"4-Sided Dive: Way of the Swordguy" (4SDx28) is the twenty-eighth episode of 4-Sided Dive, discussing episodes of the third campaign up through "A Test of Fate" (3x109) with guests Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O'Brien, and Robbie Daymond.
Synopsis[]
In a very awkward and silent intro, Robbie Daymond is the 28th Tavern Keeper for tonight's episode.
What the Fuck is up with That?[]
- Halloween episode with costumes! Robbie is a liberal arts major who just got back from a semester in Italy. Liam is an Apple Watch. Ashley is a "Bee Movie", not Jerry Seinfeld. Matt is the Sword Guy.
- Fey fighting with Fearne Calloway's fam. They had a plan, but that didn't turn too well. They also had to play with the mind of people, but they needed to get the job done, the fate of the world is at stakes.
- Matt also rolled so well, maybe his best, during that moment.
- Ashley says that a lot of stuff that happened didn't felt good. Liam thinks about taking out Athion Zathuda was soul crushing. and also The Arch Heart giving a totally different answer that The Wildmother did earlier. Ashley still don't know what to do.
- Nana Morri and Braius Doomseed. That was unexpected, or was it? Liam says that when Sam Riegel sees a challenge he likes to tackle it. It wasn't that surprising for Liam but it was delightful, he also wants to know how things worked with the two faces. Matt started to think about it but backed away because he has a far too vivid imagination.
- Zathuda and his recent makeover. Ashley thought is was so cool and dark. When Matt wrote the breakdown of Ligament Manor, he never went further than just it's where she kept her loom until they got there. Matt just went on the fly.
- Robbie asks Matt if he explored enough darker elements such as cosmic and body horror like he wanted at the beginning of the campaign. For Matt the cosmic body horror stuff got ou in Campaign Two's crescendo. Campaign Three is more cosmic horror in the sense of grandiose scale of cosmic horror entities, beyond the comprehension of the modern mortal mind. The gods and the cosmology beyond.
- Liam asks if Gloamglut was about to blast off after he scooped up Zathuda. Matt says yes, it was grabbing him up and flee with him. Live another day and come back at another point.
- Liam says that everything they've done in the last couple of episodes made Orym feel bad, sad, and awful. He was hyperfocused on Keyleth, the Ashari and the other allies making a big plan to do an assault. He just can't let that second army from the Unseelie Court come into play and reinforce the Ruby Vanguard. The mission was to stop anyone from leaving the meeting, but they accomplished it at cost.
- Matt says it's also part of the growing themes in this campaign. When it isn't such a good versus evil, easy division. They're many different interets vying for kind of similar outcomes, and the characters themselves being put in the position to have to make those choices, how challenging it can be to come to a consensus. Let alone to justify how much violence for the sake of the choice they've made or the protection of their friends.
- When Zathuda died and brought back to Nana's place, Ashley/Fearne had to make the decision of what to do with him. It was very hard for Ashley because the player brain and character brain melted together. Ashley though that Matt had a bigger plan for Fearne's dad and didn't really cut through a narrative yet that she didn't know if there's more to it. Liam said that they rode that line for years.
- Gloamglut is a good boy. Ashley loved Matt's little noises when he played him. It felt weird for Ashley to try to keep him, maybe they'll regret it in the future to not have something that powerful with them. But Gloamglut is the type of creature that you're not supposed to have, let him be free.
- Robbie thinks that was such an on brand thing to do for Fearne. He recalls a moment in Exandria Unlimited Prime when they found a young Ankheg in a cage and Fearne instincts was to let him free and make him her pet even though he was trying to murder everyone.
- Abubakar Salim and the Arch Heart. Him and Matt had conversations after Downfall about the cosmology of Exandria and where he would be today. So Matt filled him up on what's happening in the campaign and Abu was asking questions about how the Arch Heart would react. Instead of Matt answering with his own vision, he asked Abu about how the Arch Heart would feel with these events. That changed Matt's perspective with some of the gods currently, it opened up even more from what he had initially thought of. Matt then Asked Abu if he would be down to come if ever Bells Hells commune with the Arch Heart, he was immediatly down. Then Matt talked with producer Kyle Shire, who was also down for it, to secretly plan Abu to come.
- Dorian Storm was not a fan of the Arch Heart, to contrast with Robbie who loved Abu's performance and ability with improvisation. Dorian really challenged the logic of the god's perspective because he knows why he doesn't believe what he's saying.
- Matt has multiple different paths in mind that Exandria's future lies and no matter what happens, this will be the end of an age regardless. Even returning to the cycle to what it was and lock it all down is a possibility, but something is going to shift irrevocably.
- Bells Hells were offered a plan about what they can do. Orym is very adamant about it because no one, not even the gods, can give him assurances that Predathos is only here for the deities. The Arch Heart gave them the plan, but other gods and entities have opposing speeches about what to do. For Orym, The Wildmother's vision and making Seedling a Relic of the Red Solstice was to fight and prevent Predathos to be unleashed again.
- Robbie asks Ashley how does Fearne reacts to all of this, being a Ruidusborn like Imogen Temult to maybe control Predathos. Fearne is thinking that the two of them can take it to control Predathos but the different opposing conversations between the gods don't help to cement that decision once and for all. Dani Carr reminds that the Arch Heart told them it would require a sacrifice to do that. Ashley didn't remember that, but she thinks that everybody in the party is willing to make the sacrifice if it is for the betterment of the world.
- Dani asks the same question for Robbie/Dorian. Robbie says that everybody missed the part when Dorian said if this is what they decide to do, it's a deal he'd be willing to make. He would never make that choice for anybody else in the party. Dorian has never done anything for the greater good outside of protecting his friends, his asked Imogen and Laudna is they would be okay to sacrifice someone they love and they both said yes, but they're lovers so they get the chance to say that. But they will find out in the moment, there's no way of predicting.
- Another god in the collection, The Matron of Ravens. They got a lot more than they thought they're going to get from her, that speaks to how extreme the situation is and how pressed the gods are. Matt says there was a shift when Laudna showed an image of Emhira. The blood pool was so cool, little throwback to Campaign One and Vax'ildan.
- Matt talks about chosing the three fighters of the Matron. He had a long list of what could be interesting of throwing in that moment. Vespin Chloras represented the first true folly in the path that the Matron carved into history, her ascension being saw as the pinnacle by mages in the Age of Arcanum. It was a reminder of where it all started.
- Liliana Temult and Opal were there because they are lingering unknowns on where they sit on the chessboard, they are deeply tied to eeach of Bells Hells perspectives, and whether or not Bells Hells had the wherewithal to realize that it's not truly them, and even with that, would they be able to do what needs to be done to ensure the choices that need to be made are made? It wasn't the kindest of trial, but it's the Matron, she's known for that.
- The Matron and her predecessor were lovers. For all this time the common knowledge was that she did it all for power and ambition, but in fact she did it for love. Matt still say that she was a very ambitious woman regardless. Matt was also very excited to find a moment in the story to touch on that subject, there's a lot he's looking forward to talk about post-campaign or exploring in an another story.
Tower of Inquiry[]
- What is the biggest surprise the DM has thrown at you that was tied to your backstory? For DMs, what was the biggest PC backstory swing/curveball?
- For Robbie it was bringing Cyrus Wyvernwind into the story, he had no idea how it was going to be. For Liam it was Derrig and Will dying by protecting Keyleth from an attack and was revealed to be part of Ludinus Da'leth's big plan, also, bringing down Vax. For Ashley it was the introduction of Nana Morri and Zathuda being Fearne's biological father.
- Animals often have unique names when they gather in a group; such as herd of cattle, a swarm of bees, or a murder of crows. If there was a large gathering of only your character, what would it be called? For example: a group of Vaxes could probably be called "a brood".
- Ashley says "a feather of Fearnes" or "a fancy of Fearnes". Matt says "a spectacular of Gilmores". Robbie says "a deluge of Dorians". Liam says "an Orym pie".
- What kind of cryptid or creature from folklore would any of your campaign characters be a believer of if they were from our world?
- Fearne would really like the Loch Ness and Skogsrå, a Swedish folk creature. Ira Wendagoth would be a snob about cryptozoology and would find the Flatwoods monster. Orym would raise jackalopes. Dorian would be into Mothman.
The Deep Dive[]
- Ashley: How does Fearne feel closing the door on the life she could have had with her father Zathuda? What is her feeling towards all her various parents? Fearne is really wrestling with how to process and how she should feel about her father. For Fearne having him there as a picture and knowing she can go back and talk with him feels the best thing that could have happened. As for Oleander Calloway and Birdie Calloway, Fearne doesn't have any hatred towards them.
- Matt: Tell us about your inspiration for the Matron's backstory. How did it feel to finally reveal her true connection to the original god of death? Matt was wondering if it was ever going to come out. Excited to talk about it. Parts of it were a collaboration with Laura Bailey. Matt had a structure for it and when talking about the Matron for Downfall Laura had some ideas to add to it.
- Liam: What did Orym think about being tested by the Matron after his experiences with the Wildmother and the Arch Heart? Orym's state of mind is he feels like he's eaten a lot of grief the last few days and in typical Orym fashion has just eaten it, walking forward and not complaining. He doesn't know who to believe and if they're to be believed. Orym is not a lover of the pantheon but they're part of this world. These events reinforced to Orym the fact that yes, they're extremely powerful, but they're just as scattered as Bells Hells, in dissaray with opposing opinions. Orym just has more questions and only stick to what he knows.
- Robbie: How was it coming to face with Dorian's dad? To be allowed to grieve for a moment and stand up for himself at the same time, in addition to accepting the family blade? Robbie knew that him being there was a possibility because it made sense narratively. But it was poignant and important and unexpected things cam out of it. The nature of a father's acceptance and what that means. It felt good for Dorian to express his feelings on what got him here and a possibility to move forward with the rest of the group.
- Ashley & Liam: How did Fearne and Orym feel having to fight Opal? Orym kept telling himself that it wasn't real, but how did Fearne feel? They both felt terrible. Fearne didn't want to hurt her but knew that it was part of the test. Fearne tried to fight someone else instead. Orym went to Opal to get it done with because this was the one that was hurting the most. Fearne was mad that this was the test.
- Matt: We returned in Vasselheim and you were once again in control of numerous PCs, many of witch been seen in previous campaigns. What was it like to return to this city and those characters? Did you have a favorite to embody again? It was really fun and extremely stressful.
- Liam: Seedling was blessed and Orym saw Will again. How does Orym feel about that encounter once more in the Wildmother's realm, as well as seeing the terror of Predathos first hand? That reinforced Orym's extreme reservations about letting Predathos out. Orym had a bit of peace to see Will again, it was appreciated.
- Robbie: Dorian allowed himself to drown and deprived himself of air for the first time in his life. How did that experience affect him? One of Robbie's self-insert as Dorian is curiosity. He wanted to see if this was true, so he allowed himself to sink and see what happens to his friends. That allowed Dorian to be part of the group now, wanting to die for his friends. It was a leap of faith with a parachute on because of his unending breath.
- Ashley: What was it to bond so heavily with Gloamglut? Did Fearne consider keeping him? Does she hope to call him again someday? It was so incredible. Fearne would love to keep him, but that's not really her to keep anybody that doesn't want to stay there. And yes, she hopes to call him someday, atleast anytime she's in the Feywild.
- Liam: Orym seems to feel very guilty about attacking Zathuda and being the one to end his life. Does he worry about how this may affect his friendship with Fearne? Absolutely. He feels like he committed a very deep sin. And painful too because it reflects to the death of his own father.
- Robbie: Tell us about the inspiration for Coriolis and what the magical equine horse means to the Wyvernwinds? That came from Aabria Iyengar. When preparing for the Crown Keepers coming into Campaign Three, Robbie and Aabria talked about things and Aabria came up with it. Robbie really liked it but never had a chance to use it until now. Robbie had chosen the form of Coriolis, it's a Celestial with Griffon stats.
- Matt: Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein are beein tee'd up to re-enter the story in full force. Can you talk to us about preparing for this crossover and what it is like to bring these three campaigns together? Super exciting and a lot of work. There's a lot Matt can't wait to happen and show the players and fight them with.
Tower of Inquiry[]
- Who is your favorite character that you have played outside of the three main campaigns? Either from one of the one shots of even from a home game.
- For Ashley it's Damian Vadoma from the Darrington Brigade. Liam really misses Buddy. For Robbie it's Dink from "The Legend of Zelda One-Shot: Lookout, Here We Come!" (Sx76). For Matt it's Leiland from Escape from the Bloodkeep of Dimension 20.
- If your character can Wild Shape like Fearne, what weird or whacky animal would they turn into?
- Matt would go with a red-tailed hawk. Robbie would be an owl. For Liam it's either a flying squirrel or a silverback gorilla like Caleb Widogast. Ashley would go for a gorilla too or something fast like a jaguar.
Quotations[]
Trivia[]
References[]
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