remember the reason for the treason

she/her AuDHD bi. 35+. JustNap on ao3 & discord. here mainly to scream about critical role. spoilers for mighty nein animated & critical role campaign 4 are inevitable. Moderate chance of reblogging adult content so please kindly unfollow if you’re a minor ❤️ also idk what a queue is and i will continually reblog the same shit because my short term memory is ass, enjoy

[justnap]

hello this blog is full of spoilers for campaign 2 of critical role and by extension the mighty nein animated. look out!

it’s also super full of Essek reblogs though if you like Essek and don’t mind enormous spoilers

oh also i have a discord server for ADULTS (over 18 years of age) who are still unwell about campaign 2, especially but not exclusively re: wizards. message me to join if you are chill, keep your drama in DMs, and generally have a solid sense of personal accountability.

we are very much open to all kinds of shipping tho so if that isn’t your deal it is not the place for you.

[konoha77-d20]

The Strange Little Life of Professor Caleb and Tiny Essek Series

Thanks to one of Aeor’s outrageous spells, Essek has been turned into three tiny little versions of himself.

Caleb had a very strange day. Good night.

[hazure-cyan]

extremely random Essek, but i think i ate

[essektheylyss]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Rating: M Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Characters: Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss

Summary:

Since leaving the Folding Halls, Essek has kept a hand on Caleb at all times. It takes him a while to notice.

[notsoangrybabsarts]

“when I said don’t go where I can’t follow, I meant it both ways”

inspired by Lucidian Rim because I got absolutely obsessed with this fic and AU

[banana-ge-ge]

"Gone yet not forgotten."

This is such a widofjord moment for me 🤲🧡💚

[yamina-chan]

I just talked about this on Discord and apparently, I'm not the only one who didn't notice this, so I'll talk about it here too. xD

I feel like I didn't quite make my perception check before now. *facepalm* Too distracted by the mental picture to pay attention to what was in front of me, haha.

So I was looking at everyone's costumes again because everyone was dressed up so amazingly. And I didn't quite notice during the show or while watching the VOD a week later that we have a case of matching gloves here until just a few moments ago. (I noticed both had those kinds of gloves which I thought was cool because those kinds of gloves are cool, but somehow I failed to see that it was the same kind. xD)

It's the little things.

[fethawit]

The Venn diagram is not a circle, but it's really, really close.

[lemxioz]

Shadowgast sketch!!!!!! Inspired by this One-Shot: Closing the Distance

The Berlin Live show was SO GOOD, I am now totally obsessed with these two again.

[ariadne-mouse]

a wild blink-and-miss-it moment from Projekt Funball is the reveal that (if we take puzzleconstruct!Caleb at his word) during the time Trent was in prison Caleb was visiting him to talk to him: "Listen to me, you old vulture. Just because I have come to offer you conversation a handful of times doesn't afford you any form of closeness or kinship."

This is fine and normal. And also funny, considering that up until his escape, Trent could not speak due to the arcane silencing collar attached to his neck with sovereign glue. So I guess Caleb would visit and just. brood and monologue at him, unless Trent was afforded a pen. Mr. Nastygram post-it notes

[ariadne-mouse]

While I'm talking about understated moments from the liveshow, let's talk about Frumpkin. Caleb notably frees Frumpkin from familiarhood at the end of Campaign 2, before the timeskips, after the Mighty Nein have just battled Trent Ikithon at the Blooming Grove. In his brief Campaign 3 appearance, Caleb says, "Well, it has been a number of years since we've had Frumpkin along." That's the most recent in-game mention of him. It's very possible that there was an offscreen reunion sometime between then and now, but I like the idea that there wasn't. Because that means that here in Projekt Funball, having not called on him in the years since their farewell, Caleb is in trouble and he desperately and instinctively reaches out to his dear once-familiar: "FRUMPKIN I NEED YOU!" And instantly Frumpkin is there, like nothing has changed. We don't know the exact circumstances, but I like to think an echo of their old link is still there even if the obligation is not, and so when Frumpkin comes this time it is of his own accord, as a friend who has heard the panicked cry of someone he loves.

The corrupted tower scene of Caleb's childhood at his family's cottage also gives Frumpkin what might be his very first look at the original Frumpkin, who is his namesake and the exact shape of the wound in Caleb's heart that a familiar was first meant to fill. Liam narrates Frumpkin looking at his shadowy original in particular: "Frumpkin, sitting on your shoulder, sits up at attention and cocks his head." This is firstly Liam helping the players understand that this scene is of is Bren's childhood, since OG Frumpkin is there, but it also serves as a genuine reaction. Jester asks, "Is that you, Frumpkin?" and the previously vocal Frumpkin says nothing. And then he watches OG! Frumpkin burn. Woof. (meow?).

There wasn't time in the liveshow format to really sit with his presence, but I like to think this is the start of a new rapport & that we may possibly see Frumpkin again in future Caleb Widogast appearances.

[spider-biscuits]

“Do you remember how to do this? No? Then shut the fuck up.” -Hot Boi Door-Holding Thelyss

—

yes I ran to draw this as soon as I heard the line

[ariadne-mouse]

inspired by this post, I have drawn an essek with my non-dominant hand. as soon as I drew his expression I knew it had to be taxi essek

[essektheylyss]

If Projekt Funball has taught us anything it's that Essek can never be a PC because Essek is simply not beholden to the laws of the Kryn Dynasty, physics or D&D mechanics.

[komaeda-nagayto]

training Volstrucker!Caleb watching Beau and Fjord dance and Beau thinks Caleb wants to fuck HER? DUde it's FJORD LIKE WE KNOW HE HAD A THING FOR FJORD BACK WHEN THEY FIRST MET LIKE WHAT BEAUREGARD HE CLOCKED YOU FOR BIG LESBIAN IMMEDIATELY HE WANTS TO FUCK FJORD

[widogast-ta]

Essek, whose partner is in mortal danger, but his pride has been wounded: ok first of all he minors in dunamancy at best. Second I taught him that shit-

[kafkas-brainworm]

Remember during c2, when Matt was like: "…he [Essek] is even smarter than you", and Liam just winked at him, unbothered? It's so funny that this is still the energy.