The Legend of Vox Machina - 2x11 - Episode 11 Reaction - Belly of the Beast

[@MACReact]

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[@carlotacosta9193]

Still in awe of the Matron of Ravens' design

[@TheStoweaway]

it makes me really excited for the Stormlord, Wildmother, and Uk’otoa (and maybe Sehir as well) designs during the dream sequences of M9. Kord’s face in the clouds? gods it’s gonna be so cool.

[@ms-literary6320]

She reminds me of Hexadecimal from Reboot but more Venetian style mask. Her scene was one of my favourites in the whole show.

[@AlmostOtaku7]

Very "Mommy, sorry, mommy, sorry, mommy-" vibes XD

[@tariqshort4025]

@@AlmostOtaku7 goth mommy

[@crystalfire5564]

@@ms-literary6320Oh good comparison! I really love her design.

[@I.Lostalim]

I really love this plotline for Vax, as with the meeting with Purvon in the tomb, it's all about seeing as death as something neither good nor bad, but simply accepting it as inevitable. The Matron's design is so beautiful too, really loving it. The fate touched part of it was also said to be a gift to Liam from Matt as he was going through some big personal things as well - so beautifully wholesome. This first encounter with Umbrasyl is almost perfect to the stream, a few irrelevant changes, and is a great example of what happens when you let a party of D&D players come up with a ridiculous plan and just roll with it 😆

[@riolkin]

Sam has made some amazing plays over the years, and I still think placing an immovable rod inside a dragon to keep it grounded was pure inspired genius.

[@ShadowyFox_86]

Now you see exactly how Ripley got in with the Briarwoods. I adore how they did the Matron in this episode. Liam (Vax's player) was going through his mother having terminal cancer at this point. He wasnt enjoying the game at all, later calling that point in time "heavy on top of heavy." This explanation changed the whole game for him and became part of an arc that helped him through the darkest period of his life. Those dark visions happened because of a barrier that separates the gods from the mortal world called the Divine Gate. Only in temple rituals (or as a cleric like Pike or paladin like Lady Kima) can you directly commune. She had been trying to get him to come talk to her.

[@JnEricsonx]

Having lost my dad from cancer when I was, oh, 14, Jesus I wanna give Liam a hug. Maybe at NYCC I'll get the chance, or at least shake his head!

[@johnobrien7562]

"Don't end there"! They are maddeningly good with the cliffhangers, aren't they? It felt fast, but we got the Scanlan/Kaylie encounter, Vax and the Matron of Ravens, and then the planning for the ambush, along with the fight. A season 3 was announced last year, with the confirmation that they needed at least 2 seasons to tell the Chroma Conclave arc. And things are gonna get even more intense.

[@JnEricsonx]

True, but this was 9 hours ago, all they had to do was click next episode! We didn't have that luxury!

[@Caiothewwe4]

The Chroma Conclave arc is the longest arc in campaign 1, so thankfully they had confirmed a third season for it last year.

[@mr.stuffdoer8483]

I’m hoping S3 and Might Nein aren’t affected by the strike.

[@OptionZero]

If you’d like to learn more about the Matron of Ravens, as well as the nature of divinity generally in this world (like why there’s magic at all), I highly recommend a short, ten min vid called “Exandria: An Intimate History”, narrated by Matt Mercer with fancy art and charts. It will explain why she’s so important And if you want to delve into live play, there’s a 20 hour, 4 part miniseries called Exandria Unlimited: Calamity that takes place 1,000 years before and is probably the best dnd play you’ll ever see streamed anywhere. It’s also non spoiler, so you can jump right in

[@theanyktos]

Just gonna second all of that

[@CliffSedge-nu5fv]

I've only seen clips of the live tabletop game, but Sam's improv acting during these scenes was powerful. Almost as good as a bard's lament.

[@davidphilpott2487]

Remember that most dragons can transform to look like humanoids.

[@rhokesh4391]

In the campaign, the sword was actually an Immovable Rod, a DnD item that can't be moved by anything once activated. Meaning, it was blunt ;)

[@tycol322]

Actually it can be but it takes 8000lbs (I think. Might be 5000) of force to budge it

[@cloudstone123]

I like how you fell for Scanlan's story.

[@djcowell91]

Good prediction for the start of next episode! And I suggest paying attention to the introduction again after this episode. Thanks for the fun reactions!

[@johna6352]

Agreed...the intro credits take on new meanings after this episode.

[@tlaragihai5953]

I loooove your excitement!! Luckily there *will be* a season three. Fun fact: this is exactly how the episode ended in the campaign, with three members of the party being dragged away by Umbrasyl :D Classical CR cliffhanger :D Wow, I never thought that Ripley still has her spying orb and the implications this fact carries, and Madison just said it. Wow. (Anna Ripley is an awful person, somebody stop her please). The moment with Vax and the Matron is my favourite in the whole season, and even the original scene from the stream I love not as much as this one. I`ve lost a dear relative before the show came out and this scene really helped me in that moment. It is so... full of beauty, hope and inspiration. I am so happy it exists and people watch it♥

[@ryanotorpedo]

Matt announced that they couldnt fit the entire chroma conclave in one season so they announced season 3 was greenlit

[@AL-cc3mj]

Vax’s near immediate you win after scanllen said he was a father is such a funny quick moment

[@CliffSedge-nu5fv]

Liam is a master of emotional dialogue.

[@timemonkey]

If everything goes well there should be around five seasons in total: one for each main arc from the campaign. Of course they could easily stretch that to more if they have the time and money.

[@GameMasterToolbox]

Season 3 was approved in the planning stages of season 2.

[@JnEricsonx]

And I was at NYCC last year before season 2 when Matt announced season 3! We all flipped out. And now with the whole CR crew being back this year again doing autographs and the like, oh yeah, I bought a extra ticket real quick!

[@TenebrousFilms]

Kaylie had every intention of killing Scanlan, until Sam rolled persuasion in the 30s, and Matt rolled a natural one on her attack. The Raven Queen wasn't acting as a reaper in the livestream, but we saw her in this version, in Emon when the dragons attacked... so everyone from season one should already have moved on. Including those characters pulled me out of it, a bit. Visions are a thing because you can't just talk to gods. For some, deep meditation is enough. The Betrayers might require a violent act or bloody sacrifice to get their attention. The god of death needs the supplicant to be dying, and drowning is easiest (as is surviving it). Vax originally communed with the Matron in her temple in Vassalheim, so this was more dramatic. On a similiar note, they originally teleported into Umbrasyl's stomach and used an immovable rod, but this was even more amusing. The livestream ended at the exact same point; some of them wanted to keep going, but others had work.

[@hhylobates4098]

Yeah the way theyve changed Vaxs champion plot it a bit off putting. Really leaning into the fate thing and not so much the choices he makes which is the whole point of being fate-touched, you make your own destiny. The way its been framed here makes it look like he was always meant to become some kind of reaper? When that's not at all what his journey was about.

[@GeirenKuzunoha]

you really need to watch Sam's speech in the live play...it's actually better than his speech here..also the tavern name is important too, and thats all i shall say about that

[@suntiger745]

Technically, the plan to trap Umbrasyl worked. It's just that he was considerably more powerful than they had anticipated and they couldn't *keep* him trapped. An interest aspect of Scanlan that is more pronounced in the animation is that he has been so focused on pleasure, (eros) that it hasn't occurred to him to look for familial love (agape and/or storge). He is developing stronger bonds with Vox Machina as well (philia), but it is consistently kids and paternal feelings (with him not even realize that that is what they are, until now) that pushes Scanlan to make himself a better person, or face his fears. Even in the first episode, when they find the ruined village, Scanlan is the first to voice actually going after the dragon. He doesn't show it as much, especially not compared to Vax'ildan, who wears his heart of his sleeve most of the time, but the death of the kids really hit him. Also, Grog making sure the Bloodaxe isn't sentient is very similar to the campaign, and just as funny. :D The Matron of Ravens has tried to communicate with Vax'ildan, but due to the Divine Gate it isn't so easy for them to communicate clearly until a strong (and willing) bond is established. That's why Pike had to go to the Astral Plane in season one, and why Vax had to go to the temple and enter a part of the Raven Queen's domain through the blood pool. It's also why Pike is granted a vision in season 2. With her bond to the Everlight being stronger, she can communicate with her more easily and more clearly. This is slightly different from how the campaign handled the deities, but it works better for the animation. There's not as much time to go into how and why the communication and powers with and from the gods work.

[@thefiendish186]

I just checked 30 Minutes ago if I missed an episode, but here we go! :D