"Laudna, do you remember much about the end?"

[@shangc2781]

This isn't my thought, I read this somewhere else like twitter or tumblr, but someone said it speaks so much of Marisha that she would think of those people who were collateral damage in another person's story and think "No, they were real people. They deserve to have a story too."

[@cryofpaine]

That's beautiful!

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

That is indeed very Marisha. And also incredibly awesome.

[@mythomagic1771]

Something something didn't she dress up for Soldier B in one Halloween episode something something honoring the background characters something something feels kinda related

[@shangc2781]

@@mythomagic1771 Holy shit that's galaxy brained

[@ondrabergmann2955]

Yeah, I read somewhere that most of the cast plays ordinary people in this campaign, Orym is "just" a guard, FCG is basically a device, an old man (squared) who lost his job, a small town girl, a thug repaying that they got caught (and then there's Fearne).

[@williambrown319]

There's tragic back story, then there's tearing your fucking party's heart out. Masterful storytelling

[@feitocomfruta]

Everyone’s faces were priceless, especially Ashley and Taliesin. But Matt the whole time had this proud look of “my wife, ladies gentlemen and enby friends”

[@Luke-me9qe]

Welp. Even Matt was a little white around the eyes. So even the DM was ripped of his heart. Although I guess he did knew in advance. Regardless.

[@benh2339]

I have never seen Matt react to a line the way he reacts to "the worst things that's ever happened to me has already happened." Just pure "that's fucking good" energy.

[@NathanielTavington]

Couple goals right there

[@shangc2781]

I 100% agree with you but a tiny cynical part of me wonders whether Matt's inner DM was thinking "We'll see about that."

[@sarawarlestedt7242]

@@shangc2781 I think it was proud husband

[@jeffquinz2118]

Matt be like: Damn, that's my wife right there!

[@shangc2781]

@@sarawarlestedt7242 can't it be both?

[@douglaslain5962]

What I like is that Caleb spilled his guts to Beau in S2 and now Laudna is opening up to Orym. Some player symmetry there.

[@walkit78]

Nice catch

[@kl-1447]

Also they each picked a person (either accidentally or not) that would have a better understanding of the gravity of the situation. Beau as the other Empire kid (even though she had little experience with the Ceberus Assembly) knew what corruption within a system, especially covered up looked like and the consequences of it. Orym is a bit more direct, having actually known the details behind Laudna and the Sun Tree. But with no one else would these reveals have been so visceral for the people reacting in character

[@AdamEspersona]

@@kl-1447 Also, like Caleb, Beau was a victim of the corruption within the system. And also, like Caleb, she never got justice for it until years later. Only time will tell as to whether or not Orym and Laudna will also seek closure with their own traumas…

[@kl-1447]

@@AdamEspersona Absolutely. I'm also looking forward to seeing what impact this conversation has, especially seeing they have very different perspectives on their grief. Laudna saying she's past it but also doesn't seem to have processed it entirely (at least in my opinion) while also very angry about Delilah being in her head. And Orym who has moved on but still feels the weight of his grief all the time but does seem to have actually moved on in a way that is healthy.

[@AdamEspersona]

@@kl-1447 Which is why I definitely noticed the visible crack in Laudna’s armor there near the end, when Orym kept insisting that it was NOT okay, that NO ONE should have had to suffer like she did. She hadn’t felt such kindness in so long. The kindness that comes from those that actually understand. The crack in her voice when she thanks him, the smile faltering into more of a sad one. She even showed him her EARS… and he was not repulsed, but instead held her tight as he got angry for her sake. She might have even cried right there… feeling remorse for her death for the first time in over 30 years. I can see Orym being a lot more protective of Laudna, seeing how they’re not so different, encouraging her to be more open… and that it’s okay to be angry about her death.

[@wallevee6285]

obsessed w the fact that marisha was the first to recognize the people on the tree as representations of them and that that stuck with her so much so that she made her character one of them

[@rebeccamergler3232]

'The worst thing that's ever happened to me has already happened..' is such a good line. I love Laudna and how she goes on after one of the worst things ever happening to someone

[@greeninferno1339]

Even Matt was like “oh shit, that’s my wife”

[@snake698]

She probably meant to say "the worst thing that could ever happen to me..." because the way she said it it's an oxymoron, not really a good line...

[@shadowpsykie]

@@snake698 she’s also a country girl who underwent indescribable trauma. How about we don’t correct her grammar and let the spirit of her words win out

[@snake698]

@@shadowpsykie Bruh that's syntax not grammar but I wasn't criticising her either, I love Laudna and Marisha is more eloquent than I am, I was just answering a comment

[@dang5736]

@@snake698 well it’s not an oxymoron, it’s a truism. Her sentence is, by definition, true for literally everyone

[@SamyD23]

i love orym's line in this "respectfully... so fucking what??" it's so good, like he's shocking laudna back into realizing how bad it would be to go through that

[@AdamEspersona]

“It’s okay to NOT be okay. It’s okay to be ANGRY, because no one - not even you - deserved to die like that without even knowing why.” And that was the worst part. She didn’t know WHY. She was used as a message… but aside from that, she had no real connection to the greater scope. Just another bit of collateral damage that the Briarwoods had no qualms about letting happen.

[@cryofpaine]

@@AdamEspersona Such a great moment. Because unfortunately for her, it isn't ok to be angry. She's a scary undead witch lady. Which means she has to walk on eggshells to avoid provoking people. And when you've masked for the past 30 years, it's hard to take off.

[@Mezmero]

I’m so happy for Marisha that she finally gets to be most peoples’ favorite character this campaign, including my own. I still liked Keyleth and loved Beau but Laudna is next level undead queen.

[@Mephiston]

It's just nice that the people hurling abuse at marisha these days arein the absolute minority. It makes a nice change from campaign 1 where they had to shut off the twitch comments and specifically address people hurling abuse at her in a seperate video.

[@kixter490]

Right! The hate Marisha gets has always been baffling to me. Beau and Keyleth were never my favourites but she always played them well, tbh I thought I just didn’t gel with her particular characterisations. But Laudna. Laudna is next fucking level. Her mannerisms as Laudna are so on point its crazy, how she constantly like pulls at her fingers and hair it feels so natural but creepy in all the right ways. Also her getting to regularly freak out Travis is just a gold mine going forward lol

[@evalynn1863]

Same. I loved Keyleth because she reminded me of my younger self. Always a little too loud, a little too naive, then the world beat it out of her. Her development over the campaign is still one that haunts me because it's one I understand. Beau was a disaster lesbian so of course I'm gonna love her. But Laudna is special. There were facets of the others that left room for hate but Laudna is creepy and charismatic and so damn charming that anyone who hates her is obviously just still on the "I hate Marisha" train and has no good argument as to why.

[@JohnSmith-zf3yk]

@@Mephiston I think for most people it was just a general scorn for some aspects of the show and Marisha goofed when she gave them a clear target. Those aspects being largely rules-related and how clueless the cast was and still is, lol. You've got two camps in the fandom at play here: The folks that are passionate about Critical Role and the folks that are passionate about D&D. As someone firmly in the latter camp(though that doesn't mean I don't like critical role) it does get a bit obnoxious how I can know more about D&D playing it as a hobby quasi-regularly than 7 people that make a lot of money playing it nearly every week for several years(at least 1k hours of just on-screen D&D at this point). Ah, and this wasn't an invitation for you to white knight Critical Role. Nothing's perfect and not everything is going to appeal to everybody, I'm just providing some insight into the "opposition's" mindset. Usually things only escalate when two parties are involved and considering how tenaciously vocal and hostile the CR fandom is to CR criticism, trying to demonize people critical(pun intended) of the show at the time seems a little disingenuous. Was it taken too far? Yep. Were anti-Marisha folks the only ones in the wrong? Nope.

[@Mephiston]

@@JohnSmith-zf3yk You do realise that the events we're talking about were when they were only doing it for a few months, after only playing once every few months at a time, right? Also, after them switching from pathfinder to 5e? Also that people on the internet are toxic as fuck right? I saw the twitch chats and the hate, did you? Were you around for it? Because it sure sounds like you weren't. Also, don't be a douche and dismiss me as "white knighting critical role". You're not playing devils advocate or "providing an opposing viewpoint" you're being dismissive and condescending. If you want to have an intelligent conversation I'm willing to do so, but if you're going to be a dismissive douche then respectfully you can get in the bin.

[@bellringer53]

If I remember correctly Marisha was one of the first to clock where Matt was going when he described the tree. Really makes me wonder HOW long she has had Laudna on the back burner and how much her and Matt have worked on her backstory.

[@piperbird7193]

She was the first to say it out loud, but it was clear Taliesin got it first when he said he walks away when Matt was describing the Keyleth stand in.

[@romxxii]

@@piperbird7193 No. The order of events were: - Matt starts rattling of descriptions of the bodies - Tal nopes as soon as Matt finishes describing the Scanlan stand-in - Marisha starts furiously taking notes as Matt describes the Vex and Vax - As Matt gets to the Grog, her jaw drops. Sam looks up; looks like they both start to get it - As Matt describes the Trinket, she says OMG and starts waving her hands and saying "nonononononononono" - It's Sam who actually says "is that us?" more inquiring than affirming - Throughout this time the upper deck group have been silent and nonreactive, although Liam responds "or it's a message" when Sam asks if the Briarwoods thought the victims had been mistaken for VM. So _he's_ been paying attention as well, but wasn't reacting

[@Ghost-Mom]

possibly a long time. I know when my DM introduced a really cool and interesting *family* of villains, I really wanted to know more about the family, they were just so fascinating to me, then when my character got killed an arc later, I made a character related to that family.

[@romainsavioz5466]

@@romxxii when was it

[@talikup]

@@romainsavioz5466 campaign one episode 28

[@madjax6613]

That bit on them mutilating her ears into points is crazy, like the Briarwoods had no reason to go that in depth with the details of the hanging victims, (There is no chance Vox Machina would have noticed her ears specifically from how high in the tree the bodies were) but they did it anyway just because it was more cruel.

[@angelicalicari8355]

The detail that struck me as particularly cruel was that they beat her up while she was alive. They could have killed her painlessly and then painted bruises on her skin. No one would have known the difference.

[@Quadraxis]

Imagine they take a trip to Zephra and Keyleth sees her. THAT would be an episode to watch.

[@Mephiston]

Oh shit

[@Armlessartist]

They probably will too because of Orym !! Fuck I’m excited for that episode now

[@laurenhawes7201]

Or for some reason they interacted with the de Rolos. Imagine Vex's reaction of seeing the person who was "made" to be specifically like her and then hung....imagine Laudnas reaction-and possibly coming to terms/have to measure up to the reason why she was killed.

[@fieryhephestus]

that's what I'm saying

[@IssyEmobrat]

Yes. If only.

[@rougeraven1572]

Matt’s face after 2:08 is everything to me. He’s like, “That’s my lovely, messed up wife right there”

[@kkwarlock8411]

0:12 that smile on Marisha's face says "i'm about to own these mfkrs"

[@Blue_Lunacy]

From Laura's reaction, I believed that she didn't know about the specific of Laudna's final moment in Whitestone. Which was a great play by Marisha. I think Ashley was rubbing out her chilled goosebumps at one point. This was such a reveal. And coincided with their theater viewings too. I am rather jealous of those who can go.

[@mateobarrett6829]

It was an incredible moment in theatres, people screaming out expletives as they slowly put it together before the reveal, and once it dropped everyone was just cussing and reeling

[@jamesnelson1947]

You heard "oh shit" or "no fucking way" from everyone In the theater as they came to realize it. It was beautiful

[@Drekromancer]

@@jamesnelson1947 This. It was my first CR theater experience, and it was magical. I've never seen a whole room possessed by an energy like that before.

[@djwarrior5150]

The episodes are still being shown in theaters? Description says this is from 17/28, where are these screenings? I thought it was just for episode 1

[@Kadel___]

@@djwarrior5150 it was for the one episode. It was on CR's 7th anniversary.

[@NatBash]

I knew as soon as she said she was from Whitestone that she was the product of the Briarwoods but I never guessed Marisha would go THERE. Absolutely blown away 🙏🏻

[@ErinBookNut]

Travis: OH you BITCH Sam: Oooooh shit. Taliesin: SO FUCKING PROUD.

[@druid_zephyrus]

Taliesin was giddy with dark joy. And his heart grew 3 new tentacles that day.

[@ErinBookNut]

@@druid_zephyrus omg dead. 3 tentacles. Brilliant. He just mouths "you insane motherfucker" at the end with such joy.

[@druid_zephyrus]

@@ErinBookNut a Lovecraftian deity telling you that you are insane with a smile is the greatest praise one can receive.

[@Alteusgirl]

i loved it when Taliesin mouthed "thank you" (not shown here) to Marisha while holding his hand together. He was sooo proud of this.

[@ErinBookNut]

@@druid_zephyrus to make an elder God proud, it is the highest praise from an immortal.

[@thiperativo]

Marisha is a genius and Laudna is my favorite character this campaign, Fearne and Orym are a close second! From the beginning of Episode 1, Laudna was so funny to watch and is a delight to see her referencing such impactul and hurtful moments from Campaign 1 with such ingenuity and originality. Laudna is one of a kind and a very special person... Hope she gets to show more and more of her gentle personality and dark humor.

[@sandeman1776]

I like all the characters this campaign. Couldn't say the same for the first two campaigns. Scanlan, Grog and Percy were great. The others not so much. Then Molly was kinda doomed from the beginning and Fjord was a glass cannon. Yasha and Pike both suffered from Ashley's prior engagement and frequent absences. This campaign stands out because I think all the characters are good. I think Bertrand's death was a planned event for driving plot. Chetney was Travis' real character. I think they all have deep back stories with clearly defined characters. I like how Laudna has a faux Vex accent going on too. She said she was a farmers daughter. What's with the accent? Good detail.

[@Keyflower90]

You have a pretty low bar for genius.

[@thiperativo]

@@Keyflower90 yes I do and thank god...

[@catwhowalksbyhimself]

@@sandeman1776 The accent is the mid-atlantic accent, sometimes called the "old timey" accent you see in old movies and radios. It was an artificial accent once taught in fancy schools that people of a certain social class were expected to be able to speak it. Everyone eventually realized how silly it was and dropped it. Was Vex just using a British accent though? They are similar, but quite distinct.

[@definitelyarealperson248]

I live Orym radiating small person energy. Him looking up at al the giant women propositioning him is always fun to see

[@alvintam8310]

Dunno if its coincidence or not. But having Orym of all people to be the one to hear all this is so poetic man.

[@Pauli919]

Orym is the only one that some waht heard of the storys what vox machina did and distandly knows Laudnas old home. So he is the only one thats gona ask about it. The only thing i wonder ist wo is the Timeline wit Laudna weaking up again. "D" being hear patrion. becorse " D" got in thin timeline away and came back later in the last arc.

[@cryofpaine]

@@Pauli919 my suspicion is that she was awakened by the spell Delilah used to reanimate the zombies in Whitestone. MINOR SPOILERS for the animated series: when Delilah casts her spell turning all of Whitestone's dead into zombies, they make a point of showing the Sun Tree corpses awakening too. But we don't see them after that. They are no longer hanging when VM rendezvous at the Sun Tree. They aren't shown anywhere in the hoard or among the dead zombies. It's strange they would focus on showing them waking up but not being killed. Unless Marisha requested it to illustrate Laudna's awakening. Which makes me wonder - what happened to the others?

[@Pauli919]

@@cryofpaine the series and the stream are more like 2 different time lines. What i wonder more is. Get she hollowed by , like u suggest, a product of a animate dead spell? Or did that whole undead energy somehow merge with her born magic abilitys and she became hollow that way? or became she a hollow one becorse Delilah, her patreon, lifes in her as a parasite? then what was mit Laudna whenn Delilah was not inside her?

[@romxxii]

@@Pauli919 She mentions during Make it Fashion (ep 14?) that she wanted Imogen to research about the Briarwoods, and about hearing dead people in your head a year after they die. That would assume she wasn't aware of D's resurrection and final deadening in the penultimate episode, and thinks she died at the end of the Briarwood arc that was that. If you watch, it's the one time where _only_ Travis reacts and takes notes on it, since as Chetney he was the only one unaware of Laudna's backstory.

[@Pauli919]

@@romxxii i never guessed if Laudna herself knows about "d" getting resurectet. Even if Delilah was with Laudna before she got resurectet. fpr Laudna it could just be a year where Delilah dodnt spoke to her. If Delilah even speaks to her regulary, i dont realy think she would talk much about what she did

[@stega2970]

God this hit me much more than I expected, when Laudna first revealed she died to the Briarwoods I thought she was just some random person in Whitestone who died due to the Briarwoods actions. Yet when she mentioned getting that invitation to the palace from the Briarwoods my face was just like the rest of the cast I thought I was finally done with that gruesome scene after the animated series but I guess not.

[@madjax6613]

I felt the same way, I knew that she died because of something the Briarwoods did, but the fact it was this specific incident, the moment that set the tone for the entire arc, is flipping brilliant. And it also some how even more horrifically tragic, seeing as Whitestone was liberated from the Briarwoods about a week later.

[@Styder111]

Marisha and Liam have such amazing roleplay chemistry. Never a dull moment when those two's characters get together for deep talks.

[@feitocomfruta]

This and Orym’s husband tied for the two biggest lore drops of emotional damage this episode

[@renaissancenerd3801]

I love Matt face when Marisha gives her "the worst thing that's ever happened to me has already happened" line. It's just pure "I am absolutely in love with this woman"

[@Rumkeez]

Laura's reaction is esp. good. She and Marisha must have discussed their character backstories. And they made an animated show together (where Laudna shows up). AND it's very likely that something romantic is developing between Laudna and Imogen. Then she finds out that Laudna is the Vex body on the Sun Tree. The way she looks at Matt and Marisha with a look of betrayal lol!

[@norvtown9743]

I still haven't started or seen almost any of c3 yet but just hearing about this reveal shook me to my core, like imagine coming up with that idea 😭😭 Marisha is too good man

[@The_Bean_Machine_]

I hope those who ever gave Marisha crap for character creation (because there were those who hated Kiki and Beau, and really took that out on Marisha) get a good taste of their medicine with Laudna. Marisha created a deep, wonderful, and dimensional character straight out of the gate. It might have taken Beau and Kiki some time to really shine, but Laudna was a gem from the beginning. Marisha is an amazing voice actress, creator, and player. I hope she is proud of Laudna

[@Mephiston]

Very much this. I've tried to argue with people in youtube comments for years about how she is actually good at what she does, and plays a character so well that people believe that's what she's actually like, and only got abuse back for it. I feel vindicated.

[@logangraham3689]

I dunno why people get on her case when she's also the reason Critical Role has such good production values.

[@Mephiston]

@@logangraham3689 "a woman on the internet dare play their game differently, therefore we must be toxic dicks since we hide behind the anonymity of the internet" more or less.

[@Rook986]

People hated on Keyleth because they thought that's just how Marisha was. She really gets into character and stays in more than anyone at the table. Just watch her as Laudna, she might not even say anything for 20 minutes but she's still using Laudna's mannerisms and expressions nonstop.

[@hkazu63]

@@Rook986 Marisha is purely a character actress, fully immerses herself into her role. It’s what makes her so excellent, really. She lets herself become the character to understand them and play the game as them.

[@twohorsesinamancostume7606]

I find it amazing that Laudna didn't end up being bitter and hateful after all that. She has every reason to be, yet she's genuinely kind to almost everyone she meets.

[@sullenskulls9709]

Maybe she was at first, we don't really know yet. I mean its been what 30+ years since then. That's a lot of time to come to terms with the reality of such a dark event.

[@yavvan_a]

Alright, new theory! Because there's no way Delilah Briarwood would ever be someone's patron for an entire game, eventually, the Hells are going to have to fight some version of her to free Laudna. But when that happens, and that connection is severed, are we going to get to hear Matt tell her a certain Champion's voice reaches out to her, because she reminds him of his sister, and offers to be her new patron??? Because that Champion remembers seeing her hanging from the Sun Tree.

[@CallMeMaddiePie.]

I'm going to be thinking about this every day for the rest of the campaign

[@W417on]

Why do I get the impression you've filled me with hope for an event unlikely to happen now 😅. If it does though we'll played

[@devdanlouisspurlock4726]

@@W417on I don't think The Raven queen would allow that because of her absolute hatred of undead and it took a lot out of her to prolong vax for so long. Laudna wouldn't need a patron to keep going she is a multi-classed sorceress. I think Lady Briarwood has bound Laudna as a warlock until she can free herself. That's why in past episode it's one of the reasons Imogen wanted the library for research. The only one that I know enough about that would be chaotic enough to give patronage to pseudo undead would be Sarenrae.

[@kevincassidy187]

@@devdanlouisspurlock4726 I've been thinking about this for a while. She clearly didn't choose to be a hollow. Whatever the briarwoods did to her she didn't want I can see the queen sympathetic and start her on a path to become a champion. If she was against the idea of hollow ones it would not be a thing. But we know that Blightshore in Wildemount is home to many of them. I'm sure Matt and Marisha have talked about it.

[@mollymauktealeaf]

@@devdanlouisspurlock4726 It's worth pointing out that Hollow Ones aren't technically undead, I haven't read EGtW yet so I don't know if it goes into the Matron's opinion on them but I feel it's an important distinction to draw.

[@mistamemewide]

I love that Ashley was like simply her jaw was dropped on the floor and her eyes widening.

[@renaissancenerd3801]

I love Marisha's smirk when Orym asks about the end, she's so excited to drop this bomb

[@roll4initiative608]

That was, singlehandedly, probably the best dosage of storytelling I've seen in a long time. To take something that was a shock to a group years ago and be able to write it into another gut punch is an immensely difficult but wonderfully executed mark of fiction

[@MidnightClad8]

I went to a theater showing for this episode and I remember it not clicking at first for me but my entire theater damn near erupted when it was finally said lol. When Laudna says her and her family were invited to the Briarwoods castle I was so confused because multiple people were whispering and freaking out. I had no idea what was going on until Liam hit that history check and it all started piecing itself together. KInda ironic when Matt said "Like a shock of lighting in your head you make the connection." Orym and I went through the same thing simultaneously lmao

[@Jonic_P]

Like Liam, I too took a point of Exhaustion listening to that. Partly because, like Taliesin, I couldn't stop watching WIDE EYED.

[@stephenwilliams203]

Wow. Just Wow. I just realized Laudna had a line in the cartoon: "Oh my goodness!"

[@chrislonczak6100]

Stuff like this is why I’m sad I didn’t get into critical role earlier. It’s such an amazing world of interconnected stories and characters that big moments and reveals like this go over my head. Kinda hard to go back through 2 while campaigns to get all the major story points. That said I’m so glad I get to enjoy this campaign from the start and see it through

[@TimStamper89]

I'm literally binging c1 right now. I started with C3. Got interested at back of of c2 but had the same thought. So when they announced c3 I decided to start with that. After the 2nd episode I decided to go back and binge. So glad I did as some of the reveals already including a smaller one at the ball were just fantastically done. I'm almost all the way through c1 now just watching them in-between c3 releases. I highly recommend you do so too.

[@Amplefii]

as someone that got into CR 2/3 through C2 i think the best way to start is watching C2 then going back to C1 and since we have C3 now u can watch that as well.

[@hellsing219]

I love how one of the most f*cked up part of campaign 1 is now a key storyline for campaign 3, they don't leave ANYTHING behind everything have a porpuse and a sense of redemption in critical role, god I love them so much

[@PeteQuaint]

I wonder if the rest of the suntree hanged people also got turned into undead warlocks. An army of undead Vox Machina analog kind of sounds like D's idea of revenge.

[@Celedam]

Probably not. It's implied that Delilah's spell reacted with Laudna's latent magical ability to make her what she is.

[@romxxii]

Depends. If we're still following C1 canon, the sun tree victims were all random people and some of them might still be alive. If TLOVM supplants or retcons C1 canon during the Briarwood arc, then they all got resurrected during the Tide of Bone, but only Laudna survives. She clearly mentions her parents are dead, and in the show two of the victims (I believe the Grog and the Keyleth) are her parents. So either they got got by the villagers, or by Pike's big channel divinity.

[@AnxietyRat]

@@romxxii Matt has confirmed the campaign is the true canon events...LOVM is just a retelling...not the official timeline.

[@grendalsuncle4040]

@@romxxii most likely a mixture of the sun tree and the resurrection spell and I think Delilah meant for the laudna character to be a vessel for her return if she got killed which got messed up and is why Delilah is her warlock patron

[@jacobsmith031]

@@romxxii Laudna explicitly states her parents were left behind though

[@anathem9982]

whether it was intentional or not, I love that Laudna put as much emphasis on describing something as insignificant as what was for dinner in the same level of detail as all the important bits. it shows how desensitized she's become to hat happened, it's just a normal memory to her

[@cjtrules1]

Also you have to remember she was a young girl at the time who lived on the outskirts of Whitestone to pretty poor parents. She didn't have many nice things and definitely wasn't used to the lavish dinners the Lord and Lady of Whitestone would have on the daily. I think a lot of people remember the small details from a traumatic event. I still remember small details from when I almost committed suicide and that was 9 years ago.

[@Heatstruct]

this reminds me of why i love Marisha as a actress and why I absolutely adore Laudna. Marisha always makes one of the most complex characters on the show and Laudna is no exception, hell I'd say Laudna is one of the strongest characters I've seen in the past decade in just character alone.

[@binder38us]

Marisha was awesome. The upbeat telling of ones torture and death was chilling.

[@Jazzyruf]

Taliesins face is priceless he’s just like oh yes oh yes say it yessss. I love our immortal king lol

[@christinajackson2662]

I love observing Matt during moments like these, but this time especially. Knowing HE created Laudna through his storytelling, and now the woman he loves has breathed life back into her… and the gentleness on his face as he watched Marisha embody and grow the poor tragic NPC he used as a passing pawn filled my heart with so many emotions. I wish they still did the post-episode shows where they delved into questions from fans. I would love to hear him talk about his thoughts as he watched his wife. I could see the pride shine in moments, in spite of the sadness of her tale, and it was beautiful. Get you someone who watches you like Matt watches Marisha playing the undead corpse of the NPC girl he killed. It’s so romantic 😏

[@neekolai782]

Well done with this edit/explanation with the cutaways to the amazon show and c1. I couldn't place exactly who she was and this did it super succinctly, down to the clothes. Thanks

[@jacobsmith031]

I think that the creator of this video is wrong though - they seem to be implying that Laudna was Vex's stand in, but she had to be Pike's, because she clearly describes being a child and Pike's was the only girl child.

[@tommibugio]

@@jacobsmith031 Laudna is (was) Vex's stand in as she's the only other child of the family along with the Pike's one. It's not like she grew in her dead body, she would have stayed a child and that child was blond too! :)

[@Slipgatex]

I actually feel like this scene gets sadder each time I watch it. :(

[@BaldursPicketFence]

Firstly I’d like to tell @SpeckoGirl this is one of the best edits for this moment!!Great job!! Love your work. Secondly I love Marisha’s physicality with this character her movement when she talks, like when the pulls her hair back you can imagine a gaunt and palid skin, her undeadness, the unnatural movement of her mannerisms make you feel this is a part of who she is, like she’s lived two lives and this is the one she owns as a living undead is part of her making the best of it. It’s Marisha’s best portrayal for a character so, so good. I am so looking forward to her arc, with all the drama it will entail. It will be cool because her character is crafted so well.

[@cryofpaine]

She's always been so great at embodying her characters, including their physicality. I think that's one reason she got so much hate in C1 - people mistook Keyleth for her, and they disliked Keyleth (for some bizarre reason - she was my favorite). Not the only reason (there was a lot of sexism directed at her too). But I've seen a lot of comments from people who disliked her in C1, but came around in C2 after seeing her in a very different character.

[@cryofpaine]

And I really hope the "drama it will entail" at some point includes Orym taking them to Zephrah, and Keyleth getting to meet her. I imagine Keyleth would have never forgotten that face (especially if Laudna was her effigy). We were robbed of a crossover moment in C2. I really hope it happens here. And I really hope Marisha plays both roles.

[@romxxii]

Her performance has really separated "Marisha, class clown down for shenanigans" with "Laudna, undead Warlock under Delilah Briarwood's thumb." You can tell when she's goofing off, or being in character in the moment, or goofing off _as_ the character (e.g. when Chet was asking Imogen for a kiss but got one from Laudna instead.)

[@SpeckoVids]

Thank you for the kind words

[@takingflight7656]

I agree. In my opinion, this is her best performance yet and I really enjoy this character. It's been great to see her grow over these campaigns as a player and the character she develops.

[@Ari_C94]

Someone mentioned on Twitter that Laudna represents Keyleth’s worst fears about herself, that in trying to do good Kiki and VM were only cause more destruction and I wholeheartedly agree. Holy s*it, Marisha is a genius! She constantly delivers good characters, but Laudna is top tier holy hells

[@Mephiston]

See this is why I have always respected Marisha's characters. Each one is a facet of herself that she wants to explore. Keyleth was youthful innocence and arrogance, beau was the brashness of youth and perceived expectations of how she was supposed to navigate through life, and now we get to see her explore her fears for the ramifications of her actions, and the actions of others.

[@Drekromancer]

@@Mephiston You put your finger on something I've always struggled to describe. But that's exactly why Marisha's characters speak to me so deeply. Well fucking said.

[@bessieburnet9816]

Yes. It will always be Keyleth with Marisha. Beau was a little break. Just a breath of fresh hair. But it will always come back to Keyleth in the end.

[@jacobmcglue5996]

This reminds me of way back when Marisha was playing in a one shot with Orion Acaba, and in the end of it she revealed she had been playing as the old lady that Tiberius brutally murder with a spinning telekinesis sword. Marisha is a genius.

[@nicholasp6455]

You can judge how much of an effect it has by the prominence of their cheekbones

[@karencollins1356]

Tals reaction though it ,he looks so happy !

[@jessaw8160]

He's literally beaming with pride at her extremely dark backstory, as any true Dark Lord would.

[@Crit_Cat_82]

This is such a great edit. Thank you for putting it together.

[@nicolebush6926]

The look of pride on Matt's face when his wife mindfuked the cast with her reveal. I was like "WTF!?" and "Wow! That happened." When I watched this.

[@chaoticwhenever1457]

I love how Tal is just in the corner having war flashbacks

[@PunkiePieGames]

Such an amazing character reveal, and your supercut of all the moments really helps compile the things that have led up to this for years!

[@Malicious_Hero]

I would love to see a moment where Orym introduces Laudna to Keyleth. "She was one of the people hanging from the tree in that story you told me about"

[@painappledad1352]

As a person who has been killed (bye a car) then resuscitated (in the ambulance) just to be tortured (in the hospital, by the night shift "nurses") 5 days. Marisha's way to talk about Laudna experience is on point, the flashes of memories, the cero pain in the last moments of being alive (at the sun tree) the "I can be happy cuz I have face something terrible already". I really love how they portrait mental and physical health in their characters (Liam with Caleb's past, Matt's npc Dagen a Dwarf Hunter in a f*ing wheelchair) it makes me cry like a river everytime for different reasons, but also helps me with my mental scars (cuz ofc I have PTSD after that BS). It's really nice and helpful have some representation when you have been through terrible sht, cuz at least in my experience it helps you to heal and let go of some mental burden just by seeing other "ppl" trauma and their resolutions [Sry about my English, I learned a little by seeing television as a child, and I am from Chile, South America]

[@Eldritch.Eve0]

Cuando vi este capítulo lloré tanto con esta parte, me llegó mucho también. Es increíble como Marisha pudo retratar la sensación de forma tan cercana. Espero que hoy te encuentres mejor.

[@Sam-rv5bd]

THIS this moment right here is the one moment I wish I could relive for the first time again. Marisha you absolute genius

[@Alteusgirl]

EMMOTIONAL DAMAGE! i stumbled on the live right when this was happening because i was up super early for my time.. and god i cried so hard... this was made brilliantly! It shook me so much i had to wake up my partner at 6am for a hug XD

[@Imaginativewisp]

Really appreciate you putting this together! I Iove the sprinkle of flashbacks

[@cartoonraccoon2078]

I usually don't like it when people just post clips of other shows, but you put some effort into pieceing together the callbacks, and made a nice, informative and emotional video.

[@DoctorMcHerp]

Sam's like "Ooo yikes, we kinda indirectly caused that didn't we"

[@BruceForrest]

This was the moment Laudna became my all time favourite CR player character...

[@mcjes16]

Thank you for pulling out only everyone else's reactions.

[@JDWindtPlaysGuitar]

"The worst thing that's ever happened to me, already happened".... Marisha's delivery of that line hits like a fucking semi straight in the feels

[@chromegaman]

Laudna revealing this is a complete reversal on the group from the Keyleth's Mom reveal last campaign.

[@FormerlyDavid]

Best moment of Campaign Three so far, in my opinion. I retroactively wish I'd been in a theater for it.

[@shaneflores5657]

The whole time, I'm just looking at Laura's expressions.

[@benking5526]

So now Laura is playing Imogen who is (maybe?) in a relationship with Laudna who was murdered and mutilated to look like Vex. That's super twisted and I love it. Marisha consistently creates favourite characters in everything I see her in - C1, 2 and now 3, the Nautilus Ark one-shot, the Elden Ring one-shot, UnDeadwood...

[@bigbundle3223]

Could've been Keyleth. Would be some horrific meta narrative shit for Marisha.

[@druid_zephyrus]

@@bigbundle3223 chances are slim, imo. The person made to look like Keyleth did have red paint added to their hair, but Laudna was more likely representative of Vex. Laudna did not reference the paint nor the antlers of branches that were described for the "Keyleth" corpse. Could have been Vax too, but more likely to be feminine to feminine, if I had to guess.

[@TrulyAndCompletely]

@@bigbundle3223 it's possible, but seems more likely to have been Vex, given how the villagers were arranged when they arrived versus how we see them in the tree. It looked like the lady standing next to a young boy was Keyleth. And I kind of doubt Imogen & Laudna are in a romantic relationship. I think they're just very dear friends, like sisters, the way they talk. Very comfortable saying they love each other, but still express interest in, like, dating.

[@cryofpaine]

@@druid_zephyrus the paint & antlers didn't leave any lasting scars. Those would be minor details.

[@benking5526]

@@bigbundle3223 I'm pretty sure she was Vex. In the LoVM series you can see a woman with dark hair and a woman with red hair, and later we see them each strung up to look like Vex and Keyleth respectively. Odds are the woman with dark hair was Laudna, given the similarities with her current appearance in C3.

[@darthbek]

I was fortunate enough to see this in the theater, and the collective gasp and holy shit from the crowd was chilling. We all kind of realized it at the same time and it hit hard.

[@Biscuits514]

Great job putting this together! I connected the dots during the broadcast but it's nice to have it all wrapped up with a bow in a 5 minute video! Thank you!

[@danielstephens1185]

Brilliant long-game work, Marisha! I would guess she's had this in mind for Laudna either since campaign 1 or TLoVM. Either way, so out of the blue it actually swats everyone upside the head. Different emotions, but same words: "Are you f***ing kidding me?!"

[@paulrundle5432]

This was a well-done and necessary video.

[@rosarioby612]

Did anyone else cry when this moment happened? It just kind of hit me so unexpectedly when I saw it. I'd watched the show the week before so it was still fresh on my mind, and then the music playing in the background just got me in the gut and the next thing I knew I was choking on tears. Orym's reveal was very sad also, but Laudna's stole the show for me.

[@shelbykutil9743]

I mean come on! Imagine writing up your character and having that in your background and not being able to tell people right away! Like, I would just be itching to tell anyone, everyone, but not doing so for the reveal! And oh what a reveal it was. I can just see Matt’s response when she tells him her character. That’s how you make a character a few campaigns into the same world!

[@highwind6325]

I know there’s some incredible RP here. I just wanted to point out that I LOVE how she says “lobsters” lol

[@canadianh3r070]

I want to see video of theatre audience reaction in real time with this AMAZING reveal.

[@joshuaford6700]

I love how orym gets pissed on laudnas behalf.

[@leshrac369]

I love Sam's excited giggling through this as it goes on. He's SO into it!

[@gabebaum6527]

Hands down the best edit of this moment I've seen, such a dramatic moment, made more so with the cuts to Campaign 1 and LOVM

[@Striker_2]

I’ve finally started catching up. And I was in total shock this episode

[@backontrackdeno]

Imagine that we thought, that it actually was the worst thing that happened to Laudna...

[@johnbowen2496]

God that is such a freaking addition to her background. Especially her connection to legend of vox machina.

[@JavascriptJack]

I love Liam so much . so . much . his heart-felt words get right to my core .

[@foolslayer9416]

I can't express this enough as to how monstrous the Briarwoods were and how glad I am that they're all dead. The only good thing that has ever come out of the Briarwoods' tyranny is Laudna.

[@katlero28]

Matt has struggled calling on Laura as Laudna instead of Imogen for the majority of this campaign. I think it’s because Laudna was Vex’s double so in Matt’s mind she looks closer to Laura and Matt keeps slipping up, knowing the back story.

[@Drekromancer]

Just couldn't keep a secret, could he? The magnificent bastard.

[@IntrinsicEpiphany]

it could also be how similar the names are. Laura... Laudna

[@deffdefying4803]

or, hear me out: it's because laudna sounds like laura.

[@theDUDE-n4l]

I keep thinking the de Rollo kids are gonna show up to capture Laudna/Delilah and take them back to whitestone.

[@PaulGuy]

"The worst thing that's ever happened to me has already happened." Good lord, that's messed up. But also amazingly self-aware and accepting.

[@jesterssketchbook]

Oof - noun - see: this scene

[@aaronspencer5173]

This is just a very well cut video presenting the scale of this scene. Bravo.

[@crowflight719]

I find watching this now quite fun now that we have episode 37 where Laudna is hanging from the same tree yet again. This is what you call a really long plot. I like it. Thanks Critical Role.

[@AnimeWolf5193]

I'm noticing a lot of these guys have connections to past ganes. I wonder if that's a theme for everyone.

[@Michael-bn1oi]

Now that they are building a franchise, yeah. Only makes sense to make characters that will get anyone that hasn't seen the show to see the show.

[@chrisnewman2737]

I don't think it's so much a deliberate tie-in as much as they get ideas for future characters during previous campaigns. I'm pretty sure Sam got the idea for FCG from the Aeor arc in campaign 2. Travis always wanted to play a werewolf and Liam always wanted to play a halfling. The main theme I've noticed is that their characters are getting further from "standard D&D PC" with each campaign. Like maybe as they get more familiar with the campaign world they start coming up with weirder character ideas. Laudna and Orym are the only ones we know for sure have a C1 connection, and it's to a degree that an appearance by any member of Vox Machina will never be necessary.

[@hcdhcdhcd41]

IMO the slight trickling of piano music in the background made this moment even better.

[@NikoliBearcrusher]

So I have only caught bits and pieces of Campaign 3 because tbh I'm still making my way through campaign 2. But wow, what an amazing concept for a character.

[@daniellucas5522]

I genuinely wonder if marisha would have played laudna if they hadn't been reviewing campaign 1 for the animated show.

[@Ghost-Mom]

I think that can be said for a lot of campaign 3. Campaign 2 was so far removed from Campaign 1, untill closer to the end where we got a few references, even met a character or two from it but that was it. Campaign 3 has been rolling around in a giant vox machina puddle since the start. There's been almost too many call backs and characters, or player-character connections to campaign 1 that it almost feels a little forced. Not a big criticism, I'm still along for the ride, but it's obvious that their work on the animated series 110% is the reason for it.

[@QuestionQuestionMark]

@@Ghost-Mom I finished a game that had gone on for 3.5 years 1-20ish. And it’s all in a shared world with 6 other games I run, you’d be surprised at just how much impact high level players have in a world and furthermore how incredibly is it is. For all of these world changing events to affect the every day person. My players literally freed the leylines of magic in my world, suffusing the world with the magic it was always meant to have. Then they found out the reason why, it took all of the material planes leylined magic to seal away a great evil that would go on to shatter the sky. Needless to say I also have a calendar for my world, and when my other 5 games reached that date. They heard the sky shattering, followed by ripping arcane leylines that went across the sky. Literally 1 high level group impacted several other games in various parts of the world to their knowledge or maybe even not. Some characters want to go to where the leylines are coming from, which would take the, to Alvdekraud the elderforge of the prime plane where two previous players became….you see what I getting at here? It may seem forced but in actuality when you have demigods going around and changing a world, it has affects. And characters being in a post high level player game will feel nearly every single one. It’s what happens when you set out to change the world in a D&D game, you impact people if that world for generations to come.

[@Goomyx1492]

@@Ghost-Mom Vox Machina also had a far greater effect on the world than the Mighty Nein did, so it's pretty unavoidable that the ripples would start to surface more and more as time continues to pass.

[@NathanielTavington]

@@Ghost-Mom I disagree that it's forced, to me (as a DM myself) it feels more like Matt was probably going through his old DM notes because of the show and thought "Ohhh that's riiiight I gotta do that!!!" Because honestly that's what I find myself doing a lot in my campaigns lol.

[@iaredoge1971]

A little late to the party but I remember hearing in an interview somewhere that matt explicitly steered everyone away from tying their stories in with Vox machina during campaign two because he didn't want them to be too explicitly linked. But when it came time to go into campaign 3 he trusted them with a little bit more leeway with it. Marisha has said that the inspiration for laudna came from a nightmare she had, which very well could have been influenced by some stage of the production of the animated series. Liam has also mentioned that Orym was actually a backup character for campaign one that never got used because vax made it to the final episode. He wanted a character that was linked specifically to keyleth for ease of integration (and my personal speculation is that he wanted his new character to also have an emotional attachment to her, Liam seems to be a particularly emotionally driven player). Also within the most recent episodes we've definitely seen Tie ins with campaign two as well. One of the things that I love personally about critical role is how intertwined everything is. It's all one big universe. ♥️

[@VivaLaDnDLogs]

And that settles it, Laudna is my favorite character of this group. I adore her dark humor and the way Marisha roleplays her undead nature, but this? Holy shit that is some *powerful* backstory.

[@jcnorn]

Taliesin looking so very proud of Marisha at the end

[@windyforecast2091]

This is the best!! Such an amazing idea! My jaw was on the floor!

[@AlasdairGR]

And now we're coming full circle.

[@TheyCallMeCarg]

I'm imagining some kind of anti-Bell's-Hells being set up near the campaign's end game. A returned Delilah, Dusk, Oltgar, Dancer, the figure from Imogen's dreams, etc... all led by Eshteross who Matt has somehow twisted into the BBEG.

[@majones117]

Marissa is on another level this game, holy shit

[@Leada]

thanks for editing the video this way, so newbies like me can enjoy those references even more :)

[@dragonettiification]

We better visit Taldorei this camp if for anything for vex or Keyleth to see Laudna and have a hardcore PTSD flashback to the sun tree. If this was Oryms second had reaction imagine the person she died for and their reaction.