so cr released another little look at the m9 animated show and these shots stunned me. absolutely beautiful. i know it's basic color theory, but the way rosohna is in such stark cold colors, and dark, and rexxentrum is practically blindingly warm colors. night and day. except that the empire as day (sometimes seen as imagery for good) is really a harsh sunset, not a peak of noon. it is a dying, brutal, & corrupted nation that claims to be good against "monsters" but itself is beyond tainted. oh my god the faith i have in this series for that, i love that
Note: the poll only allows for 12 options so this only has cities that are currently populated, reside on/in Exandria, and exist on the prime material plane. I'll do a separate poll for major cities outside of that criteria later, though!
[Please consider reblogging to help increase sample size! 🗳🐦⬛]
This is dangerous to write because I'm a bit behind in C3 but I feel relatively safe that The Chained Oblivion isn't a major player in C3. I don't think they're secretly Predathos or the Luxon. (haha watch me be completely wrong lol. If the answer is revealed post C3 ep 86 shhhhh! No spoilers in general, don't be a dick.)
Ok so we know The Chained Oblivion is bound at the bottom of the Abyss by 6 shackles tethered to various points in Exandria. Their locations are a closely guarded internal secret of clergy of the Dawnfather and the Knowing Mistress. We know the location of one in Rexxentrum from C2. My question is, how much do you want to bet one of the shackle's fanes is in Whitestone? lol.
In C1 Matt used to tease them, and us by extension, with the Sun Tree by saying that the Sun Tree may know a LOT of information, but they were asking the wrong questions. That's been in my mind this whole time. What does Matthew McConatree know?!?! Well, the Sun Tree is a tree sacred to The Dawnfather, and rests at the intersection of powerful Ley Lines. The tree was there before the city, in fact, they built the city around the tree. The tree was planted during the Calamity directly over The Knowing Mistresses' Ziggurat temple, and the location of her wounding. We never fully got an answer as to WHY the Sun Tree is there! Is the Sun Tree just watching over the scene of the final battle or is it something more? In fact in C1 ep 70 at (3:10:35) Matt says that Keyleth senses the Ley Lines shoot off in SIX different directions! SIX! The Chained Oblivion is held by SIX chains!!!!!! COINCIDENCE?!?! I THINK NOT!!!! (Ok maybe it is, but still, Matt is ridiculously detailed in his world building, I wouldn't put it past him!)
Whitestone is so fucking cursed. It was messed up long before the Briarwoods got there, they just made it worse. It's where the final battle between The Chained Oblivion, The Knowing Mistress, And The Dawnfather started, The Ziggurat was her temple before it was corrupted, it's where she was wounded (I saw a theory somewhere that the raw essence in Whitestone's rock that can be refined into residuum is actually The Knowing Mistress' blood, which is genius, whoever came up with that, I think you are absolutely correct! That's so damn cool! It has SOMETHING to do with their battle, that much is for sure, what else could it be from?)
The battle ended in Gatshadow, so that's another candidate. Gatshadow is cool, and another important place from C1, but if I had to put money on it, I feel like Whitestone is just one of those places that never catches a break lol. Also Percy's family were originally followers of the Dawnfather (if I remember correctly). The city is a Dawnfather leaning city, Vex is a/the champion of the Dawnfather, which I hope C3 subtly develops further if only in the background. I feel like, of those who were war time converts to fight Vecna, Vex would probably take her duties as Champion most seriously especially considering her position in Whitestone and its relation to the Dawnfather. I'd love to see some Champion of the Dawnfather Vex'ahlia in later C3. (Again don't tell me if it happens).
If Gatshadow was super important strategically, you'd think The Dawnfather would have left a Sun Tree there to keep watch. Maybe he did and we just haven't run across it yet? Seems like we would have seen it on our way to fight Umbrasyl but you never know. They should check the Cobalt Soul library and see if there are any other Sun Trees in Exandria or if Whitestone is it. (The Cobalt Soul, who's favored deity is the Knowing Mistress, someone high up there definitely knows where the chain fanes are!) On second though that's probably way too obvious, having a Sun Tree in each location. They should figure out what other powerful symbols/ followers/ creations of The Dawnfather and The Knowing Mistress there are and look for those! Sphinx's and Sun Trees are only the start. This'll totally be important in Campaign 4 or 5 or 27! Matt plays the long game! He's mentioned The Chained Oblivion too many times for it to not come up again eventually. After the shenanigans around the Angel of Iron's cult and Obaan, and Aeor, Cognoza, the Somnovum, The Eyes of Nine, all that Jazz.
With nothing preventing it from influencing people even from the bottom of the Abyss, it'll happen again. So even if it's just an eternal game of whack-a-mole we'll be seeing their influence somewhere, somehow, at some point lol. "No! Bad! Quit influencing mortals from your prison in the Abyss! Bad Eldritch Abomination, the form of which, were I to look upon it, my sanity would melt into a gibbering puddle of goo! Stop That! Stay!
god guys. I've been so obsessed with the way titmouse has built and colored and shaded places i never really knew about or had stock in but guys. the team that brought us motherfucking whitestone and vasselheim bringing us ZADASH??? REXXENTRUM???
ROSOHNA????? MOTHERFUCKING ROSOHNA????? i will not apologize for the person i become when we get titmouse's rosohna. you KNOW they are going to go apeshit with the lighting there. the lucid bastion???? the THRONE ROOM (leylas kryn animated incident every single person injured and dead because she's too fucking beautiful)????? essek's lab and tower 🥺🥺🥺 the markets 🥺🥺🥺 the marble tomes 🥺🥺🥺 THE XHORHAUS???????
like if they are having so much fun with vasselheim i cannot WAIT until we get their take on this city of perpetually night, half underground mushroom caverns, all lit by green magelight, the tree in the xhorhaus glimmering on the skyline like i KNOW i will be sobbing
Ank'Harel, Marquet: Ank’Harel, the Jewel of Marquet, is a large city in the Rumedam Desert. It is a bustling metropolis known for its mysterious ruler, J’mon Sa Ord. Vox Machina visited the city during the Chroma Crisis, to seek help and resources.
image from the postcard merch by pretty useful co
Rexxentrum, Wildemount: Rexxentrum is the capital of the Dwendalian Empire. It is a massive metropolis, the political centre of the Empire, an economic hub and the base of operations for the Cerberus Assembly. There is also a prominent Archive for the Cobalt Soul. Between that and the Cerberus-run Soltryce Academy, a renowned school of magic, Rexxentrum is seen as a centre of learning. Although not originally from here, the Mighty Nein’s Caleb Widogast lived here for several years. The Mighty Nein’s involvement in the war between the Empire and the Kryn Dynasty eventually brought them to Rexxentrum.
Hi. So, I was contemplating whether or not LoVM's design for Anna Ripley would look anything like Marisha (since the Briarwoods, in all of their glory, look just like Travis and Laura), and in my search for Ripley information, I stumbled upon this lovely post made a long time ago.
So, a few days ago, when I was listening to episodes 68 and 69 of campaign 1, something majorly caught my attention.
They examined Ripley's
The OP's commentary got me thinking, and my brain made quite a few connections between Whitestone, Trent Ikithon, residuum, the Briarwoods and the Vergesson Sanitarium.
And, et viola: a deep dive on Anna Ripley and her effect on Wildemount and the development of residuum as a resource. Idk if all of these connections have already been made somewhere else, but either way I've put them right here in this post.
SPOILERS for EGtW (Explorere Guide to Wildemount) when it comes to details and important figures in Vergesson Sanitarium (pages 109-110, specifically). POTENTIAL SPOILERS for Campaign 2 and Campaign 1.
First, I put together a few excerpts from both canon material and wiki pages for reference. Then I compiled two timelines that have important dates on them -- the first focusing on Ripley/Campaign 1 lore, the second on Ikithon/Campaign 2 lore. Afterward, I put together my own assessment of the information, and also a few final words to cap all of this off. (And theres additional notes at the end, explaining the astericks). Have fun, and feel free to either debunk or expand upon any of this (or drop a link to a person who did it better, lol).
LORE EXCERPTS
Experimentation within the Vergesson Sanitarium - (EGtW): "One of the most trusted allies of [redacted], Doctor Reynold Brueska, has been privately developing an arcane disease to be used... against the Kryn... a majority of the denizens of the Vergesson Sanatirium have been mutated and driven mad by the disease."
Politics related to the Vergesson Sanitarium - (EGtW): "Deep beneath the floors of the estate lie hidden chambers and cells... privately sentenced by Prime Arbitor Syndock Truscan. There [prisoners] are subjected to experiments conducted under the supervision of Master Trent Ikithon of the Cerberus Assembly."
Additionally, on the note of Prime Arbiter Truscan (pg 37): "Syndock has the final say on all matters that do not require the king's attention".
Anna Ripley - (wiki): "Dr. Anna Ripley was originally working for the Dwendalian government, developing military technology in Rexxentrum (the Dwendalian capital). However, she was caught doing illegal human experimentation, attempting to use arcane diseases as the basis for new biological and chemical weapons. Before she could be court-martialed, she fled to Port Damli, where she first met Sylas and Delilah Briarwood."
Additional note: "Dr. Ripley then worked with the Briarwoods to create an acidic compound that would distill whitestone ore into pure residuum."
Residuum (wiki) - "a green dust obtained from whitestone... Although not inherently magical, it is particularly receptive to arcane energies and therefore may be used to create objects that retain more powerful enchantments, perhaps for longer periods of time... it is one of two substances that can be refined into the drug suude... Whitestone is the primary source of residuum... Residuum has also accumulated on the bed of Mooren Lake, downstream from the Alabaster Sierras and Parchwood Timberland."*
TIMELINES
Timeline A - backward moving - visual aid here: The very, VERY beginning of Campaign 1 (ie: Stillben/Liam's birthday one-shot) happens in 809 PD, with Percy also joining the crew in that year. The CR wiki reports the Briarwood occupation of Whitestone to start in 805 PD (with Percy escaping, presumably, in 806 PD). If we give the Briarwoods a years time to make connections and plan the fall of Whitestone, we can place their initial departure from Port Damali/Wildemount to be 804 PD (Briarwood wiki). Anna Ripley's failed court martialling likely happened in 804 PD or 803 PD (Anna's wiki). We dont know how long Ripley was conducting research, though from irl averages when it comes to scientific research/process (link), we can guess that she'd been working with the Dwendalian government from anywhere from two to five years (this the earliest start date being 798 PD, and the latest being 802 PD).
Timeline B - forward moving -wiki event timeline here: As a starting point, Trent Ikithon (wiki) is said in session to be in his late 70s (in 830 PD), making his birthdate earlier than 760 PD. Bertrand Dwendal assumed the throne in 790 PD, meaning Ikithon was in his 30s at the time. Issues with the Kryn Dynasty started being publicized anywhere from 803 to 805 PD (making Ikithon in his 40s or 50s). Ikithon selects the Blumenthal trio as Scourger initiates in 818 PD, relocating them to grounds near the Vergesson Sanitarium. This leaves a 28 year period (since the last power vacuum/shift caused by crowning Bertrand Dwendal) for Ikithon to fully ingrain his will into all of our points of interest: the Soltryce Academy, the Vergesson Sanitarium, the Augen Trust, the Cerberus Assembly, and the Royal Council.
ASSESSMENT
What's awesome/horrid to think about is Anna's potential involvement, or even creation, of the work within the Vergesson Sanitorium. She was already working for the Dwendalian government at the time, and MM said her work was specifically based on "illegal human experimentation" and "arcane diseases as... new biological and chemical weapons".
Then we bring in the fact that she wants revenge on King Dwendal, specifically. If the King is on her radar, the likelihood of her having some sort if political pull makes sense, especially when we consider how shrewd and smart she is. I would not be at all surprised if she was in league with, or just plain old employed by, Trent Ikithon. In fact, I'm highly certain, after looking at the timeline, that Ikithon is the individual who sponsored her research.** Not only is this the research in both cases (Ripley and Brueska) the exact same type of research (arcane disease -- it is also of the same methodology as Ikithon, who used residuum to enhance the magic produced by students.
From this, we can make assumptions on a couple of things: (note - I say assumptions for a reason, as this is mainly guesswork).
Seeing as how Ripley focused immediately on whitestone ore after the dismantling of the De Rolo family, it's likely that Ripley's original research in Rexxentrum was focused on the distillation, refinement, and application of various inorganic materials (like crystals, ore, acids) in biological warfare. Specifically, she would have been studying how inorganic materials, including residuum, could produce a contiguous illness in certain environments and states... potentially delving into how radioactivity works in Exandria.
Experimentation with raw residuum led to the discovery of its beneficial arcane uses, causing Ikithon to A) secure better connections in the Soltryce Academy and B) start experimenting on students (after Ripley's departure).****
Ripley's prior successes with residuum became a deciding factor in the Briarwoods' targeting of Whitestone as their new seat of power. (A simple, but powerful deduction imo)
Brueska was Ripley's associate of some sort during her time in Rexxentrum -- either that, or he was the individual to pick up her research after she was outed.
With those theories in mind, I'd like to move on to speculation on Ripley in particular. Seeing as to how she was specifically working for the government, I have a hunch that she was a scapegoated by the Cerberus Assembly upon the discovery of the true nature of her work. Illegal human experimentation is not only a big accusation -- it is also a resource-heavy operation. Considering that King Bertrand Dwendal is lawful-neutral, I could easily envision a situation where he learns that a researcher was conducting sanctioned research and experimentation, but doing it on his own subjects***, and that leading to a political fiasco that all gets pinned on her.
This would make it so Ripley's anger should be directed at someone else in the Assembly -- but it seems as if it was instead directed towards everyone who tore her down. Ozwyn Guude and Richtor Wells, the others on Ripley's list, "were all responsible in turning her in to the Crown" (wiki) (MM fireside chat). Her placing King Bertrand on the list is likely her going for the kill, as he would probably be the person who pushed the investigation in the first place. That, and it allows other political figures who could've had a hand at orchestrated her fall from grace to stay away from the limelight, and thus her wrath.
LAST WORDS
So, my main take away from about 2 hours of reading, thinking, and writing: primarily that Ripley was a lot more involved in the Briarwoods conspiracy that I initially thought, and that Ripley's experiments in Rexxentrum could have had a direct effect on what happened to Caleb (in retrospect, since it was a combination of Liam and Matt who decided his backstory, lol). Anna gains an ounce more of my respect in light of these connections.
Again, a LOT of this is speculation, but I think it's all stuff that Matt purposefully created very, very loose connections to in the first place. It'll be very interesting to see if LoVM goes into Ripley's Rexxentrum days at all.
FOOTNOTES
*NOTE: Residuum is a direct product of whitestone, and is specifically created when "melted by a specific acidic compound" and further refined and purified through heat (wiki). Whitestone is a non-renewable resource, created from the conflict between the entities Pelor and Tharizdun. The city Whitestone "was founded around the year 612 PD, when a shipwrecked expedition from Port Damali, led by the de Rolo family, stumbled across Pelor's divine tree... Though the city was geographically isolated ... it managed to flourish on exports of whitestone ore" (wiki). What's suggested from this is that whitestone has been exported (profitably) for a good 200 years, making the pretty widespread throughout Exandria. Yes, the ore is still a rare commodity, but it's gotten around-- and more importantly, it's been noticed.
**NOTE: A connection (between Ripley and Ikithon) like this depends on whether or not Ikithon secured his connections with the Vergesson Sanitorium (or another location that would allow this type of experimentation), the Cerberus Assembly (who holds individuals that would not only sanction, but also supply and apply the research), and the Augen Trust (who would report on the potential necessity of such measures) in the 5-8 years after the crowning of Bertrand. Another thing to think about is whether or not he already had them, banking on the fact that he'd be in his 40s at this point.
***NOTE: when it comes to the particular situation, there are multiple situations that seem possible: A) someone escaped Ripley's loving care and went public, causing rumors about Bertrand Dwendal and his care for his citizens to spread, or B) the friend, family, or love one of a missing (kidnapped, arrested or otherwise) individual presented their case directly to the King and he decided to look it, or C) someone was taken and put through Ripleys experiments, but they had a deep personal connection to King Bertrand.
****NOTE: I feel like this is the shakiest of my conclusions. I could easily see Ikithon keeping track of Ripley after her escape from Rexxentrum and learning about the applications of residuum during her studies at Whitestone.
