#via: critical role campaign 1
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Day 604
#ashley of the day#ashley johnson#critical role#critical role cast#vox machina#pike trickfoot#via: critical role campaign 1#low quality
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Coming from the adventure zone I kinda didn’t understand why they filmed critical role instead of just recording it (I started off listening to the podcast actually) and of course there’s the fact that they use maps and stuff because their party is a million people but also. If it was not filmed how could I have watched Taliesen Jaffe and Marisha Ray do a silent visual bit about tiny dice in the background for like. And entire minute solid.
#critical role#lioness 'livetweets' campaign 1#All of them are hilarious to watch honestly#Taliesen in particular but really everyone#also how would I have gotten to see Sam antagonizing Travis about the cowboys via mug sticker over a podcast??? huh???#this show is a good time
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The thing is, D&D is not a game.
I know that sounds insane, but hear me out: D&D is not a game, it is a games console. You don't actually "play D&D." You play "Dragon Heist" or "Tomb of Annihilation" or "Ghosts of Saltmarsh" or "your GM's homebrew campaign" or "the plot of Critical Role Season 1 reconstructed from memory" on D&D.
For quite a long while now - possibly literal decades - D&D hasn't even been the best games console, but it's been "the one everyone knows about" and "the one my friends have" and in fact it's "the one whose name is almost synonymous with the entire medium of TTRPGs," like how "Nintendo" or "Playstation" could just mean "games console" to people who didn't understand games consoles. They might not have heard of a "tabletop roleplaying game," but most people have heard of "Dungeons & Dragons."
For this extended metaphor, D&D is Nintendo back in the 90s, or Playstation in the 2000s. Sometimes you say "oh let's go to my house and play Nintendo" or "c'mon dude I wanna play Playstation" but you're not actually playing Nintendo or Playstation, you're playing Resident Evil or Super Mario Bros or Jurassic Park or Metal Gear Solid or whatever on a Nintendo or a Playstation.
Now, this metaphor is going to get even more tortured, but remember how when the PS2 and the original X-Box came out, they used a standardised DVD format, but the Nintendo console in that generation, the Gamecube, used discs but they were this proprietary tiny little disc format that they had control over? That essentially meant that it was really difficult to make third party titles for the Gamecube that did literally anything that Nintendo didn't want them to do, and also essentially gave Nintendo an even greater ability to skim money off the top of any sales?
So that must've seemed like a smart business decision in their heads. But the PS2 and the X-Box used DVDs. This was a standardized format which gave Microsoft and Sony way less control over who made games for their consoles, but that actually turned out to be a good thing for gaming, because it meant that the breadth of games that you could play on their consoles was massively increased even if some of them were games Microsoft and Sony didn't really approve of. (Also it's worth nothing that the PS2 and the X-Box could just play DVDs, which meant if your household was on a budget, you didn't need a separate DVD player - your games console could do it for you! This was actually a huge selling point!)
What Wizards are currently trying to do now is kinda-sorta the equivalent of Sony suddenly announcing that the PS5 will only accept a proprietary cartridge format they hold the patent on, will control the content of and charge money for the construction of. This possibly seems like it could be a moneymaker in your head because you hold market dominance (apparently the PS5 has 30 million units shipped compared to X-Box Series X 20 million units) and so many people make games for your console, but what it actually means is game devs and publishers will abandon your product. If it takes so much more work, the scope of what they're allowed to do is so much more limited and they're going to make less money off of it, they just won't bother. They'll go make games for the X-Box or PC instead.
To use another computer metaphor, D&D is Windows - it might not be the best system but it's the system most people are familiar with and so it gets the most stuff made for it, but there's is an upper limit on the bullshit people will take before they decide fuck it and get an Apple or learn how Linux works.
TTRPG systems are a weird product because you're not selling people a game, you're selling people a method to play a game. All the actual games are created by the community - even prewritten campaigns needs to be executed via a game master. Trying to skim money off the community will mean they'll eventually give up on you.
#open gaming license#dungeons and dragons#ogl#ogl 1.1#opendnd#wizards of the coast#one dnd#d&d#dnd#tabletop gaming#tabletop roleplaying games#ttrpgs
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The Twins in the Feywild
or, the adaptation is good, actually:
The thing about the Feywild arc in the Legend of Vox Machina is that it's not just a simple condensing of 20-ish hours into perhaps one hour; it's also at a notably different point in the story, and is changed to reflect that.
[as a sidebar: I am not tagging spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 1, as the episodes in question are 5+ years old. This post does have a large number of them, and in general, if you are new to CR and found this via the TLOVM tag, welcome! My blog will have spoilers for the campaign.]
In Campaign 1, after the Sunken Tomb and the encounter with Kamaljiori (who survives in the campaign, incidentally), all of Vox Machina heads towards Westruun. Grog has his (also different from TLOVM, also condensed in a thoughtful way that may be discussed in a separate post) struggles with Craven Edge, and they all encounter the Herd of Storms, deal with them, and kill Umbrasyl. The episode after they have killed the first of the four dragons responsible for the Conclave attacks, Umbrasyl the Hope Devourer, is aptly named Hope; they then go to Vasselheim where Vax formalizes his relationship to the Raven Queen, and then deal with Hotis back in Whitestone. The Deathwalker's Ward's flight power is also activated. Then they go to the Feywild, together (though Pike stays behind again due to Ashley's schedule.) In general, Vax has made peace with his decision, and the party is, for the most part, much more optimistic than they are here.
Here, all four dragons are still at large, Keyleth's spell was interrupted, Vax is still on edge, and the last thing they saw was Pike, impaled on Grog's sword. They are doing far worse.
So, understandably, Vax is in a sour mood the entire trip. This significantly changes his role, as he's less able to offer support for Vex. Keyleth is also more insecure.
The episode in Syngorn in the main campaign, which was also, notably, Critical Role's first ever live show with the tech hiccups and nerves that implies, is actually pretty funny. We do get the twins' encounter with Syldor - more on that later - but a large portion of the episode is dedicated towards stealing hats and trying to find a threshold crest for Garmelie (with Keyleth and Percy eventually outsmarting him on a technicality, in true Fey fashion); and the party accidentally implying and then fully leaning into implication that they are polyamorous and need a room so that they can have an orgy. I've seen indications that Syngorn was much grimmer than that; while the twins were understandably frustrated with it, it was far from a dark episode.
With the caveat that I have not read Kith and Kin, Syldor Vessar is one of the characters in Critical Role canon whom I feel the fandom has the most warped perception. He is a dick, to be clear; but on a scale of living character parents, he is treated with a vitriol the far worse Howaardt Darrington and Thoreau Lionett oddly dodge, and it says something that Tary and Beau never to our knowledge attempt to interact with their fathers again, whereas Vex maintains a distant and at times contentious but minimally cordial relationship with hers. (It's not unique for parents in this show to be given the madonna/whore treatment, as others have noted, and parents who fall most towards the middle of that false dichotomy tend to bear the brunt of it - see the Calloways and the Gentleman - but Syldor's treatment is, to be honest, inexplicable and weird.)
In "Heredity and Hats," Syldor is not warm or pleasant, but he does, in fact, apologize at length for his behavior and accepts that the twins have reason to hate him when he offers his assistance. (1x60, 47:58) He also accepts Percy's correction of Vex's title in full, and indeed, seems pleased by it (1x60, 55:22). He is not a good person, but he is, by the time the twins see him in the Feywild, a penitent one. And, in this episode, Vax is the one who is largely unconcerned with Syldor, with the implication he's already given up on him and doesn't particularly care, whereas Vex is much angrier.
However, that's all very difficult to convey in TLOVM in under ten minutes, when Vex's upcoming showdown with Saundor hinges on her insecurity surrounding how she was perceived in the past and her ongoing struggles with powerlessness. So in that, Syldor is far more dismissive, and Vax, who is still, as mentioned, in a very angry place himself, is, well, angry. It is a different tack! It also is a very smart choice given that in a campaign that lasts hundreds of hours, the rule is show don't tell; and in an animated series that must compress this into a tiny fraction of that time, that rule is lifted. This is not a time for the subtle background of Vex's C1 arc. There is no time for the subtle background of Vex's C1 arc. What matters is that the adaptation is consistent within itself; achieves the general, for lack of a better term, vibes and major plot beats of the original campaign; and can reach an audience unfamiliar with the source material. We can't make Syldor fascinatingly complex and Vax blasé here, so we don't, so that we can understand why Saundor is able to cut so close to the core of Vex before she's able to pull away.
It's different! And, yes, as someone who does like something very long-form and subtle and show-not-tell, I do prefer the original! I also think that within the limitations of an animated show with 6-hour seasons, with the assumption that the Feywild arc starts here (that is, with Vax still where he is emotionally, Umbrasyl alive, and Grog, Scanlan, and Pike absent), trying to otherwise keep things the same would feel artificial and unsatisfying, and fail to serve Vex's story. It is changed to heighten it in a medium that needs heightening because there's no time for breadth, and you can dislike it, but criticizing it for not being identical to the original is a particularly egregious missing of the point.
(It's also worth keeping in mind: have you rewatched this arc recently? Are you even comparing it to the story as it was, or are you comparing it to the story you remember, because, like it or not, Vex's story was always very much about her relationships to Syldor, Vax, and Percy, and her need to be liked; her flaw was that she simultaneously desperately needed people and hated herself for it.)
#i made a shitpostier version of this i've queued but like. hm.#i think the best way to put it is that a lot of people REALLY love to Strong Female Character Vex (and Keyleth)#while thinking they are absolutely not doing so#and it is. shall we say. irritating.#tlovm#tlovm spoilers#long post#critical role
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FAQ
What tag should I use?
#percahliaweek should work nicely - you can @ us @percahliaweek so we can reblog your contribution on the corresponding day.
Will you be doing anything on Twitter/other social media?
We considered it! However, as other social media sites have proven unreliable (especially lately), we'll be hosting the event only on Tumblr. However, you're welcome to post your work wherever you like!
Can I do _ for the event?
Yes. Yep. Seriously, so long as it focuses on Perc'ahlia (and is appropriately tagged to avoid spoiling people), you can do it. Cosplay, inspired recipes, beadwork, podfic, go wild! Well, with the caveat that no hateful content will be permitted - don't use a joyous event to rain on someone else's parade or promote hatespeech, alright?
Is NSFW content allowed?
Given the ship in question and just how canonically horny they are for eachother - yes! However, we request that you tag this content as #nsfw and use the appropriate content filter on it. If posting in the Discord server, keep it to the 18+ chat. Be mindful of potential minors in fandom space + people browsing content in public.
I want to participate but haven't watched Campaign 1!
We welcome fans of The Legend of Vox Machina with open arms. As a result, it's requested that campaign fans do their best to avoid spoiling show fans for anything beyond what Season 2 has shown (Umbrasyl's defeat). That means late Campaign 1, the oneshots and any mention of them in other campaigns should be tagged as #cr1 spoilers (using just this tag for simplicity). Show fans, if you want to remain unspoiled, I recommend you block this on Tumblr and mute spoilery channels in the server.
Is there an AO3 collection for the fanfics?
One can definitely be set up closer to the start date!
Does my submission have to fit one of the prompts?
That would be ideal, yes! Anything freeform should be posted on Day 7 for Free/Random prompts. But fitting the prompt can be very loose - maybe you just use the word as a motif, or you take it in an entirely unexpected direction. We want to encourage creativity and fun more than anything else.
I don't know what to do for the Free/Random day!
We have a few recommendations (we are unaffiliated with the websites linked):
Random page of the Encyclopedia Exandria
Random word generator
OTP prompt generator
AU generator
Ghost’s Spell prompts [roll 2d20?]
Wild Magic Surge table
Life events table
If you've made prompt lists and would not mind them being featured here, reach out!
How did you choose the prompts?
Prompts were chosen over a day or two while talking with friends - they were intended to be open-ended enough to allow flexibility while also touching on key elements of the ship! Some obvious ones (ex: courage, heart, that sort of thing) were left out so that, hopefully, they could be included next year. If there's enough interest, future prompts could be chosen via fan poll.
Will this be an annual event?
We sure hope so! Hence optimistically keeping back some prompt ideas for the future. Let's see how this goes ;3
Why late September?
On September 29th, 2016, the Critical Role episode 'Passed Through Fire' aired, which features an iconic Perc'ahlia moment (no spoilers for show fans!). Following Burr's poll on which scene is most iconic for the pairing, we decided to have the week celebrate the anniversary of that episode.
So why did you announce this so early?
Because Maggie has been a gremlin about the idea since April. Also, most fans in this space are adults with jobs and responsibilities - allowing more time to create without a rush benefits everyone.
A Discord server?
We have set up a little server for this event on Discord, mostly to hang out with other Perc'ahlia fans and motivate eachother to work on our respective projects. The current link is HERE - let us know if it's not working!
Who is hosting this?
At the moment the users running this blog are @burr-ell and @blorbologist! If the event expands beyond our abilities, we will look into taking on other users to help out - you'll know if we need a hand <333
Any more questions? Feel free to send in an ask and we'll do our best to answer in a timely manner!
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An ongoing masterlist of all the Critical Role inspired crochet and knitting patterns I have collected
**Disclaimer at bottom of the post**
Critical Role Campaign 1: Vox Machina inspired:
Crochet Patterns
Knitting Patterns
Critical Role Campaign 2: Mighty Nein inspired:
Crochet Patterns
Knitting Patterns
Critical Role Campaign 3: Bells Hells inspired :
Crochet Patterns
Knitting Patterns
Critical Role inspired “misc” patterns (basically, if it fit in all the campaigns, or it wasn’t campaign specific, it goes here.)
Crochet Patterns (currently this page does not exist)
Knitting Patterns
**Disclaimer 1: All of these links redirect you to ravelry. Because of the nature of the site, some of the patterns will not be available to view unless you have a ravelry account. Likewise, you will not be able to use the advanced search/filtering function (which allows you to filter via project difficulty/free vs paid patterns ect) without an account. You should be able to still see most of the patterns if you choose not to make an account. Making an account is free, if you choose to do so.
Disclaimer 2: I’m just a crocheter/knitter that loves Critical Role! I do not own any of these patterns, nor am I associated with their creators or ravelry. This is not an ad, and I get nothing if you click these links or buy these patterns. As such, the joy from you guys reblogging this and leaving comments is all I get for putting this together, so please do so! And send me a pic if you end up making any of these!**
#crochet#knitting#knitting pattern#crochet pattern#critical role#vox machina#the mighty nein#mighty nein#bells hells#cr:c1#cr:c2#cr:c3#callmekohaii originals#callmekohaii#catboycalebwidogast
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The House approved a measure late Tuesday that would slash Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's taxpayer-funded government salary to just $1.
The bill — which was introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. — was passed via voice vote Tuesday as an amendment to the 2024 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, the standalone funding bill for the General Services Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission and other related agencies.
"I’m proud to announce my amendment to FIRE Pete Buttigieg just PASSED the House. Pothole Pete staged fake bike rides to the White House and used private planes funded by taxpayers to receive awards for the way certain people have sex," Greene said in a social media post Tuesday. "American taxpayers should not be on the hook for paying for his lavish trips or his salary."
"Pete Buttigieg doesn’t do his job. It’s all about fake photo ops and taxpayer-funded private jet trip to accept LGBTQ awards for him," Greene added. "I’m happy my amendment passed, but he doesn’t deserve a single penny."
Since taking office in 2021, Buttigieg has faced criticism for Republican lawmakers in response to several crises that have faced the Department of Transportation.
For example, in February, after a train carrying vinyl chloride, a dangerous colorless gas, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, Buttigieg was criticized for his apparent inaction and for waiting several weeks before traveling to the site of the derailment.
In addition, there have been multiple instances of mass commercial airline cancellations during his tenure for various reasons, including a pilot shortage. Republicans and Democrats alike had called for Buttigieg to take decisive action to ensure air travelers are protected from such cancellations.
And while Buttigieg has spent much of his tenure addressing commercial delays, he has used government-managed private jets on at least 18 occasions since taking office. Those flights sparked an ongoing inspector general probe and, according to information obtained by Americans for Public Trust (APT), have cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
PETE BUTTIGIEG TOOK GOVERNMENT JET TO NYC FOR RADIO INTERVIEW, ACLU MEETING BEFORE FLYING BACK HOURS LATER
In one instance in September 2022, Buttigieg used a government jet for a roundtrip journey to Montreal. During the visit, he attended a ceremony hosted by a large Canadian gay rights organization and received an award for his "contributions to the advancement of LGBTQ rights."
Buttigieg's office has further stonewalled additional information about his use of the executive fleet.
Secretary Buttigieg continues to blow off the American people who simply want to know the true cost of his taxpayer-funded private jet trips," APT Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "After multiple FOIA requests, a lawsuit, and an ongoing inspector general investigation, Buttigieg's office still refuses to provide vital details about using a private government jet for a swing state tour, which appears more akin to campaigning than official DOT business."
"Buttigieg looks to be politicizing his role and making it clear that he believes he’s above accountability and transparency, a dismissive attitude that seems to be endemic throughout the Biden administration," Sutherland said.
And the transportation secretary came under fire last year after it was revealed he vacationed in Porto, Portugal, while his agency and the White House were locked in tense negotiations with rail worker unions to avert a strike that could have had a dire impact on the U.S. economy. The Department of Transportation said at the time that the vacation was a "long-planned personal trip."
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OneD&D, the OGL 1.1 Leak, and the Grim Future of Dungeons & Dragons
Hey folks, long time no talk. While I know that this account is more or less a place for me to put up pretty pictures or to comment on political issues nowadays, I figured I may as well rant talk about a topic I'm pretty passionate about: D&D and tabletop roleplaying in general. Or to be more precise, the changes looming in the distance.
On the chance that this is the first time you (the reader) have heard about this OGL 1.1 stuff, I'll try to sum up what's been happening in the world of D&D and its Open Game License. In short? It's bad. Very bad.
What's Going On?
Over the past month or so, after a rather unnerving article published by Dicebreaker about D&D execs feeling the hobby was "under-monetized", there's been a lot of tension building about the future of D&D. It eventually came to a head with rumors floating around Twitter and YouTube about OneD&D was going to do something to the existing OGL and that the new license would be hyper-predatory. This prompted WotC to publish a reply, which was rife with the usual corporate soft-speak that made it clear that they weren't being entirely truthful. But it did what it was meant to and calmed some of the concerned fans.
Then on January 5th, the leaked 1.1 OGL was revealed via an article on Gizmodo and was found to be a 9,000 word document with contracts attached (which, for reference, is 10 times that of the current OGL -- which has far more friendly 900 words). Whoever leaked it to Gizmodo apparently did so under breach of NDA (Though there are theories about it being intentionally leaked) and it appears that WotC was initially intending to launch a shock-and-awe scorched earth campaign against all third-party content creators, big and small, by moving to revoke the long-standing OGL 1.0a.
Why is the OGL 1.1 Bad?
The easier question to answer is what's good about it, which are new protections against publishing creations that contain hatespeech, racism, transphobia, and so on -- on top of protecting the property from NFTs and such.
Though to put it very briefly (and bluntly) on what's awful about OGL 1.1, it seeks to make D&D inhospitable (or outright toxic) to any and all third-party content creators; drive out competition in virtual tabletops like Foundry and Alchemy RPG *; doing away with non-official virtual tools (Kobold Fight Club comes to mind); potentially harm streamers and YouTube content creators; claim ownership over creations from both non-commercial and commercial homebrew; demanding exorbitant royalties based not off of profit, but revenue; and expect creators to report their finances and earnings to them like they're the IRS.
If this OGL is made official, not only will it kill the vibrant homebrew community D&D has, but it will also go after other TTRPGs that utilize the OGL 1.0a out of good faith over these past 23 years. This means Pathfinder 1 & 2, Fate, Mutants and Masterminds, and many more are now in WotC/Hasbro's crosshairs.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister, and other video games like it, is also at risk as it uses elements from D&D's OGL.
Big name streamers like Critical Role and Dimension 20 might also be affected by this, but as they have currently not made any official stance on the matter it is unknown if they will stand with fans or broker some sort of agreement with WotC/Hasbro. (Note: This is not meant as a jab, caution over one's IP and livelihood is always important.)
There's a lot more that's scary about it that others listed below have covered, but know that the verbiage in the new OGL as it stands is belligerent and harmful to everyone.
*Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds will likely be safe, as they already have contracts with WotC.
What Can You Do About it?
Honestly, be loud. Don't threaten or curse, of course, but make your displeasure known. Go fill out OneD&D's survey (decline to review the Cleric changes) and voice your concern. Cancel your D&D Beyond subscription, if you have one. Go on Twitter and join in on #opendnd. Sign this petition perhaps.
Remain vigilant to whatever may change, because it's only a matter of time until Wizards does their staged apology to deflect.
Aside from it being a typical tactic when adjusting the Overton Window, it even says in the document that they "will receive community pushback and bad PR" and that "[They're] more than open to being convinced that [They] made a wrong decision."
Keep the pressure on, because whatever changes they will so "graciously" give us will surely still be terrible.
Relevant Reading / Viewing
Dungeons & Dragons executives think 'the brand is really under monetized'
OGLs, SRDs, & One D&D (WotC's milquetoast reply to December's circulating rumors)
Dungeons & Dragons’ New License Tightens Its Grip on Competition (This is where the OGL 1.1 was leaked)
Let’s Take A Minute To Talk About D&D’s Open Gaming License (OGL) (An explanation from an IP lawyer with experience in gaming licenses.)
The Rules Lawyer's commentary and explanation (Video)
Roll of Law's commentary (Video)
Scintilla Studio's OGL 1.1 and the Extinction of D&D (Video)
Closing Thoughts
I'm a relative newcomer to the world of D&D and TTRPGs. I've always wanted to try it, but the idea of playing at a table with random people terrified me. It wasn't until the semi-recent (okay, maybe not so recent anymore) advent of virtual tabletops was I given hope. So when a kind pigeon gave me a spot in her game, I was hooked from then on.
I dove into the world of TTRPGs and haven't looked back since. Though over the past year or so, I've been getting a little disenchanted with WotC as their last couple of publishings have been very lackluster and disappointing. The last one I enjoyed was Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, but even then I wished they did more with it. And don't get me started over the recent Mordenkainen's and Spelljammer...
Third-party content, everything from little up-and-comers on the /r/Unearthed Arcana subreddit, to @the-griffons-saddlebag, to big Kickstarters like Heliana's and Steinhardt's were the things that have kept the hobby vibrant for me. I'll always support them over a corporation, especially greedy and vicious ones like WotC-Hasbro. So even if they dial back what has been leaked to something more "tolerable". Hell, even if they leave the OGL 1.0a alone after all, they made their choice with trying to pull the rug out from under us with this.
While my love for D&D will not die, I can certainly promise that WotC will not see another cent from me from here on out.
#Dungeons and Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons#D&D#DND#OneD&D#OGL#OGL 1.1#OGL 1.0a#WotC#Wizards of the Coast#Hasbro#OpenD&D#OpenDND#Critical Role#Dimension 20
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The Legend of Vox Machina
Episodes 7, 8 and 9 Are Out!
As of this evening, the new episodes of "The Legend of Vox Machina," Season 2 (7, 8 and 9) are Number 1 on Amazon's Top 10. Be sure to catch the Watch Party for Episodes 7, 8 and 9 on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 10:00PM Eastern (7:00PM Pacific) on the Critical Role Twitch channel.
This Thursday on Critical Role, the most frequently asked question was "Where was Ashley?" Work? Vacation? No one knows, but she appeared in this week's episode of Critical Role (Campaign 3, Episode 47) via satellite location.
Speaking of Ashley Johnson, those of us who enjoyed "Talks Machina" and "Between The Sheets" with Brian Foster will be happy to hear Brian is ready to take on the world and do what he does best! Brian started the year with a brand new set for his Twitch stream and will be conducting interviews again on his new set, something so many of us have been waiting for since we realized "Between The Sheets" was over.
If you love "The Legend of Vox Machina" the animated series, "Talks Machina" can give you some behind-the-scenes insights from each of the cast members from the original campaign. "Talks Machina" Playlists can be found here:
Talks Machina Episodes For Campaign 1
Talks Machina Episodes For Campaign 2
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Today was the inaugural run for Brian's new set. He's still perfecting the package and probably will be for the next few broadcasts, but the interviews have been lined up and he's ready to go! Ashley looked incredibly comfy on the couch and I loved being able to hear about the people they've met and the places they've been together as snippets of their history slipped into the conversation.
For those of us who have missed seeing Henry on the set of "Talks Machina" with Brian, good news! Brian's new, comfy set comes complete with doggos! Henry and Bullock can be seen hanging out wherever they are most comfortable throughout the stream.
In addition to his interview schedule, Brian is poised to do a complete "The Last of Us" game playthrough once the PC version is released by Naughty Dog on March 28th. If you love HBO's "The Last of Us" series, it's a great opportunity to learn more about the source material and perhaps learn some behind the scenes tidbits if Ashley is around while the gameplay is streaming. For those unfamiliar with both the game and the HBO Live Action Series, Ashley Johnson is the voice of Ellie in the game and makes an appearance in the series as Ellie's mother.
youtube
As a side note, if you loved "The Last of Us" in any of its forms, Pedro Pascal will be hosting Saturday Night Live tomorrow, February 4th on NBC.
If you love "The Legend of Vox Machina" please be sure to watch it as often as you like on Amazon Prime to keep the good energy going!
Be well blessed and well loved always. ❤️
#Critical Role#Critters#Ashley Johnson#Brian Foster#Talks Machina#Between The Sheets#The Legend of Vox Machina#Vox Machina#TLOVM Season 2#TLOVM S2#Youtube#The Last of Us#Dungeons and Dragons#D&D
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Day 243
#ashley of the day#ashley johnson#critical role#critical role cast#pike trickfoot#vex'ahlia#laura bailey#vox machina#via: critical role campaign 1
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Ocean's Writing Commissions Sheet 2023
I’m taking ongoing commissions for both fanfic and original fiction. I’ve built my pricing list and info sheet below! [updated as of 3/22/2023]
For examples of my writing, check out my AO3 account or my writing tag 1 and writing tag 2.
How to Commission:
The commission process is fairly simple!
Message me here or on Discord (Ocean#0483) to discuss the potential project
We will set an estimate and I’ll send a payment request for the deposit (if required)
I’ll send you a rough outline and you can make any changes needed in order to best fit your vision
After the outline is accepted, I’ll finish writing up your fic within 1-3 months
Final/full payment due before posting
I’ll be in contact with you through the writing process, especially if we’re working with OCs, so make sure you’re able to keep an eye on your messages!
Current Fandoms
Dragon Age (all games, some novels)
Critical Role (Campaign 2, The Mighty Nein)
Voltron: Legendary Defender (the Netflix series)
Pricing and Payments
Pricing in USD. Orders of $50 and up may require a deposit of 50% upon commissioning.
All invoices will be paid via Paypal.
Price is per 1500-2000 words: $25
Totally will write these things/topics! (Not an exhaustive list)
See “will not write” list for items marked with an asterisk):
Smut
BDSM/some kinks*
Angst/pain/unhappy endings
LGBTQIA+ characters
Neurodivergent characters
Canonically straight characters written as bi/pan or exploring/curious
Age gaps (as long as the younger party is over 18)*
Power dynamics and kink fantasy
Canon characters
Original/own characters (will need reference materials for OCs)
AUs
Rarepairs and crack fics
Some crossovers
Will not write these topics/things! (Not an exhaustive list)
= Horror genre (some blood/gore is fine)
= Canonically queer characters written as straight
= Western genre
= No sexual relationships with parties under 18 years old (Exception: both/all parties being of similar age with fade-to-black scenes, still no explicit sex with characters under 18 years old)
* Kinks I will not write (not an exhaustive list):
= Scat/waterplay/emetophilia
= Age play (not including consensual scenarios using adult characters with an age difference)
If you have any other questions, feel free to send me an ask, a message, or a Discord message (Ocean#0483)!
#dragon age#voltron: legendary defender#vld#critical role#dao#da2#dai#writing commissions#writing#reblogs likes and comments always welcome and appreciated!
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I'm getting kind of close to another follower milestone (only 11 more to go!!), so I figured it's time to start thinking about what my "gift" should be. I kind of want it to be poses, but idk.
The "walk and talk" poses would be from Hermes's date (1 / 2 / 3)
The stargazing poses would be from Lavinia's date (1 / 2)
The dagger poses would be from a (very long) list of pose ideas I had while watching Critical Role Campaign 1. (there's literally 25 poses on that list...)
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Wrestling with Roleplaying
Dear DM Robbie,
I play a Druid in a campaign that occurs weekly and I have an issue with consistently roleplaying as my character. My personality sometimes sneaks out in the character, how do I differentiate better between myself and my character? It’s my first roleplay-heavy campaign and I want to be able to take it seriously and measure up to the other players.
-Wrestling with Roleplaying
Dear Wrestling with Roleplaying,
Let me start by assuring you, this isn’t a unique issue to grapple with. Like most of our insecurities, it probably seems like it’s a bigger issue to you than it is. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take to improve your focus and roleplaying. Like all things, practice helps.
The first thing I’d like to point out is that during a session in any TTRPG, no one expects you to stay in character the whole time. We are still playing a game and part of the fun of TTRPGs is that we are both ourselves and our characters. Sometimes the things we say or feel might overlap with our character's feelings.
It’s fine to crack jokes in a session that your character might not make and let your table know, “That’s Robbie speaking, not Xana!” or “That is entirely out of character!”
When it comes to improving your roleplay and trying to stay in character as much as possible, you could practice some methods of getting into character before your session. A common one that a lot of people practice is creating a playlist for your character. Music or songs that remind you and help you center yourself within that personality.
It may also help to find ways to physically separate yourself from your character. Does your character have a unique voice? You don’t need to be a skilled voice actor for this one or even use accents. There are a lot of great, subtle, and easy ways to achieve this. Ginny Di did a great video explaining how.
Developing a voice, or a unique way of carrying yourself when you are being your character versus you helps quite a bit with slipping up and letting some of yourself shine through. It’ll also help when you say something out of character because everyone at the table will be able to tell the difference. Here’s a great blog post by Scriv the Bard on various ways you can help yourself get into character.
At the end of the day though, you’ll get better as time goes on. Especially if this is one of your first campaigns with heavy roleplay. But try not to be too hard on yourself, because no matter what characters we play, parts of us will always shine through.
A great example is Sam Riegel and Fresh Cut Grass in the Bells Hells campaign of Critical Role. The character was a big divergence from the chaos gremlins Sam played in Campaigns 1 and 2 as Scanlan Shorthalt and Knott\Veth the Brave, but he still finds a way to bring that chaos to the table even as FCG.
If you have a question or a situation you'd like advice on from Dungeon Master Robbie, you can submit it via this link, https://forms.gle/d4rib7nR9kiHYf3fA
You can also find all future Dear DM Robbie posts on Patreon for Free.
#DnD#D&D#Roleplay#dnd advice#roleplay advice#ttrpg#ttrpg advice#dungeon master#dungeon master advice#Dear DM Robbie
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Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop was a champion of African history, devoting his life and brilliant intellect to proving the critical role Black Egyptian people played in the development of arts and sciences, dispelling long-held ideas that Africans contributed nothing of importance to humanity. Diop held five doctorates: in physics, African history, Egyptology, linguistics and anthropology, and with this, he set the record straight on who the original people of Egypt actually were and their brilliant accomplishments.
Diop was born Dec. 29, 1923, in Thieytou in the Diourbel region of Senegal to an aristocratic Muslim family. His early education was at a traditional Islamic school.
In 1946, at age 23, Diop left for Paris, where he would study physics at the famed Sorbonne. In 1953, he met Frederic Joliot-Curie, the son-in-law of famed scientist Marie Curie, who ran the Laboratory of Nuclear Chemistry of the College de France, where Diop had been studying nuclear physics. Diop translated Einstein’s theory of relativity into the Senegalese Wolof language. It was here and through his study that Diop would become a Pan-Africanist, immersing himself in the studies of sociology, anthropology, philosophy and Pan-Africanist thought.
Through his studies, he determined that ancient Egypt was founded and ruled by Black Africans, that the Egyptian language and culture still exist in modern Africa and that Black Egypt was responsible for the rise of civilization throughout Africa and the Mediterranean, including Rome and Greece. Diop published his findings in his first book, “Negro Nations and Culture,” which immediately made him one of the most controversial historians of his time.
Diop was active in the African nationalist organization called the Rassemblement Democratique Africaine (RDA) and served as general secretary from 1950 to 1953. Its slogan was “National independence from the Sahara to the Cape and from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.” The movement was dedicated to purging the African consciousness of slavery and colonial thinking and acknowledging the African role in civilization. He organized and hosted the first Pan-African student conference and revealed his plan to restore Black consciousness through focusing on ancient Egypt. He returned to Senegal in 1960 to begin what would be a lifelong pursuit of historic truth and political struggle.
In 1962, Diop produced his second major work, “Black Africa: The Economic and Cultural Basis for a Federated State,” in which he wrote “the formation of a federated and unified Africa, culturally and otherwise, is the only way for Africa to become the power in the world that she should rightfully be.” The work would serve as a manifesto for his political party, “Le Bloc des Masses Senegalaises,” (BMS). The party, with its call for consciousness, was seen as a threat to President Leopold Senghor, who was Senegal’s first president and the first African elected to the Academie Francaise.
Diop was arrested and tortured. The BMS was banned in Senegal for working against Senghor. Diop’s work was nearly lost. But the BMS and its supporters launched an anti-Senghor campaign. Senghor relented and released Diop, offering him a position in a new government. Diop refused the offer when Senghor refused to release all other political prisoners...
Here is a list of his books translated into English
(1)“The African Origin Of Civilization: Myth Or Reality”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop
(2) “The Cultural Unity Of Black Africa”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop
(3) “Civilization Or Barbarism”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop
(4) “Black Africa: The Economic and Cultural Basis For A Federated State”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop
(5) “Precolonial Black Africa”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop
(6) “The Peopling of Ancient Egypt And The Deciphering Of The Meoroitic Script”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop, Jean Leclant, Dr. Theophile Obenga, and Dr. Jean Vercoutter
https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2013/05/23/dr-cheikh-anta-diop-anthropologist-historian/
Via Sba Sa Ra Mwamba
please click this link below to subscribe to our youtube channel
https://youtube.com/@africaishomepodcast
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Would Percy be considered a Norseman in the real world, or is he more Slavic? I remember Taliesin mention that his original idea for Percy was just a clockmaker in Northern Europe. Does that make Whitestone… someplace like Denmark then? I want to say someplace like the UK because of the accent, but I’m not sure… To me, his name seems more Germanic/French/Polish than anything.
Norse is a very specific time period my dude, you probably mean Scandinavian. And the answer is no.
Taliesin seems to have taken snippets from everywhere, and I generally go with the accent and think of him as British. Given Whitestone was founded by Wildemount folk originally - who Matt gave a Prussian influence to - it actually kind of fits. A lot of British nobles have French and German blood, and the royal family has a good chunk of German to them.
Percy's name is a mix because Taliesin took it, iirc, from anime characters he'd worked on the dubs for. Percival is French and British (Arthuriana), Fredrickstein would be German (Frederick is German iirc, and stein is German for ... I want to say stone but it's been years since I studied it.) "von" is German and means "of" when used in naming - so-and-so of such-and-such, be that place or family. Klossowski is pronounced by Taliesin as Kowalski which I believe would make it Polish, "de Rolo" is I think then an older French influence. Might be wrong. Given the Wildemount origins of the family and of Whitestone, it seems to me they're more a riff on Prussian, especially German, Austro-Hungarian, and Polish nobility, not anything further north. The clock Percy builds Taliesin has said is a riff on the one in Prague, which is in the Czech Republic and landlocked between Germany, Austria and Poland.
I go with English for Percy because 1. That accent; we have decidedly non-British and non-American accents throughout the Campaigns, including Campaign 1, which suggests it's intended as Percy's natural diction. 2. If Wildemount is fantasy Prussia and Slavic influences and Whitestone was then founded by Wildemount expats: *looks at the Saxons of Saxony, which is part of Germany, arriving in and thereafter influencing England* *looks at Britain's royal family which is largely German in extraction* 3. I am British, so I feel most comfortable using that point of reference, and 4. Taliesin explained Percy's "we didn't touch in my family" line as being about the particular social codes around familial affection in noble Prussian families (iirc at least) and those codes of behaviour were also strongly seen in Victorian British codes of behaviour ("children should be seen and not heard") and iirc Kaiser Wilhelm's mother was discouraged from being too affectionate with her young son by Queen Victoria.
Tl;dr: I find ample evidence for this interpretation and if not this you'd probably want to lean more Germanic.
If you do want an argument for a more Scandinavian interpretation - gun comes (via a crossbow named Gunilda) from gunnhildr (meaning "war, battle") ... but the hildr part also means "battle" and is also seen in German; you can easily argue cultural overlap if you wish.
And lastly... just because the character’s original concept was a clockmaker from Northern Europe, that hardly means it’s still relevant. In Critical Role, Percy is the inventor of guns as much as a clockmaker; the whole setting is different. There are times when the originating ideas are indicative, but no longer helpful.
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A bit of Critical Role meta here today:
Regarding people sending their hate and anger to the cast, don’t. It’s their story and their game, we are simply the watchers. I think it’s ridiculous to claim that you know their characters better than them or that Matt and the cast are making the wrong decisions. Some of those decisions in-game are tough, that’s part of D&D. That’s part of the appeal: that unexpected things happen and then you literally roll with it.
The cast knows this, and they trust each other, I think that is very clear. They have talked about that trust and how they have systems put in place to make sure that they are all ok with what is happening in and out of game. While I think at times it would be helpful to see that process happen during the game, CR is particular because they have all been friends for years and have this well-established. They don’t need to do this for everyone else; they have their trust in their friends.
For those of you worried about the storyline, I have two thoughts.
1. Trust the process. We’ve seen bad things happen before. The cast makes that story happen and they come back and it is good. We as an audience place our trust in Matt’s DM skills as a storyteller and the cast as the players. We will wait and see.
2. It’s not that kind of story. D&D gives players the opportunity to create a story of their choosing. And of all the things Critical Role is within that story, they are not out to tell unsatisfying stories that end in misery for misery’s sake. We saw it after Molly’s death: his character arc was still important and we see that he is given resolution via Kingsley through a very well-done collaboration of Matt and Taliesin. Caleb’s story arc which could have ended in tragedy at every turn, and could have flipped the campaign and whole story on its head didn’t; it ended with thought and care about healing and redemption. Beau’s storyline through the Cobalt Soul was literally about how corrupt organizations actually should be held to account and have to face punishment for their actions. The entirety of EXU:Calamity could have ended in pure destruction as punishment for the hubris and poor decisions made by the PCs, but it didn’t because it’s not that kind of story. Critical Role has shown they are not out to tell those types of stories. So I have faith that this will not derail them.
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