#ludmilla

“Hear a song of promise and temptation…”

The Siren Brides for @xyanmajor

It’s that time again for the Misthoppers Secret Strahd exchange, The Misty Tides!

I had such fun drawing the ladies as sirens! Thank you soo much for the wonderful prompts :3

So some context of what the inspiration was.

Ludmilla is based on Witcher sirens. I have a soft spot for the Witcher monsters and really wanted to incorporate some of the siren looks for there, mainly of course the wings.

Anastrasya is a lionfish. The bright colours with poison felt like appropriate choice for her. Since she is the one who uses her charm the most, I like the idea of her luring you in but the moment you touch her it is too late.

And of course last but not least,

Down bad for this one.

(or were super cool/good storytelling - there’s a lot of em, just a warning that it’s so long)

This is basically just my archive of my thoughts <3

The old-friends semi-reluctantly brought back together with just all that weight in their histories was so good. Loved Baby Olethra (literal and 20-year-old baby) and Autistic mission-oriented Maxwell.

First roll of the season being a MURPH NAT 20

Brennan: "They beat you but they actually don't go first. Zac goes first." CHILLS, gorgeous intro.

Van: "She found Zood, Monty. She found Zood. And she's stuck there."

I hated Mordecestershire so much so quickly, partially in response to "Is trade and commerce not good for Gath?" Like no, not for the PLANET, get out of here. Same with the Legio Rex "we can spread and civilize the wilderness." Gross go away.

Messaged to my friend while watching: Widow's Breath is like ChatGPT (after the CIR guys tried to spray some into a door lock)

Van: "Just super casually go to your stations. I casually lean on a gun."

Brennan canonizing a self-sufficient silkworm population (that post about him being unable to punish kindness in the PCs)

Van’s borderline panic attack with her arm at the South Pole. The fear and the history we don’t know yet. 

All of Marya's Scrapsylvanian beliefs and sayings. Discarded things containing negative energy from being discarded. "Pain can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be shared." “Be pessimistic or be silent. Optimism is bad luck.”

SIOBHAN SOLVING THE RIDDLE WAS SO GOOD. "Brennan, is it gonna fuck you up if I solve this?" "Siobhan I swear to god."

THE WINDOW OF WONDER. All the DM screen stuff was so good.

The negative energy field on Ludmilla's photo and Marya's immediate, heartbroken, "No!"

AP discussion that a character in this setting working from just his own physique and skills (no tools/weapons) is in fact very magical. Maxwell's utter lack of whimsy, especially in the Temple.

Brennan: "I always say, 'Everything happens for a reason,' and that is not existentially terrifying."

Brennan: "Zac, you sent in a bunch of rumors, and only one was false. Do you remember which it was?" Zac: "... Yea...😳"

Asking a character "Where are you?" when they're out of it AHH

LEARNING KOČKA WAS LUDMILLA'S. Just all of the reveals of their histories. Heartbreaking.

Kočka: "I will put my cigarette out in the eye of fate and shit in the hole." "I don't want your friends to die. But they gonna. Some day." "I think I would rather be cursed than unlucky."

Marya hugging Van after Van’s arm shot out and choked her, and Van trying to stay back so she doesn’t hurt her again 😭😭😭

The full message, adding Comfrey’s “[Pappy]’ll know what to do. He always did. I don’t know if I was right or wrong, Olethra. Maybe you’ll succeed where I failed.”

All of Olethra learning how much faith her grandmother put in her to come find her. And also the struggle of having her own pedestal-view of her grandmother while the old crew is dealing with some anger and baggage. 

Zac: “Would you say he died?” Brennan: “He had 30 hit points left, which will not save him when he falls 200 feet and hits the ocean like a slab of concrete.” Zac: “So I get my Grit point back?”

Wealwell's standing degree - "You have all these finance men in standing class and it's like just give him a C and let him go." DYNAMIC STANDING: WITHSTAND EDITION. RECKLESS ABANDON STANCE. 

Reckless Abandon Stance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Brennan: “You fully deli counter this dude, and Wealwell is looking at you, projectile vomiting like the Exorcist.” Max: “You are meat! You are meat!”

Ally: “I give him a hug, and I’m sobbing into his arms.” Zac: “Hugging her back.” Pappy: “It’s alright, kid.” Olethra: “She was bad.” Pappy: “You know, I think sometimes people you love aren’t always their best selves. I think you just… It’s hard to find a way to love them anyway.”

Brennan: “Van’s not gonna look at [the name]?! I don’t get to have any fun around here.” BRILLIANT choice on Siobhan’s part. 

Marya scratching off her Wind Rider tattoo. 

Olethra getting almost-one-shot by Mordecestershire and Monty running away with her in his arms. 

Olethra: “I died.” Max?: “You were knocked out.” Marya: “She’s young, let her be dramatic.”

Van: “This is a bit above my pay grade.” Marya: “Okay, I give you a raise then.”

Learning Kočka was Ludmilla’s rat

Van: “Eat shit, I’m experiencing character growth!”

Brennan: “There is no magical solution other than the one you make. You’re going to have to find a way out.”

The PCs beating the Eyeless Hand underwater when they lowkey weren’t supposed to. 

Pappy: “Kid, I’m supposed to be looking after you!”

Bert: “Lovey, your hand! I love every part of you.”

Brennan: “[Wealwell] is someone standing on an iceberg with a loose steering wheel saying ‘Here I come.’”

LOU AS MONTY ABSOLUTELY GOING OFF AT COMFREY

Comfrey lowkey condescending (that’s what it felt like to me) Van about her arm with “I don’t think you understand, Vanellope.” And Van’s “No, I don’t think you understand.”

Marya writing "so beats a worthy heart" on Torse's iron heart.

Queen Zern art reveal so no one could’ve connected it to Ludmilla early. 

Olethra risking herself so the others can reach the ground in Zern, and that getting through to Comfrey to understand the danger those she cares about can be in. 

Olethra: “A platonic partnership can be just as great!”

Comfrey: “People that love adventure, science, discovery, are never content with a thing presented as a simple one and two. I think the people that like that one and two structure tend to be monsters, villains, and politicians.” Enby allyyyyyyy

Van: “All the Chapmans knew about the curse. And they went to the sea anyway.”

Monty: “Did I do everything I could?” Brennan: “If you can save a mouse, you can save a person, and if you can save a person, you can save the world.”

Watching Ludmilla lose hope for Marya following her and being manipulated into making Straka 😭😭😭

The bookends of Monty again “I put my gun against the screen and fire twice.”

Brennan AP quote: "We have a bad solution that's hurting someone, but it's stable. Or, you take a risk, and strive for a better world."

Comfrey, after some great self-analysis, turning back to old habits and being like “all that stuff in the past, those mistakes we made and the consequences of them, all of that has nothing to do with us! Look to the future! As long as we’re alive things can become perfect!” Delusional avoidant coping queen, you belong on the Complicated Women Podcast. 

BERT COMPARING VAN TO A SELKIE (/pos) AND THAT WHOLE CONVO IS SO CUTE, talking about how he would never want to control her and how he loves any time he gets to spend with her. Bert: “I’m here to support the adventure of your life, and I've bought a gun."

“You reunite with your ex-wife, who still loves you, in this moment.” Damn, Brennan

Comfrey, on Monty: "He was right, but he didn't have to say it." There are many times where I, like the PCs, am frustrated with Comfrey, but I appreciate the moments where she gets to talk about her own fears and why she can’t stop moving and everything. 

Emily: “Sorry I thought you wanted me to expedite this. Alright, I’ll take it in.” Marya: “I’m moved, this is me moved.”

As Ally said, those Zoodians in the recording in the second-to-last episode were so defensive even in their time, knowing that they were acting in the interest of power and not actually the good of anywhere or anything

THE KILL SWITCH, it turned out to be real. And then Zinnia is like “they’ll release the god!” It’s gone. Such a satisfying moment. 

Torse, Keeper of Souls, is NOT the last of his kind

100% having Amanda and Ryan of the Window of Wonder bowing they deserve it 10/10

The Bert temp HP menu is incredible

The Straka maxi, truly chef’s kiss, gorgeous piece of work

Emily’s announcement, “You can shoot Ludmilla, there’s no need to protect Marya right now.”

Speaking of heartbreaking, just Emily’s face every time she looks at the Straka

Max’s Inspiring Invective with the made-up curse words

Olethra claiming herself as Marya’s protégé. Incredible storytelling and wild choice, potentially very dangerous. 

Monty: “I appreciate that everyone is giving permission for shooting their loved ones!”

Samwell was hiding in the chimney. He’s been studying kickboxing. Max: “We pick an appendage and try to kill people with it, I don’t know.” It really did become The Gotch Show. 

My personal least favorite crit of Ally’s, giving Hatwell a wingsuit (I want him to die lmao). I can absolutely believe that happened, but oh my GOD (Beardsley crits happen when they happen and it’s always a gift. “This is between you and Olethra. You don’t know why, but it is.”

Marya: “Is this your first time [seeing Corrodi] up close?” Torse: “It is my first. And their last.”

Comfrey dying by a matter of seconds. If not for the Legendary Action, Monty could’ve done something for her. Pappy being there to see it happen. Olethra not knowing. Vanellope finishes off Ludmilla’s construct. Olethra still doesn’t know. 

The funky Zood ticks acting as grenades. 

MVP Boots of the Winding Path

Pappy: “You can leave her with me.” Olethra feeling something in the Mech, a frequency to hear Comfrey’s poem. 

Using the Primarchs to break open Ludmilla’s tube. 

Ghost Dog: “Pappy, I’m livin’.”

Longspot shooting Ludmilla’s flesh heart, not understanding what he’s trying to do to takeover Straka (I HATE this guy)

Max: “I start emotionally throwing elbows [at Longspot], until his face is gone.”

Wealwell is canonically the third-best Gotch son, as determined by Max and Van. 

Marya jumps into the portal to get Ludmilla. Comfrey doesn’t see that Olethra figured out the time travel. She never saw that her granddaughter made it work. “Maybe you’ll succeed where I failed.”

Emily: “I got exactly 30.” The dice really do want to tell the story. 

Followed by Cadswitch: “Ring the bell.” Max: “I gave it to someone, kind of an honor system thing.” Cad: “No. Ring the bell. Gentleman fisters.” Max: “Grandpa, you rowdy!” NATURAL 20

Brennan: “Is this the end of Marya’s story?” I just wanna talk. I just wanna talk!

Olethra goes into the portal. She knows Comfrey is dead now, she will not lose Marya. I love Van helping and giving the Comfrey inspiration to Milla for her. 

I appreciate at the end how Brennan allows for so much turn and advantage and help and repeat bullshit to make Marya come back through with them. Again, he will always reward kindness. 

You have Ludmilla, Van, Marya, Olethra rolling and helping and healing each other, Maxwell lowers the DC by using a Wealwell stand, Pappy in the tank messing with wires, Brennan brings out the Tazg’wagwa tentacles to give another help, lets Olethra roll on the table for the Mech so many times. I don’t know the rules super well but I don’t think this is exactly by the book, but that’s half the fun! You’re telling a story. 

Monty: “Adventure’s not everything, kid. Some things are more important.” Finally for Comfrey. It didn’t happen, but they sure tried their best. 

Ally: “She feels really guilty that she went after Marya in that moment.” Marya: “You have a habit of saving my sorry ass.”

Van: “It’s gonna make a great book, though. Gonna sell like gangbusters. And the money from that is gonna save a lot of mice.” Comfrey: “Monty, how are you gonna make me look in your book?” Monty: “Someone’s gotta save the world.”

Love Marya fixing up the ship for Olethra and Ludmilla (and maybe they'll fall in love on an adventure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Shooting balloons filled with her ashes is a wild concept for Comfrey's funeral but it's perfect

Van cleaning up the loose ends, getting rid of the rest of the Eyeless Hand (totally normal stuff, an eyeless hand, that's how it's supposed to be)

Ooooooooh looking for the fabled land in the fabled land. That's what you do Gotch, you find the next adventure.

And Max comes around on Monty's books, who could've seen that coming!

Monty's gonna save Gath, protect the flora and fauna with the help of Courtney the T-Rex. And write a new book. "How's the tone?" (to Gotch)

Pappy finally shoots Wealwell. Max: "I don't know why they shot you, but I think I maybe know who did."

Oh the MechLeod giving the wedding band back to Pappy. Mech: "Look after Olethra."