Orym is an Air Ashari halfling fighter and member of the Crown Keepers and later Bells Hells. He is played by Liam O'Brien.
Description[]
Official full-body portrait of Orym in Exandria Unlimited Prime, by Hannah Friederichs.[art 5]
Official full-body portrait of Orym in Campaign Three, by Hannah Friederichs.[art 6]
Appearance[]
Official art of Orym, 2023 update, by Hannah Friederichs.[art 7]
Orym is 3 feet and 3 inches tall,[32] slender, with ropey muscles and fine features.[33] He has a short shock of brown hair less than an inch long.[34] He has a full-sleeve tattoo of swirling winds and clouds on his right arm stretching up onto his chest, and a tattoo of Ruidus cradled within a crescent Catha on his right shoulder,[35] and more recently, a flaming bell tattoo in his left shoulder blade.[36] Originally, he wore green armor with a leaf theme[37] over brown leather, with well-worn sashes with ivy and flower patterns around his waist, and his boots were brown leather with green stone rings laced into his shin guards. His shield was adorned with ivy.[38] Just before the party traveled to Aeor, he altered his appearance slightly. His hair had grown out longer and was now wavy, and he wore newly-purchased antique Zephyr Armor dyed a dark brown and with a shoulder pauldron made from a piece of FCG's body; on his left boot is a jade piece identical to the one Fearne had on her own outfit. Tiny fey spider vines grew over his armor, symbolizing his connection with Nana Morri.[39]
In every version of his outfit Orym wears a green sash of Ashari design, to remind him of his home in Zephrah.[40]
Orym looks a lot like his mother, Alma, and the resemblance becomes even stronger when they smile.[41] According to Allura Vysoren, after his months with Bells Hells he looked much more confident than he had earlier in his life.[42]
Personality[]
Official art of Orym, 2024 update, by Hannah Friederichs.[art 8]
Orym is generally serious, dutiful and level-headed. He considers himself responsible for "babysitting" his friends' antics, and makes efforts to protect them in combat.[43][44] Orym prefers to leave complicated, dangerous matters in the hands of more experienced figures whom he trusts.[45][46] According to his mother, his stoic but curious and active traits were present from his childhood.[47]
Orym is uncomfortable with getting involved in crime or "fucking people over", believing there's more to the world than corruption and temptation.[48] Dariax considered him to be the most moral member of their group.[49] Liam stated that Orym's "kind heart" was his favorite part of the character, and that he wanted to make a character that held onto kindness as much as he could, as long as he could.[50]
When around 837 PD Keyleth was attacked in Zephrah by mysterious individuals who appeared out of nowhere and evaporated when killed,[51] Orym wanted to forget and come to peace with his unsettled memories that felt unresolvable and would haunt his life. However, when similar attackers assaulted the Lumas twins in Marquet and he was asked to investigate, he was frustrated that all the leads were growing cold and was inspired to pursue them to try to make it right.[52]
Orym seems to be a man of deep convictions and goodness who wants to do the right thing, protect the people he loves, and see the best in others in a morally gray world. Liam characterized Orym as the straight man of his adventuring groups and as one who seems set to lead but views himself as one who follows, and he felt that Orym is the closest to Lawful Good of any character he has ever played.[53] Even if he feels inadequate to meet the expectations that his friends have of him, his sense of responsibility and affection towards them makes him take charge anyway as the perceived leader and moral compass.[54]
Biography[]
Background[]
Fan art of Orym playing with chickens as a baby, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 9]
Fan art of Orym's family, by Taylor Weltzer.[art 10]
Orym was born in the Air Ashari community of Zephrah, the son of a local midwife[55] and a man surnamed Tarrintel; however, the halfling's biological father left, so his son does not use his last name,[56] and never bothered to look for him.[57] Orym grew up there with his mother, who taught him about wood carving.[58] She described him as a "sweet little boy", although stoic and very physically active. He was curious and frequently got into trouble, and he admitted he'd gotten pretty high up in the town's central tree.[59]
They were in close contact with another local family of half-elves: the father, Derrig, was a bodyguard for The Voice of the Tempest, and trained Orym, teaching him "to write on the air";[60] the mother, Nel, was an herbalist, and with one of her triplet daughters, Maeve (who would become a druid),[61] taught the halfling some basic magical healing,[62] although he didn't excel in that area as much as in his physical training, proving to be fast and athletic.[63] Of that family, however, the one Orym grew the closest was Will, the youngest son of Derrig and Nel: they were both of similar age, trained together, and eventually both of them joined the Tempest Blades, serving as guards in Zephrah; during that period of time, Orym was more in contact with the Keyleth, the leader of the Air Ashari, as well as her legendary companions, the members of Vox Machina, whose conversations the halfling fighter overheard.[64][65]
Orym and Will grew even closer and fell in love, initiating a relationship that later became a marriage after Will proposed.[66] During their four-year marriage[67] Orym remained close to Will's family, being fond of all of them, but spent the most time with Leeta due to them training together under Derrig,[68] whom he saw as a father figure[69] in the absence of his own biological father.[70]
Fan art of the attack on the Voice of the Tempest, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 11]
Circa 837 PD,[71] Orym witnessed an attack on Keyleth in Zephrah. It was unsuccessful, though a few Ashari died in the attack,[72] including Orym's husband Will[73] and beloved father-in-law Derrig.[74] The guards were able to fell some of the assailants, but the bodies melted away into nothing before their eyes;[75] due to a special toxin in the weapons of the attackers, none of the fallen Ashari could be resurrected, and Orym lost Will and Derrig forever. Orym stayed in Zephrah less than a year after that, during which he helped train some of the new Tempest Blades, including a human called Julian,[76] until Keyleth encouraged him to leave and travel, in order to escape his memories.[77]
During his later adventures, Orym's goal was to find those responsible for the death of his husband and the attack on his community.
The first of the Crown Keepers Orym met, apparently, was Fearne Calloway.[78]
Fan art of Orym leaving Zephrah, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 12]
Exandria Unlimited Prime[]
At the beginning of Exandria Unlimited Prime Orym remembered waking up as a group a day or so ago on the road outside Emon, but didn't remember anything about the week prior. He remembered being at Thordak's Crater and seeing footprints leading out toward where the Scar of the Cinder King is located. The others were also missing memories of the same week.[79]
When the group found the Circlet of Barbed Vision aboard the Blightstar at the behest of Poska, both Orym and Dorian Storm became nauseous near it. Later, when Opal was seriously wounded in a battle, Orym stepped in front of her to protect her. When the fight was over, Orym found multiple crates and barrels holding refined residuum, about half of which were from his hometown of Zephrah. He talked the group into taking some of it to the Fire Ashari so they could get word back to the Air Ashari about it.[80] When the group realized that the Circlet was one of the Vestiges of Divergence, Orym suggested showing it to the Fire Ashari as well. When they arrived, he did tell the Ashari about the residuum, but Opal and Dorian stopped him before he could mention the Circlet. Later, he agreed that keeping it was probably a good idea.[81] When the group was kidnapped by Poska on their way out of town and realized they had inadvertently endangered Shaun Gilmore with their overheard conversations, Orym used their gifted magic one-way one-use box to send a warning to Gilmore.[82]
At Byroden, Orym was taken under the wing of the wife of the War Ringer, Ruby Lee Beckfort, who swept him off and fed him pie in an attempt to fatten him up. His participation in the Gem of Byroden Pageant was limited to being the target for an axe-throwing Cinna Brightbow.[83]
Back on the road, Orym confronted Dorian when he offered to carry the Circlet for a while and was able to do so without feeling his former nausea. Orym forced Dorian to give it back to Dariax,[84] and kept a close eye on him thereafter.[85]
Thrascuur, the tetrarch of the city of Niirdal-Poc, gifted Orym with a seed and told him to make it grow.[86] When the party left, a very young feline girl tried to give them a letter to deliver to Umejii, but the group was suspicious. Orym followed her out, spoke to her and learned her name, and promised to deliver the letter.[87]
During the party's final battle, Orym again defended a prone Opal against Myr'atta Niselor. He joined the others in their decision to stay together for at least a while longer as they continued their search for Umejii.[88]
Campaign Three: Bells Hells[]
Arc 1: Destiny's Call[]
Fan art of Orym, by Matthew Wawn.[art 13]
Following the events of Exandria Unlimited Prime, the party returned to Byroden. Subsequently, Keyleth sent Orym on a mission to Marquet to investigate an attack there similar to the shadow assassin attack on Zephrah, and telling him that his friends Fearne and Dorian could be helpful. Keyleth used Transport via Plants to sneak them to the skyship port in Emon, from which they traveled to Jrusar.[89] They soon found themselves responding to a mysterious attack of animated objects in the streets, fighting alongside Ashton Greymoore, Fresh Cut Grass, Imogen Temult, and Laudna, and they attracted the attention of Bertrand Bell, who promised to make introductions to high-placed people in the city.[90] Given that their mission was to find Oshad Breshio,[91] Orym hoped that an introduction to someone who knew a lot of people in Jrusar would be helpful. He later confided in Eshteross that Orym was looking for Breshio, also known as "The Anger", on behalf of the Ashari in Zephrah. Lord Eshteross knew that Breshio was a bodyguard assigned to the mahaan house Lumas, which had recently been attacked. Orym confided that something similar had happened where he came from, and he had been sent to Jrusar by Keyleth to see if there was a connection.[92] Orym eventually shared with the party the specific details of why he was looking for Breshio: that the attack on House Lumas in Jrusar was very similar to the attack on Keyleth in Zephrah.[93]
When Laudna showed the party her handmade dead rat with a raven skull named Pâté de Rolo, Orym recognized the de Rolo name as a friend of Keyleth's.[94]
In the party's first major investigation together, an invisible Orym was sent alone inside the darkened warehouse.[95] Later, he was lowered on a rope down the first of the shade creeper holes they discovered, learning it was 1200 feet deep by dropping the borrowed Coin of Delving.
When Dorian gave his brother Cyrus his borrowed sending stone, Orym gave Dorian his own corresponding stone so he could stay in contact with Cyrus.[96]
Lord Eshteross eventually arranged for Orym to meet with Ginang Ela Lumas, the Matriarch of Mahaan House Lumas, and with Oshad Breshio. Orym told the Ginang about the attack in Zephrah six years earlier, which was very similar to the recent one on her family, and told her he was seeking those responsible. She took them to Oshad Breshio, still recovering from his wounds, where Orym explained that Jarett Howarth had told the Ashari of the attack on the Lumas twins. The twins were scholars and researchers of planar contacts, celestial bodies, and the crystal fauna of the Heartmoor. They were in Heartmoor Hamlet with Roe Estani, a friend and retired astronomist from Yios in Aeshanadoor, when they were attacked by three masked figures dressed in black-stained leather armor and wielding poisoned weapons, who cut down the twins before they could be stopped. When killed, the attackers melted into sludge. Oshad suggested Estani might know more.[97]
During the battle against the Shade Mother, Orym used his brand-new Rope of Climbing to pull the Shade Mother's tail into the grinding gears of the mine augur, holding her there and severely limiting her ability to attack, but losing the rope in the process.[98]
Fan art of Orym with the blue flower, by Maddy Marshall.[art 15]
On the way to Heartmoor Hamlet, Orym chased a four-foot-long timber rabbit with a glimmering pink stone in its jaws and eventually managed to sneak up and snatch the stone from its mouth. He gave it to Imogen when he rejoined the party.[99] Midway in their travels through a stormy day, a bolt of lightning hit a nearby tree. When Orym took the glowing blue-petaled flower in the center of the freshly-split tree, a bolt of lightning leaped from it to hit him.[100] Later, Chetney asked Orym about his moon tattoo, and Orym explained it was to help him remember his husband, Will, who was killed six years ago in the attack on Zephrah by dark leather-clad assassins that he is in Marquet to investigate.[101]
Arc 2: Sand and Shadows[]
Once in Heartmoor Hamlet, both Imogen and Orym were eager to visit Estani, and learned that he and the Lumas twins were out walking when three dark masked and hooded figures dropped from a tree and attacked, killing the twins. Oshad Breshio, the twins' bodyguard, managed to kill one which discorporated into black liquid, but the other two escaped. Estani and the twins had become friends via correspondence about their shared interest in astronomical solstices and specifically in the red moon Ruidus. Estani showed them the place of the attack on the twins, a small park nearby. Orym investigated the tree the attackers came from, finding a hint of a dried tar-like substance in the branches.[102]
During the heist in the Twilight Mirror Museum, Orym was lowered on a rope down to rescue a trapped Chetney, who had assumed his wolf form trying to survive the acid in the bottom of the pit. While they were being pulled upward, the badly wounded Chetney succumbed to his Order of the Lycan bloodlust and attacked Orym before being healed enough to regain control.[103]
Roe Estani later told the party about Grim Verity, a hundred-year-old collective of collegiate scholars "uncovering conspiratorial secrets of history to a borderline blasphemous degree by theological standards." The Lumas twins were members. If Bells Hells go to the Aydinlan Seminary in Yios, they should find Ebenold Kai and deliver to her a sealed letter which he gave to Orym.[104]
Once back in Jrusar, while everyone else was asleep Orym used the sending stone to tell Dorian where the party was going and that Dorian was missed. Dorian replied that he's missed them all, too.[105] Chetney gave Orym two of the wooden gifts promised to each of the party in return for their help: a small bowl in the shape of a crescent moon, and a wooden box carved with images of flowers and of the two moons.[106]
During the voyage to Bassuras, the party was attacked by skirath. Orym killed one of them but was attacked in retaliation by the other and pushed off the skyship. Laudna saw it happen and cast Feather Fall on him but the boat continued to sail away. Imogen suddenly floated upward, Flying for the first time to reach the slowly tumbling Orym and take him back to the ship.[107]
In Bassuras, Orym noticed the rift between Imogen and Laudna. He approached Imogen, and she shared that Laudna and she had had a falling out. Imogen was upset that Laudna was so friendly with Dusk. Orym assured her that the estrangement wouldn't last forever, and that she'd done amazing things for all the others. She shouldn't get down on herself and she should talk to Laudna.[108]
The night before the Deathwish Run, Orym told Dusk he'd never seen fighting technique such as she employed and asked her to spar with the wooden toy swords he'd bought earlier. They battled, each disarming the other and then recovering, but Orym won. He told her that her fighting style seemed fey, and she asked him for some pointers. How about tonight? Embarrassed, he told her it was complicated and he only liked guys, but she could keep the sword.[109]
During the Deathwish Run, Orym leaped into one of the competitors' vehicles and booted the driver out, taking it over. He expended the blue rose he found while traveling to the museum heist to cast a cone of lightning on the Paragon's Call crawler, their sole remaining rival in the race, sending the driver flying to impale himself on the back of Chetney and Laudna's crawler. He and his passenger Dusk were able to successfully complete the race. That evening, he was able to read the lips of the various conversations in the inn, including when Chetney offered to help Dusk capture the Calloways in return for a share of the bounty.[110]
Fan art of the standoff with Yu, by Lap Pun Cheung.[art 16]
When the group met Birdie, Fearne's mother, at Imahara Joe's store the next day, Dusk revealed their identity as a changeling agent of the Unseelie Court. Birdie unsuccessfully tried to escape by becoming invisible, and Orym moved behind Dusk and pressed his sword into the small of their back as a precaution; the fey agent's response was to take the form of an attractive male half-elf, reminding the halfling of their romantic proposal; Orym reacted by stabbing them with his sword. After "Dusk" introduced themself as Yu Suffiad, both they and Birdie tried to gain the trust of Fearne and her group, and Orym managed to disarm Yu; later he attempted to use the remaining Bead of Imprisonment[111] on Yu but failed, destroying the bead.
After Bells Hells managed to have a relatively fluid conversation with Birdie and Yu, Yu agreed to give he Calloways a month before interacting with her and her husband again. Before returning their sword to Yu, Orym used it to cut the changeling's sleeves, causing them to tease the fighter again with the face of a half-elf who Orym again rejected.[112]
After Yu left, Bells Hells went with Birdie (during their walk Orym was on guard to make sure no one was following them or looking suspicious) to meet Hondir, a goblin ally of Birdie. From him they got information about the Grim Verity and how some strange shadowy assassins had begun to hunt its members. Orym suspected that they were the same assassins who had attacked Keyleth and killed Will, although the goblin couldn't tell him why those assassins would attack Zephrah.[113]
Bells Hells left Bassuras to visit the Calloway Layaway, taking Hondir with them since he didn't feel safe in town.[114] Orym noticed a figure standing on the mesa they were approaching, and as they reached the other end of a bridge, they were intercepted by the Fist of the Ruiner, who demanded payment in exchange for letting them through safely. Rather than agree, Imogen used one of the explosives they had to attack the thieves (after mentally alerting Orym and FCG to move out of the blast range). The two groups battled, with Orym jumping on top of the other automaton to try and take down one of the criminals. After the chaos of combat (in which Imogen's magic caused collateral damage to both her own team and others) they managed to kill some of their attackers, while others fled; it was Orym who remembered that Gruumsh had been responsible creating the desert that covers much of Marquet, and that his might was surely the cause of the Fist of the Ruiner's name.
When they finally reached the Calloway Layaway Fearne was reunited with her father, Oleander Calloway, and he told Bells Hells how he and his wife had come to Exandria and how they had spied on and robbed the Unseelie Court. Orym inquired about the identity of some mortal emissaries at a meeting the pair had witnessed, confirming that one of them was Otohan Thull. When Imogen tried to look at Ruidus through the Veilscatter Scope built by Ira Wendagoth she was able to make out a strange energy barrier around the red moon, but she was unable to examine the surface of the satellite. Orym, who had had more success looking through a telescope before, helped her by looking himself, and with the magical boost of his Sentinel Shield he was able to make out a city on the surface of Ruidus, immediately pulling his friend closer to the telescope so she could see it too. When the Nightmare King asked them what they had seen, Imogen did not mention the city in her description; Ira looked through the telescope himself, and after being satisfied he extracted the Moontide Crown from the apparatus and disappeared. during that conversation Orym remembered the description of the elf accompanying Otohan in his meeting with the Unseelie fey, and deduced that it could be Ludinus Da'leth, leader of the Cerberus Assembly. When Ira finally left, the battle master took the Weave Lens that Fearne had given to her parents from the telescope, giving it to Ashton, who broke it to see if it was magical or not (Laudna mended it after that, but they weren't sure if the item retained magic).
After questioning the Calloways and pondering their future plans, Orym and Imogen left the lair for a bit, and the halfling told her that they should go to Yios soon, encouraged her to take more of a leadership position in their group, and to trust her instincts when it comes to Otohan and her dreams; he also asked her to send a message to Keyleth on his behalf, informing her of the progress of his quest. Later, Orym used his sending stone to check in with Dorian: they both missed each other.
That night, Orym noticed Fearne taking two shards of gnarlrock and placing them in Laudna's dollhouse and Imogen's pouch. When Laudna discovered hers the next morning, Orym surreptitiously mentioned to Imogen the location of the second shard. After Fresh Cut Grass tried to contact Dancer a second time (having received a puzzling response the day before), their old associate's reaction left them in a catatonic state that turned murderous when Chetney punched them looking for a reaction. A quick but intense battle between Bells Hells and a feral version of their cleric ensued, but the aeormaton was rendered unconscious, and Orym removed their buzzsaw arm and strung them upside down by a rope hanging from the ceiling before letting Fearne heal them. FCG seemed confused, not remembering what had happened, and when Imogen read his mind she found memories of the aeormaton listening to several of their friends, including Orym speaking fondly of Will. Ashton mentioned that anyone in the group except Orym could have lost control like that, though then both Ashton and Orym agreed that the group as a whole should try to be better together. After a brief conversation the halfling lowered the still-hanging FCG, and although the cleric tried to give Orym his weapons, he returned them, again stressing the need that if anything like this happened again, the rest of the group had to help containing the unstable person. During this conversation, Orym was noticeably dismayed, even becoming irritated when Imogen openly declared her willingness to kill other members of the group if it meant protecting the rest.
When Bells Hells returned to Bassuras, Orym, Ashton, and Imogen met with Dancer after FCG gave his buzzsaw arm to Orym. They persuaded her to meet with FCG outside. FCG learned from Imahara Joe that he might have been created as a murder bot, but both Orym and Joe reassured him that what mattered was what he wanted to become. While the group traveled to Paragon's Call keep, the Seat of Disdain, Orym noticed Artana Voe pass them on the street and Orym doubled back to speak to her. She said she was just in town visiting a friend, and Orym took the news of her presence back to the group.[115]
During the attack on the Seat of Disdain, Orym was part of the group that successfully retrieved Armand Treshi from his cell and held him in the portable hole. When they encountered Artana attempting the same thing, Orym persuaded her to join them although she vanished when Imogen apparently betrayed her to Ratanish. During the ensuing battle against Otohan Thull outside the citadel's gate, Orym's first action was to step in front of Imogen. He realized the echoes summoned by Otohan were the shadowy assassins that had attacked Zephrah and killed Will. Otohan attacked his mind and was able to learn from him that the group was working with Ariks Eshteross. When Ashton was knocked unconscious at the onset of battle, Orym's healing potion restored him, but Orym was attacked by Otohan and knocked unconscious, looking at the sky past her shoulder and thinking of his husband and his father. Fearne was able to bring him back with Cure Wounds, but even before he could rise, Otohan attacked again, telling him "We've met before" as her final stab killed him. As he died, the sending stone paired to Dorian Storm fell from his hand, and he experienced a really heavy sense of failure, at the same time knowing he was going to see Will and Derrig again.[116]
Fan art of Will and Orym, by Toby Sharp.[art 17]
Bells Hells, left with one fewer possible Revivifies available than slain members, used a coin toss to decide between bringing back Laudna or Orym. The coin's decision went to Orym, who was in a place of peace: the cherry blossoms and sweet breezes of Zephrah. He turned to see Will just as he heard Fearne's words calling him back and saw a shaft of light coming down toward him from above. Will told him he wasn't done yet, and Orym choked out, "I really wish I could stay." They embraced, and telling him to go, Will threw him up toward the shaft of light. Orym opened his eyes to see Fearne's anxious face. She told him Laudna was dead.[117] Afterward, when the group questioned Armand Treshi, Orym uncharacteristically stabbed him through the foot when they believed he knew more than he was saying, telling him, "We're having a bit of a raw day, Armand. We just lost one of our own, as you can see. And I'm the peaceful solution guy in this group. So why don't you just start fucking talking right the fuck now?"[118]
Fan art of Orym guarding Keyleth in Derrig's footsteps, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 18]
During the travel back to Jrusar, Orym suggested Keyleth as a possible source of aid in resurrecting Laudna. He shared with the group that both his husband Will and his father-in-law Derrig were killed in the attack on Zephrah by the shadow assassins and unable to be resurrected, for unknown reasons.[119] Finally it was the Voice of the Tempest who came to help Bells Hells, taking them with her magic to Whitestone, and revealing that the reason they couldn't resurrect Will and Derrig was that the assassins had used a toxin that countered that kind of magic; fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case in Laudna's murder. While Keyleth was with them, Orym resumed his old ways as her bodyguard, and before bidding farewell, he and his friends revealed to the archdruid the various discoveries they had made at Marquet.
During negotiations with the de Rolos Orym used his knowledge of Vox Machina and their adventures to try to persuade them to help Laudna, despite the fact that the possibility that Delilah Briarwood could return along with (or instead of) Laudna greatly unsettled Percival de Rolo. After a failed resurrection attempt by Pike Trickfoot they went to her home, where they discovered that they could spiritually send Laudna's friends to the place where her soul resided to rescue her from Delilah; as part of the preparations, Orym borrowed an enchanted sword from Vex'ahlia de Rolo. In Delilah's dark domain Orym helped his friends as they traveled, and they ended up meeting Delilah Briarwood by the dark Sun Tree, where Laudna's spirit was held. A battle ensued between the adventurers and the necromancer, during which Orym tried to climb the tree (with Ashton's help) to rescue Laudna, but to no avail; one of Delilah's attacks sent him back to the Material Plane, but thanks to Imogen the mission was a success, and Pike cast Raise Dead to successfully resurrect Laudna. During the ritual Orym appealed to Laudna's spirit to return, making poppies as offerings which were placed in Laudna's hair.
Arc 3: The Solstice Approaches[]
That evening, Orym told Percival about the residuum smuggling occurring through Paragon's Call and the Cerberus Assembly in Marquet. Percy kept most of the party's residuum but entrusted Orym with a small portion for emergencies. Bells Hells then returned to Jrusar, discovering that their ally, Lord Ariks Eshteross, had been killed in their absence. Orym identified the same toxin that was used when Otohan killed Will and Derrig. After Bells Hells contacted Orlana Seshadri and she sent the Green Seekers to find them, Chetney decided to open Eshteross' letter for Seshadri, despite Orym's opposition.
Fan art of Orym and Ashton, by Maddy Marshall.[art 19]
When Bells Hells departed for Yios on the Silver Sun Orym began the voyage remarkably excited, but on the third day he almost fell overboard (for the third time in his adventures with Bells Hells) and was saved by his safety rope. Shortly later in the journey he witnessed Ruidus turning Chetney into a wolf, so the halfling fighter took it upon himself (with Fearne's assistance) to confront him, making sure the werewolf did no irreparable damage until his gnomish side regained control, ending up with scars across his right eye from Chetney's claws before they were done. Later, Orym used his sending stone to update Dorian about the group and tell him that he missed him, and had a brief but honest conversation with Ashton, in which the earth genasi reminded him that he could ask for help whenever he needed to, which Orym answered by hugging him.[120]
Orym helped defeat several cockatrices and a chimera before they reached the Gloomed Jungles. After Bells Hells met there with the Gorgynei and travelled with them to Zha'Vrollo, Chetney went through Sahyaadon's trial to improve his control over his lycanthropy. As part of the trial the gnome was transformed into a bigger and more terrifying incarnation of his wolf form, and Orym and the rest of the group had to fight him while the blood hunter tried to regain control. The halfling fighter made great efforts during that combat, including an attempt to appeal to Chetney's woodworker mind by showing him a wooden wolf Orym had been carving.
Fan art of Orym gaining Seedling, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 20]
When the challenge was finally over and only Orym and Fearne remained in the chamber, Orym noticed the faint scent of Will, his husband, and when he approached the Wildmother's statue in the room he put his own sword in the scabbard she was holding. Vines grew from its hilt and it acquired a faint green glow, becoming magical.[121] The next morning, before the Silver Sun came to pick them up, Orym practiced with his blessed sword, having a brief chat with Uther about how important weapons deserved their own name; he also talked to Chetney, showing him the new magic of the sword and the carved wolf, that the gnome accepted after criticizing the halfling's carving technique and offering him advice and tools; he ended up naming his sword Seedling, the Wayward Pilgrim.
After arriving to Yios Bells Hells went to a casino for a last night of fun before starting their mission in the city. While talking with Landon Kreshawl, a guide who wanted to offer them his services, the party lied and said that they were performers, and Orym supported this by starting a choreography using Seedling and its vines. Later, when they were in their room, Imogen left casting Invisibility and Fly, and only the fighter noticed, although the sorcerer reassured him, telling him that she would be right back (and so she did). The next day, after Bells Hells fought Shithead, an undead bird that was chasing Fresh Cut Grass (during the fight Orym used Seedling to cast Grasping Vines on the creature), they went to the Aydinlan Seminary, and after asking a few questions, they ended up leaving with Carolle, a receptionist FCG enchanted so she would guide them to Ebenold Kai's home. On their way there the group tried to gain Carolle's friendship and trust so that, when the Fast Friends spell ended, she would not feel hostility towards them; as part of the strategy, Orym offered to pay for the woman's lunch, giving her 5 platinum before they went their separate ways.
After Orym and Chetney, hidden with Invisibility, investigated Professor Kai's house, they found him hiding in a basement with Dr. Baryn Vestisho, who used first a magical skull to blind and frighten Orym, and then a Spell Scroll to flee. Bells Hells (minus Ashton) followed them through the magical circle created by the spell (Imogen had to grab the still scared Orym) and were transported with them to the Elemental Plane of Fire, where, after Orym gained their trust with Roe Estani's presentation letter, they spoke with the two members of the Grim Verity and Planerider Ryn, exchanging information about Ruidus and the events connected to it. Bells Hells, after discovering that Otohan and the Cerberus Assembly had bigger plans involving the red moon and building machines in different planes, declared themselves willing to try and sabotage any plans that would affect Ruidus and endanger Exandria. Since one of their options was to travel to the Fey Realm, at Fearne's insistence and after getting a vague description of the hag, Imogen cast Sending to speak to Morri Calloway, who assured them that she could help them. Imogen told the druid that Morri's voice sounded warm, but telepathically told Orym that it was really scary.
After Ryn sent them back to Ebenold's house, the adventurers discovered that three intruders were using an air elemental to explore the house and find the basement. The party tried to confuse the newcomers into thinking they were having a party with adult content, and Orym contributed by acting like their bouncer; however, the farce eventually ended, and a brief battle ensued: Orym attacked first, casting Grasping Vines against the enemy mage, and then moving through the battlefield protecting his friends; during the battle he stated that if he survived the encounter it was a proof that the gods were, indeed, watching, and soon after he managed to knock the enemy rogue unconscious. After combat the group escaped taking the mage for questioning, loading him on Fearne's back (transformed into a horse).
When they found a place with enough privacy the adventurers interrogated Tuldus (for that was the mage's name) after Orym had tied his hands and taken his components away, using Imogen's telepathy and FCG's Fast Friends, discovering key information about him, his organization and his leader; during the process Orym asked him what all of that had to do with Zephrah, getting a reaction from Tuldus that Imogen also registered with her mind. At the end of the interrogation the adventurers decided to contact Ryn and start planning their next step; when FCG expressed their wish to stay behind (since they had just arrived to the city, and there was a professor that could help them understand their own nature better) Orym stressed the risks of that course of action and the consequences if they didn't stop the plans involving Predathos.
Through the Sending spell Imogen agreed with their barbarian friend to meet again in the Aydinlan Seminary, so they went there (leaving Pâté watching over Tuldus). Ashton showed up covered in food and explained his absence, after which Bells Hells divided into three groups: Chetney, Orym, and Ashton would stay at the entrance of the educational center (while the barbarian updated them even further on his adventures in Yios); Laudna and a still stressed FCG would visit Vitro Isham, expert in automatons; and Imogen and Fearne would visit Kadija Sumal, an ally of the Grim Verity and the professor who had worked with Liliana Temult. The three members of the group in the entrance eventually saw Ludinus Da'leth passing by (being identified by Orym), and watched him walk away with two members of the Ruby Vanguard before teleporting away; the three friends, worried about the rest of the group, rushed to find the rest (after Ashton helped Orym intimidating Carolle into not giving them trouble), and they all ended up meeting at Sumal's office, discovering that the Martinet of the Cerberus Assembly had talked with Imogen and Fearne after cursing Professor Sumal and stealing documents from her. After such an encounter, and seeing that Kadija had been left in a very fragile state, they decided to call Ryn, who came and confirmed that she would seek help for the professor and would take care of the still spellbound Tuldus (relieving Pâté of his role); during the conversation Orym made a brief joke about Exandria being flat (a belief FCG had), which caused Ashton to hit him so he wouldn't encourage that idea. As promised, the Planerider transported Bells Hells to the Feywild in that very office.
The group appeared in the Harrowcall Fens, near the home of Fearne's grandmother. The faun, excited to be back in her childhood plane, began leading her friends around, and when they were kept up by some music-loving flowers and an animated tree that tried to bar their way, the fighter and his friends managed to keep going by singing and entertaining the plants; while crossing the marshland, after having seen hundreds of those fey flowers screaming at them to show "appreciation" for having sung for them, both Orym and Ashton expressed how intense the Fey Realm was seeming to them in the very short time they had been there. However, they managed to successfully reach the Ligament Manor, the home of the Fatestitcher. They were welcomed by the strange hag, who, after hugging her granddaughter, offered them a cocktail. The group stayed at the mansion for the rest of the day, and Fearne caught up with her grandmother, who, despite her sinister appearance, was very welcoming; the druid introduced Orym to the hag as her best friend. After visiting the garden (where Orym stated to Imogen that he wasn't judging the creepiness of the place, since they were on a mission) Bells Hells went to their quarters, where they talked about the information they had about Ludinus and the Vanguard (they decided to continue their plans about stopping them, and Orym was particularly determined, since they had caused the deaths of Derrig and Will) and, having seen that Ruidus was visible in the fey sky, FCG decided to cast Shared Dream on Imogen, Laudna and himself; to help the sorcerer fall asleep Orym (after listening to a description of it) Druidcrafted several flowers trying to recreate a specific type that Imogen liked a lot in Gelvaan, and while the halfling's creations weren't identical to the original, they did match Imogen's hair, which was a nice detail. The next day, before saying goodbye to Morri, Orym asked her advice about how to interact with the Unseelie.
On the way to Sun's Shadow the adventurers met a patrol of three nomadic centaurs who tried to capture them to sell them to the Unseelie Court; however, Bells Hells (after a brief attempt to flee in which Orym used Seedling's magic to try to slow his enemies) managed to knock two of them unconscious and kill the third and the animated tree they had summoned.
Once they managed to access the Shiver Keep (after a brief problem with Ashton and sentient ground) Orym and Laudna, combining Invisibility and Spider Climb, went forward, finding Otohan Thull arguing with Sorrowlord Zathuda by the Malleus Key; the fighter was able to read the lips of both individuals, understanding their conversation before they both left. As the rest of Bells Hells reunited with their friends, they set out to sabotage the machine that was summoning Ruidus in the Fey Realm. Orym, Laudna and Fearne (the latter in the form of a slow loris) managed to get into the structure itself, where they inspected its components to see how they could damage the machine, leaving dynamite inside (whose wick Orym lit with his Druidcraft) before leaving. One of the eremads finally took notice of the intruders, and a brief confrontation ensued in which the mortals emerged victorious, and during which Orym defended Imogen, who was being attacked by one of the fey monsters. Not long after, the Malleus Key was destroyed; however, the sound brought Zathuda back on his draconic mount, Gloamglut, and the adventurers tried to flee. While they were running through the Sablecast Grounds woodland Orym's high perception helped the group orient themselves.
When facing Terrosh, the portal guardian, Orym offered oil to compensate for Imogen's failed first attempt of payment to use the portal, which the strange fey being accepted, sending him through it to Exandria, crossing a silent waterfall in the Taloned Highlands near Imogen's hometown. Orym took a bath in the river and before walking away, the group briefly talked about what to do with the two dead Unseelie guards in their portable hole; although the halfling proposed to bury them, they ended up sending the corpses through the portal as "snacks" for Terrosh. That night Orym took an interest in FCG's well-being, and the cleric confirmed that although the last few days had been very stressful, they liked having the guidance they felt Avandra was giving them through her coin, stating that they were now more interested in seeing what the future holds, instead of focusing on the past; the aeormaton was also interested in what gave Orym purpose, justice for his husband and father-in-law.
The next day Bells Hells kept traveling to Gelvaan, where their skyship would find them, but the journey was hard for Orym, who ended up somewhat exhausted. Later the fighter contacted Keyleth (via Imogen) to inform her of his current situation and that of the assassins; the Voice of the Tempest responded by telling her of her own interest in Terrah and raising a possible connection between the problems there and the plans of the Ruby Vanguard; Orym briefly talked to Chetney about the Elemental Plane of Earth when Chetney asked about it. That night, when Imogen's dream revealed that their ally, Ryn, had been petrified in the Tishtan ruins, Orym spoke out against recklessly going there. When the party arrived at Imogen's village and they met with Relvin, Orym asked the sorcerer if she wanted them to leave, but she dismissed the idea. Despite the initial tensions, the father-daughter reunion proved relatively productive, and when the Silver Sun arrived Orym and his friends left Gelvaan in dramatic fashion.
While on their way to the Tishtan excavation site ruins Bells Hells checked their potential allies. Orym, using his sending stone, contacted Dorian, who informed them that the Crown Keepers had their own concerns in their corner of Exandria, particularly about Opal's condition. That night, the fighter showed his support for Imogen, telling her that if he had a daughter he would want that child to be like her. With FCG's casting of Shared Dream, Orym and Fearne were sent into Imogen's dream with her, looking for her mother. After the dream conversation with Liliana, Imogen had doubts about whether what Ludinus was planning could be good, and Orym reminded her that Will and Derrig had been killed for that project; this, along with Ashton's eloquent endorsement, reaffirmed the need to oppose the release of Predathos; Orym later commented to Fearne that if necessary, if Imogen turned on the group he would distract her while the druid tried to neutralize her.
Later in the journey, after noticing that the ley lines were more and more visible in the sky, Orym contacted Dorian again to ask him if the phenomenon was also visible where he was, and the bard confirmed it. When Bells Hells arrived to the Calloway Layaway, Orym, Ashton and Imogen went to Bassuras, spending an immense amount of money on different materials and magical items.
When they finally took off again with the Silver Sun, the halfling contacted Dorian a third time, asking him to find a safe place underground if necessary. When their skyship faced arcane wind (produced by the ley lines), FCG's unstable spell created an electrical shield around Captain Xandis that produced dangerous lightning bolts for everyone else; Orym prayed to the Wildmother and attempted to use his blessed sword Seedling as a lightning rod, but this caused that area of the ship to explode, forcing a landing in order to make repairs (the fighter's sword wasn't damaged, although it was really hot after conducting so much electricity). When they resumed their journey, and after a brief encounter with an ember roc that Orym located thanks to his high perception, the adventurers finally had a quiet day of travel, during which the Ashari's seed (a gift to him from Thrascuur in Niirdal-Poc) showed signs of life. After a brief discussion about what to do with the seed, Fresh Cut Grass identified it and confirmed that they had to plant it to receive a message; upon doing so, Keyleth (through a blue and purple flower) informed them that she had been dealing with an Ashari cult allied with the Ruby Vanguard in Terrah, and thus she was interested in joining forces with Bells Hells to take on Ludinus. This gave hope to the group as a whole, and Orym theorized that his sister-in-law, Leeta, might accompany Keyleth as her lead guard. On the night before the last day of the voyage before the solstice, the Air Ashari meditated a bit and spoke with Imogen, who asked how he felt about the new connotations of Ruidus, to which Orym replied that despite everything, the red moon still had a positive meaning associated with himself and Will; the halfling also expressed his trust in Imogen as he hugged her, after which he went to rest.
The next morning, after reaching an agreement on the plans and leaving the crew of Silver Sun in a safe place, Bells Hells divided: FCG, Fearne, Ira (whom they did not trust) and Xandis would stay in the skyship to crash it into the Malleus Key (magically escaping before impact), while the rest of the group disguised themselves to infiltrate the enemy ranks; Orym briefly wondered if the crawler they were going to use was small enough for the portable hole, but it wasn't. While they were saying goodbye, the halfling hugged Fearne and she asked them to run if something went wrong; the fighter also told Fresh Cut Grass he hoped Avandra favored them, a sentiment the aeormaton reciprocated.
After a short journey (during which, as Keyleth had told Imogen, they located a tree and Orym marked it carving the Ashari symbol with his blade, so his people would be able to reach through) the adventurers reached the Tishtan ruins, where thanks to Imogen's confidence they were able to get in smoothly; however, a little further in they were stopped since some of them (including Orym) looked suspicious, which led to a battle during which the Air Ashari fought skillfully. Shortly after they met Beauregard Lionett and Caleb Widogast, two allies of Ryn who also wanted to stop Ludinus; during their conversation Orym was initially tense and protective, since he was able to read that their new allies were definitely stronger than them, but it didn't take long for him to trust them more, even taking an interest in "dunabis" when the wizard mentioned it.
Shortly afterwards FCG contacted Orym, and the fighter informed them about the situation, commenting that they could use the aeormaton's mechanical insight, which led to Fearne and the cleric reuniting with the rest of Bells Hells. As they descended into the ruins Fresh Cut Grass took control of the Warder his friends had defeated, and while he and most of Bells Hells were hiding inside Imogen walked past the automaton with Orym posing as a captured enemy; at one point there was a tense moment when they ran into General Ratanish, but he didn't recognize them, and Orym smartly used Druidcraft to smash red berries against his skin and look like a bloody prisoner (although the half-giant ended up kicking him regardless). They were stopped again by a dragonborn exaltant who did not trust Imogen, so a brief battle ensued from which Bells Hells emerged victorious, with Orym being the one who killed the exaltant hitting them in their good eye; after that, the halfling found out the dragonborn was carrying a locket of a little girl, and he took it with him. While hiding from Otohan Thull, the fighter ate the magical danish FCG had given to him, in case he needed the extra health.
Orym vs Otohan, by Kamille Areopagita and Kevin Areopagita from "A Gathering of Heroes" (3x76).[art 22]
Because of the sabotage happening within the excavation, Ludinus decided to rush his plans with the Malleus Key, rallying his forces (and the captured Caleb and Beau) while delivering a speech, during which Orym tried to approach FCG (who was trapped inside the Warder body next to Ryn's statue), being briefly stopped and shushed by one of Ludinus' enthralled followers, which led to Orym knocking that person unconscious. While trying to use Seedling to free Fresh Cut Grass, Orym was seen by Liliana Temult, who began mentally restraining him but stopped when Imogen started telepathically talking to her. Later, the Voice of the Tempest arrived, and was immediately ambushed by Otohan Thull; Orym tried to defend his leader by destroying the device that allowed the leader of Paragon's Call to summon her echoes, prompting Fearne, Little Mister and Imogen to help with their magical attacks, leaving the machine severely damaged, but not destroyed.[122]
After the Malleus Key activated, Bells Hells were sent far away, and Orym, Ashton and Laudna appeared at a cliffside, in an area with geysers, from which the beam of red energy hitting Ruidus was visible, although very far away.
Arc 4: Separated[]
Orym immediately tried to contact Caleb Widogast and Dorian with his sending stones, failing in both attempts. The three friends started climbing the cliff, led by Orym, who was using Laudna's immovable rod and some rope to assist the group; he almost immediately encountered "Mona", a dwarven woman who had been sent there as well, but from Tal'Dorei. She joined the group, and together they reached the edge of the cliff and entered a forest. Soon after, after spotting a fire, Orym approached it, finding there a very scared half-elf, Bor'Dor Dog'Son, who tried to attack him with a crossbow but failed; the halfling's calm demeanor explaining the situation allowed the group to approach safely, and when a sixth person, Prism, came there as well, the fighter maintained the same attitude, although he called out to the woods in case there was someone else there. When three plant monsters attacked the group, Orym helped protect Bor'Dor, and later he was swallowed by one of the shambling mounds, although he was saved by Prism's Dimension Door, cast through her sentient spellbook, Dynios.
Fan art of the Demithore Valley, by @MiddiMidori.[art 23]
Later in the night, during their watch, Orym and Deni$e talked for a bit, discovering that her hated ex-boyfriend was, in fact, Dariax Zaveon. The halfling shared his own good opinion about the sorcerer, and Deni$e admitted she still liked him; she also complimented the fighter's style, and when noticing that he was a romantic, asked about his love life, which led Orym to explain that he had no one. The next morning, with more light, they were able to identify the Ascendant Bridge Mountain (which Orym had spotted the previous night), revealing they were in Issylra; the new group decided to stay together and travel to the nearest town or city.
Fan art of Orym giving Laudna flowers, by Maddy Marshall.[art 24]
While following the Outerwalk Road Orym and Laudna found and fixed one of Deni$e's nails respectively; the halfling also joked with Ashton about how they hadn't slept "like a rock". Later, when noticing the intensity of the magic around them, Orym checked by casting Druidcraft, creating a surprisingly vibrant daisy with a fragrant smell. When the group arrived at Hearthdell, the fighter and Deni$e helped Laudna look more alive, using the rogue's makeup while the halfling created some flowers to give some color to her complexion. Later, when they were in the Innovar Apothecary, Orym bought a lot of healing salves for the group.
When Bells Hells met Elder Joan Abaddina, Orym Druidcrafted a big white flower to win the goliath's trust, and later, to prove he and his friends were trustworthy, he allowed her to use magical pink spores to inspect some of his past experiences. That night, following the elder's advice, the group went to a secret meeting in the Fairfroth Brewery, where the villagers were planning how to drive out the followers of the Dawnfather who were occupying Hearthdell. Following Bor'Dor's idea, he and Orym went to the Sunrise Sanctuary with beer and tobacco to gain the bastions' trust and convince them that their forces should move to Marquet to face Ludinus instead of oppressing these villagers. Initially the plan went as expected, even though Orym noticed that their allies weren't too stealthy moving in the shadows near the temple; however, when Flameguide Kiro (the temple's missionary leader) tried to take them inside for questioning, even wondering about the relationship between Orym and Ludinus, the halfling alerted their allies to attack using their agreed signal, "That's unfortunate", after which he knocked down one of the bastions and pointed his sword at Kiro, insisting that they resolve this matter as soon as possible.[123]
During the battle Orym managed to throw Kiro to the ground using Seedling's vines; however, shortly after he and Ashton ended up paralyzed by her Hold Person until she lost concentration after being attacked by Prism. He then both attacked his enemies and held Kiro's attention while defending his own teammates. After the Flameguide was killed by Bor'Dor, her dying prayer summoned a Dawnborn Angel which used its Fiery Castigation to hold the fighter in golden fiery chains, but Orym still managed to attack the Judicator. Once released, the halfling and Deni$e climbed onto the barlgura that Prism had summoned. Together they felled the angel where Bor'Dor finished it off with Inflict Wounds.
After collecting some of the treasures and documents from the temple the building itself (now empty) was destroyed by Elder Abaddina and her Demithore eidolons. Despite the happiness of the people of Hearthdell, Orym felt morally conflicted for the first time in a long time having faced the forces of one of the Prime Deities; he and Laudna shared concerns, and the halfling expressed that he was glad to have met her. When Bells Hells returned with Elder Abaddina to her cottage, they spoke for a bit about religion, spirituality, and how it all connected to Predathos and the elemental eidolons; Prism showed academic interest in better understanding all this, although when she discovered that Orym had been widowed because of the plans to free Predathos, she realized why the matter was so delicate for the halfling (in fact, Orym ended up leaving, not in the mood for such conversations). Before going to sleep Bor'Dor went with the fighter, who had perched in a tree outside the Knotburrow, and they chatted a little about religion and the purpose of their group there; he also praised the Ashari's smooth talk and how much fun it had been to use the laxatives with the bastions. Orym spent the night in the tree, barely resting. The next morning Joan kept her promise and allowed Bells Hells to use her scrying well three times, and using Orym's box (made by Chetney) she confirmed to Bells Hells that the other half of their team were still alive near Uthodurn. After the party decided to travel to the Irriam Canyon to ask the Archdruid Hevestro for help in returning to their respective homes, Orym and his friends left Hearthdell, with a wind eidolon as their guide at the Air Ashari's request.
Fan art of Orym and the spirits, by Maddy Marshall.[art 25]
While traveling through the Serratus Wilderness Ashton decided he wanted to try meditating to connect with the elements and focus a bit more on his past. Orym tried to guide them through the process with his words and gave them a hand massage; the halfling brought Bor'Dor as well, who helped by casting Calm Emotions on the barbarian. The following day Bells Hells found a strange crater full of flowers, and Orym decided to approach while Druidcrafting more flowers, offering one to Prism. Laudna sent Pâté with her friends, and when they discovered that there was a petrified skeleton in the ground the warlock cast Wither and Bloom to clean the terrain (apologizing to Orym for ruining the beautiful flora), while the rest of the team inspected the strange remains. Orym adorned Pâté by putting flowers in his empty eye sockets, which caused a tingle, but he thanked the adventurer. That night, after listening to Dynios talking to Prism about her self-confidence, Orym asked if the pages of the spellbook were legible, and Dynios made it clear that the halfling was not allowed to read them, which caused the aforementioned to try to press a flower with the book which Dynios spat out, indignant. During his watch, Orym noticed several entities that approached the camp, and when he woke up Prism, she confirmed they were friendly local spirits, encouraging him to enjoy the moment. She cast Bigby's Hand for him to dance on top of with the eidolons, practicing the movements of the Zeph'aeratam. The next day the group attempted (and failed) to Scry on Ludinus, and they talked a bit about their plans to face him and Predathos, although, after hearing Bor'Dor's concerns, Orym admitted that any sane person wouldn't want to be on that mission. Before going to bed, Orym prayed in front of his blessed sword to the Wildmother, asking for her help. During his morning exercise upon waking up the Ashari noticed that Deni$e was up to something.
When the adventurers reached the Irriam Canyon, Prism Enlarged Mother so Orym could use her as a hang glider to descend (while the rest of the group did so using Laudna's Feather Fall); although the raven had some difficulty carrying the fighter, the magic strengthening her allowed her to do so successfully, allowing Orym to observe the terrain from a high position and to locate the blue flora they were looking for. At the bottom Orym kept focusing on a large creature camouflaged as a flowery hill, and after his group entered the cave, he was looking for signs that someone lived there, eventually noticing a smiling face in the ceiling.[124] He alerted the others, and during the ensuing battle with the creature, Evithorir the Taker, he was the first to notice an elven figure held within the shadow entity. Pinned to the wall by Evithorir's Shadow Spear, Orym still was able to use Seedling's distance attack to hit the dark fey for significant damage, then use the sword's Grasping Vines to pull the shadowy humanoid figure from within the creature where it fell at his feet. Once free, Orym used Bait and Switch to protect Hevestro. Once Evithorir was defeated, Orym told Hevestro they needed long-distance transportation.[125]
Fan art of Orym declaring war, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 26]
During the confrontation with Bor'Dor, Orym grabbed the unconscious Prism and pulled her away while feeding her a healing potion to bring her back to consciousness before using Bait and Switch to raise her Armor Class, then shielding her. When Laudna confronted the defeated and grappled Bor'Dor, Orym at first watched completely silently, but as she tried to decide what to do, she looked up to Orym, and he nodded slightly, as a sign of approval, which led to the warlock ending Bor'Dor's life with Wither and Bloom. Afterwards, Orym lingered by the body, then pulled out the locket he took in remembrance and respect from one of the slain Ruby Vanguard at the Malleus Key and tossed it onto the body, accepting that they are at war. After that he stayed apart from the rest of his companions, reflecting on what had just happened and the people he had lost because of that conflict, making the determination to avenge whatever the cost.[126]
The next morning, after seeing through Prism Scry that Dariax was in Westruun, Orym used his sending stone to try to contact Dorian, but the magic of the object failed. Deni$e suddenly remembered she stole one of the "Wanted" posters for all the Crown Keepers (including those missing) in Tal'Dorei and showed it to Orym, confirming that Poska and her Nameless Ones were still looking for them (and also wondering why Orym was named "Nancy" in the flyer); the fighter was slightly horrified about that information, and asked to keep the paper. Before the rogue left Orym told her to tell his friends that they were missed, and also offered her one last time to stay and help saving the world. After that, the rest of Team Issylra was then transported back to Jrusar.[127]
Fan art of Prism's farewell attempt, by Elaine Tipping.[art 27]
Orym used his sword's vines to prevent Mother and Prism from falling down the cliff of the Lucent Spire. The shadow elf stayed with them, talking about possible destinations, and while speaking with her Orym asked about the training of members of the Cobalt Soul (since the other member he had met, Beauregard, was particularly strong-looking). When the group was traveling in a gondola with a gnome courier they tried asking him about the current situation in the city, and Orym tried to calm him down, since he was very nervous and intimidated; later, when they were arriving to the Spire by Fire Inn Orym was looking for the Green Seekers, but he didn't see them.
When they found Team Wildemount Orym immediately ran and hugged Fearne, and the two groups started speaking and sharing anecdotes; the halfling told his faun friend about Deni$e and her relationship with Dariax, and showed a great interest in FRIDA, as they were the second aeormaton he had ever met. Later, he requested Deanna to cast Scrying and check if Keyleth was okay, giving her the remnants of the Message Bloom seed his leader had used to communicate with the Ashari. Deanna confirmed that the Voice of the Tempest was back in Zephrah, still alive, but weakened by her wounds, then used Mending on the seed before returning it to Orym so he could keep a single object instead of its pieces. Later Orym suggested that FRIDA, Deanna and Prism could leave to research Predathos and the gods and send Bells Hells any useful information found, while the main group went back to the Tishtan excavation site. When FCG showed some hesitation, since that would mean leaving FRIDA on their own, the halfling pressured them to make a decision soon.
Fan art of Prism casting Enlarge on Orym, by ElesirArt.[art 28]
Eventually the two groups exchanged farewells, during which Prism declared that the Air Ashari was now her best friend, thanking him for the experiences they had shared, and exchanging a promise with FCG that she would keep FRIDA safe and he would keep Orym safe. The fighter and the wizard bumped fists, and Prism Enlarged Orym to show the image she had of him. Orym was delighted by that last surprise, working out with his temporarily Medium-sized body (which looked more pretentious than usual for his friends).[128]
Arc 5: Race to the Moon[]
Once the seven original members of Bells Hells were left alone, Orym's Enlarged state ended, and the group continued to share the information and discoveries they had made on their respective trips; however, Laudna was particularly irritated by how apparently enjoyable Team Wildemount's adventure had been, complaining about it. Seeing that the warlock urgently needed to relax a bit, the party agreed to put off their plans (to visit Zephrah and talk to Keyleth, as Orym requested) until the next morning and take the rest of the day to rest and make preparations. Orym, Chetney and Fearne went to the Dayal Hall to speak with Ajit in order to get information about the current situation in Jrusar, and also ask him some question about their own discoveries; Orym was particularly interested in knowing more about the eidolons, but he didn't get new information. Once they left, the three adventurers decided to visit the temple of the Duskmaven in the Smolder Spire to check how the clergy was doing during the solstice, but before they arrived, Chetney started following a captivating scent that made him lose control, running wild until he reached an alley where a dwarf trapped him in a silver net that restrained and hurt the lycanthrope. Fearne and Orym fought to free him, with the latter trying to neutralize the bounty hunter, who ended up neutralizing the halfling with a Charm Person spell, thus making him behave friendly towards the attacker. Fearne and Little Mister saved Chetney and the bounty hunter ran away using Misty Step, but Orym, still charmed, noticed him in a rooftop nearby and asked him his name, which made him flee.
Once that conflict ended, they continued their way to the temple, and when they reached it, one of the priests talked to them, interacting with Orym and inviting the group to drink from a waterfall inside the building. The water caused the three adventurers to enter a state of meditation during which the Duskmaven sent them a vision of the Malleus Key, still working, and the Champion of Ravens screaming inside his spherical prison. Once the vision was over, the priest told them that they would need faith to succeed in their mission, and before leaving, Orym sprinkled his shield with some water from the temple.
When Orym, Fearne and Chetney returned with their friends they told the rest of Bells Hells about their incident with the dwarf and the new information they had collected, including the vision, and argued about how important faith was in their mission; Orym admitted he had always believed in the mortal people around him, but defended that there were gods that had done much good for the world, and they shouldn't be forgotten because of the animosity towards other deities. The group had to stay one extra day, during which Orym tried (and failed) to talk to Caleb Widogast using his sending stone. The following morning Bells Hells Teleported to Zephrah, with Imogen using Orym's shield to focus on their destination.
Fan art of Leeta, Maeve and Orym, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 29]
When they arrived they were attacked by several Ashari with skysails, but one of them was Maeve, who recognized her brother-in-law; he immediately hugged her, and she guided them to Keyleth's house, where they were greeted by Leeta, the Master of Defense, who after greeting Orym as well brought them to the Voice of the Tempest. The halfling fighter asked to his leader about her condition and the most recent events, telling her about their own adventures, and offering the group's assistance to help her recover; Imogen mentally asked Orym if they should tell her about the vision regarding the Champion of Ravens, but he chose instead to assure Bells Hells' loyalty to Keyleth despite some personal ties with their enemies (Imogen's blood relation to Liliana). Both the archdruid and the battle master were angry about the current situation, but the former expressed concern about the pressure over the latter's shoulders. After agreeing to travel to the Grey Valley to retrieve Blue Perennem flowers to heal Keyleth (and potentially rescue the first team sent with that task, which included Orym's third sister-in-law, Baernie), the halfling took his friends to visit his mom, Alma (he was offered to also visit his mother-in-law, Nel, but he decided he wanted to do so after returning home with Baernie).
Fan art of Alma hugging her son (and the artist's reaction), by Jenny Dolfen.[art 30]
The halfling's mother was delighted, and invited them inside, cooking for them, talking about the situation in Zephrah, showing them Orym's childhood home and some of his toys, some of which had been made by Chetney (that, along with a couple of compliments exchanged between the local midwife and the toymaker, made Orym pay special attention to the gnome while they were there). After that Orym and Ashton visited Torth, the local blacksmith, and left commissioned new equipment to pick up after returning from their mission.
With Maeve's Transport via Plants Bells Hells arrived in the Grey Valley, where Orym helped guide his friends across the desolate terrain. Eventually he located a small group of the flowers they were looking for, but also a devourer-like demon that, when detected by Chetney as well, attacked the group. It summoned several undead to assist it (including Turan and Fira, two Ashari that Orym recognized) making him worry about Baernie's well-being. The halfling fought fiercely, defending his friends and attacking the enemies until all of them were defeated. When the combat was over he interacted briefly with the soul of an elf that had been trapped inside the devourer's ribcage, which confirmed that they were going in the right direction before vanishing; he also took the weapons of his fellow Ashari and buried their bodies in a dignified way. While the group was resting Orym talked to them for a bit about Keyleth and her Aramenté, which led FCG to ask if the halfling could undergo it too; later, when they discussed divinity the fighter stated that regardless of their individual opinions about the gods, all of them were in agreement about Ludinus being bad.
Fan art of Orym and FCG in the Iridon Bastion, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 31]
As Bells Hells traveled through the valley they spotted a cloven hill with a structure inside the cleft. Fearne fruitlessly rummaged through her belongings for the spyglass she had stolen from Xandis, and Orym eventually confessed that he had secretly returned it. Although Fearne admired the fact that her friend had managed to steal something from her, in retaliation she only pretended to assist him with Guidance when he was scanning the terrain.[129] After a brief fight with some vrocks the party reached the Iridon Bastion, which had been taken by demons that had killed some people and captured the rest in cages. Orym immediately jumped to reach one of the cages, assisted by Laudna's Feather Fall and his own Gust, and during the battle he fought valiantly and helped defend his friends (particularly Imogen, who was badly hurt). When their enemies were defeated Orym reunited with Baernie, his sister-in-law, who was among the prisoners with a dislocated shoulder; she was very happy to see him, and brought the halfling up to date on what had happened there.[130] Before going to bed the two of them commented how peculiar Bells Hells were, and the following morning the siblings-in-law talked about visiting Derrig and Will with the rest of the family when they returned to Zephrah.
The group decided to travel using Imogen's staff, and since they were too many people (including the three rescued Ashari and the two survivors from the Iridon Bastion) they decided to put some people inside the portable hole; however, when Orym volunteered to go inside the hole his friends rejected it, and he stayed outside to be with Baernie and help Imogen focus the magic on their destination. When they returned to Zephrah they brought the flowers to the herbalists so they could prepare the antidote; they reunited with Leeta, and shortly after with Nel, who was very happy to see her son-in-law. Orym took FCG with him to check on Keyleth during her healing process in case she needed additional help, but she recovered successfully.
Fan art of Orym in the balcony, by Cha Cha Rae.[art 32]
After that Keyleth went to the balcony and commended the hard work of Orym and his team, as well as the sacrifices of those who had died fighting for their people; the halfling showed his shield (that used to belong to Derrig) and dedicated (somewhat hesitant) a few words to the crowd, which cheered enthusiastically.
After all that Bells Hells finally had the chance to meet with Keyleth in private, talking about the conflict with Ludinus and their future plans. Orym revealed to the Voice of the Tempest the vision he and his friends had had of the Champion of Ravens, and asked her for advice about what to do next; he also tried to defend his group's reputation when they started behaving chaotically, but the Ashari leader didn't mind the chaos. The archdruid thanked the fighter for all he had done for her, calling him her friend, and assuring him that he honored Derrig and Will with his behavior; she also granted him a title, "Savior Blade of the Tempest", which got the rest of Bells Hells excited; they even proposed getting matching tattoos to celebrate.[131]
Fan art of Orym talking to Will, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 33]
Fan art of Orym and Fearne in front of Will's sword, by Pyromeekorai.[art 34]
Orym (after confirming that Torth the blacksmith would need more time to have his commissioned armor ready) decided to visit his mother-in-law, Nel, and Fearne and FCG went with him. The herbalist was happy to see them, asked the fighter's friends about his deeds, and agreed to visit the tombs of her husband and son with them; during that conversation she spoke to Orym about their family, and particularly about Derrig, which made the halfling cry a little. Orym paid his respects in the memorial platform where Derrig and Will had their tombs, expressing how much he missed them and how they motivated him. After that he returned with his friends, expressing how much he appreciated them. Later, after finally retrieving his new armor (for free, since he had become a local hero and that was his uniform), he and his friends went to a bar, the Airy Eyrie, to celebrate, and he paid for everything; while they were there the adventurers complimented Orym's new look and spoke for a bit about the gods (the Ashari talked about his own experience with the Wildmother); he also praised Chetney for his toymaking skills, telling him that his favorite toy (a wooden swordsman) had been made by the gnome. After that they returned to Orym's family home, where they spent the night (after partying a little bit longer with Alma); before going to bed he also tried to contact Caleb Widogast with his sending stone, without success.
The following day Bells Hells traveled to Yios with Keyleth in order to find Dancer. When she revealed she needed Imahara Joe's help to fix Ludinus Da'leth's harness for them, the group started looking for a tree, being attacked by Shithead on their way there; Orym used Seedling to defend FCG, but the undead bird evaded its vines, being permanently killed by the cleric's Destroy Undead. After that, the fighter and his friends were transported to Bassuras with Keyleth's magic.[132] After they arrived, Orym noticed three skyships, one of them under attack, and asked an elderly woman about it, who told him the ships had been there a day and a half. After that the the group went to Imahara Joe's, discovering Joe and his friend Verna being held by General Ratanish and six members of Paragon's Call. A battle ensued and Orym managed (after one failed attempt) to manipulate a crawler and detonate its core to kill a dragonborn enemy. When the spellcaster allied with Paragon's Call (a desert warden druid) took the form of a giant eagle to fly away with Joe and Verna, Orym and Ashton managed to reach them, and the former grabbed Verna preventing her from taking too much fall damage.
Fan art of Orym giving Ashton a "gift", by Cha Cha Rae.[art 35]
The combat ended when Ratanish, who had been Banished by FCG at the very beginning, returned to the Material Plane, being mercilessly attacked; Orym disarmed him and made him fall to the ground, leaving him exposed for Ashton, who crushed the goliath's chest with his hammer.
After that, the mercenaries' bodies were looted while the halfling stood guard at the window. Later they spent some time discussing the harness and its properties in Hondir's abandoned home, and when they reunited with Keyleth she sent Orym and her friends to Slival.[133] There, he and Imogen (using the latter's twinned Fly spell) rose above the fog to scout, noticing another flying creature in the distance; when they were back with the rest of Bells Hells, the halfling expressed his concern about that monster. The following morning, following the petition of the dolabos that FCG had met during their watch, the adventurers went to a volcanic hill to lit a bonfire for them, and while they were doing that Orym stayed vigilant, noticing Bari Mondolo and warning Chetney (who initially didn't understand the fighter's gestures). When the monster attacked the old gnome Orym went to help him, but ended up badly hurt himself; luckily, Bari Mondolo was scared away by Toriz and Jirana, and the Air Ashari got the chance to recover inside of the giant toad-like creature, while the adventurers were speaking with the old galapa.[134]
In the shore, after using Speak with Dead to interrogate the desert druid warden and General Ratanish, Bells Hells summoned Captain Urlu Novos and his Crimson Abyss, and Orym was the first to see the vessel approaching noiselessly. The undead pirate sent his crew to kill them, and a battle ensued. The fighter started by protecting Fearne, but soon focused on boarding the ship, fighting the crew there with remarkable agility, until eventually a deal was made and Captain Novos agreed to provide transportation in exchange for his old compass and Graz'tchar. Bells Hells spent some time with the crew of the Crimson Abyss, and Orym requested one of Scanlan Shorthalt's songs to Sanjay, a skeleton who played the violin.[135] While they were on board Ashton wanted to get a tattoo, and Orym helped them convince Vendallo to do it; he also suggested that Bells Hells should get a team tattoo, and they ended up agreeing on a design: a flaming bell. At some point, when the halfling noticed that Cyrillia wasn't in the crows nest, he climbed up there and stole her spyglass; during the dance party before the adventurers left the ship the navigator did notice her missing tool, but since she was in a good mood (thanks to Captain Novos) she didn't give it too much importance, and Orym spent the time in that celebration using Seedling's vines for limbo, and teaching some of the skeletons to dance.
In Kalutha Orym investigated the beach they arrived at before going towards a cliff with several caves, which he managed to climb, although with difficulty. There the group was attacked by a basalt caecilian, and the halfling helped defeat the monster, after which he inspected its lair, recognizing remains of metal pieces as woe steel, a rare material he had read about.[136] When the adventurers were crossing a river, the Air Ashari used one of Seedling's vines to help Ashton and Laudna, who were still in the water; that night, he and the warlock were attacked by shadow creatures, but after the entities left they were able to rest and fully recover from the necrotic damage. The following morning, when the group was approached by Aishio hunters, Orym was the first to notice them, and he used the charm they had found to avoid unnecessary hostilities with the locals. When they found Evontra'vir, Orym cast Gust to help Ashton so the Tree could use their Pipe of Remembrance; later, the halfling shared his concern about mortals being harmed by the conflicts of divine entities.[137]
After Bells Hells were sent to Igthuldus they found a crack in the stone and, despite the space being very narrow, Orym managed to move through it thanks to his size and nimbleness, scouting ahead, and even founding the remains of a person of orcish blood. With some difficulty, the whole group managed to access a chamber with several magma mephits and a pool of melted rock. There, Ashton and Fearne managed to retrieve the spark of Rau'shan (destroying the mephits in the process), after which the group started wondering what to do with it; it was during this discussion that Orym noticed a light, as Ludinus, two members of the Ruby Vanguard, and two Reilora appeared.
Fan art of Orym vs the Reilora, by @MiddiMidori.[art 36]
A battle ensued, during which the halfling cleverly used the terrain in his favor, using Seedling's vines to throw one of the guards into the pool of magma, and later killing the Reiloran Juggernaut there, casting Gust to leave the corpse trapped in the half-solid rock surface. Since Ludinus had Fearne as a hostage (with his Telekinesis spell) Orym went immediately to help his friend, attacking the archmage with daggers. Eventually the faun got released, and Ludinus, alone and mostly defeated, jumped into the lava (revealing he was, in fact, a Simulacrum).[138]
After Bells Hells Teleported to Whitestone they visited Percy's workshop in in the castle to retrieve the newly repaired Quintessence Array, and on their way there Orym checked on FCG, since they had being harmed by the magic of the Staff of Dark Odyssey. In the castle, the Air Ashari was recognized by Allura Vysoren, who was also working on the arcane harness, and she praised him, since he looked more confident than he used to. After they confirmed the Array worked, they started talking about the shard of Ka'Mort and the spark of Rau'shan and how to use them, and the halfling pointed out that, since the Emperor and Empress had been mates, perhaps whoever received the power of the spark of elemental fire could activate the power of elemental earth inside Ashton. In the following meeting in the war room, when their allies were asking about Bells Hells and their capacities, Orym assured them that his group could go on a mission precisely because they were easy to go unnoticed; he also got the chance to speak with Keyleth, who delivered Alma's regards to her son and asked her Savior Blade to be careful with Imogen and Liliana Temult, although he told the Tempest that he trusted his friend completely. After that conversation the adventurers talked briefly about seeking allies among the followers of the Betrayer Gods, and Orym noticed some movement, discovering Gwendolyn de Rolo, claiming to be the the queen of the castle, and explaining that since she was slightly taller than him, he should obey her. The fighter brought her to her friends, thinking she might enjoy their company, and she did for a bit, until she sensed Delilah's hatred through Laudna and got scared.
Orym ended up going with Ashton and Chetney to the Altar of the Raven, to see if they could communicate with the goddess of fate. After the halfling made an offering Druidcrafting some snowdrops, they went to a basement under the temple where they encountered Othinon the tombkeeper and five empty sarcophagi; after a brief conversation they put themselves inside the sarcophagi (with the gnome and the halfling sharing one). The three of them had a shared vision of the Raven Queen, and although it was scary and disturbing, it ended with the feeling that they were noticed, and oddly appreciated. Bells Hells reunited in front of the Sun Tree, and after that, the whole group returned to the castle to rest.
In the morning, Orym woke up quite cheery, and expressed to Fearne how glad he was to have her in her life, giving her a surprise present: the spyglass he had stolen from Cyrillia; she then confessed that she had been petty denying him some Guidance as revenge for him stealing her previous spyglass (which belonged to Xandis), but he didn't give it importance. Later, when asked about his motivations as an adventurer, the Air Ashari explained that he was fighting for a brighter tomorrow for the people of Exandria, even if the adventure had started with the deaths of just two people (Derrig and Will). Bells Hells played in the snow for a bit, and using a wooden sled, Orym and Chetney won a brief competition against Fresh Cut Grass and Ashton. When the locals started approaching to play too, Orym advised some children to value their playing time (which led to one of them calling him "old man" and Ashton attempting to throw a snowball to defend their friend). After that Orym visited the local expansion of Gilmore's Glorious Goods and bought some potions; he also visited the Slayer's Cake and ordered some baked goods for the meeting that would happen later that same day (which caused FCG, when they found out, to be annoyed because they were usually the one baking). Bells Hells went to the ziggurat under the castle to use the harness in a controlled environment. While the rest of the team was distracted (thinking Fearne was about to absorb the power of Rau'shan), Ashton did it instead, after kissing Fearne. After some seconds it became evident that the elemental power of the Emperor was too much, and it started destroying the genasi's body. Their friends came together and started using magic to help them survive the process (with Orym combining Grasping Vine and Gust to help separate the Quintessence Array from the barbarian's body). However, Ashton survived, facing instead the wrath of their scared friends.[139]
Orym followed Fearne for a bit when she, furious at Ashton, left the rest of the party; however, when he saw that Chetney was with her the Ashari decided to return with the rest of the group, staying with them and observing their interactions with Ashton stoically, exercising to keep himself busy instead of saying everything that was in his mind. After a tense night the group reunited, and after a reconciliation (during which Orym and Chetney hugged), Bells Hells (with Allura) traveled to Ligament Manor to spend some time together and recover after their fight, to be ready for their next mission.[140] Orym decided to speak with Ashton in private; he expressed his concern for the genasi's most recent actions, but told them they had a soft heart and should be focusing their energy on their battles ahead. During the following conversations with Bells Hells (during which it was revealed that Sorrowlord Zathuda was Fearne's biological father), the Ashari tried to keep his friends focused.
Fan art of Orym's challenge, by Jake Wennik.[art 37]
When the scavenger hunt organized by Fresh Cut Grass and the Fatestitcher started, Orym participated in the different exercises: he made confessions during the phase about honesty (admitting how lonely he always felt, especially at night, how he was worried about Chetney being his dad, how he had planned for ways to neutralize each member of Bells Hells, and how conflicted he felt about missing Dorian), he guided Chetney very effectively during the phase about communication (and he asked for Imogen and the gnome to guide him in return when he offered to do the same blind walk to compensate for Ashton's failed attempt, in which the fighter did succeed, despite knowing the time was limited and the platform was crumbling behind him), and he managed to get one of the three ivory branches while confirming his friends' identities in the phase about trust (by asking them questions and using the Monocle of True Essence, although it turned out that there were no doppelgangers among them).
After the trials Bells Hells spoke for a bit and although they all seemed to agree about Orym being the sanest of them, they also asked how he felt about them (Imogen also wondered how could they make him feel less alone); the halfling assured them that, despite everything, he was glad to have them as his chosen family. Fearne decided she was ready to take the shard and after some preparation in the garden (during which Orym gave her his Potion of Heroism), the Quintessence Array began to absorb the spark of Rau'shan. The faun took a lot of damage, but with her friends' help she managed to survive; however, Orym had to keep FCG away from her because during the process of channeling Ashton's health into her, they became too stressed and attacked the group.[141] While Ashton and Fearne were away playing with their new powers Chetney kept talking about his intention of making a deal with Morri, and Orym pointed to the charred bones of those who had disappointed Morri, as a form of warning. Later, when the whole group was together again, FCG cast Shared Dream to go with Imogen to Ruidus, and after they woke up, Orym was concerned about the sorcerer, who had taken a little bit longer to return to her body, and had expressed the tentantion she had felt about the red moon. When everyone else was asleep, the Ashari went looking for Morri, being surprised by her despite his remarkable senses, and they spoke about Bells Hells' mission, making a deal: Morri would grant Orym assistance during that mission, ensuring that every single member of the adventuring party returned from their mission alive, and only in that specific circumstance would Orym become a new servant and companion for the Fatestitcher (who was very interested by him, having a touch of divinity with him, presumably from the Wildmother).[142]
The following morning Allura brought them back to Exandria safely, appearing near the Red Center the same day they had left. They had a meeting with some allies, during which Orym spoke in favor of his team, and particularly in favor of Fearne and Imogen, who were there to help despite being Ruidusborn. Keyleth decided to escort them as close to the excavation site as possible, after which Orym helped Fearne find their way to their destination.[143]
When they arrived at the ruins, the adventurers tried to interfere with their enemies' plans on the way to Bloody Bridge, and when they encountered two reilora who didn't believe Imogen and her friends were part of the Vanguard (despite their performance pretending to capture Chetney as an intruder), there was a confrontation in which Orym reacted immediately, using Grasping Vines to pull one of the enemies away so that Ashton could shove it over the edge of the pit. The adventuring party killed two more reilora in order to rescue a prisoner, after which they continued making their way, while the halfling fighter tried to locate where Planerider Ryn's petrified body was; later, he activated a trap glyph by mistake, and started the process of petrification, which FCG stopped by casting Greater Restoration. When they were closer to the Malleus Key and its red beam the adventurers, knowing people in the excavation were increasingly alert, used a diversion, and Fearne and Laudna helped detonate two bombs Imogen Catapulted into the air. A brief battle with reilora and members of the Vanguard ensued, during which the members of Bells Hells touched the Bloody Bridge one by one; Orym and Ishto were thrown down a rooftop by a Thought Eater, but after that both kept going, and while the paladin focused on fighting, Ashton grabbed Orym and Fearne and threw them into the red beam before following them, leaving only Chetney and Imogen behind. Eventually the entire group reached the Moon of Ill Omen.[144]
Arc 6: Ruidus Reconnaissance[]
The adventurers spent some time trying to avoid the enemies in the area, but eventually they managed to leave and turned into clouds to fly above the surface of the red moon, with Orym and Chetney leading the way, spending some time moving with a herd of buffalo-like creatures until they found a cave to hide. There Imogen tried to connect with the God Eater and woke up very startled; Orym tried to tell her that she should exploit that ability to the advantage of the group, although Laudna expressed her discomfort feeling that the fighter was pressuring her girlfriend too much. Later Laudna tried to use her familiar to find the juggernaut they had trapped inside the bag of holding, and although Pâté failed, they ended up accessing the corpse of the warrior, which had suffocated inside the bag, and FCG dismembered it to take it out (although they kept the head and the arms).
Bells Hells continued traveling in cloud form until they found a Ruidian village inhabited by some Imperium-aligned Reilora, as well as an entirely different sentient species, the bormodos. The adventurers revealed themselves to one of the latter, Dono, and Imogen managed to convince him not to scream, despite the surprise; Orym and Chetney, however, remained in cloud form.[145] After they gained Dono's trust he agreed to introduce them to Elder Barthie, so they traveled to his home (on the way there Orym examined some of the local reilorans from a distance, determining they weren't as powerful as him), and only there did all members of Bell Hells recover their physical form. After some initial cautiousness about their potential connection with the Ruby Vanguard Barthie agreed to speak with them and exchange information about Ruidus and Exandria, and Orym used his Druidcraft to create flowers of different colors to show how they looked in the planet.
Fan art of Orym casting Hex, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 38]
Shortly after a battle ensued when Willmaster Edmuda and her allies appeared. Orym initially tried to protect Barthie from potential attacks, but then focused on the combat and displayed new powers by casting Hex on the Willmaster; however, when he was trying to hit her, the reiloran leader used her own psychic powers to control nearby villagers and force them to act as meat shields protecting her from Orym's blade. Her shrikes took the chance attack the halfling, but he resisted the damage, and after Edmuda fell he focused his Hex and efforts on a young but powerful Exaltant, knocking him unconscious, and doing the same with another soldier that was trying to flee, after grabbing them with Seedling's vines.[146]
While the group interrogated their prisoners, Orym analyzed one of them: a mysterious hooded elf, learning that he was a powerful foe, although not as sturdy as Orym. When a Dominated Ashton attacked Imogen, Orym jumped to protect her and attacked Ashton, forcing him to regain control. The group used the Quintessence Array on Edmuda to leave her powerless for a day, granting Orym a temporary boon: the ability to cast Dominate Person once. He used it immediately to force the Willmaster to answer their questions. Bells Hells were planning to kill Edmuda by completing the process with the harness that would grant Orym a permanent boon; however, they were interrupted and fled. In the lost underground proto-elven city they found, Orym suggested Fearne could investigate a portal by taking the form of a salmon.[147]
During a night watch in the abandoned village of Ria'Doin found through the portal, Orym tried to use one of his sending stones and unexpectedly successfully contacted Caleb Widogast. Knowing they now had potential allies and there was hope, Orym suddenly hugged Imogen. Shortly afterwards, he tried to use his other sending stone to contact Dorian (telling him that he missed him and that he should go with Keyleth), but received no response and started behaving strangely, believing he had heard the bard outside. Drawn to the lake by a mysterious kelp creature, Orym regained control and freed himself, although the tendrils captured him again when he was trying to take the skull of one of the monster's victims. He cast Misty Step for the first time to appear next to Ashton and help them too. The next day the group traveled to Kreviris, and on their way there, Orym (who already had left some Ashari symbols as a trail) left the remains of his Message Bloom as a sign for any potential allies Keyleth decided to send after them with Imogen's Magic Mouth cast on it with verbal information.[148] As they were approaching Kreviris the adventurers encountered a strange furred tadpole, but when FCG used Speak with Animals he was unable to communicate with it; the adventurers, after learning those creatures were carnivorous, decided to be cautious and moved away floating on top of a rock Imogen was moving with Telekinesis, with the subtle assistance of Orym casting Gust.
Bells Hells stopped in one of the outposts of Kreviris, Tyran A, and while they were getting some water without raising suspicion Orym, pretending to be inexperienced and nervous, accompanied one of the guards, who revealed that the Volition had completely destroyed an outpost on the nearby mountain, and that if they attacked again the halfling would have to run away. They continued, and after chatting for a bit with a couple of Ruidian children in the Clutch, a humble neighborhood, the adventurers were stopped and interrogated by a group of reilora riding avadons, but that conversation led to combat. Orym Hexed one of the enemies but was aggressively attacked in response, and FCG had to Banish the reilora; despite this, the Exandrians managed to kill all the enemies, with the fighter finishing a juggernaut himself. Orym noticed that an old reilora had been watching the fight from a window, so Laudna sent Pâté to intimidate the civilian and make them stay quiet. They found the Jagged Edge and they met with Zhesh and Jidoh, and the former told them how to meet someone connected to the Volition. The adventurers then hid in the cellar, where they were planning their next move, while debating about how life would be for some of the Ruidians if they traveled to Exandria, to which Orym responded that it would probably cause some political issues in the planet.[149]
Fan art of Orym Druidcrafting fruit, by Elaine Tipping.[art 39]
When an Imperium patrol visited the shop Bells Hells stayed in the cellar, hidden by Laudna's Darkness, while slithers looked for them burrowing through the walls and the floor. One of the creatures found Imogen and tried to devour her, so while Fearne distracted the Ruidian forces FCG and Orym attacked the monster, with the halfling dealing the final blow with his sword, freeing Imogen. When it was safe to come out the adventurers stayed with Zhesh for a while longer, and acquired new gear made of Ruidian glass; Orym got a new sword, and in order to pay for it he and Fearne Druidcrafted strawberries for the glassmith, which she really enjoyed. When the adventuring party left and managed to locate the safe house of the Volition, they had to deal with Amido, who didn't really trust them; after they convinced him to let them in, Orym showed gratitude by Druidcrafting blueberries for him. When they met Rashinna of the Golden Hammer, leader of the rebels, and she demanded to speak to the adventurers' own leader, the Ashari pushed Imogen forward, encouraging her to act as such.[150]
After they were accepted as allies, and they found out that Ira Wendagoth had been there, working with the rebels, Bells Hells exchanged information with Rashinna about the potential missions they could join. The adventurers spent the last hours of the day talking about it among them, and sharing their opinion about the gods, during which Orym remembered the story about the most recent ascension to godhood, when Vecna became a deity. The following morning, when Rashinna was asking about the missions and their members, Orym, Chetney, Imogen and Laudna decided to investigate the disappearance of Evoroa, a scientist. Although Chetney refused, the rest of that team accepted the offering of Ivanas (an elderly reilora mystic) and received the benefits of the Invisibility and See Invisibility spells. Before they left Orym reminded his friends that they all had to survive and return to Exandria and share the information they had learned in the Moon of Ill Omen.[151]
The team moved through the streets of Vaterra Kreviris without being seen, noticing there was a lot of activity and even music, and that some of the Ruidians seemed to be preparing to move out of the city; while they were there Orym noticed there were several winged creatures around, but he was unable to determine if they were patrolling or just living there. When they reached the Prime Pillar they decided to access through one of the balconies; shortly after they discovered that Gona, Evoroa's cytaa, was in one of their satchels, and the small creature offered to help them. They kept moving, avoiding Ruidians and members of the Ruby Vanguard, until they reached an arcane laboratory in which Evoroa was being kept (unconscious and floating in liquid inside a glass compartment); the roar of an explosion (caused by the other half of Bells Hells) caused some of the reiloran scientist to evacuate the facilities, but two stayed behind, so the adventurers attacked them. After Imogen used Psychic Lance against the mystic, Orym Hexed them and killed them with his sword, attacking the shrike immediately after and making them fall to the floor; although the last reilora lived long enough to free a young vidulch that attacked the adventurers, the Ashari finished them off, although he was also attacked by the insectoid monster shortly after. When the battle was over Orym used his weapon to free Evoroa, and after looting the laboratory (Orym used that time to examine a judicator's body the scientists had been dissecting) the halfling took the rescued Bormodo in his arms, and Imogen hid the whole group with Invisibility, so they left the building the same way they had entered, just in time to see an angry Liliana Temult flying in the distance.[152]
Orym and his group continued moving with Evoroa (with him trying to guide them back to the safe house of the Volition), losing their invisibility after the Prime Pillar released an abjurative wave, but recovering it when Imogen recast the spell for everyone but herself. After a brief but harmless encounter with Liliana they were stopped by the Weave Mind themselves, who, through illusory manifestations, talked to the group, addressing even the invisible ones; Orym, feeling threatened, called on Nana Morri's help under his breath. The mystics disappeared after noticing resistance in the group, and shortly after, the other half of Bells Hells arrived. Together again, the group followed Evoroa's instructions to locate the tunnels that would lead them outside Vaterra Kreviris. Laudna noticed (thanks to her orb) that Otohan was near, and despite their efforts, the Legend of the Peaks (first noticed by Orym) reached Bells Hells, and a battle ensued.
Orym moved immediately and used his new glass blade to attack the enemy, focusing on her backpack, knowing it was the source of her echoes; however, he was pushed away by her Telekinetic Control. Otohan was fighting fiercely, killing Chetney very quickly (although he was Revivified by FCG moments later) and trying to attack Imogen too. Orym used Misty Step and Bait and Switch to protect the sorcerer who, using her Telekinesis, followed the Ashari's plan and left the backpack unusable. The adventurers continued attacking, and their enemy unleashed her Exaltant Fury, becoming even more powerful; when she was getting weaker, due to her wounds, she drank a potion and used her renewed energy to knock Orym unconscious; Fresh Cut Grass then healed their friend, who continued fighting, remembering Derrig and Will. Increasingly exhausted, Orym drank a potion, but Otohan knocked him unconscious once more. The battle was over when a very stressed but determined FCG sacrificed himself by detonating his own core with Guiding Bolt, killing both himself and Otohan in the process; when Orym woke up he healed himself a bit with a potion Chetney gave him, and then helped Fearne while she collected some of the cleric's metal remains. After that, the group, devastated, took Otohan's corpse and left with Evoroa.[153]
Fan art of Orym with Ishta, by Elaine Tipping.[art 40]
Fan art of Orym Sending to Dorian, by Melissa Hahn.[art 41]
After Liliana met with the group and spoke with them, agreeing to help them but not abandoning her side of the conflict (which led some of the adventurers to distrust her, and Orym to insist that Ludinus Da'leth's plans would lead to a bad future), she transported them to the Bloody Bridge, allowing them to return to Exandria. In the Red Center Imogen and Orym tried to find Planerider Ryn's statue, confirming it had been moved, and the group left the excavation; as they passed next to spikes filled with religious war trophies the Ashari noticed a cloak of the Changebringer and took it with him. As they walked back to their allies' camp they talked a little about FCG's sacrifice and the Ruby Vanguard and their plans. When Ashton reflected on the latter, commenting that with the horrible means their enemies were using the end must at least be worth it from their perspective, this angered Orym, who took one of Otohan's blades and reminded the party that his father and his husband were dead, after which he walked away. Shortly after Imogen checked on him, and the fighter confirmed he wasn't doing well, and that despite not feeling a need for revenge, he was really trying to honor Derrig and Will with their mission, and now Fresh Cut Grass was gone and he was going to miss them too. After he assured her that he would follow the group after calming down, Imogen left her friend alone, and he used one of his sending stones to speak to Dorian, telling him where they were, asking if he could get there, and telling the bard how much he missed him;[154] Dorian answered telling him he would be there.
Fan art of Orym greeting Dorian, by noxarcanaart.[art 42]
Indeed, when Bells Hells finally arrived together to the camp they found out Dorian had traveled there with Keyleth. As soon as Orym saw both of them, he hesitated very briefly before running towards the bard and jumping to hug him, being joined immediately by Fearne, and they both greeted their friend warmly. He also spoke with the Voice of the Tempest for a bit, who told him how very proud she was of the work he had done, although admitting she had feared for the safety of his adventyring party. All of Bells Hells were very happy to see Dorian again, and saddened to know that Cyrus was dead. Orym, worried, gave his condolences to the bard. They spent time together speaking and drinking.[155] When the group went to sleep Orym watched them all for a while before losing consciousness himself. However, a little before dawn he woke up prematurely when he heard Fearne moving; Although she told him not to worry, and that she was just going for a walk, he followed her stealthily, watching her leave the encampment guided by a sugar glider, entering the desert. There she witnessed a meeting between the druid and her biological father, Sorrowlord Athion Zathuda, who had come to her with the intention of recruiting her to become the vessel of the God Eater. When Fearne rejected his offer, the Unseelie captain used a mirror to send dark reflections of herself against her, to which Orym came out of hiding to defend her (although not before using his sending stone to alert Dorian and ask for help). The Ashari fighter dedicated a brief prayer to the Fatestitcher, alerting her that her granddaughter was in danger, and then started attacking the shadowy echoes, trying to keep them away from his friend. At one point Fearne, who had been using the spark of Rau'shan, deactivated her elemental powers to cause a fiery explosion, and although she destroyed half of their enemies, one managed to knock her unconscious; Orym, however, used a healing potion to help her, and the druid, with Little Mister's help, dealt with the last two dark reflections. Sorrowlord Zathuda then reappeared with his draconic mount, and veiledly threatened Orym's safety, causing Fearne to step between them; the Unseelie warrior, however, ended up leaving with Gloamglut, and shortly after the rest of Bells Hells arrived, and brought Orym and Fearne back so they could rest and recover.
The following morning Bells Hells went to a meeting (being received very soon after Orym mentioned to a guard that the Savior Blade and his circle had arrived) to share with Keyleth and her allies all they had learned during their most recent mission. After the adventurers were assigned a new mission (to continue gathering information and get the two Ruidusborn away from an area where the enemies could capture them), Keyleth started to leave, and Orym followed her for a bit to say goodbye and assure her that despite their rough attitude as of late, he trusted all members of Bells Hells; the Voice of the Tempest told him that she knew, but also mentioned that she expected him to act if any of the adventurers strayed from the right path. After that, the adventuring party, accompanied by Archivist Seth Domade, Teleported to Zadash, where they found Astrid Becke, one of the archmages of the Cerberus Assembly; the wizard tried to escape, and the adventurers stopped her, with Orym shooting vines to one of her hands to difficult somatic components in her spellcasting.[156]
Fan art of Orym accepting Ishta, by Cris Trinci.[art 43]
After questioning Astrid, Dorian and his friends left to go shopping, ordering new outfits to withstand the cold; Orym asked to incorporate FCG's metal shoulder pad with the blades of grass to his own. At The Invulnerable Vagrant, Dorian noticed that Orym was very interested in a set of antique Ashari-made Zephyr Armor, and the bard offered all his money so that they could afford it and the halfling would be happy, and Orym thanked him when they were leaving. That night at The Lodge of the Eclipse, Orym enjoyed the establishment's burlesque shows before going to the room. However, while the others were part of a crafting session, he asked Chetney for Otohan's main blade, Ishta, and went outside. In the street, he started his Zeph'aeratam routine wielding the sword until he stopped, exhausted, since the weapon was bigger than the one he normally wielded; he sheathed it and hung it on his back anyway, next to Seedling. The Air Ashari then felt the Wildmother's presence making Ishta a bit lighter for him, as one single cloud in the clear night caused rain to fall over him, refreshing him. Instead of ruining the moment with words, Orym just decided to experience the moment in silence. Shortly after he was joined by Fearne, who thanked him for helping her in the encounter against the Sorrowlord, and by Dorian, with whom they talked about their old adventures back in Tal'Dorei; after Fearne left them alone (not very subtly), Dorian attempted to ease Orym's general concern, telling him that he did not need to try to save everyone and using himself as an example: without the fighter's help, he had managed to survive and return to his side.
Fan art of Laudna studying Ishta while Orym sleeps, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 44]
Later that night, Orym was awakened feeling necrotic energy hurting him in pitch black Darkness; he instinctively attacked the threat, revealing it had been Laudna who, extremely paranoid after seeing Ishta in his back, was trying to get the sword to destroy it, convinced it was a sentient weapon that would curse its wielder. After she failed to cast Phantasmal Force on Orym, they started arguing about Ishta, and the warlock justified her actions, criticising the fighter for wielding a weapon with such sinister symbolism and dangerous potential; he, however, responded by stating that even though he was willing to be convinced of that, he didn't trust the situation after being attacked in his sleep. Following Ashton's advice, Laudna assured them that she had never meant to hurt Orym with her magic. She, however, still argued with Orym a bit longer, and pointed out that even if the Ashari said he only had his weapons to defend himself, in their brief battle he had hurt her more with his sword than she had hurt him with a spell. After Fearne Identified Ishta and Chetney used his Grim Psychometry, they both told the group that although the weapon had indeed a dark history, they couldn't determine if it was cursed and/or sentient. Orym argued that even if the sword was creepy, he wasn't the only one with something like that, mentioning Chetney's bloody apron and Laudna's powers, and admitting in front of everyone his deal with the Fatestitcher to keep Bells Hells safe. Chetney, after realizing that Laudna felt determined to obtain the blade even though Orym felt entitled to decide its fate, offered a solution: the gnome gave Scream Needle (Otohan's secondary weapon) to the warlock so that she could destroy a symbol of her killer like she wanted, but he argued that since Orym had suffered much more loss because of Ishta, he had more of a right to keep it. Laudna agreed and left the room followed by Imogen, taking Scream Needle, but not Orym's new weapon.[157]
After this incident Orym felt a bit bad about Laudna, and when Dorian asked they talked about Delilah and the Ashari mentioned the incident with Bor'Dor back in Issylra. When Imogen and Laudna finally returned, Orym tentatively asked the warlock if he had hurt her too much, and apologized for attacking her. Then, following Dorian's previous advice, he left Ishta on the floor for Chetney to put back into the bag, and declared that it was just an item, and that he valued Laudna more than a new weapon. The adventurers had a brief conversation about trust, in which Laudna said she would try to share everything about her patron with them, but also asked Orym if it would be alright to use her power only on evil enemies. After that everyone went to sleep, but the halfling couldn't, and stayed up all night; he checked his new Zephyr Armor and decided to take it to the Emerald Curtain to have it dyed and incorporated into the final design of his new gear. In the morning, although he was exhausted, Orym joined his friends as they got the new outfits, and when he got his he noticed some fey vines growing over it, making him feel that his connection with the Fatestitcher was still present. As they were preparing to leave, they decided to use the Quintessence Array so Orym could absorb the power of a ring of protection, becoming a little bit healthier and compensating his exhaustion for the day.
After several failed attempts, due to the strange magic surrounding Eiselcross, Essek managed to Teleport the group to a valley under the control of the Kryn Dynasty, and guided the adventurers through a cavern connected with the Aeorian ruins; as they were moving forward they noticed several sleeping creatures that Orym identified as ice trolls, but they managed to leave them behind without waking them up. While exploring the buried remains of the ancient floating city they encountered an undead creature that seemed frozen in time as it tried to crawl; when the Air Ashari examined it closely, however, he determined that the living corpse was still moving, but so slowly that it was almost imperceptible. The kept going, eventually reaching the Genesis Ward, where they found a tent full of dead Ruby Vanguard members. Orym stayed outside while some of his friends examined the bodies, and after a while he heard an echoing sound of grinding stone, slowly approaching; he warned the group, and they all hid, as a huge monstrous figure appeared with a big statue-like hammer.[158] They engaged in combat and Orym tried to trip the monster, unsuccessfully, and was heavily hit by his hammer as he moved away; shortly after, when the creature was attacking Dorian, it leaned down and grappled the halfling with its toothy torso maw. After that, Orym's friends kept attacking, trying to avoid hitting their friend. The Air Ashari, while chewed by the enemy, noticed that it was trying to siphon magical power from him, but since he wasn't a traditional spellcaster he was immune to that ability. He ended up Misty Stepping out of the mouth and running through the creature's arm, slashing with Seedling and attacking several times, revealing the bone under its skin, and killing him; the whole group was very impressed and praised him, adding magical effects to make the fighter feel cooler as he came back to them. During their hour-long rest, hidden in a tower, Essek showed them how the local monsters interacted with each other, and Orym noticed the strange strand-like goo hunting creatures from the ceiling.
Fan art of Dorian carrying Orym, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 45]
The group kept going, and when they reached a pothole, Dorian carried Orym so they could fly down together while the halfling scanned the area, cautious about potential dangers, noticing yellow eyes in the darkness. As they kept exploring the tunnels, with Orym perceiving even the faintest sounds, Essek briefly mentioned his partner, and the Ashari, showing interest, asked about them: the wizard shared that said partner was a man called Bren, who was a talented spellcaster and teacher. Eventually they all reached a room filled with chains and corpses, the most recent of which belonged to members of the Ruby Vanguard. After learning that something called "Dominox" had killed those people, Fearne summoned Teven Klask to ask for help, and the devil explained to Bells Hells how dangerous Dominox was, as a grand demon; after hearing that, Orym wondered if the apogee solstice had been involved in his release. When Chetney was affected by Dominox's influence, seeing terrible visions of his alleged victims, Orym approached and touched his shoulder, but the werewolf sensed it as an attack and slashed in retaliation, hitting the fighter's own shoulder, but regaining control a few moments later. When the group expressed their concern about being controlled by the demon again, Orym was confident he would be safe, so he let Dorian cast Motivational Speech on those he deemed more vulnerable; despite his efforts, the bard himself ended up being mentally influenced by Dominox.[159] After that Orym was very concerned, warning his friends to be careful knowing what's real what isn't; indeed, shortly after Imogen got their own visions, but she immediately knew the person that was talking to her wasn't her mother, but Dominox. After that, the halfling told the group they should discover what was Ludinus doing in the ruins.
They kept exploring, arriving to a new room in Orym heard breathing inside a closet, and after Dorian confirmed it was a person by knocking rhythmically and getting a similar answer (which made the fighter facepalm) they met Braius Doomseed, a minotaur paladin that was in Aeor to kill Ludinus, so they accepted him as an ally. When they reached the engine room they were looking for, from the outside they could see the Grand Demon of Loathing himself, who had taken the form of a young girl, and talked to him for a bit, offering to free him in exchange for security for themselves and harm for Ludinus. When they went in it became clear that the demon was impatient about getting free and about them not leaving him behind; Dominox focused on Chetney when he tried to reach a door, and when he saw Laudna and Orym approaching too and the Ashari failed to Gust the door open he attacked. Laudna's Animate Objects spell did let them open it shortly after, and Orym got startled when the object grew an eye. Inside there was a brass hallway in which they saw Ludinus himself; the archmage rushed in their direction telling them they had to stop Dominox, expressing his intention to help. Orym, feeling overwhelmed, decided to drink his potion of speed and attack Dominox many times, although he was moving so extremely fast he missed some of the hits and accidentally crashed against the wall, after which the grand demon attacked him, leaving him almost unconscious. When Ludinus cast Gate and announced that they should make Dominox go through the portal to the Abyss so they could permanently kill him, Orym, despite the tension, sensed that the archmage was telling the truth. Indeed, eventually Teven was able to permanently destroy the Grand Demon of Loathing by killing him in the other side of the portal; Orym, trying to use that chance, attacked Ludinus to push him to the Abyss too, but the wizard, understanding what he was trying to do, ended his spell and closed the portal. Ludinus told the group that he wanted to talk to them, and they followed him; Orym was frustrated and very wounded, so Fearne offered to carry him, and while she was doing it Braius healed him a bit (he also asked if Orym was single, to which the halfling responded by pointing out the extreme difference in size between the two). They arrived to the Occultus Thalamus, where the archmage, after explaining some of his past witnessing the destruction caused by the gods, showed them what the device contained: the memories and history of Aeor and its destruction.[160]
Arc 8[]
They watched it together, after which the adventurers argued with Ludinus about their very different conclusions regarding the gods. When the archmage defended that gods imposed their will over others, Orym remarked that historically mortals had always done that too, and that freeing Predathos to destroy the gods was a bad solution, since it was not guaranteed that the Red End would not damage Exandria as well and the people living there; to this Ludinus responded by recommending that he commune with the entity the next time they visited Ruidus. At one point Ludinus commented that in his previous interactions with Bells Hells he had only defended himself against their attacks, to which Orym responded angrily, reminding him that he had also ordered the attack on Zephrah and was responsible for Otohan's kills; the entire group agreed with that argument, but the wizard apologized and brushed it off, using Thull's overzealotry as an excuse. Eventually Ludinus left after causing Delilah to manifest and react to a magic item the archmage produced, causing her to manifest in spectral form, still connected to Laudna. A battle started, and although Orym was still too tired he tried to persuade Laudna, leaving his shield and sword in the floor so that she would see him. The warlock, however, had less control than her patron, who cast Blade of Disaster and used it to knock the halfling unconscious; Dorian immediately ran towards him and cast Cure Wounds, but the necromancer hurt Orym again moments later with Horrid Wilting. The Dorian grabbed his friend and cast Dimension Door, leaving him beyond the range of attacks for the rest of the fight.
After the battle was over Ashton went to Orym and gave him a healing potion to wake him up. They talked for a bit, and eventually Essek decided to bring them to his house in Rexxentrum, to do a bit of research and find a way to help Laudna with her issues with her warlock patron. While they were there, Orym spoke with her and told her he felt bad for her and for the situation, since they had had no time to give her proper help to deal with Delilah; she then admitted that during the fight a part of her hoped that it was Seedling the weapon that would stop her, although after a few moments both of them agreed that they didn't want that to happen. They also spoke with Essek, noticing one of his portraits and identifying Caleb Widogast as his mysterious partner, and Beauregard as his close friend. When the drow asked for assistance to work with the soul anchor that used to contain Dominox, the Air Ashari, who had no arcane capabilities, decided to focus on the garden instead.[161] After he returned, during the ritual to help Laudna seal Delilah inside the Pinion of Service the warlock asked him to be ready to use his sword if something went wrong, but he assured her that it wouldn't be necessary, summoning poppies as he cast Hex to weaken Delilah; as he did so, a warm breeze went through the room, as Melora made her presence known, helping with the ritual. Later, when the adventurers were celebrating after succeeding in their task, Orym revealed to the group that the Wildmother had been present and seemed to want Laudna to be free, although that also made Imogen nervous, since she wasn't comfortable with powerful invisible entities watching her and her girlfriend. The group debated about the gods, and when Orym mentioned that the Prime Deities ahd created the Divine Gate and chosen exile to protect mortals, Ashton wasn't satisfied, since that made them powerful figures choosing the most convenient punishment for themselves; in response, the Air Ashari stated that regardless of their individual opinions on the gods, they still had to deal with Ludinus, who was causing a lot of damage on a large scale, and they didn't have time to get philosophical about it.
The following day, before leaving, Orym used his sending stone to let Caleb know they were with his boyfriend in their home, that everything was alright, and that they intended to visit Keyleth next; the wizard answered by praising his partner and asking them not to touch his belongings while they were in the house. Essek brought Bells Hells back to the camp near the Red Center, but they found it destroyed, with enemy forces walking around killing survivors, and Gloamglut flying over them, but after confirming Keyleth and her allies were in Vasselheim, the drow Teleported them there. As they walked through the Dawn City to attend a meeting they learned about the Dark Bloom, a burst of undead activity affecting the local catacombs, and Orym asked if that necromantic influence had somehow affected the remains of the Earth titan nearby; a local guard, old enough to remember the primordial moving decades before, clarified that luckily that hadn't been the case. As they continued making their way they noticed the Abundant Terrace nearby and the Air Ashari took a moment to pray to Melora. Eventually they reached the Platinum Sanctuary, where many important political figures had gathered, and Orym, from Fearne's shoulder, started guiding the group trying to find their allies, being eventually found by Grog Strongjaw and Pike Trickfoot.[162]
During the meeting Bells Hells shared the information they had about Ruidus, Ludinus, and his most recent plans, and after Evoroa spoke Orym assured the people there that gaining the Ruidians as allies would be a good thing, although some were still uncertain about it and about Bells Hells' objectivity. After they left the fighter told Keyleth that he had felt the presence of Melora during their adventures, so she guided the group to the Abundant Terrace. There, near the sacred Birthheart, Orym Druidcrafted some flowers and reflected on how each flower existed in part thanks to the gods (although Ashton replied that the flowers had existed before the arrival of the deities and would continue to do so if they disappeared, causing the halfling to think about his knowledge of Exandria prior to the Founding). While he was there, Seedling started to shine, so he took it and after saying that he wanted to speak with the Wildmother, kneeled and used the tip of the weapon to touch the space between two roots, being enveloped by a cocoon of roots, ivy, and flowers. He appeared in a moonlit forest in which the face of Melora was looking at him, and his own body was made of plants. He explained to the goddess what they had seen in the recording of the fall of Aeor, and how Ludinus intended to use it against the gods; following signs, he walked until he found a dark part of the forest with a crumbling statue, and after stating that he wanted to protect the gods to maintain the balance in the world, used his natural magic to produce growth where the statue had fallen.
Fan art of Orym and Will's brief chat, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 46]
After he said he didn't understand the threat that was Predathos, the Wildmother showed him a representation-like vision of the moment in which the Red End arrived to Exandria, like a red fallen star, and how the primordials and the deities sealed it using a big island that they sent to space; during the vision Orym felt an unnatural maddening hunger, and he started to shout and cry feeling like something had changed or broken inside him, being comforted by Melora. He then told her that he saw most gods as imperfect like the mortals that loved the world, and she encouraged him to protect them so that they could all protect Exandria. Then the spirit of Will (also made of plants) appeared to greet his husband, promising him that they would see each other again, but also asking him to be happy even without him.
When the cocoon opened and Orym woke up, in the same position he was before, he told his friends about his vision, and confirmed to Braius that he trusted the goddess that showed it to him; however, when the minotaur recommended him to give Melora some of his faith to receive some of hers, the Ashari answered that he preferred to be her partner and ally, rather than her follower. Shortly after he realized that Seedling had become more powerful, and two golden gems were now part of it, like eyes guiding its strikes. Before going to bed they talked about their plans and Orym suggested that they could disturb the Bloody Bridge from Ruidus instead of attacking the Malleus Key, until he remembered there was nothing to attack in the red moon connected to the energy beam; when Dorian asked him about his impression of the Wildmother, he said that she had good intentions. They played Truth or Spin the Bottle, and Laudna had to kiss Orym, doing so very awkwardly before hugging him. When they went to bed Orym stayed awake for a while looking at Dorian (who had been speaking about repressed feelings and grief during the game).
The next morning Bells Hells attended a meeting in the Trial Forge to make plans to present to the rest of the emissaries in the Platinum Sanctuary; since they woke up later than expected they arrived a bit late, and Julian (Orym's former student and fellow Tempest Blade) let them know that they were waiting for them inside.[163] After a brief meeting there they started making their way back to the Platinum Sanctuary and Imogen told them about her most recent vision, in which her mom told her about Ludinus' plans in a ley nexus and in the Fey Realm. When they reached the meeting place Orym scanned the room to see if there was someone suspicious there; he notice a man that looked like Dorian, and after some questions the bard confirmed it was probably his father, Zeru Wyvernwind. As the meeting progressed, potential missions were laid out, and Bells Hells were presented as the right agents to send against Ludinus and the Ruby Vanguard, but some of those present began to question their capabilities and loyalties. Orym assured that time was of the essence and that they would be honored to help, but even then the adventurers were asked to speak about themselves and their skills and value; Braius mentioned that the Wildmother had recently visited Orym, so the fighter showed Seedling to the audience, and its new gold gems shone, impressing the people there. Shortly after, when Dorian cast Find Greater Steed, summoning the legendary Coriolis to prove his own power, the Air Ashari was left amazed by the display.
After Keyleth gave Bells Hells new titles and Highbearer Vord ended the meeting, Dorian was found by his father, Zeru, and they had a conversation about Cyrus, Dorian's new responsibilities, and how he would try to survive their next mission. After the ruler of the Silken Squall walked away Orym followed him and offered his condolences for Cyrus' death, after which he assured him that he should be proud of his youngest son. When he told him that Dorian had saved his life, Zeru asked him to return the favor by protecting him on the mission, after which he left. The fighter returned to the group as Highbearer Vord was giving Braius a new armor, and shortly after Keyleth spoke with the group, and they shared with her the information that Liliana had shared with them. When Imogen asked the archdruid if she trusted her, she responded by explaining that since Orym did, so would she. After that Bells Hells visited the home of Scalebearer Waylon Amaredda, who was a huge fan of Chetney, and when Orym mentioned that he had some toys made by the blood hunter, Waylon eagerly asked if he would consider selling them to him, but the Ashari was fond of those toys. When he noticed how happy and emotional Chetney was about the situation, Orym told him that sometimes it took a while for artists to get the recognision they deserved.[164] That night the adventurers spoke about their next step, and decided to travel to the Fey Realm, and meet with Ira at Ligament Manor.
The next day Keyleth, after giving them some money, sent them to the Feywild. When they arrived to Ligament Manor, Fearne's grandmother, Morrigan, was very happy to meet the bard, and completely infatuated by Braius. After Ira arrived and they spoke for a bit, the Fatestitcher gave Bells Hells and Ira spectral steeds to reach Pravenier, and before they left Orym thanked her for her help during their mission; the hag replied that she was sorry that it had not been enough to keep them all safe (referring to FCG's death), acknowledging that she was not all-powerful, and reminding the halfling that their mission was not yet over. When the group reached the ruins Orym climbed its walls, noticing a group of people in the distance. Bells Hells started exploring, trying to be stealthy, and although there was a moment in which Orym tripped, Ashton caught him before he fell. When the adventurers and Ira started attacking and killing the guards brought by the Unseelie, Orym Misty Stepped and killed one of them keeping them inside the area of Silence they were using to stay unnoticed. When Bells Hells were done, they focused on the building in which Ludinus and Zathuda were meeting with the Unseelie, and the Air Ashari used his keen sense of hearing to listen to the conversation (in which Ludinus complained about the Unseelie's lack of involvement, but requested that his court prepare to assist in the upcoming battle when they attack the Malleus Key), after which he and his friends started planning on how to deal with them.[165]
When the fight began Orym approached the Forcecage that Dorian had cast around Fearne to protect her, and then, when she was trying to persuade the Unseelie emissary that Ludinus was a traitor who had killed many fey, the Air Ashari positioned himself to protect the emissary, Cashadoor, telling him to listen to Fearne; he also took the chance to Hex Zathuda. Since the Simulacrum of Ludinus had been destroyed the people in the temple had the chance to speak privately, and the Sorrowlord expressed the interest of the Unseelie Court to follow the plans of the Ruby Vanguard until the moment was right for them to betray them and allow Fearne to seize the power of Predathos; Orym asked the emissary what was the position of their court, learning that they wanted to move away from the nature the gods had imposed, and that Fearne's hesitance about her role in the plan was rather disappointing. When they started fighting again in the nearly collapsing temple Orym used Grasping Vine to grab the emissary and preventing Gloamglut to leave with him, knocking him unconscious, and when the fey dragon tried to attack the halfling the tail hit one of the pillars of the building; Orym failed to grab Gloamglut with his vines, and attacked it, but shortly after the dragon fled before the Shrine of Gilded Gifts collapsed, trapping Imogen, Braius, and Zathuda inside. Orym and Ashton started moving rocks immediately to rescue them, but the temple was magically reconstructed by the god honored there.
The Arch Heart sent them to their realm in Arborea, presenting themself in front of Bells Hells, and after Orym told him about Ludinus Da'leth's plans, the god exposed a plan of their own to them (to seize the power of Predathos and control it before anyone else, in order to force the gods to leave the world so that they could be together and mortal life could prosper on its own). Orym was concerned about the risks, and even though the Arch Heart assured them that mortals were like specks for the Red End, the Air Ashari argued that he had killed many ants simply by not noticing he was stepping on them; he also stuck Seedling into the table, declaring that other gods seemed to be more willing to fight, and that it was confusing to receive new divine messages with contradictory ideas. After the Arch Heart granted them a boon Bells Hells were sent back to their temple,[166] where Orym immediately noticed the Unseelie guards in the entrance, distracted by the Nightmare King's magic.
Bells Hells decided to use Ira's Modify Memory to make their prisoners believe Ludinus had attacked them, but the attempt was only partially successful, so they ended up killing one of the guards and, after Orym read the emissary's lips as they prepared to flee, knocking him and Kamal (the last guard) unconscious, with the halfling hitting Cashadoor in the head with Caleb's sending stone while Dorian was holding him. Orym spent some time on the roof of the temple, trying to see if he could see Gloamglut, without success; after that, he joined his friends' next attempt tricking the Unseelie, organizing a staged fight in which the adventurers fought the treacherous Ludinus (Braius in Disguise). When Sorrowlord Zathuda tried to run away using that distraction he was knocked unconscious by Chetney and died just as Gloamglut was trying to rescue him, succumbing to his most recent injuries, caused by Orym. Although he felt sick after causing Fearne's father's death, his friend stayed on task, and used her own blood to calm the fey dragon down. After Morrigan appeared in bird form to bring them back to her domain, Fearne and Imogen rode Gloamglut, who grabbed Braius, Orym, and Chetney before taking flight.
Fan art of Dorian comforting Orym, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 47]
Back in Ligament Manor, Orym was still thinking about parents, so he stayed silent for a long time, while Morri used her Loom to transform Zathuda into a sentient tapestry they could interrogate; during the conversation, however, the Air Ashari asked if Ludinus had any weakness beyond his hubris, and Zathuda answered that that was precisely the thing they should focus on. When they were going back to the garden Laudna walked closer to Orym and asked him if he was ok, and he told her that he wasn't, but it didn't really matter; the warlock responded by commenting how they had to make a lot of difficult choices, but that she supported him. After solving the problem with the Unseelie prisoners (Cashadoor was turned into a bush by Morri and Kamal was sent back with a mission and his memories Modified) the adventurers decided to stay in Ligament Manor that night, and had a conversation about their next plans: Orym was very stressed, and complained that although whatever route they took would lead them to Ludinus as the final foe to overcome, all their plans and approaches were based on theories, intuitions, and biased opinions, and he did not want to leave the world at risk and dependent on a coin toss; after hearing that, Ashton blurted out that it was good that they no longer had someone on the team who trusted a toss of a coin, after which he walked away. Shortly after that Orym, exhausted after the long day and the complex conversations, leaned on Dorian's hip, the bard began to play with his friend's hair, and covered him a little with his cloak. Before going to bed some of the adventurers went to a hot tub, but they left when Bompers (a furry alligator) muddied the water.[167]
The next morning, during breakfast, Orym stayed silent most of the time, examining Zathuda's weapon; that led the group into a conversation about which items should they keep and which should they absorb with their harness to get more power. They wondered if Orym should use Ishta, and although Laudna assured him that she would be ok with it, now that Delilah wasn't influencing her mood, the halfling declared he preferred Seedling, given its ties with his family and the Wildmother. After Morri sent them back to Vasselheim they went to the Raven's Crest to commune with the Matron of Death; there they were told they had to get inside a pool of blood and voluntarily "drown" in order to speak with the goddess of death. Braius asked if the ritual would cause them to become servants of the goddess, but he was told it wasn't the case; Orym hesitated, and Braius told him that if he wanted to stay outside, he would stay with him. The fighter decided to make an offering first, cutting his own palm with Seedling and dropping some of his own blood into the pool before jumping in holding the tail of the minotaur, and followed by Fearne. They woke up in the presence of the Raven Queen, but she was cold and distant, and told them to go home; after they insisted (with Orym appealing to her as a figure that had been both mortal and deity and could help them maintain the balance in Exandria), the goddess of fate showed them different people that had been crushed by destiny, and one of them was Opal. After Imogen made a powerful statement about the virtues of Bells Hells (which included describing Orym as a noble protector), the Matron of Ravens decided to test if the adventurers would be able to do what was necessary, and made the images of Opal, Liliana Temult, and Vespin Chloras attack them. During the battle Liliana Reversed Gravity and only Orym and Chetney resisted the effect; while the gnome fought Opal the Ashari Hexed her and disarmed her, and shortly after, since he was confident that she wasn't his real friend, knocked her unconscious, making her disappear. The fight continued for a bit longer, and although Orym was attacked by Vespin's magic, he managed to defeat Liliana by cutting her in half, as he called for Imogen so she could focus.
When they proved they worth Orym noticed that the Raven Queen had shrinked to a humanoid-like size, and she approached, finally agreeing to speak with them, revealing that, like the Arch Heart, she didn't want to destroy the Divine Gate and cause a second Calamity. She answered the adventurers' questions, and revealed some of her experiences as both a mortal and a goddess, including her relationship with her divine predecessor; after asking her about her lingering feelings for the previous god of death, Orym mentioned Predathos, and the Matron admitted that the other gods had told her little, and only recently, explaining to the adventurers that the Red End was tied to the place where the rest of the main pantheon came from. Later, when they were talking about turning one of the Ruidusborn into the vessel, Orym asked if it would be possible to undo the bond with Predathos, and the goddess told him that anything was theoretically possible. After Chetney asked for a boon, she gave them a magical mask, and in the final moments of conversation, the Matron of Ravens confessed to Orym that she missed mortality in a way, and that she was very aware of what had sacrificed when she became a deity. Shortly after that, the goddess of death sent them all back to her temple.[168]
When they left, the group encountered Captain Xandis, who grabbed Orym and hugged him. While Bells Hells were talking about what to do in the city, Orym wondered if they should start saying goodbye to their loved ones. They met with Allura, where Orym mentioned that setting their plan in motion had come at a great cost and told her that her wife was a lucky woman. Before leaving Vasselheim, Orym, Braius, Imogen, and a Charmed Chetney bought gems and diamond dust from a shady shopkeeper. After returning to the Platinum Sanctuary they met with Leeta and Maeve, Orym's sisters-in-law, who greeted him warmly; Maeve used Transport via Plants to take them to the Zephran outpost in Ria'Doin, and her brother-in-law praised her spellcasting, noticing she had improved. The druid stayed for a bit, informing Orym that both of their mothers were ok, and that Baernie was keeping an eye on them; when the halfling took a moment to remember Derrig, Maeve pointed out that like him, he didn't always share his feelings, and he responded that even then he loved his family deeply. They hugged, and Maeve told Orym that as soon as he came back she wanted to get drunk with him to hear about his adventures. Later, Orym asked Imogen to Send a message to Alma and she did so happily (with his mother telling him to be careful and promising him an apricot pie when he came back home), after which she and the halfling said how much they appreciated each other. When the Mighty Nein arrived, Orym was the only member of Bells Hells to greet them normally, with the others posing to try to look cool.[169]
During dinner, Bells Hells shared some information about their most recent interactions with the gods, and mentioned Orym's connection with the Wildmother. When they were ready to cross the portal in Lake Umamu, Orym said goodbye to Leeta and Maeve, being formally announced by the former (he added a Gust to make her look cooler) and hugged by the latter. When they arrived on Ruidus, Orym and Fjord were conscious of the need for the party to stay quiet. They Teleported to a basement in Kreviris and spent the night in Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower, where Caleb, noticing Orym was very silent taking care of Seedling, told the halfling that he too had been trying to contact him with the sending stone the last weeks; he also commented that he should talk to his friends if there was something worrying him, but Orym argued he didn't want to bother them. Later, when they all went to bed, Dorian knocked on Orym's door and sat on his bed, wanting to talk to him; the halfling, who had been trying to gather the courage to go see him too, admitted he had feelings for his friend, but that he was out of practice and didn't want to be a distraction or a burden, especially in such complicated times. Dorian, in turn, pointed out there had been important events keeping them apart, but Orym was the reason he was in the adventuring party; he recognized he had never felt the way he did with Orym, and asked him only to stay with him that night and comfort him for once. The fighter agreed, and the bard fell asleep while holding him in his arms; Orym stayed awake a little bit longer, telling himself that the situation was fine, before he eventually fell asleep too.[170]
The next morning, after breakfast, the two groups discussed their upcoming plans, and Orym, concerned about schedule, had to confirm with Caleb first that the same time had passed inside and outside the tower. Before leaving they also decided to use the harness a couple of times, and after playing Rollies Orym ended up absorbing the magical power from Ishta; during the process he kept looking at Laudna, and she nodded in approval. As they walked through Kreviris disguised as Ruidians, Orym noticed a shrine with Exandrian elements, including the petrified Planerider Ryn, so they stopped briefly and rescued her before continuing to their destination.[171] While they waited for the Mighty Nein to leave with the Volition, the two groups debated potential plans for Predathos if Bells Hells succeeded on their mission, and Orym confessed to Fjord that the same way the people in that room weren't in agreement, the gods weren't in agreement either. Beau and Orym encouraged Dorian to make a toast with Caduceus' tea, and when Orym raised his own cup he called the group "Nein Hells" combining their names. Orym later noticed Imogen and Laudna talking about their upcoming mission, reading their lips to discover that Imogen wouldn't run away, no matter what happened. After the Mighty Nein left, Orym took Dorian aside, and after asking for permission he kissed him for about ten seconds, forgetting about all the problems around them for that time; then he told him that if they were still alive the next day and Dorian wanted, he would like to figure out what there was between them, with Dorian agreeing enthusiastically before kissing him again.[172]
Shortly after Imogen informed the group that she had had a vision of Ludinus harming Liliana with his own Quintessence Array, so they left, moving through Kreviris as Orym watched out for them. They headed to the heavily guarded entrance to one of the tunnels and pretended to be a group of Ruidians who had captured an escaped Exaltant, Fearne; Imogen's charisma, combined with the faun's performance and Orym's Bountiful Luck, allowed them to gain access. Once they were inside the tunnel they were attacked by three avadons; two were pushed inside the portable hole, and although Orym hurt the third, it attacked Fearne, and Braius shoved that monster inside the hole too. Shortly after they encountered myceits that became their guides after Orym gained their trust with fruits (that they used to paint their bodies instead of eating them). Eventually they located the structure of the Prime Pillar and the place where Ludinus was absorbing Liliana's power; they had a moment of preparation, during which Dorian summoned Coriolis for Orym to ride into battle; the halfling thanked him by kissing his cheek. He, Imogen, and Chetney led the charge; during the battle Orym stayed in the air with Coriolis, although moving across its body and wings and even clinging to reach his enemies from up there. At one point he made eye contact with Braius and was momentarily fascinated as the paladin hit one of their enemies to remove them from the psychic ritual that protected Ludinus. When one of the Exaltants distracted Coriolis using Hypnotic Pattern Orym jumped down and helped Ashton face another foe. Shortly after Dorian trapped Ludinus inside a Forcecage, ending the fight and saving Liliana, and as a precaution Orym mounted Coriolis again and prepared to defend her and Imogen in case anything else happened.[173]
The group talked to Ludinus for some minutes, and during the conversation he tried to inquire about Orym's motivations. The Ashari avoided answering, and declared that the wizard's evilness was predictable, similar to so many other figures in history, even if his actions had a greater scale; when Ludinus praised his honesty, Orym simply said "Go fuck yourself". Eventually the wizard got out of the Forcecage and they all raced towards the Hallowed Cage, with Orym immediately using one of Seedling's vines to take the staff from Ludinus. A new battle ensued, and the archmage unleashed a powerful Ravenous Void that pulled them all towards it; he also hit both Orym and Chetney with a Lightning Bolt, but despite the magical effects in the area the fighter managed to move using vines and his own Misty Step. Eventually they left Ludinus weak enough for Imogen to Stun him, and Orym wrapped him in vines before killing him with his sword; as he was dying, the wizard asked them to complete his mission, but the halfling simply watched his last moments. The group rested for a bit, using that chance to debate about what to do next;Orym initially proposed to collapse the cave, but after understanding the risks of someone coming again he decided to simply listen to his friends, not knowing what to do. When they noticed the corpse of their enemy had disappeared, they started suspecting he might be alive in a new body somewhere else, so they decided to go inside the Hallowed Cage themselves. There, they met the "shadow" of Predathos, in the vague luminous form of a reiloran child, asking them to wake them and free them so they could feed. They had a tense conversation during which Orym, who was moving at the same time Predathos did, asked why couldn't it return to its home, since people in Exandria feared its existence; the God Eater responded that it was willing to do so, but it had to feed first. Predathos kept approaching Imogen and Fearne, and Orym and Chetney tried to put themselves between them; however, the Ashari was slightly most cautious and didn't tried to interact with it (when the gnome did he was thrown against a wall). Shortly after that the Red End got inside Imogen to use her as a vessel.[174]
As their battle against the Red End started, Dorian inspired Orym, and he, after wiping away a tear, Misty Stepped to the shoulder of the entity's new body, touching its face and addressing Imogen, urging her to take control because he trusted her; shortly after Predathos tried to hit him, but it missed. The fighter, after drinking his Potion of Invulnerability, kept calling his friend while attacking the back of the monster's neck; after casting Hex, he continued doing so, hitting many times in just a few seconds. At one point Predathos used Telekinetic Vacuum to yank Orym in the air, but Laudna saw it and cast Feather Fall so that her friend would land safely; after that he kept attacking the enemy. When Laudna used the Mask of the Matron Bells Hells were pulled from combat for a few moments, speaking with the Raven Queen and telling her about Predathos and the potential solutions to deal with it; eventually it was suggested that the gods could hide in Exandria as mortal avatars to avoid Predathos, although in order to convince them of that the adventurers would have to contain the God Eater first to convince the pantheon. After receiving boons from the Matron of Ravens, the fight resumed, and with renewed power the adventurers kept attacking Predathos, with Orym sharing his Bountiful Luck with Braius to help him hit the target. Dorian destroyed its form with Chromatic Orb, but when they thought they were done, the Hallowed Cage started shaking, and the actual body of the Red End started emerging from the ground.[175] As the battle entered a new phase Orym, after being protected from an attack by Braius, jumped on the head of Predathos and stabbed it between the eyes, although when he saw crystals reforming to protect it, he reacted pessimistically (by shouting that they were "kind of fucked"); after that Predathos moved its head throwing the hafling in the air and swallowed him, but he immediately got out with Misty Step.
Fan art of Orym healing Dorian, by Crystel Astuhuaman.[art 49]
The fight continued, and Orym was concerned seeing his friends getting hurt but being unable to help them all; when Fearne was barely recovering after being knocked unconscious he went to her, gave her a potion, and stood in front of her protectively, and attacking from a distance with Seedling. When Dorian was knocked unconscious, the Ashari stopped concentrating on the Hex he had cast on Predathos, and instead used a vine to move the bard towards him, healing him with a potion as he told him that they needed him, just to be knocked unconscious himself by a claw. Dorian then cast Mass Cure Wounds to help everyone, waking Orym up. Eventually Imogen defeated the God Eater with a thunderous Meteor Swarm, and absorbed its remaining energy.
The Hallowed Cage started crumbling, so the adventurers fled with Liliana, trying to heal themselves at the same time; Orym used the restorative properties of Seedling, while cautiously watching the area in case Ludinus was still around somehow. They ended up being rescued by Planerider Ryn, who Teleported with them to the secret portal to Exandria; as they were preparing for the spell and the number of people it could transport Dorian agreed to go inside the portable hole for a few seconds (despite how filthy it was) because he could hold his breath indefinitely if necessary, and that intrigued Orym. In the tunnels they found a holy army ready to fight them, and Orym and Chetney immediately explained that the situation had changed and Predathos had been defeated, advicing them to turn around; there was some tension when an angel detected the presence of Predathos inside of Imogen, but after some divine assistance and some persuasion/intimidation they were allowed to pass. When they returned to Exandria, Orym asked Ryn to stay with them for a bit longer and she accepted; together they were escorted through a Transport via Plants spell and arrived to Vasselheim.[176] Shortly after Caleb contacted Orym via sending stone and the halfling told him that they were already in Exandria, asking him to come back with his group as soon as possible. With the help of the Matron of Ravens and her priestesses, Bells Hells were transported to an extraplanar space in which they had a meeting with the gods to explain their plans and the idea of them becoming mortals with the Rites of Catatheosis created by the goddess of death. During the conversation Orym reminded them that Predathos would get out of Imogen one way or the other and there would be people wanting to use it for nefarious purposes, so instead of waiting for that to happen and be dethrone, the gods should walk Exandria with their creations, in equilibrium, writing a new chapter of their stories instead of closing the book. The gods ended up agreeing, and the Matron used her ritual with Ashton's dunamantic head as a focus, which killed him. As he was falling Bells Hells moved in his direction trying to catch him, and Orym went with Fearne transformed in a shoebill, casting Gust to support her flight; the Ashari managed to grab the barbarian for a moment, enough for Chetney to use Banishment on him. When the body reappeared Caleb Widogast ended up using Telekinesis to catch Ashton, and although at first no one knew how to heal him (Orym wanted to use Seedling, but it didn't work on a dead person), the wizard resurrected him with Essek's help. Ashton leaned on the halfling, exhausted, and when they showed embarrasment for telling their friends that they loved them, Orym laughed and told them they couldn't take it back.
After Imogen released Predathos on Heaven's Stair Mountain and the entity left the planet, unable to find suitable prey, Bells Hells encountered Deanna Leimert and FRIDA, and learned that Opal was also around, and in control of her own actions again. When Orym finally saw the warlock near some guards he ran towards her (calling her "ma" and causing her to answer "Nancy", as it was their private joke) and told the soldiers she was with his group; the Crown Keepers then had a warm reunion. Bells Hells attended a meeting in the Platinum Sanctuary to talk about what to do with the Ruidians and helped convince people to be open about the idea of them visiting Exandria and Exandrians visiting Ruidus. Later, when Braius expressed his concern about Asmodeus finding him in the future, Orym and the rest showed him support (with the halfling suggesting that he should train just in case), receiving a portrait as a thanks. In the following days Orym met with Ryn and after guiding her to a garden, he suggested to pray together; although the wizard wasn't religious, she agreed, and with Seedling with them, they started: Orym talked to Melora, wondering if she had already been born and hoping they could walk together in the future; Ryn, on the other hand, talked about her many travels as a way to keep herself focused during the "prayer". As she was doing so the Ashari allowed his sword to restore the wizard's lost arm, Druidcrafting some vines to guide the regeneration, and when he was done and Ryn noticed, she thanked him and ruffled his hair with her new arm. After that Bells Hells, following Orym's suggestion, went on a trip to Jrusar to remember their origins and show FRIDA some of the places they visited with FCG (they even suggested trying to find the Coin of delving Orym lost there, since it belonged to the cleric); at one point during their week there Dorian and the fighter had a conversation on a gondola, admitting they had had too much stuff in their minds lately, and agreeing to explore their relationship one day at a time, since the bard was no longer certain about anything (after establishing that they kissed). They, along with Fearne and Opal, visited Zephrah together, reuniting with Dariax and Deni$e, and spending some time together. While Maeve started to organize a big family dinner following Orym's suggestion, he and the Crown Keepers visited the Voice of the Tempest. She hugged Orym, happy to see him, and when he told her he wanted to serve her as an emissary of sorts, since he liked the life on the road and wanted to keep it (calling it an Aramenté of his own), Keyleth agreed; she also expressed her approval about Orym and Dorian dating. They wished each other happiness and then they all drank together for a bit, and at Dorian's request, the Voice of the Tempest used her official stamp to declare that the Crown Keepers had completed their mission (since she was the one who originally sent them to Jrusar and contributed to the formation of Bells Hells).[177]
Retirement[]
Orym divided his time between his work in Zephrah, his relationship with Dorian, and his responsibilities in Ligament Manor with Fearne and Morri. He initially was willing to serve the Fatestitcher as promised, although hoping that the hag would be less severe with her granddaughter, Nana Morri surprised him by appearing with her lantern and telling him that the deal they had made had been stupid and unreliable (since she had no ability to guarantee anything on the Moon of Ill Omen) so he was free to come and go as he wished.[178]
Relationships[]
Fan art of Alma and her son, by Taylor Weltzer.[art 50]
Alma[]
Alma is Orym's mother, a midwife from Zephrah. She and her son love each other very much, and he considers her a very good mother,[179] describing himself as a "mama's boy". The fighter tries not to worry Alma despite having to expose himself to danger during his missions.
Will[]
Fan art of Will and Orym, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 51]
Will was Orym's half-elf husband. He was another of Keyleth's guards, and died in the attempt on her life. Orym's moon tattoos are in remembrance of Will, as the two moons represent the pair of them: "big moon, little moon". Will was the son of Derrig, Keyleth's guard in "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47).[180]
Orym considered the years previous to his wedding, with the whole process of falling in love with Will, as the most peaceful period of his life. After that they were a passionate couple that "defiled" all the hills in Zephrah.[181]
Keyleth[]
Fan art of Will and Orym, Keyleth and Vax, by BrittaJJ26.[art 52]
In Exandria Unlimited Prime, Orym alluded to having worked for Keyleth in Zephrah a long time ago;[182] he also says she had told him about the people of Emon and that she was exactly right about them.[183] He later said he was aware of Keyleth and her possession of a Vestige, and that made him conscious of the danger and unlikelihood of stumbling upon a Vestige himself.[184] Keyleth was the one who sent Orym, Fearne, and Dorian to Marquet.[185]
Keyleth feels bad for putting so much pressure on Orym's shoulder, but after so long, and given the fighter's many deeds under her service, she considers him a friend. They have both experienced the loss of their most dear loved one. In recognition of this, Keyleth reminded Orym that he was not alone and that the strength of his people will rally behind them. She urged him to find the strength to take the first step forward, and gave him the title "Savior Blade of the Tempest".[186] Although he is honored, the halfling actually feels pressured by the title, considering it too big for him.[187]
Although Orym was originally just one of many bodyguards, in recent times Keyleth has become very involved in the progress of both him and his group, being very proud of their successes, but also very fearful of the dangers they face.
Fearne Calloway[]
Fearne Calloway and Orym have contrasting personalities: she with a chaotic fey nature and he soberly making a conscious effort to do good and not screw people over. Despite Orym's worrying about the trouble Fearne will get herself and the party into, they are attentive to each other and get along well. Orym entrusted Fearne, along with Dorian, with knowledge of the attack on Zephrah, and both Fearne and Dorian accompanied Orym to Jrusar.[188]
After Dorian left Marquet, Fearne remained as Orym's closest friend. They both took care of each other, and when he was in danger, she prioritized his well-being. After Orym caused the death of Fearne's biological father he felt extremely remorseful, considering it a "very deep sin" that could potentially affect his friendship with the druid.[189]
Fan art of Orym missing Dorian, by Taylor Weltzer.[art 53]
Dorian Storm[]
Orym expressed alarm about Dorian holding onto the Circlet of Barbed Vision, which inadvertently hurt his feelings; Dorian was more concerned about ensuring that their party collectively kept stewardship of the evil artifact, rather than using the artifact for personal gain.[190] However, by the time of Campaign Three, Dorian considered Orym their small group's leader.[191] Orym supports Dorian in his musical endeavors[192] and entrusted both him and Fearne with knowledge of the attack on Zephrah.[193]
After Dorian left Marquet Orym kept talking to him through sending stones, reminding him how much he and Bells Hells missed the bard.
Fan art of Orym and Dorian's kiss, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 54]
During a team-building exercise about honesty Orym admitted that he still missed Dorian, and although sometimes he felt that was okay, sometimes he felt that it wasn't.[194] After losing FCG during their mission to Ruidus, Bells Hells returned to Marquet, and Orym, filled with grief, used his sending stone to contact Dorian, admitting how much he missed him and asking him to come to them.[195] Orym knows he has feelings for the bard, but is shy about it, and believes they are not reciprocated; moreover, since Dorian left the Ashari has kept in his head a happy version of him that he remembered fondly, and now he faces the actual man, much sadder and angrier.[196] Even with that contrast, the two of them still care about each other, and try to make the other happy. After some days traveling together, before a big mission Dorian went to see Orym, and they both admitted to have feelings for each other, with Dorian spending the night with Orym simply so he could hug him and give him comfort.[197] The following day they both agreed that if they survived their adventure they wanted to explore their potential relationship, and shared two kisses.[198] After their mission was over they explored their relationship calmly and became a couple.
Imogen Temult[]
Fan art of Orym hugging Imogen, by Elaine Tipping.[art 55]
Orym believes Imogen is intelligent, wise, well-meaning, and has the potential to be great, but is carrying a lot of baggage. He has seen her give in to her dark side and sees that she is powerful and coming into her own. Remembering Opal and Dorian's struggles with the corrupting influence of power, he hopes that he can act as a buffer against things that might cause her to tumble into darkness.[199] In more recent times he still maintains that idea, but he also has reluctantly warned Fearne about being prepared to stop Imogen, if necessary.
Although Orym still trusts and defends his friend, he isn't afraid of pressing her if he believes it will benefit their mission.[200] Despite that, he allows himself to show how pressure affects him in front of the sorcerer, even hugging her without a warning after getting good news (being able to communicate with their allies via Sending).[201]
Ashton Greymoore[]
Fan art of Ashton and Orym, by Cha Cha Rae.[art 56]
Orym and Ashton complement each other well in combat. Outside of battle, the barbarian has always expressed that Orym is the best of the group, to which other members of Bells Hells have agreed; however, Ashton has also spoken privately with Orym, expressing concern about the pressure their friend regularly faces, and the fighter has responded to that concern with affectionate gestures such as hugs; in fact, despite his general rejection of physical contact, Ashton has tolerated it on several occasions when it came from Orym, and the halfling has always tried to be careful whenever such contact occurred.
After Ashton almost died trying to absorb the power of Rau'shan, Orym kept his opinion about it to himself for an entire day, but when he finally spoke to the barbarian he was gentle and efficient with his words, reassuring them and even kissing their forehead.[202]
Character information[]
Fan art of Orym, by Joshua Esmeralda.[art 58]
Notable items[]
- Seedling, the Wayward Pilgrim.[203] A well-made shortsword[204] brought with him from Zephrah, a gift from Will.[205] The sword was enchanted by Seraatani in the Gloomed Jungles,[206] later being further enhanced to become the first known Relic of the Red Solstice.[207] (requires attunement)
- Sentinel Shield[208][209] given to him by Derrig[210] as a normal shield that was enchanted in Emon[211]
- Boots of Striding and Springing[212][213] (requires attunement)
- Two sending stones, one paired with one held by Dorian Storm[214], and the other by Caleb Widogast[215]
- Refined residuum stolen from the Nameless Ones[216]
- Dugger's dagger[217]
- Dugger's shortsword[218]
- Little burlap sack, contents unknown[219]
- Gold and silver pin shaped like an arced bow with four-pointed stars from Ela Lumas[220]
- Carpentry tools[221]
- A wooden box with a big and little moon engravings[222]
- Potion of Possibility, from a crate stolen from Paragon's Call[223]
- "Wanted" poster showing images of all of the Crown Keepers, given to him by Deni$e Bembachula[224]
- Cloak bearing the symbol of the Changebringer, taken as a memento after FCG's death[225]
- Zephyr Armor[226] (requires attunement)
- Shard of Ruidian glass taken from the core of the red moon[227]
- A portrait of him painted by Braius[228]
Former items[]
Fan art of Orym, by Ksenia Berndl.[art 59]
- Rope of Climbing,[229] used to restrain the Shade Mother and abandoned as the group fled[230]
- Horn of Silent Alarm, bought by Orym in Trove of Marwa;[231] given to Chetney Pock O'Pea the next day[232]
- Blue Chromatic Rose[233], expended during the Deathwish Run[234]
- Bead of Imprisonment, from Green Seeker Olly, unused against Emoth Kade;[235] expended unsuccessfully by Orym against Yu Suffiad[236]
- +1 shortsword, loaned by Vex'ahlia[237] and apparently returned to her[238]
- Locket portraying a little girl, taken from the corpse of a green dragonborn Ruby Vanguard exaltant[239], tossed on Bor'Dor Dog'Son's body with the words, "We're at war."[240]
- Spyglass[241] stolen from Cyrillia[242] and given to Fearne[243]
- Potion of Heroism[244], given to Fearne who consumed it before absorbing the shard of Rau'shan.[245]
- A Taste of Tal'Dorei toy sword, given to Elder Barthie[246]
- Message Bloom seed gifted to him by Thrascuur[247], used to receive a message from Keyleth that she would be coming to help the party in the battle to destroy the Malleus Key.[248] Orym kept the seed's fragments and after Deanna used it to Scry on Keyleth, she Mended them before returning it.[249] The seed was left by the side of the trail with a message using Magic Mouth so that Keyleth or other allies would know the party was traveling on to Kreviris[250]
- Ruidian glass shortsword[251], traded to The Invulnerable Vagrant for several items including the Zephyr Armor[252]
- Custom Zephran leather armor[253], presumably removed when the party purchased the Zephyr Armor
- Ishta, the Summit Blade[254], which Chetney put in the Bag of Holding after Laudna attempted to steal it to absorb for Delilah Briarwood.[255] It was later destroyed in the Quintessence Array to enhance Orym's abilities.[256]
- Ring of protection[257], absorbed by him using the Quintessence Array in order to gain two additional maximum hit points[258]
- Potion of speed, consumed[259]
- Potion of Invulnerability, given to him by Fearne,[260] consumed[261]
Abilities[]
Fan art of Orym's extremely perceptive eyes, by Taylor Weltzer.[art 60]
Orym's Passive Perception at level 9 was 31, and at level 13 rose to 33.[262][25]
After absorbing the power of Ishta Orym gained a new permanent ability to deal an additional 1d6 force damage each time he hits a prone enemy with a melee attack.[263]
Halfling abilities[]
- Brave
- Halfling Nimbleness
- Lucky
- Subrace: Stout[264]
- Stout Resilience
Ashari magic[]
Due to his background Orym has access to two nature-based cantrips:
Feats[]
Fan art of Orym's Hex, by TheFakeNerdGirl.[art 61]
- Observant[268]
- Skill Expert[269]
- Tough[270]
- Fey Touched[271]
- Bountiful Luck[274]
- Fighting Initiate (possibly)[275]
Proficiencies[]
- Skills: Athletics,[276] Acrobatics,[277] History,[278][279] Insight,[280] Intimidation,[281] Persuasion [282]
- Expertise: Perception[283]
- Tools: Carpenter's Tools[284]
Fighter abilities[]
- Fighting Style: Superior Technique[285]
- Bait and Switch[286]
- Second Wind[287]
- Action Surge (once per rest)
- Martial Archetype: Battle Master
- Combat Superiority
- Student of War
- Maneuvers
- Additional Maneuvers
- Additional Superiority Die
- Know Your Enemy (with 1 minute observation, learn information about a creature's stats vs. his own)
- Relentless
- Extra Attack (2x)
- Indomitable (2x per long rest)
Maneuvers[]
As an 13th-level Battle Master with the Superior Technique fighting style, Orym knows eight combat maneuvers and has six Superiority Dice,[288] five of which are d10s and one is a d6. He may replace one maneuver he knows with a different one whenever he learns a new maneuver[289] or when he gains an Ability Score Improvement,[290] so he may no longer know all of these maneuvers.
- Bait and Switch,[291] from Fighting Style
- Disarming Attack[292]
- Feinting Attack[293]
- Goading Attack[294]
- Pushing Attack[295]
- Riposte[296]
- Trip Attack[297]
- Zephran Heart[298], allows a dice roll to add to a saving throw
During Exandria Unlimited Prime, he temporarily learned two additional maneuvers through magical boons:[299][300]
Behind the scenes[]
In development since the end of Campaign One in 2017,[303][53] this character was originally built as a halfling druid/monk multiclass from Zephrah and was the widowed husband of Riegel, another member of the Ashari, sent by Keyleth's father Korrin "to be of aid to her in her grief".[304] Later, Liam created Derrig in the Dalen's Closet one-shot to set up Orym.[305] He also played a druid/monk called Oldwin Tarrintel in Stream of Annihilation: Tower of the Curator, using both the mechanical concept of the original character and the surname of Orym's biological father.
Orym became Liam's initial character concept for Campaign Three. He was brought into Exandria Unlimited Prime for further development.[306] He set out to create a character who was close to a normal person, one who did not start off tangled in challenges like fighting gods or fate, and wished to see where the character would go if he was "really centered and in a good place when he started".[53] Moreover, he wanted to explore the idea of a character with a loving and stable family, even if it wasn't perfect, compared to his previous characters with traumas related to their parental figures.[307]
The cast usually knows little about one another's characters before a campaign begins, but Orym is an exception. Because Orym is connected to Marisha Ray's Campaign One character Keyleth, she knows "pretty much everything" about Orym because Liam checked in with her while developing the character to avoid encroaching on any ideas she had about Keyleth.[53]
Though he had the option to choose another character for the campaign, Liam chose to continue playing Orym. Liam was offered the opportunity to reroll Orym's stats under the same rules as other characters in Campaign Three and prior campaigns—using the rolled method in the Player's Handbook with a homebrewed rule that if the sum of the scores was less than 70, they could reroll the scores—but chose to keep his Exandria Unlimited Prime stats.[306] Even before Campaign Three started, Liam played games and watched movies with swordfighting to take inspiration for his own character's moves and style.[308]
Appearances and mentions[]
- Exandria Unlimited Prime, every episode
- Campaign Three, every episode except:
- Absent in "Far From The Others" (3x52), "Ripples" (3x53), "Treacherous Toys" (3x54), "Hope Within History" (3x55), "By Goat or By Boat" (3x56), "The Sorrow of Molaesmyr" (3x57), and "Escape From The Past" (3x58), "Downfall: Part One" (3x99), "Downfall: Part Two" (3x100), "Downfall: Part Three" (3x101), "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113), "Fight for the Bloody Bridge" (3x114), "The Weave Mind" (3x116)
- "Fractures" (3x78) [DM]
- Specials
Quotations[]
- "I know that you are wrong. I know that there's more in this world. I know that temptation and corruption and imperfection is rampant in this world, but that's not all there is."[309]
- "I am not becoming a criminal. I am babysitting."[310]
- (about Will) "You know what, though? The time we had was real good, and I'm not going to lie, I mean, most nights, I miss him, but the time we had was real good."[311]
- (explaining his tattoo) "[Will] was... half-elven, and big moon, little moon."[312]
- "Power is power. What you do with it is up to you."[313]
- FCG: You know you want to protect your Voice of the Tempest. You have that mission.
Orym: Yes.
FCG: And you want to do right by the name of your husband and his father.
Orym: That is my prime directive, yeah.
FCG: Is that enough for you?
Orym: For right now it is.
FCG: What happens if you succeed?
Orym: Well, that's the question mark. I don't know what comes next.[314] - (after Bor'Dor's death) "We're at war."[315]
- "Little things sometimes get overlooked."[316]
- FCG: What's the happy ending for you?
Orym: Tomorrow. That there be a tomorrow. And spending time with you. All of you. I'm so grateful to have you in my life now, in this moment, when everything's going to shit. Do I wish I had my husband back? Yeah, every day. Every day. But he'd want me to live and he'd want me to fight. Not for my city, but for all cities.[317] - "For the longest time I walked under the moons. Now I think it's time to spend some time in the sun. Under the clear blue sky."[318]
Trivia[]
- His name could be a variation of the Hebrew Oren, meaning "pine tree". Pine is one of the scents Chetney Pock O'Pea associates with Orym.[319]
- Orym is considered Neutral Good, although this was a spur of the moment addition from Liam.[320]
- Orym has the record of the highest Passive Perception in any campaign of Critical Role with a 33.
- After Bells Hells met his mother Alma and tried her carrot bran muffins, Orym joked that they caused his amazing Perception since carrots are commonly but falsely believed to improve vision.[321]
- According to the official character lineup, Orym is the smallest member of the group.
Fan art of Orym's coat of arms, by @MiddiMidori.[art 63]
- On an episode of 4-Sided Dive, Liam O'Brien described an imaginary coat of arms for Orym: a sword flanked by two moons.[322]
- Orym is the second main character in any campaign who was a widow when he was introduced, the first one being Yasha Nydoorin.
- He is the second member of the Air Ashari played by Liam, following Derrig, who is also a Battle Master Fighter. Orym is also the third of Liam's characters to have a connection to Keyleth, following Vax'ildan and Derrig. He and Vax also share one aspect of their childhood, since both were raised mainly by their mothers in the absence of a neglectful father.
- Liam is the player with the most characters who are members of the Air Ashari, surpassing Marisha, their creator, by one.
- He shares his fighter subclass with his father-in-law, Derrig. Also, they both have full sleeve tattoos.[323]
- Orym's official playlist referenced his late husband before the reveal in "Heart-to-Heartmoor" (3x17). "My Lover" by Birtalker was captioned "Not a day goes by...". "Les Coeurs Jumeaux" (The Twin Hearts) by Concrete Blonde features lyrics about missing a loved one and wishing to see them again. The song was simply captioned "Ink", linking the song's sun and moon themes to Orym's tattoo of the two moons of Exandria.
- Liam's dice for Orym include a large white d20 representing Catha, the big moon, and a small red d20 representing Ruidus, the little moon.[324][325]
- The animation on his Campaign Three stat card features falling cherry blossom petals, a nod to his hometown of Zephrah and its cherry trees.[326]
- Orym's martial movements, almost balletic in nature, are called the Zeph'aeratam.[327] His former Zephran brothers and sisters in arms are called the Tempest Blades.[328]
- Liam created the lore behind the Tempest Blades after he asked Marisha Ray about the military tradition of the Air Ashari and she encouraged him to develop the idea himself.[329]
- Orym considers he has good parents.[330] Since his biological father surnamed Tarrintel left the family very early, Orym consistently refers to his father-in-law Derrig as his father.
- After the deaths of Will and Derrig, Orym's sister-in-law Leeta took Derrig's position as Keyleth's bodyguard.[331]
- In an interview, Liam hinted that Orym and Derrig's family in Zephrah could be larger than what was mentioned in the stream.[332]
- The reason behind Orym's spellcasting seems to be a flavored adaptation of the abilities granted by the Ashari background,[333] that allows the people of Zephrah to create gentle puffs of wind and, in some cases (one in ten people, roughly), grants them the ability to cast Gust of Wind.[334][335]
- When Prism Grimpoppy noticed Orym's connection to nature he commented that his own mother had some affinity with it,[336] suggesting that she has some notions of druidic magic like many other Ashari. A possible explanation is that his mother is a descendant of the halflings of the Lotusden Greenwood, known for their nature-based magic. That subrace was believed to be Orym's for a while before he was confirmed to be a stout halfling.
- The "big moon little moon" relational analogy that represents Orym's late husband and him also occurred with another of Liam's characters, Caleb Widogast, in "Refjorged" (2x76) of Campaign Two: The Mighty Nein. Caleb explains that Beauregard Lionett "is like the big moon and I am like the small moon behind the big moon" when carrying on a ruse that Beauregard specializes in lunar research for the Cobalt Soul at the Vellum Steeple.[337]
- After he was widowed, one of Orym's most peaceful and relaxing moments was his visit to Byroden with the Crown Keepers, enjoying the local festival and its pies.[338]
Fan art of Orym's childhood, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 64]
- His home back in Zephrah is a halfling-sized cottagecore in the side of a cliff, with many pots with flowers and a sign with a painting of a swaddled baby.[339]
- Orym is the only of Liam's main characters with a living mother and a happy childhood.[340]
- Four of Orym's childhood wooden toys (including an eagle with jointed wings, two adventurer-like figures, and a pegasus)[341] were made by Chetney long before they met.[342] Orym's favorite toy was actually one of the wooden adventurers, the swordsman.[343]
- Anjali Bhimani felt that Orym would be the best character from Exandria Unlimited Prime to have as a roommate because he is "quiet, respectful, honest, accommodating, and [...] doesn’t take up a lot of space" and that "if someone broke in late at night, little murder man would SO be on the case before I even woke up".[344]
- Liam revealed that his backup character for Orym is a dwarven artificer astronaut member of the Grim Verity, with a combination of spell and magical armor that works essentially as a space suit.[345]
- Orym holds the record with the most How do you want to do this? in Campaign Three so far with 19 total.
- Orym, like many other Ashari, isn't actively religious despite having multiple interactions with gods through his adventures. He personally sees the deities as part of a massive ecosystem in which they have a role to play, and if they disappeared, it would cause more harm than good.[346]
- When asked about the broken deal between Morrigan and Orym, Matt explained that she was always willing to grant boons as payment for Fearne's safety, and when Orym offered his servitude in exchange for the safety of all members of Bells Hells on Ruidus, the hag played along in case she got the chance to collect, even though she had no way to guarantee that.[347]
Art gallery[]
For more images, see Category:Images of Orym.
![Fan art of Orym, by Cael Lyons.[art 65]](/wiki/File:Orym_-_Cael_Lyons.jpg "Orym - Cael Lyons.jpg (479 KB)")
![Fan art of Orym, by Jordan Black.[art 66]](/wiki/File:Orym_-_Jordan_Black.jpg "Orym - Jordan Black.jpg (449 KB)")
External links[]
- Exandria Unlimited Playlist: Orym (August 4, 2021)
- Bells Hells Playlist: Orym (April 28, 2022)
Notes[]
References[]
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Art:
- ↑ Official art of Orym, 2024 update, by Hannah Friederichs (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official art of Orym, 2023 update, by Hannah Friederichs (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official Portrait of Orym in Campaign 3, by Hannah Friederichs (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official Portrait of Orym in Exandria Unlimited Prime, by Hannah Friederichs from "The Nameless Ones" (E1x01). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official full-body portrait of Orym in Exandria Unlimited Prime, by Hannah Friederichs (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official full-body portrait of Orym in Campaign Three, by Hannah Friederichs (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official art of Orym, 2023 update, by Hannah Friederichs (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official art of Orym, 2024 update, by Hannah Friederichs (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym playing with chickens as a baby, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym's family, by Taylor Weltzer (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of the attack on the Voice of the Tempest, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym leaving Zephrah, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym, by Matthew Wawn (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym in the warehouse, by Iida Onni (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym with the blue flower, by Maddy Marshall (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of the standoff with Yu, by Lap Pun Cheung (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Will and Orym, by Toby Sharp (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym guarding Keyleth in Derrig's footsteps, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym and Ashton, by Maddy Marshall (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym gaining Seedling, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym's message to Dorian, by LYuenger (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Orym vs Otohan, by Kamille Areopagita and Kevin Areopagita from "A Gathering of Heroes" (3x76). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of the Demithore Valley, by @MiddiMidori (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym giving Laudna flowers, by Maddy Marshall (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym and the spirits, by Maddy Marshall (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym declaring war, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Prism's farewell attempt, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Prism casting Enlarge on Orym, by ElesirArt (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Leeta, Maeve and Orym, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Alma hugging her son (and the artist's reaction), by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym and FCG in the Iridon Bastion, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym in the balcony, by Cha Cha Rae (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym talking to Will, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym and Fearne in front of Will's sword, by Pyromeekorai (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym giving Ashton a "gift", by Cha Cha Rae (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym vs the Reilora, by @MiddiMidori (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym's challenge, by Jake Wennik (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym casting Hex, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym Druidcrafting fruit, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym with Ishta, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym Sending to Dorian, by Melissa Hahn (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym greeting Dorian, by noxarcanaart (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym accepting Ishta, by Cris Trinci (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Laudna studying Ishta while Orym sleeps, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Dorian carrying Orym, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym and Will's brief chat, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Dorian comforting Orym, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Dorian with Orym, by Odd (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym healing Dorian, by Crystel Astuhuaman (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Alma and her son, by Taylor Weltzer (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Will and Orym, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Will and Orym, Keyleth and Vax, by BrittaJJ26 (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym missing Dorian, by Taylor Weltzer (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym and Dorian's kiss, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym hugging Imogen, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Ashton and Orym, by Cha Cha Rae (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym, by Clara (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym, by Joshua Esmeralda (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym, by Ksenia Berndl (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym's extremely perceptive eyes, by Taylor Weltzer (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym's Hex, by TheFakeNerdGirl (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym, the Savior Blade, by Odd (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym's coat of arms, by @MiddiMidori (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym's childhood, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym, by Cael Lyons (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Orym, by Jordan Black (source). Used with permission.
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