-doodles]

Purvan Suul: Champion of the Matron of Ravens (with Galdric)

🐺🐦‍⬛💀

For @artists-guild-of-exandria's Age of Calamity project. Illustrating scenes depicting the Calamity as a part of Exandria's history.

Purvan Suul became champion of the Raven Queen shortly before the beginning of the Age of Calamity. During the Calamity, he became a known legend. The Raven Queen gifted him leather armor called the Deathwalker's Ward, granting protection and the ability to fly with a pair of black feathered wings.

[mayapapaya33]

I had sort of hoped Keyleth would have matured and grown past her anger at the Matron over the past 33 years but I suppose it's in character that she hasn't fully dealt with her grief yet. And the Vorb probably isn't helping her issues either. It just sucks because I think a lot of the fandom take Vox Machina's grief fueled blame and fully accept it as fact when the reality is that Vax's situation is almost entirely his own responsibility. The only other person with any remote culpability is Percy. And even Percy is only really to blame for accidentally Killing Vex, not for Vax's choices. But even if you want to hold Percy accountable for Vax's choice in the tomb as well, that still doesn't make him responsible for Vax's death. Vax could have lived a long full life as the Matron's Champion, as shown by the Delightful Purvan Suul and his companion Galdric.

Vax was a borderline suicidal, self-sacrificing character from day one. He always threw himself into danger headfirst regardless of the cost to himself. Between Percy accidentally setting off the trap creating the circumstances for Vax trading himself to the matron during Vex's resurrection, all the way up to Vax CHOSING to come back as a revenant after being disintegrated in order to help defeat Vecna, the choices have always been his. Especially him, fate touched as he is. Ultimately, Vecna killed Vax and Vax killed Vax. I think it's easier to blame the Matron than to be angry with Vax for being who he was.

The Matron maintains the balance of life and death. She accepted Vax's offers both times, do you think she should have refused? The first refusal would have meant Vex's death, and the second refusal would have meant Vax possibly just staying dead after being disintegrated, and not being there to fight against Vecna, which was truly an all hands on deck situation. There was no time to fuck around with a resurrection ritual that might not even work, the whole world was in danger. One life, a life that was already lost, is a small price to pay to save the world. I'm pretty sure Vax would agree with me!

Frankly, Vox Machina were super lucky and privileged to have so many successful resurrections between them. I think they got a little spoilt and entitled about it honestly. Most people have never even met someone who's been resurrected before, they did it like 20 times! Vax was disintegrated, he chose to come back as a revenant to fight Vecna, protect the world, and help his family. An opportunity he was only given due to his allegiance to the Matron. She gave Vox Machina and Vax extra time together and a chance to help save the world.

For those of you shouting "what about true resurrection!?! I hear you, and Matt said it's complicated and didn't elaborate lol. Personally, I think the Matron has quite the special a barrier of entry to true resurrection, if the spell even works at all in Exandria. I think they touched on it briefly in Calamity but I've forgotten. I can only imagine what insane ritual Matt concocted years ago that he's had plenty of time to work on since. Part of the Matron's whole thing is that everyone must eventually go into death, sure they can avoid it for a while, so some resurrection is fine (the DC gets higher every time), but eventually enough is enough and it's time to go. Hence why necromancers and liches are her enemies.

At any rate, I'm really proud of Keyleth for going to therapy and I hope she goes back when all of this moon business is over because she still needs it and that turtle lady in the frog seemed great lol.

[gorgynei]

Long or short, we all must decide how we want to spend our lives—and I think in some ways, we have to decide how to spend our death.

[criticalsorcery]

the man. the myth. the legend. 

[mysticalspiders]

There's something so moving about seeing Purvan as a young man in Calamity, when he wears the simple muddy leathers of a ranger and one hundred years later, in Downfall, seeing Purvan as a world-weary old man, "deciding how to spend his death" wearing the feathers of the Deathwalker's ward. A champion who has spent years fighting for his Goddess in a bloody war who then becomes her gaurdian when she is born into a mortal body. And then remembering Vox Machina finding his tomb years later.

[demigoddessqueens]

Thinking of how Emhira/Matron looks like Laudna/Matilda, who was specifically targeted because she looks like Vex, who loved and tried to protect her twin brother, who became the next Champion after Purvan since the Calamity

[the-matron-of-ravens]

"The Matron actually decided what child she was going to be born into, created The Pact with an unborn child, and sent her Champion to that family before or upon Emhira's birth and so Purvan, her Champion, was with her from her birth to protect her and keep her safe throughout her life and to help teach her everything that she would need to know, how to fight and all of that kind of stuff, and took care of her and her family and really helped out. So he was like a father to her, in some ways."

Laura Bailey on the relationship between Emhira, mortal avatar of The Matron of Ravens, and Purvan Suul, The Matron's Champion From "Laura Bailey Talks Critical Role: Downfall and Becoming the Matron of Ravens" written by Joshua Kristian McCoy

[laurasbailey]

CRITICAL ROLE vs. THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA

THE SUNKEN TOMB (2x03) - PART 1

[pocketgalaxies]

"there's a man named...purvan here???"

"it's normal where i come from."

[balleater]

obviously, this has been a known fact

[harusuki]

the legend of vox machina gifset per episode season 2 episode 4: those who walk away