An unlikely Twitch livestream sparked joy from Critical Role fans as Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer kicked off the week by organizing his menagerie of minifigures in the studio's new map room.\
Critters accustomed to gathering on Twitch and YouTube on Thursday evenings to watch a bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons were caught off guard by Monday's unannounced midday stream. However, when audiences tuned in to find Mercer organizing his hoard of minifigures, the inadvertent cozy stream took on a life of its own on social media. The three-hour stream earned Mercer the nickname Map Mercer among fans on social media.
Fans began live-tweeting the events of the stream that saw Mercer moving into Critical Role's new map room and shelving an impressive pile of table-top paraphernalia, which some viewers began to refer to as Mercer's "murder toys." Mercer's organizational Monday morning was scored by Critical Role's catalog of original music, usually employed as background or transition during their Dungeons & Dragons live streams.
Dani Carr, Critical Role Lore Keeper and fixture of the 4-Sided Dive tavern, would make cameos throughout the stream alongside Mercer. The antics between the two coworkers delighted fans, with Carr sightings and shenanigans reliably rousing the live-tweeting crowd. Robbie Daymond, who played Exandria Unlimited and Campaign 3's Dorian Storm, also appeared, joining the livestream's fervent audience. Mercer located the Dorian figure to greet Daymond when he joined the audience.
Mercer's method of proudly presenting his various minifigures quickly took hold as a meme in the Critical Role community, particularly when he made two figures kiss. While the smooching statuettes appeared to be Vox Machina villains Delilah and Sylas Briarwood, fans began inserting the names of their own favorite Critical Role pairings into the meme format. Essek Thelyss, a fan-favorite non-player character from Campaign 2, was likewise given a moment in the minifigure spotlight. A fan on Twitter even sketched a quick doodle of Mercer and Essek from the stream.
As Campaign 3's Bell's Hells continue to march toward Calamity-level stakes, fans can follow their adventure the first three Thursdays every month. Meanwhile, Campaign 1's Vox Machina has returned to television for a second season of The Legend of Vox Machina, where the party faces the threat of four vicious dragons known as the Chroma Conclave.
Critical Role streams live on Twitch and YouTube on Thursdays at 7 PT.
Source: Twitter