"An Ancient Flame" (3x75) is the seventy-fifth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells delve into the claustrophobic caverns of Athos Peak, seeking the resting place of an ember of the great fire primordial Emperor Rau'shan...
Synopsis[]
Announcements[]
- Sam has sworn off gimmicky ads in favor of a heartfelt ballad about Nord VPN, giving it his full 90%. Thanks to Colm McGuinness for providing the musical accompaniment.
- Darrington Press has a new game, Caper Cards: Bells Hells.
Previously on Critical Role[]
Last we left off: Bells Hells, in seeking answers to the strange history of Ashton and the unique ties it seems to have with some of the ancient history of Exandria, and hopefully finding some means of preparing for an eventual showdown with the enemies that walk the red moon, you head to the Shattered Teeth. You traversed the sea in a ghost ship. You went to the island of Kalutha. You trekked through the jungles and eventually found Evontra'vir, the Great Tree of Atrophy, at the bottom of a massive chasm surrounded by massive mountains. There, as you slunk into the lightless expanse, you met the ancient Gau Drashari-turned-death tree that sits between the realms of life and the beyond.
You asked a bit about your history in the Hishari and learned that, within you, lies the dormant shard of Ka'Mort, the empress primordial Earth titan. But there exists still, not too far from here, on another island in the Shattered Teeth, another remaining vestigial shard of the other primordial titan that was destroyed in the destruction of Domunas that created the islands of the Shattered Teeth. Upon given direction where this was, inquiring as to possible futures and possible failures through some visions and discussions, your time was cut short as the tree took notice of an invisible, floating, spying arcane orb. Upon shattering it, it opened a pathway to the mountaintop on which this shard is supposedly found, and sent you onto the next leg of your journey with haste. As you all stepped through, emerging from a leafless tree on the opposite end, you all find yourselves standing on a cold, snow-covered mountaintop.
Part I[]
Imogen Flies to the cavern entrance, carrying Orym with her, and uses the immovable rod and a rope so the others can join them, although Laudna opts to Spider Climb. Once there, they see there is a very thin passage leading further in and downward. Fearne wildshapes into a snow bat and explores further while communicating telepathically with Imogen, finding a blocked hole leading downward. Orym joins her and discovers the blockage is a charred orcish skull, which he pulls out, sending the rest of the skeleton plunging downward. Leaving Laudna, Chetney, and Ashton above, the others creep through with varying degrees of difficulty and fall about 20 feet into a cylindrical chamber which is significantly warmer than above and contains more bones and incinerated materials, along with what appears to be a magical brass ring. FCG's Detect Magic finds that the floor of the chamber appears to be radiating magic.
Fan art of the magma mephits, by Elaine Tipping.[art 1]
Eventually FCG uses Stone Shape to create a small hole in the floor, seeing the glow of magma rising from the chamber forty feet below, with small, glowing, impish creatures flitting about. The others join them, and Fearne (still in bat form) flies into the hole to the lowermost chamber where she realizes the creatures are speaking in an unknown language. She returns above, and when Ashton attempts to widen the hole, the whole floor falls down. Imogen catches the group with Fly and they see a small pool of magma surrounded by rocky ledges. There are no other visible openings. FCG casts Tongues on Fearne and she resumes her faun form. They notice the mephits are very short-lived, constantly being created from the magma, and dying, with therefore no concept of time or its passage. Fearne asks if they know about the shard of Rau'shan and the creatures recognize that name as "The Creator". The shard is within the lava and births them from it. There are tales of others who came seeking it and angered the spark, filling the chamber with fire.
Fan art of Ashton and Fearne retrieving the shard, by Melissa Hahn.[art 2]
After much discussion about how to reach the shard, Ashton decides to just Fly in and get it. The roiling calms slightly as he flies into the pool, raging, and he takes 34 points of initial fire damage, reduced by 7 by his Ring of Volcanic Flesh. Ashton immediately locates the burning-hot shard, but it is stuck in place. They take 31 more fire damage as the others wait above, unable to see them within the lava pool. Fearne casts Fire Shield on herself and leaps into the magma to join Ashton, finding both Ashton and the shard immediately. She uses her Ring of Telekinesis to loosen the shard, and Ashton is then able to pull it free while they both continue to take damage. Ashton immediately flies both of them out of the lava, Ashton glowing orange from the heat he has taken. They land on the shore, but as they do, the mephits one by one crumple and die. The party notices that the gold-filled cracks in Ashton's body seem to be slightly gently healed, although some of Ashton's clothing is burn-damaged.
The shard is a bright orange-white cluster of crystals, about the size of a soccer ball as Ashton and Fearne clutch it still burning in their grasp. They all discuss what to do with the elemental spark now, with many suggestions that it should go to Fearne since Evontra'vir told them it was dangerous for one vessel to hold both shards. Ashton is drawn to it, continuing to take damage as he holds it. Fearne offers to take it from him but gives it back when it burns her as well. Imogen then uses Mage Hand to hold it in the air so they don't have to touch it, and although Chetney is very reluctant to touch the object to learn more about it with Grim Psychometry, he eventually does so, learning it is incredibly powerful. He catches a glimpse of a vision of the emotions of the titan it once formed a part of upon being released from their captivity before being consumed by blue-white light and sundered into millions of pieces.
Ashton holds the shard close to their chest, but senses only that it is looking for its vessel. Concluding it is not meant to be for him, the party tries to figure out how the new vessel would absorb the shard. Laudna suddenly realizes they have another artifact, the harness of Ludinus Da'leth, that was used to transfer life essences into the wearer, but Imahara Joe still has it, working to repair it. Orym suddenly notices a faint flash of light on the other side of the chamber, and sees five figures appear, two wearing the raiment of the Ruby Vanguard, two Reilora, and a robed figure in back-- an older elven man with long silver hair. He greets them, saying, "Well now. You certainly have been busy, haven't you? I suppose the sting of failure is a magnificent motivator." Imogen immediately uses Telekinesis to throw lava at them.
Break[]
- Giant three part Uk'otoa mini now available at WizKids.com.
- Available Now: Queen by Midnight trailer.
- Merch Alert! Various games from Darrington Press, Imogen t-shirt, Mighty Nein Origins Vol. 1 collection, Critical Role retro hoodie and jogger, "Is it Thursday yet?" t-shirt, tankard wraps, Laudna shirt dress in all five CR shops; Bells Hells Phunny Plushes in the US shop only.
- Tickets now on sale for The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice in theaters in the US and Canada October 26 at 7:00pm local time.
- Cast at NYC Comic Con Oct. 12-13, London MCM Comic Com Oct. 28-29. Info at the CR website.
- Candela Obscura: Flesh and Blood intro. Original Soundtrack now on digital music platforms.
- Trailer for Midst Season Two Podcast.
- Welcome to Tal'Dorei and Welcome to Wildemount Critical Role soundtrack albums available now on all digital music platforms.
- Critical Recap every Wednesday on CritRole.com. Submit fan art and cosplay for possible inclusion in the weekly online gallery.
- Will Taliesin and Ashley destroy the priceless minis from previous campaigns? Only buying a Critical Role Twitch subscription can save them.
Part II[]
Screenshot of the enemies from "An Ancient Flame" (3x75) at 2:30:50.[art 3]
As the battle begins, they notice Ludinus is now wearing a white gem on his forehead. Ashton grabs the shard, while Imogen telekinetically pulls the smaller of the Reilora into the lava pool and Orym finishes him off using Seedling to slice him from 15 feet away. He then uses the sword's Grasping Vines to pull one of the soldiers into the lava, killing him instantly. Ludinus tells the group this is a rude way to deal with an extended olive branch, but then notices FCG's staff and notes they've been prying. He uses Telekinesis to grab and restrain Fearne, moving her 30 feet over the lava. The Reiloran Juggernaut uses Telekinetic Shove on Orym to pull him into melee, while Chetney has Ashton drop the shard into the Bag of Holding, then uses Invisibility. Fearne encases Ludinus in a Wall of Stone and Laudna hits the Juggernaut with a Blight.
Both Ashton and Imogen continue their attacks, then Orym attacks the Juggernaut, using pushing attacks to shove it into the lava. He leaps onto it and hits again, then action surges for three more hits, killing it and backflipping back to solid ground. Ludinus casts Dimension Door to escape the Wall of Stone and pulls Fearne close to him, saying they should go talk elsewhere. The party turns to attacking Ludinus, trying to get him to drop concentration on the Telekinesis holding Fearne, but fail to do so, and he Counterspells Fearne's Wall of Fire. When she attempts negotiation, he tells her that chance was over when they murdered his companions. Laudna summons the Hound of Ill Omen but it is killed by the one remaining guard and Ludinus's concentration continues to hold.
Imogen's Lightning Bolt kills the guard, and Ludinus finally fails his Concentration check. He prepares a 9th-level spell which Laudna barely Counterspells, and his Countercounterspell fails. Recognizing defeat but saying at least he has more information, he walks into the lava, melting into a pile of snow that turns into steam, not wanting to allow the party to get the final blow on him. Fearne grabs from the lava the cracked opal the simulacrum wore on his forehead and Chetney gets its robe, which appears to be magical.
Ashton is insistent they Teleport immediately, and they decide to go to Whitestone, where Imahara Joe was to be working on repairing the harness along with Percival de Rolo. FCG uses the Staff of Dark Odyssey to cast the spell, targeting the Sun Tree.
Featured characters[]
Bells Hells
New
- The Elder, former elder of the magma mephits
- The new Elder, new elder of the magma mephits
Quotations[]
- Laudna: (as Ashton prepares to dive into lava) Ashton, you're a wonderful person.
Ashton: Fuck you, too.
FCG: Are you saying goodbye?
Laudna: It's been nice knowing-- Bye! - Ashton: (to Fearne, after getting the shard) Hey. Hi. You didn't have to go down there. [...] Thank you for going down there. That was not going super great.
- Orym: I immediately smell the scent of cypress trees and Bengay and know that Chetney is close.
Inventory[]
| Adjustment | Count | Item | Source | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acquired | 1 | Inscribed brass ring | The Chynes Maw | Imogen | The ring was magical. |
| Acquired | 1 | Spark of the Fire Emperor Rau'shan | The Chynes Maw | Bag of Holding | |
| Acquired | 1 | Cracked white opal | Ludinus Da'leth's simulacrum | Fearne | The simulacrum wore the gem on its forehead. |
| Acquired |
Ruby Vanguard armor and weapons 325 gold |
the dead guard | Bag of Holding | ||
| Acquired | 1 | Robe | Ludinus Da'leth's simulacrum | the party | The robe appeared to be magical, as the lava did not destroy it. |
Trivia[]
- Sam's jerrycan says "Are you there Gods? Its me, Paté…"[1]
- During the episode, when Bells Hells encountered magma mephits, these creatures spoke in Terran, and Ashton, who speaks Primordial, didn't understand them. In 5th Edition it is stated that the four elemental dialects of Primordial (including Terran) can be understood by other Primordial speakers, so it is unclear if these dialects are generally less comprehensible in Critical Role canon, if Ashton can only understand one version of the language, or if Matt simply made a mistake.[2]
- The spell that Ludinus was attempting to cast was the 9th level spell Weird. If it had succeeded, it would have manifested the deepest and greatest fear of each member of Bell's Hells, causing them to become frightened and take psychic damage for every failed save.[3]
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of the magma mephits, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Ashton and Fearne retrieving the shard, by Melissa Hahn (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Screenshot of the enemies from "An Ancient Flame" (3x75) at 2:30:50. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
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