"Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) is the one hundred thirteenth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. With allies in tow and an army at their backs, Vox Machina begin their assault on the Malleus Fortress...
Synopsis[]
Announcements[]
- Sam is asleep on the table so Marisha does the ad read for Thorum Rings, including (terrifyingly!) spilling water on the table's hand-crafted wood.
- All 12 episode of The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Three are now available, and Season Four has now been confirmed.
- Critical Role Presents: Winter's Crest now available on all major music platforms.
- Candela Obscura Horrors of the Fairelands Premium Edition now available for pre-order from Beadle & Grimm's.
- Merch alert! Scanlan Shorthalt boxers and sleep mask.
Previously on Critical Role[]
So, last we left off, Bells Hells and the Mighty Nein had traversed their journey through the hidden portal to Ruidus, had gone to the depths of the Ruidian capital city of Kreviris and made contact with the remnants of the Volition, set themselves up, prepared for the assault on the Malleus Key to commence and be the distraction they need to divide and hit their targets within the red moon. As they gave this message, we cut to a short time before this, where the members of Vox Machina present in Vasselheim begin to collect the rest of their allies so they can be part of the spearhead of this attack on the Malleus Key and the fortress that has risen from the surrounding dust of the Tishtan site in the Hellcatch. As you went to Whitestone and gathered Percival de Rolo, Cerkonos (the Flamespeaker from Pyrah) had joined you from Vasselheim, and the one member you had a hard time locating for quite some time seemed to be on a trek in Wildemount. Upon catching up with Scanlan Shorthalt himself and his troupe of traveling midlife crisis-ers who had transformed themself into purple centaurs and were making their leather-jacketed trip across that distant continent, you let him know that you needed his help once more. Upon him deciding to join, you all had a group hug as he mentioned that he had to tell the other guys and let them know what's going on.
Part I[]
The party disengages from their group hug and takes stock. They are in the Barbed Fields near Bazzoxan in the Wastes of Xhorhas. Scanlan says farewell to the rest of his traveling troupe who move onward, and Vox Machina goes through a tree portal created by Keyleth leading to the Birthheart in Vasselheim. Before they sleep, Keyleth checks in with Vex'ahlia and Percy, worried about them feeling obligated to help her when they have a family. The de Rolos assure her their children will be cared for if anything were to happen to them, and that they truly want to help in this endeavor. Vex gets the aged Trinket out of Raven's Slumber and sends him to spend the night with Keyleth to comfort her.
Meanwhile, Scanlan goes to Pike's room, discovering she is rooming with an ostensibly sleeping Grog. In their conversation, she tells him she's sort of seeing someone but it's not serious. Scanlan is very curious about this, and admits he misses her. When Pike discovers he doesn't have an assigned room, she invites him to stay with her and Grog. Before she sleeps, Pike sends a quick prayer to the Everlight asking for her aid in the coming battle.
The party awakens to a city preparing for battle, with the forces from all across Exandria readying themselves in their individual ways. The armed forces, both ground and air, will be delivered to the Tishtan excavation site (the location of the Malleus Key) via multiple large magical gateways, with the ground forces transporting first. At a gathering place, Vox Machina is approached by the three dark-veiled women of the Coven of the Veil, the priestesses of the Matron of Ravens in Vasselheim, led by Lieve'tel, who wishes to join them for their mission. She was aware of Bertrand Bell's death, and tells them that the Matron will no longer abide her champion's abuse at Ludinus Da'leth's hands. Keyleth is hesitant and a bit uncomfortable because of the bad memories associated with the last time they met,[1] but accepts her aid since none of the party actually knows how to release Vax'ildan from his imprisonment within the orb of the Malleus Key. Lieve'tel admits she doesn't know either, but is confident she can do this with the Matron's guidance.
Fan art of Keyleth's speech, by Pyromeekorai.[art 1]
The crowd is addressed by High Hierophant Ophera, inspiring them by telling them they fight to preserve the very future of Exandria and the existence of the gods who have supported and protected them. As she finishes, a band of winged, armored celestials appears in the sky behind her. Keyleth realizes she too should say something, but she is overwhelmed by the significance of the occasion. With Vex's support she speaks to the crowd, telling them that Exandria doesn't belong to the gods, but to the people of Exandria, and finishes with, "Fuck shit up!" giving everyone 20 temporary hit points. Vex goes briefly to the temple of the Dawnfather and offers him a brief prayer seeking his aid.
Allura approaches and tells the party there will be a five-minute gap between the time the ground forces, including them, are delivered to the Tishtan site and the time the air support arrives. Scanlan approaches Cerkonos, telling them he noticed that when he met Lieve'tel, he seemed nervous. Awkwardly, Cerkonos admits he finds her very pretty and he's afraid he blew it. Scanlan reassures him and urges him to come up with a cool spell for use in the coming combat, and one compliment to pay her. Finally, Keyleth is approached by a person identifying themself as Archivist Seth Domade (Essek Thelyss' alter ego), who asks about the Mighty Nein and admits he is fond of their members and wants to ensure their safety. He also wants to introduce them to one of the Kryn Dynasty fighters present: Verin Thelyss, who will be part of the skyship portion of the assault.
Fan art of Cerkonos giving Lieve'tel some goodberries, by Maddy Marshall.[art 3]
Just then, Allura runs up and tells them they've received the signal: the assault is to begin immediately. The entire camp springs into motion, and Allura leads them to a waiting skyship. Grog quickly hands Scanlan some horse booties he crafted for him overnight to increase Scanlan's ability to stealth as a horse. Lieve'tel casts Power Word Fortify and Death Ward on both Vex and Keyleth. She then takes Cerkonos' arm to board the ship, and at Scanlan's frantic urging the hopelessly awkward Cerkonos compliments Lieve'tel's pale and moist skin, then casts Goodberry and offers them to her. Lieve'tel tells him he is a beautiful boy as she accepts them.
Captain Xandis welcomes them aboard and magical gates and portals open around them. The armies pass through them into a dust storm in the Hellcatch Valley, which is magically parted to allow the skyships to pass while still providing some cover from the fortress below. However, beams of magical energy are firing all around them and three large flying creatures (most likely feskul) attack. Vex manages to bring one down, but Grog and Scanlan are wounded and Scanlan is caught in one of the creatures' talons and carried upward. Percy shoots it and Scanlan is released. In air elemental form, Keyleth knocks one down and Grog bloodily finishes it off. A silver dragon attacks and kills or drives off the other two, but magical weapons continue to be fired, and one hits another nearby skyship with a distant Dispel spell that causes its brumestone to fail and the ship to begin plummeting downward. All the Ashari including Keyleth and Cerkonos transform into air elementals, and Vex hops on her broom. They manage to get ropes onto the falling ship while it is still under attack and rescue as many of those aboard as possible, including Verin Thelyss. Finally, Xandis manages to bring his ship next to the other and the survivors leap aboard.
Beneath and around them is a hellscape of magical defenses and destruction. Xandis urges them to jump and they are caught by the mages' Feather Falls as they do. However, Grog is caught by a dispelling beam and loses the spell, falling for part of the way and taking damage. The rest attack as they can as they descend. They all manage to land close to one another within the fortress built around the Malleus Key, with the sounds of the battle beginning surrounding them.
Break[]
- Ad for sponsor Thorum Rings.
- Bells Hells unpainted minis at Wizkids.
Critical Role's 10-Year Anniversary Live Show Lineup on the Critical Role YouTube channel- Tickets for the Daggerheart Live Show 7 December 2024 in Camden, NJ still available.
- Unend podcast now available.
- The Re-Slayer's Take Season 2 podcast now running.
- Merch Alert! Scanlan boxers and sleep mask, Lavish Chateau bathrobe, plaid pajamas, green hoodie and jogger, Pike Trickfoot hoodie, Keyleth cropped hoodie, and Percy cardigan in all shops; Hope Blooms t-shirt everywhere but AU.
- Queen by Midnight Quarter Past November 13 in all shops except UK.
- Daggerheart promo.
- 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.
- Beacon isn't worth much in an antiques roadshow.
Part II[]
Screenshot of the Malleus fortress battle map from this episode.[art 4]
The group finds themselves near one of the dispel towers, far away from the actual Malleus Key, with multiple groups of enemies they will need to pass in order to reach it. They immediately launch into battle. An added difficulty is that it is difficult to tell their enemies from their allies, who are now scattered among them.
Vex'ahlia, on her bow, uses a Hail of Thorns with an arrow attack while Scanlan uses Reverse Gravity to pull almost all of several groups of enemies 100 feet in the air. Percival attacks with Briarsbane, his new cane that converts into both a razor-blade sword and a gun. When Grog moves to attack, he runs into the Reverse Gravity field but still manages to kill his opponent. Keyleth is still in fire elemental form and attacks that way, and Lieve'tel uses Planar Ally from her Necklace of Prayer Beads to summon a massive 3-headed white raven. Up to this point, the fight has been one-sided, with Vox Machina for the most part being able to easily kill their enemies. However, Scanlan is swarmed by a pack of slithers, wounded and grappled, and the dispelling tower begins charging up, so Pike casts Guiding Bolt on it, damaging but not destroying it. Cerkonos casts a Wall of Fire around the slithers attacking Scanlan, severely damaging almost all of them, then uses his blink spear to teleport near him.
Vex attacks the tower, hitting and damaging it, but the Reilora controlling it notices her. She hits it again and it is destroyed. Scanlan uses Thunder Wave to kill two of the creatures surrounding him and drops concentration on the Reverse Gravity, dropping those it held to the ground and killing all of them except for two, plus Keyleth in elemental form. He then uses Cutting Words to avoid being struck and grappled again by the surviving slithers when he moves away. Just then, another troop of Ruby Vanguard run in but are killed by a battle vidulch erupting out of the ground, followed by a second one. They attack both sides indiscriminately, hitting both Grog and Pike for significant damage, and forcing Keyleth out of her elemental form. On Percy's turn, his gun breaks but he is able to repair it, and Grog climbs on top of one, hitting it with his axe. Keyleth casts a Fire Storm that takes out many of the enemy soldiers and wounds one of the vidulches, then goes into earth elemental form. A troop of winged devils flies in to aid the Exandrian Accord forces, one of them carrying Opal with them, and Opal attacks as well. Lieve'tel casts Bless on Keyleth, herself, and Opal while being carried atop the three-headed raven. A Reiloran Juggernaut leaps up and attempts to dislodge Grog from the back of the vidulch, but fails. Pike Guiding Bolts the vidulch but finds herself surrounded. Cerkonos Wild Shapes into a huge fire elemental and moves between the gaps of the vidulch's armor to burn him from inside.
Vex kills a slither near Pike and wounds a vidulch, while Scanlan Lightning Bolts both it and the juggernaut. At that moment, the brass dragon Devo'ssa sweeps through, using their fire breath on the vidulch as they fly by overhead. Percy dashes away. One vidulch attacks Opal and a devil, then uses its acid spray on Lieve'tel and her planar ally. The other vidulch attacks Grog and Pike, but Grog kills the juggernaut and another reilora, then uses his Sentinel ability on the vidulch attacking Pike, killing it. Keyleth Calls Lightning on the other vidulch, which is now seriously damaged. A group of devils swarms in, urging Pike to go and telling her they'll guard her retreat, and their other allies attack the vidulch. Opal finishes it off. With their major opponents dead, and defended by their allies, Vox Machina reaches the area immediately surrounding the Malleus Key, the core of the Malleus Fortress.
Featured characters[]
Vox Machina
Returning
- Allura Vysoren
- Athudashionus (unnamed)
- The Bright Queen
- Cerkonos
- Devo'ssa
- Essek Thelyss (as Seth Domade)
- Lieve'tel Toluse
- Opal
- Ophera
- The Silver Saddles
- Xandis Keybane
Quotations[]
- Percy: Lock the door.
Vex'ahlia: Lock the door. No kids! This is wonderful! - Scanlan: (about Grog) Is he awake?
Pike: I'm pretty sure he's awake. Grog?
Grog: Yeah?
Pike: Are you awake?
Grog: ... No. - Vex'ahlia: (to the Dawnfather) I have your back. I need you to have mine... and my brother's.
Inventory[]
| Adjustment | Count | Item | Source | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Crafted Transferred |
1 | Horse booties | Grog | Scanlan | Made to increase Scanlan's stealth in his centaur form. |
Trivia[]
- Travis (playing Grog Strongjaw) rolled his d100 dice as normal in the morning for Chetney Pock O'Pea. The roll was 000, which if he had been playing Chetney, would have meant that Chetney died of old age in his sleep.
- Scanlan's original, horrifically mold- and germ-infested tankard was unearthed for this episode, with several cast members smelling it and testifying to its powerful odiferousness[2]. Sam actually drank from a pristine water bottle contained within the tankard, which had the face part of his Halloween costume affixed to the bottom and biohazard tape wrapped around it.
References[]
- ↑ Lieve'tel first joined the group in their search for Grog when he disappeared days after Vax'ildan was permanently taken by the Matron of Ravens, and acted as a constant reminder to Keyleth of what she had just lost. See "The Search For Grog" (Sx42) and "The Search For Bob" (Sx45).
- ↑ See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) from 1:24:45 through 1:26:20.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Keyleth's speech, by Pyromeekorai (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Verin Thelyss, by Odd (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Cerkonos giving Lieve'tel some goodberries, by Maddy Marshall (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Screenshot of the Malleus fortress battle map from this episode. 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.
| ||||||||||||||