an approximation of my brain

me after a minor inconvenience: i hope i get hit by a [remembers i’m anti car-centric infrastructure] pedestrian

me after a minor inconvenience: i hope i get hit by a [remembers i’m anti car-centric infrastructure] pedestrian

if we make it out of this episode i want a comedy moment about occtis being vampire invitation style locked out of the theatre

if we make it out of this episode i want a comedy moment about occtis being vampire invitation style locked out of the theatre

I love the juxtaposition of Vaelus and Julien in this episode. Both faced with big weighty decisions with material consequences for the other PCs. Vaelus has to make a choice between helping her family and help others with a similar plight, and she chooses to help the others at the expense of her family; Julien has the same choice and makes the opposite decision to protect his family at the expense of others. The context and scale of their decisions are very different - all the captive Rungjani souls & the history there vs just Teor & Cyd being at risk - and tbh their choices both feel correct. Vaelus's choice was a sign of her growth in breaking from Sylandri and her isolation in grief. Julien saving his sister over two near-strangers he's known for less than 2 weeks makes simple sense, and is also growth in a way via him trying to fulfill his mother's wish for his safety (which was also about protection being more important than vengeance) that he so callously brushed off before. Opposite fitting choices and the two situations are such a nice counterbalance to each other.

Another thing I like about tonight's episode is that no one was able to avoid the choice between two mutually exclusive costly options. Vaelus's third solution sought to avoid the choice between the Rungjani and her family, but that still relied on chance and sacrifice and ultimately didn't work. The story honors that she tried, and that it was possible, but the chances didn't work out and in the end she still had to choose: this or that, not both. Like Vaelus's third solution, it's possible Julien could maybe have saved Teor and still gotten out safely with his sister's soulgem with no consequences, but there similarly was a element of chance; he couldn't entertain this and so he had make the choice. Teor or his sister: this or that, not both. Sometimes it's meaningful for the characters to dodge or make something new but a narrative diet can't subsist on that alone. Incredibly strong story development results from the DM teeing up these types of dilemmas and strong player commitment in response and I enjoy it immensely.

oh my god the reason Speak With Dead didn't work on Thjazi is not just because his spirit escaped somehow but specifically because he fuckin' hitchhiked out of this own wake on a guy who hates his guts. The wake & druidic elements were all to honor the spirit and send it on its path. Thjazi is like why yes I am moving on a path thank you and it's a path to my buddy Julien over here

let's all have fun because it's better than not having fun

love that they straight up did not mention to hannan they already have people there