Talks Machina 121: Clay and Dust

 is the 121th episode of Talks Machina. Taliesin and Travis join Brian to discuss the events of

Synopsis

 * Rachel Kleine: Travis: Fjord took a huge and incredibly risky step this episode. Did his conversation with Jester/hearing from Vandran have any influence on his retaliation against Uk'atoa? Where did he draw his strength from in that intense moment?
 * @AstralSeaSiren: Taliesin: You've said previously that you were unsure how accurate Cad's knowledge of the lore of the three families was. How did it feel to find that the Dusts were as welcoming and real as he'd expected?
 * @CostumerDelight: Travis: Fjord is terribly squishy, and he was willing to impale himself on the falchion to barter for his powers.... If it came down to it, would he have sacrificed his life to be free from Uk'otoa?
 * @TriaElf9: For Taliesin: Is Caduceus worried about his missing family members, or is it normal for them and/or does he trust that they are protected by the Wildmother? And did the new information strengthen or weaken whatever thoughts he had on their wellbeing?
 * @Pamericachavez: Travis: Fjord made quite a few big choices lately (seeking out Vandran, opening up to Jester, playing chicken with Uk'otoa, coming clean about his accent). What pushed him to make so many bold moves at once?
 * @Jlawleypop: For Taliesin: This episode is one of the few times we've seen Cad show emotional vulnerability about his personal issues. How HAS he being coping with not being with his family for so long?

Cosplay of the Week

 * Emilia aka @Ivorivet's Caleb (Photo by @PearlBaeCosplay)


 * Chazen Smith: Taliesin: How weird is it for you to be on the other end of someone destroying their pact weapon?
 * Hunter Stevens: To Travis: What was the deciding factor that made Fjord wake up Clay as opposed to Jester seeing as moments before he had a check in with her?
 * Watermasterzee: Both: Fjord seems to be heading towards the Wild Mother. How does Caduceus feel about possibly having another one of her followers in the group? Does Fjord see Caduceus as a guiding hand in his search for safety and another god to follow?
 * Yodeldag: Taliesin: Caduceus, unlike the rest of the party, seemed uninterested on Fjord's dropping the accent. Was it because he felt it wasn't important or was it something else?

Fan Art of the Week

 * 'The Wild Mother and her boys' By Leia Boeke aka @Leiaboeke


 * @Ashinanfandom: Travis: Now that Fjord's officially dropped Vandren's accent, can you expand on why Fjord would randomly accent drop throughout the campaign? Was it him simply forgetting to keep up the facade or was it that Fjord was reacting more as 'himself' than Vandren would?
 * HazardSuitor: Taliesin: Can you please describe the amount of restraint you showed as the prevalence of Whitestone began to rise in the episode and its possible ties to what the M9 are seeking?
 * This-is-Liam: Travis: When Caleb and the rest of the M9 started offering Fjord all of their items and weapons, you seemed deeply affected. What was it about this gesture from the party that hit so close to home for you/Fjord?
 * @AdiraStopsBrian: Taliesin: Did you legitimately think that yeeting a handful of residuum dust into the forge would satisfy the vision Melora gave Clay? Or was the explanation of how faith affects Clay's thought process more important?
 * @MonicaDominator: Travis: Now that Fjord's confessed, can you talk a little about the decision of making Fjord's real voice sound posh, and his put on voice more working class? Was this reversal of stereotypes intentional or as last minute as the original decision to go Texan?
 * @CarnotLasbian: Taliesin: Caduceus was alone for a long time at the blooming grove, and hasn't seen many other Wildmother worshippers since leaving. How does he feel being among a faith community again after so long?
 * AirGundz: Travis: Everyone is curious about what will happen with Fjord's class levels. Is that something you already decided with Matt? Is there anything you can disclose about this topic?