Try a different filter or a new search keyword Streaming and Download help Shipping and returns Redeem code supported by 14 fans who also own “The Exu - 182CD (2025)” supported by 13 fans who also own “The Exu - 182CD (2025)” supported by 12 fans who also own “The Exu - 182CD (2025)” The five sets in this collection are incredible Hope to get a chance to see this band live one day “Prog-jazz” group Milton Man Gogh’s latest pairs their skewed take on the form with a darkly comic graphic novel Aggressive rhythms pulse through this arresting work of avant-jazz supported by 11 fans who also own “The Exu - 182CD (2025)” We remember being mesmerized by this song in the Bimhuis Amsterdam a year ago! Hope to see you at the Fridman gallery next Thursday. Thank you big hugs (track is called ‘The Slip’) Kanipchen-Fit Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp The Stories Behind Big Crown Records’ Soulful Singles Composer Meara O’Reilly Brings Hockets Into the Future The Merch Table: Samana Give Listeners a Map to Locate an Obelisk Hidden in Wales Backxwash joins the show to discuss her recent release Liam O’Brien offers a window into Exandria with his new book of fairytales, “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales.” The book features three fairytales set within the world of Exandria but even more enticing is that the book itself is essentially an artifact from Exandria brought into the real world While the first two fairytales are fantastic the third will be a standout for many Critical Role fans As fans read “Himmelsschloss,” aka “The Castle In The Sky,” the story and the art will likely seem familiar for good reason This fairytale is based on “EXU: Calamity,” specifically The Fall of Avalir In an exclusive interview with Temple of Geek O’Brien shared how he approached “Himmelsschloss,” aka “The Castle In The Sky.” “This was very much tied through centuries to Avalir I kind of thought of it as the Exandrian version of “Jack and the Beanstalk;” another fairytale that I’m assuming you are familiar with is “The Pied Piper.” No one knows for sure but there are a lot of theories about that story being tied to some real event used to explain maybe plague or an actual kidnapping like someone just leaving with a bunch of kids I’ve listened to podcasts and read about conjecture of what it could be So the idea for “Himmelsschloss” is if The Fall of Avalir is a very real thing and for those familiar with the characters in the story if Patia placed all knowledge from that city into the hands of one child which is mostly shrouded by time except for in the world of Exandria in the same way that I think “The Pied Piper” seems to be some sort of fairytale that has bounced down through the ages to this story with very little real detail that’s what I set out to do with this story: a fairytale that has just echoes of what actually happened But people reading it to their children in Wildemount and the Empire aren’t really aware of where it came from but we as the audience outside of Exandria I think really what my idea is that if Cerrit made it out of that place And then I just sort of imagine a world where his children had children and an old Cerrit sat down to tell bedtime stories to some little child A version that wouldn’t terrify a child with absolute destruction of so many people and that child grew up and told it to their child all my notes were to give echoes of the character designs from Calamity so that it would just subtly be there I wanted the details to be muddied by centuries of time the story are becoming confused and blurred with each other That branch handed to the child before she got sent off by the Queen’s advisor was given all the knowledge of that place and took it into the future.” The story of The Fall of Avalir has been lost through the ages Bringing it to life within Exandria as a fairytale brings a new level of authenticity to the world of Exandria Details about the age of the Calamity as a whole have largely been lost or forgotten An age of death and destruction that ended with the gods separated from Exandria by the divine gates The trilogy of “EXU: Calamity,” “Downfall,” and “EXU: Divergence” offered new insight into this time “Castle In The Sky” captures the reality of what myths and fairytales reveal about the world and culture in our own world The spirit of those events survived through time because it was a story passed through generations The illustrations are another key piece of bringing “EXU: Calamity” to life in a new way O’Brien shared a few of the Easter eggs included through the illustrations “The king appears in a fountain and makes a proclamation and we lost tons of detail because it was lost to many They made mistakes that played a part in setting off this age of devastation they managed to do some good in their final acts “The Castle In The Sky” doesn’t change this; it does celebrate the sacrifices made in the face of deadly hubris Incorporating it further into the world of Exandria through “The Castle In The Sky” is a masterful way to stay true to the fact that they were forgotten while still carrying the story through time where “Himmelsschloss,” aka “The Castle In The Sky,” is Cerrit’s perspective “The Legend of Vox Machina” features Zerxus’ retelling Where Zerxus sees his once friends as the villains Both stories changed with the distance of time “Himmelsschloss,” aka “The Castle In The Sky” evolved in the way all fairytales do when passed down through generations “EXU: Calamity” has proven to be a huge part of Exandrian history which is especially intriguing given how it was largely wiped from Exandria’s history books Campaign 3 and “EXU: Divergence” touched on “EXU: Calamity,” but “The Castle In The Sky” truly brings it to life in a new way It also shows Critical Role’s ability to creatively expand upon the tapestry of their stories and world by weaving pieces of history into other elements of Exandrian lore Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. "From a story perspective, we had an opportunity to combine two story beats from our campaign," Travis Willingham, who voices Grog Strongjaw (Willingham is also an executive producer on The Legend of Vox Machina and CEO of Critical Role.) The series could take Vox Machina's stint in the Fire Plane which doesn't have the biggest story hook by this point in the show's timeline and merge it with the idea that Ank'Harel ruler J'mon Sa Ord (voiced by Mara Junot) would have hidden the Plate in the Hells to keep it as far from Thordak as possible "And right after we had finished EXU: Calamity it just popped up that maybe 800 years later and that would be a nice thing to weave into the story," Willingham continued "Particularly some of the lore that was revealed in EXU: Calamity and why that might be important to larger antagonists in the story that we might try to utilize in a larger way if we get future seasons." with the show paralleling his complicated relationship to his deity — in Calamity although he goes unnamed here — with Pike's own doubts in her faith in the Everlight he also gives Vox Machina a quick rundown of the events of Calamity accompanied by a stained glass-style animated interlude reminiscent of the campaign's introduction sequence Appearing in the interlude are Zerxus' companions "I think there's a hidden desire on our part to incorporate everyone from Calamity at some point," Willingham said. And with more animated Critical Role projects in development with Amazon Studios, including a Mighty Nein series coming next year a full Calamity adaptation of some kind may not be too far-fetched something — we're just trying to figure out the best delivery method for it and how it would fit into everything," Willingham said it looks like we haven't seen the last of Zerxus Ilerez in The Legend of Vox Machina When Pike and her companions escape with the Plate of the Dawnmartyr he utters a very foreboding statement: "We are his blood The words echo those spoken by Delilah Briarwood (voiced by Grey Griffin) and other cultists of the Whispered One — also known as Vecna in the original campaign — all the way back in Season 1 Could this mean that The Legend of Vox Machina is positioning Zerxus as the Whispered One's champion would that mean the series is mashing the Whispered One and Asmodeus together Or did Zerxus choose to serve another deity in the hopes of trying to redeem him as he hoped to do for Asmodeus in Calamity "A Redemption Paladin is still gonna redemption," Marisha Ray (Ray is also an executive producer on the show as well as Creative Director of Critical Role.) "I think it's very fitting because there are several entities in the world of Exandria that could fit that ticket of maybe being redeemed." "We're hoping we will see some conspiracy theories [about that line]," added Willingham Zerxus' addition to The Legend of Vox Machina is further proof of why the show is one of the most fascinating works of adaptation on TV today Zerxus didn't exist as a character when Critical Role's first campaign came out — audiences didn't even get to meet him until months after Season 1 of The Legend of Vox Machina premiered Yet as Critical Role continues to grow through its various campaigns it's creating more source material for its animated adaptations to draw from in real time "One of my favorite things about working on the animated show is that after the Vox Machina campaign ended we continued to expand and enrich the world and create history but we also expanded what the past was," Liam O'Brien "That's really the best thing about adaptations You can go through and sprinkle in some of the good stuff that wasn't there before," added Ray She continued: "I think we're really lucky in the sense that we're developing Mighty Nein in real time with The Legend of Vox Machina as well as still continuing to shoot Campaign 3 and other ancillary stuff So we have this 5,000-foot view of everything — except for all the stuff that is to be determined at the end of Campaign 3 — but we can take the Jenga blocks of the story and move them around to fit nicely." So as The Legend of Vox Machina continues its run be on the lookout for more substantial links to Critical Role's other campaigns Zerxus may be the first Calamity crossover Belen Edwards is an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable She covers movies and TV with a focus on fantasy and science fiction Amidst the chaos of rolling drums, a switch change in tempo, the mutability of melodies like seasons; there is no denying that music is nature (and the proof is all around us). In this canorous disorder, we may find powerful clarity in the form of an awakening, a resonate message that weaves in as another layer of this unchained rhythm. Halima the music maker raised between Lagos and London– now based in Brooklyn– is familiar with this sentiment she shares her first offering with the new single and visualizer the song reflects on the pain and confusion of a relationship’s end a new beginning is born out of another's ending It is at this crossroads that we ultimately find ourselves standing firm and self-sustaining amidst all change The EP communicates to us through a surreal and futuristic current opening a portal into a world that is warm with intimacy The title and concept which comes from Halima’s Nigerian heritage and the Yoruba deity of ‘crossroads.’“They are known for being the God of change so they are often misunderstood,” Halima explains “But they are present in our lives to bring us to better versions of ourselves This project is about facing Exu and resisting it The succumbing and realizing Exu is within you.” You can see Halima on June 7th at Union Pool in NY and on June 12th at the Moroccan Lounge in LA Halima channel reflection and with her latest offering EXU is creating an expression or more a reflection for you I’ve found that once I’ve gone a while without writing I need to twist the valve and usually there lies the pinnacle Creating is the purest expression of love (for me) Can you further explain who Exu is and the importance of this figure in your everyday life When you start a creative project like EXU does it consume you or do you strike a balance Does your music and your personal life feel separate or very much attached The reason music is my life is because I am obsessed with it My happiness and state of flow are intrinsically linked to being able to express creatively whenever What story or message does EXU tell its listeners What do you hope people take home with them after listening That may be the most arduous journey you embark on That’s what Exu has taught me and I want to share that lesson How have you changed or grown as an artist since developing this EP anything you learned about yourself that you didn't expect And creating with no faith can be pretty bleak But creating with my friend Ben slowly brought me back to source Getting lost in a sonic world that was of our own creation I began to see this was just a microcosm of my reality or connection to source with music as I did with my own life After going through the creative process for this new EP what are your main hopes and visions for the future The project I wrote before EXU (that is available only on bandcamp) is called ‘How to Find Happiness’ It’s almost like a prequel to EXU (Conceptually) was totally consumed with this quest for happiness I was still independent at the time and shopped the project around to some labels As my focus remained on getting this project funneled through the industry I grew more concerned with validation dictating my happiness After making EXU my mind is in some uncharted territory Even though I’m constantly encouraged not to be My hope and vision for the future is to become more accepting of that truth And to continue to have faith in my creations Well I don’t think it’s necessarily something to be found despite whether or not it meets our expectations of beauty but whatever reaction or consequence it incites may be the “hidden” beauty Stay up-to-date with exclusive events and content Critical Role is blessing fans with some really great updates and news the finale for Campaign 3 aka Bells Hells is set for February 6 at 7PM PT and it will stream on Critical Role’s membership service Beacon as well as its Twitch and YouTube channels The finale will also be available as a VOD on the YouTube channel along with audio on Critical Role’s podcast the news that a four-part miniseries is coming should be even better for Critical Role lovers Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four-part saga from Critical Role that will dive into the departure of the Prime Deities in the wake of the Calamity The Exandria Unlimited: Divergence miniseries will have Brennan Lee Mulligan as the Game Master and features a cast including Critical Role founders Matthew Mercer and Liam O’Brien as well as guest stars Jasmine Don, Alex Ward, and Celia Rose Gooding. It is a miniseries extravaganza in Critical Role land Matt Mercer teased a dark Daggerheart series One takes a look back at Exandria’s ancient history once more The other uses Critical Role’s Daggerheart roleplaying game This one is something darker that shows off one of the “campaign frames” you’ll find within Both miniseries should be a feast for Critters while the cast and crew start spinning up the generators for what comes next now that Campaign 3’s epic finale has gone and a new miniseries DM’d by none other than Brennan Lee Mulligan What element will kick off the beginning of this episode But we do know that this will be a perfect companion piece to the finale of Campaign 3 In much the same way that history doesn’t repeat itself we see the aftermath of Exandria’s Calamity: “Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four-week miniseries that will pick up the pieces in the wake of Calamity As the Prime Deities construct the Divine Gate join us as the mortals of Exandria rebuild their shattered world and learn to live without the Gods walking among them and will be Game Mastered by the incomparable Brennan Lee Mulligan.” Of course, that’s not the only miniseries Critical Role has in the works, especially with the release of Daggerheart in May. In a video clipped from the Beacon exclusive fireside chat with Matt Mercer posted to Critical Role’s social media we got a look at the print book in all its glory This is also where Mercer spilled the top secret beans about an upcoming new miniseries set in one of Daggerheart’s “campaign frames.” These are sort of like their own different settings and thematic elements that you can use for your Daggerheart games Mercer shows off the “Age of Umbra,” which he describes as a bleak “It’s my kind of like soulsbourne-esque super dark and deadly world campaign frame within the daggerheart system.” which the “Soulsborne” descriptor certainly suggests in the Daggerheart ruleset is one that piques my interest the games of Daggerheart we’ve seen tend to be lighter and goofier – ones that the cast of Critical Role play very well But I’m curious to see how it handles other tones No details on when the Age of Umbra miniseries will air on Critical Role’s platforms WizKids Wraps Classic Collection Monsters with Vintage Vampires About Us | Contact Us Names, trademarks, and images copyright theirrespective owner. 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Privacy, Terms of Use, Comment Rules Aabria Iyengar had a rare opportunity with “Shaun” in “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold.” She not only got to bring Gilmore The other authors research consisted of watching or reading about their NPCs she also had the chance to play him as Game Master in “EXU.” During the Crown Keepers escapades in “EXU,” they came across Shaun Gilmore many decades after Vox Machina This gave Iyengar a particular insight into the character that she could tap into while writing Although when she played Gilmore it was a completely different era in his life she did embody him long before writing from his perspective Iyengar explained how she approached bringing Gilmore to life at the table during “EXU.” there was something inside of having those conversations We were also talking about Tal’Dorei Reborn which was going to be coming out later that year There’s lore that was going to be revealed about Gilmore and his relationship and here’s this perfectly lovely gentleman that he settled down with in the intervening time after having a couple conversations with Matt [Mercer] and the team about where Gilmore was as of where the Crown Keepers would meet him what’s he going to be like when meeting new people the reason he was so immediately brought in on Vax is Vax gives charismatic Let’s go and why not torment Robbie [Daymond] Getting to lean into a person who is now towards the end of their heroic era and is settled down and is happy He is no longer inside of that youthful striving to find and carve a place into the world you can be married and settle down and be like Iyengar is no stranger to NPCs as a Game Master She has crafted countless amazing NPCs and watched others create even more This was an opportunity to fully flesh one out Iyengar had the opportunity to live in Gilmore briefly with “EXU.” However with “Shaun” she could fully delve into Gilmore’s mind and heart in one of his most pivotal moments Vax following his feelings for Keyleth changed Gilmore’s trajectory as a character “Shaun” fully digs into why this was such a lynchpin moment for the character even beyond his feelings for Vax Iyengar broke down why this moment impacted Gilmore so profoundly She also shared why this was such an important project for her personally as a storyteller “Getting to walk back in time and go back to this very pivotal moment in Gilmore’s story of Am I going to stay this background NPC or will this moment drive me to reach for something more I was reaching for a life that I wanted.” So all of those things made for a really fun moment Getting to go back and rewatch early Campaign 1 was really fun too I forgot how much my enthusiasm at the level of storytelling that the CR squad had early informed me as a person who was learning how to play D&D.” I was like Getting to bring that enthusiasm back and remember all of those little moments where I fell in love with Gilmore as an NPC and getting to move through that was crazy What a gift to be able to care about a character and continue their story in a way that you hope fits comfortably inside and tells the story of a whole person you get to sit in them a little bit and because they’re so built to be these foils and moments for the main party you can start to develop a whole inner life for them But you never get a guarantee that you get to see all of it it feels really nice as a person who’s played a lot of NPCs and who has watched and loved a lot of NPCs getting to go “Here’s our little moment together to make you into more of a real boy.” And that’s everything Iyengar is a truly masterful storyteller and one of the greatest GMs in actual play Her ability to pull in both the players and an audience is astounding Iyenagar was the first GM that Matt Mercer trusted with Exandria She continues to prove why she is able to capture these beloved worlds and characters while also creating her own With “Shaun,” Iyengar taps into what is great about Gilmore with a true character study Her deep research and unique insight into Gilmore bring a new depth to the charming magical shopkeeper This is a character that demanded further exploration “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” is available for purchase now Critical Role continues to bring Exandria to life in unique and exciting ways “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales,” is the first piece of literature pulled from the world of Exandria and dropped into ours “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” is a collection of three Zemnian fairy tales first introduced in the second campaign Caleb Widogast grew up being told these stories “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” is written by Liam O’Brien The illustrations are by Charlie “Newt” Borovsky The three stories are “Der Katzenprinz,” aka “The Cat Prince,” “Die Waldhexe,” aka “The Forest Witch,” and “Himmelsschloss,” aka “The Castle In The Sky.” “The Cat Prince” is a charming tale about a young boy who is led into the forest by a magical cat The pair go on a short but magical adventure with the young boy dancing and celebrating with countless feline friends The story is whimsical in a way that is reminiscent of stories like “My Neighbor Totoro.” “The Forest Witch” is a much darker tale about three young children who go into the woods They meet a powerful witch who is hungry and demands to eat The children have nothing to offer and refuse to sacrifice their friends This manifests in a sacrifice from each that forever changes them and impacts their village for future generations This is a much darker Brothers Grimm-style fairy tale “The Castle In The Sky” is the longest of the three tales This fantastical original fairy tale follows a young Aarakocra she soon discovers a magical kingdom in the sky and she narrowly escapes with a piece of the magical kingdom that she must protect Each of these stories is unique and masterfully crafted O’Brien captures the timelessness and fantasy of fairy tales This is in part due to his decision to tell these stories through the lens of children This perspective infuses wonder into how they see this world While the stories themselves are important illustrations are often key to capturing young imaginations for generations with fairy tales Borovsky’s illustrations capture this in “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales.” The illustrations are gorgeous and truly bring these tales to life They work perfectly in tandem with O’Brien’s prose Each tale captures a different tone both in the story being told and in the art “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” brings readers into the world of Exandria like never before offering insight into the tales that shaped generations of Zemnian children perhaps the most captivating aspect of this is the heart of “The Castle in the Sky.” it may remind Critters of a story they already experienced “The Castle In The Sky” is all that remains of the Fall of Avalir “EXU: Calamity” was a peek into the horrors of the early days of the Calamity in the floating city of Avalir as a group inadvertently plays a part in setting these events into motion With “The Castle In The Sky,” O’Brien explores what story could have survived from that event Borovky’s illustrations harken to many of the Easter eggs that will undoubtedly stand out to fans throughout the tale Fairytales are a key piece of understanding any culture Different countries and generations retell these stories as they evolve and change over time “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” does this for Exandria capturing the feeling of fairy tales that is inextricably magical The illustrations are beautifully crafted and elevate the tales working together with the words to bring the experience to life “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” is not only a phenomenal collection of three original fairy tales It is a slice of Exandria brought into our world “Critical Role” focuses on the stories of the heroes at the table This means that many of “Critical Role’s” NPCs may appear numerous times Aabria Iyengar had the opportunity to dig into beloved NPC Shaun Gilmore like never before with “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold.” In an exclusive interview with Temple of Geek Iyengar revealed which Exandria location she would like to see further explored There’s something so fun about the way EXU Calamity busted open the Age of Arcanum I love that everything was so heightened and so big that you have this sense of thinking back to Campaigns 1 through 3 and going The world that existed before that fell from all of these different There’s no way to know whose fault it was that the age ended Is a mystery and there’s no way to know But having that and then being able to look and go like the way in which the world is different is like what if you were going to post-apocalyptic story and you never really knew it until almost 10 years in when you get a look back at the way the past was really fun in living inside of the Age of Arcanum or Vasselheim at the I think deities are phenomenally cool and the cleric of it all the sitting in conversation with deities that are known to exist and everything around the place that was able to survive the history of this world is fascinating to me and I don’t think I’m the broad to write it because it would also require a thousand hours of conversation with everyone that’s done any amount of world building If I could download lore directly from Matt and Dani’s brain I think something around Vasselheim as this bastion across time I’m obsessed with The Three-Body Problem as a series and the fact that it takes a really long scope of history across its three books There is something fun about what if you tell the story of Vassalheim as this thing that has persisted and the ways in which it’s calcified The ways in which its rules and strictures and assumptions about the world feel out of step with the parties that interact with it if you had seen everything these stones have seen you would understand exactly why we’re like this and it may feel weird and outdated and old fashioned to you but we didn’t get these stones remain here because we have learned lessons that you don’t have to even think about It stands tall through time like no other cities in Exandria Vasselheim survived the horrors of the Calamity It withstood the attacks of the Chroma Conclave and Vecna In Campaign 3 it still remains after the Gods return to Exandria leaving the city in chaos Iyengar portrayed the powerful wizard Laerryn in “EXU: Calamity” who helped set off the Calamity Vasselheim has very strict rules regarding arcane because of the actions that kicked off the Calamity This era has been a fascination for Critical Role fans especially in the wake of “EXU: Calamity,” “Downfall,” and “EXU: Divergence.” Vasselheim could be the perfect backdrop for a series of stories that show this era completely Perhaps beginning similar to “EXU: Calamity” it could show how the city existed before the cataclysmic event followed by the horrors that wiped out most of the population of Exandria “EXU: Calamity” is built in a format similar to that of a disaster movie The story takes place in about 24 hours from roughly dawn to sunrise The Ring of Brass are rich characters that hold power and sway in the city This is the city’s worst day with Laerryn and other members including Zerxus being part of the cause of the Calamity A prequel could show who these characters were before this and how they became the tragic heroes in the end a powerful mage working to make her mark on history with the Astral Leywright The other members of the Ring of Brass hold other important positions in the city “EXU: Calamity” shows Laerryn at her worst Focused solely on being sure Avalir makes history or graphic novels could delve further into the Ring of Brass members It could be an opportunity to show how Laerryn became who she in in “EXU: Calamity.” It would also be the perfect way to show each of the members in a new light how Evandrin fit into Avalir and the Ring of Brass The Ring of Brass have only had a moment in their story told There are so many more stories worth telling about these characters I know Laerryn seemed quite stressed when we met her She was having a big day and having some big feelings on a big day I promise there’s something very funny inside of the like and everyone thinks that’s her personality a hundred percent of the time and if everyone only met you the day before your finals and went it’s a big day and I’m not handling it super great.’ I am messy a world in which you get to see Evandrin is such a beautiful ghost that touches every part of the story who never appears I remember Luis [Carazo] and I having an amazing f*cking three hour coffee as we were talking about the Evandrin of it all and where our characters and where our stories would intersect and that’s where we originally pitched the maybe Laerryn was Elias’s birth mom and part of a you’re my friends and I have a womb that I’m not really doing anything with Will this affect me building my little machines Just doing it as a solid for a homie with whom she is deeply bonded to seeing Laerryn and Quay when they were happy and watching that decay arc because it’s all implied that Laerryn is who she is now because she is in the middle of a monomania because her grief made her lean more into her mind because she was ripcording out of her heart that’s why I’m going to let this relationship burn I love the fact that Laerryn a little bit had the false belief that she was inside the story so that everything had to happen for a reason and there’s something really fun inside of her railing against that history will remember me All of the technical knowledge that she had because it doesn’t exist in the future it was me and Brendan [Lee Mulligan] going Laerryn’s not going to make it out of this so I’m going to build her a brick shit house to be like you have to kill her and you’re going to have to work for it it would be so fun to see more of that and again if I could just clone Matt and Brennan and be like That would be the best of all possible worlds.” There is a darker side to the Ring of Brass that is worth exploring as well and Iyengar revealed that they had secret meetings about their characters and Travis Willingham were a part of the group the previous three had secrets even from them and Iyengar’s Laerryn were power players in the political sphere of Avalir They kept secrets in order to pull strings behind the scenes Our little trouble troika meetings like running around this house going like It’s why I love so much that there’s a moment where me and Lou [Wilson] are laughing in game in the PVP in front of the tree where he’s like we are going to be nasty guys that pop off and who’s going to be the one to really kick this off running We’ll see who it is when we get there those little meetings were so fun leaning into the ways in which The mover and shaker in Patia is the money and money makes things happen He’s the one that makes all of these deals work Whatever it takes for me to finish my great work All of it will be worth it once it’s made but I don’t care how down the road to hell I have to walk to get it done A prequel could humanize the Ring of Brass members through their relationships and origins it could also dig deeper into the complexities of these characters and their roles It would be an opportunity to truly get into the politics of this world and the path the Ring of Brass took A prequel would inevitably be a tragedy that makes the end of “EXU: Calamity” even sadder given the performances and the world that Brennan Lee Mulligan crafted in this Critical Role miniseries they are stories deserve to be told “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” is available for purchase now.  “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” mainly focuses on the era of Vox Machina’s adventures “Under Golden Boughs” touches on the end of the Calamity through the perspective of the Sun Tree The story told by the Sun Tree spans generations as it bears witness to the wonders and tragedies of Exandria One of the most fascinating moments in the story is when the Dawnfather plants the Sun Tree The Dawnfather is often portrayed as strict and steadfast. However, Downfall showed a new side of the deity through Nick Marini’s performance “Under Golden Boughs” reveals yet another piece of him The Dawnfather plants the Sun Tree as a final gift to Exandria before being locked behind the Divine Gate Martin Cahill revealed how Marini’s performance as the Dawnfather came into play in his story Shout out Brennan Lee Mulligan and the casts I love that we’ve been able to dip into various eras throughout I love Calamity and I love the various stories they’re in the held breath of a world on the brink of total destruction We see the Divine Gate established as a final alternative to all-out war It made sense to me to pull from aspects of the Dawnfather that we saw with Nick’s character in Downfall We see the Dawnfather becoming a bit more of that stringent Here he is right before going off into these outer planes Not that you could ever knock down the Dawnfather with a feather and I was going through edits on it as Downfall was coming out you can’t change whole swaths of things really love what Nick did to show a Dawnfather in change it doesn’t work to be gentle anymore to see the effect that has had on the Dawnfather and The Calamity era has been explored through a trilogy led by Mulligan With “EXU: Calamity,” “Downfall,” and “EXU: Divergence” touching on some of the biggest moments of the era “Under Golden Boughs” is a snap shot of an even smaller moment from this tumultuous time Cahill bringing in aspects of Marini’s performance shows the potential that remains So much time of that era and the time between that and Vox Machina is unexplored The Sun Tree shows a piece of it from a unique perspective Showing the Dawnfather in a moment of vulnerability before he completely hardens himself adds new depth to the character Cahill expresses the Dawnfather’s love for Exandria through this gift But he also touches on how an entity that has faced so much loss and turmoil can become what the Dawnfather becomes Cahill is obviously just as enraptured with this era in Exandrian history as many fans “I have privately texted with my wonderful friend and if I ever get a chance to talk with Matt or anybody you know where to find me.’” All three mini campaigns are just small moments within the centuries-long conflict A Calamity novel would have more room to explore whether with already established characters or all new ones The only characters that have survived the entire era are the Gods Cahill has exhibited an adept ability to get into the mind of a non-mortal character “Part of me would love to do a Predathos novel or the devouring of the first two Gods.” The perspective in “Downfall” brought a unique narrative to the forefront with mortal lives not being the main concern of the protagonists Exploring the early days or even the lead-up The perspective of the Prime Deities or the Betrayers Gods could show their character development throughout the conflict A mortal perspective could explore how their perception of the Gods changes This could be shown within different time periods throughout the Calamity Perhaps even digging further into the infamous Ring of Brass and the role they played in setting off this cataclysmic event While Cahill has shown a desire to explore the age of the Calamity it isn’t the only era in Exandria he is interested in “Critical Role” has only touched on short bouts of time within Exandria’s history Even the main campaigns often take place over the course of months The actor had an intriguing pitch about Exandria’s past even before the Calamity that he would love to delve into There’s a part of me that would love to go way Even prior to when we see the fall of Tengar Where you’ve got these mortal races beginning to appear and the Gods are making these people I would love to explore that moment as you move from the schism into the Age of Arcanum Where you have all these opposing powers between the Prime Deities and the natural magics and spirits of Exandria I think that moment in time would be really Campaign 3 ended by closing out the Era of Reclamation with many Critters wondering if Campaign 4 will continue the story of Exandria in an all-new era I will say the other part of me would be like end of Campaign 3 and then slingshot ahead by a hundred years To see how radically things are different now You probably would see more of the proliferation of more Aeormatons You would probably see Vasselheim change in an extraordinary fashion but still sort of being an incredibly important city and technological advancements and it’s been such an honor and a joy.” The Sun Tree stands tall and steadfast as a witness of Exandria Starting with the end of the Calamity era and the Dawnfather’s final gift Cahill brings an engaging voice to the Sun Tree that truly brings this NPC to life like never before Hopefully he will be able to lend his pen to more Exandria stories in the future Perhaps this could be the perfect perspective to bring to Calamity especially given the fountain of ideas that he clearly has “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” is available for purchase now “Audition For The Fox,” will hit shelves September 16 Sign up Sign in Share Adherence to the evangelical religion in Brazil occurs predominantly among individuals from poor classes with less education. It's dangerous. Christianism always demonized many religions, including African religions. In Brazil, Catholics and Evangelicals continued with this wrong concept. They brought from a colonized Africa the idea that Umbanda and Candomblé, among other Afro-Brazilian religions, were demonic manifestations. However, some Catholics were more flexible and many of them mixed their beliefs with Afro beliefs, even though they didn't assume it clearly. The Evangelicals not. A flexible Evangelical is much rarer. During Evangelical worship is common to watch the pastor dedicating time to say terrible lies about Afro-Brazilian religions. Evangelical members feel free to oppress and attack those who believe in Orixás. They feel they are combating the devil. It's not so uncommon to see on the… Buy me a coffee -> ko-fi.com/lilajuno Help A mid-stream twist left viewers confused and lessened the gut-punch of a recent plot point Critical Role’s Campaign 3 is remarkable in many ways plot points and villains from across the previous two campaigns it feels like the end to a mighty (and unexpected) trilogy possibilities and narrative restrictions that can entail it’s clear that something went a little wrong Warning: Spoilers ahead for the events of Critical Role: Campaign 3 run by Dimension 20 alumni Aabria Iyengar and Brennan Lee Mulligan Iyengar has run two of these spin-off series - both the original EXU in 2021 and its follow-up EXU: Kymal the following year These series are closely interlinked with the main Critical Role campaign having marked the debut of Ashley Johnson’s faun druid Fearne and Liam O’Brian’s halfling fighter Orym as well as the air genasi bard Dorian (played by Robbie Daymond) who featured in the first 14 episodes of Campaign 3 Episode 92 of Campaign 3 marked something different in which Bells Hells fled from the moon and looked to reconnect with their allies on the homeworld of Exandria Iyengar swiftly took over the action and pivoted the stream into a PvP battle between the cast members of EXU: Kymal in which the ‘evil’ Spider Queen god sought to bend Aimee Carrero’s warlock to her will while shifting the focus to another part of the world entirely it was a bold narrative decision right when the main cast were reeling from a finished mission and massive in-game loss of party cleric FCG There will be plenty of viewers who watch every crumb of content put out by Critical Role across Twitch and YouTube and more casual fans who dip in and out of episodes on a whim - with most people being somewhere in the middle But the decision to switch to this other cast of characters mid-stream instead of creating a separate one-shot game that interested viewers could watch separately The Critical Role Reddit sub has been full of confused viewers, faced with characters they weren’t familiar with, asking for summaries of the EXU spin-offs, or complaining about the lack of a lead-in or explanation for “people who didn't watch EXU” Even as someone who watched some of EXU over the years I still struggled to connect with what was going on Shortly after realising the party might be totally wiped out Sam Riegel’s cleric robot FCG sacrificed their life in order to defeat Thull and save the rest of their companions ending with a moving speech and leaving much of the table in tears I can understand the desire to give the core cast members a break after such a harrowing finale - but it also felt like a particularly bad time to jump to a different cast when viewers were already reeling from the events of the past episodes especially when the side story wasn’t signposted in advance Tuning in to see a bunch of unfamiliar faces without knowing the backstories constantly being cited at the table doesn’t make for a great viewing experience Iyengar’s all-in-good-fun jokes about killing off characters land oddly in the context of the campaign right now and it’s hard to understand why this disconnected story couldn’t have been a separate EXU stream instead of a bait-and-switch for those looking to continue the main campaign’s plot and process its consequences and presumably see it link into the main adventure so there may be a substantial payoff yet - possibly with the return of fan-favourite Daymond at the main table And it’s clear that Critical Role has more stories and arcs to juggle when it tries to expand its world into various concurrent adventures But if players are having to reluctantly tune into other streams to catch up on key plot points it’s a sign that Critical Role has forgotten how splintered its audience has become - and how its own media ambitions are likely to exacerbate the problem further Excellent – it can only get better (or worse) from here I got the chance to speak with Aabria Iyengar and Brennan Lee Mulligan and interview them about Exandria Unlimited: Calamity and about what it was like to dip their toes into a previously unexplored part of Exandrian history Exandria Unlimited: Calamity is a four-part mini-series from the minds at Critical Role a thousand years before the events of Vox Machina to explore the explosive end of the Age of Arcanum How does it feel to be handed the keys to Exandria and given the chance to mold it It’s your turn in the player’s seat for this series Without spoiling anything…  What can you tell us about your character and the part they have to play What are you most excited for people to see There is so much mystery surrounding the Age of Arcanum and the Calamity do you think the series will answer fan theories and then some On a scale of 1-10 how much emotional damage can we expect VOD of tonight’s episode will be available to Twitch subscribers right after the broadcast and on YouTube the following Monday at 12pm Pacific Thanks to Aabria Iyengar and Brennan Lee Mulligan Dana Reboe is a Canadian writer from Toronto who loves all things geeky When she isn't writing you can often find her nose deep in a fantasy novel re-watching old Doctor Who episodes for the billionth time or playing Dungeons & Dragons This work, Britt Assumes Command of Expeditionary Exploitation Unit One, by Matthew Poynor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Critical Role is about to embark on a new journey tonight as they launch another miniseries event entitled Exandria Unlimited: Calamity this show will be a mix of familiar faces and new players as they tell a different kind of story This one revolves around the world of Exandria in a period long before any of the characters you know and love ever existed Recounting how exactly it all went wrong with the gods who used to rule the world We chatted with three of the new people involved as we briefly talk to this show's DM Brennan Lee Mulligan about the campaign and what to expect as the show airs tonight on YouTube and Twitch starting at 7pm PT BC: How did the opportunity come about to work on this particular project with Critical Role and what about it did you find most appealing Mulligan: I have the unreal good fortune to have been pals with Matt [Mercer] and Marisha [Ray] for years now (met them back when I was the primary question writer for Um Actually) and have been lucky enough to have them both as guests on D20 Matt mentioned his ambitions for bringing other GMs into Exandria and off-handedly referenced wanting to see an ExU set in the Age of Arcanum which immediately kicked me into high gear about that fabled time period and a month or two after that Marisha invited me to come pitch the basic outline for ExU: Calamity I think what got all three of us the most excited about this concept was the chance to tell the kind of story that would thrive in this specific format: "The medium is the message," as McLuhan said Tragedy tends to work best in feature-length as opposed to the saga: teasing out inevitable dread over dozens and dozens of weeks can run a whole host of risks but to jump into the anthology format of ExU impactful story that leans into its time constraints was a really exciting opportunity for all of us I've been playing with Brennan for several years over at Dimension 20 so I'm assuming that had something to do with it I'd like to imagine Brennan walked into the Critical Role offices slammed his fist down on the desk and said or I walk!" And then Matt stomped out his cigar into an already crowded ashtray and was like but if he doesn't deliver it's your ass!" It was probably way more congenial and nice than that I'm glad they did because the concept of this season is really exciting The comedic side of actual play comes pretty naturally to me but I really enjoy sinking my teeth into the drama And I mean what's more dramatic than a season where you know you gotta die by the end of it We played in a home campaign together that lasted a few years which started before Critical Role They had been hinting for a while that they might have something around the corner for me reached out to me and explained the premise on ExU Calamity A tragedy set in the distant past when the Calamity occurs Considering this is canon that even Matt Mercer hasn't explored in-game what kind of talks did you have with him about the world prior to all of the campaigns Mercer's ear endlessly about the nature of Exandria's cosmos and especially those elements of lore most sanguine to the story at hand: The Betrayer Gods the history of Flying Cities and the Age of Arcanum I must also shout out real-life Mentat and superhero Dani Carr whose encyclopedic knowledge of Exandria was indispensable early on I asked that Dani be present at all tapings just off-camera to feed me canon corrections a la Cyrano de Bergerac or at the very least have access to a shock collar so that I could be zapped if I messed up any important pieces of lore but I was informed that this was "off-putting" and "probably illegal," so I retracted my request whose ability to seamlessly weave deep lore knowledge with production know-how kept this whole ship sailing smoothly the entire time Carazo: I only spoke to Matt through Brennan that I didn't speak to Matt at all even though I knew I could have I ran everything through Brennan and trusted the efforts Brennan was putting forth to keep all the parts together Brennan and I did talk extensively about the setting and from there a character concept started to take form for me What kind of prep work did you do ahead of the miniseries to get your characters/story together and ready to roll its denizens and neighborhoods and factions conspiring with PCs over background and history finding ways to connect deep world lore to the specific stories of these six heroes designing flow-sheets of likely event sequences tracking mysteries and secrets being intentionally kept Shorter seasons can be deceptively hard to prepare – With only four episodes there is no room for error: Beats need to land within slim margins of error and you might not have organic opportunities in later episodes to make up for being unprepared with a piece of lore a character motivation or a mechanical game element at the moment you really needed it Wilson: I've watched Critical Role before so I'm familiar with Exandria but in order to get ready for the series I took a few steps into the deep end I lost hours to the Explorer's Guide to Wildemont and watching CR's lore videos on repeat Then there's also prep on the personal side of things – Meetings with Brennan and other cast members to talk about our characters' shared schemes and backgrounds we really wanted to make sure we had shared backstory so that everything really felt lived in and we could hit the ground running from day one I watched videos on the history of Exandria read through some of the source material about Tal'Dorei and then I got myself to work on creating a character whose story might in a sense mirror some of what was happening in the core conflict of this time What makes a character exciting to me are their flaws and the Calamity seemed a real fertile ground for that kind of character work What was your experience like filming on the set with members of the cast that already had experience in this story and Aabria couldn't have been more welcoming to those of us who had never had the joy of playing in Exandria before I will never forget the excitement of getting to NPC characters and phenomena that these incredible storytellers have spent years breathing life and meaning into There's one reaction in particular towards the end of Episode One that will stay with me for a long It was also deeply exciting to be diving into an unfamiliar part of a familiar world as well: The idea that this series gets to answer some deep questions about a world that some of the cast have spent the better part of a decade building is just unbelievably cool I had a bit of trepidation walking into a world that they've so thoroughly explored but they went above and beyond making me feel comfortable at the table elements of the world we're playing in made me feel like we were all on the same foot Calamity is so far removed from everything they've done in Exandria up to this point even for people who've been playing in this world for years Everyone made me feel at home and like I belonged and they readily embraced what I threw into the mix I think we were all on an equal footing in terms of this particular setting because we were all at the mercy of mastermind Brennan who just threw us for a loop immediately and never stopped any favorite moments from filming and playing you'd like to share Mulligan: I think there are actually too many to mention My mind immediately shoots to a scene with the incomparable Lou Wilson where he as my Guildmaster and I as his arithmetician troubleshoot our financial relationship to a sphinx (The half-hour sitcom pilot of these two characters is forthcoming!) Aabria Iyengar is simply beyond a gift to any GM: The definition of "understanding the assignment." Watching Travis Sam and Marisha work their magic at the table after years of watching them from home is something I am still reeling from and likely will be for a while And I'll say this as well: The world is simply not ready for Luis Carazo What he does with his character staggers the mind Wilson: Sam gives a fully prepared speech within like 30 minutes of starting the show I am truly humbled to share the table with such powerful storytellers I love the character introductions and watching the banter my castmates have with the NPCs Brennan plays There are also a few pretty cool enemy kills let me just say we have some pretty badass wizards… BoLS sat down with Brennan Lee Mulligan and Lou Wilson to talk all about Exandria Unlimited: Calamity and Critical Role If you haven’t been watching Exandria Unlimited: Calamity you are missing out on some of the best D&D this side of Dimension 20. With GM Brennan Lee Mulligan taking the reins supported by an amazing cast who have stepped up to the plate Exandria Unlimited: Calamity is just incredible It’s got a good mix of somber and silliness “it’s not called ExU Fu*ckin’ Party Time alright” BoLS had a chance to speak with two of the cast members Brennan Lee Mulligan and Lou Wilson about the show You can catch the penultimate episode tonight But first you can learn more about it below The idea behind Calamity started with an off-hand remark made over dinner by Matthew Mercer and a following invitation by the magnanimous Ms Ray to come pitch for an ExU season this past January.” Lou Wilson: “I wasn’t so much in there for the coming together on this one “we’re going to do this- do you want in?” And c’mon playing out the apocalypse with Aabria and Brennan at the CR table – I couldn’t have responded any faster.” Are there any character details you can share What are you hoping the audience will feel coming away from this BM: I’m very excited to tell a classic tragedy a cautionary tale where the protagonists are required to be complex and flawed Watching these six impossibly brilliant performers weave the story of these Captains of Avalir has been a joy and a privilege LW: I can tell you that I’m playing a financial sorcerer in charge of our flying city’s economic hub And with regards to the audience’s feelings what’s exciting about this show is I think we’re gonna hit you both ways There’s the delightful ramp up of exploring all the wondrous things Brennan crafted to illustrate the age of Arcanum Those moments where we are all simultaneously audience and performer: Where we are operating at the height of our creative capacity and are simultaneously gawking wide-eyed at the brilliance of our friends – where we are commanding a story that expresses something deep and urgent within ourselves while also surrendering control to the whims of chance so that we might be stunned at the fortunes of our own imagined lives the ability TTRPGs lend us to create spaces where we can wholly give ourselves over to the trials and tribulations of a world spun from the shared power of our imaginations And I’m excited to say there’s a lot of that in ExU: Calamity Where do you see RPGs going as the media around them evolves Where do you think Actual Play RPGs and shows like them will be in the next five-ten years BM: Five years ago today I was looking for work having just recently been rejected from a fulltime job at CollegeHumor and had no knowledge that a historic plague was just around the corner and I cannot imagine anything more beyond-my-ability than accurately guessing where we will be five years from now I have barely been able to make heads or tails of how I got here Suffice it to say I intend to continue living in a state of bewildered gratitude I’ll be happy to roll dice and tell stories on the way LW: I don’t think I have a great answer to that We’re on the frontier of a genre that plays by different rules than anything that’s ever existed before My only guess is whatever change we see in the next five years will be born out of the medium’s intimate connection with its audience what weird thing are you excited to make forever Canon in the history of Exandria What have you been *WAITING* to get away with BM: I told the players that if they hit four Nat 20’s in a row in the Finale I’ll change canon and we can stop the Calamity Just so long as everyone agrees to update all the Tal’Dorei + Wildemount sourcebooks by hand in sharpie LW: The fact that I’m doing anything on a Critical Role set is the real thrill for me I’m happy to stay in my lane on this first one I’ve got plenty of shenanigans stored up for the second time around Need to catch up? Check here You can watch Episodes 1-3 on Critical Role’s Youtube Want more Brennan Lee Mulligan and Lou Wilson in your life? You can find them on Dimension 20. Check out Fantasy High Season 1 right here and go on a journey you didn’t know you needed Or catch them on Dropout.tv‘s many fine videos, including Game Changer: Survivor