Critical Role - What Bits May Come | 4-Sided Dive | Episode 30 Discussing Up To C3117

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

Ashley Johnson, Liam O’Brien, Robbie Daymond, and Marisha Ray unite for our last 4-Sided Dive of Campaign 3! BEACONWe’re excited to bring you even MORE with a Beacon membership! Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to the shows you love completely ad-free! You’ll receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord. YOUTUBE MEMBERS / TWITCH SUBSCRIBERSTwitch Subscribers and YouTube Members gain instant access to VODs of our shows, moderated live chats, and custom emojis & badges:https://www.youtube.com/criticalrole/joinhttps://www.twitch.tv/criticalrole   4-Sided Dive airs one Tuesday a month on http://twitch.tv/criticalrole and http://youtube.com/criticalrole "Let's Roll (4-Sided Dive Theme)" by Peter Habib and Sam RiegelOriginal Music by Omar Fadel and Hexany AudioAdditional Music by Universal Production Music, Epidemic Sounds, and 5 Alarm

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Head on over to Beacon.tv to check it out for yourself and start a 7-day free trial. Thank you so much for your support, for being a podcast listener, and for being a part of our community. Hey there, Critters! We are so excited to share with you our brand new podcast from the world of Exandria, The Re-Slayer's Take.

In this audio adventure, you'll be guided through the wild continent of Isilra, home to some of the most dangerous creatures. Here, the Slayer's Take is the most notorious monster hunting group in the realm. But when previously slain creatures start returning from the grave, it's up to six misfit mercenaries to band together and re-slay these supernatural threats as the re-slayers take. So come follow along these audio escapades as the second coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria

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two weeks early and uninterrupted by ads. Welcome to Foresighted Dive, Critical Role's monthly show featuring a roundtable discussion about the events and characters of our current campaign, alongside a heavy helping of hijinks. Foresighted Dive usually airs the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. Pacific on our Twitch and YouTube channels, with the VOD available on YouTube the very next day. And of course, each episode releases right here on the Critical Role Podcast Network the following Friday. Let's take a dive, shall we? Four-sided dive. Thy light fades dim and low.

Done are the days of queries towering tall. And broomy dear his googled eyes forsworn. Look there he leans, forgotten, cloaked in dust, While Moppo sulks his dark soul left unloved. Despite the crew's hard labor lifting him aloft, How oft they tried, and yet the vibe most fell, the tragedy of mop that welcomed hell. Hark ye, the aimless din of opens cold, a cursed block, a sea block, born of dreams, rash with a hand that sought to summon marvels, yet sighed the crowd. Begone, benign block and cease, cruel chorus of crosstalk crass and callow, a verbal salad,

chaos of cacophony, croutons of law, so rudely tossed and tainted, that then were buried low beneath the fraught and feckless crunch of shard and maddened mummery. But here, here sits the deepest wound of all. Poor Liam, O, gentle, witty Liam, O, Who hosted only once ere now, Alas, for thirty turns have come to pass, And he, he, twice alone was bid to wear the crown. Who fated him to draw these lots so ill? Why twice?

When he, a heart so true and keen, deserved a hundred chances at the helm? An oversight of crew burned out and bleary. A bit. Or not a bit. That is in question. Tis villainy, I say, a foul disgrace, and my eyes turn to rain my heart. Twice.

The dive had four sides, yet I hosted twice. Tis folly. Now our revels round to sleep. We thank you, Critters, who did take the dive. For sure a show need not know what it is to know the hearts of those who take it in. Welcome to Foresighted Dive. Let's do one final show for campaign three. Oh, welcome back, friends.

It's so good to have you here. Thank you, Kyle, for giving me some iambic pentameter meat to chew on. Oh, Kyle Shire! Real good. That was really good. Even though I had no idea what you were talking about. Yeah. Not sure I did either.

I got crouton lore and that was, that made sense to my brain. Well, I did spend months in prep, so I'm a little disappointed in myself. Little summer stock action. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Well, we've got so much to talk about tonight,

so why don't we just get to it. We're gonna begin with our typical discussion segment. What the fuck is up with that? What the fuck? I get it, it was a metered poetry joke. I was there with it, I just chose not to laugh, take that. What the fuck is up with that? It starts with a joke. It's not really right. It doesn't work. If you cut the what, the fuck is up with? What the fuck is up with that? It starts with the trophy.

It's not really right. It doesn't work. If you cut the what, the fuck is up with that, then you're good. That's a good standard deviation. The fuck is up with that? Can I ask a question? Yeah.

It has nothing to do with anything we're about to be talking about. We don't do questions on the show. No problem. Can someone break down iambic pantameter to me? Sure. Really? Yes.

Absolutely. Because I was never like a Shakespeare kid. I like it. You've asked the right people. Shakespeare's great. I have asked the right people. Well, pentameter. Okay.

The pentatonics. Pent means five. Don't mess this up or the theater nerds are gonna destroy us. I'm your audience right now. So pent means five. Iambic, I think, refers to the cadence. Every line of Shakespeare's verse goes, ba-da, ba-da, ba-da, ba-da, ba-da. So stress in those words, almost exclusively,

not 100% of the time. Yeah. Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I. Well, I heard you throwing off. But when they're not. That's the most well-known example of iambic pentameter there is. And when they're not. It's true. That's the most well-known example of iambic pentameter there is. And when they're not an iambic pentameter,

usually at the beginning or the end, it's called a trochee sometimes. So it's called a standard deviation, which he often wrote in if you need a word that doesn't quite fit in. And these are divided via scansion, and each of those broken syllables. Scansion?

Scansion is what you use to determine poetic meter, and it's interpretable, and you can add diacritical marks to scan a piece of text. Those things? Yeah, and it flows really well when it goes, ba-da, ba-da, ba-da. However, the trochee, some say, is when you really wanna jar the audience

or have a thought that sticks out. Instead of going ba-da, ba-da, ba-da, it goes ba, ba-ba-ba. There was a trochee or two in the cold open. And I think in, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in Lear, he goes never, never, never, never, never at a key moment when he's going bad. That's the opposite of iambic pentameter.

To show that he's losing his mind. It's also a way that you're able to essentially have the writer direct your actors, because if they also know how to read the iambic pentameter, you know what he's, the emotion that he's wanting you to convey by the way that the pentameter is broken up in these trochees, in the scansion and things like that, because it's essentially a way to have shorter

rehearsal periods as well during this time. And he's just essentially saying, okay, I've given you this monologue and via all of the clues I have left you within the actual way that it is written, I have told you how I want you to read this, how I want you to deliver it. Nerds!

Nerds. Nerds! For my money, it feels good to say the words when they're in iambic pentameter. It flows off the tongue real well. It's actually one of the closest ways of natural human speech. It mimics natural human speech.

Well, he also has that whole, like, the one soliloquy, right? That's trippingly, trippingly on. Speak the speech, I pray thee. Yeah, speak the speech, I pray you. Speak the speech, I pray thee. Trippingly on the tongue. Trippingly on the tongue.

So, and it's like him writing a niambic pentameter to Danny's point. Notes to the actor, I think. Notes to the actor, like how to say it. And even worse, he doesn't always write in it. It can also mean character distinction. So, higher class characters will often speak in poetry, but sometimes lower class comedic characters will speak in prose to separate them from the rest of the cast.

Your touchstones. Back when... Your touchstones. Your porters. He speaks in prose a lot. Your whores. Yeah, I love whores. Your whores speak in...

In mackers. Yes. Oh, man. Mackers? Coin that phrase. I can't even, I'm not going to say that one. Nope, I'm not going to say it. Blake speaking prose.

Done. I don't know. Back when Robbie joined us on EXU, I know you from the voiceover world mainly. And so I was like, oh, we're going to get to know each other even more because we work in the same industry. But then pretty soon it became apparent

that you were a big theater guy, which I just didn't know. And you and I spiraled. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Spiraled down, down, down, down, to the point where you invited me to see your friend in a show at South Coast Rep. Oh, that was an experience. Yeah.

Wasn't my friend great in that show? He was great. He was great. So was the show. And he was great, he was fantastic. South Coast Rep was great. It was amazing, what a great theater. Everyone should read some Shakespeare.

Yeah, yeah. I stand by it. I'm totally lost. What are we here to talk about? We are going to find out what the fuck is up with... Midsummer Night's Dream is a great starter. Sorry. Yes, ma'am.

I can actively hear your editor's fingers cutting as we speak. Well, they're making the prompter bounce. You guys. Please. The malliest key fight. Am I right? Am I right? Of course, who's? Wow. Yeah, we gotta talk about the Malleus Key,

about rolling up with Vox Machina and friends. Yeah. I'm happy to be an asterisk, I'm good with it. Me too, me too. You're a toki, what is it again? Oh, it's your co-actor. Marisha're a toki, what is it again? Oh, it's a circle, I don't know. Marisha is a toki. We were talking trokis.

Oh yeah, yeah. Troki, troki. Wow, never mind. You're like, what are you? I just spit, this is a great way to start. This is a great way to start, I swear. A troki, a troki was the word that I was looking for. No, I like the other one better.

How about it? Not to be confused with choky, which is another kind of theater reference. That's true. This theater stuff is just great. Just great. All right, so Vox Machina, back together. The band's back together, more or less, a little less.

We've got divorcees coming together. Divorces and horses. Oh, wow! Thank you. Thank you. Almost a rhyming couplet. Wait, wait, wait. I don't know enough about the lore, or did it happen off screen? There was Scanlan Pike, a little of this,

and then they split? It happened off screen. It happened off screen. Yeah, kind of a lot of it happened off screen. Like there was always a somewhat of a flirtation, I think, over the years, just as like us being funny. And then, you know, because there were other very prominent romances happening.

Yeah. On the table. I think that Pike was always the one for Scanlan. I mean, I think the breadcrumbs were there from the tippy top. Oh my goodness. I kind of feel like they're always gonna be, I don't know, dancing with each other.

Star-crossed lovers. Star-crossed lovers, if you will. So much in your future, there's so much horse play and divorce play coming. I'm into it, I'll give it a try. Yeah, it's, yeah, it was always a will they or won't they. I could see Pike and Scanlan being that couple where they're like, we're old, we don't wanna be lonely.

Oh, like an arrangement. Like if we're both unmarried by the time we're 63, we'll get married. Yeah, maybe we'll get married. Yes, yes, yes. I really extended that to 63, I don't know how I'll deal with this character. I mean, they're gnomes, so they'll.

Oh yeah, good point. I mean, there's a lot of time that they have on Exandria to explore and to have fun with their lives. How long do gnomes live? 500 years? 69 years, generally. 69 years? All right, well, in my case.

Chutney is old for a gnome at 400. Oh, he is. So yeah, it's like between four to 500. Four to 500, okay. How old is Pike-ish? Pike, I have no idea. Yes! How old will Pike be?

You've never told me how old Pike is, babe. I got nothing for you. She has scrubbed her birth date away from Google. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What is that we were all just talking about? We were just talking about that. I don't know, she's maybe like... Are you saying it right now?

You're just gonna wing it? You're gonna make a canon choice? I'm not trying to stifle you, if you wanna do it, do it. I get mixed up with the... What's her age range? What is her casting range? Maybe like in the late hundreds? Okay.

Maybe early 200s? Late hun... Would that be like mid-life? You're an older woman then, I think, to Scanlan. I don't think he's over 100. Yeah. Oh, maybe not then. I think 99, or like right at 100, to Scanlan. I don't think he's over 100. Yeah. Oh, maybe not then. I think 99, or like right at 100, like right now.

Oh, well then I don't know if she would be, they'd be around the same age. You want Lorre or do you want Scanlan Lorre? Yeah, I think they would be, maybe be around the same age. Okay, fine. Could just go with like a nice, even 100. Yeah.

Yeah. She made it her centennial. If you live that long, do we finally get to forget how old we are? Finally? Is it a problem that I forget how old I am every other day? I do too. When you hit those mid to late 30s... I've been wrong. I remember I was like, I don't remember which number it is. Yeah.

You're like, am I 37, am I 38? You have to think about it. I had a great moment a few years ago where I thought I was X years old, but I was actually one year younger than I thought. Was so happy that day. Well, how long were you thinking about, like, did you think you were older?

I think for a year or two, I thought I was older than I was. I really like doing, I like telling people For a year or two I thought I was older than I was. What I really like doing, I like telling people that I'm older than I am, because then you always get the reaction of like, what, you look great! Because I always feel like people go the opposite, and then they're like, huh.

Yeah. You know, I want to be like, I'm 50. Like, wow, you look so good. That's pretty good tactic, actually. I don't know, blatantly be like, I'm 50. Like, wow, you look so good. That's pretty good tactic, actually. I don't know. Platently lying to my face. Platently lying, it's a fun thing to do. I love stretching to 50.

I could do 50. You could do 50? You think you could play 50? I think I could. Well, you'd need some makeup for sure. To get you there. Well, I could make it work. Depending on what I'm wearing, maybe.

I could do 50, I could be 50. Oh man, this is so apropos to the Malleus team fight. This, I could make it work. Depending on what I'm wearing, maybe. I could do something, I could be cool. Oh man, this is so apropos to the Malleus team fight. This is so doesn't end here. The Malleus fight. Did the fight go as everyone expected? No. It went great. I am very happy with my choices, as controversial as they may have been at the time.

Are they controversial? Yeah. Well, I did that earthquake spell, which. Oh yeah. I thought that was clutch. I think it worked out good. Yeah they controversial? Well, I did that earthquake spell, which... Oh, yeah. I thought that was clutch. I think it worked out good. Yeah. Matt was like, yeah, if it would have gone down, you would have fucked everything up entirely.

And I'm like, yeah, I knew that. But it didn't. But it didn't. It didn't. There was so much going on. I had a couple of moments of decision paralysis, I feel like. Where I like... And also, having never had that build before,

I wished I had some more long-range mobility. Because the battle map was so big, I often felt like cloistered to a certain area, and it was hard for me. I would like, and everybody's so OP. Yeah. So I'd be like, oh, I want to go help Grog. Oh, he's fucking killed everybody,

and I spent my whole last turn, I'm gonna go over here. I felt like that until mid-battle near the end. Yeah, but it was very satisfying to watch and participate in. I had a lot of fun moments, but it was definitely, I think that was my biggest challenge with a build I'd never played before. That's definitely won a level 20 combat issue, and then also an eight-player table issue,

where you'll, you know, and like, Matt and plenty of good GMs will be like, know what you want to do by the time that it gets to you, and that's smart advice and all fine and dandy, until you're like, all right, I'm going to rush up and I'm going to help Grog, and then it changes right before your turn comes up. You're like, well,

I gotta think of something else. With level 20 players, a lot can change in six, seven rounds. And you're fighting high-level enemies. Like, I'll just talk about it, because I had a combo I wanted to do that I never ended up getting to use the spell, and I knew

like, you've got so many things you can do, you're not going to get to do it all. But I had so many moments where I was like, I can't believe I did that. When I flew into the carapace of the creature that Grog was fighting, I have an explosion, like one-shot move. And my plan was to fly into his butt and blow up.

That's what I wanted to do. And then by the time it was like, and I'll chop his head off! And I'm like, well, fuck, now I'm sucking a butt. You know, it's like, it was, yeah, that's the way it goes. Now I'm sucking a butt. Yeah, yeah. The worst way to speak.

Yeah. You know, I didn't do any of the things I thought I was gonna do. With Lieve, she has these two rods. One was just for healing for free like crazy, but the other one, I was gonna plant it in the middle of the battlefield and it was gonna help everybody, She has these two rods. One was just for healing for free like crazy, but the other one I was going to plant it in the middle of the battlefield and it was going to help everybody.

But instead I ended up running, playing hide and seek and running to the back of the map. And then I knew there was the possibility of Vax hitting the field and coming out. And Vax, with his miniature, I should be able to take him from his starting point to the parking lot.

Right. Because his mobility is ridiculous. He went 15 feet, and then the battle ended. Yeah. Yeah. I was like, I get to fly. And that's it. But you got kind of,

didn't you get kind of like Matrix-born out of the goo, too, in the beginning? You're just like a little fetus out there to meet us. He's been spinning in there rapidly for months. He's a little fetus out there to meet us. He's been spinning in there rapidly for months. He's a little scrambled. It's like when you do the thing with a baseball bat and you spin around. Yeah.

He's lucky he stayed on his feet. All that aside, it sure was fun. It was fun watching everybody do their thing. It was the combat. You guys play so fast, too. Like, even though it takes a long time between everyone, it really feels like things are moving. That's good to know.

That is good to know. It doesn't feel like that. By the way, I have a limited basis for comparisons, so please don't take that too much to heart. Over the years, my notion of, we're out of combat in six seconds, which is technically the rules, that's not how I think about it anymore.

No. It's too whack. We're just metering out what happens in the fight. I don't think it applies to our group, the six second rule. I mean, like from an imagination standpoint, but a mechanic standpoint, you're still abiding by the rules.

Yeah. Like for how long spells stay up and all that stuff. But it doesn't feel like six seconds. Yeah, yeah. Because I think, theoretically, I mean, that Malleuski fight was only, what, like five rounds? Yeah, something like that. So it's like, oh, we did all of that.

We killed a giant worm, bees, a giant extra, two extra bugs. So extra. Brought down four towers and busted out backs in like 20 seconds. I wanted to get out my old Skeletor toy and put him on the back of that bug four towers and busted out backs in like 20 seconds. I wanted to get out my old Skeletor toy and put him on the back of that bug and just play with my action figures.

That bug was so cool. The bug was awesome. I didn't like the worm. It made me uncomfortable. Yeah. I'm glad that's where my fight journey ended. It looked like other things. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I said it out loud. Worms always do The worms always do. They always do. Worms always make you a little comfy. What else is on this menu? Well, I mean. Host. One night, so after the battle ended

and we got Vax out of the vending machine, I'll say one thing simply, we don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow, but what's on everyone's mind, what's on my mind most, is what's gonna happen between Sirkonos and Liev Tell. If the world doesn't end, I think you can expect that Liev is gonna get on his body. She lives with death, meditating on death so often that she fully enjoys life, and she has a very active sex life and you are just the latest. Latest. Oh, hey, latest and soon to be greatest, just so you know.

You're saying Lieve, like, she's a little party girl? She gets around? She enjoys living. Lieve, tell. Tell us. Tell us! You tell! She said about Bertrand that he showed you the wonders of the ages.

What's this, Dani? You said something to Bertrand back in... Show you the wonder of the ages. Yes, the wonder of the ages, yes. I mean, that's why she goes for silver foxes, is because she's been around so long, she is not putting up with any 20-year-old nonsense. She needs someone who's... She needs a man. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Smart girl. She's down to receive. So she was just like clamp Bertrand's lips shut and that was all that was needed. Look, he can do other things with his lips. Just stop talking. Well that's not gonna be a problem for us.

The stopping topping point. But I feel like Draconos is really getting into the meat man. Scanlan. Oh! I don't know. What's your thing? What would Scanlan Shorthalt do?

Oh, yeah, yeah, his little wristband. Little wristband? Yeah, yeah, well, it's Kayla's. That was just a pick on the fly. It was so good. I was literally, we built the character and I was like, okay, I got to do stuff. And then as soon as the idea came around that you guys were looking for him, I literally just went, wait.

If there's someone perceptive out there, you could probably see the moment the idea drops in my pea brain. I'm like, he fucking loves Scanlan. He's got no charisma. It's everything he wants to be. He's already strong, powerful, everything that he wants to be. He's already strong, powerful, everything that he wants to be. And it's like, there it is.

I wish I could just tell a good joke and I can't. I know this guy. This guy, I got- That's the thing. It is an archetype that I feel like we all know. That guy who's like boring as fuck. And then he's like, I love going to stand up comedy on the weekends.

And you're like, what? Oh, okay. I think- Comedy bang bang. Every Tuesday night. Let's go. up comedy on the weekend. You're like, what? Oh, okay. Comedy bang bang every Tuesday night. Let's go. I did a stand-up class. Uh-oh. I think you

called it out on the last dive, but one of my favorite moments of the last few games is just Vex with Pike going like, Sirkonos, if Pike were available, you'd hit it, right? No. Yeah. Lightning fast.

Lightning fast. So good. I also forgot Serkonos was such a looker. Yeah, he's a hottie. I was like, oh my god, I forgot that that's what he looks like. You know, those druids.

I mean, we don't age. You made the mistake of allowing me I forgot that that's what it looks like. Would you just slay it? Well, you know, those druids. Yeah. Druids, man. Just live a long time. We don't age. You made the mistake of allowing me to communicate directly with your artists. There's 0% chance I'm not gonna make a high note. Yeah, I'm outed for what I like. To be fair, I would say, I mean,

of course over time we have our like Veth, our Nott's and we have our like Ladna's, but let's be honest, 80% of the reason you play D&D or other tabletop RPGs is so you can look hot. Yes. I made the hottest halfling I could. Like you want to look hot.

Yeah, I agree with you. You want to just be the hottest you can be. Laura Bailey, I think somewhere we still have an email for first Vex art. Just make her hot. Yeah, yeah, it's true. Well good, nobody sent me the memo, but I'm glad I figured it out.

Yeah, yeah. Because it's in your gut, it's in your DNA, you know. We should, as trepidatious as I am about it, we should probably talk about the question mark that is hanging in the air at this moment, not knowing what the final musical notes of this song are, which is Vax is plopped out. Boy, I had no idea what was going on in that moment. Yeah.

So he's here, hovering for a night. We don't know if the gods are gonna be gone. We don't know if the gods are gonna be dead. We don't know if the gods, the status quo is going to remain. So. The most heartbreaking part of that whole game was when we finished everything and then just looking over at Keyleth, Marisha.

I was just like, I just, I mean, we talked about this the other day, but I just, I wasn't thinking that that was going to be her reaction. And then just the whole end of the game, I was like, oh no. I hope that doesn't come across as an overreaction on my part. And then just the whole end of the game, I was like, oh no. Yeah, I hope that doesn't come across as an overreaction on my part. No, because it didn't, because it was so, like it was so, to me, it felt so grounded and so real. Cause it was just like, it was a moment of,

oh, that's right! Like, they haven't had all this time together, and they're getting this one night together, and like, how could you just, of course you would be excited, but also devastated, and ugh, killed me. It was the moment that Matt said, as the matron of ravens,

it was the moment that he was like, one night, that I was like, fuck night? That I was like, fuck. But also, of course, and once again, we've talked about this, we don't know what the future holds yet. We don't know. Yeah, I'm nervous even to like, To talk about it that much.

Telegraph what I feel or think about it. Just because, It's still playing out. Yeah, it's still playing out. And I don't think there's one way that the story could end. You know, the matron sees a few different threads branching off in different directions. But it all depends on what...

She can't see yours. Your thread is hidden to her. Oh, that's right. Sorry, Wilmot. You know what it just randomly reminded me of in the moment for the first time ever was back in campaign one, I think we were in the Knowing Mistress' library

and the fact that in campaign, that was randomly how Percy and Vex's secret wedding plopped out into the group. Yes. And... Dawnfather. Dawnfather Temple.

Dawnfather Temple where it was? Yes, because I remember it physically. And Keyleth just cried out and... Like, that's such good news that they're married, but you in the moment said Keyleth cried out

and for a split second Vex slash Laura was so confused. Mm-hmm. Like, why? It's happy news. And then you didn't respond and for a split second, Vex slash Laura was so confused. Like why, it's happy news, and then you didn't respond and I just was like, because that's not what's gonna happen on our side. Correct. It's difficult. I mean it's shitty, right?

It's like a shitty reaction because it's like jealousy, but it's pure jealousy in terms of just like, cool, good for you, so heavy for you so happy yeah you can't help but think about like when I love like I didn't yeah just time time being robbed right it was also the fact that that specifically told Vax don't run off and get married over this over the year that apart. And then she went off and got married while y'all were apart. There were a few things in there.

It's like great wrinkles and complications and contradictions and that's what life is. Yeah, I mean, it's juicy. Very human. And of course, like, and we've talked about this on the side, like, don't get me wrong, I love the tragedy of it. it like there is something like very you know keyleth's life kind of got like just kind of chosen as like a a tragic one

there after everything kind of happened with the Matron of Ravens. But maybe there's time to fix that. I mean, Vax isn't playing shuffleboard. No. But we'll see. There might be time to turn that around 30 years later. Woo! That's cool.

What the fuck is up with that? What the fuck is up with that? Okay, we talked up with that? We talked about one night, what now? I think we can move on to the Murdynurns at this point, right? Murdynurns? That's just a suggestion. Y'all can talk about whatever you want. Well, I mean, is there any questions you have, Danny Carr?

I got so many questions. But I am someone who, in general, I like to wait to see what happens. And I am the same way about, like I'm literally sitting over here about to cry because of Vax and Keyleth. And so I would love to talk about the Mighty Nein.

Otherwise, I will start sobbing. Let's see. The Mighty Nein. Here's my see, the Mighty Nein. Here's my question for the Mighty Nein. Why were you guys ragging on my tower the last dive? Oh, you watched that? Yeah, you said you had beef with me. Explain the beef. Where's the beef?

What did we say? Another great reference for the kids. They're gonna love it. What did we say? I'm trying to remember, what did we say? Well, reference for the kids. They're going to love it. What did we say? I'm trying to remember. What did we say? Well, you were mad about doors or lack. You guys were very confused about what actually exists in there.

You didn't have doors. I did have doors. So everyone, what do you mean? There were two episodes in campaign two where I spent two hours combined explaining that place. I wasn't going to break down the architecture of the whole tower a second time. The second floor has nine walk-in closets with doors that open up, and you can open them and say, give me a pile of potatoes. So the walk-in closets have doors, but the bedrooms do not? I'd just like to know that if you had infinite level 20 magic, your one wish would be a pile of potatoes.

The second floor is like the room of requirement. Whatever you need, you can have. Do you need archery targets? You got it. Do you need lots of Legos to play with? You got it. Do you need sheep? You got it. You close the doors and open them and they're in there. It's the one mutable thing in the tower that changes. Sam was like, you can just change anything you want. It's the tower. He has OCD, guys. It's like the tower is fixed in place. It doesn't change. Just the trappings.

You guys had a date on that second floor. Oh, we did. Doors opened up and a bar slid out. guys had a date on that second floor. Oh, we did. Doors opened up and a bar slid out. We had a date everywhere. Doors opened up and a hot tub. A date was everywhere. All right, hot pants. The second floor has nine closets and there were bedrooms inside the closets.

But I don't... There are bedrooms in the closets? There are like nine garages that opened up and gave you a bedroom. So is it the size of a walk-in closet? Yes. Or is it the size of a... Yes, large.

Very large. It's the size of a garage, and there's two wooden doors that open and close. A walk-in closet. Danny has seen the 15-page document that outlines... But I think it's because in the show, I think you said... I think in CR, you're just like,

oh, yeah, you guys are just all on like, you said something about curtains. One floor and there's curtains. I was talking about the four poster beds having black. I was making shit up as I went. I remember the curtains thing too. I forgot it was the bed. I think my brain was going to, you know, in like Zelda,

in like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, when you go into an inn and it's just. Curtains dividing beds. I think some people were imagining an infirmary situation where the beds were divided by curtains. Because you said curtains. But that was not what you were trying to.

Super sexy infirmary. On the foreside, on the forepost. Is what I meant, whether or not I got it out right here I don't I don't know it's theater of the minds. You can't see my invisible non-existent tower Your visual of what the tower looks like in my head Too and I'm not even one of those people that like when I close my eyes and think of an apple I don't really see an apple. I just understand the concept of apple. Wait, you are one of those people or you're not?

I am. You know how some people- You are one of those people. Yeah, how some people can't see the apple. They don't have a man on their side. Or some people see the sketch, some people see black and white. Yeah. Some people see a vivid apple.

I'm not the apple guy. I have to like, I understand it innately, but I don't see it. And I could see your tower. I always find this so fascinating. Or understand it. I'm just happy to be there. So wait, when we do do,

theater of the mind stuff, do you visualize it? Do you have a holodeck? A visual holodeck? Yeah. No. So I look up a lot because I am imagining, but I don't imagine in a visual way, I just understand it. I don't see it in my mind time.

What about in the voiceover booth? What? In the voiceover booth, do you see visuals and surroundings and stuff when you're doing your thing? No. Wow. I'm just 100% in the moment in my mind. So when you used to have an imaginary partner in theater,

I would never look across the way and see a crying lover. I would just understand that a crying lover was there conceptually. Yeah. Is that weird? Am I outing myself too much as a certain kind of thinker? No. I don't know. But there's a word, there's a term for these kind of people, and I don't

remember what it's called. Acantasia? Is that it? Maybe. I don't know. I have the internet in my hand. You don't have to diagnose me on the last episode of Force I to Die. No, I find it fascinating. Oh shit, I got it. Yeah, OK.

OK, OK. Wait, wait, wait, read it. What does it say? Hang on. Aphantasia is the inability to visualize. Basically, the way that this is described is that people have, on a scale of one through five, can either see an apple, like, vividly and beautifully. On a two, they can see, like, kind of a cartoon drawing of an apple.

On three, they see a black and white apple. Four, they see the cartoon outline of an apple. On five, they see nothing. And I think that's what Robbie is describing. It's called aphantasia. Yeah, but I have super vivid dreams. Oh, that's cool. Super vivid dreams.

Very, very vivid life-life dreams. You're also very creative. Oh, thank you. So it's weird how some, I feel like those things would go hand in hand of really being able to visualize. Word and language focused. Yeah, I've never been much of a visual learner.

I'm more of an auditory tactile learner. Yeah, yeah, experiential. But like when Matt or any GM describes something to me, I don't have a problem putting myself in the space. I don't have a problem conceptualizing of it, even spatially, like totally. I have that kind of awareness. I just don't see it.

That's cool. Is it? just don't see it that's cool is it? I don't know it's weird I just understand it people's brains are weird if anyone out there relates leave your comments in leave your comments to critroll.com slash tower

I was having this conversation with a friend the other day and he was saying the same thing but he's he does law he's a lawyer and so he's like yeah I I was having this conversation with a friend the other day, and he was saying the same thing. But he does law. He's a lawyer. And so he's like, yeah, I imagine things like black and white or even in like ones and zeros almost. That's actually a lot closer. It's just a concept of being.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's fascinating. One thing, one quirk about me, and I mean, life as an actor has trained me to kind of, to make eye contact a lot, but I think in life, when I'm absorbing, if someone's explaining something complicated to me, I will, my eyes drift away from them often, and I will just focus on the words where I feel like I get confused, to the point where my wife is like, are you not even paying attention to me? And I'm like, no, no, I have to do this or I'm not gonna follow where we're going.

Yeah. And I listen to a ton of, I mean, I'm the only person in America who listens to podcasts. I listen to a lot of podcasts and talk radio. Same, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's interesting. Well, you're an auditory learner then.

Yeah. But I feel like I have the holodeck both in the VO booth and with what we do. Oh, there you go. Like right now, she just looks like a dying woman whose hair is falling out and there's a dead rat perched on her shoulder. I think you look great.

Thanks. Jesus. It's your character. You made her. She's fun scary. I was really happy and was pushing for it to get the tower out just because we are on such a rapid climb to destiny

that I felt like we would all benefit from taking that time out and injecting some fun. Just having a fucking minute. Yeah, having a minute for heartfelt conversations like Oren and Dorbibum had. You wanna say Dorum, it's okay. No, I don't wanna say that.

You can say it out loud. Do the shifting. Do it. You should be glad I didn't hijack the episode. Rabiam, Rabiam, Lobby. Lobby. No, that's a real person, I don't like it. No, you can't do it, I don't like it.

I don't like it. Lobby. And one of my favorite things from the tower was a decision that I made up on the spur of the moment, which was making Caleb a sea popper. I love that. That was awesome. Not planned, not planned.

I just knew in the moment it had to be. Which also tracks. Yeah. Yeah. That tracks. Talk about how you would collect cat figurines everywhere you went. Of course that was a thing. Yes, and now retroactively,

the toys that little Bren saw in the store are the shapes, the animals, the beasts that Caleb turns into an adult. So it wasn't the case when campaign two was happening, but now it is 100% true that Caleb turned into an ape because he was looking at a little wooden ape in a window. Yeah. I love a retcon. I love it.

Do it. I love it. That's not a retcon. That's just the story revealing itself to you. Yeah. Sure. Chipping away some more stone. It's just the story revealing itself to you. Yeah! Chipping away some more stone. It's always fun to go back to Mighty Nein.

But I didn't know, I was absent for the wish, right? So the existence of sea paupers was because of a wish Chetney made, or is that debatable? I wasn't here for it, I just thought about this. I feel like that's chicken or eggy. Ooh, okay. Well, he also,

because we also don't know any of this, like all of us. Right. You can't or it wouldn't work. Right, did he, did he, making that deal, ripple backwards through time

and slightly reorganize the past and bumped Caleb into being a sea popper by making that wish. It's very it's very Oracle in the Matrix. What's really going to bake your noodle? Would you have broken it if I hadn't

said anything? Yeah. I guess Mighty Nein has Chetney to thank for their existence. It's also our second Matrix reference. Yes, 99 has Chetney to thank for their existence. Uh-huh. Yes, we do. It's also our second Matrix reference of the episode. We're doing great. 2001? No, no, no, wait, 1999.

Matrix was 99, right? 99, baby. 99, baby. Should we talk about the Weavemind battle? Oh, yeah. That was fun. And Fungal Friends is on here. Oh!

And LOL Force Cage. I love Mighty Nein Fight. I wanna hear about the Mighty Nein Fight. I wanna hear. Oh, that's right, you were here! I wasn't there to win that! What happened, what was your favorite part? The mechanics that Matt came up with were incredible. What'd you guys do, what'd you guys do

when you were watching it? Well, there were five floating psychics, The mechanics that Matt came up with were incredible. Well, there were five floating psychics, and they were surrounded by crystals, and it became apparent that we had to break the crystals, or we weren't gonna, we had to break some of the crystals at least. But they also were all taking, if one of them took damage.

They were sharing damage. They were sharing damage and sharing like, Hivemind shit. So you couldn't focus and whittle one character down. It was just a collective lowering of water. It's a frustrating mechanic. So cool. Anybody's ever played a good TCG or board game

where you're trying to focus in. Focus on, yeah, you can't focus on it. And you have a special ability that allows you to spread it. That's tough stuff. How'd you handle it? But they, well. We kind of havesiesed the strategy. We did, and I think that was actually the right call.

Because they also had this ability, this like triangulation ability, where they would. If you were in the middle of three of them. Oh, that's right. In the middle of three of them. So they would all float around and they were trying to make their triangle as wide as possible.

Were they pretty mobile? Yeah, they were floaty. How many of them were there? Five. Five, well you can't make that many triangles with five. I was gonna say, if it was like eight or something, you could be in real trouble. Try to kill us with trigonometry. Yeah.

It was very, yeah. And then so they would float into a triangle, and then if one of them cast an ability, it would hit everything inside that triangle. Ooh, so an area of effect created by angle-based maneuvering? Oh, that sounds fun. It was awesome.

That's cool. It was really cool. I was excited to use a ninth level spell that I've never used before. I cast Timestop, and I rolled the maximum number of turns you could roll. Oh, that's right! That was so crazy.

It was fun, however, some of the choices that I made during the time stop were pointless. I rolled, the best part was is that I put a delayed fireball over some of their heads and then I threw another fireball to trigger it, so two of them went off, but I also cast Mirror Image, which failed every time I was attacked, and I cast a spell that makes me be on fire, so that if anyone ever hits me, they get burned. No

one ever came near me. Yeah. But you probably look cool. You're on fire the whole time. I look great, yeah. But it was so cool, because you just kept taking turns. Yeah. And I was like, wait, so you just stopped time, and you were like, I want to do this. You cast a spell, and then it's d4 plus one turns and I rolled a four on the four side of die.

Oh, wow. So you have five turns in a row? Five turns in a row. And then they had all these crystals, so there were these floating crystals. Uncut gems, you might say. Uncut gems. Uncut gems.

That's a throwback. And the crystals had abilities. It's better to pull the shot. Each turn. And then also the more crystals there were, the more the Weavemind would regenerate hit points every turn. Oh, no fun. So we kind of started.

Got rid of like 40% of them? Yeah. 30, 40%? Well, and then we, I know Travis was kicking himself, which he shouldn't have, because it just took us a minute to figure it out. They were vulnerable to force damage, which is what Eldritch Blast does. And we kept thinking, like,

oh, you got to hit it with melee, but then just force damage. So he was like, fuck, if I'd known, I could have just been like, pop, pop, pop. Spell sniping. Spell sniping. Yeah, interesting. Who took the biggest shit in the whole battle? Who tripped over their shoelaces?

Who rolled a natural one when they were flying through the air going, this is the final? Was there anybody just really cocked a roll? Dani looks like she immediately has an idea. I'm trying to think. I mean, it was kind of you, babe. Oh, no! What'd you do?

What did I do? Yeah, I mean, Belle's Hell's had a few good ones. I just think it's funny when it happens. Percy took the biggest shit in Mighty Nein. I mean, in most Machina. I was so mad at myself that game. What happened? You kept, your stunning strikes kept failing for

like the whole time until like the very end but that's as bad as it gets that it's really good yeah really really well yeah I feel like mighty nine did really well okay to be fair stunning strike is deliberately tough to hit because it's so powerful. But of everybody, of everybody I think you had the hardest run of it, but I think that even then, Mighty and I kind of kicked fucking ass. Man, I didn't feel that way. That said.

I felt like I did pretty great. You guys love D&D so much, you're defending yourself. Nope, not true. Because you can kind of nail it. I keep jumping, stunning, and striking, and keep trying for it. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to sow dissension among. Nope, not true. Because you can kind of nail it. I keep jumping, stunning his strikes, and keep trying for it. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to sow dissension among the ranks. I apologize.

In Beau's defense, the last one did take, and just the way initiative went, it was lining up to me, and I was already considering disintegrate, and you lock someone into place, and I went, oh, it's an auto success. It's an auto success. It was perfect.

My only thing was just Mighty Nein crushed it so hard. So the only real choice was, well, I guess it was kind of Beau, but even then she kicked ass. Like everybody just fucking crushed it. Jester's blade wall. Caduceus had a couple goose eggs. Not even really Caduceus having the goose eggs,

but he made the crystals vulnerable and that only really helped for one round. Yeah, we tried to take... Yeah. Poor Laura. She's trying to do this badass high-level spell to just send some butcher knives going ching, ching, ching, ching, ching, ching in the air.

I forgot that that blade wall happened. You know what, that one's worse. That one's worse. That's on me. Take that, lark. And not here to defend yourself. That's what happens on this show. I forgot that it existed. Not going in the recap. Sorry, guys. Whoever's on this show rounds on the absent members. It happens again and again and again. Fuck your tower. See, now you're... Stop, stop, please stop fighting.

Fuck in my tower. Fuck in my tower. Look, Caleb's Widowgast Nation nine-sided tower is for lovers. I'm telling you. Also, people this week have asked me, or last week, or at some point asked me where Essex room is. Caleb's room is Essex room. There's not a devoted room for Essex. Caleb's room is Essex room.

How do y'all think partners work? They've reached a certain age. Exactly. I'm going to sleep better if we're not in the same room. Honestly, the center of the tower where there's no gravity is their bedroom. Exactly. Like I don't sleep better if we're not in the same room. Honestly, the center of the tower where there's no gravity is their bedroom. Exactly. What do you think the top floor is used for?

Yeah, yeah. Wait, there's no gravity? Yeah, there's no gravity. How do you even purchase? I'll think about it. I just saw like half a dozen thoughts go through your head. And none of them were visual, so we're clear. We didn't put any of those out there. You need a wizard to cast reverse your head. There were so many thoughts. And none of them were visual, so we're clear.

We didn't put any of those out there. You need a wizard to cast Reverse Gravity and it's on the ceiling. Oh boy. How about those fungal friends? Oh my god, I love them! Big Princess Mononoke energy. Yeah.

Just like the Koroks coming out. Four spirits. When Matt does little creatures like that. I know. They're just so cute. And I'm like, let them be real. Little like Dave Bradley Baker clicks. Yes.

Yeah. He kills me with those little creatures. I do always like the potential for them to maybe be bad. I always, I mean I like that they're cute. I know, I felt like they were gonna teeter. We were waiting for it. Come, come, come. I still feel like it's happened before. I know, I felt like they were gonna teeter. We were waiting for it. They're like, come, come, come. I still love that it's happened before.

Yes. Oh, it has happened before. Oh, yes. Where you're like, I love them. Cute little glowing things in the forest. Glowing things in the forest. You're like, oh, look, they're little like fireflies, and then they're like.

Or attached to a larger killer puffer fish type monstrosity. Yeah, yeah. Oh, like an angler, like a doingler. Literally, he did that to us. Yeah, oh, that's funny. Yeah. Oh, like an angler, like a doangler. Literally, he did that to us. Yeah, oh, that's funny. Yeah. You guys, did you know there's a Planet Earth 3

out right now? Like a documentary? Can we go there? Like Planet Earth, like the series Planet Earth? They put out a third? They put out a third one. When did it drop? I don't know.

Soon. It had to have been like a couple weeks or maybe months ago. Sure, that makes sense. There is nothing better to watch sometimes. Sometimes? There is nothing better to watch sometimes. Ashley Johnson. I know when those sometimes are.

We all know when those sometimes are. I wasn't gonna say sometimes, I was like, well, I mean, not all the time, but there's times. Sometimes between the hours of 10.30 and 1 a.m. Under certain scenarios. Yes, of course, where you're like, oh shit, no way.

Planet Earth, yup. Man, yes. You have a thing when you're up there. There just is! You know, you know. I bring it up because, I mean, it's Planet Earth. They always like, spend 10 years making them and they capture the craziest shit.

The craziest shit. And there's, I don't know. I don't know where I'm going with this. It's cute animals who are deadly is where I'm going. The fungal creatures of Ruidus congregate deep below the surface of the moon. I wish we could do a planet Exandria. Like just a voiceover of just like a docu-series

of like something really nice to put on while you're sleeping. Have Liam do the voice. Fantastic. I'd watch it. Like, see in my sleep, you know what? That's just your Cosmo grim voice. Protathos lurks deep within the bowels of Ruidus.

Will he pop his head out, yes or no? I would listen to that and fall asleep to that. Yeah. But the slip and slides? Slip and slides. That was such a cool gaming mechanic. But like, hurdy slip and slides. Yeah.

They're real in real life, though. Like, I was down in Costa Rica. Slip and slides? Not slip and slides. Did you know they're real in real life though Like I was down in Costa Rica Slippin' slides? Not slippin' slides They're real Water slides that hurt It was a real thing for a short time in New Jersey I was there In Costa Rica the water slides are all made of just like

A rock It's like a carved out concrete And you're just hoping you don't get concussed on the way down. You gotta wear jeans. Yes! Have you ever done natural water slides, rock slides? Yeah, yeah, in Puerto Rico.

Yeah, they are. You get fucked up. Yeah, they do. I don't have to be fully clothed. They spit you out 16 feet above the water surface. Yeah, just this last summer, I was in upstate New York and I went on one that I hadn't been to since I was like a 10 year old, and I would go like, ah, phew, okay, I'm gonna get out.

No, oh my god, I'm going another 200 feet. I went like. You just kept going? A thousand feet, I was like, I'm gonna die today. I guess I'm gonna die today. Yeah, you're like, this is so fun. Is this safe? No, I can't choose, no.

Do people get hurt out here? There's barely. Has anyone died on this safe? No, no. Do people get hurt out here? There's barely. Has anyone died on this thing? Let's see, in Kentucky, we would take tarps and line them up and then lube them down with Dawn dish soap and then shoot ourselves into ponds. Hell yeah, hell yeah. Did you guys ever do sleeping bags down staircases?

Oh yeah, for sure. So that's what the slides reminded me of. Because when you go down, you're like. That or like big cardboard box or something too. Big cardboard box with the pillows inside. Laundry bin, laundry, plastic laundry. For sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Top notch, classic. Went to Dreaded Action Park, which you can learn about in a documentary. So actually wet there. I will tell three short stories. One is, one of the best rides there was a super short one that I couldn't stop thinking about on our water slide thing which is just, you climb up, you go into this tube

and it goes down into the ground, takes a sharp right and then spits you out like 30 or 40 feet above the water. You pitch black and you just go, and your head goes, boom! Every time, every time. There was another ride. That sounds great. That was the best one you said?

That was the best one. There was another one that was like an almost completely vertical drop slide that then went down, down, down, like probably 100 or 150 feet, and then turned out. And then you slide out. The problem is, it wasn't one long piece of plastic. It was like joining segments.

So there was a seam between every piece, and it was like you got caned on the way down. It was like, Weltsed on the way down. I was like, ow! Welts all up and down your back. I just involuntarily grabbed my pieces in fear. We've got the tape, Jim, I literally do.

Then there was the alpine slide, which were like little go-kart. That was like, horrifying, right? Yes, and you sat in a little go-kart thing with a lever and you would pull the lever back to slow down or just let it go forward to go, and I watched a kid 100 feet in front of me fly off and smash his head on another and out.

Sure. I mean, people literally died on that ride, right? Who died on that ride? Yeah. Yeah. Action Park, watch it, y'all. It's so good. But there's so many people who didn't die.

Am I right? Yeah. And that reminds me of Liliana Temmelt. Yes! Yeah, what a great segue. You've only hosted this show twice. She almost died. She almost died, yeah.

And she didn't even go to Action Park. We would've lost her for sure if we had just fucked up one earlier. One more time. Yeah. If enough of us had fucked up our rolls so that the average was super low, that would have meant dead mom. I feel like we were doing so well that Matt was a little tough on us in one sequence. We had one mid-roll and he was like, meh. I know. And I was like, what? Wait, why are you putting it over there? Yeah, yeah. But that made sense then.

I think it was after we were in the fungus room. And... You know, when you were in the fungus room. The fungus room. I was wondering if Ashen kipping over the seed was completely fucking us. I didn't know what was going on there.

Are we doing the right thing? There was so much going on with that. Say it like that. Yeah, yeah, it's pretty funny. Sorry. Sorry, sorry. Am I wrong? Wow. And then we were like, oh, we got it.

And Matt was like, oh, you talked to my seat and they shoot you down another water slide and it's like an express path. Red marker. And I was like, the fuck? Yeah, took a little turn. Why? I didn't understand that either, but he's got his reasons.

He's got his reasons. Maybe we shot like a quarter mile off in the wrong direction. Right. I don't know. Maybe it seemed good. Yeah. So the seed. I wanted to ask about the seed because I don't know. Maybe it seemed good. Yeah. So the seed. I wanted to ask about the seed

because I missed the seed. You guys got a seed at some point. Yeah. And how long had Ashwin been holding on to that? A long time? Very long. 60, 40 episodes?

So potentially something that could have been forgotten in a bag and not used. Do you think Taliesin, he's not here, I'd love to ask him, do you think he just saw an opportunity? Because I felt like that was an awesome, beautiful,

mystical kind of moment. It was right before the first time you went to Ruidus. It's fewer than that. It's more like 20 to 30, I think. You got it at the Allmines. It was the last trip to the Allmines, but it was right before y'all went to Ruidus the first time.

That was in? That's in Basaris. Basaris. In Basaris, that's right. It just felt like a really cool tableau that I'm glad Matt latched onto and ran with once it started happening. It was.

And that alien life and this seed now have a beautiful relationship, either for the rest of eternity or the next 90 minutes. I know. Yeah. That was my, like, I don't know if it was supposed to go sooner and maybe the All Minds Burn might have more of a psychic connection on the moon,

which would have helped us along the way, or if this is like long-term shit. I'm just not sure. I think it could have helped us along the way if we would have done it earlier. Because I think people just kind of forgot. Yeah. As a side note.

That's why they didn't do it sooner. As a side note, I love, with Matt's running of this story, I love the juxtaposition or the mixing of different elements. Like, he gave us the desperation and the fear of losing Liliana and rushing there. Gave us little cute fungal things and a water slide, right? And then a fight where we were racing to stop a woman from being like evaporated in front of our eyes.

And like Matt is just really, really great at, even in dire times, we are still playing a game, we still wonder and imagination and fun. So I really appreciate how much light and sparkle was mixed amongst the thrill ride of this end game that we're in. Yeah. Anyway, compliments. It's also so indicative of real life represented in fantasy.

Like, if you wanna go down the rabbit hole, you can say, okay, the outcome of that fight was saving Imogen's mother, and how much could that potentially impact her decisions moving forward? We don't know. How different could her arc have been had her mother died? I think that for her character arc is such a coin toss of how that could have landed. And in reality, it was decided by something as innocuous as how well we rode a water slide.

And if that's not what life is, I don't know what else it is. Serendipity, being at the right time at the right place or wrong time at the right place and how it can all go, any innocuous thing you do can inexorably change your life or arguably every innocuous thing you do does. Being butterfly effective.

So yeah, I don't know, I think it's so cool to think about it in that way. Your curse fate is you can't find your car keys for 20 minutes, but that's the thing that stops you from getting totaled by a bus in an hour. Sure, sure. Stuff like that. Yeah. Crazy.

That's life, you might get hit by a bus. Say, Lavi. Too dark. I do like those final rounds though, where it was like, oh, we have four player turns. Or Imogen's mom dies, and it's like each one had to, and then it was right after Brayus biffed it. Brayus took all those swings on Ludinus and biffed it.

Who took the most giant shit. Yeah, that was a great, because he held his turn. Oh, he set it all up. Set it up and then biffed it, that sucked. And then after that, it was like, well, damn. And then you set up that beautiful Force Cage. It was Force Gage's time to shine, baby.

It was time. There's no better person to trap in a box than Ludinus Delef. Yeah. It's been such an abject failure for me the whole campaign. I was so scared to use it. But we were literally a turnout before my turn. And I was like, that's the right play.

It's the only play. We're one turn away. I was looking at you 90 feet across the map. I only saw one route for you to get there. And then it's also not my decision to make. It's Imogen's decision, so I've got

to ask her if I can do it. And thankfully, it worked out, but it had never worked out before. It was brilliant. I had a thing I was going to do, but I rated it maybe a third of a chance, one third chance it would succeed. I literally smacked my head on my dice and poked myself in the forehead with the D4.

Oh! When I was like, this has never worked! And I'm like, ow, fuck! Insult to injury. But it worked, it worked for as far as we know. Well, I tell ya, if Liliana had kicked the bucket, I think Imogen's chances of picking dark choices would have gone up like 45%.

Oh yeah. I think Ludinus' chance of survival also would have been even lower. I think you would have caught a little dark image in it, which maybe is fun, but maybe we still will. I don't know. Well, this has been so great talking about what is up and all that, but we do have other portions of this game.

We have a little bit of the Tower of Inquiry to tug at. Tower of Inquiry! It's pretty simple if you haven't watched the show. We're going to take turns pulling blocks from the tower. If you haven't watched the show. Danny reads us the corresponding fan question. What a time to tune in. And we each give our own answer.

And if for some reason the tower should fall on the first pull or after, there will be a consequence for the one who destroyed it. Robbie Diamond, step up to the plate. How dare you! You know, I always pawn this off on somebody else, so I'm actually glad to do this. Bob's Rope, go one, two, three!

Whoa! I missed it. That was... You are the anti-Laura. A wild choice. Wait, you gotta put it on top. Oh. I'll even go down.

I'll even put it on the same... Oh, I can't do that. Yeah, no. What is this? Easy peasy. Cinco. Let's hit it. All right, number five.

From Amelia. Loved seeing Xerxes animated in Vox Machina. It was so seamlessly blended with some of my favorite plot points from campaign one. I was wondering what the conversations are like around altering original campaign moments to include beloved characters of other campaigns like Xerxes. Are there any ideas around this that ended up not being used that you thought were cool? Oh my goodness. That's a big question. That's a big question.

It's a big question. We've answered versions of this a few times across many interviews. There's a bajillion ideas that hit the writer's room floor, hit the cutting room floor. You just don't have time for all of it. I'll answer this one. What are you talking about?

I mean, you know, you still know. Ultimately, I think it's just trying to weave together what is a several hundred hour long story into 12 episodes a season, 30 minute episodes, 22 minute episodes. Right. And we were already messing with the reality there. Like in the campaign, they did not go

to the Nine Hells for that, right? They got that in the Elemental Plane of Fire. What are you talking about? Sorry. Well, I'm talking about animated, right? Like we fused a few things for the visit to get the Play of the Dawn Martyr and where we met Xerxes, and originally I think that was just going to be a devil. Yeah.

But, you know, like, there's not a lot of investment in that. So, you know, in the writer's room, there's a lot of, like, what if it was this guy? Yeah. What if we pulled this over from 50 miles away? Does that work here? Yank was the grease road that had the Spire of Conflux. Tumtum, yeah. And then so we just kind of put Yank because we still really wanted to have the Yank

in Voragor Battle. But we basically got rid of the Spire of Conflux being a thing in the show. Right, we decided Keyleth is the Spire of Conflux. Keyleth is the Spire of Conflict. Keyleth is the Spire of Conflict. Her leveling up is her Aramante. So we didn't want to, like, it's a little bit of a hat in a hat

in the animated series. The Yank Voragol fight is just one of those flags that in the beginning of the season, we're like, this has to happen. Now let's figure out how it does. And everything's built up to get there. A lot of what we changed and built up in the animated series is Pike story stuff. Yeah.

Primarily because you were in and out so much. Yeah. With Blindspot. We had to figure out a way to make that. I mean, it kind of, I feel like, was a cool opportunity to bring a lot of stuff in. That you didn't get a chance to explore. That I didn't get a chance to explore, but also, like, stuff we wanted to try with the story of, like, well, we can't have Pike going in and out, because that wouldn't make sense in the series, so let's,

let's just have fun with it. Which I love, because we can't tell the same story that we tell at the table in 22-minute episodes in a season. You know, like, what's the best way to tell this story? Yeah. Solving a Rubik's Cube. I also really love Pike's greater presence and stronger through line through that season because it had such a ripple effect into Scanlan's story as well and changed the tenor of his melody in the season as well. That was very cool.

It just ended up, because I remember it was after Calamity, literally like after shooting Calamity, and we were still at the table, and I was sitting next to Travis, and he was like, and we were going, if you remember, episode four was, no pun intended, hell. And everyone was having a hard time trying to figure out how to make it make sense. How to break it. How to break it. And then he was like, it's Xerxes.

It was a cool moment. I just think of LVM as the AU that is just answering the question, what if Pike was there? Yeah. Yeah. Kind of. Oh, man. I know.

We'll never know. Speaking of Pike, do a thing. That's right. He beat me to it. Go pull a block. Ah! I stole your host today. I mean, you are not the host today.

It's so natural for you. You're so naturally good at it. Nope. I refuse. This poll brought to you by Lobby. I feel like this is like, this is a little tilted already. It is a little askew.

Oh! 48. Whoa! 48, 48, let's see here. Reacting to the wrong part. That was my point! 48! What a let's see here. Reacting to the wrong part. That's my point! 48, what a number! You won.

Higher than five. This is interesting considering we're so close to, since this is so close to the end of the campaign, but Kayla Cabral asks, what do you think your character would be doing right now if they hadn't joined up with Bell's Hells? You said Kayla Cabral? Kayla Cabral.

I thought that was the start of the question. That's a badass fantasy name, Kayla. That's a great, I thought, talk to me about the Kayla Cabral fight is what I was expecting. What would they be doing? As the world falls down around them, what would they be doing right now? If they hadn't met up and fallen down this journey together

and Ludinus still would have been doing Ludinus things. Oh. No magical furniture, no Bertrand. Yeah, I mean, I feel like for Fern, she'd still be stuck in Nana Mori's protection. But she had left before she had left that

before she met Bells All, before she met the Crown Keepers. You are correct, Dani. She went out and about in the world. But I mean, so much of that leaving was because of... But if it's only that she hadn't met, become part of...

Let's say it's instead of him bringing you, instead of Oram bringing you, what if you had stayed with Opal and Dariax had gone with Dorian and Oram to Markat? She never would have been part of Bell's house. Part of Bell's house would have just like... Well, and you had a moment, right, where you're like, do I stick with Fern or mix it up?

Yeah. After we had talked, after EXU. Is that too much how the sauce is made? Like the idea that you were trying out your characters in EXU? Well, because I remember talking to you guys, and I was like, look, it would be awesome to, like, pull people over, but also... If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Or if you're like, I don't want to play this person for the next three years.

I know you had been building... Oh, I had been thinking about it for a long time. Yeah. Because you were toying around. Oh, I was toying around with so much. We had so many of those, we had so many games just playing and figuring stuff out and trying different classes, trying different types of characters.

I never was planning to ever play a druid. It just kind of made sense for Fern. I always wanted to play a rogue. And I just never ended up finding the right character. But I think after playing Fern with the crew, I was like, oh, I like this. I like this dynamic with the Dorian, Orym, and Fern. I want to keep her going.

You got your levels of rogue in the end, though. Yeah, you dipped your toe. I did. Just to steal shit. How many points did Rogue do? Which later I was like, why did I do that? Three? Oh, you got three rogue?

Three rogue? Sure. I don't know. Guys, I don't. It's three, right? You did go, I think, Arcane Trickster to give yourself some wizard spells. If Bell's Hells hadn't congealed,

do you think probably Laudna and Imogen would just be wandering together? Probably. Yeah. I imagine we could have probably stayed in Jrusar for maybe a little longer before both of us felt like we needed to get the fuck out of Dodge. But they're still Ruidusborn,

so they'd still be having dreams. I wonder if you can argue that there's no way. Fearne's never had dreams. But Fearne was still part of the puzzle, that's the thing. Well, and there was also the whole draw of Ruidusborn kind of being pulled in, going on their pilgrimage. So I could fully see Laudna being like, well, we have to figure this out.

We've got to go. I feel like Liliana would be reaching out to her daughter somehow, no matter what. Yeah. With that in mind, I feel like Fern probably would have been pulled into the bad side. It's been like, oh, sure, I'll help out. I can see that.

I could too. You're my father, cool. Oh great. Oh probably, yeah. Fern feels like she's always on the edge of like slipping into a cult accidentally. Oh for sure, for sure. I love that.

Literally beginning, even EXU times, you were always in question. You had a shadow version of yourself being like, come on over. Yeah. I mean, she's Fae. Yeah? Yeah. She's Fae, you never know.

I think Orym would've still ended up being a minor role in it all, only because if shit was hitting the fan on a global level, he would've been, continued to do like sort do traveling soldier ambassador work for the Ashari, but then when shit hit the fan, he probably would have either been summoned back or felt compelled to go back and lend a hand on the battlefield that surrounded Vox Machina and everything.

Yeah, he would have been at the Malleus Key fight probably no matter what. As part of the onslaught, but not any of the stealth teams. Yeah, I can see that. I think Dorian, I'd have to take it back to pre-EXU, I would say, if he'd never met up with that squad, just because that's, I think, where he found his mooring. I feel like he would be in high-level trouble.

I feel like he's so down for anything that without foundation, he would have worked himself into, he would be in a mess somehow. He'd be wrapped up, but in a way that is not good. Oh wow, yeah, I could see that. Maybe recruited to the Vanguard. Oh, maybe, maybe, that'll be so sad. All right, Marisha, watch me pull a brick from the Vanguard. Oh, maybe. Maybe. That'll be so sad. All right, Marisha.

Yeah. Watch me pull a brick from the tower. Whoa! Wow. Bait and switch. Do it good. I could see Dorian and Cyrus being like vaudeville people who are like running scams on people

and you scam the wrong guy. Dorian and Cyrus just like, just having like a hat and cane routine. Yeah. We picked the pocket of this lewdness fella. Yeah. Dorian and Cyrus just having a hat and cane routine. We picked the pocket of this lewdness fella. Yeah. That's your thing, that's your thing. You'd be our third scamster.

I probably would've been. We would've found each other. That's a three. That's a three. A three. Great. What? I just, I wasn't.

I was just, Robbie amused by numbers. We already figured out, maybe I only have numbers in my brain. Let's not push it any further. So this is from Lacecap on Twitter. Which non-furniture related mystery in Exandria is the biggest splinter in your mind from this campaign? Mine is the hidden Ice Furs city that BH ended up in

when one of their teleport misfired. I keep wondering if it's connected with Serret, Maya, and Patia's orb. Hilariously, I can answer that question for you if you read the recap for that episode. I tell you exactly what city that is. Read the recap. I forgot about that city.

Like, unanswered mystery. We left it. Yes. What happened after we fled the Shademother? She's still down there. Yeah. Oh. She's still controlling people with booger snot

coming out the plumbing in that city. Never looked back. Had bigger things to think about. Had the greenseekers dealing with her, so hopefully they took care of it. Hopefully they took care of it. Where are the greenseekers dealing with her, so hopefully they took care of it. Hopefully they took care of it. Where are the greenseekers at? Mine feels small and selfish,

but it's a was my brother savable. I think that's still lingering in the back of my head, even though the hope is a sliver, that's still lingering. Small and selfish, but I think the character thinks about it. Caring about your brother? Yeah. I think we'll allow it.. Caring about your brother? Yeah. I think we'll allow it.

Listen, the world's about to explode. I don't know. I mean, I don't know if this is a mystery, but I cannot stop thinking about FCG's coin that we dropped down the bottom. That was early. That's right. Early, early on. Who's the creepy tunnels?

The creepy tunnels under Drusar. Dugger? No. The course buyer, yeah. Basically, there's a whole probably other city under Drusar that we haven't even like, we've barely scratched the surface. Not even scratched the surface. Wow.

Huh? It's not really a city, it's more that there's like mines. Yeah. There's mines below. But hey, every city needs good tunnel people living in there. You know I love a bowl. Yes, exactly.

You know I'm the first one to be like, is it mole people? I feel like it's probably mole people. It's probably, when in doubt, mole people. When in doubt. Yeah, so I just feel like there's, I still, I think I've said this before, where it's like one of the side quests that I wanna do

is be like, hey, let's go get FCG's coin. Oh, that's kind of fun. Yeah. God, I can't think of anything right now. Letters, connection to the old world. Mm. Yeah. Oh, God, I want to know what all that is. We would have explored probably quite a bit more

than we did. Yeah. And ties to like, Devexian. Yep. We still haven't figured out anything with Devexian. Not really. True. If you want to hear more about Devexian. Yep. We still haven't figured out anything with Devexian. Not really. That's true. If you want to hear more about Devexian.

That's something I would wanna know about. If you wanna learn more about Devexian, you should listen to the Re Slayer's take on Beacon. It's family friendly. All ages. All ages. All right, it's four-sided dive, so that being said, let's round out

with one fourth pull from the tower. Oh, we're gonna do it. Okay. Okay, all right. I'll do it. Do it, do it. Last pull? Last one.

Last one? Let's see. Let's see. I feel like... Woodpecker approach. 23. 34. 34. 34? Woodpecker approach. 34. 34.

34! There you go! 34! You're holding it like a Price is Right. Nice! Wow, beautiful. I'd like to buy a vowel. Okay, Vanna.

All right, from Shafi. For everyone, do you think any of the previously established characters from past campaigns, NPCs, and player characters are Ruinousborn? Oh, interesting. Victor. Victor! Oh, may he rest in peace. May he rest in pieces. May he rest in pieces.

Literally. Yeah, literally. I feel like there were a few that Matt had kind of sort of alluded to. I still always thought Keyleth was for some reason, but I guess not. No. She's just a ginger. She's just a ginger, yeah. Yeah.

Keyleth has enough. I married one. Got enough going on. Got enough going on. And I'm like, oh yes, they're one has enough. I married one. You got enough going on. You got enough in your face. And I'm like, oh yes, they're one for one. Yeah. Ginger and Ruidusborn, same. I could see like Gilmore being Ruidusborn.

Zahra. Zahra. Oh, Zahra could be a Ruidusborn. She's got moonshit. Oh, I'll go back EXU Pauska. Pauska. I'd She's got moonshit. Oh, I'll go back, EXU Pauska. Pauska! I'd be like Pauska. Oh, man!

Be like her lot in life, yeah. Yeah. I'm surprised she hasn't shown up. Yeah, what is she up to? Well, you guys in the Kai mall. You wanna kill her? She was actively hunting us when last time. She was, yeah.

You fled on the floating balcony. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They did a car chase. Or they did. Yes, car chase, yeah. What if the Quad Roads lotto winner guy is the real one? Oh, yeah.

When he came back? Oh, no. He was at the ball, right? Wasn't he? Yeah. Preston Drodelon. Nice. Maybe...

Buddy? Yes. Buddy! He's just on a cliff somewhere going like... Maybe all of Darrington Brigade. There you go. Yeah. I love how he's theoretically rudisborne, but too dumb to like receive the message yeah

Just thinks is pretty yeah Maybe all of Darington Brigade. Yeah They just none of them knew our group. Yeah, we still have a broken Plane writer in in our bags, don't we? No, she, she, she. Oh no, we don't. She came back.

I almost said she door dashed. She dimensioned doors. She door dashed. That's right. Door dashed away. She dimensioned door dashed away. That kind of is amazing. Door dashed and she.

We didn't have time, because we were in a crunch, but. But we tried to be like, come back. Seedling, after it's level up, for the person who's attuned to it, can regrow any limbs, arms, fingers, peens, anything that gets lopped off. So if we had just an hour,

I was going to lay the sword on Rin like the Lady of the Lake or something so that... Oh, cool. There would be attunement. Once we brought them back, and then I would just be a loner for an hour, it would have been like a little magical, think of the Wild Mother, and they could have got

their arm back, but we had to go. Yeah, that's right. We had to go. She can do that in the future. If we don't all die, we can do this. If she lives. Yeah, right, she lives. That is cool.

I think they are. The plane riders are all right. Anyway. Wow. Shetney all right. That is cool. I think they are. Plane riders are all right. Anyway. Wow. Shetney's the last full plane rider. Shetney? Yeah. Well. Well.

Thank you, Shafi, Lacecap, Amelia, and Kayla Cabral. I took it as Caleb could brawl. Yeah. I thought it was like a one shot or something. And if you have a question for our tower of inquiry Well, you should out of luck It's time to slide into the deep dive where lore keeper Danny Carr passes out mugs filled with questions So like the ley lines are messed up for a day

and all we got is fisticuffs. And it's just a wizard fight. Just oops all Caleb's. Yeah! That's fun. Just weak-noodled slap fight. Oh, that sounds good. I think Caleb's got hands.

Oh, sure. Definitely answered a few of these. So I enjoy just, you know, run through them. You know what we do. If you feel like you answered something already. just... Yeah, we're gonna go around and take turns pulling the questions out, and, uh, hey, uh, Robbie, you go first. Oh, do you know how I know

it's the holidays? I am so ashy. I just... I just noticed on camera, this is definitely a guy who worked on a tropical vacation, came back and didn't moisturize for a week. Anyway, comment if you relate.

Oh, what's it been like as Dorian with Bell's Hells and the Mighty Nein? Do you feel like the only human in a cast of Muppets? If so, are you more like Michael Caine or a Tim Curry? Who writes these? That was me. And I was really proud of that one because I love the Muppets. It's cute. I'm so tough on you, Dani.

Love me, Robbie. Teasing's my love language. Love me. Oh, it was so fun. Are you kidding me? It was unhinged. It was delightful. It was watching a master class

at what you guys have been doing this for a decade. It was a blast. If Dorian was a grounding force at all to be supportive while you guys went through your machinations, I was glad to be there. Just talking to each other. It was super fun and everybody was down to clown. I loved when Yasha jumped in

and we just played background music for all the various scenes. Oh, that's right, yes. You mimed with me for like 30 minutes. Oh yeah, we did mime for a really long time. I was like, I was- Oh, I'll mime till the end of time. I was committing to the bit. Like, if someone else is doing it.

I was like, she's still committing to this bit with me. It was the best. Well, you kept going and I was doing the same thing. I was like, fuck, he's still fucking to this bet with me. It was the best. Well you kept going and I was doing the same thing. I was like, fuck, he's still fucking miming it. I'm KF, go on the count. I probably fancy myself a Tim Curry, but I'm maybe more of a Michael Caine, I would have to say. I would agree with that.

Yeah, yeah, this was the best. You treated the Muppets very seriously. I would say you're more of a Michael Caine. Yeah! You treated the Muppets very seriously, whereas, as opposed to Tim Curry, who's like, no, I am also a Muppet. This is my only musical number.

A quote from Muppet Treasure Island. Yeah, it was awesome. It was literally the best. What does it feel like? What did it was awesome. It was literally the best. What does it feel like? What did it feel like? It felt good. Let's go to Ashley.

All right, I chose this one because this is, I really like this question. This is for me, Liam, and Robbie. Sorry, Marisha. Sorry, go ahead. Was it strange to see Opal while inhabiting different characters? What would your Bell's Hells character have done

if they had been there instead? Wait, what was the question? That's a great question. Was it strange to see Opal while inhabiting different characters? Oh yeah. What would your Bell's Hells character have done if they had been there instead?

I think try to see if she was reachable and try to get her to stay with us. 100%, would have cocked the whole fight. I would have gotten diverted, I would have gone off target. As Dorian, for sure, I'm bad at that stuff. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, same.

I think Fern would have just, would have, yeah, same. Been like, no like no no no we're not leaving you you're coming with us we're figuring this out she just she loves Opal so much

it would have been a problem yeah or I would have stuck to mission and would have been fucked up because of it it would have messed up so many things

it would have yeah the world would have yeah it's great though yeah it would have been awesome yeah but that's why I gotta assume that's why Matt did it there

instead of elsewhere. Yeah. Because all these characters have no motive, it's just a stranger. But what a cool moment. That was badass. But it was, like even going back with the Matron fight. We just got the simulation.

We just got the simulation, but like as Fern, I hated it. Cause I was, and it made me mad at the Matron because I was like, why are you making me fight somebody that I love? Like I know this is a test, but I hate this. Like this isn't going to make me want to support you. It was a little bit proving Ludinus' point, which is you're using this person,

she's not even here, but you're using this because you know it will push us or test us or we're in some little lab experiment for you right now to see if we can do what you need. Yeah, that's what it felt like. And there was a part of me that was like, what if I just didn't fight? Just didn't take the turn, like, I'm not going to do this.

But then I couldn't do it because it's D&D and I'm like, I'm not going to not take my turn. But then I couldn't do it, because it's D&D, and I'm like, I'm not gonna not take my turn. But anyway, yeah, I'm glad we, it would have been very different if it would have been Belle's Hells. Been like, Opal? Girl, how's Belle? Yeah.

Liam, talk about that clutch disintegrate that took the weave mine down. I had been weighing that for a pair of rounds, but the thing about disintegrate is it's big brisk, big reward, and if they succeed their deck save, it just, nothing happens, and you've wasted a high, high level spell. And it really was because Beauregard

set up the bowling pins and gave Caleb a perfect shot and it was just a big old dose of damage right at the end. It felt good. Well, because we like, we have our little combo move, Caleb and Beau. Yeah, which we talked about doing, but didn't get to do. We didn't get to it.

Where I can, I'm blanking on the damn name right now. Of what your monk, your cool monk shit is that does it? Yeah, where I, like, debilitating barrage, I think is what it's called. I think it's just a taint punch. It's just a taint punch with flavor. A little bit of hot sauce on it, so it burns. Gross! Right, so Beau sets the person up for mega damage, and then Caleb. That's right, I did this on Ukatoa. We did this on, so it burns. Gross! Right, so Beau sets the person up for mega damage and then Caleb.

That's right, Elle did this on Ukatoa. Yes. We did this on, yes. Yes. Yes, and while in the aftermath, between campaign two and campaign three, obviously Beau and Yasha have a great marriage, great sex, apparently all over the planet.

Why would you not? When they're not off hours, Beau and Kale will form sort of like a, it's not a one for one, but like a Sherlock and Watson fight problems in Rexxentrum and around. Yeah. You said Sherlock and Watson, I was still thinking about their love life.

I got confused for a second. I mean, let's be real. No Conan Doyle role that way. Let's see what I got. Oh, you're Marcia? Should I not? Were you still talking? I'm done.

Okay, good. I'm done. Bo is clearly still very guarded around new people, correct, with her trust in the Mighty Nein above all, correct. Has her time with the Cobalt Soul hardened her more? Yeah, I mean, I don't think, jumping off of exactly what you're about to say, I don't think doing what she does specifically

with the Cobalt Soul and with Caleb makes her any more trusting of people. Her whole thing is rooting out corruption. That's not gonna lead you to being the kind of person who's like, I'm super trusting. Yes. Even if you've grown as a person, especially with your tight-knit group of friends, you're only gonna trust them. Yeah, 100%.

You're gonna be extremely wary of other people, always. And on top of that, Beau's always been a little shit-talker. So, of course she's also gonna be like... She's gonna be like. What? She's gonna be like, can you all handle this? Because you guys seem like you suck. I love it so much.

Yeah, this was definitely, I actually really liked Bo in these couple of episodes. We got to see her especially interacting with Belle's house because it was very clearly, at least to me, her putting up this front of just immediately just like, I'm gonna tell you guys all of these things and I'm gonna say like, well yeah, my wife and I hated each other whenever we first met

and all these things, because you don't want them to know anything about you. You don't want them to know the truth. You don't want them to know that you were crazy about her, like the moment that you saw her and stuff like that, that she was monochrome in a world of color and stuff like that. That's the kind of stuff you tell random strangers

that you don't trust. You're gonna be like, oh no, I didn't like her. What about it? You wanna know more? No, I don't like you either. I love it, it was just such a great encapsulation of who Bo is and how she presents herself to other people that she's still not quite on the level with.

Like you gotta chip away before you get to real Beau. 100%. I love her. I love her. I love her somewhat. I'm sorry for saying that she was shitty in the fight because she wasn't, she was perfect. Oh well, I forgive you.

Okay, I love you. Next. I hope I pull a question where everybody tells me how much they love me. Sucked. Fuck! Oh god. How did you approach playing Circonus for the table?

We did talk about this a little bit. Yeah, I'll make it brief. We got a lot of questions. Yeah, I mean, the Scanlan idea literally came, dropped in the moment. There's a great thanks to whoever contributes to all the wiki stuff. The wiki was great. Made my build a lot easier.

Things that I knew I had to do. Went back and revisited the Vox Machina episodes. Tried to watch clips of kind of like what that was. And then the rest was filling in the gap of what 30 years looks like for a guy for a guy like that But then the but the wiki helped because I'm like, oh he only ages 1 to 10. He's got these responsibilities So, you know a lot of my character building throughout this whole thing and Dorian included is making it plug-and-play for myself So I don't get too lost in the sauce. So you give me a character that's got 10 years worth of lore, connected to a large group,

and the easiest thing for me to do was to make him stalwart and sort of like dedicated to duty and isolated, and then it led to some just unintentionally funny character choices that once they started to develop in the moment, I was like, ah, this is fun. This is where I can find the fun in this. And yeah, I mean, it was just a pleasure to play. True improv.

Two days before, I was like, fuck, what am I gonna do? And yeah. Makes me wanna go back to the animated series and retroactively put in shots of him like in front of a mirror going, you've got the circonus. Yeah, yes. Scanlan does something funny. He's like, ha ha ha.

You see where it builds? Yeah, exactly. That's totally funny. There's still the future. I was going to say, honestly. Season four. If there is a Zirconos in season four, I'll figure it out.

Okay, one of these, we did answer, but... You're picking and choosing? I do. I told them to do that. The only reason I do that sometimes is because I'm like, I know I answered this, I know we don't have a lot of time. Yeah, just do it. That is the last one for campaign three.

I know, that's why I was like... Okay, so I'm going to answer... Okay, let's go with this one. How does Fern feel about the Ruby Vanguard treating her like a VIP hostage? They called her a prime acquisition. Is it especially strange after the death of her father? I actually forgot about that they called her a prime acquisition.

I thought you were going to say, I forgot that her father died. I was like, wait, her, huh? None of this I know. I feel like, at least how I've kind of been playing it with Fern in moments like these, I feel like the VIP thing or the Prime acquisition, I feel like it doesn't make her feel any different, because she's like, well, they think they know what the story is here, but they have no idea.

None of us do. I don't know if that makes any sense. Like, I think, I don't think I've had a word this without giving too much. I don't know. It's not that like Fern doesn't think highly of herself in any way or that she does not, but I don't know how to answer this question

this is a hard one she is a princess professor she is a princess she's professor princess she does think yes professor princess um I think it just it's all the same to her like if that makes any sense of we just have a job to get done and life is just gonna go on and me being this VIP hostage isn't like, it's like nothing's gonna change. I don't know how to make sense of this. Let's go on to the next question. I'm not answering this correctly.

Sorry, Dani. You're perfect. No, you're great. I liked it. Sorry. So I was like, oh wait, no, Dani. It was a very doubtful answer. You're just cruising down the river're great. I liked it. Sorry. I was like, oh wait, no, Dany. It was a very Dawa-Fern answer. You're just cruising down the river.

Yeah, yeah. I feel like it makes sense for Fern. She's just like, yeah, good, I'm the important hostage because it's gonna get us in. I'm important in this moment and I'll use it to get us in. Further down the river. Incubus.

Incubus. She has a little bit of an incubus. What was it like for Caleb to mentor other young adventurers like Imogen to open his tower to those who might need it? I think that Caleb is kind of in his Allura era. Aww. Aww. I really love the, I actually really love

the sort of corruption fighting Zemnian kids story that I hope to one day tell. That is a big favorite of mine. But I also love Caleb as a teacher and a guide for young people and I don't think of him as ever wanting any kind of like laurels or fame really the way that like Vox Machina is legendary and known. I still think in a way way, he's like, that's not for me, because while I have come to accept my past and everything that happened, my life is still meant to be one of service,

to counterbalance the darkness of my beginning. And the best he can do is mentor other people, and Imogen is her own character and her own person. But clearly, clearly to Caleb, there is a lot of like turmoil in there. And just he's looking at a young person who's not sure what is right. And I think it was gravitated towards that in a teacher or like an uncle or mentor fashion. Professor Princess. It's sweet, yeah. Professor Princess.

Caleb is definitely Professor Princess. Definitely. But is he a pillow princess? I'm sorry. Wow, Dani. Sorry, came out. Dani. I will go back to my corner.

That's the next question. Yeah. There it is. It is, just to jump off of what you were saying, seven years have gone by, and the Mighty Nein are still unsung heroes. Yeah. And I think we will be for forever.

Forever. That's your story. Yeah. We got sucked in on this rudest business, but even still, it's like, we'll throw these things at you guys. We're still... And in the end, it's only going to be of these three groups.

It's really only Vox Machina that's going to be elected that were thrust into this massive spotlight. But El's Hells were like a weird little screwball unit that nobody should have bet on. And Mighty Nein, I think, are all super fucking confident, but they're going to continue to work angles and pull

strings invisibly for the good of the world. Yeah, we're just gonna keep doing our community service. How does Laudna feel about the Matron of Ravens now? What does her connection mean to her? Yeah, it was very fun and felt good to have a character that wasn't like, fuck you, Matron, for I think the first time in this campaign.

But I think it's still just an extension of, like, Laudna kind of always, like, craving to be seen a little bit and kind of craving and also having that infatuation with, like, people of stature and people in power and, you know, she's always kind of admired lords and ladies and regency. And I think it's kind of like that,

but on a godlike scale. So just even a little bit of the nod. And then also so many people have looked at Laudna for so long as this abomination of her being undead and not really existing between the veils. So to have the, and yeah, I was convinced that the Matron of Raven was gonna be like,

mm-mm, you're not good. You're a bastardization of what I represent. But the fact that she was like Yeah I like you kid. Maybe that would have been a reaction 30 years ago, but with everything that's going on Yeah, that's a dang mask Gotta get it back from the cow first. I got it from there. You got it back. I got it from Imogen telekinetically pushed it into her hands. I bullied it. Yeah, I understand.

Yeah. I'm just waiting for the right moment. I think we could do two more rapidly. Yeah, I think so. A little quicker. Answered it! Talk about Doram, I'm gonna lose my shit. Answered it!

Talk to us about the relationship between Orym and Dorian. Thank you. You wielded into being their scene of confession and how they're doing in this new romance. Is it a romance yet? That's a good question. Y'all have been through this.

To me, it's only the possibility of the love, I think the love, the attraction, for my part, the passion is there. But to me, a romance requires the time to activate. And I think you said something beautiful when we first said that. It was like, what could have been if only we had more time? If only, if only, if only.

And I think that's a beautiful place for love to begin and love to exist because I feel like for a lot of people that's how unrequited or a lot of love stories sort of end up. It's like, it was just never right. And sometimes you never find that. So, you know, I mean,

this is coming from someone who like, I used to date my wife in college. And we didn't see each other for seven years. Didn't talk. And now we're married and have two little babies. Like, for me, that's one of the things where it's like. It's one of my favorite stories. I love it.

When you know it's your person, you know it's your person. Yeah. And he's always got something in the back of your head. And I think that's always been on my mind since episode one of EXU. And to be able to say it like open and freely and to admit that this isn't the right time. It's not the right place. Fucking figure it out later was really freeing. I finally glad just to do it.

Yeah, I think they're still earning. And it's only going to be another six or 24 hours or whatever it's gonna be. They're earning their way toward a reprieve from the insanity, and then they can, just like Vax and Keyleth, it really depends on what happens in the next 12, 24 hours. But it goes back to EXU for me as well.

And you never,'t couldn't predict where the campaign were gonna go or if my other role player at the table would be even interested in following that thread with me or not but i can remember i knew that i wanted this story to be like uh oram's like wandering out of the woods and going like do can i start again was was one of the things i wanted to sniff out and i remember just randomly role playing in one of those exu episodes where either you or matt narrated like i nestle up next to the other one and so dariax and dorian were like nestled under a tree and i and i had oram was awake doing guard watch up in the tree. And all the way back then, I was like, not for me, but I wish.

I may not be able to visualize things in the moment. But that image is etched in my head, too, from way early on. And I think that was the birth of it. And I think Dorian was still finding his own freedom in a sense of literally being released into the world. So I was exploring all sorts of options. I think for Dariax, there was a moment there at a certain point. And other characters. One game, two game, three game in, anything can happen.

Yeah, our first four-sided die. Who do you have a crush on? And I said, he got some romantic vibes around the table from other things, though he never really, he kept a distance at it. Okay, okay. What did I do wrong? What, what, what, what? I was wondering.

I was wondering. Because, okay, okay. Spill the tea. Because I was like, is he crushing on Imogen? Is he fucking crushing? Are you crushing? Imogen, that's interesting. It's good.

I'm glad I know your ships. Yeah, seriously. What's your question, man? No! No, you son of a bitch! Should we guess? Both of you think it's one person, and that was true, not just a red herring.

There were other characters where, even though Aurum was kind of always where my head was true, not just a red herring. Like there were other characters where, you know, even though Aurum was kind of always where my head was at, if another opportunity within the group had presented itself, I don't think Dorian would have like shut it out because he's there for the experience of life. So yeah, it was. Because I remember, I thought you had a crush

on Imogen for a minute. Maybe. You were the first one I princess carried, so. That's right. Ah, ooh, the fans hate it, they hate it. I'm gonna break up your favorite ship. But no, no, it was always Orym. Yeah.

No, I love it. Yeah. Man. I answered my other questions, but I will just say how fun it was to jump back into Yasha. I didn't have Yasha questions, which I'm okay with. No, there was one.

There is a question, I think, for, it might be a Marisha question, but it's for both of y'all. Where I talk about where it's a Yasha and it's a Yasha. A Yasha and a Beau? Here, I'll lend you a question. There was also a question about Ashton in there, or there should have been. What were some of the, there is,

and that is one question that I was like, should I answer this? I think I'm gonna wait. That is totally fine. I'm glad that you told the fans that you're gonna wait so they don't think I didn't ask. No, no, no, there is a question here about Ashton, but I was like, I need to figure gonna wait. Yeah. That is totally fine. I'm glad that you told the fans that you're gonna wait so they don't think I didn't ask. No, no, no. There is a question here about Ashton,

but I was like, I need to figure some stuff out first. Mm-hmm. What were some of the dynamics that you two wanted to bring to Beau and Yasha's relationship seven years later? Well, so much of that was so last minute.

Yeah, we were like, oh, shit. Because there was so much like, okay, tonight you guys are playing these characters, and tonight you guys are playing these characters, and tonight you guys are gonna, tonight you're jumping in an M9, and I think there was just like,

there was a lot going on. There was a lot going on. The last few games, like figuring out. With both of your Grafave relationships, it was last second, what are we? I mean, I mean, I don't know. I feel like with Beau and Yasha, it's so easy for me to slip in to just being in love with Beau. Yeah.

Because I just love when Marisha gets in her just like, like just frustrated and like mad with everybody. Like every day. Yeah, I love it. I love like, she's just. It's fair, I love it. I love, like, she's just... It's fair. She's cute. I love her. So I don't know, it's easy to hop back into, and there's like a comfort in it, too, of like the two of them

and figuring out where their lives are going to go and what their wants are going to be. There was a very last minute of like, wait, did we... Did we end up adopting kids? Yeah, didn't we say we were going to adopt kids And there was a very last minute of like, wait, did we, didn't we say one time? Did we end up adopting kids? Yeah, didn't we say we were going to adopt kids? Did we do it yet? And then we were like, we can't just, we can't just like decide that right now.

Yeah. Towards the weight of a decision. Yeah, we'll just talk about it again. But you can, you literally can. You could have just said, yeah. We could have. But that feel, I mean, we kind of brought it into the game where it feels like that's probably what, Beau and Yasha have probably been discussing it for seven years. Like babe, when things calm down, we kind of brought it into the game where it feels like that's probably what Beau and Yasha

have probably been discussing it for seven years. When things calm down, we can. Yeah, when things, you know, I think just, just after this winter solstice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. After this winter solstice. Fast forward 20 years later to Palm Springs. Remember when we were going to a different place.

They'd be saying this every year on the hour. After this winter solstice, we'll talk about it again. Yeah. That's funny. Yeah, but it. We'll talk about it again. Yeah. That's funny. Yeah, but it's just, it's so great. Yeah, anyway. All right, my last one. One last one for me, one last one for you, Marisha.

As we move into the final phase of Bell's Hell's Prodothian journey, where is Oram landing on the god question? Where are they all right now? So I'll kick it off and you can jump in. You know, only in the last few episodes do I think that there is a little bit of waver or wiggle to Orm's thinking on it, just because of their

meeting with the Archheart and the Matron, and realizing that the gods are just as conflicted as the mortals are, that he now a little bit doubts that there is a 100% right answer. He knows that they have to stop Ludinus

from doing what Ludinus wants to do. But he is only 95% sure they need to stop it all from happening instead of 100% sure. What about y'all? Good question. Before you get to your question. Yeah, Yeah. I mean, I think we'll find a time where we all, like,

it feels like such a cop-out, but I do think, like, there will be a moment, the moment will present itself, and we all go, like, this is it, this is the right moment. And I've kind of said that a few times in game, where it's like, well, we've got to talk this out, we've got to all be on the same page, we've got to have a plan, and it's like, what plan? Plan for what?

We don't even fucking know what we're walking into. Yeah. And so I think it's going to be like an in-moment thing, where we're just all gonna like trust in each other and know that it's right. Yeah, I think we'll all land on, I mean, it's gonna have to be, right? Whatever we decide, it's gonna be,

it's gonna have to be right. Yeah, I feel the same way. Not if we pile rocks on top of that force cage. Yeah, definitely, Can't move. I think Dorian shifted from the opposite of a man of faith, like a little bit of a god-hater, into his true, canonically chaotic, neutral self of a utilitarian. I think he'll do with whatever the gods that most benefit the people that he loves. Which is weighty when you say it out loud that you're willing to sacrifice the gods for your mortal friendships. But I think that's where he's at, wherever it goes.

If it means keeping him around, he'll stomach it. If it means getting rid of him, all the better. As long as the people that he cares for end up on the right side of it. So, so, yeah, yeah. Definitely utilitarian about it. I just feel like Fern is just like, as long as my people are safe, the world could burn.

Doesn't matter. It feels like the one thing that we are, even if we have different flavors of it, it feels like all of Bell's Hells is kind of like we're kind of the adventuring party for the people. I feel like we've kind of always been that way a little bit. Maybe that's the root of our consternation with this god issue is that we have no objective way of determining

of whether the gods are for the people. The arguments have been made that they're very self-interested, all those things, and then arguments have been made that no, the gods are here to protect us and they love you and they want you to flourish and they've given you all these powers, why else would they do that? So I think that might be the source of our conflict, are the gods for the people? I think I get torn too because I think that might be the source of our conflict, is are the gods for the people? For the people. Yeah. I think I get, like, torn, too,

because I think, like, regardless, just in, like, faith in real life, people need faith, too. You know, like, even if we're like, well, fucking whatever, we can, like, have a godless world and keep doing what we've been doing this whole time.

There are people in Exandria like it is undeniable that the gods are important to a lot of people in Exandria. So I think that that has to be taken into consideration as well, in a way. I think O that has to be taken into consideration as well.

Yeah. In a way. I think Orym treats it like that moment in Oppenheimer where they're about to do the test and he says there's the, this percent chance that we'll cause the end of the world. And they just don't know. Yeah. And that's what Orym worries about, but there's nothing to be done. There's no like sitting it out because lewdness

is going to wield it so the only choice is to run toward lewdness and stop lewdness from whatever it is he thinks he's going to do that's heavy that's really heavy I mean that's been Oram the whole time

it's a question mark no idea what releasing for Dathos actually means on a tangible... Forget about the gods, good, bad, help us, love us, a detriment to us. We don't know what the physical releasing of whatever Predathos is would do. That means... And Orm is a soldier. I mean, he's a... Well, you say man of the people.

He's thinking of keeping the global population safe from extinction event. The ultimate protector. Hope we don't light the atmosphere on fire. That part. These are the last questions. This is the last question. This is the last question. Yours.

I'm going to do a twofer, just once again, so that people know. She's a twofer. What does Laudna think of the Liliana situation? I mean, that's basically Laudna's mother-in-law. Yeah, I mean, I'm glad we saved her. Obviously, there was a time where Laudna was not super stoked with Liliana, because she was like, you kind of abandoned your daughter, and I love your daughter, and so that fucking sucks.

Once again, I don't think it's too dissimilar than a spouse. Most marriages. Who has, I mean, you know, that's my partner. Yeah, what did your dad do? How many people have had that where you're like, I don't care if it's your father. He's being a fucking asshole right now. So, yeah, she kind of had that. But, I mean, obviously, I think she's come around a lot to Liliana and I think especially after her situation with Delilah I think has kind of has a little bit of a different understanding on the whole situation

of getting like kind of being trapped in a circumstance that's not necessarily of your own creation and feeling that guilt from it as well last one how is Keyleth doing with the return of Vax you kind of touched on this but I feel like it'd be a good one to end on Last one. How is Keyleth doing with the return of Vax?

You kind of touched on this one, but I feel like it'd be a good one to end on. Yeah, me too, me too, me too. To have him back, but only for one night, is both a blessing and a curse. Yeah, I mean, I guess just to, I don't know, clear the air or whatever. Yes, I was upset at the end of that episode.

But I think I do wanna paint it and make sure everybody knows, you know, I'm not upset with the way the story or anything went. It is just because that is how intense and real these characters' feelings are in all of us. It's silly to a certain extent where you're like, oh, this imaginary person has had such this

profound effect on my life. And it's not even, it's not coming, it's not driven from a it's not coming, it's not driven from like a point of self pity, if that makes sense. Like it is not like, oh, Marisha feels bad with the way these circumstances are. It truly is like, Keyleth is this whole other person who lives not just in my head, but in everyone's heads now, like thousands of people's heads.

It's about 2,000, I think is the max. Yes, 2,000. is like this profound empathy and like sense of sadness for Keyleth as a person, which is, like I said, weird since she's, you know, birthed from my head, but it is like a very removed sense of like emotional connection. So that's where those feelings were coming from.

And I think like Sam said it in our cool down, he was like, this, I feel, he's, I think was the first one to say, I feel so bad for Keyleth. And it was like, yes, correct. Yeah. Cause it's just like, damn, just either give her peace or give her resolution or give her her man back.

And yeah, we've, I don't want to say much at all. Liam and I have talked about it on like, we'll find that sense of resolution. We just don't know what that means yet. Don't know what the landscape is. Don't know what the landscape is. But you know what that means yet. Don't know what the landscape is. Don't know what the landscape is. But you know what's crazy? It's like you saying, like, yeah, it's wild to think about,

you know, playing these characters. Obviously it's fantasy, they're not real. But all of us have spent so much time together as those people. We've lived the dynamics of those relationships. Yeah, so they totally feel like, I think at the dynamics of those relationships. Yeah so they totally feel like I I think at the end of that I was just like I know like Keyleth's story and I'm but at the end of it I'm just like that's my friend hurting.

Yeah exactly. And like knowing that she has to go home alone tonight clearly you don't. Right. Like thinking of it just I'm just like you she goes all at home alone at night and always holds a candle for this person that is just not gonna ever come back like it kills me yeah well in Keyleth I mean once again I know we've all talked about this as a group like she's definitely a very real allegory I mean not even an allegory she is like a real example of like what a lot of grief can manifest as. And currently she is kind of stuck

in this worst case of grief, which is like the inability to move on. Yes. And that sucks. It's tragic. It's tragic. It's tragic. It's also... Yeah, yeah.

Well, but I'm not sure... Very juicy. But it's just like, God, what a... What a story, you two. What a story. I don't think it's weird at all to feel those feelings

in a visceral way because, you know, again, outside looking in from what you guys have done, we started the night with poetry and lots of millions of people, hundreds of thousands of people have favorite poems and books and films and pieces of art that affect them on their day-to-day life that are basically cooked up in a vacuum until they make their way out into the world. And what's unique

about what you guys do here is that those stories are alive currently every single day. And they're being crafted in the moment based on your own understanding of the characters. So for me, just watching it unfold, feeling the feelings of those characters is not only expected, but like, what a blessing. How many people would love to have the opportunity to step in to be the protagonist of their own favorite book? And, you know, that's a special kind of sadness that just feels earned and totally reasonable to me. Yeah. We also all love happy endings. I love happy endings, but we also,

there's a reason why Medea and Romeo and Juliet and other works, tragedies, you know, resonate 2,000, 3,000 years later. Yeah, I mean, once again, we've talked about this, but I think we've all had our Hadestown kick. And at the very end of that show, you know, they say, like, why do we tell this stories? We tell this story again, like the play ends with the way it begins. And it is a story of Eurydice and Orpheus.

It is a story that has been told millions of times. And it's like, why tell it again? And it's like, we're gonna do it again anyway, because, because. My favorite part of Hamlet two is when Hamlet comes back to life and gets pooped out of an egg and he's just a gooey baby. That's my favorite part of the Hamlet story.

Matrix! We did it! Three for three, baby! We like art like that because it makes you feel so intensely that you learn about the human heart. Yes, yes. And stories like that, you learn something different. Yes, yes. And stories like that, you learn something different every time, too.

There's so many of my favorite, it's like, why do you watch your favorite movie again and again, you've seen it. Air Bud, totally. Fuck yeah. Is he gonna make that basket? I'm more of a golden receiver fan. There's no rule that says a dog can't play basket.

Is he gonna run to the clown or to the boy who loves him? Which is even a pick. And now people recreate that exact same moment on Instagram every day. I'm sorry, did I derail your final point? Nope, that was my point. We tell the same story again and again. Well, buds.

That's it for the deep dive, which means we're almost done with this four-sided dive, but before we go, it's time for one more round of questions from the Tower of Inquiry. Oh, wow. Surprise! Get up there, Draymond. One last time.

Let's go! Oh, I was pontificating over here. Drive it like you stole it. I'm going to same side it. This one is tight. This is the last one I decided to do. Oh my god! 37.

Here we go. That was a good year. Everyone's going to pull one. Mr. Person Many characters Will at some point reach a major Crossroad where taking one direction Or the other determines their path Forward, class, personality

Etc Does he choose the clown? Or the kid? Pick a sport, bud He truly does not. That's all of the story. Y'all had me crying over there, and now I can't even get through this question.

Fuck y'all. Air Bud is bittersweet. It's a beautiful story about the love between a boy and his dog. You don't have to win state to make it. It's not what matters. How'd you play? There's a love between a boy and his dog. You don't have to win state to make this. It's not what matters. How'd you play? Please look back.

Mr. Person, Mr. Person, what was your question? Please look back on one such crossroad for any of your characters and tell us who they would be if they'd gone the other way. Look at your crossroads. Starring Britney Spears. At the crossroads, so you don't get lonely. Well man, I'll throw a big one on the table.

What would've happened if I hadn't decided at the early in campaign one, well I guess I'm just gonna trade in my character so that Laura can keep playing hers. Like it would've affected the tenor of everything. Probably in the Sunken, in the Tomb. Oh yeah, oh yeah, if we're talking all three campaigns. Like me spur of the moment,

and that moment was just like shit, Laura's really sad, she's gonna lose her character, I don't want her to do that, I'll lose my character, it's fine. Domino, domino, domino, domino, domino, domino. Black marble. I was pretty bullish in campaign two about sacrificing Beau with Sharnai, with the hag.

And then Queen Laura Bailey came in with the dust of forgetfulness in the muffin. Those cakes. You want that cupcake? But I was, yeah. I was pretty, pretty stern on relinquishing myself for the greater good.

Yeah. Crossroads. Crossroads, could be. Probably when I picked up that phone call from Marisha Ray around December of 2020 or whenever that was. I was like, what are you calling? I was in my car, I was like, who's this?

Yeah. Great answer. Great answer. And that's why we got Dink. Oh, Dink face question. Get out of here. No, I think there was a serious moment where Dorian could have just walked off

into the sunset with Dariax, believe it or not. When he, after that whole thing went down and he was just like, we're at town, what do we do next? If he hadn't white fanged him, I'd consider. Go out of here, get out of here! Go on, you can't! I thought about it, yeah. Oh, that's interesting.

Yeah, just never would have jumped, never would have been like, that's it, I'm good. I like you guys, but not that much. Yeah. That's interesting. Is it when you booked the job on Blindspot? I mean, if we're going, if we're taking that route. Also kind of a point, though.

Also kind of a point, though. Also kind of a point, because that honestly would have been such a crazy game changer. Because I literally would have been here full... I mean, that's a life crossroads. You also booked that role

like... Weeks before we started. Yeah, what was it? Like two weeks, three weeks? Before we started streaming. We were geared was it, like two weeks, three weeks before we started streaming? We were geared up and you were like, well fuck. Well fuck, which is totally crazy. Yeah, wild. One of the goonies that moment, I remember.

You're gonna come live with me now. You're gonna come live with me now. Oh shoot, I had just forgotten one. I thought of one and then that one took over. No, no, no, that was a, let's go with that. That was a big cross, I don't think anything that I say is gonna be much more of a change than that. Guess you better pull a brick down.

I'll go pull a brick down. I will also, to jump off of your Vax throwing the throwing caution to the wind on his, with Laura, I would say the even bigger question, I feel like the way that you played Vax, he was disintegrated by the Whispered One, if he had chosen to wait for Keyleth to see if she could bring him back instead of taking the matron's offer to make him a revenant. I just feel like that's another one. That's one I think about all the time. Just like, man.

It would have been a whole other story deep dive of trying to get a true resurrection. Yeah. Because y'all would have had to go try to find those diamonds. Yeah. In my mind, I mean anyone can play anything any way they want, but in my mind, the promise had already been made.

Yeah, for sure. There was no veering off of it. I committed to the bit. And that's how I've looked at it the whole time. Like, do I wish they had had a happy ending? Part of me does. Forever will wish that he got to Sunset at the end of that. I can't listen to Tokyo Sunrise and hold it together.

But I really just felt like I was following the breadcrumbs as they led and it doesn't, I don't feel like there was any bearing off of it. Tokyo Sunrise, it's an amazing song by LP that I put on my third Keyleth playlist, I think. In honor of Vax and Keyleth. Good song. It's a great song, very tragic.

Bidding. Second Bells Halls playlist, any point? Pull a brick, Ashley Johnson! I did! What'd you get, 13? Lucky number 13. Spooky. I'm not putting it up because Robbie didn't put it.

Oh, do them both. No! Come on! We'll do it together. Oh no, what if a tower falls? We'll hang on a minute. Okay. Last one ever?

Oh my god. What? Take that! Take that! Take that! There's no rules anymore! Make a team. That's true. That's true.

Let's get freaky! Yes! Do it! Oh, I'm so excited right now. Honestly, do it. Come on! What happens if just those two fall? Let's go!

Now we're playing games. Okay. I started in a really bad spot for this. That is very stressful looking. I can't even look over there. I'm really upset. Number 13, from Valnar. Which NPC from Exandria would you like to play in a Slice of Life-style spin-off campaign? Slice of Life spin-off campaign? Been there, done it, Sokonos, baby.

That's kind of true. Slice of Life spinoff campaign. Oh, what's the name of the smut peddler? Oh, Iva? Iva. My girl? Yes, your girl. If you want to read more, Iva? Iva! My girl? Yes, your girl. If you want to read more about Iva's adventures,

Chronicles of Exandria Volume Two of the Mighty Nein is coming soon. Yeah. And it's real good. You'll learn how she and Yussa became pen pals. Yeah, that's right. It's real cute. I'll be her, I'll just deal with-

Iva's great, she's the best. With horny middle-aged women every day. I feel like Eshteross had like a rich, I feel like he had a baller life. Give him his own like Frasier sitcom. Oh my god, yeah. But he's low-key doing cool shit on the weekends though, for sure.

I love that. Yeah, yeah. Constantly is hiring a new assistant who is trying to survive in his house full of death traps. Oh, it's like a Spinal Tap, like they're always dying every episode. Spinal Tap, 1974. Speaking to the youths.

I know that this goes to 11. Back to LinkedIn. Honestly, everyone should watch Spinal Tap, I stand by that. Ah, so good. Ooh, you got a favorite NPC you wanna see? I'm thinking, I'm thinking, I'm thinking. I mean, I always go back to Victor

because I just love Victor so much. But I mean, what would, that's just because I like Matt doing that voice. Yeah. I like a Joey-esque show starring Gaz Tomo. Yes! Oh my god, Gaz Tomo. Like maybe, depending on what happens in the next 24 hours,

he ends up on Exandria and it's just like, him fish out of water learning about the Blue Promise. Yeah. What's this called? Or like, like, Devexian becoming a real boy type of a thing. Yeah, that's fun. Like, being his own man, or being his own, you know, whatever, and, yeah.

Dude. Some person. Now I'm thinking of Daz having like a born yesterday type of like stumbling through. That is Daz's. Just discovering what the Blue Promise has to offer. It's a good show. Chocolate in the peanut butter? Yeah.

Oh my god. It's genius. Do you like a buddy comedy with him and the guy who pulled the wish card? Oh yeah. That idiot? Just double idiots? Yeah, yeah. Just a little Dumb and Dumber action. You're with me.

Yeah. I thought you were with me. Oh my god. Okay, we did pull, pull. There's something there. I feel like you created the show, so I'm gonna pull a block, and then you'll pull the final block.

Yeah! Okay, I love that. Okay. Do it, do it, do it. But like the thing is, if it falls like this, should there be consequences? Yes! There are consequences in the box, babe.

All right, all right. Touch it! But what happens if you just touch it? Oh, it is wiggling, baby! No, you touched it! Oh my god, it is wiggles. Just because Laura said it out loud doesn't mean it's true. No, no, those are the rules.

If you touch it, you gotta take it out. Oh, look at that thing wiggle, baby! Oh my god. Damn, girl. I hate looking at it. Aw, come on! Yeah! Come on, baby! Do it! What are we doing now?

Let's go! 21! 21 blackjack! This is when you want to be a full ass. Sure. Yeah. But also, you created the show. All right. Captain Locke. When do you start connecting campaign story and character history when creating new characters before start of a campaign?

Does it go hand in hand, or do you first create the characters and then find their place in the story? Yeah. I think of the story that I, the kind of character in the story I wanna tell, and then I figure out where it fits into our universe. Yeah, I would say for our main campaigns

that's how it is for the core group um guests who come on obviously have a different experience because they're going to be a little bit more of the former where they're kind of trying to figure out where they fit in and what makes sense. But it doesn't mean that that has to dictate their personality or what class or anything that they play. And then I would also say like an extension of that, it's a little bit different as well when it comes to say calamity or downfall. Because then once again, we have, to say Calamity or Downfall. Because then once again, you kind of come to the table with an assignment.

Yeah, it's been so different. Yeah. Like you guys knew you were playing gods in Downfall. I would say with a longer campaign, you're gonna be living in that for a really long time. So I work on that very carefully, but for shorter run things, there's so many different factors, like what's needed,

what's a muscle I can stretch that I haven't done for a super long campaign, so I do something different than my other stuff. It feels like reverse character study for theaters. We talked so much about theater today, right? Usually you get the text and it's informative, there are choices in the moment, and then if you're one of those actors,

you can then go back and create an imaginary backstory that motivates you throughout that, if you're not just an off the page kind of person. And this is the opposite. You make up the backstory and then you get thrust into the theater and then the plot unfolds. Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting. And then you're just kind of reacting in real time.

Yeah. Because yeah, like with Calamity, with Patia, Brennan had kind of spit out a bunch of lore and I told him, I was like, oh, well I want to be a Kennedy. It's basically exactly what I said. And so I was like the granddaughter of. Yeah, he's a guy.

So anyway, it's a little bit different every time. Yeah, it's different every time. There you go. Oh, get it, get it, get it, get it, get it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pull that block. Get it, get it, pull that block. Feel it.

All right, all right, here. Oh, that is so, it is wobbly. Yeah, that is not fun to look at. That's stressful. What is that? Nevermind. Where are we going with that? I don't know.

You could do it. You've got this. I am like, I can't even watch. I mean, you could do an easy one, or. You could also just deck the tower. I know, I thought about it. I'm like lightheaded. Nope.

Ooh. Ooh. That looks good. Oh, that is a bold move. Oh, look at him jiggle! Look at him go! Yes. Ooh. Oh. What's the number? Build. Oh, that is a bold move. Oh, look at him jiggle! Look at him go! Yes. Oh!

Oh! What's the number? Build. Oh, 31. 31. Build. I kicked it, I kicked it. I kicked the bar.

God, I don't even want to look at this. Do it. Do it. Star-crossed lovers, make that criss-cross. Oh, God. Come on. It's gonna, come on. It's gonna be fine.

It's gonna be fine. Come on, it's gonna, come on, it's gonna be fine. It's gonna be fine, come on. Ha. Yay! Yes, okay, okay, okay. I like it, I like it, I like it. Pin up, pin up, pin up, yes! Look what you made! I did this.

Don't you, don't you do it! Not for the Lord's sake! What you made? I did this. Don't you, don't you do it! Not for the Lord's sake! Dissonant Fae on Beak and Discord asks, the Mention of Ravens had the imp, Slich, held in a glass amulet on downfall. If your character could have any creature held in a glass amulet to bamf out at any time,

what would it be? Trinket doesn't count, he also has a glass amulet to bamf out at any time, what would it be? Trinket doesn't count. He also has a glass amulet to bamf out at any time. Dang. Any creature. Any creature. Ooh! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! What do you think of the cat? What do you think of the cat? Does that count? Can we know what the-

Ghosts, Cam! Let the quits go right ahead. Let chaos reign! Open the box! What's in the box? Should Danny take the consequences? Yes! I've never had a consequence, ever. Ever in your life? Ever.

You've also never done anything. We're gonna take this consequence. Alright, well first you have to answer about the glass bubble. Ever in your life. Ever. You've also never done anything wrong. We're gonna take this consequence. All right, well first you have to answer about the glass bubble. Okay. Okay. Any creature you wanna bamf out. Any creature.

I just want my dog, Yaga. Aw. I just want my little baby. That's a gold one. I would pick an emotional support dog. Yeah, for my dog. I want her right here so that I can give her sometimes. Yes, at all times.

Damn, that's a good answer. Maybe a creature. Oh, fantasy. Crack my buddy. Yeah. Or Grog. Or Grog! He picks all my problems. Technically a creature. Yeah. Oh yeah. Or Grog. Or Grog! That's technically a creature. Yeah. Yeah.

I don't know, I feel like I'd, I'd almost want it to be a little funny though, like an emotional support fish. That's good. And you like bamf it out and it like slaps around and then I'm like, okay, I'm gonna throw it back. You throw it off a cliff maybe. Yeah.

Yeah. I'm like, easy, air bud.'m not gonna go back. We throw it off a cliff, maybe? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I was like, I hear. Easy, Air Bud. Doesn't matter the sport, he's gonna be a good time. He can play every sport, he's so good at it. Of course, he's Air Bud. Yeah, that's good. He's Air Bud.

That's probably not gonna lock it, I think we solved it. So thank you, Mr. Person, Valnar, Captain Locke, and Dissonant Fae. And if you have a question for our pile of inquiry, your SOL. Before we move on, our consequence, which I think is just to make Kyle feel better about himself.

Whomever destroys the Tower of Inquiry in episode 30 of Foresighted Dive must say, five nice things about Foresighted Dive. Must say, five nice things about Foresighted Dive. Oh, wow! Well, there is five of us. We could split the doomy. That's right. We all get to say one nice thing about this show.

Okay. Okay. I have to do some research first. I didn't get a stocking. Do I count? Yeah, you count. You knocked it over. Share the load of this wavy task.

Yeah. It's a very difficult task to say five nice things about our show. Can I take the snowman out? Yeah. He can be your friend. You gonna get him? Where do you get him?

Release him. The snowman or the Santa? That's not a snowman, that's Santa. That is Santa. I know my holiday stuff. Who wants to start?man, that's Santa. That is Santa. I know my holiday stuff. Who wants to start? One, uh, uh. Wait, this is looking like it's gonna end.

Five nice things. You just have to say one, though. One. Yeah, we're gonna split the load. From the cradle to the grave, I was here for one, I was here for 30, glad to see you born, Glad to see you die. Rob!

Damn. Not true. Tell us how you really feel. It was just funny! Shit on my questions! You shit on the show! We love you, Danny. Stop. How's your friend?

How's your friend there, Alan? Look at him. Look at his tummy. Him got a tummy ache. Look at him. What's the matter, sir? What if he just turned to you? I would throw it and I would run.

What is your nice thing about Four-Sided Die? Oh, it's been fun. What did you say, Gary? No, it's perfect. What did you say? I just said it's been fun. And she stole it. She got that car for two out of six. Wait, did someone else say it It's been fun! And she stole it! You guys, they come up with two other things!

Oh. Wait, did someone else say it, and I wasn't paying attention? No, no. No, Susanna? It's just fun. It's pretty broad. It's pretty broad.

It's pretty broad. Liam, your thoughts. I'll say that a lot of us are hard workers, and we're constantly thinking and planning and building and doing and performing and role playing and what's nice about this show is that we get to kind of just come and shoot the shit and there's a little less pressure

to like do a triple lutz and I just like hanging out with you guys on the show but just you three the rest can I can do it but in seriousness it actually it is really fun a lot of the time to talk about things that we don't get to in the game when you're like, well, I need to explain myself. Yes, for sure.

Like, it's therapeutic. It's nice. It really has been fun. Yeah. I tease, too, but yes, the long-form Hangout podcast is vibe than I like it yeah yeah I don't buy sleep he knows MMA you go and then I'll close it out okay all right executive producer yeah my is my boss. I would say my favorite thing is getting to work with Kyle Shire on making this show for y'all

every single month and getting to collaborate with him. He is one of the most brilliant people that I truly know and that I count as a friend and a wonderful coworker. I love, love, love getting to make this with him and getting to make each other laugh. He makes me laugh constantly with his ideas for this and really the whole show has just been us making each other laugh.

So, and really you guys were just kinda third on the list. Yeah, baby. I was trying, oh, no. You trying to pick my nose? I was trying, yeah, a little bit. I was trying to, oh, no. You trying to pick my nose? I was trying to, yeah, a little bit. I was trying to boop you. Get a little bit of a boop. Yeah, no, this is, a lot of people commented,

and were like, why doesn't Dani just hang out behind the bar? It's cause of this. Cause if you look at Marisha and Liam in their standard form, it's just my boobs. I'm very short. The whole show will just be this. It'll just be this, guys.

It's just this. And that is why I had to find ways to be behind the bar that made sense because it's just this. It's just my tits. Hey, Dan. That's why. Oh, amazing. I love it. Yeah.

Is that the fifth thing? This isn't a cop out. No, I have the last thing. I have the last thing. This isn't a cop out, but it's kind of jumping off of what Dani said. There was so much about this show that was a bit of a scramble. We wanted to mix it up. We were trying to be very experimental. I want to say a massive thank you to our audience who

gave us that grace. I know some people didn't like it. I't care we had reasons we had reasons from top to bottom why we did this show the way we did this show um i do think the format ended up growing on people over time and so um i am a firm believer in firm like as a creative director and just creator in general you can't always come out with the final product and if anything i think that is like a massive detriment to creativity because if you keep trying to come up with what you think is the final iteration of something, oftentimes you'll never release anything. Creativity often has to happen inside of a box and you work with your format, you work with your limitations, you work with what you have.

And so when we started Foresighted Dive, so much of it was an experiment and it remained an experiment from episode 1 to episode 30 we tried new things we tossed out new ideas we mixed it up and I love that about this show we did some incredible bits

we had some incredible guest hosts we had people come in we had some cold opens hosts. We had people come in. We had some cold opens. Some crushed. Some flopped. But we were always empowered. And, of course, same that Dani already said,

have to give a shout-out to Kyle Shire. Foresighted Dive has been his baby from top to bottom. He wrote so many of the bits. He wrote all the bits. He wrote all the bits. Come here, Kyle. Come here. Get out here. Come on, Kyle. This is your Air Bud moment. Can you see my tits? Yes! They're good! They're really good! All right, cool, all right, wonderful. They're beautiful!

They're all beautiful! Hi! Love you, too. But yeah, I hope it came through. I wanted you to continue to experiment. It didn't have to be the same every time. We always try to find the format and find what works best. And yeah, we crushed it.

I don't think you guys can hear me, but I'll speak up. Talk into her boobs. Talk into my boobs. I'll talk into your boobs. Thank you guys for giving me a playground to play in and whatnot. I really appreciate it. And thank you for all the trust.

I hope I didn't make you guys act a fool too many times. No, it was amazing. We loved it. it was amazing. You were amazing. My penis is gone. He laughed. Shatner finally engaged. Yeah, I think that is the perfect, actually, encapsulation of it.

This show, for the past three years, has been our playground. And I love it for that. And, yeah, it's had some incredible moments. There have been moments in the show that i have laughed so hard i peed a little um and so yeah that stain is chairs will have to be replaced uh but anyway yeah uh yeah it's been great it's been good times oh man i want to thank everyone here marishaisha Ray, Ashley Johnson, Robbie Damon, Danny Carr, our lore keeper, Kyle, the entire crew. I'm Liam O'Brien, your 30th tavern keeper. And I guess this is our outro.

Friends around the table, time to celebrate. It's a party, hit the lights, here we go, go, go. Waste the night away with a little escape. It's a chance to lose control. So let's just leave this world behind. Everybody, come on, take a dive. One by one, we roll the dice. Come on.

Let's go, critical road For another round, your friends are here to cheer you on Critical road Throw it back, it's good times all night long Let's go, critical road No way to lose when you're having this much fun It's your turn No way to lose when you're having this much fun It's your turn No way to lose

When you're having this much fun Bye Bye Foresighted Dives Okay we're going, we're going, we're going Oh god Get upstairs One more, one more, one more Okay

Yay There's Green Meat, he gets in there somewhere Yay! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝!

오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! 오늘의 하루는 이렇게 끝! Wow, wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's it for the podcast version of this episode of Foresighted Dive. If you've enjoyed this deep dive into the campaign, be sure to drop us a rating and a review on whatever podcast platform you're using. Your thoughts may just encourage a new critter to take the plunge. Foresighted Dive normally airs on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. Pacific

on our Twitch and YouTube channels, with the VOD available on YouTube the very next day. And of course, each episode releases right here on the Critical Role Podcast Network the following Friday.