That green-eyed trickster son of a....! I can't believe that was The Traveler in Shady Creek Run! Aw...he was indirectly helping Jester when she was captured by Lorenzo by pointing the remaining Nein in the right direction. While you cannot entirely trust a chaotic trickster god...he takes care of his clerics!
Thats the thing about it... He might not have been the traveler. He could have been one of its champion though. Maybe sent to help. I will agree that he has many attribute like jester. But that doesnt make him the traveler. Gods tend not to help directly. The traveller is a trickster god. He could have weaved that guy to jester. Or he could of done it himself too. The only way to know. Would be asking matt.
I would like to see him intervene directly at some point, like Superman coming to the rescue when Jester is in a deadly situation. Just bamf in and fuck shit up to save her.
Campaign 2 takes place like 20 years after campaign 1, and Jester is around the age of 20, so it is quite possible within a few years after campaign 1 Vox Machina kept their end of the bargain and let Aragan through to the material plane and he ran into jester shortly after. It would explain why he isn't overly worshipped, he literally only just got to the material plane.
Phillip also, jester mentioned in the most recent episode (to the gnoll that referred to him as one of the fair folk) that he first appeared to her around 15 years ago, which would have been 5 years after vox machina defeated Vecna! That seems like plenty of time for them to build a doorway.
I think Philip implies who Jesters father might be. But yeah. They did make that promise, it was always a loose thread and when I heard of Jesters Traveler I jumped to the same conclusion.
@@RoderickEtheria The comment sections have no mercy, people must speak outside of the spoiler threads/chats because by god everyone must know what happened on the next episode of critical role
@@TheJerbol the algorith knows that right now many people, who watched certain videos, now watch videos of artagan. So it directs all the others to it.
Sketchbook. Garmelie had a SKETCHBOOK. DAMMIT it just hit me that Jester having one could have been, maybe not a conscious clue, but a strong parallel!
You know, I always supported this theory but I never thought it would actually ever officially become canon. This is on the same level as when on Supernatural it was revealed that Chuck was actually God.
Also in the most recent episode the gnoll Jester spoke to referred to the Traveler as 'one of the fair folk', which usually means elven (or elf like, such as an archfey) to add to this theory (which I totally want to be true!)! Great video!
I really want them to play a one-shot where Artagnan is in it and at the end, he ascends to godhood. Someone asks him what he will be the god of or call himself and he just says "Well I like to travel..."
Markus1069 just realised that the whole door-thing is an obvious tie between Artagan and the Traveler, I mean he literally Got at door from his World to theirs out of it
@@mollymauktealeaf already said Artagan is an archfey. Those who grant clerical power do not need to be actual gods. See Kashaw Vesh and his relationship to Vesh from season 1. Gods cannot bodily pass the divine gate as the Traveler appears to do. I've believed that the Traveler was Artagan from the first time he was mentioned and that belief has only grown stronger, but the Traveler is NOT a god, just an incredibly powerful being. Archfey are incredibly powerful beings. forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Archfey
Artagnan posing as a god makes sense because why else is The Traveler so approachable when no other god in the series is? Archfey can make pacts with warlocks and give powers and the trickery makes perfect sense too.
Never clicked on any video so fast in my life. That Shady Creek Run find was amazing. He really was there helping, after all. I can't wait for Traveler Con! If the group makes it that far....
@@davidparkes7741 no, but there's a character from C1 that VM made a gate for. The theory, as in the title of the video, is that the Traveler is that character
I always felt unsatisfied with Artagnan after the reveal, like he never came up again, he always looked like there was a lot more to him. I love how matt and Laura might be bringing him back if he is indeed one in the same. There's only one thing tho... we need!!! Like needdddd!!! To see what happens if Jester goes to a theater and calls the Traveler. 😂😂😂
He did come up again? He strangled vax to death and in return vox machine got a long rest in 1 hour he also made vox machine promise to open him a way into the material plain
@@matthewesslemont5965 Wait he strangled Vax to death!? When!? O.o ... I cant remember. But what I mean is in a major way, the way talked matt made ot seem like this superior ancient Godlike entity given he mentions its been Eons and the mystery behind his current situation at the time being trapped in the Feywild.
@@JaayCeez yeah at the very end of C1 they retreat to the faewild and make a deal with him cus time in the faewilds are iffy he would make it so they have a full day in the faewild but only 1 hour passes in the material plain And he couldn't come back because like he said he had no way through, but now he does so I'm begging traveler con will be a big thing where he might come through even further
@@matthewesslemont5965 Holy shit that's right lol, that was like he's one term because he wanted to feel how killing someone felt like and that was when Vax had the pact/deal with the Raven Queen so he would comeback. Lololol, that was so creepy but yeah that was very minor cameo, I eanted them to dissect his every word and figure out his past lol. I really wanted to know who he was and his thing with theaters.
@@JaayCeez oh the theater was because the fae theater was cursed. If your not a member and your caught watching they kill you and turn your spirit into a member of the theatre
I kinda thought that the guy in the tavern was quite enigmatic and had the same voice as the Traveler, and he helped the team to save Jester. I'm glad I wasn't the only one D:
I got Traveler vibes from him Immediately, the description and the voice was very Traveler like, and the whole "Helping through riddles" thing made it seem like he knew more than he let on
Okay I’ve head this theory, but I’ve never looked for evidence and let’s just say... 🤯🤯🤯🤯 Matthew Mercer is too f’ing smart! He knows what’s he’s doing!!!
Also, to pass through the secret passage in the Evening Nip to meet the Gentleman, you must you’ll “provide many gifts”, and, in the world of Eberron, the Traveler is known as the Giver of Gifts, also a famous proverb states to “beware the gifts of the Traveler”. A long shot mayhaps but just keeping all the cards on the table
As was on talks machina recently with percy---->spoiler situation----> clay Now its vex ----> artegan----> Jester They make a portal, he comes through, immediately finds his chosen one(s)
I've been watching this on loop since Thursday 🤦♀️ I'm addicted and I can't help but put all my effort into a drawing of Jester and the Traveler now, whoops (w/o his cloak ofc, I'm obsessed.)
OOOh, ok, interesting point of order. If they are the same character and he was trapped in the Feywild and through that avoided the calamity that drew closed the divine gate that prevents gods from physically entering the mortal realm...does that mean, he's currently reaching out as any other god but from the Feywild not the otherside of the divine gate and, if released from the Feywild, he would be now the only free god to walk uninhibited by that divine barrier, yes?....barring a potential raising of an angry squid monster....That's actually a fairly big deal, especially if you consider the hints as to where that plot is going for Jester and all....
Well, my understanding of it is that Artagan was an Archfey, rather than a god, and in the true Archfey (and Mercer's) deceptive fashion, he got MUCH more out of the deal with Vox Machina than anybody thought. He wanted a doorway, but he was also "in" on the whole deal with Vecna, and was informed what Vecna was trying to do. So once Vox Machina has let him into the material realm, I'd assume he went and took over Vecna's research to ascend to godhood himself, but instead of doing it via bloodshed, and becoming a true god immediately, he's staying low-key and slowly gaining following through Jester and others he sees potential in.
You don’t actually have to be a god to grant clerical power (see Vesh). The feywild is also one of the inner planes so isn’t blocked by the Divine Gate. Also Vox Machina made him a doorway which he said he needs to get back to the material plane.
@@KubinWielki no matter how he did it (ascend to godhood) the other gods would know the moment he ascended, and Pike has a close relationship with Saren Ray (?spelling?) so if another god just appeared they wouldn't go unnoticed, I think he is just an Archfey who has amassed a large amount of power . . . I also think there is a reason the traveler is always hooded (to hide his identity from the players not the characters)
I suspected this from the beginning. But then I looked up The Traveler in the Eberron campaign setting (I never played it myself) and the description was so on point for this Traveller that I decided that they were just bringing that Traveller into Matt's campaign. But after seeing this I've decided that, at least in Matt's cosmology, the Eberron Traveller got trapped in the Feywild and then Vox Machina gave him a "doorway" to Exandria. That line about "things rearranging every eon of so and the lay-lines that guide the path shift" makes me think The Traveller got trapped in the Feywild when 4th edition became 5th edition. Or maybe when 3rd edition became 4th?
I don’t think Matt takes the editions into account for his worlds. I mean yeah he gets inspiration, but he always weaves them to fit into the narrative.
I think it was due to still being in recovery mode after the death of Molly but I didn't catch that the Traveller was aiding the M9 with a little helpful advice.
Slight spoilers from Talks Machina, up to episode 76: What even further convinces me that this theory is true, is the revelation from Laura that Jester was initially supposed to be a Warlock. She only made a cleric because Travis, having heard of her idea, got hyped about playing a Warlock himself, so she kinda let him do it, and went with plan B (cleric). And Trickery clerics and the Archfey Warlocks do have a lot of similarities in their flavor, anyway, so..
Apologies in advance for the long theory/comment. So I have my own theory with this evidence in tow since I am also one of several people who believe Artagan is the Traveler. Is it possible that the door VM made for Artagan 20 years ago wasn’t enough for him to last completely on the Prime Material Plane, due to the ley lines constant fluctuations? Let’s say VM’s door lasted only five years and he knew that the doorway would only last for so long so while he was being his usual trickster self he spent time trying to find a way to make sure he wouldn’t be constantly stuck in the Feywild. Eventually he learned a loophole, in that the more belief or connections a creature of Fey descendant has on another plane of existence the more likely they will have several anchors to it? I realize that what I just explained might not make much sense but basically in layman’s terms what I’m suggesting is this: VM made the door as they promised Artagan however because the ley lines of the different planes shift in flux every so often, he only had a limited amount of time before he would lose his anchor to the Prime Material plane and be forced back into the Feywild. So knowing this he learned over the brief five years he was on the PMP that a way to have a consistent anchor and a way to forgo the need for a single doorway was the more patrons a Fey has on multiple planes of existence the more they will be anchored to those planes. He found Jester when she was just a child and she became his test anchor for him, when he realized that her belief/love for him was enough to keep him on her plane of existence he decided to come up with the plan of starting his own following to gain more anchors so he could permanently become apart of the PMP. However Jester is his prime anchor and as long as she lives he’ll have a way to briefly interact with her world thus when she was captured by Lorenzo he interacted briefly with the remaining M9 to make sure they were going the right path to her. The collaboration of all the followers of the “Traveler” is the day where their belief and patronage will allow him to finally become one with their world thereby allowing him to have unlimited tricks and pranks to play with his followers and finally alleviate his boredom of the Feywild. I’m not suggesting he doesn’t care about Jester let alone his followers like Korvak, I’m just theorizing that his interactions with Vox Machina 20 years ago made him realize how much more fun he can have with a group rather then just himself and he wants to have his own group like VM to play with. Wether he wants to actually ascend to a prominent state of godhood like the Raven Queen or Vecna is unknown but I’m in the firm belief he is curious enough to make a go for it eventually. Edit: Episode 94 spoilers: I WAS RIGHT!!! Kind of maybe.
This is a great little elaboration on the theory. Artagan does seem to be dependent on followers for something, and this theory (the VM door was temporary but allowed him to start a following and therefore access the material plane that way) makes good sense of it. I think that he will still need the followers, even once the travelercon takes place, it'll just be a step forward in his ability to influence the material plane.
My theory was that Vox Machine double crossed him. They promised to make a doorway for him but they didn’t promise him a permanent gateway. When it came time to fulfill their end of the bargain someone (probably Percy) introduced a flaw into the doorway’s design that turned it into an anchor, constantly tanking him back into the feywylde. This meant that while Vox Machina’s promise was fulfilled he could only interact with the material plane for short bursts of time. He’s using his growing cult to sever his tie to the Feywylde so he can walk the material plane at his leisure.
I've never made the connection of Jester's drawings as a direct influence of Artagan until now, but that makes sooo much sense now. I wonder if the others ever picked up on that from their meeting with him in the Feywild.
With that in mind, what reason does Artagan of all leople feel the need to help the party in a way that was extremely out of the blue? He would need to be personally invested in the outcome, and the clearest link we know of is if he were invested in Jester's safety, being the Traveler.
@@lesslycepeda5247 you make a good point but I will wait for more evidence, a red lock from the Traveler would be enough for me, as we already have that he have green eyes as Artigan and also his angular face. What makes this hypothesis solid is the fact that Mercer said that a non deity beings can grant clerical abilities to people that worship them, like an archfey and maybe even a fiend. What makes me doubt it is that Artigan seemed to be on the bargain side more akin to a Warlock Patron while The Traveler seems way more benevolent than Artigan. Unless Artigan demeanor changed when VM built the portal to allow him to know more about Exandrian people. All in all the evidence seems to be huge and i love this fan theory, but at least for me I need a little more convincing evidence and that would be seeing his fiery red lion like mane of Hair, or to him to casually say that he is fond of Fauns or Satyrs or that he likes to take those forms.
@@Ryquard1 or to him to casually say that he is fond of Fauns or Satyrs or that he likes to take those forms. we could very well see this when Jester goes to meet up with her, for want of a better word cult, The Travellers other followers maybe, at least a few of them, those species :)
I mean VM did make a deal with Artagon to build him a “doorway” into the material plain (the travelers holy symbol), and I think he became the traveler/more benevolent when he met Jester (a cute, innocent, and loving young girl) when she was very young (which Laura said was like 15 years ago, and the end of the last campaign/this one has a 20 year time skip), along with all the evidence presented in the video man I would bet a lot of money Artagon is the Traveler. Matt also doesn’t let things happen JUST for no reason.
I think what really seals it is that Laura’s plan was originally to be a warlock with the Traveler as her Patron so the archfey thing could be pretty solid
Mathew Mercer has given us both the most subtle and the most obvious hints in the world while still keeping us guessing , jfc brilliant, and Laura fucking agreeing to this shit . I want this to happen but poor Jester
I see the relationship between Jester and the Traveler as brother and sister, like the Traveler is the older brother who watches Jester while Jester is the chaotic joyful little sister
![ไข้ขึ้นเลย! เมื่อแฝดโดนจัดเต็มวัคซีนครบ2เดือน🤒 [cc] แดนแพทตี้ SS2 | EP.54 |](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/z2VHItnyyvY/mqdefault.jpg)
Jester the lonely child who’s blind faith turned a fey into a god
I just realized jester has a type. Green, mysterious, ambitious, and encourages/admirers her fun attitude
and secretly evil
@@sebitei Fjord BBEG CONFIRMED
Sebi Teileche Feels like that thought missed the mark after everything that’s happened.
Me
weeeeell heeelll
That green-eyed trickster son of a....!
I can't believe that was The Traveler in Shady Creek Run!
Aw...he was indirectly helping Jester when she was captured by Lorenzo by pointing the remaining Nein in the right direction.
While you cannot entirely trust a chaotic trickster god...he takes care of his clerics!
I had this same reaction. I always suspected D'artagnan was the Traveler, but I didn't catch Shady Creek Traveler!
Thats the thing about it... He might not have been the traveler. He could have been one of its champion though. Maybe sent to help. I will agree that he has many attribute like jester. But that doesnt make him the traveler. Gods tend not to help directly. The traveller is a trickster god. He could have weaved that guy to jester. Or he could of done it himself too. The only way to know. Would be asking matt.
Especially since this is his FAVORITE cleric lmao
I would like to see him intervene directly at some point, like Superman coming to the rescue when Jester is in a deadly situation. Just bamf in and fuck shit up to save her.
Holy shit you were right... 10 months ago
The travellers is setting up the voxmachina and mightynein one shot
Crossover
The zenith croosover one shot
That would be an excellent setup for it
That's genius!
If it is Vox Machina versus mighty nein that isn't fair VM are level 20 MN are level 8
Campaign 2 takes place like 20 years after campaign 1, and Jester is around the age of 20, so it is quite possible within a few years after campaign 1 Vox Machina kept their end of the bargain and let Aragan through to the material plane and he ran into jester shortly after. It would explain why he isn't overly worshipped, he literally only just got to the material plane.
Phillip also, jester mentioned in the most recent episode (to the gnoll that referred to him as one of the fair folk) that he first appeared to her around 15 years ago, which would have been 5 years after vox machina defeated Vecna! That seems like plenty of time for them to build a doorway.
I think Philip implies who Jesters father might be.
But yeah. They did make that promise, it was always a loose thread and when I heard of Jesters Traveler I jumped to the same conclusion.
@@kennedymorrison5201 I believe the doorway was confirmed to be made in episode 115 - so Aragan is definitely in the material plane!
Buddy do I have good news for you.
It's fun looking back at the Traveler interacting with Jester knowing that (spoiler)
He has no idea what he's doing
Spoiler Alert:
This just got confirmed the traveler is Artagan.
spoilers.
@@RoderickEtheria The comment sections have no mercy, people must speak outside of the spoiler threads/chats because by god everyone must know what happened on the next episode of critical role
Arachnidking Excellent work spoiling it
@@joebynum9056 He legit put a spoiler warning.
PepicWalrus The comment has been edited genius when I read it all it said was “This just got confirmed the traveler is Artagan”.
Who’s here after tonight? lololol that was wild! Loved Marisha catching on haaa
Prince Among Kings MEEEE
Right? I can't wait until Thursday!
that. was. AWSOME.
ditto
the clip of them when jester was captured i totally hadn't picked up on. That was awesome.
I wonder how many people are gonna flock to compilations like this after episode 94
@@Fgway same, crazy that it knows!
@@TheJerbol the algorith knows that right now many people, who watched certain videos, now watch videos of artagan. So it directs all the others to it.
You got me
Sketchbook. Garmelie had a SKETCHBOOK. DAMMIT it just hit me that Jester having one could have been, maybe not a conscious clue, but a strong parallel!
Right, two years later and I just made that connection as well.
The traveler the story of a guy who accidentally became a god.
I love how this randomly pops up in my recommended videos an hour after episode c2 e94 ends.
I forgot about Garmelie’s (Artagan) sketchbook!!! Holy crap the connection to Jester!!! Arghhh!!!
Well this video is about to blow up
You know, I always supported this theory but I never thought it would actually ever officially become canon. This is on the same level as when on Supernatural it was revealed that Chuck was actually God.
2 YEARS, 2 YEARS, WE WERE RIGHT. I'VE MISSED YOU, MY RED-HEADED ARCHFEY
"Do you like me again?" Makes me tear up every time.
Also in the most recent episode the gnoll Jester spoke to referred to the Traveler as 'one of the fair folk', which usually means elven (or elf like, such as an archfey) to add to this theory (which I totally want to be true!)! Great video!
Guess what
Its all BS don't listen to Fan Theories...
@@skullsquad900 did you see the last two episodes?
@@skullsquad900 dafuq you talking about
I really want them to play a one-shot where Artagnan is in it and at the end, he ascends to godhood. Someone asks him what he will be the god of or call himself and he just says "Well I like to travel..."
The Traveler is 100% "Just" a mortal who has ascended to God-hood, and it could very well be Artagan
Markus1069 just realised that the whole door-thing is an obvious tie between Artagan and the Traveler, I mean he literally Got at door from his World to theirs out of it
Asbjørn Christensen Atragan is an archfey, isn’t he. So not technically a mortal.
Mollymauk Potato Tomato, but I see what you mean
@@mollymauktealeaf already said Artagan is an archfey.
Those who grant clerical power do not need to be actual gods.
See Kashaw Vesh and his relationship to Vesh from season 1.
Gods cannot bodily pass the divine gate as the Traveler appears to do.
I've believed that the Traveler was Artagan from the first time he was mentioned and that belief has only grown stronger, but the Traveler is NOT a god, just an incredibly powerful being. Archfey are incredibly powerful beings. forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Archfey
Episode 94 Spoilers:
👍
Wow, I was on the "Traveler = Artagan" train since day 1 but this video seals it.
The gentleman's path episode 19 it Jester says the traveler told her about the feywild
Oh boy I forgot that one! But you're totally right!
Artagnan posing as a god makes sense because why else is The Traveler so approachable when no other god in the series is? Archfey can make pacts with warlocks and give powers and the trickery makes perfect sense too.
Watch ep 94
Never clicked on any video so fast in my life. That Shady Creek Run find was amazing. He really was there helping, after all. I can't wait for Traveler Con! If the group makes it that far....
OMG his holy simbol is a door! THE DOORWAY! :O
Im so excited about this storyline!!
Vox Machina's archnemesis?
@@VulpisFoxfire So since M9's archnemisis is chairs... Will Laura's next character have the holy symbol of a chair?
Is there a god that would apply to?
@@davidparkes7741 no, but there's a character from C1 that VM made a gate for. The theory, as in the title of the video, is that the Traveler is that character
@@petersenior5432 Obviously. My comment was more in line with a possible C3.
I love how this is 10 months old. At the time of episode 94, this is just so satisfying to watch
WELP, You can take off the TIN FOIL HAT!!!
I always felt unsatisfied with Artagnan after the reveal, like he never came up again, he always looked like there was a lot more to him. I love how matt and Laura might be bringing him back if he is indeed one in the same.
There's only one thing tho... we need!!! Like needdddd!!! To see what happens if Jester goes to a theater and calls the Traveler. 😂😂😂
He did come up again? He strangled vax to death and in return vox machine got a long rest in 1 hour he also made vox machine promise to open him a way into the material plain
@@matthewesslemont5965 Wait he strangled Vax to death!? When!? O.o ... I cant remember.
But what I mean is in a major way, the way talked matt made ot seem like this superior ancient Godlike entity given he mentions its been Eons and the mystery behind his current situation at the time being trapped in the Feywild.
@@JaayCeez yeah at the very end of C1 they retreat to the faewild and make a deal with him cus time in the faewilds are iffy he would make it so they have a full day in the faewild but only 1 hour passes in the material plain
And he couldn't come back because like he said he had no way through, but now he does so I'm begging traveler con will be a big thing where he might come through even further
@@matthewesslemont5965 Holy shit that's right lol, that was like he's one term because he wanted to feel how killing someone felt like and that was when Vax had the pact/deal with the Raven Queen so he would comeback. Lololol, that was so creepy but yeah that was very minor cameo, I eanted them to dissect his every word and figure out his past lol. I really wanted to know who he was and his thing with theaters.
@@JaayCeez oh the theater was because the fae theater was cursed. If your not a member and your caught watching they kill you and turn your spirit into a member of the theatre
It's 2020 and now your theory is CONFIRMED!
WELL IF I WASNT CONVINCED BEFORE
I kinda thought that the guy in the tavern was quite enigmatic and had the same voice as the Traveler, and he helped the team to save Jester. I'm glad I wasn't the only one D:
I got Traveler vibes from him Immediately, the description and the voice was very Traveler like, and the whole "Helping through riddles" thing made it seem like he knew more than he let on
Coming back to this after a certain event that took place. Just, wow!
12:35 if the body language in this moment doesn't PROVE that Keelan = Artagan = The Traveler, so help me....
I think Matt actually got asked this on twitter and he confirmed it. I missed it watching live, but after watching some old clips it made sense.
OOOOOOOOO my mind is blown!!!!!!!!!!!!! Watcha doin' there Mr. Mercer?
Okay I’ve head this theory, but I’ve never looked for evidence and let’s just say... 🤯🤯🤯🤯
Matthew Mercer is too f’ing smart! He knows what’s he’s doing!!!
Matt is 100% someone who would, and could, pull-off something like this
Amanda Goodwin better give that credit to Laura, after watching Talks Machina
"I'm glad your here"
"I'm never far"
God damnit
Sprinkles
Being always with her
Okay I do hope M9 meet VM and jester tells VM about her Patron his looks and everything. Once they've heard enough they realize that it is Artagan
everybody gangsta until Artagan shows up, then it's even more gangsta
Also, to pass through the secret passage in the Evening Nip to meet the Gentleman, you must you’ll “provide many gifts”, and, in the world of Eberron, the Traveler is known as the Giver of Gifts, also a famous proverb states to “beware the gifts of the Traveler”. A long shot mayhaps but just keeping all the cards on the table
i just realized this is PRE reveal. ur an icon, op
Okay this was brilliant and all but going from sad Jester to calling Artagan in the fey wild gave me fucking whiplash dude
As was on talks machina recently with
percy---->spoiler situation----> clay
Now its vex ----> artegan----> Jester
They make a portal, he comes through, immediately finds his chosen one(s)
Song is _Trouble is a Friend - Lanka_
It's on Critical Role Jester's Spotify Playlist
Oh, I just realized that the Traveller’s symbol is a door. This feels like confirmation.
This was an amazing collection of Traveller and Artagnan clips. Quite compelling.
Well someone nailed it. holy shit this is so damn amazing and Matthew Mercer (and the players) are masters at story telling!
I just wanted to congratulate all you who predicted this so very long ago :D It shows you're on Matt's wavelength on what makes good story telling.
I'm so glad people notice these things so I can find them later because I always miss all of Matt's scheming and shenanigans.
What. WHAAAAT!
HOW did I miss him at The Run?!?!?! Holy cats what an amazing find. I NEVER made that connection, that's fucking fantastic!!!
I've been watching this on loop since Thursday 🤦♀️ I'm addicted and I can't help but put all my effort into a drawing of Jester and the Traveler now, whoops (w/o his cloak ofc, I'm obsessed.)
Thanks for making this compilation !!!
Welp. This is a timely watch.
I can't wait for TravelerCon to hit and all of your work gets confirmed. This video will get like 500k views
god bless u for all these compilations on my favorite subjects
OH MY GOD i did not realize the guy in shadycreek run was artagan!!! That’s so cool!!!
OOOh, ok, interesting point of order. If they are the same character and he was trapped in the Feywild and through that avoided the calamity that drew closed the divine gate that prevents gods from physically entering the mortal realm...does that mean, he's currently reaching out as any other god but from the Feywild not the otherside of the divine gate and, if released from the Feywild, he would be now the only free god to walk uninhibited by that divine barrier, yes?....barring a potential raising of an angry squid monster....That's actually a fairly big deal, especially if you consider the hints as to where that plot is going for Jester and all....
Well, my understanding of it is that Artagan was an Archfey, rather than a god, and in the true Archfey (and Mercer's) deceptive fashion, he got MUCH more out of the deal with Vox Machina than anybody thought.
He wanted a doorway, but he was also "in" on the whole deal with Vecna, and was informed what Vecna was trying to do. So once Vox Machina has let him into the material realm, I'd assume he went and took over Vecna's research to ascend to godhood himself, but instead of doing it via bloodshed, and becoming a true god immediately, he's staying low-key and slowly gaining following through Jester and others he sees potential in.
You don’t actually have to be a god to grant clerical power (see Vesh). The feywild is also one of the inner planes so isn’t blocked by the Divine Gate. Also Vox Machina made him a doorway which he said he needs to get back to the material plane.
@@KubinWielki no matter how he did it (ascend to godhood) the other gods would know the moment he ascended, and Pike has a close relationship with Saren Ray (?spelling?) so if another god just appeared they wouldn't go unnoticed, I think he is just an Archfey who has amassed a large amount of power . . . I also think there is a reason the traveler is always hooded (to hide his identity from the players not the characters)
The Traveller doesn’t have to be a true god, he only has to be powerful.
this SNEAKY SNEEEAKY faerie man, I stg I forgot all about his sketchbook!!!!!!!!
omg missed the keelan one, i was already 90% behind this theory but now its a cert
I suspected this from the beginning. But then I looked up The Traveler in the Eberron campaign setting (I never played it myself) and the description was so on point for this Traveller that I decided that they were just bringing that Traveller into Matt's campaign. But after seeing this I've decided that, at least in Matt's cosmology, the Eberron Traveller got trapped in the Feywild and then Vox Machina gave him a "doorway" to Exandria. That line about "things rearranging every eon of so and the lay-lines that guide the path shift" makes me think The Traveller got trapped in the Feywild when 4th edition became 5th edition. Or maybe when 3rd edition became 4th?
I don’t think Matt takes the editions into account for his worlds. I mean yeah he gets inspiration, but he always weaves them to fit into the narrative.
I think matt said that jesters traveler was different than that one
kittenkatty12, that’s sort of what I was alluding too.
OH DAMN. YOU HAD THIS THEORY NEARLY A YEAR AGO
God Damn it. I knew it was him but I never realized the Scetch book was something she picked up from him.
Thank you for this video, it was great.
I think it was due to still being in recovery mode after the death of Molly but I didn't catch that the Traveller was aiding the M9 with a little helpful advice.
Yup, straight up prophet here. U definitely called it!
Slight spoilers from Talks Machina, up to episode 76:
What even further convinces me that this theory is true, is the revelation from Laura that Jester was initially supposed to be a Warlock. She only made a cleric because Travis, having heard of her idea, got hyped about playing a Warlock himself, so she kinda let him do it, and went with plan B (cleric). And Trickery clerics and the Archfey Warlocks do have a lot of similarities in their flavor, anyway, so..
Traveller has recently been confirmed to be Artagan.
He led them to Jester in Shady Creek Run my mind is FUCKED!
I just hope that whole 'strangling people'-thing didn't cause him to get a very disturbing kink O.o''
He did say it was interesting but not as exciting as he had hoped :p
Send this to Dani right now!!!!
Omg THANK YOU for doing this! People didn't see the similarities till I showed them this!
Thank you for this compilation
YOU FUCKING CALLED IT
Yo so this video was just recommended to me 3 days after Traveler reveal
This is the greatest conspiracy theory that HAS TO BE TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Someone call Matt Mercer cause my gods and I think we cracked the case wide open!!
YOU’RE DOING THE LORD’S WORK WITH THIS VID
You mean the Traveler's work, right?
its crazy how Vex was so distrusting of Artagon and Jester was so trusting. crazy flip flop
oh god I fjordgot he sounded like that, I missed you texas-man!
Lol fjordgot is such a bad pun! I need to use it
Apologies in advance for the long theory/comment.
So I have my own theory with this evidence in tow since I am also one of several people who believe Artagan is the Traveler.
Is it possible that the door VM made for Artagan 20 years ago wasn’t enough for him to last completely on the Prime Material Plane, due to the ley lines constant fluctuations?
Let’s say VM’s door lasted only five years and he knew that the doorway would only last for so long so while he was being his usual trickster self he spent time trying to find a way to make sure he wouldn’t be constantly stuck in the Feywild.
Eventually he learned a loophole, in that the more belief or connections a creature of Fey descendant has on another plane of existence the more likely they will have several anchors to it?
I realize that what I just explained might not make much sense but basically in layman’s terms what I’m suggesting is this:
VM made the door as they promised Artagan however because the ley lines of the different planes shift in flux every so often, he only had a limited amount of time before he would lose his anchor to the Prime Material plane and be forced back into the Feywild.
So knowing this he learned over the brief five years he was on the PMP that a way to have a consistent anchor and a way to forgo the need for a single doorway was the more patrons a Fey has on multiple planes of existence the more they will be anchored to those planes.
He found Jester when she was just a child and she became his test anchor for him, when he realized that her belief/love for him was enough to keep him on her plane of existence he decided to come up with the plan of starting his own following to gain more anchors so he could permanently become apart of the PMP.
However Jester is his prime anchor and as long as she lives he’ll have a way to briefly interact with her world thus when she was captured by Lorenzo he interacted briefly with the remaining M9 to make sure they were going the right path to her.
The collaboration of all the followers of the “Traveler” is the day where their belief and patronage will allow him to finally become one with their world thereby allowing him to have unlimited tricks and pranks to play with his followers and finally alleviate his boredom of the Feywild.
I’m not suggesting he doesn’t care about Jester let alone his followers like Korvak, I’m just theorizing that his interactions with Vox Machina 20 years ago made him realize how much more fun he can have with a group rather then just himself and he wants to have his own group like VM to play with.
Wether he wants to actually ascend to a prominent state of godhood like the Raven Queen or Vecna is unknown but I’m in the firm belief he is curious enough to make a go for it eventually.
Edit: Episode 94 spoilers:
I WAS RIGHT!!! Kind of maybe.
This is a great little elaboration on the theory. Artagan does seem to be dependent on followers for something, and this theory (the VM door was temporary but allowed him to start a following and therefore access the material plane that way) makes good sense of it. I think that he will still need the followers, even once the travelercon takes place, it'll just be a step forward in his ability to influence the material plane.
adam m thank you and that’s what I meant I’m glad you understood what I was trying to convey overall.
My theory was that Vox Machine double crossed him. They promised to make a doorway for him but they didn’t promise him a permanent gateway. When it came time to fulfill their end of the bargain someone (probably Percy) introduced a flaw into the doorway’s design that turned it into an anchor, constantly tanking him back into the feywylde. This meant that while Vox Machina’s promise was fulfilled he could only interact with the material plane for short bursts of time. He’s using his growing cult to sever his tie to the Feywylde so he can walk the material plane at his leisure.
Dis bush is going somewhere I swear to Jester. Btw you’re awesome and theories are cool so 👋. Just a impala passing through.
I had a ton of talks with my friends about this. I always felt Artagnan and the traveler were the same.
Wonder why this suddenly popped up in my recommended.....
I've never made the connection of Jester's drawings as a direct influence of Artagan until now, but that makes sooo much sense now. I wonder if the others ever picked up on that from their meeting with him in the Feywild.
This is such good supercut. Thank you for your work and effort
When you get the DnD Beyond ad before a Critical Role video...
This gives me so many more questions, a few answers, but more questions, I need answers.
thank you so much for this, I wanted to look for references, but you found so much more than I ever could!
ladies and gentlemen... we got em!
This is brilliant. My new theory is that Scanlan was really the Traveler in disguise though because of the whole flying cows thing.
The Luxon beacon!!! And a city that is traveling through the Astral Sea
That technically would mean jesters a warlock with an archfey patron and she’s been conning everyone the whole time.
Dylan Lancaster I mean Laura did say on Talks recently that she originally wanted to be a warlock, and Travis took it.
I'll be motherfucking damned
Still not convinced Artigan and the Traveler are the same BUT Artigan was definitely that red haired green eye guy at the Marduns
With that in mind, what reason does Artagan of all leople feel the need to help the party in a way that was extremely out of the blue? He would need to be personally invested in the outcome, and the clearest link we know of is if he were invested in Jester's safety, being the Traveler.
@@lesslycepeda5247 you make a good point but I will wait for more evidence, a red lock from the Traveler would be enough for me, as we already have that he have green eyes as Artigan and also his angular face.
What makes this hypothesis solid is the fact that Mercer said that a non deity beings can grant clerical abilities to people that worship them, like an archfey and maybe even a fiend.
What makes me doubt it is that Artigan seemed to be on the bargain side more akin to a Warlock Patron while The Traveler seems way more benevolent than Artigan. Unless Artigan demeanor changed when VM built the portal to allow him to know more about Exandrian people.
All in all the evidence seems to be huge and i love this fan theory, but at least for me I need a little more convincing evidence and that would be seeing his fiery red lion like mane of Hair, or to him to casually say that he is fond of Fauns or Satyrs or that he likes to take those forms.
@@Ryquard1
or to him to casually say that he is fond of Fauns or Satyrs or that he likes to take those forms.
we could very well see this when Jester goes to meet up with her, for want of a better word cult, The Travellers other followers maybe, at least a few of them, those species :)
I mean VM did make a deal with Artagon to build him a “doorway” into the material plain (the travelers holy symbol), and I think he became the traveler/more benevolent when he met Jester (a cute, innocent, and loving young girl) when she was very young (which Laura said was like 15 years ago, and the end of the last campaign/this one has a 20 year time skip), along with all the evidence presented in the video man I would bet a lot of money Artagon is the Traveler. Matt also doesn’t let things happen JUST for no reason.
I think what really seals it is that Laura’s plan was originally to be a warlock with the Traveler as her Patron so the archfey thing could be pretty solid
Congratulations, we got some official confirmation. And its so juicy
Thank you for putting this together.
Yesssssss thank you for making these. You're my supercut hero!
I love that you used Trouble is a Friend in this video, as it was the first song Laura mentioned as being on Jester’s playlist.
This aged *VERY* well
You nailed it
Dam. 11 months later. Here we are
Mathew Mercer has given us both the most subtle and the most obvious hints in the world while still keeping us guessing , jfc brilliant, and Laura fucking agreeing to this shit . I want this to happen but poor Jester
I see the relationship between Jester and the Traveler as brother and sister, like the Traveler is the older brother who watches Jester while Jester is the chaotic joyful little sister