"4-Sided Dive: The Tower" (4SDx29) is the twenty-ninth episode of 4-Sided Dive, discussing episodes of the third campaign up through "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) with guests Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Marisha Ray, and Sam Riegel.
Synopsis[]
Taliesin Jaffe is the 29th Tavern Keeper for the night.
What the Fuck is up with That?[]
- The Matron of Ravens. The battle map was so cool. Sam found cool the fact that Braius Doomseed is with Bells Hells since four days now and talked to two gods.
- Laura says that Braius took the mask of the Raven Queen when it was clearly made for Laudna. Marisha asks if she can have it back, Sam says she can certainly try. Braius wants to pray on it because they don't know what it can do.
- Braius also makes a collection of gods.
- While they were fighting in the Marton's challenge, Sam texted Aimee Carrero to say they were fighting Opal. She asked if she was going to die but Sam said that Opal is probably not the real one. However, Vox Machina saw the real Opal later in "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113). The cast says she's probably fully bad now. Taliesin talked to Aimee about it and she was delighted that she gets to be a baddie now.
- Taliesin understood why but was still a little sad that Laura wasn't the Matron. Laura says that she already knew what the Matron said to them because it's what she discussed with Matthew Mercer. But Matt told that she can't be the Matron in this case because the things that she was going to reveal, Laura couldn't know them as Imogen Temult. It would've ruined the player experience.
- It was easier to bring Abubakar Salim to play The Arch Heart again because there's has been no previous portrayal of him in the campaigns. Everyone wonders why nobody chose the Arch Heart as their god in the campaigns, he's very cool.
- Talking in the Platinum Sanctuary. Marisha was convinced something bad was going to happen while everyone was assembled in the same room, but it didn't.
- Marisha also had to do a Keyleth speech later in front of everyone. She didn't prep it before the game, but while they were playing, she wrote some phrases two minutes before the speech. The cast loved it. Marisha took inspiration from Sam as Loquatius Seelie in Exandria Unlimited: Calamity.
- Ashton Greymoore has been waiting for an authority figure to yell at this entire game and it happened twice. Everyone loved it. It's the classic barbarian move when he got an opinion and the rest of the party tells him "please, don't". Taliesin was so happy that everyone was horrified when Ashton spoke. Marisha remembers that happening all the time with Beauregard Lionett.
- Everyone loved seeing almost all of Matt's NPC and the players's old PC in one place.
- The Nein Hells. Marisha was terrified of it but thinks it was of their best episodes. Laura had the most fun she ever had. Dani Carr even stopped taking notes because it was too much to keep track of.
- Braius and Caduceus Clay was an awesome moment. Taliesin was really impatient to have that conversation with Braius. Laura and Marisha really missed Caduceus. He brings an energy and a wisdom that nobody else has. Taliesin says it's hard to play him, plus hopping between Ashton, who's an idiot and a narcissist and Caduceus was harder.
- Braius and Jester Lavorre. Laura reminds Sam Riegel that both Jester and Nott the Brave were in disguise when they desecrate the Platinum House. Something that Sam forgot while playing as Braius when he told the story of a blue tiefling and a goblin have ruined his life. Thus, it's technically not possible that Braius remembers Jester in her true form. Sam suggests that Braius followed Jester and Nott afterwards when they took off the disguise, so that's how he knew how they truly looked like. Also, Jester left pamphlets everywhere so she was easily trackable.
- Dani says that in the The Chronicles of Exandria - The Mighty Nein there's a running joke that the Mighty Nein were really easy to track because of Jester.
- Sam fully intended to attack Jester. To the point of texting Matt before the game saying that he should prepare to have Braius attacking Jester at some point. Marisha says that all of Mighty Nein would've immediatly jumped to defend Jester. But none of Bells Hells would've jumped to join Braius though.
- Everyone agrees that it's hard to not like Jester. She's immediatly disarming. There's a reason why everyone had a crush on Jester.
- Sam tries so hard to be a bad guy. But everyone around are all likable. Taliesin says playing evil in a campaign is really hard. Braius is doing noble things for the most part.
- Per Taliesin, the Mighty Nein were the closest to they've ever played to an evil campaign. There's a world where all of the characters turned into villains, except Caduceus. The Mighty Nein were three bad days away to go full evil. Jester was close to become the Joker and Beau was on the edge of Judge Dredd at that point. Dani argues that Vox Machina could've have gone a very selfish path, not necessarily evil, before Keyleth and the ember roc.
- Everyone was Nicolas Cage for their Halloween episode! Every Halloween lands on the one episode that it shouldn't. Laura didn't want to be Nic Cage while playing Vex'ahlia.
- At first they wanted to be DC villains but they didn't want to do comics again. Then they thought about classic monsters but there's no classic female monster except for Bride of Frankestein. Then Laura proposed 90s movies characters but Sam said it was a too broad of a category. Then after Laura recommend as a joke they should do Nic Cage in different role and everybody liked it except Laura.
- Orym and Dorian Storm. They cuddled together for the night, it was a very beautiful moment. Sam cannot help but think they hold themselves in a very sexual way.
- Thanks to Jester and a bit of Yasha Nydoorin, Ashton and Fearne Calloway finally hooked up. Although she immediately kicked him out after.
- The cast forgot that Liam O'Brien said that Bells Hells were going to sleep in the same room together. Although Caleb Widogast could've totally made Bells Hells seperate rooms in his on demand tower. Ashley Johnson and Taliesin decided that Ashton and Fearne stole one of the Mighty Nein's bedrooms to do what they had to do.
- The cast are Vox Machina again after so long! It was fun and exciting. Sam had a blast watching them playing while he was waiting outside of the set. It was so easy to jumped back because of The Legend of Vox Machina but still, everyone was on point. It was cozy going back to them for the cast.
- Sam haven't seen the new arts of the other members yet. Laura says that Ashley kind of forgot that Pike Trickfoot is a gnome because she made her old in the art, Pike is still pretty young. Laura shows Vex's art and Marisha Keyleth's. Marisha also points out that Keyleth have some raven elements on her outift. There's also a represention of the last moment of Fall right before Winter comes and that first frost.
- Vox Machina's mental state as they're still in battle. Per Marisha, half of the group is there to the sole objective of recuing Vax'ildan. The other half, mainly Keyleth, is thinking there's other things going on too. Pike is the chosen of the Everlight, Vex is the chosen of the Dawnfather, Scanlan Shorthalt has still the blessing of the the Knowing Mistress but he's more focused on being back with the group and impressing Pike.
- Vox Machina are the "OG's", they better succeed or else what are they even doing? What if Vox Machina does a TPK? Taliesin is into it but not Laura because Percival de Rolo and Vex have kids. Taliesin says that Percy is country and family anyway.
- Amongst his five children, Gwendolyn de Rolo is Percy's favorite. He loves them all, but he feels like she needs special care because she's a mess. It is a chance that Percy takes the things he doesn't like about himself and mold a kid who's clearly got some of his bad traits and make it into something that he's proud of. She's his vanity project.
- Vex likes all of her children equally. Vesper Elaina de Rolo is the one who Vex relies on the most and maybe Vax'ildan de Rolo is the one that she's the most attached to.
- Sam feels like Vex, percy, Scanlan, and Pike to some extent have changed. But Grog Strongjaw is the same, but why would he change? Keyleth is more matured but hasn't really moved on, she's stuck. Marisha agrees completely.
- The fact that Vax sends ravens to Keyleth doesn't help at all. She's not able to move on. Marisha thinks that Keyleth wanted to go on dates at some point but wasn't really able to do so beacause of Vax.
- Marisha haven't had any conversations with Liam nor Matt about either Vax coming back like before or him gone forever.
Tower of Inquiry[]
- Laura knocked over the Tower at the first pull! (See the Trivia section for Laura's consequence)
- Do you have a favorite moment that was briefly or not at all mentioned in the original stream but it was expanded upon in TLoVM series?
- Vox Machina meeting Percy in jail, Percy and Vex's first night together, Grog's backstory with Pike and Wilhand Trickfoot, Kaylie and Scanlan.
- What would be your character's go to midnight snack?
- For Braius it would be a black and white cookie. Scanlan would eat some ass. For Percy it would be whatever the cook would be willing to make after he wakes him up. Donuts with icing and sprinkle for Jester. For Beau it would be a oatmeal with protein powder. Caduceus would like intricate things but not too sweet. Keyleth would grab a hunk of cheese and a glass of wine.
- You are all impressive actors. But when was a time the crew did something that caught you off guard with its amazing/impressive execution?
- Every Halloween the crew also dressed up with their own theme and this year it was gay cowboys. When they hid the spooky Santa Claus in the grid above the set. Sam is always amazed by the crew when they have to prepare to do an ad bit. Coming out as cats or in Among Us costumes. The producers are not afraid to yell at the cast, Ashley Middlebrook is the loudest yeller. Kirby Winslow is an amazing singer.
The Deep Dive[]
- Laura: Imogen chose to contact her father for a goodbye. What did she think of this response and lack of a returned 'I love you'? She wasn't expecting to hear it. She didn't contact him because she was hoping to get anything from him, it was more like giving something unlike Liliana Temult when she left without a word.
- Marisha: How does Beau feel about teaming up with Bells Hells? Did their work in the Hellcatch Valley last time not impress her? Beau hates everything. She was more focus on Caleb when they were in the Hellcatch, so she didn't really pay attention, also, Matt was puppetting her. She's very skeptical about Bells Hells, but she always is in general. It takes a lot to impress Beau.
- Sam: How much did you and Ashley work together to plan Pike & Scanlan's tumultuous romance? Does Scanlan still a torch for her? For sure, he does. Ashley and Sam didn't work together that much, before they start playing, Ashley wanted to confirmed with Sam that they were divorced. Then Ashley improvised them being divorced three times. Part of the reason why he was on his quarter life crisis was because he didn't know what to do after that.
- Taliesin: Did Ashton find Jester's relationship advice helpful? Why did he seek advice on Fearne this time? Yes, he did find it helpful. Ashton has still guilt in him and also, they don't hit on people normally. Ashton is not the initiator. They never pined for someone before and they're not really pining on Fearne either. Ashton is attracted to Fearne because she's a mirror of their own recklessness, meeting somebody who's just as irresponsible as them is very rare. She hits him in the best of the worst of him.
- Laura: What does Jester thinks of Braius' assertion that she ruined his life? Does it make her look back on her other moments of mischief with any concern? She does feel bad about what she did, especially on somebody else. She's sorry that his life changed, but it's definitely not ruined. She thinks it will all turn out better than it was.
- Marisha: What did Keyleth choose to reach out to Cerkonos out of everyone in Vasselheim? What is their relattionship like, as fellow learders of the Ashari? Who else could it be honestly? Keyleth would certainly not go and ask Lieve'tel Toluse for obvious reasons, Marisha even told Liam about that beforehand. Keyleth just thought about someone who's not overencumbered with eveything else, and also, isn't going to leave a lot behind if they have to die. Basically searching for loners.
- Sam: We know what Veth Brenatto thinks of Braius, but what does Braius think of Veth? Would smash. Braius is very lonely, that's why he wants to be with everybody. He thinks Veth is interesting and weird, and if he wasn't so focused on Jester that day he probably would've had responded to Veth's flirtations. But Sam is glad they didn't, that would've been bad for her. Veth is horny but loves her husband.
- Taliesin: What are Caduceus' thoughts on the situation with the gods? Has he noticed Seedling being blessed by the Wildmother? He has noticed Seedling and feels it's going to be a conversation for later. Caduceus is pro-god, he's even a two god priests because the Blooming Grove was a gift from the Arch Heart to the Wildemother. Caduceus is prepared for any eventuality, it will come a point where his real feelings on it are kind of put together. He knows that if things go badly that will not be the end, there's a world where his feelings and his philosophy will not change if the Wildmother left.
- Laura: What did Imogen think of Caleb's speech to her in the top of the tower? Imogen thinks that Caleb is probably as powerful as Ludinus Da'leth. So the fact that he was giving her encouraging words was pretty special. It was nice to have an outsider saying that, it hits differently when you receive compliments from someone you don't know.
- Marisha: What does Laudna think of the Matron's assertion that 'anything is possible' in regards to her becoming human again? Is this something Laudna wants? There's the fear of the unknown that if Laudna becomes human again, does she age rapidly to be suddenly 50? Or she will she reclaim lost years? Laudna is not against becoming human again, but Marisha doesn't want to become a Death Becomes Her situation.
- Sam: Is Scanlan committing to full-time centaur life? Does he plan to write his version of On the Road? Yes and yes.
- Taliesin: Talk about your new designs for the Mighty Nein and Vox Machina. What are the key elements you keep in mind when updating your character's art? For Percy, Taliesin wanted to keep him hot, to wear his paranoia on his face, and letting him lean into his spy side. His costume is very harsh, dark and with the roots of the Sun Tree on it. Vex is the contrast of him.
Producer and game designer Kyle Shire enters the set to say that Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past is out and Aabria Iyengar, Aimee Carrero, Laura, and Taliesin will play it November 20th at 7:00 PM Pacific on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon.
Quotations[]
Trivia[]
The opening where Taliesin Jaffe draws Tarot cards to the cast was not shot after the actual episode. The fact that Laura Bailey first got The Tower card before throwing it away then Laura knocking off the Tower of Inquiry later in the episode was purely coincidental.[1]
References[]
- ↑ See Producer Kyle Shire's post on Bluesky
Art: