Critical Role - Tale Gate | Episode 2 | Discussing Up To C4E18

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

It's tea time! Our esteemed host Whitney Moore sits down with Aabria Iyengar, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, and Alexander Ward from the Seekers Table for our next installment of Tale Gate — where the Seekers shall reflect, answer Lorekeeper questions, spotlight incredible fan creations, and pontificate on what wonders may yet unfold! And for our dear Beacon Bits, do stay tuned for immediately following the show you shall be cordially invited to The Night Cap; an after-hours continuation where the cast answers your questions live from our Beacon exclusive Discord chat!   New Episodes of Campaign 4 release weekly on Thursdays. Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/     OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN 4 CAST GAME MASTER Brennan Lee Mulligan Laura Bailey as Thimble Luis Carazo as Azune Nayar Robbie Daymond as Kattigan Vale Aabria Iyengar as Thaisha Lloy Taliesin Jaffe as Bolaire Lathalia Ashley Johnson as Vaelus Matthew Mercer as Sir Julien Davinos Whitney Moore as Tyranny Liam O’Brien as Halandil "Hal" Fang Marisha Ray as Murray Mag’Nesson Sam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" Halovar Alexander Ward as Occtis Tachonis Travis Willingham as Teor Pridesire   #Campaign4 #TaleGate #CriticalRole Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why, hello there, distinguished campaign four listeners. Welcome to Tailgate, our new talkback show hosted by me, Whitney Moore. In this series, we'll sit down with the cast after each table arc and spill the tea together on all things campaign four. Plus, if you're a beacon member, the swore will continue with the nightcap, a beacon exclusive segment where we answer your questions from the Discord chat. Each Tailgate episode is streamed live on beacon.tv, YouTube, and Twitch, and we'll arrive here on the Critical Role podcast network one week later. So if you ever want to join in on the live fun, check us out on one of those platforms. All right, without further ado, let's get this tailgate started. Good evening, everyone, and welcome back to Tailgate.

I'm your host, Whitney Moore, and tonight we are seeking some answers from the seekers table as they have just wrapped up their first arc on Campaign 4. Yeah. We have a lot of ground to cover, feelings to process. Octus has had his cousin's mutated angel head in a bag. It's a whole thing. Let's open that gate. Kick it off with a lore keeper question. Shave.

All. Unexpected alliances began by them. I feel like I'm just about to quiz you. Temperature changed. Oh my God. Wait. The question for me? Unexpected alliances began to form for the secret.

Who do you feel your character grew closer to Drinks Adventure? Ooh-hoo. Who he wants to start? Oh, who? I don't know. Sure. Fucking.

We all just hearing. Yeah. I think I grew the- We all decided to. I think I grew the closest to Valus. Oh. Well, because we started at neutral. Yeah.

And we started at like a deficit. Yeah. So it was like there was a lot of ground to cover there. But I think they grew closer. Through this whole thing, I mean, teaching me to meditate was very sweet. Yeah, yes. Because I was gonna go crazy if I didn't. And you know, I need my spell slots back, so that's important.

But yeah, I really like, I like that sort of, you know, we had these very sweet kind of little moments at night when everybody else was sleeping, kind of like a secret rendezvous that no one was supposed to know about. Oh, wow. That's a problematic age gap relationship. It really kind of is. You're bad for shipping. We're both effectively immortal.

It doesn't matter. That's true. See, this is what's wrong with Twilight. You know what's not wrong with Twilight, though, is vampire baseball. Yes. This is a show where we're talking about Twilight, and I don't know what you think this is. Anybody else have some unexpected relationships blossom

that they weren't intending to happen? I mean, I think Tysius wasn't that it was unintended, like, the sort of, not souring, but transformation of Tisha and Autis's relationship was a thing that we talked about, just being dynamic with a previously established, like, strong relationship. The pre-existing condition. Yeah. Your pre-existing condition being alive, which was wildly reversed.

I think it's both Vailas and Julian is, I think, the fun thing that, like, with Vaila, those were both deeply negative relationships when we all met. in the overture and then finding different really like it's fun to find a reason to get along with people so finding like our common bird ground Brennan kept shooting birds into us like come on you guys figure it out if i put birds into you and then those birds go into you bond yeah i like what you said about how you earned the friendship because you guys squabble a lot and just as a reminder everybody here likes each other squabble like a bird would almost And I love that sentiment of like,

it's nothing is promised and you guys are building these relationships as they come. I love it. I feel like, I feel like we've, like, we've kind of talked about this too, where I am Ashley very, deeply uncomfortable with confrontation.

So I'm always like when there's, people are, like, I know. So, yeah, so this character, I'm like, wait, how do I just like, just, just, Say stuff. Like, how are you just okay with not thinking

about everything that you're saying and how it's going to affect people? Or just not care, rather. I don't know, I'm still figuring it out. You're doing great. It's like, I definitely, I have the panic afterwards where I'll say a bunch of stuff and then I'll be like, what the fuck do I say?

Yes, yeah. Well, I wanna make things about me for a minute because you guys fought my sisters and I wanna hear all about what that was like. Like, I was watching gagged and gooped. I was like, well, because also they were, they're so, Brendan made them so scary. And then the dice was like, actually, no, no, they're huge losers.

What was that like? Scary in quotes. Like, like, like stab lock scary maybe. Yeah. But I think the rest of it just even gave more, more understanding of who tyranny is and where that family comes from to like a, oh, they're all like this. Yeah.

Yeah. It was so funny, because having watched, you know, soldier stuff as it was going on, I knew you had been impersonating Octus, but Octus didn't know. So the whole thing of them coming in and thinking, I'm you, or I'm Wick and you were tyranny, and just being like, what are you talking about? Like, it was just so. It's so spooky, it was very, too funny. Like, I didn't meet you except to yell at you once.

And then, like, Wick, I knew as, like, from noble houses, but I was like, what do you meet? What would I be them? Like it's just, it was so silly. So good. Well, I want to bounce around, because I've got a lot of questions for all of you, but let's get to, oh, Ashley. Poor moi.

Yes. Where does Valis' distrust of Aranesa stem from? Yeah. Oh. I, I think. There was a hair, don't pay attention to me, there was a hair on my pants. I think there's a hair on my pants.

I think what is happening over here. This man must be Harris is all time. I feel like it's not just Erinessa. I feel like she just doesn't really know how to trust anybody. And I think... I'm fighting. I'm fighting. I do.

Me too, though. Sorry, we just need to get our wiggles out. This was sticking up out of the couch and it was a lot longer than I thought it would be. I didn't know what to do once I did it. No, I was doing it too, and I was like, wait, this is actually really fun. This is all very carefully engineered tea leaves. Gets gorgeous. We are answering no question.

No, actually, I rudely interrupted this with my lethal life. No, it's totally fine. It's so unbelievably relatable because I was already wanting to play with it. Like I said, we just gotta get our stuff out. Yeah, I don't think Bayless really trust, no, I know she doesn't. She doesn't trust people. Trust no bitch. And I think it, well, I think it takes her,

a lot to trust people because everybody, she's like, what's your, what's your deal? So I think it's not just Erinessa. I think it's so many people. I was feeling it about everybody here. For sure. But, you know, had wonderful moments with everybody where it's like figuring out who these people are. But Erinessa, something's too good about her. Something's too good about her.

We've never seen all of her face. I don't trust anyone whose face I have to take that bang off and give somebody a little smooch, huh? I don't know. I don't know. And why can you be me? I might never take it off. Whoa. I don't know. Oh. We'll see. We'll see. We'll see. We'll see. But um. You got one from both sides.

Yep. It's just okay and bailgate. Let's go. Yes. All right. Well, I want to jam through this question. So Matt, tell us about the dare. What? I want to get these out of the way. I got stuck to you. It's St. Patrick's Day. And I knew that. Yes.

I knew that. Wherever you are. Matt, tell us about the Daredevil subclass. What aspects of this homebrew appealed to you for Julian and what are some interesting Fiat shows? We're still developing it as it goes on, but like the concept behind it was wanting to create a fighter subclass that was based in high-risk, high-reward mechanics.

You know, Julian in particular is very much kind of that rush headfirst into danger, and sometimes it works out really great. others really poorly, and that to me is a very fun dynamic with, you know, dice-based role-playing games in general. And just wanted to lean more into that. Like, safety is fun, but I like, I like when I succeed spectacularly, it's awesome. When I fail spectacularly, it's awesome. And just wanted to kind of build some that leans into that. And, you know, also make my other players at the table be like, why are you doing that? No, why would you do that? I'm like, because it's fun. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you haven't gotten to be at a table really with Sam,

so somebody's gotta pick up the mantle and his honor to be like hey what the fuck hey what why you do that yeah like some of the some of the level three features that he got one is uh we call it like uh writing the threshold where when he's what change it back to edge no we're not not right we can't do right i like edging uh it was originally title writing the edge but we realized that would just we all instantly murder i have a history of being shamed for not thinking about things out loud first. So I decided to change it, right in the threshold. But yeah, so to where, and I guess I work with this with Chris and Jeremy to like, you know, build this home brew. And so part of it is whenever he's under 50 hit points, or 50% hit points, whenever he's like more or less bloodied,

he, his second wind feature gives him temporary hit points as opposed to hit points. It's so good. But the benefit of that is whenever he is bloodied more or less, he can spend his hit dice instead of second wind features to use it. Wow. I love that. So I can't heal himself up to full necessarily, but he can burn more second wins for other things that he can use.

So for instance, if I want to use second wins for some of the other fighter features, or in this instance, the thing called daring strikes, which is you can spend a second wind or can try and make a daring strike. If he rolls to hit and it succeeds, I can spend a second wind to do an additional D10 damage on the attack, which is fun. Whoa! If I missed the attack, then the next attack against me has advantage. So it's like...

How fun. Very much. I mean, it suits Julian so much because he is such a liability that he'd make these crazy choices and have these like great strokes of luck and also punish everyone. Yep.

Very cool. That's how I like to do it. Liability, but he's the best at what he does. And chat, don't you dare try and bully me into making it riding the edge again. Yeah. It'll all just... It'll all still be edging in our hearts.

Yeah. Well, I'm on the threshold of excitement about Abria's question. No segue. What is perfect seglet. How does Tysha feel being on the possible outs with the circle of ancients? Is she worried about being ousted or does she feel

they'll understand her perspective? I think for Tysha, the idea of like having a level 20 plus, or not level, but like 20 wisdom druid fight means that everyone's going to approach the argument with like sort of open heart and like trying to take things in best faith so you can have your presuppositions but like there's an assumption that there will be like it will be like you'll be heard and listened to so i think tisha is kind of sitting in the position where either her circle will listen to her or she will continue to do what she does and not like ride

the circle of ancients as like the reason that she does it i mean from the very first her first her first act of druid and magic is to pull her son back from the veil of death. So she's already always been flirting with the edge of what it needs to be a druid and respect the balance of life and death. You're not her first son that she's been like, nope, no, no dead for you. He's still good. He's still good. It's fine. Five second rule.

If you catch him on the first bounce, though. You were a little farther down the path. But like, again, it's like seven second rule. Like, if I can get him on the first bounce, he's not full. dead yet it's fine so I think as much as she loves her order she doesn't actually feel that beholden to those structures like she's gonna follow her in like her gut for a one baby 100% and she should the sauce she loves she actually would she eat steak because yeah she's not that kind of drew it

she loves metal and steak yeah great let's go a one steak sauce yeah today's she loves a one steak sauce sponsor level level 10 she gets at I think yeah yeah yeah Circle of the condiments. I'm gonna make my own Druid circle. I don't be full of ketchup. That'd be my Druid circle. This question is for everyone, but I'm gonna direct it to Ashley first.

The Seekers' goal was to find information. What piece of lore from these sessions has intrigued you most as a player? You know, God, there's just so much that I love. I will say there were There were so many moments of the table. I know this is totally, this is, I'm gonna answer the question,

but I'm gonna take a little road trip. There were so many moments at the table when I was sitting there and I was like looking around and I'm like, man, Brendan, so smart, so great. I'd be like, oh man, I'm playing with Matt. It's been amazing and Abria and Alex, oh, these are all DMs. Okay, oh, I feel like I don't know what's going on.

Like, there was so much that I talked about where everybody would be like this, like picking up on each other. And I was just pinwheeling and I'm like, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Got it, got it. I totally know what's going on. And I told him out the other day, I was like, I feel like I'm running on Windows 98

and everybody's like so much further along. And I'm like, I'm gonna get there. I just like, give me a second. But I respect that. What was, now I forgot what the question was. Your favorite piece of lore? Yes, my favorite piece of lore. That is so validating because also same.

I also feel like sometimes I'm just watching the game and I'm like, all the time. I was supposed to be listening to that. I was just watching voices happen. That happens all the time. It's my favorite thing to be like, yeah, shit, I also go here. Yeah, yes, yes.

But it's also like playing with all of you, it's so beautiful to watch. Like it's so, it is like I was at the table with like some of the best of the best and just like how you all so how like Alex. Like Alex was there too and No, but just like But the way that they all were like how you guys

Can't talk and shit, you know, like just so much Yeah, word, dude Put it on a chart! I love it. Yes, I love it. Any other lore drops that are our art something that you were really excited and happy to see for what it's good thank you one you all are also a D-F figuring out the purpose of that entire

ritual that killed Octus and realizing how heinous the intended result was going to be yeah that was a big yeah nasty business we can still do it by the way there's probably some cool abilities it would give you here we're a sunset octus yeah let's try after this show yeah yeah just doing the corner we just text Brendan hey man just letting you know we kind of do a little game here and we did a bad it didn't work yeah actively changes your story yeah I was so convinced when we were walking through uh tennasar that we were going to like complete like we were completing it and now part of me was like shit what if we what if we should we should have maybe like a

little bit to be like well maybe he's our evil angel I don't know yeah it was but we can fix it yeah I didn't because I don't know either like this was not part of my backstory this is a Brennan thing So I'm like, I don't know what's happening either as much as any of you do. So it was just, it was wild to go through all of the pieces of that and to like use the Kim and Im-Kadaz on the rock, I can say it, on the rock to get the information and see Tan Sull and all that stuff was incredible. And then like going into that, into that whole area and going through and seeing the ritual and like thinking, maybe they burned my heart.

Like it's just like, it's a whole thing. There were so many Lord, it was a little, it felt so focused on what it happened in the first couple of episodes with me that I was like, this feels a lot about me and I, you can focus on other people too? I was like, I told Alex this over the weekend when we were at DC, which ruled that.

Put us in a point in time now, we can't just be nebulous now. Yeah, that's true. Oh yeah, this is live, it is an important time. It's like, we can talk about. When you were you forget? Right now on the year, yeah. Alex, Octus is a load-bearing character. There's a lot that happens lore-wise.

And I actually have this next on my question, so Alex, we'll keep talking about it. What was it like fighting a version of what Octus was to become and understand more about what his family meant to do to him? I mean, I love that fight so much. It was so much fun. And the fact that both of you went down on towers

stressed me the fuck. Oh, God, really, it was fine. It was going to be fun. But it was such a beautiful thing to, beautiful and a very sad way of just like seeing this person who so believed in what my family is doing and then being kind of turned into this monster and force and realizing then or that my family saw them as a mistake and just left them there to be that's the crazy in this basement has just been like oh we messed up well we'll just close the door yeah we'll just put the other shelf there and then to then finally defeat her and then for her you know her head to still be alive for a little while and then ask me if she did a good

job essentially so sad. That was sad. And it was just, and then I took the head with me, and I had that now. And you have that. Gross. And you have that now. I have that now.

I will say, Tanasar was so cool, just going over the bridge and the visual of it. Yeah. All the eternal night was really, really fun. Yes. Yes. And the fact that no item any of us had that refreshed on a sunrise worked anymore was a good thing to work. Yeah. Well, speaking of family drama, Matt,

how did it feel for Julian to get revenge on his first Taconas? Franz. Franz had it coming. Look, look, I know, I know you were supposedly like, like the least hopeful Taconas, but Franz, far none, worst Tacitus. Worse to cones. You got the wrong end of that stick from the family. I was like, wait, does he have Bowers? He might have. He didn't have a chance to use him. You both just got to start shoving each other. Yeah. It was very like Night of the Rocksbury about it was like, what, what, what? Until one of us fell into the road. Three of us are like fighting demons and you're just like slamming into this guy. Look, I got a goal. No, it felt good.

It felt good. In my head, I think legitimately Julian is like keeping notches for each one. He's keeping nachos in his belt for each one that he kills. And then when they're all dead, he'll eat them. He'll finally have earned his pack. That does, honestly, yeah. Delayed grotto. Gratification feels correct.

Writing the threshold. This is just going to become exactly what you wanted it not to become. Because now I'm going to be thinking about threshold. Welcome to my life here at Critical Role. Yeah, true. I love it. Abria, how is Tisha not knowing where we were talking about Octus as Tisha's son, but you have another son?

Okay. Wow, we are really... We're really going to do it? How's it going? How's she feeling about that? We are the seekers, and thus far, we have found exactly none of the stuff that we saw. And I think that's a reflection on us. I mean, yeah, obviously it's like it's devastating to not get the visual confirmation that he's okay.

But at the end of the day, Aligar is 27 years old and has, made the same choices that Taish has made in her life to willingly put himself into danger for the world's sake. So at some point as a good parent, you respect the choices your kid made. She was freaking out because it was a prophetically bad moment that he was in, but if he's just going back to drink a castle torch and occasionally swash some buckles,

go for it. I loved that moment with Julian of like, what's my son up to? Yeah, did you? That was so funny. I should have insight checked you and it didn't. That has no comment. The God that lives behind Julian's eyes says nothing.

Ashley, what was it like to bond with the Stone of Night Song and use it to speak with the dead? That was crazy. I mean, just the whole thing. That's crazy. That's crazy. No, that was, ugh. I mean, nothing in the game am I expecting at all, you know?

And I think I, there was, there was another purpose that I thought that that was going to be for and the fact that I was able to sort of attune with it and then speak with dead. And then I was like, I want to make this such a cool moment. But it was just everything. Yeah, that was a really cool moment. That was a really, really cool moment. And it felt really special. And, yeah.

It was beautiful. I think, I'm going to ask the voice of, God, if we have time for one more question before we move on, because we got a lot. Okay, great. I am going to ask a question for everybody before we move on, because you guys have interacted with some very fun NPCs. And I am so curious, we've had Arnaessa, Hanan, Dr. Talter, which is, I don't know, for some reason that name is so funny to me.

And Dame Sarah, am I? Do you guys have a favorite NPC that you all have rolled with? I mean, comedically, I love Dr. Talter. Me too. But I really like Dame Saramai. Do we catch Dr. Talter's first name? Amri. Amri.

Good job. Sorry. Halter, Talter, Talter, Talter, Talter. You're rewriting it. Jizzabelle. That's a family name. But yeah, no, I love Dame Saramai. I just, I find, it was just such a kind of sadly sweet relationship

to being like, oh, you got fired and you don't know why. And you're just like, oh, my whole life is ruined. I guess I'll come with you to the dark. Relatable. Yeah. To be her last act to be like trying to save my life and then getting absolutely bodied by a celestial thing was terrible. That was rough. Yes.

Cursing bad. That's my favorite. I loved him. Every now and then, Brennan will just do the little thing of like, a little guy. And I'm like, yeah. Yes, please. Thank you. Thank you, Papa.

A little guy with a crazy voice? Well, yes, I'll have another. another. Otto. Otto is my pick. Otto Ewanfossen. This bloom is no longer suitable for this conversation. Yeah, you made salsa, bruh. So terrifying, but also, like, want to get a beer with him. Yes. He's, he's, he's, well, I don't know if I should say that. He's, I don't know. I lost the threat of what I was going to say, because I was like, yeah, he's cool. Like, under the sort of the fantasy world that we live in, like in the real world, I do not want to hang out with this actual murderer.

No. In the fantasy context that we live in, he's gonna be such a chill dude to drink with. And if he turns on you, you're not gonna be around long enough to know that things have gone boring. You're like, oh no, and then it's over. So you're fine. In hindsight, I do realize that my impression

of a nine fossin was horribly off. No, there's so many members of the team. No, because like, I had no idea that had German accents when I did mine. And so I was, I was, was like, oh, I chose wrong. That feels in character for Octus. I love, I love Dr. Talter because I love when Brennan does characters where they just like, there's no filter.

It just like, just word vomit comes out and then they realize it in the moment and he's like, maybe I shouldn't have said that. And then I love Dr. Talter. But I'm going to say, I'm going to jump it back to the soldiers. Okay. Really upset that I haven't been able to hang out with any of these dogs. Dogs! Oh my God. When I watched it, I would have dogs.

Yes. I was watching it and I was like, what the fuck? Yeah, truly felt like a fairy tale, just a delight story. I forgot we were in danger. It was just like, oh, dogs, these knights with the king. All right.

Enough about my table. Before we go any further, we need to pause for a moment because it is time for noteworthy notables where we celebrate the brilliant works of those within the Critter community. Woo! Yeah!

We have four incredible pieces to get through tonight, so let's get into it. Our first noteworthy notable is from Carissy Carson at Chrissy Carson art. Let's see it. I wanna see, I wanna see. All right, give me, gimme, gimme. Oh, there is.

Oh, yeah, that piece is so awesome. I remember seeing this one, it's insane. Get in there. Yeah, get anything. Hold on, hold on, hold on. It's so cool. The perspective. Right?

Oh. Ashley, do you realize how cool of a character you built? Like, I remember sitting in our character, when you were talking about, you're like, I wanted to like swing this sense there. And I just remember being like, fuck yeah. That's so.

This looks so weird. They're gonna smell, like their last sense I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, it's just comfortable that way. Yeah. Yeah. I don't need the back support. Thanks.

Okay, we gotta keep on. Next up, this one is from Collian at Bloodwell, Don't know. Oh, with the hands. With the hands. Take that worse, Taconas. What's he saying? One down.

That's sad that he's the worst day, but I love the lighting. Hell yes. Yeah, that's red. It's giving scar. Yeah, absolutely. Julian's a little scar-coated. Oh, yeah. I like that.

Yeah. A little, gay, you know. Oh, yeah. Morge, yes. Our third noteworthy, notable tonight is from LEM. Yes. Oh, I love this so much. It's so hot.

It's fun to see the ones that are picked that we have shared in our group chat. I'm like, ooh. Yeah. Love it. Good. All right. Our final noteworthy, notable is from Seyon.

Yeah. Yeah. Wow. What? That is so cosplay. That is so cool. It's so cool. It's so cool.

Oh, yeah. Look at me doing science. Dude, it's also a very Disney villain-coded. Oh, look at that. Lounging on the bed. Better bed than I do. I know. Well, I'm just way.

Of course. I just like that you're really landing that Octus fell out of a Guillermo del Toro movie. Yeah, it's just tumbled right out a bit. I-Ezekide from Crimson Peak. Yeah. We saw someone at DC who gave you a piece of art that was as Frankenstein, yeah, from the movie. It was really, really cool.

All right, and if you guys are watching at home, and you would like to be featured on a future noteworthy Notables, go check out critroll.com slash suburb. column slash submit submit to me oh wait oh dear what's happening acting is there a special fifth and secret noteworthy notable it looks like somehow a few of my old shoe got into the teleprompter I guess we might as well show them pin oh my gosh absolutely got a shout out wardrobe by Jenny Newman and man for the makeup by Dre Renéin, hair by Netsuki, props and set by Knoxville Birth and photos by the amazingly talented Michael Schmidt.

You guys who's right here behind his camera. We had such is that the one of me spitting? Yes. Yes. Oh my god. Oh yeah. We had so much fun. Yeah!

We had such a good time. Schmidt! Schmidt! Smit! Yeah! Damn girl that looks good. Can I say I guess everybody just gets my familiar and that's fine. Thank you girl.

Yeah, thank you for putting me in your clothes. He just pops out of places. Yeah, all right, okay, bye. We love you. Thank you guys. Thanks for making me look hot, everybody. All right. Damn, those are cool.

Well, enough about me. Let's throw some leaves around. Damn, those are good, you guys. I've got some more questions for you guys. You want to keep rolling? Let's go. Should we continue looking at pictures? What if you're like?

I'm cool with either. Okay. You lean more towards one, I think. We can look at pictures of me later after. Okay, you guys, I want to know what was it like to approach House Einfazen with the tale of the Palazzo de Vinos. Because you guys had some juicy. I'm there you're trying to get to. No, I, it was intense.

It was coming off of so much violence. and intensity and danger. Like, we, pretty much every table was. I keep sliding down the county. Soldiers left to chase. You know, schemers stayed. We fled. And so we had the fleeing energy going straight

into that whole region in a castle, Clibbing blick. Clippin' beak. And so it was a shift of vibe, definitely. I think, and sorry, schemers. I know they were talking about possibly keeping this info is useful thing. And the first thing we did was walking and be like,

hey, crazy thing happened! Dalmatio. I tried for five seconds to keep things under wraps, then I was like, this isn't gonna work. Yeah, no. They did not give us clear instructions on what not to say, and we were not the table of subtlety. I think Julian very much is one of the people

that is leaned upon the historical concept that the centered houses are a unit. And so even with their challenges, and squabbles, like having this Taconas terror happened from underneath assumes that all the other houses are at the same level field as Royce. And the minute it came out, it was like, oh, oh, maybe this was a bad choice.

Maybe this was a bad call. I don't know. Einstein's cool. They're probably so chill. So fine. It's interesting, Matt, because it feels like Julian is like kind of a babe in the world in a way that is different from Octus.

where it's like he has this level, you guys both have this level of privilege, but you have this inherent sort of trust whereas you're sort of the black sheep or your family. And so you kind of have the edge of like, maybe I don't run in with all of my information, but you're just like a cushy boy.

Like you're just... Cushy boy with a low wisdom. Yeah. Although I want to say I did forget one MPC that I love, which is the fucking bird guy in the... Yeah, that's all. I just remember that guy.

Oh, yes. God, there were so many. Dude, Brennan just, he's just, is a fount. He's a fount of them. Ashley, how does, did I ask you, how does Vela's feel of having her goal of resurrecting her goddess out loud? No.

Did I ask for that? I just thought it. I just thought it in my own own head. Had that feel. I mean, it had to be said, I think. I think we all sort of knew, I think everybody picked up, I think Julian and Tyre.

especially picked up on it first. Not that Octus didn't, but I think we had a relationship that felt different, I think, in the beginning. Yeah, there was like plausible deniability that it could have been about something else. Yes. You know. And I, there's a lot of complicated feelings there, because it's not just that for her. I think it's, you know, getting close to people is very hard because then you start caring about stupid people. So, you know, I think-

Why did it come to Alex? Damn. Yeah, stupid people. Fucking burn, dude. Got your ass. Getting absolutely roasted. Everyone, I'm gonna bend everyone back in $10. No, but that's all of you, all of you.

Like, I play a smart character, I, neb-dum. Like, she doesn't wanna get close to anybody, but it's really hard when you start having these really sort of profound interactions with people. What she's had with, Everybody here, I mean, especially Tysha. But I think there's, I think there was also a part of her where it kind of felt good to say it out loud. Because there's more to it than that, though.

But whatever, I can't, that's all I'll say. Well, you just touched on something that I want to keep talking about your relationship and Tisha's relationship. Because you guys went through a lot together. You, as a worshipper of the dead god, a dead god and a descendant of god killers, you shared a bathtub. Yeah. Oh, la, la. Memories of death, chats with the dead. You guys have been through a lot.

So how is that, how is that blossoming relationship affecting you? And we did lose our screens. We don't need them. We don't need them. We don't need them. We don't know you're here. We know you're here. I just thought it was, it was so fun that our very first interaction with Tisha immediately, like,

clocking the like, oh, your identity as you walk into this space is identifying yourself as a like mourner and protector of salandry. The first thing I'm going to say to you is like the cheapest shot I can make about your dead god. So having that be the like beginning of the relationship and then through all of those moments going like, oh, the important thing here is seeing the fundamental humanity elf man, elphiddi. I feel like I just had a little stroke. Elf titty. To see the elf titty. To see an elf titty.

To see an elf titty. I went to the bath together. That scene gave Octa's a full panic attack. You know, and I will say there was so much, I even forgot to say, I feel like for, I feel like there was so much going on in that scene, and I also feel like for Vailas sort of physically getting naked in front of Tysha. Oh la la. Sorry. I think, I think there was...

The children's show. I know. Family show. I think there was, that is a way that she's able to show what happened to her without having to say it. Yeah. So I know,

you know, I don't know if that makes any sense. Yeah, absolutely. Like, you can see all the scars and we don't have to talk about it, but we both know. But, um, and also I, I'm very much enjoying playing a character

that has a lot left to learn and it has sort of a wrong. perspective on something of like can you come back from that can you learn can you unlearn if you've been taught something that maybe is not that great and hurts other people so yeah yeah it's the beauty of like yes you are functionally immortal both of your characters are functionally immortal but like to be alive is to be open and reactive to change yes so having you guys immediately like stare that down in the first arc, it just makes it feel like,

oh, this character is going to be dynamic. You spent 800 years alive and now, like, but we're watching you still grow as a person, like everyone does. She was alive for 800 years, but in service. So something. So it's like the 70 years, it's like, wait, who at? Yeah, who at?

And for a being that's so not used to change, you were living in a constant for 800 years to then have to change, it's going to go slowly. You're gonna, you're so, that muscle is so atrophy. you know and there's an interesting thing of also like from my perspective or thinking about veilis from an outside perspective of looking at octus and being like oh that thing is dead and it acts now very much like me you know valis looking like it doesn't sleep anymore it doesn't do these things you know i remember you've said that after the game where where after

you were resurrected and you said to brennan you said something like we're very similar yeah you're but I'm dead and Vailas is a lot. I was like, Bradfields, that's not nice to hear. But it's true. But it's a sweet connection and also led to that meditation moment, which was so sweet. Well, speaking of characters with wrong perspectives, Matt.

Yep. You had a, you had. You had a really sweet sort of out of his typical wheelhouse, sweet memory. come up of his father and his support in his youth. So what was it like to explore a happy memory from Julian's childhood regarding the father that he had just lost, and how is Julian handling his grief?

I mean, it was a wonderful, unexpected moment. Julian, of course, is, in my head and how I've discussed it with Brennan, you know, a lot of very complicated dynamics within his family, within his house, and within kind of the general world politics, politics and getting a moment, an unexpected moment, to kind of step into the bittersweet facets of the side of a relationship we only saw as tense before it came to an end, only allows me to sit further into that bittersweet feeling within the character. So like, yeah, I had in my head

these ideas, these dynamics, but being able to actually, like, play through that, even just further colors that internally and made makes that much harder yeah and it's so sweet to humanize him too because it shows the pain you know you go I can fix him you go oh he's really you cannot fix it nobody can fix Julia except for Julia except for Julia just as Taylor only Julie can fix Julie no it's yeah it was it it's it's it's the wonderful opportunities in games like this where we get to to paint with different colors

and push each other to paint with different colors through scenes we do together, or with Brennan as the GM, or any GM really, getting able to take a player out of the moment that they think they're gonna be going and go like, hey, here's some pink to pass with for a little bit, and see how that feels. And in that moment, find things you don't expect to within a character that you've already kind of grown comfortable with.

I really appreciate that. And as far as, like, his dynamic with his dad, yeah, he's not doing well. I think it's especially tough for him because in my head, he's had a continuously growing tension with his father. And both of them do care about each other immensely. But the paths in their lives, their responsibilities, and their differences in perspective on how things are supposed to be

has built up so much. And they both want so bad to reconcile. And before they had the chance to have that robbed is like, gut-wrenching. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, this is such a sweet answer, Matt. I just, I love, oh, we saw a great Julian cosplayer also. Oh, I showed a picture.

Yeah, so, so great to see. Alex. Oh, God. Hmm. Hmm. Are you making it up right now? Yeah. There's nothing on that I've had.

Now is just a picture of Alex. I don't like that. Candy Crush for an hour. How is Octa's handling? the death of Dame Gaius Saramai, the disgraced knight of his vassal house, who died protecting him. Speaking of grief.

Well, as we kind of discussed Brennan, or Brennan and I said, I think, during a cool down or something like that, it was, the way his emotions work now, Octuses are a little strange because nothing happens automatically anymore in his body or anything. So it's like he has to finally think about something

and like analyze it to like feel anything about it. Intellectualizing emotions. Yeah, I have to intellectualize emotions to actually get the emotions to trigger, which is a weird thing for Octa. So, like, because he is in fact dead, so in a way his subconscious systems don't really work anymore. So like he doesn't, you know,

the same as he doesn't create saliva or do anything like that anymore. Those things have to be actively considered in order to like trigger. Yeah. You don't create saliva or guilt. What? Yeah.

His limbic system is not functioning. So as of this point in time, he hasn't really had a chance to sit with it yet. So he hasn't really felt anything about it other than just, oh, shit. Like in the moment of like that they died, that's bad, we're in danger. But he hasn't had actual time to sit and feel the feelings about a person he didn't know that well, but who definitely gave their life in service and to protect him. And I have feelings about it, but Octus hasn't had a chance to like sit with it and feel those things and analyze that situation yet.

Yeah, that's a great answer. I also, you just reminded me of a part that I loved from your arc, which was you trying to make yourself puke up the beer. It was so, that was early days. That was so nasty. That also has one of my favorite screenshots of you walking in on that and me closing my jacket

and then actually just pointing at me. Hey, something really gross that just happened. Yeah, that was something, I did not expect that to be as gross as it was, and Brendan made it so gross. Yes. And I was like, this is rough, man. I'm like, I was like,

yes. Vesural memory of like a friend who's the younger sister had one of those dolls that you could feed. But they put actual food inside her and then it like, rotted. Ew! And so many of the describing,

I was like, I haven't thought of that since I was a kid. Yeah, I'm a doll. Yeah, sorry, buddy. No, it's fine. It's no, everything Brendan's done with me being dead, because I really wanted to like play into the, being dead is not a good thing.

It's not just like problems go away when you're dead. And so Brennan really took that brand with it. Of just like everything about Octa's is so bad. And it's like he's just so barely holding it together. Yeah, this new death becomes her sequel. I'm a big fan of it. It's so cool. But there's been so many moments where I get surprised

with you and Brennan bringing up something like your breath or like little things where you're like, of course that would be gone. Yeah, yeah. That's, wow my God, I love it. The learning to control his blood was kind of part of that of being like, oh, I don't use this anymore. I can use it for something else.

And that like brain of what a wizard is is like the scientific aspect and the invention using pieces of himself that he no longer needs. That's so cool. Just sitting here being like, I'll use every part of the buffalo. And then you wonder why Tyso's like, are you not like your family? Because that's what they did to you.

And you're like, we're not using this blood. Here you go. That's my blood. Yeah. I wish that we were on a nightcap so that I can make the joke that I want to make, but I'll save it for it later. There you.

No fluid man, 10. Done for you. Send the children to bed. We can talk about butt. Um, Abria. That's definitely what we're gonna talk about. A hundred percent. Speaking of Octus, what was it like for Tisha to debate?

You had this debate with your fellow druids about your friend's son, your son friend. The Druids are so cool. Yeah. Yeah. Hanon fucks pretty hard. Yeah. I like the Dan is great.

Same. He's just like, that felt like a fun little shout out from Brennan, where we've talked a lot about like the philosophy of like the Druid's relationship and like orc's relationship to the Sundered houses and seeing politically what is happening in Kahad and like Dolmanchiar and having a character that can kind of stand beside Tysha and go like, actually you should be madder and I'm like, not now. Shut up. Shut up.

You're very cool tree ribs, but shut up. Yeah. Shut up. That's his tree ribs. That's his middle. Tribs. Hannon Tribes. That sounds like a friend you'd have in high school.

Yeah. Oh, my friend Hannon and Tribbs. Yeah, he fell off of a cliff that one time. He's fine, though. He's fine. There's trees everywhere. You can't speak four numbers, but it's fine. Yeah.

He's missing six or eight. But it's very quickly the answer. It was very fun to, again, play with like the philosophical underpinnings of Tysha and having to like defend your choices as instinct but born off of the like I hate to like quote Malcolm Gladwell but there's something about that like instinct it why that's for that's for the nightcap that's fine but that idea that like instinct is usually born of like your brain beginning to put together something that you haven't fully thought about yet so in that moment when she went like

this doesn't seem quite right. Yo, get off the path. Flip a bitch, come back. That she was... I exploded. Exactly. Beginning to see something and then trying to explain that to the druids

is like, hey, I can't quite tell you why. I feel so strongly that this is a yes. But like, hold. I'll make a good case in a week or two. Yeah. The answers will come in time. You guys are all blow in my mind with these answers.

It's just I feel like I learn so much every time we talk about our kids. characters because all of you as actors have really different approaches and I just love you. I just am having a really good time. That's all. Everybody's really good at their jobs. Well, we just talked about Hannon and you had a moment with Hannon too. So Ashley, wow, wow, what was that? What was, Ashley, wow. Speaking of strokes. What was it like to confront Hannon?

Wow, wow. Wow. I'm, I'm, I just got really nervous because I'm like, what have I, what have we, what have we done? What have we? What have we? What have we? How can't you just pop up and hit somebody? I know and it's like, wait, what can't I talk about?

Um, um, yeah, that was intense. I feel like, Hannon, just throw out some words to protect myself right now. You're doing great. Thank you, thank you. Um, I. I. I feel like Hannon will really help. Okay, wait.

Was it a Hannon that dropped the flower doll term? Yes. Yeah, that was rough. That was rough. But I- Human being like, I know what that means. Yeah. The rest of us are like, a word.

Bad? Is it bad? Did he do a cuss? Yeah, I mean, it's a really interesting way to get out information. And I think that's what's so. that's what's I don't know I loved the approach that Brennan had with someone being confrontational towards me and saying something to to sort of what am I trying to say to

sort of get out information about the sisters a little bit but I think yeah we'll talk about that more later maybe oh la la la yeah that's a tricky one yeah that's a tricky yeah too many we don't want to get into spoiler territory oh so instead I'll ask Matt What was it like saying goodbye again? So many goodbyes. Oh, way to just drive it a whole. Saying goodbye to Erin Nessa, and how is Julian feeling about her departure

to the Golden Orcham? You got to say goodbye to your haste machine. I know. It's hard to say goodbye to haste as a fighter, I'll tell you that. That's my favorite place of bed. But like, is she in love with you? Sorry, I'm just throwing it out there. Are you related?

Oh. We're not related, but I, but not. I'm not. Cous cousins. I wasn't sure if she was doing it. That's fine. It's more of a term of a beer. More of a term in Damiener.

Yeah, because like, you know, are the... Sometimes y'all are related. Like, that's a house to... Yeah. What? I don't know. I watch a lot of Game of Thrones. Oh, you know, I'm sure some...

There might be similar. There might be similar. I'm pretty sure there's some Ein Fosson paths crossed at some point, generationally. Yeah. You know, Hustavinos is the Vassel House of Royce. He grew up, she's... She more or less is kind of like an aunt to him. Like, you know, she's about 15?

years older than him, I think. And so, like, he was a baby when she was a teenager, and she probably, like, watched him grow up and everything. And so I think that they're very, very close, especially given a lot of the other politics and everything around there and his tension with his family, his mother and his father in their own unique ways. I think she's one of the people that kind of still believes in him

and kind of has his back in a lot of ways, because they've grown up a lot together. And he looks up to her tremendously. And he's one of the people that he really doesn't want to, disappoint. So I think he keeps a lot of his bullshit out of her periphery. Respect. And he's definitely on his best behavior when she's around. And so I think her presence on the heavy leg of this journey was very much keeping him together out of just, I guess, being used to keeping it together in her presence.

And so I think part of sending her off to Golden Orchard was one, he really wanted to make sure to check and that they were safe, that his sister, more than anybody, and his mother were safe, and the golden orchard was not in danger in the way that the plaza de Vinos was. But he also wanted to kind of get out of the chain a little bit if they were heading to head towards more Tacona's possible territory. Yeah. And so he's like, hey, this not only makes sense for you tactically,

and I appreciate you, but I want to get messy. And I can't get messy around you. So it's, he said, please, don't go any for please. We were all like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. What's the word you use? What's the, like, can you use the little, what's the little clicker that makes him stop? Clicker training.

Yeah, there you go. The vibrator. Yeah, he had a little collard, the, I just realized you describing that age gap and that like dynamic just made me think like, could you imagine babysitting a little kid and be like, when you grow up, You can't let me die, okay?

That's your whole deal. Yeah. I'm gonna change your diaper and then you're gonna protect me with violent. Yeah. It's interesting to hear you talk about it, Matt. Cause Julian, Sir Julian, sorry. He is so, he's such a little asshole,

but also it's so clear that he has this real code of conduct that he lives by and he's like, he is so men. I see, but also at the end of the day, like I've seen the choices that he makes, and he does have his own internal honor system, it seems like. He does. He has things in life that he holds very important.

You know, he has his own set of rules that he lives by and believes in, and he adheres to them very strongly. Just everything in the margins or between those rules is like, whatever. It's all, it's a free-for-all. And he's definitely one of those people that like, very much a soldier between wars,

you know, when you define yourself through victory and violence, and then you have an extended period of peace. And you're in this kind of affluent place where you don't know where you belong, but you have a lot of privilege. One of the options is to become an absolute fuckboy. And that's definitely kind of where he went.

I get it. Do you? Do you get it? You died of virgin. Super dude. And that's okay. And that's okay. And that's okay. Yay.

Well, I have a question for Alex and Matt. What are Octus' feelings about Julian's quest for vengeance towards his own family? And how did it feel for Julian to get revenge on his first Taconas? That's so complicated. Because obviously, Octus also is furious with his family, and that whole situation is all fucked up in betrayal. But also they are his family. And so watching his brother get thrown off of a thing into a waterfall, it's like, but I can't,

yeah, that guy, he was a dick to me my whole life, but, like, he's still my brother. Yeah. And so it's, like, a weird, there's a lot of confused emotions there when he bothers to, like, again, activate that. Because he can, compartmentalization is so easy for Arctus, now he just, like, stops thinking about it,

and it goes away. Yeah. So, like, it's, um, it's very, it's a very, sort of sticky and complicated situation. And is also then equally difficult to have a relationship with Julian, because the man who is trying to murder my family. And I'm also kind of like, I don't necessarily disagree with you,

but also this puts me in a weird position to be like, go kill my family? Like, it's so messy. It's complicated. I mean, you can't pick your family, but you can kick them off a cliff. Yes. And that, that's what I live by.

I think it's so funny that Tysha, somebody who can very, is very open with her feelings and has access to her, emotions had all of us on the road with her. Yeah, yeah. Like people who are like, let me just put this somewhere, let me trash compact it down, let me put it over here,

and then just, I think it's kind of beautiful. It's interesting, I feel like this, this, this seeker arc, for the most part, was one loud conversation away from everybody unraveling and screaming at each other. And everyone was just right on the edge of holding it together the entire time, which led to this like, underlieb. lying like energy. That was simmery.

It was a powerful in the table. It was so fun to watch. Again, one of my favorite things in the world is to argue with people in a role playing games online. It's my favorite. I'll get there. I'll get there. It just feels like mush and Barbies together where you're like,

yeah. I was getting into it and getting more comfortable with it. And I'm like, oh wait, maybe this is actually kind of fun. Somebody be mean to me. That's the wrong lesson. Throw on the table like, somebody. Somebody come at me. Anybody.

I love it. You guys, this has been such a fun chat. I love to hear your perspectives about what is happening and also just be reminded of all the crazy lore that you guys got because the soldiers were like, I punched a guy and met a dog. That's great. Red cap's going to put his hat in me.

Oh, my God. Brett is full of little freaks and I'm here for it. He is. He killed people every day. Well, that brings us to the end of our time here at Tailgate. I know. If you're watching on YouTube or Twitch, thank you for journeying with us tonight and we'll see you again very soon after the schemers arc.

But if you're a beacon subscriber, don't go anywhere. We're heading straight into the nightcap where we open up the conversation to our beacon bits Beacon Bits on our exclusive Beacon Discord. We'll see you there. We'll see you there. That's all for this festive frivolity. Thank you for being here today. You're cordially invited to our exclusive after party.

Head over to Beacon.tv for the nightcap and hear the cast answer questions directly from our beacon bits. Have something you'd like to ask our adventurers? Become a beacon member at beacon.tv and join us live for the next tailgate to get your burning questions answered by the cast themselves. Until the next time. the table's turn.