Tusk Love

Tusk Love is a smut novel written by Matilda Merceria. It follows the "saucy" relationship between Oksar, a half-orc, and Guinevere, the daughter of a traveling merchant, after they meet on the Amber Road near Druvenlode. Though they initially cannot be together, for fear of their families' opinions of the relationship, it ends with them happily in love.

Jester Lavorre bought a copy from the Chastity's Nook in Zadash, and it appeared recurrently in Campaign Two afterward. She repeatedly misremembers the heroine's name to be "Genevieve", her own birth name, and she sometimes refers to Fjord, a half-orc man with whom she falls in love, as "Oskar".

Description
Tusk Love is a smut novel following a half-orc named Oskar and the daughter of a traveling merchant named Guinevere after they meet on the Amber Road near Druvenlode. Though they begin a "saucy" relationship, they do not believe they can be together, for fear of what their parents may think. At some point in the novel, Oskar and Guinevere are on a sinking ship and Oskar rows them in a boat to shore. He also carries her across a field, apparently toward the end of the novel. Ultimately, the book ends happily with them both deeply in love.

Iva Deshin described it as "a little more saucy" and contrasted it against the gentler, more "classic love story" Guard of My Heart. Generally, Tusk Love is very popular.

Critical Role
At the Chastity's Nook, Tusk Love is among the novels Iva Deshin has for sale. Jester Lavorre is immediately interested in the book and promptly asks for a copy. She read the book through the evening, often glancing at Fjord, a half-orc friend on whom she had a crush. When he asked what she was reading, she told him, "Nothing, Oskar. Don't worry about it." Beauregard Lionett accused Jester of reading too much smut when Jester made an insinuation about Caleb Widogast visiting their room later that night, and Beau unenthusiastically though patiently listened to Jester emotionally relay the plot before bed. Beau believed that Tusk Love turned Jester's crush on Fjord into "a full-blown infatuation". The next day, Jester gave the book to Nott the Brave to read. Some days later, Mollymauk Tealeaf gave it to Horris Thrym to occupy his time while he was sheltering in the Leaky Tap and waiting for the Mighty Nein to sneak him out of town.

While the Mighty Nein navigated the underground river in Zadash by rowing boats, Jester compared it to a scene in Tusk Love, but she noted that Oskar was rowing where she, instead of Fjord, was doing so here. After Jester called the heroine "Genevieve", much later revealed to be her own birth name, Beau corrected her that the heroine's name is actually "Guinevere", and Jester admitted that she remembered Oskar better than Guinevere. In the evening, when Fjord expressed uncertainty about allowing his tusks to grow in again, Jester tried to encourage him by pointing out that Oskar has visible tusks.

Though Jester decided that Kiri was too young to read Tusk Love, she entertained her one evening by telling her the story, omitting the sexual content but illustrating various scenes for Kiri. Kiri was enthralled, but Beau, who was sharing the bedroom, fell asleep after twenty minutes. Months later, Jester also read Tusk Love aloud to the ghosts around the Cinderrest Sanctum. The Nein eventually attracted about a dozen ghosts, and the number dwindled when Jester briefly stopped reading, suggesting that the ghosts possibly enjoyed the novel. The Nein informed Tyla Dust of this, and they lent her their copy to read. Tyla was "completely taken" with it.

A copy of Tusk Love was among the five books in each bedroom in Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower. Vandran was additionally two-thirds through the book when Jester checked on him through Scrying. She promptly contacted him through Sending, including comment on Tusk Love, and Vandran asked her not to spoil any of it for him.

The Legend of Vox Machina
In, Shaun Gilmore conjured the book from thin air and set it open on a display when Pike Trickfoot and Vax'ildan visited Gilmore's Glorious Goods. Pike, noticing a passage in her peripheral vision, reacted to it with surprise.

Known readers

 * Jester, described it was the "most beautiful story" and said, "It's the most beautiful love story you've ever heard in your entire life, basically."
 * Horris Thrym, generally unenthusiastic about it
 * Tyla Dust, "completely taken" with the book
 * Zeenoth, felt it was "not a bad read"
 * Fraelin, expositor of the Cobalt Soul, believed to be fond of the book
 * Caleb Widogast, all books in the Nein-Sided Tower are those he read
 * Vandran, considered it "pretty good"

Trivia

 * Guinevere's appearance is never described.
 * The Critical Role shop sold a Tusk Love notebook in December 2018 with a cover featuring Jester. This notebook first named the author has Matilda Merceria, in reference to Matthew Mercer.
 * The cover as depicted in The Legend of Vox Machina features the half-orc Oskar and depicts Guinevere as a blue tiefling, referencing Fjord and Jester. And their real life actors Travis and Laura.