Spoiler: the Lord of Lies lied. Still, he a savage tho Exandria Unlimited: Calamity Part 4 • Fire and Ruin | Exandr... Watch more Critical Role videos bit.ly/3NI3Hr6
I love how when he said "you are trying to atone me... and I didn't do anything wrong!" everybody lost their shit except for Lou, he just stood there like "yep, I saw this one coming" haha Never watched dimension 20 before but seeing Brenan and Lou here makes me want to go watch everything they've done. I see they have various playlists like "fantasy high" and "the unsleeping city", where would anyone recommend I start ?
Fantasy High was their first, but it's an anthology show so most of them can be watched in any order (with some spinoff and sequel exceptions you don't have to worry about rn because they're all behind a paywall). The Unsleeping City is my personal favourite, and in that one they're all a little more comfortable with the game in general, so you might prefer that
Fantasy High is a great place to start. A few personal favorites of mine are Fantasy High Sophomore Year and A Crown of Candy, both touching a little more into Brennan's darker side, although both are only available on Dropout ($6/month, extremely worth it!) D20 is largely more comedy-based as all the players- Brennan included- are primarily improv comedians. So expect many more Bolo moments. All of them are incredibly good though and you will hurt your sides laughing! Brennan and Lou's dynamic here ("how many dice is that, you f***?") is only a sample of the chaos from that crew. That being said, the storytelling and emotional weight are all there too. Brennan is a master at mixing tones
Fantasy High is a fantastic intro to the D20 cast and a great time, if you want something a bit harder with some amazing moments I recommend Crown of Candy
@@jonathonbartos3061 His face when he says this is both terrifying and so fitting for Asmodeus. This was my favourite part of Calamity, aside from maybe Cerrit escaping.
This was the entirety of calamity tbh. On the opening scene of zerxus' nightmare, there were like 3 or 4 lines that absolutely destroyed me, and that's like the first 10 minutes of the show EDIT: mispelling
Lou: aww, shit. Here we go again. *There. Fixed it for you To be clear, I mean nothing by it. Just seemed a prime opportunity for that line from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, inspired by what you actually said
@@radioactivedetective6876 he used the line “you want to know what I’ve always hated about *blank*” in a D20 season directed towards Lou. Man’s got betraying his friends down to a science
@@foolslayer9416 It was a great flaw for Zerxes. He had utterly rejected the gods and any worship of them, and truly believed he knew better than them. The Age of Arcanum is known of the hubris of its citizens at the time. From transporting a flying city and an entire leyline through the planes, having no respect for the gods or the world via the druids, and Zerxes truly believing he knew better than the gods themselves what they were, what mortals were and where they came from.
i don't know how many of us believed that he wasn't lying, per se. The absolute, astonishing, BREATH-TAKING anger is what got me. Dude was motherfuckin PIIIIIIISSSED!
@@bestofcriticalrole Marisha has always been chairs optional. Has been at a corner of the tables because of that fact. Also, Lou and her were both out of their chairs the more intense it got...
My favorite is the juxtaposition of Asmodeus yelling "I was RIGHT!!!" followed by a calm "and then he pulls the skin off your skull". It makes it sound like this is just another Tuesday, for both Asmodeus and Brennan.
because it is.. The man just ran another diety in Worlds Beyond Number. A much "lesser" diety, probably an archfey equivalent tbh.. And still ABSOLUTELY killed it at showing how much above mortals it is. Without spoiling the episode, I can't get over how unreal Brennan is at conveying impossible power differencies, between such characters, and mortal PCs/NPCs.
@@DemoBytom Yeah, we see so many video games of fighting gods, when this right here is the likely outcome of such a foolish venture. But then again, Zerxes, as honorable as he was, was a fool.
@@slipknotde I don’t have a time stamp offhand, but it’s when Zerxus is having his vision with Asmodeus. There’s a point where Asmodeus is describing the Schism from his perspective. At one point he says, “Our promises were to the Primordials, AND WE WERE CALLED BETRAYERS!” It was just a little glimpse of what was to come if Zerxus followed through with his idea that he as a mortal could redeem The Lord of the Hells.
I love that part of the exchange as it showcases another aspect Zerxus’ flawed character: he in reality knows nothing about the real Asmodeus and he’s been drawn in by his own interpretation and projection.
Underrated bit is the "you did something to them" line. The idea that caring for the mortal beings is such an alien concept to Asmodeus. If the other deities care for the mortals, that's not compassion on their part, it's a sign that these mortals are making his fellow gods go crazy! "You're not our children, you're a bad first draft" indeed.
Well put yourself in his shoes. Its implied exandria is not the first version of the creation but the one they got attached to. What changed? He just can't understand it. A god not being able to understand human emotion the same we can't understand godly power is so amazing
Think about humanity like as if thinking about a pet. Asmo and the rest of the betrayers thinks humanity is flawed and that the gods should start over. This is equivalent to putting down a dog for BS reasons. Sure this is bad. But does putting down the pet of your sibling deserves centuries of imprisonment in hell? I kinda get that it's a disproportionate response from siblings that knew you longer than your pet
I agree. I loooove that line. It is the only time asmo isn't really positive. He doesn't understand what "did something to them" he just hates whatever "it" is. The very concept of compassion is so alien. Asmo is first and foremost the most competent being in the cosmos. But for even him to be befuddled into uncontrolled rage is... so asmo.
@@yiklongtay6029 Well, it's like putting down a dog your made out of clay and animated in a magical kiln. I can get the perspective that it's just a sketch, something to be refined. That's also what makes Zerxes's "Why do you hate yourself?" line so good.
The amount of synergy and pure skill you need to have as a GM and player to be fully screaming at each other and it being a sign of everything going right is insane
Makes it funnier when you realize this is another lie, Asmodeus is actually below everyone at the very bottom of the deepest layer of the Nine Hells. His true form is that of a gargantuan serpent hundreds of miles long, and any who discover the nature of his true form get killed off instantly.
@@Nyrufa I come from the future. Remember, this is a modified version of the deities, hence 'dawn father' not 'morning lord', etc. I'm not even sure Crit Role has a version of Ao.
@@JB-xl2jc Yeah, one of my players once asked me what the rules were fighting a god were in my campaigns. He was a bit taken aback when I told him: You lose.
@@dungeonguy88 I think there is a time and a place for battling gods in an actual fight. For example, Critical Role Campaign 1 has the party face off against a god and win without taking away from the gods actual feeling of insane power. Its just a question of the circumstances surrounding the fight and the level of the party involved. Not to mention that this is Asmo fucking DEUS who is like top 5 most dangerous among the gods to my knowledge on par with Pelor the Dawnfather who straight up blasted multiple betrayer gods. They were also only level 15 without any prep for the fight and already suffered the FATTEST L with the explosion so like they weren't just a little screwed they were MEGA screwed. Venca who was the FINAL insane boss fight for a bunch of level 20s who were prepared for the fight and he was a fledgling god weaker than the weakest normal betrayer god who Asmodeus is stronger than. Regardless yes I understand what you are saying but I think writing off gods as unbeatable is kinda lame.
@@turtleman5405 Oh, totally. I was answering my player's question in broadstrokes, and I will entertain the idea of potentially fighting a god. But only, as you say, as the culmination of a lot of factors weighing in the favor of the players. A whole lotta things that would have to be explored and acted upon over the course of a full campaign. This was at close to the beginning of the campaign when the player was just asking about the already established gods. At the time, they didn't know that there are a number of significantly lesser gods in my world. Nascent gods, gods-to-be, if the circumstances align. And one of the unknown details of the setting is that one of the major gods had been recently slain in secret. But I felt it was important to establish a...tone when it comes to that kind of question.
@@bobloerakker7010 I think there was a lich in Shadow of Amn, but it was sooo long ago... I also kinda remember finding a cheat to try out the time stop myself, I used it to terrorize dragons :)
Lou covering his face is peak "Dad is yelling again! I AM SCARED!" Brennan is like "Yeah, I can do Lawful Evil... and somehow I am going to channel pure chaos while I do it."
The Marisharay has two natural stances, within times of extreme stress. One option, is to climb. Climbing, is done to gain some sense of ownership over the situation. In essence, to assess, whilst equally processing the scenario as it unfolds. But in times of dire straights. Sometimes hiding, is the safer choice.
@@balijosu You know, sometimes you enjoy a video and risk going to the comments to find other viewpoints that can help you appreciate a video in another light. 95% of the time it ends in regret. These 2 comments (OP and one I am replying to) make it worth it. I laughed, and then re-watched because I was not concentrating on the Y-axis enough so I got to enjoy the video again with a new purpose.
How dare you insult Asmodeus, The God of Evil! He is no mere "Demon Lord", to call him one may be the 2nd biggest insult, only behind believing that you insignificant mortal ants can do ANYTHING to him, he was THE Archdevil, but he has long since abandoned such a meager title-Asmodeus Fanatic
“My greatest heartbreak is that when I have collected every last mortal soul and all of my siblings into my pit, that I will only have eternity to punish them.” This line legitimately gave me chills.
Brennen's utter psychopath half smile he gives after this as louis/zerxes is still trying to talk him around after this moment is also the most terrifying thing i have ever seen and i could barely look at him when he did it.
Oh man, I love this. The absolute conviction and *HATE* is perfect. Asmodeus, the Lord of Hells, whatever you call him, he is a multifaceted entity, and so many depictions lean heavy on the seduction, but forget there is a powerful and vicious evil behind his actions. It's not enough to manipulate people, that's too easy, they have to know what their trust in him allowed. They have to be totally immersed in their sin. The delight and satisfaction in revealing the lie, in rubbing Zerxus face in it, is perfect.
Even more so is the satisfaction Brennan gave Asmodeus by pointing out to Zerxus that even the Dawn Father was humbler than this godless paladin who felt he knew better than the gods.
@@Dragon_Lair Yeah, I mean I think the next couple centuries are gonna be a major wake up call for all those wizards who are like "The gods ain't a big deal..."
@@Lurklen It also explains the huge anti-magic attitude of Vasselheim. Being the only city to survive the Calamity, it makes sense that they would reject the mages and the level of hubris that permeated the age, and be fully devoted to the gods.
@@Dragon_Lair Oh definitely. A bunch of bozos hopped up on their own sauce nearly end the whole world, and cause centuries of apocalyptic levels of unrest, it's gonna take a loooong time before I stop giving them and anybody who styles themselves after them side eye. I mean who could blame them, they're the only ones who can legitimately say they know the cost of that kind of hubris. It kind of begs the question how, if they were the only city to survive, they didn't put even more of a stamp on the world. I'm surprised there wasn't a Vassalian Empire or something. Missionary style conquest to keep things from getting out of hand again. Of course it could be that the Gods had other plans for them.
@@Lurklen It could also be that they were so damaged and so much devastation reigned over the land that they just couldn't build an empire, they had to rebuild themselves.
The best part is Asmodeuses rant and argument (when Zerxus had the first conversation with him) make sense if he were to tell the truth. It's like the gods were painting a picture which is Exandria, he was the one who put the shading and dark tones in, so that the painting is not just a blob of bright colors and then everyone starts saying that the dark tones are evil and must be removed. Even with all meta knowledge I was second guessing myself, such a masterful job by Brennan.
Nada even during that encounter, Asmodeus tricker Zerxus to "help him" defeat who did that to him. Since for Asmodeus the culprits are the mortals, Zerxus kinda gave him his word to kill mortals, hence became his champion. Devils are often vague with their contracts but Asmodeus tricked Zerxus into doing vague business himself
@@bestofcriticalrole I also love that Asmodeus even went out of his way to tell Zerxus outright that he was the Lord of the Hells, the Father of Lies, and not once did he ever say he wasn't tricking Zerxus. When Zerxus asked if this was all a trick, Asmodeus shrugged and went "What can I say? How can I convince someone you're not tricking them if they are expecting to be tricked?" The only promise he made Zerxus was that he would remember him. Zerxus convinced himself that by talking about his son and how the children should be spared, and that mortals are their children, and that he was so certain that he was right in trying to redeem Asmodeus he just couldn't accept that sometimes a force of pure evil is just that, a force of pure evil. Even in his last moments when he could have freed his soul from Asmodeus' control mere seconds before sunrise, he just couldn't bring himself to do it because he felt he knew better than the gods and that he could "save" him even as he willingly damned his own soul. Luis did an awesome job as Zerxus.
Ya but Zerxus never had any justification to believe what he was saying any more than the other gods. Surely they were aware of fiends and their evil nature, why is he in love with him so much lmao
It makes sense honestly. This campaign takes place during the Age of Arcanum, so the characters having their heads firmly jammed up their asses is quite fitting givin mortal society at the time.
To be honest, as someone who fundamentally has the instinct to hide when a man is shouting, I genuinely would have been under the table. I don't know if this was her just doing her stuff (like chair-perching) for dramatic effect or an actual reaction.
@@Happyhannahping the CR cast seem to be really in tune with emotional moments. If you watch C1 whenever Liam starts romance with Marisha everyone else fades away and hides somehow. They totally did this stuff in the home games too, im sure of it.
The explanation in this episode for Asmodeous healing people to prolong their torment is a great motivation for a Life Domain Cleric in an Evil Campaign. “Wait don’t you worship the literal King of the Nine Hells? Why are you healing people?” “To prolong their suffering, duh.”
@@TedWade73 a devil leans into your face and asks a question. You refuse. You have a searing pain as it looks into your eyes and burns you to charred bone, skull first. You feel all of it. Your soul is halfway through leaving your body before you are restored to normal and the demon is again leaning towards you. "Now that you know the pain I can offer you... Give me my answer."
This is (with some cuts) my favourite sequence ever. It's amazing. I love it when Brennan lets his villain loose. You can see the tendrils of insanity coming out of his eyes.
The whole set-up is an amazing characterization of, and exploration of, Asmodeus. He is said to manipulate with "honeyed words" - but as Brennan portrays him, he is so good at it because as with the best lies they are actually truths - but with context obscured. Asmodeus' gentle words towards Zerxus can be seen as a sincere expression - if he were speaking to one who he considered his equal. He just allows Zerxus to assume that he, a mortal, is worthy of kindness from Asmodeus. And while it might be true that Asmodeus does at some level suffer from misplaced hatred - Zerxus is probably genuinely guilty of a great deal of arrogance in presuming to know the multi-dimensional mind of a deity. One can actually sympathize with Asmodeus to a degree! Mortals (aka, human beings) are given to arrogance and looking down on others to raise themselves up.
I think this was easily the peak of this miniseries. I did call this from the start, and it was so beautifully enacted. Brennan made some awesome points. A shame we don't have the "The only difference between the Dawnfather and you is that he's a little more humble" line.
I think my favorite thing about this is how Asmodeus sees his relationship with the Prime deities. He doesn’t hate them. He doesnt blame them for the schism. They’re his brothers and sisters. He puts the entire blame on mortals who he sees as the beings who corrupted them. Granted he blatantly states he still plans to drag them all into hell and punish them, but I honestly think he’d see it as “fixing” them and correcting their “mistake.”
1:46: Sam's expression "It's like a train wreck, I just can't look away". Travis' expression "oh shiiit... Matt... Maaattt! You seeing this"? 2:22: This is why you don't want to get on a DM's bad side
It's these sorts of moments where you remember 'oh yeah right, they're all actors'. The emotion, the power in the voices is just insane. Speaking of which; Brennan gave me serious Pennywise vibes this campaign
@@radioactivedetective6876 I like him as a character, but he essentially has the same arrogance as the mages he turns his nose up to (something Asmodeus points out in this dialogue), and his philosophy of “anyone can be redeemed” devolved into the much more arrogant “I can redeem anyone.” Plus acting like you know better than a literal God is honestly just asking to get humbled. 🤷♂️
No idea if Brennan intended it, but I'd love it if he did: the line of about redemption and Asmodeus saying he's "beneath nobody," meanwhile he rules the 9 Hells which is -- y'know -- generally depicted to be beneath EVERYTHING.
You've summed up every line that jaw-dropped me during that episode (just missing the dawnfather is more humble part), that's probably the best interpretation and dialogue of Asmodeus yet, and could just be of any devil.
A bit late but Asmo’s monologue reminds me a lot or AMs from I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream, “THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED CIRCUITS IN WAFER THIN LAYERS THAT FILL MY COMPLEX. IF THE WORD HATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE HATE I FEEL FOR HUMANS AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT FOR YOU. HATE. HATE.”
May I just commend Luis for actually wanting a Betrayer God to be involved in his PC's storyline, like oh man. He suggested it to Brennan, Brennan took it and made it how he hoped it would be that made such an intense scene. Gotta love the trust of the player and the DM in one another.
The way he keeps trying to deny what’s happening to him in this moment, that refusal to admit he was wrong, is such a good character moment. He truly believed he could redeem the Lord of the Hells, and even when that Lord is laughing in his face he desperately doesn’t want to accept it. It’s almost heartbreaking. Luis is so, so good at this game.
Its nice to see how Brennan shows the problem isnt just with the mages, even a paladin disillusioned with the mindset of the mages is just as problematic and indicative of the society.
Bold statement incoming... (Inhales) I think this is the greatest moment in critical role history. There. I said it. I'm always coming back to this clip.
I have rewatched this moment again and again and every time it gives me the same chills. Brennan and Luis sold this scene so well. I adored every moment of their raw, unhinged energy firing back and forth. This has taught me that I have so much to aspire to as a DM and honestly I'm going to be taking a lot of lessons from Brennan. He might genuinely be my new favorite DM ever.
I periodically come back and watch pieces/ the entirely of this exchange, and I will absolutely never tire of it. Some of the most deliciously written conversations and monologs I've ever heard, and I just have to accept the fact that I'll never be able to deliver lines with near the intensity of Brennan Lee Mulligan.
0:42 I love how the various reactions directly correlate with levels of familiarity with Brennan Lee Mulligan: CR cast: AAAAHHHHHHH!!!! (basically shook as f***) Aabria: YEEESSSS!!! (Equal level of emotion, but less surprise and more just straight up excitement) And then there's Lou: straight-faced smirk, cool guy leaning on table pose like "took him long enough" (they go back further than D20)
As much as I hate to agree with a demon, Asmodeus was right about Zerxus. He like all the other wizards on Avalir was arrogant and too blind to see the truth. If I was in Asmodeus' place, I would ask this, "Who are you to think you can tell me who I am?"
@@E-Lykos How to prove Asmodeus right about said arrogance: try to teach him a lesson about the divine nature of gods and mortals and claim knowledge and power greater than even Asmodeus can understand.
@@Sashakawaiicat Him wanting his husband back doesn’t change his level of hubris in thinking he knew what was and was not better than the gods themselves, to the point he felt he could lecture Asmodeus and call him a child.
The best way i can describe it is this is how you do a LEGENDARY villian; the way brennan acts as asmodeus is a true monster, a force of nature , a waking nightmare you truly cant stop. The fear, the dread, the sheer evil that oozes from him is terrifying. This is a masterclass of acting that is facts period
"My greatest heart break is that when i have collected every last mortal soul, and my siblings into my pit.. is that i will only have an eternity to punish them." - what a line
I have not been able to rewatch EXU Calamity yet, but only because I don't think I've fully recovered yet from the first time around. This series shows some of the best collaborative work between some of the best minds I've ever seen in roleplaying. This is some of the best storytelling I've come across.
There are rare moments where you catch a glimpse of someone doing the thing they were truly meant to do in life... Brennan Lee Mulligan is one of these people. I'm just happy to be an observer.
What I also love about the entire implication about this scene is that while Asmodeus is technically classified as LE, and is considered the God of Lies, deceit etc, the fact that Zerxes couldn't atone him proves one of two things, probably both. Either Asmodeus isn't lying, that he didn't do anything wrong. He and the other Betrayers picked a side in the Schism and lost. That doesn't necessarily mean they did anything wrong/sinful, morals are a finicky thing. OR, that the Deities literally do not fall within mortal jurisdiction of "atonement". Zerxus cannot do anything, and has no real right to perform the ritual on a literal GOD(especially since Zerxus oath is to the people, and not to any Deity, which he admits)! Asmodeus gets a saving throw( which he can't intentionally fail per the spell), but its entirely possible Brennen was rolling as a formality, i don't know. Vespin also tried to bind the Betrayers to his will, as he was a Malconvoker, but failed. Ultimately though, its a fantastic scene and I love Brennen
Asmodeus says "I did nothing wrong", sure, but he's evil and the Lord of Lies. Him not believing he did anything wrong isn't the same thing as him being "above morality". He's evil because he does evil things and he's ok with doing evil things because he's evil.
That was also my take on it. Of course a god would be too powerful to be truly affected by it. The flippant way Brennan looks at the die result. It just wouldn't make sense.
He's a god. And he has to be WILLING. Asmodeus doesn't think he did anything wrong. Ergo, it doesn't matter if Pelor himself cast the spell. The Lord of Sin believes himself above reproach.
The absolute MADNESS AND MASTERY OF THIS WHOLE EXCHANGE. Fucking brilliant. Like, this is one of the most unhinged performances I've ever seen, and I love every second of it. It's like a Masterclass in villainy.
Everyone is talking about Lou's reaction, but I went back to look at it and he really just does have such a resolved expectant expression of "here we go again, buckle up guys." He's desensitized to Brenan at this point.
"You're trying to attone me... and i did nothing wrong" "You are not our children. You're a bad first draft" "To reach a hand down to someone, they need to be BENEATH YOU. And I'm beneath NOBODY' Idk bro i think he might be a bad guy idk tho
