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Runtime Break start
4h 30m 1h 49m

Episode 77: The Promise and the Price

So, last we left off: Bells Hells, after their excursion to the Shattered Teeth, managed to flee by the skin of their teeth by avoiding what appeared to be, towards the end of the conflict, a homunculus, or sorry, a simulacrum. Different types of weird magical constructions of Ludinus Da’leth, who took a bit of information from that conflict and you fled with indeed your target, a remaining spark of one of the ancient Primordial Titans, particularly flame.
As part of that experience, you also teleported back to Whitestone and after a little bit of a bumpy (chuckles) return because some people just can’t seem to roll decent on these teleports, returned to Whitestone to find that many of the other allies that you’ve made through this ever-growing mounting danger in the middle of the Hellcatch Valley have come to Whitestone to discuss the next plan of events.
In this time, you went into the war room and made some new friends as well as met some old ones, and altogether began to throw on the table what information you had acquired and what needed to happen next.
It was decided as the large world of Exandria currently gathers itself, everyone who might be accessible and available and driven to take arms against this threat that Ludinus and the Ruby Vanguard has built in the center, the heart of Marquet, others still throughout the world continue to be drawn to his cause and that division grows ever stronger throughout the world. As they begin to reach out to those they can, the attention is high on them, their history before them and know that there is an expectation of their arrival without a knowledge of what lies beyond the bloody bridge above the Malleus Key and Ruidus proper on the other side.
You volunteered to be the recon team to go to Ruidus to see what awaits everyone there. In return, when in you felt the information you gathered was helpful or it was too dangerous, you asked for a couple of things.
You met Lady Allura Vysoren, who is looking into acquiring what she can to help you on this journey.
Some possible plotting for how you can sneak into the place you previously were witness to the development and release of the Malleus Key itself and found what wasn’t Whitestone Andy, but rather, a fine churro salesman here in the middle of Whitestone.
But upon taking an evening’s rest, contemplating the events of the day and the days to come, the mounting anxiety of what lies before you, in the middle of the night, it appears that Laudna has woken up Imogen with interest for events as the evening progresses.
So as we come into here, as everyone else is resting and you have shaken Imogen awake, let us jump back in.

Previous Episode “A Gathering of Heroes”

  • Hogger85b@kbin.social
    2·
    1 year ago

    I am glad Ashton got the shard, it fits his backstory delving into titan power and some interesting roleplay.

    Fearne has got plenty going on and Ashley is a great player and offers it up knowing how much Tal wanted it and she has her deal with devil and nana Mori etc,

    Sam being totally up for chaos but fcg there for full support I think will be great role play between the two in aftermath

    Laudna/Marissa also taking gambles embracing darksideeith Delilah

    • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago


      Delilah and Laudna did some wrasslin’

      Matt’s also been using stat blocks relative to D&D just with name changes, so this is like a pop quiz for Matt’s creativity. Making a hybrid like this has the potential to either underpower or overpower Ashton fairly easily. The homebrew community is salivating for that reveal, I betcha.

    • Molecular0079@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      This is a very good point. Even though I personally wouldn’t have made the choice Ashton made given how clear Matt was, I think it was still a perfectly valid, albeit risky AF choice and not stupid like many people in the Twitch chat were saying. It flows thematically given Ashton’s backstory and now that risk has elevated that to even greater heights. Can you imagine how epic this moment will be once it gets animated?

      The story of Campaign 3 is already chock full of characters taking insane risks to ascend to ever higher-levels of power. Now Ashton has had his turn and I think that’s fuckin’ epic.

    • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      It was certainly a cool moment. I think the cockiness in the delivery was what triggered plenty of folks. It was present in the 4-Sided Dive:

      00:23:27 Ashley:“I still feel like, I mean, I still am curious if you’re supposed to keep the shards, both of 'em.”
      Taliesin:“I think I’m supposed to do whatever I damn well please with it, so…”
      00:33:55 Tal:“And I’m relearning how to play a barbarian, and part of that is reminding myself that, like, physical damage is just part of it. Like, ‘Okay, this looks stupid, and then just kind of…’”
      01:01:52 Tal:“They have a lot in common. A lot of family trauma. A lot of ego and personal grievance. A lot of un-dealt with emotional issues and a problem maintaining emotional issues. They also tend to think that they are the only adult in the room.”

      Then you have this question and somewhat prophetic answer about controversy:

      01:41:51 Dani:“Ashton seems to be embracing a designation as a member of the Hishari. What do they think of the cult after learning more about it, particularly from the Ashari and now Evontra’vir?”
      Tal:“Well, honestly, I feel like they’re a little biased and they’re ignoring most of the problematic issues with the uh… But, I will say, Im getting excited. I’m just…This was not a path I was expecting Matt to open up in this direction. And I like that it is mired in a lot of controversy.”

      The episode’s dialogue had problematic phrases:

      03:47:02 Ash: “I’m not taking it.”
      Marish: “No, you have to take it.”
      Tal: “No, she’s taking it. It’s going to be okay. She’s just fucking with everybody. (gaslighting) It’s going to be okay. We talked about- we talked about this.”
      Ash: “Okay. It’s gonna be okay.”
      Tal: “It is. It’s going to be okay.”
      03:50:05 Tal: “I know some of your whatever is bullshit. I know that you’re worried about your friends. This is what I need. I need to save everybody. (Hero complex phrasing, then he corrects himself) We all need to save everybody. Right?”

      03:07:50 Taliesin “Sometimes I think you’re crazy on a level that I might be crazy on, too.”
      Ashley: “Oh, kind of like a, what did you say? Like you’ve always wanted a sister(hint#1).”
      Tali: “I have always wanted family, and the few times I’ve tried, it’s gone poorly. But and when I mean sister, I mean, clearly, you know, no, you’re still hot and otherwise, and definitely, wow–”
      Ashley: “Oh. I wasn’t even talking about that (hint#2).”
      Talies: “You were thinking it. You were thinking it loud enough that it was practically vibrating this bench.” (this will not age well)
      Ashley:“My heavens.”
      Taliesin:"And I trust you to help me make the right decision, and I hope you trust me to help make the right decision.

      Even with all that said, the rest of the team just kinda watched it happen. There were plenty of opportunities for insight checks. That’s what makes me think it’s more planned out than we may realize, but the delivery issues remain, nonetheless.

  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    ♪Episode Song References♪ ᕕ( ᐛ)ᕗ

    Highlights

    B.D.E.

    Big Delilah Energy

    • 01:20:54 “Caleb’s Produce Flame… Imogen’s Lightning Titties”
    • 02:04:45 “Me and that weasel, we just won’t die.”
    • 02:17:15 “My armoire!”
    • 02:23:45 “…I hear you get the best wood once you go across the Bloody Bridge.” (trying to convince Chetney that there is wood on the moon worth fighting for)
    • 02:26:26 Sympathy fart from Liam
    • 02:32:14 “Fresh Pow!”
    • 02:33:17 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation scene with a lubed saucer sled
    • 02:35:09 The toboggan, “Buck Fucket”, is born
    • 02:35:45 Fan art moment: Chetney clinging to Orym’s back, flying over the walls of Whitestone Keep on a toboggan with ‘Buck Fucket’ carved into it.
    • 03:08:03 Ashton gets sent to the friend/brother zone by Fearne
    • 03:22:22 Team obtains two Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) devices.
    • 03:38:48 The meat shield golem idea is dubbed the “Beef-llusion Plan”
  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Revisiting Delilah raises one question above all: Do they plan to absorb her essence, effectively permanently removing the scourge of Delilah Briarwood?

  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    00:41:20 Summoning a reilora to defeat a door, Laura takes no chances.

    Ashley giving the camera an Office-worthy look

    until

    00:51:40 Laura considers the Reilora to be a potential informant to Ludinus and Matt takes a big sip with a raised eyebrow as if to say ‘good idea’. Thanks a lot, Laura!

    “Is there anything else you require?”
    “How’s it goin’ up there?”
    “…what?”

    screenshot

  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    A statistical probability analysis was done by a redditor MarcoCash that showed two scenarios(guesses on how Matt ramped up the DC), one with ~58% success probability and another with ~37% success probability.

    Without his +8 to CON saves, that probability dropped to 0.5% and 0.2%, respectively.

  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    The sled race after the break is definitely a desireable fan art moment. Chet clinging to Orym flying at excessive speed in an E.T. moment over Castle Whitestone.

  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Problem gambling?

    Have you endangered friends and loved ones? Does the end justify the means if you become an unprecedented being infused with the essence of multiple titans? Is lava more of an annoying obstacle than a hazard? If these questions relate to you or someone you know, consider speaking with one of our live operators standing by.

    • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      Another theory is that Taliesin’s gamble was motivated by the shame of being launched deep into the brother-friend zone by the flirtiest member of the team.

      • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        4-Sided Dive Shard Discussions

        • 00:11:17 Tal"No, Ashton is very much right now just deciding to befriend everything that doesn’t seem like it should be befriended and piss off everything that seems like it should be taken care of.
        • 00:13:00 Tal"Am I still talking about lava, 'cause we both jumped, but yeah"
          Ashley"Well, you did, and then I panicked 'cause you were getting real hurt."
        • 00:13:24 Matt"That’d be the most anti-climactic…No, wait, guys. He knows what he’s doing." {blub blub} “Just give him another 30 seconds, hold on…Any minute now, he’s gonna rise like a phoenix from the ashes.”
        • 00:13:49 A"How do you feel about it?(ref Lava Shard moment)"
          Tal"I felt very good about it. I felt that that was the appropriate action to take (troll face)
        • 00:14:05 M"That’s a perfect example of setting up a challenge without a solution in mind, which is one of my favorite things to do in this game. Not every puzzle I have an answer for. I just set up a challenge and I’m like, ‘Figure it out.’ There was no ‘right answer’ to that. There were possibilities I thought of, but there was no right answer, and it was just like, ‘Let’s see what y’all do.’"
        • 00:15:00 Trav"And then, like, once he was in, like, you just went for it, which was great. Like, there’s gotta be a risk take on somebody’s part."
          A"There’s gotta be."
        • 00:15:48 M"Even if it’s not the smartest choice, it’s still the choice that drives the story in unique ways, and you accept it and you follow where it takes you. And that, to me, is like the joy and spice of these type of games."
        • 00:17:26 Tal"I don’t remember the last time that we actually, like, worked with that much teamwork and strategy, like three campaigns through."
        • 00:17:55 Tal"It felt like the perfect thing of, like ‘Of course, I’m gonna jump into this now.’ like, What else am I gonna do?" (Admittedly Not Creative)
        • 00:23:13 M"Yeah, the whole basis of the subclass was him looking at the Wild Magic barbarian and he went, ‘Nah, this isn’t weird enough’"
        • 00:23:27 A"I still feel like, I mean, I still am curious if you’re supposed to keep the shards, both of 'em."
          Tal"I think I’m supposed to do whatever I damn well please with it, so."
        • 00:23:49 Trav"But wasn’t the warning that if a single bearer has both of them, that you will essplode?"
        • 00:24:09 Trav"Look at that. That’s an encouraging face. And I, for one, second his encouragement."
          A"Yeah. I’m kind of team Pumping It All Into Ashton."
        • 00:24:34 A"I feel like it’s your shard."
        • 00:33:55 Tal"And I’m relearning how to play a barbarian, and part of that is reminding myself that, like, physical damage is just part of it. Like, ‘Okay, this looks stupid, and then just kind of…’"
        • 00:55:43 A"Well, I think I’m just really in the mode of saying yes to everything."
        • 01:01:52 Tal"They have a lot in common. A lot of family trauma. A lot of ego and personal grievance. A lot of un-dealt with emotional issues and a problem maintaining emotional issues. They also tend to think that they are the only adult in the room."
        • 01:15:35 A"How does Fearne feel about possibly taking on the shard? Does she even want to wield its power? How does she feel about her fire abilities coming up in this way? Yeah, there’s complicated feelings with the shard, you know, Fearned has seen a version of herself that has gone down a very bad path in EXU and Fearne still doesn’t know which-- Time is a weird soup–. So, she doesn’t know where in the timeline that Fearne was. And if every sort of step that I’m taking…It’s like, 'Is this gonna lead me down to that path? to the bad Fearne? So it’s complicated on takin on new powers cause it’s like, ‘Well, if this is gonna be different.’ And I mean, it could be fun. I mean there’s… I wanna put on that harness so bad just to see what it does. I mean, we kinda know, but I’m just like, ‘Whoo’ Yes, if there’s anything, yes, I’m goin full, full steam ahead with being the button pusher 'cause it’s fun. But yeah, it’s complicated. The shard is complicated. Plus it also doesn’t feel like hers."
          Tal"Well, we’ll have a private conversation about the shard at some point before the game."
          A"Okay."
        • 01:41:51 “Ashton seems to be embracing a designation as a member of the Hishari. What do they think of the cult after learning more about it, particularly from the Ashari and now Evontra’vir?”
          Tal"Well, honestly, I feel like they’re a little biased and they’re ignoring most of the problematic issues with the uh… But, I will say, Im getting excited. I’m just…This was not a path I was expecting Matt to open up in this direction. And I like that it is mired in a lot of controversy."
        • 01:55:23 “Chetney gave away Deanna’s ring to Ashton for some new shoes. Are you afraid of Aabria’s wrath?”
          Trav"Don’t say it like that! No, no-no-no. I thought it was a good trade. It keeps things lively. I also love incurring wrath."