God do I love how Ame and Suvi’s conflict is representative of the wider conflict between Witches and Wizards. (Long ass post incoming)
First lets look at the conflict in Chapter 2 about trusting Sly’s predictions of the conclave compared to other Citadel diviners. Witches are about community and connection. Ame trusted Sly because he had a connection to Wren, no other diviners in the Citadel had Wren’s trust that we know of just Sly. Wizards on the other hand put their faith in institutions and hierarchies. If Sly’s predictions are contradicted by those of several other diviners with more influence in the system, then his predictions should be discarded. (Also keep in mind that Sly was relegated to obscurity because his predictions were largely about things that didn’t line up with the Citadel’s priorities)
So we get tension at the end of Chapter 2 because Ame (through Wren) has a connection to and trusts more in Sly as an individual than the Citadel’s diviners as an institution. Suvi on the other hand hears Steel say that a group of diviners might have contrary evidence to what Sly predicted and instinctively puts her trust in the institution over the individual.
As a result Suvi and Steel dismiss Ame’s concerns about Sly’s predictions until Ame gets so worked up about the issue that she takes drastic action to return to Toma and prepare. Of course Suvi is right to be upset with the manor in which Ame leaves, it’s incredibly reckless and could have lead to several civilians (and Eursalon!!) getting injured or killed. However she fails to see her and Steel’s roles in pushing Ame into immediate action. Steel never took Ame seriously, and Suvi largely agreed with her.
And now we get to Episode 25 and Suvi’s scathing tirade against Ame.
A big theme of this arc seems to be how both Witches and Wizards look down on one another. Steel has her line about Witches seeing Wizards as “devious, paranoid, and buffoonish,” while Suvi blows up on Ame for “that smart ass tone about Wizards.”
And you know what they’re right. Witches do look down on Wizards.
I find myself wondering how Ame, Witch of the World’s Heart and the steward of humanity, could NOT look down on Wizards. The Wizards of the Citadel may be the brightest minds humanity has to offer, but they use those gifts to fuel a seemingly endless war with Ruve and Gouthmai (a war that threatens the lives and homes of Eursalon’s family). The Citadel seems to glorify violence (remember in Chapter 1 when Suvi proudly displayed that she spilled blood on behalf of the Citadel?). We also know from Kalaya that over time the Citadel went from what was essentially a huge university, to a homogeneous and militarized society.
Thats without even mentioning how Steel herself proves the Witches assessment of Wizards correct! Steel concocts a plan for Suvi that is devious in its intentions, paranoid in its secrecy, and buffoonish in how it could undermind the meeting of the Coven and cost both Ame and Suvi their lives if discovered. While Suvi is lecturing Ame on judging Wizards she has unknowingly agreed to a plan that proves all of her assumptions correct.
Suvi is probably my favorite character in this campaign. Aabria absolutely BRINGS IT every session. I’ve no doubt that many of the things listed in this post crossed her mind and were intentional. After all, the Citadel is a defining part of Suvi’s identity.
Wizards exist in a world that does not take them seriously. We’re 25 episodes in and spirits and witches alike have constantly referred to Wizards in pejorative terms. It’s not hard to see how someone like Suvi, born in the thick of the world of Wizards would cling to the Citadel as the lone institution of the world that advocates for Wizards. Because Suvi is a wizard she is preemptively judged by nearly every witch and spirit in the story. So of course she’ll judge them too.
I've seen a lot of D20 and CR fans clamoring for the PCs to have an honest conversation and clear the air. And they're not wrong. So I hope those same folks appreciate Suvi being really assertively communicative in this most recent episode of TWTWaTWO.
I loved this for them. I got chills. Just Erika and Aabria in a pitch perfect conflict that just hits on multiple levels.
Frankly, Suvi showed REMARKABLE restraint in response to Ame's lil speech about appearances and the frozen PEOPLE.
Like guess witches have their own version of the dubious spirit gallery...hmm?
And then Eursulon arrives and what a great and kind of hilarious break to the ice and the tension.
I got a HORSE!
What's better than a Paladin on a horse? (A sorcadin on an Orca objectively but my DM didn't want me to be great and that's not the point.)
Brennan: the authority of, I was like, like that, whatever that was made me be like [imitating a ear piece call]: Aabria, Jasper says no on that
Aabria: yeah yeah, oh I'm so, can you tell him I'm so sorry--
Erika: it's the accent
Aabria: yeah, fucking British accent cinders authority
Jasper: came from such a deep sense of fear. That was where I was coming from
Siobhan! Yes, exactly, the accent. It comes from a deep sense of fear
Brennan: I've never seen someone who's being faced with death and ruin with a voice of like [calmly]: I'm gonna send this back to the kitchen because this was not very good