A well deserved rest.

Orym's argument against Ludinus Da'leth and the Ruby Vanguard is essentially "The purpose of a system is what it does."

This is a systems theory coined by Stafford Beer around 2001. He posited there is "no point in claiming that the purpose of a system is to do what it constantly fails to do." It does not matter what someone tells you a system does if it does not reliably do that. The things it does consistently do are the actual purpose of the system.

Ludinus (and Liliana) claim the purpose of the Ruby Vanguard's violence is to free Exandria of oppression from the gods. Orym's point is that they have not consistently protected anyone from oppression. They consistently murder innocent people, indoctrinate vulnerable people into doing terrible violence (including children), support a ruling class that dominates the population through mind control and eugenics, and seek to release a predator so terrifying that the warring alien gods and native primordials worked together to seal it away as a threat to both of them.

So the logical conclusion is that the purpose of Ludinus' system is not to free anyone from tyranny, it's to install himself as the tyrant. And it does not matter what Ludinus says it's for or even what he believes it's for. The purpose of a system is what it does. And Orym has been personally and repeatedly victimized by what it does. Why wouldn't he keep reminding them of that?

Add onto that, the Ruby Vanguard is a death cult. They lure people in with believable lies. They use propaganda to control how people view them and to convince people to support them. Liliana has been groomed into a true believer who genuinely thinks what she has been told is true and that Ludinus' system does what he says it will. She has been convincing other people of this for years. Not because she's an inherently bad person but because everyone generally tries to convince others that what we believe is true. It is actually dangerous to let a cultist try to talk you into the cult's perspective. That's why Orym shuts it down.

Orym was already on edge but it's fully in a breakdown after FCG's sacrifice. One more iteration of Ludinus' system consistently murdering the people he loves. But he still told Imogen he wants her to have a good relationship with her mom again. He wants Liliana to make it through the other side of this. But that has to involve consistently stating the reality of what's happening against what she believes.

Ludinus believes in the rapture of the revolution. Burn everything to the ground on a fundamental level and a new perfect society will grow, with him to guide it. The reality is that kind of power vacuum consistently leads to horrific violence and conditions often get much, much worse. Especially for vulnerable people, who often do not survive. A lot about the gods' relationships to mortals probably needs to change, but this an incredibly dangerous gamble to fix it.

The purpose of a system is what it does. Any suggestion otherwise is cold comfort to Orym's family in the ground.

“I think the answer to that is, yes and no. There are particular moments, I have discovered, in a person's life where they have to decide what they're going to do next. They often start this way, although at a smaller scale. I think I need to sleep. I think I need this headache to go away. I think I need to break something, and then, you know, I think in the morning start having some thoughts about who we're going to be next.”-Ashton Greymoore

Campaign 3 Episode 92: Broken Roads

Let's go there.

Liam has been very clear in verbal statements and looks as to who Orym checks out and finds physically attractive. In EXU prime (plus a call-back to Deni$e), that was Dariax. In C3, that has very repeatedly been Ashton (who has reciprocated in kind).

He's also been pretty clear (especially in C92) about who Orym wants as his emotional support, and despite Ashton's multiple offers, that's Dorian.

Which, if either, Orym is romantically interested in, I'm not sure. I'm not convinced Orym is ready to be romantically involved with anyone who isn't Will yet.

As for the two Genasi, I think Ashton is definitely interested in Orym. (It would not surprise me for Liam or Tal to let slip they've been FWB for awhile.) Dorian is certainly emotionally attached to Orym. I need to rewatch the second half of 92 when I'm more awake to decide more than that.

you'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling

finished Orym fanart (to go with a wip companion piece) there's been so much going on

with the way things are going in c3 - what with previous campaign pcs making appearances - i fear the day Caduceus and Laudna meet

There's nothing wrong with femme x femme dynamics but butch long-haired Imogen is everything to me. The Elliott Spencer of women, from the country background to the strapping a knife to her thigh ♥️

I gotta find me someone who loves me as much as travis willingham loves obviously evil talking swords.

i am having such whiplash with cr this week gottdamn. i bawled my eyes out over fcg and mourned so much, so sad, so much pain. then i started ep92 and got a little ways in before seeing that the crownkeepers were back and realizing that i hadn’t ever watched exu kymal. so then i went on the joyride that was the casino poodle and forgot all my woes! then i went back to ep 92 and was brought directly back into the pit of despair for like 15 minutes, and then was promptly pulled right back out of it to go see the crownkeepers again. which, granted, they don’t seem to be doing incredibly well… but they’re doing better than bell’s hells!

Yes

Vax is still an orb.

How do you want to do this?

—

Goodbye, Faithful Caregiver.

Ashton Greymoore, ep 1

30 years apart and still the same chaos

Every day Percy wakes up

Can I kiss you? 🖤💜 oh, I love them so much

It’s the melee guys!!! This thumbnail is too perfect and I got carried away, can you tell they’re my favorites

I drew Orym again