Talks Machina 96: The Second Seal

is the ninety-sixth episode of Talks Machina. Taliesin Jaffe and Travis Willingham discuss with host Brian Wayne Foster.

Synopsis

 * @TrashAndDrivel: Travis: what do you regret more: eating that durian candy or everything Fjord's done in the last 20 episodes?
 * Kate Huffman: For Taliesin: What was Caduceus' motive for casting divination and checking into Vandran? Did he simply want to give Fjord some peace of mind, or was it something deeper than that?
 * @Tiamat_ZX: To both Travis and Taliesin: Do you find it rather funny that a mystery that Fjord tried to solve regarding Vandran's status Caduceus solved in six seconds just by giving Melora a divine phone call?
 * Dikemon: Travis: We've seen Fjord struggle with his confidence and acting as a leader throughout the whole campaign. Orly said that he knows who the real captain of the Balleater will always be. Does Fjord think he earned that respect as the captain? How does Fjord view himself as a leader now?
 * @EldraziOutlaw: Taliesin: How guilty/amused do you feel at having rendered an entire encounter obsolete with a single dice roll?
 * @BananaTitz: Travis: What were Fjord's thoughts after seeing Caduceus effortlessly capsize the approaching ship via Control Water? Is he excited or intimidated by his new found power over water?
 * @CarnotLesbian: Taliesin: Caduceus racked up a fairly significant body count when capsizing the pursuing ship. Is he bothered this, or does it fall under his "circle of life" mentality?

GIF of the Week

 * D. Jones aka disasterjones (on Tumblr)'s punch gif.


 * @Frap234: Taliesin: Caduceus is a very insightful character. Do you think he has picked up on Caleb's occasionally darker motives for his actions? Does he think of the book as a strategic gift or just because they're friends?
 * Godphase3: Travis: Fjord tells the Mighty Nein that one of his motivations was the hope of seeing more visions of Vandran. His immediate goal is returning Jester to her mother, and seems surprised at Beau's disinterest in her own family. How much are Fjord's overall actions driven by a desire for a connection with family? Is he starting to see the Mighty Nein as family to him the way Vandran was?
 * @ShriekTheMighty: Taliesin: Was Caduceus embarrassed/ashamed to admit that he can't read very well, especially to a bookworm like Caleb?
 * @KootiePatra: For Travis: Fjord has been expressing great wariness towards his patron's motives. Does he feel any sense of devotion or indebtedness to Uk'utoa, or is it just fear?
 * @Asahi_Azumane: Taliesin: Caduceus has mentioned in a couple of episodes that he likes how Caleb smells, is this just to refute the teasing from the others or does he find something comforting in Caleb's smell like Nila with her smell bag?
 * @SeduceusClay: Travis: how does Fjord feel about the fact that several M9 members think there's a strong possibility of him turning evil because of Uk'otoa.

Fan Art of the Week

 * Terren Yvon aka @spacecaptainz's "the broken shore."


 * @Klyphe: Taliesin: Caduceus started his sea journey looking like a drowned harassed rat and is returning serenely divining from the crow's nest. What can you tell us about his growth during his recent spate of escapes?
 * @MxGiniInABottle: Travis: Fjord spent more time than usual checking in on Jester this episode. What are his motivations for doing so and how does he feel about her subsequent reactions? Has he noticed Nott's behavior whenever he speaks to Jester?
 * @CattyWampus_: Taliesin: is there an in-character reason you've been using Path to the Grave primarily with Yasha? What does Caduceus think of her now that he's heard more of her story?
 * Jordan Springer: For Travis: After he confessed that he is not sure if his feelings about the temples come completely from him, is Fjord now scared that Uk'otoa may be controlling him now or may do so in the future to get him to the third temple?
 * Caitlin Hurban: For Taliesin: Caduceus and Jester both have very personal relationships with their deities. Was Cad also a lonely kid and did that affect the development of his relationship with the Wildmother?
 * @ArtistSomeday: Travis: Is Fjord satisfied with the answers he has found regarding his personal journey or is he frustrated with more questions?
 * Ellianderjoy: Both: How do you feel about the prospect of returning to the Empire with the threat of the war having seemingly increased in the time you have been away? Do you think it would be safer to stay away, or are you more worried for those in the group who have close ties in the Empire such as Beau and Nott?

Quotations

 * Dani: "It pains me, every time [Brian dabs]. You're causing me physical injury, every single time...You're terrible."
 * Travis: "That candy was some bunk-ass, soap-tasting, windex-ass shit. I could have heeded everyone's warning, but we all know I have to taste that thing before I reject it."
 * Taliesin: "What question can I ask that's going to make Matt Mercer really angry that he has to answer?"
 * Taliesin: "It was him trying to be a bro."
 * Travis: "I need to learn a great deal more about Caduceus."
 * Dani: "He makes people in his tea!"
 * Travis: "He's not the leader, he's just a participant in this adventure."
 * Taliesin: "Guilt is for humans and mortals, I don't feel guilt."
 * Taliesin: "That felt great."
 * Taliesin: "I'm sure they're very a-peel-ing."
 * Taliesin: "I don't feel guilt, I just wanted to fight things on ships." Travis: "He was human once."
 * Dani: "Death is especially inevitable when you're trying to kill me."
 * Travis: "I think he might have been partially intimidated by Caduceus."
 * Taliesin: "He doesn't necessarily have a good head for good and evil. He's got a good head for natural and unnatural."
 * Taliesin: "He's a monk so he has a lot of ideas of how people should be that are based entirely on utter lack of experience."
 * Brian: "What I'm looking forward to about Fjord's arc maybe possibly coming to a close is we don't have to have Travis on the show much. There's a lot more people I want to talk to!"
 * Taliesin: "Everybody needs a friend to pick them up from LAX."
 * Travis: "He totally views the Mighty Nein as a family."
 * Taliesin: "I haven't burned an orphanage down in D&D in years."
 * Taliesin: "He's not really a shame-based creature."
 * Taleisin: "You want to know why the garden is the way it is?" Travis: "Yes, I would love to know." Taliesin: "You should ask."
 * Brian: "Cornelius Clay sounds like a Harry Potter character"
 * Brian: "Is shipping things hard manual labor, Dani?"
 * Travis: "I don't really know how warlocks work if you don't obey your patron's marching orders."
 * Brian: "Cuddling with Kiri is our new show."
 * Taliesin: "I've often assumed that Caleb smells a little bit like peat moss."
 * Dani: "I appreciate Liam hitting his breaking point with that last episode. Like, 'you have to admit I smell fine now!'"
 * Taliesin: "It's not like a sexy thing like 'ooh, hey' but you know, you smell great!" Travis: "You can compliment a fellow on his-" Taliesin: "I will say, he doesn't feel that way, though. He doesn’t have a thing going on in that direction." Travis: "Try and tell Tumblr that." Taliesin: "Tumblr is welcome to their own opinion and I am not going to disagree with them."
 * Travis: "I may use our game as a slight stress reliever but not everything has to be homicide every time."
 * Brian: "I should quit the drinking."
 * Taliesin: "His is a big believer in getting comfortable where you are."
 * Taliesin: "This is not how the Clays function, we are capable people."
 * Taliesin: "That tattoo was like—that's a cry for help."
 * Taliesin: "Goth kids happen for a reason. Of course your heart was broken, look at you."
 * Taliesin: "I think he was giving you a blueprint to move forward"
 * Taliesin: "Surprisingly social for people who lived that far out into the middle of nowhere. He had a very nice childhood, it was pretty chill. I mean sparse, but pleasant."
 * Taliesin: "It was an old man vampire with an ice cream truck."
 * Travis: "It's just a natural frustration from following a set of clues and then having them lead to really nothing."
 * Brian: "Who knows what you'd have to swallow?" Dani: "Where's something I can throw?"
 * Dani: "Nobody trusts your face, Brian."
 * Taliesin: "I kind of don't want to deal with the war until it's inevitable."
 * Taliesin: "We're not really a group of people who are that attached to where they come from."
 * Taliesin: "You can kick a dog enough times that it'll bite anybody."
 * Brian: "Thank god we have Dani to remind us about everything."
 * Travis: "I like that Dani is the sommelier of shipping hookups in the Mighty Nein."