I mean, if anyone was gonna get it, it was always gonna be Brennan. This is his lore, and Matt retrofitted it perfectly, just like Brennan did with EXU Calamity.
I thought I wouldn't love Matt's additions to the ACoC on episode one. I don't like grand conspiracies orchestrating massive plots like the FDA--but the twist on their true nature was good, and this Lovecraftian addition to the lore was just so bloody good. And the end boss was heartbreaking in the best way. I was so sure by the end that more than half the party would die.
@@Spiritoftherain I was taken back at first too, but now I'm realizing there's this neat parallel. EXU Calamity had this grand knowledge of a prequel of "Whatever happens, the heroes will lose" and it turned into a series of well-known, public heroes, accidently being involved in this grand conspiracy unwillingly that brought upon the Calamity. Then in ACoC:RW it starts with these relatively unknown heroes uncovering a conspiracy, a conspiracy that will bring about a calamity to the kingdom. I'd a nice rally between the two of them, but I also found it jarring to start with "secret council controlling everything".
I honestly stopped after the first episode of Ravening War. Not because there was a secret council, just because it felt like none of the players' choices seemed to impact anything. Like Aabriyah's character being forced to be an idiot and ignore obvious evidence that Raphaniel was lying, or their skills which were basically tailor made to figure out at least *something* about this mysterious council not being able to determine anything, and then at the end there's a big time skip that made the whole session feel totally pointless. It would take a *hell* of a second episode to make me change my mind.
@@jessicafrost7579Well a lot of what you complained about is explained later on, and if you don’t find the ongoing deception check joke funny and are in fact THAT put off by it then I don’t know what to tell you
It's honestly the perfect bit of lore expansion by Matt to subvert ACOC's light/darkness religion by adding an eldritch horror as a third entity: They found an old doctrine in ACOC that says the Bulb allowed a certain amount of rot & mold into the world so the Hungry One couldn't devour the world. So of COURSE the rot has its own religion that's neither one. It makes so much sense.
My favorite moment in the season's Adventuring Party is Brennan acting out his mental reaction. Thank you for splicing it in. Eldritch horror at the thought "It's not a blender!" truly is the mood of the season.
2:40 I love how Brennan casually drops some of the rawest lines ever off the top of his head, went so hard even Mercer had to take a moment to appreciate it
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die." - It's from the Call of Cthulhu and The Nameless City by HP Lovecraft, as an in-world quote from the Necronomicon by the "mad" Abdul Alhazred who Raphaniel embodies here haha.
@@Singinghomealonestill, that is a great reference at the top of his head. I don’t think I could do it even though I have chanted the words of the Necronomicon in-game to terrified co-players (a great moment as well to me, even if I was quoting ad verbatim)
He was riffing off very well-known lines from Call of Cthulhu. He changed it enough to fit the current situation and it's still incredibly witty, but it's not like he assembled the framework off the top of his head.
my favorite bit is matt chanting and frantically looking around at the table like "please please one of you get it"
I mean, if anyone was gonna get it, it was always gonna be Brennan. This is his lore, and Matt retrofitted it perfectly, just like Brennan did with EXU Calamity.
I thought I wouldn't love Matt's additions to the ACoC on episode one. I don't like grand conspiracies orchestrating massive plots like the FDA--but the twist on their true nature was good, and this Lovecraftian addition to the lore was just so bloody good. And the end boss was heartbreaking in the best way. I was so sure by the end that more than half the party would die.
@@Spiritoftherain I was taken back at first too, but now I'm realizing there's this neat parallel. EXU Calamity had this grand knowledge of a prequel of "Whatever happens, the heroes will lose" and it turned into a series of well-known, public heroes, accidently being involved in this grand conspiracy unwillingly that brought upon the Calamity. Then in ACoC:RW it starts with these relatively unknown heroes uncovering a conspiracy, a conspiracy that will bring about a calamity to the kingdom. I'd a nice rally between the two of them, but I also found it jarring to start with "secret council controlling everything".
I honestly stopped after the first episode of Ravening War. Not because there was a secret council, just because it felt like none of the players' choices seemed to impact anything. Like Aabriyah's character being forced to be an idiot and ignore obvious evidence that Raphaniel was lying, or their skills which were basically tailor made to figure out at least *something* about this mysterious council not being able to determine anything, and then at the end there's a big time skip that made the whole session feel totally pointless. It would take a *hell* of a second episode to make me change my mind.
@@jessicafrost7579Well a lot of what you complained about is explained later on, and if you don’t find the ongoing deception check joke funny and are in fact THAT put off by it then I don’t know what to tell you
It's honestly the perfect bit of lore expansion by Matt to subvert ACOC's light/darkness religion by adding an eldritch horror as a third entity: They found an old doctrine in ACOC that says the Bulb allowed a certain amount of rot & mold into the world so the Hungry One couldn't devour the world. So of COURSE the rot has its own religion that's neither one. It makes so much sense.
My favorite moment in the season's Adventuring Party is Brennan acting out his mental reaction. Thank you for splicing it in. Eldritch horror at the thought "It's not a blender!" truly is the mood of the season.
Matt mercer looks like a proud parent. I pray my dnd games are a fraction of this involved.
2:40 I love how Brennan casually drops some of the rawest lines ever off the top of his head, went so hard even Mercer had to take a moment to appreciate it
that line is a reference to the lovecraft quote about strange aeons lol
"That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die."
- It's from the Call of Cthulhu and The Nameless City by HP Lovecraft, as an in-world quote from the Necronomicon by the "mad" Abdul Alhazred who Raphaniel embodies here haha.
@@Singinghomealonestill, that is a great reference at the top of his head. I don’t think I could do it even though I have chanted the words of the Necronomicon in-game to terrified co-players (a great moment as well to me, even if I was quoting ad verbatim)
@@joakimbjorkgren3511 i never said it wasn’t? i just mentioned that he was paraphrasing
0:50 this is the best thing matt has heard since he snd marisha got married
knowing you captured a setting is such *chef’s kiss*
Matt Mercer's falling in love face
Holy shit the pseudo iambic pentameter of that chant at the end that he basically just pulled out his ass was epic
He was riffing off very well-known lines from Call of Cthulhu. He changed it enough to fit the current situation and it's still incredibly witty, but it's not like he assembled the framework off the top of his head.
What is food, if never on is fed
When with strange disposals, even death lies dead?
God I wish I had an eighth of the improv talent of Brennen.
Disposal, disposal
It was such an epic scene!!
Deus Paz'Uul