"Mirror and Key" (E4x03) is the third episode of Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, set just after the Divergence over 800 years before the events of the three main campaigns. Nia leads the group in a search for her missing sister, but the discoveries they make along the way adjusts their plans and their perspectives...
Synopsis[]
Announcements[]
- Brennan welcomes everyone and generates the time warp bringing in Sam and the regular cast for the announcements.
- First sponsor is Avowed, a first person fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, for which Sam has memorized the ad copy. Blindfolded, he will do the ad, and Marisha will use a bug zapper to zap him every time he gets it wrong. Sam discovers that pain hurts, several times, and the cast is laughing so hard Matt ends up reading the copy. Can you say "Schadenfreude"?
- Darrington Press has announced a new board game coming this summer at GenCon, Solar Gardens.
- Merch alert! New Vex'ahlia-inspired sweater dress now available.
- Critical Role is now part of the "Balatro" Friends of Jimbo 4-pack.
Introduction[]
Fan art of Erro, by GalacticJonah.[art 1]
We return to the world of Exandria in Torm's Hill. It is the morning after revelry, mourning, a fierce battle, and a taste of freedom. The noise that summons you up from sleep to wakefulness is the noise of the camp looking out to the west from a taller ridge up past the briars, towards the edge near where, Erro, the night before, you saw the dawn for the very first time as daylight broke. You see people mesmerized, shouting and cheering, looking out as they point towards a vast valley to the west, shaped in ages long ago before the Calamity, before even the Age of Arcanum, for those learned few in Exandria that even know of that eon of the world.
Part I[]
The people of Torm's Hill have gathered on a ridge at dawn, looking west over a beautiful valley showing glimmers of green grass and trees for the first time. The group prepares for their journey and says farewell to their friends. Celeste gives Crokas a damaged holy symbol of the Knowing Mentor, its grasping hands now empty of what they once held, waiting (she says) to hold knowledge.
Departing, the group heads northward up into the mountains, encountering a crevasse filled with animated skeletons along the way. They eventually reach Snowgrave Pass and notice a newly built obsidian watchtower about an hour from where Erro once lived. At nightfall, they approach and see candlelight. A voice calls out, and someone attempts to fire a crossbow but drops it, then tells them uncertainly that they're all under arrest. However, when Nia tells them they mean them no harm, the voice responds they may pass. Erro demands they show themselves, and a very small goblin appears who introduces himself as Gubbling, the captain of the watchtower, but admits that he's starving; he won't eat his companions. Eventually, Gubbling gives them all the weapons he can find in exchange for food. He tells them he's supposed to arrest them, but faced with Crokas' impressive size, admits he's had no news from the south. Erro then tells him of the Emperor's defeat and Rybad-Kol's destruction. Gubbling suspected as much, after about eight days ago seeing a shining winged being destroy a demon. When the rest of the garrison fired upon it, Gubbling heard it ask if he believed in a world where all beings should be free and know peace and joy. Gubbling responded internally that he did, and was spared as the rest of the garrison was instantly slain, with smoke pouring out of where their eyes once were.
Gubbling tells Nia that four months ago someone resembling her passed by and escaped the soldiers. The party directs him towards Torm's Hill, and gives him food for the journey, then they take a few of the weapons. That night, from a window, Erro sees a snowy lake in the distance and while updating his map, remembers the glowing insect that landed on it seemed to be indicating the peaks beyond. Garen, working on a forge below to alter his newly found breastplate, recognizes the slab of rock that fell on his arm in the quarry and carves the symbol of the Allhammer on it. Nia notices a ripple of moonlight fall upon the finished carving.
Fan art of Erro and Nia, by Ekaterina Victoria.[art 2]
The next morning, Erro leads them to the lake and shares some of his past, including his birth in Issylra, his youth as an orphan in Gwessar, and the death of his partner Donaea at the hands of soldiers of the Strife Emperor at the exact location they are now at. When Garen learns Donaea used to tell Erro, "Change is coming," he adds those words to the rock he carved.
Erro leads them onward and Garen finds a man-made path leading up the mountainside. At the end of the day, high above the valley, Fiedra realizes the roots of a tree above a stone face look unnatural, and sticks her stiletto into a crack in the rock. It opens to reveal a hidden chamber smelling of herbs and dry wood, with a symbol of the Moonweaver carved upon the back of the door. It holds myriad treasures: carefully arranged books, works of art, and the best of a world being destroyed. It appears to have been used recently. Fiedra notices a large shield carved with draconic runes hung on one wall, which Erro recognizes as his mother's, Honor's Last Stand. Fiedra also finds a magical-looking key[presumed, description is very close.] which she keeps for herself, and a steel-crafted hammer which Garen accepts, recognizing it hazily as having belonged at some time to someone close to him. There is also a silver-wrapped mirror which goes to Nia. When Nia looks at her reflection in the mirror, she sees her sister Liana standing behind one shoulder, raising a finger to her lips before going up a back staircase. Nia stealthily follows, inadvertently using the power of the mirror to become invisible.
Meanwhile, the key around Fiedra's neck leads her to a large tarp-wrapped jet black heavy crossbow. Crokas opens a wooden chest with the words "Agrupnin vault" on its top and finds many scrolls, books, and writings, as well as a beautiful gem-like orb that rolls toward the amulet given him by Celeste of the empty hands of the Knowing Mentor. Crokas fits them together and feels their perfect fit.
Fan art of Nia crossing the chasm, by GalacticJonah.[art 3]
Nia has emerged onto the mountain peak via a second entrance. She calls to her sister, and sees her standing upon another, distant mountain across a deep valley, facing her. Liana greets her, then her body collapses and falls into the snow. Incredibly frustrated and confused, Nia falls to her knees. The clouds part and a very bright crescent moon appears, and Nia angrily holds up the holy symbol, telling the Moonweaver they had a deal that in return for Luz's death, Nia would meet her sister. Eventually, she calms, and hears her sister's voice say, "If you believe, come to my side." Hesitantly at first, she steps from her ledge.
The others have realized Nia is missing and arrive at the ledge just in time to see Nia crossing the crevasse on a moonbeam to the body of her sister. She kneels in swirling moonlight and a beautiful woman with her sister's face, but the size of a mountain, appears. Everyone sees the Moonweaver embrace her. Slowly, Nia realizes that her sister wore the goddess's face. The Moonweaver shrinks down to Nia's size, still holding her, and tells her she didn't know how hard it would be to say goodbye. She promises that someday, they will be sisters forever in the moonlight. Liana truly did grow up with her, knowing she was somehow different but not realizing how. Their parents are safely in Vasselheim, but the gods are leaving Exandria. However, the love of a sister for another is strong enough to pass the Divine Gate, and will still exist even when the Moonweaver is unable to reach the world. Nia asks about Luz, and sees a vision of her, still and always with her. Liana tells Nia she must prove to everyone that although the gods have left, they're not truly gone. After a long embrace, the goddess departs, and Nia becomes the first cleric who wields the power of a departed god.
Break[]
- Ad for Avowed.
- Promos for Beacon, Unend, The Re-Slayer's Take Season 2, and Daggerheart.
- Merch Alert! Vex'ahlia sweater dress, Allura Vysoren dice set, Grog denim jacket, Scanlan boxers and sleep mask, Lavish Chateau bathrobe in all shops; Bells Hells last stand and Whitestone is for lovers t-shirts not in AU; Taste of Tal'Dorei t-shirt in US and Canada only.
- Welcome to Tal'Dorei and Welcome to Wildemount soundtrack albums 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 is a rare find.
Part II[]
Nia returns to the others as her sister Liana/the Moonweaver ascends to the heavens. Crokas realizes that wearing the Orb of Avalir he found has made him much smarter. The party begins discussing what to do now, and eventually decides to head westward, accompanying Nia toward her eventual voyage to Vasselheim in search of her parents. They travel through the Stormpoint Mountains to the Mornset Countryside. During their eight days of travel, they encounter a forest of massive, moving jungle trees--treants--who carefully move around the party, telling them they are headed southward to create a great jungle in the blighted lands there. The party receives 15 nuts of healing and the next morning, the ground around them has been transformed into thick grass.
Along the way, Erro begins teaching Crokas draconic. At one point, they hear a rumble in the distance and feel the ground tremble. Climbing a ridge, they see the valley filled with thousands of devils bearing the banners of the Lord of the Hells. A hoard of unicorns charges into them, destroying them, but the party realizes there are an imp and two bearded devils just behind them. Fiedra hits a devil with Condemner and takes its counterattack, knocking her unconscious. Crokas attacks the devil in retaliation, while Garen is hit and poisoned by another. Nia uses Healing Word on Fiedra then fires on the devil. Garen attacks with Hearth's Hammer the unharmed devil that hit him, and Erro follows up, killing it. Both Nia and Garen are knocked unconscious.
Fiedra forces a healing nut into Nia before severely wounding another devil. Crokas grabs the imp and forces it onto the end of the devil's spear, killing it. Nia feeds a nut to Garen, bringing him back up, and he swings the hammer into the devil standing over him. Erro pole vaults with his shield Honor's Last Stand into the devil, which counterattacks, but the shield enters its awakened state and Erro shoves the devil prone in front of Crokas. Crokas and Nia damage it further and Garen finishes it off.
Fan art of Garen and Nia loving the unicorns, by Elaine Tipping.[art 4]
Meanwhile, the unicorns have scattered the hordes of devils, also being pursued by griffons and elven warriors bearing the sigil of the Arch Heart. Several unicorns approach, asking if the party is all right. As the remaining devils flee back to the Nine Hells, one of the unicorns introduces herself as Lumia, servant of the Arch Heart. She tells them only two Betrayer Gods remain in Exandria. Vasselheim still stands, and a paved but poorly-maintained road leads westward from near where they are to a harbor on the Ozmit Sea. The party is healed and goes westward as the unicorns move away.
Soon, they find the traces of the formerly rock-paved road and after traveling for some time, begin to see signs of habitation--abandoned human-sized villages being reclaimed by gnomes and halflings. Eventually they encounter a gnome, Armley, who tells them that their settlement doesn't have a name yet, it's simply "By Road's End". He directs them to where they might find ships, the narrows two or three days' journey northwest of here.
When the party reaches the village itself, they are greeted by Tristan, an elven person with faint webbing between his fingers, who tells them the seas are still very dangerous but crossings are possible. His own parents were lost while trying to reach Vasselheim, and Tristan offers to guide them to the harbor they left from. After spending the night in the village, they journey for many days northward to the narrows. When they reach the deep water, there is no ship visible, and they are undecided about what to do next. That night, Fiedra looks at her key and hears a voice in her mind; the key is talking to her, motivated by a desire to help her find the door she is looking for. The key senses a door moving toward them from the north, tossing up and down: a ship. The key can tell the ship to come closer. Fiedra accepts and light shoots from the key out over the water to the west. According to the key, the ship should arrive the next day.
In the morning, a white-sailed ship indeed arrives, bearing an old human who announces himself as Grenalin, warrior of Vasselheim, a friend of Erro's parents. The Dawn City has sent its entire fleet to the shore of Gwessar to search for survivors. Grenalin is delighted to recognize Erro, but taken aback by the news that the gods have departed behind the Divine Gate. He must immediately bear this knowledge to Vasselheim and invites the party to join him. Garen is hesitant, feeling he must check on the Cliffkeep (and also he's afraid of sailing) but is eventually persuaded to remain with the group. The ship sails for Vasselheim.
Featured characters[]
Player Characters
Returning
- Bulray
- Celdria
- Celeste
- Celwyn
- Coswald
- Gond Gulfsome
- Klasara Bandy
- The Moonweaver / Liana
- Nez Pilch
- The Roaches
- Seen in the Orb of Avalir
New
- Armley, an elderly gnome, mayor of the settlement of By-Road's-End
- Grenalin, a warrior of Vasselheim, friend of Erro's parents
- Gubbling
- Katamua, a treant
- Lumia, a unicorn servant of the Arch Heart
- Tristan, a former sailor familiar with the Ozmit Sea
Mentioned
Quotations[]
Fan art of Lumia and Nia, by tailor www.[art 5]
- Gubbling: I'm afraid I answered that shining thing in the affirmative. Yes, I like joy. Who doesn't like joy? You sort of have to.
- Gubbling: They can't kill all the cowards because someone has to carry the stuff.
- Gubbling: You have to be different, or things will be the same.
- Garen: (recognizing the stone block that fell on his arm in the quarry) Well, if fate just ain't a bitch.
- Lumia: A day may come when people don't see unicorns, either. I hope they believe in us still.
Trivia[]
- Just as the "marble" border of the overlays on Exandria Unlimited: Calamity showed progressively more damage each episode, the "stone" border of the overlay in this episode showed more moss than in the first two episodes of the miniseries.
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Erro, by GalacticJonah (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Erro and Nia, by Ekaterina Victoria (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Nia crossing the chasm, by GalacticJonah (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Garen and Nia loving the unicorns, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Lumia and Nia, by tailor www (source). Used with permission.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||