"Blood and Shadow" (E3x03) is the third episode of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity. Confronted with how deep Avalir's corruption runs, the Ring of Brass must face hard truths about themselves as impossible choices are made and lines are both drawn and sundered...
Synopsis[]
Previously on Exandria Unlimited: Calamity[]
In our last episode that we left off, strings were brought together as a conspiracy was unlocked. The Ring of Brass, those members of the high society of Avalir who do all the moving and shaking, gathered together at the Feast of Imyr at the Palazza Por'co and realized something was amiss. Artifacts of the Archmage Vespin Chloras had come aboard. Talking to a young Purvan Suul and putting together clues from a crime scene in a psychometric chamber, we realized something most foul had been attempted. And what's worse, it seems to have succeeded.
We also now find ourselves on the eve of The Replenishment, the most significant-- to call it a holiday is almost... it's every seven years. It's an incredibly significant, potent magical ritual that the city of Avalir conducts as it lands back on its terrestrial sister city, Cathmoíra. There are many important arcane elements of this that our Architect Arcane Laerryn has clued us into, but also on this eve of an Apogee Solstice in which the impossible has become possible, and Avalir's crown jewel, the center of its arcane research, the Astral Leywright, an engine that would allow the city to travel not only across the face of Exandria, but to realms supernal, where a city of mortals might walk as equals with the gods themselves.
We are returning after seeing the Astral Leywright, after attending the Hall of Records at the Herald's Tome where we saw evidence that a younger Vespin Chloras while alive had spoken of these matters to none other than Lacrytia Hollow and Loras of the Weaver's Mask. Our Architect Arcane and our Keeper of Scrolls busted the door down and killed Magister Micah Cormorant in a single round. And our First Knight and Guildmaster of the Golden Scythe went to the Hall of Prophecy, where we discovered that perhaps fewer oracles had gone mad than we otherwise might have thought. Perhaps they were simply doing exactly as they should, and that the powers that be wished to call it something else. And we had one last interaction between our First Knight and the Lord of the Hells.
As our three groups of heroes spoke, they decided to all come back together because the Helmswoman of Avalir, the Guildmaster of the Navigator's Guild Akami Rowe, had in reporting no problems whatsoever in her direct report to the Architect Arcane, something terrible befell her. Rushing to the Dawnsledge, you arrived in the middle of the street and found Lacrytia Hollow, member of the Ring of Silver, Dean of the Throne of Necromancy, who had earlier that evening left a vial of poison as a gift for Patia Por'co. "All things end," she wrote. "Lives, stories, even ages."
Part I[]
The fireworks display is beginning to reach its end as the Ring of Brass arrives in the street just outside the Helm. Before them stands Lacrytia Hollow surrounded by a skeletal guard, and four mysterious figures on the rooftops around the party suddenly vanish. Lacrytia greets them, and as they talk she calls to "Magister Phren" (the mage who earlier had approached Nydas about his clandestine store of magical Ether), who emerges from the Helm saying that Helmswoman Akami Rowe is "indisposed" at the moment but sends her regards. Cerrit, however, notices Milus's reedy form is an illusion for a much larger creature. Lacrytia, in Infernal, summons the K'nauthi (a group of evil clerics) and the battle begins.
Fan art of Nydas attacking, by Hugo Cardenas.[art 1]
Nydas casts Summon Draconic Spirit to call his protective spirit Sha'korzhan (the dragon that formerly guarded the hoard that formed the basis of the wealth of the Golden Scythe), rides it toward "Phren", and attacks. He hits, and Phren's concentration drops to reveal his true form: a 15-foot-tall devil with a massive wingspan. Patia casts a Fireball that wipes out the skeletons surrounding Lacrytia but Lacrytia herself vanishes before it detonates. Suddenly, Findras Lightbreaker and another of the eldritch knights of his Spellguard arrive, urged on by Lacrytia's voice saying, "Kill them all. Keep the blood of the Master's chosen. He lives!" They attack both Cerrit and Loquatius. Cerrit's counterattack succeeds in dropping the Spellguard's concentration on Haste, rendering him inert for a turn.
Lacrytia blinks back near where she was previously and summons a giant bony hand that shoves Nydas off his dragon and begins crushing him. She fails to blink back out, but multiple versions of herself extend from her body. Riding his griffon Tempus, Zerxus attacks Findras twice, adding Divine Smite and hitting him for massive damage. Lacrytia then summons Xartaza, a female erinyes, and Zerxus suddenly realizes he can now understand Infernal. Xartaza attacks Zerxus as the finale of the fireworks begins, but her sword hits a protective aura surrounding him and she says in awe, "It is beautiful."
One of the formerly invisible mages hidden on the rooftops runs to Cerrit and casts Detect Thoughts on him, draining in an instant all his knowledge about the artifacts of Vespin Chloras's ritual. The other hidden mages cast two Fireballs at Zerxus, Tempus, Laerryn, and Loquatius, which also finish off Findras. The previously summoned K'nauthi clerics now emerge from all directions and attack, doing minimal damage. Laerryn casts Reverse Gravity centered on Lacrytia which only the devil formerly known as Milus resists. The others, including Nydas and his dragon mount, are pulled 100 feet into the air, where Nydas is able to escape the crushing hand and have his dragon seize Lacrytia. He stabs her repeatedly, seriously wounding her, then pulls her out of the gravity well, still 50 feet in the air
Suddenly, Zerxus receives a message via Sending Stone from the Captain of the Chancellor's Guard, alerting him to attacks in the Labyrinth on the eldritch batteries there. They feel an explosion from deep underground. At the same time, Laerryn is messaged of power losses from some of the twelve eldritch batteries scattered through the city and that the Arboreal Calix is requesting 30% of the city's power. Laerryn directs then to deny the Calix this power, and the erinyes and the devil both begin coughing up blood. However, the devil flies upward, kills Nydas's dragon, and grabs Lacrytia. Nydas also grabs onto Milus.
The party holds a quick telepathic consultation about what they should be trying to do now. They realize that all twelve batteries were attacked simultaneously timed with the end of the fireworks, but that the Labyrinth has other defenders and that the Helmswoman must already be dead. Loquatius decides to attack Milus with a Psychic Lance which wounds and incapacitates him, sending him falling with Lacrytia and Nydas. Patia casts Feather Fall on Nydas, but Milus takes full massive falling damage. Lacrytia's attempted Finger of Death against Patia is Counterspelled by Laerryn.
Meanwhile, remembering the erinyes's comment about the beauty of his protective aura, Zerxus tells her (in Infernal, unconsciously) to tell her Lord to stand down, that the people here were not to be harmed. She responds in the same language, "Bring him, and we will honor this agreement." Zerxus then moves away to attack Milus, and the erinyes does not take an attack of opportunity on him as he goes. After Zerxus gets the How do you want to do this? on Milus with his Holy Avenger and Divine Smites, he hears a familiar voice sounding proud breathe his name. He turns back to the erinyes, his eyes reflecting starlight like that of the pool in his dream, and she stabs him deeply. Focused on his blood on her blade, she flies straight up. When he strikes her in return, she screams in pain and exaltation, feeling honored by the strike. Saying, "Remember my name. Xartaza. It will be an honor to serve you," she flies off.
Telling him she needs to protect her life's work, Laerryn grabs Loquatius's hand and Dimension Doors away. Nydas casts Detect Thoughts on one of the mages, gaining a thread of memories to pursue later. Patia holds Otiluke's Resilient Sphere and calmly walks into the center of the battlefield, hoping to entice Lacrytia to appear. Wings out, Cerrit looks into the Helm and confirms the Helmswoman is dead and the helm itself has been shattered. He kills one of the five remaining enemies with his crossbow.
Lacrytia re-appears directly in front of Patia, saying, "I've always hated you," triggering Patia's held cast of Resilient Sphere. After a number of competing Counterspells, the spell goes through, encapsulating Lacrytia and forcing her cast of Circle of Death inward onto herself since there was nowhere else for it to go. Patia crushes the orb, killing Lacrytia, and the few remaining enemies are quickly dispatched.
Break[]
- Merch Alert! "It's love that makes people" 2022 Pride t-shirt in the US, Canada, and UK shops; reversible bucket hat in all five shops; Sprinkle kigurumi in all shops except Canada; Fletching and Moondrop t-shirt in the US, Canada, and Australia; Critical Role watercolor logo shirt in all shops except the EU.
- More items coming soon in the Beauty of Exandria: The Wildes Collection.
- Critical Recap every Wednesday on CritRole.com.
- Submit fan art and cosplay for possible inclusion in the weekly online gallery at https://www.critrole.com/submit.
- Marisha unboxes the benefits of a Twitch subscription.
Part II[]
Fan art of Laerryn and Loquatius, by Melissa Hahn.[art 3]
Laerryn and Loquatius have Dimension Doored to the heart of the Labyrinth and a massive eldritch battery, currently under attack by K'nauthi which they dispatch easily and the battery is saved. Through rolls, the group determines that only one of the city's twelve batteries is totally offline. Laerryn is completely focused on protecting her life's work, and Loquatius questions her about what exactly that is, and why. He is concerned about her reputation when word gets out she's been secretly working on planeshifting the city for years. He's been protecting the reputations of all of the Ring of Brass but is afraid even he won't be able to protect her from this. He also blames her single-minded pursuit of this goal for the failure of their marriage. She understands, and she is sorry, but she doesn't regret what she's done.
Laerryn's assistant sends an update: The battery was defaced with strange writing, which proves later to be the names of two ancient Primordials, Rau'shan and Ka'Mort. Also, because of the lost power, the only way to preserve enough power to run Laerryn's project is to short the tithe to the Gau Drashari, and she directs him to do it. Her assistant and Loquatius are both shocked. Loquatius tells her to find someone else to take the blame, but she says she has always wanted to leave her mark on the world. They just need to land, and all will be well. Loquatius begins sending messages all over the city to prevent anyone discovering Laerryn's project, blaming the disturbances on Lacrytia Hollow. He also records a message to be played in the event of his death or disappearance saying that Laerryn had discovered a great evil that he blocked her from revealing.
Meanwhile, back at the battleground, Patia downloads the memories Nydas gained from the zealot mage they killed. As she sorts through them, Cerrit asks Zerxus about his sudden use of Infernal. Zerxus denies knowing about this, and Cerrit's truth-detecting Ring of Honor does not glow. Nydas tells the party the oracles at the Hall of Prophecy are going mad and giving false prophecies and speaking gibberish, but Cerrit sees that this is not the full truth.
Cerrit shares what they learned at the Herald's Tome, including the missing file on Evandrin. Zerxus confirms he saw Evandrin in his dream, at a tree, coughing up blood when its blossoms blew toward him in the same way the fiends they just fought did when power was denied to the Arboreal Calix. Patia tells Zerxus that he asked not to remember what happened years ago and she obliged, but that he had come to her, distraught because Evandrin was dying. Together, they found old, primordial, druidic magic from before the ascension of the Raven Queen. The ritual failed, but not as expected-- it wasn't so much blowing out a candle, as it was the candle never existing at all. Zerxus wants his memory of this restored, but wants Laerryn there as well.
The party reconvenes in the Meridian Labyrinth. But before he regains his memories, Zerxus wants everyone to put their cards on the table. He casts Zone of Truth and chooses to fail the save. Loquatius and Laerryn choose to resist; everyone else either fails or chooses to fail. Patia restores Zerxus's memories of that night, reflecting them in her orb for all to see. Zerxus had offered whatever it would take to bring Evandrin back from death, but although the ritual was performed perfectly, nothing happened. Although Zerxus feels he failed, Patia says he did not. The simplest explanation for why a resurrection ritual would fail is if the target isn't dead. Zerxus realizes the voice he heard breathing his name with pride when he killed the erinyes was Evandrin's, and Patia proposes they might be able to find him.
Laerryn, shaking as Loquatius tries to stop her speaking, admits that Evandrin had helped her in her experiment. He was sent to the Celestial Plane and something was wrong with him when he returned. If the vision was true, it was the Arboreal Calix and the Gau Drashari that caused Evandrin's illness, and he may be in the tree.
Patia plays back the memories Nydas captured, focusing on Loras, Lacrytia Hollow, Vespin Chloras, and the Replenishment. They learn Micah Cormorant had been the one bringing the K'nauthi into the city, and that Lacrytia was trying to prevent Purvan Suul aiding "in what is to come in Vasselheim."[1] The disguised hodmedod at the party was supposed to get the blood of Zerxus that the erinyes got, and there is a planned attack this night on the headquarters of the Gau Drashari in Cathmoíra. The Lord of Hells is not the only Betrayer God working in Exandria just now.
They also realize Lacrytia has tampered with some of the memories, and that she and Vespin must need Avalir to land and the Replenishment to happen for whatever their plans are. If the Ring of Brass do nothing, the city will land. If they burn through a majority of the city's stored ether, they could stop the descent, but that would mean defaulting on the Gau Drashari pact for the first time in 292 years, which would probably be construed as treason. And Laerryn would miss her chance at planar travel. She needs the city to land, and she needs enough power for her project. She knows how to stop the descent but doesn't want to. And although Evandrin died as a result of her prior experimentation, she wants to send the entire city to the same place. At that admission, Cerrit leaves, saying there've been some incredibly selfish actions among the group this night and he's going to take care of his own. With a combination of spells, the rest of the group are able to restore the tampered-with memory, learning that Lacrytia actually had said that the city must land before sunrise during the continuing Apogee Solstice. "The Betrayers are coming. They are coming here. And when the city lands, glorious day."
The group decides the best chance of recovering Evandrin is to make Laerryn's plan work. They head to the Arboreal Calix, a massive stone chamber glowing with runes. In the center of the room, hovering, is a beautiful dark-blossomed tree which smells of the Feywild. Loquatius's fey eyes can see a blinking light in its branches and he illuminates it with Prestidigitation. It is the small toy Laerryn sent away earlier, stuck in the branches and unable to return. Somehow, the tree has grabbed it, catching things that are going through a planar portal. Laerryn decides the tree must die, and prepares to cast Blight, but Nydas stops her, for the first time sharing the prophecy he was shown: The limbs of a tree that can no longer scribe the name of our deliverance [...] will soon be as broken as our promises. Avalir shall fall. Laerryn, however, sees the face of Evandrin caught in the branches and tries to pull away, and a fight begins among the group.
Loquatius uses Fey Presence to demand Nydas release her, but everyone resists the spell's effect. Patia meanwhile touches the tree and casts Legend Lore to learn the names it holds, and how to restore those names lost to it. She learns that her grandfather Imyr Por'co was the last to touch it. She hears the leader of the Gau Drashari, at the time the Pact was reached, shouting, "Unhand it", and voices saying, "What has it been doing? The tree is a wall. The tree is a gate. The tree is a pen, scribing, blossoms, ley lines, writing, writing the names, the names. Petals falling all over Exandria. This was our bargain, Imyr." Patia appears to the others to be fastened to the tree. Nydas casts Hold Person on both Laerryn and Loquatius and Zerxus takes from Laerryn and reads the birchbark scroll wherein the leader of the Gau Drashari wrote of why they felt they could not trust mages and could not share the tree's purpose.
Fan art of Laerryn casting Blight on the Tree of Names, by R.E..[art 4]
Loquatius breaks out of the Hold Person, and as he does Dweomer (an Aeormaton working for Laerryn) enters and attempts to Disintegrate Nydas but is Counterspelled by Zerxus. Laerryn breaks free and yells to Zerxus that she saw Evandrin in the tree, which is now growing around Patia's hand. Loquatius tries to pull her free and begins having visions as well, seeing the Feywild and the leader of his court, Elmenore of the Burning Vale, who warns him, "Do not let her find the names." Patia sees a vision of Rau'shan and Ka'Mort of the Primordials, Pelor, the Wildmother, and Mount Ygora where they were sealed forever. Laerryn lets Nydas grapple her, and as the sharp branches of the tree spear into Patia and Loquatius, she casts Blight on it.
Meanwhile, Cerrit has gone to his office. He pulls out his sending stone, and contacts his son, telling him to find his sister and meet Cerrit at home. Kir followed Maya to a party at the University, and Cerrit tells him to get her and take her home as quickly as possible. Cerrit finds his assistant, Orwyn, has been killed and Vespin Chloras's relics taken. In his hands are two Runes of Recall, with a note saying they're for Cerrit's kids, and are keyed to their mom. Cerrit flies home.
Back at the Arboreal Calix, Patia sees the last surviving Primordials (Rau'shan and Ka'Mort) sealed under Mount Ygora, and the seals tended to by the Gau Drashari. The wizards came and proposed lifting the top of the mountain to create their flying city. Imyr offered to bring them magical energy, and the Drashari agreed. Later, the Drashari summoned a Tree of Names into being, to protect Exandria by scribing the names of "those things beyond which should not come", scribing runes of protection. For 292 years, Avalir has been writing a spell on the surface of the world to keep it safe, and the druids kept this secret from the wizards in an attempt to protect the tree.
Fan art of Asmodeus emerging from the Tree of Names, by Lap Pun Cheung.[art 5]
Zerxus looks into the branches of the tree and sees Evandrin's translucent, fearful face, saying, "Not like this!" as Laerryn's Blight hits the heart of the tree, sundering it. As the seam in the trunk opens, there is fire and the mutilated face of Vespin Chloras peers out. Behind him, Asmodeus's voice says, "Very good, my little puppet." Vespin crawls through and as the tree splits further apart, the Lord of Hells emerges, saying, "Ah, to be home again!" as the Betrayer God steps foot once more into Exandria.
Featured characters[]
Player Characters
Returning
- Akami Rowe (corpse)
- Asmodeus
- Calum Staffwright, Laerryn's assistant
- Dweomer, an Aeormaton working for Laerryn
- Evandrin Alterra
- Kir, Cerrit's son (via Sending stone)
- Lacrytia Hollow
- Melora (in a vision)
- Micah Cormorant (in a stored memory)
- Milus Phren
- Orwyn, Cerrit's half-orc assistant
- Pelor (in a vision)
- Tempus, Zerxus's griffon
- Vespin Chloras
New
- Eaedalus Okiro, brother of Nydas (via Scrying)
- Elmenore
- Findras Lightbreaker, Spellsword of the Tribunal
- Imyr Por'co
- Ka'Mort, an ancient Primordial (in a vision)
- Rau'shan, an ancient Primordial (in a vision)
- Sashara Drake, Captain of the Chancellor's Guard (via Sending stone)
- Sha'korzhan, the Dragon of Avalir
- Xartaza, an erinyes
Mentioned
- Elena Tuvaris, reporter for the Herald's Tome
- Maya, Cerrit's daughter
- Purvan Suul
- The Raven Queen
Quotations[]
- Brennan: (about Loquatius} There are a lot of stories in Exandria of mortals who stumbled their way into the Feywild and fell in love with an enchanting fairy that they met there. But there's one story of a fairy who stumbled into this world and fell in love.
- Lacrytia Hollow: (about Patia) Oh, am I that obvious in my disdain? I must say, she is more of a merchant than the Guildmaster of the Golden Scythe is. I mean, she doesn't trade in gold, but rather her grandfather's name.
Inventory[]
| Adjustment | Count | Item | Source | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acquired | 2 | Runes of Recall | Orwyn | Cerrit | For Cerrit's children, keyed to their mother. |
Trivia[]
References[]
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 12. The wars of The Calamity were launched by the Betrayer Gods attacking the ancient city of Vasselheim.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Nydas attacking, by Hugo Cardenas (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Patia's Resilient Sphere, by Xpectrum (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Laerryn and Loquatius, by Melissa Hahn (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Laerryn casting Blight on the Tree of Names, by R.E. (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Asmodeus emerging from the Tree of Names, by Lap Pun Cheung (source). Used with permission.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||