"Mission Improbable" (3x90) is the ninetieth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells split the party in order to take on two different missions to prove themselves to the Volition, but as the stakes rise, so does the danger...
Synopsis[]
Announcements[]
- Sam's Nord VPN ad read is interrupted by a fire alarm and Producer Ashley running in to tell them to flee. Sam sneaks back into the deserted studio to reveal this was his plot to demonstrate how easy it is to trick people, on or off the internet.
- Next sponsor is UniVersus, a trading card game that now includes Vex, Vax, Jester, and Nott, plus Critical Role play mats.
- Merch alert! New Bells Hells lightweight hoodie in all shops except Australia, the new Quebec.
- The second episode of the Candela Obscura Circle of the Crimson Mirror is now up on YouTube. Spooky Taliesin has normal hair.
- Thanks to everyone helping to playtest Daggerheart, and keep filling out those official surveys.
Previously on Critical Role[]
So, last we left off: Bells Hells, deep inside the moon of Ruidus, into the crux of the main core of its long-hidden civilization, the capital city of Kreviris, here in Vaterra Kreviris, the subterranean mass of this metropolis. You have made allies with the Volition, the resistance force that has long fought against the Weave Mind and the Imperium that rules over pretty much all living sentient beings here on the moon. They've been discussing their plans, many of which are all to transpire today, the initial one being a sabotage detonation of their core digging tunnel beneath the glass pillar that marks the center of the city, that distraction setting off multiple other tracks. You have decided to split and be part of two of these four missions with the individuals here, planning to be part of the demolition crew alongside Ira Wendagoth, the Nightmare King himself, and this crew on this side being part of a search and rescue mission for a spy operative for the Volition that has gone missing. As you've gathered your materials, you've requested some of the general notes as well as other things that might be pertinent to Evoroa, the individual you're seeking, this Bormodo scientist working among the various engineers.
Part I[]
Team Detonation: On a mission to destroy several Weave Mind excavation sites, Ashton, Fearne, and FCG accompany Ira Wendagoth, all under his Seeming spell as native Ruidian races. A beggar approaches Fearne (who is disguised as a bormodo) asking for tools but Ira (disguised as a reiloran mystic) chases him off and tells Fearne not to raise suspicion by being kind to beggars while disguised as an Imperium official. However, Fearne expertly sneaks the beggar a hairpin behind Ira's back before moving on. FCG (disguised as a myceit) asks Ira if myceit are able to speak, to which Ira replies "Do not talk. Just be obnoxiously cute."
They pass an area where beasts are kept and Fearne notices Gloamglut, her father Athion Zathuda's fey dragon, sleeping among the other creatures there. Eventually they reach guarded excavations at the base of the Prime Pillar, the entrance to their target. Ira tells them to kill anyone who shows curiosity about the group.
Team Infiltration: On their mission to find the missing Volition scientist/spy Evoroa, Laudna, Imogen, Orym, and Chetney are all invisible, and everyone except Chetney can also See Invisibility. As they travel through the city, they notice the inhabitants seem to be packing for an upcoming move. Laudna's scry ball indicates Otohan Thull is now in the center of the Prime Pillar, while they are approaching its base. Eventually they reach the well-guarded castle-like Colloquium, and see that many of the entrances are high above, designed for beings who can levitate themselves. As they get closer, they notice the pillar has crevices and small branches emerging at intervals.
Fan art of Fearne and FCG talking to the avadon, by Elaine Tipping.[art 1]
Team Detonation: Since the party appears to be part of the Krevirin military and is led by an apparent Mystic, the team is admitted without exciting interest to a long tunnel leading downward through dirt and chunks of Ruidian glass. Eventually, however, Ira is stopped by two reiloran guards who require them to follow to an anteroom holding many Ruby Vanguard soldiers. Beyond that is another room holding more well-armored soldiers and Sorrowlord Zathuda conversing with the head of the Will of the Dominion of Cruth, the Sunder King Ozo Cruth, flanked by two avadons. Their telepathic communication concludes with Zathuda indicating the Vanguard's reluctant obedience to the Sunder King's will, before Ozo leaves. One of his pet avadons takes an interest in Fearne, smelling something wrong, and FCG's Command to shoo is only temporary. However, it obeys Ozo's call and lopes off. Ira mind tricks a suspicious soldier into thinking he saw nothing and the group slides back out into the tunnel.
Team Infiltration: The team finds a crevice in the glass leading upward near an unoccupied balcony and Imogen casts Spider Climb on Laudna, who climbs up and uses the immovable rod to fasten a rope to the balcony. The others follow, recovering the rod and rope once they're up. They open a satchel of Evoroa's belongings given to them earlier and a cytaa pops out, Evoroa's symbiote Gona. Gona can sense Evoroa is still alive and offers to guide them.
Team Detonation: The team reaches a thick, heavy, sealed rock door blocking their path, which can only be opened from the other side. Ira tells them their target lies beyond it, so FCG uses the Staff of Dark Odyssey to cast Passwall and Ira uses a illusionary spell to disguise the ends of the tunnel thus created. They hear grinding from further in and move that way. In the rocky walls, there are veins of glass looking like they have grown through or are being unearthed and drilled through, growing more prevalent the deeper in they go. At the end of the excavation are several reilora manning a massive digging machine. Ira suggests getting a bit closer before he tries using his psychic abilities to divert the guards and set the six bombs he is carrying.
Break[]
- Ad for UniVersus Vox Machina vs. Mighty Nein sets.
- Shade Mother mini available for preorder at WizKids.
- Daggerheart Open Beta now running. Info at Daggerheart.com.
- Merch Alert! Candela Obscura Core Rulebook, dice tray, dice set, and hoodie; "You can certainly try" hoodie, Critical Role dad hat, Fearne duster kimono in all five CR shops; Bells Hells lightweight hoodie and Fearne art nouveau t-shirt in all shops except Australia; Ruidus dice set in the US, UK, and EU.
- Introduction to "Candela Obscura: The Gilded Graveyard" (CO4x02).
- Trailer for Midst Season Three podcast.
- Candela Obscura Original Soundtrack, Welcome to Tal'Dorei and Welcome to Wildemount 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.
- Sam does ASMR for Critical Role Twitch subscriptions.
Part II[]
Fan art of Gona seeing Chetney's transformation, by iwilltryalittlearter.[art 2]
Team Infiltration: Imogen recasts Invisibility on herself, Laudna, and Orym, while Chetney transforms into werewolf form, terrifying Gona, before casting Invisibility and activating the Monocle of True Essence to cast See Invisibility on himself. They stealth out, guided by Gona, to a room guarded by two Dominion of Cruth hulks. Chetney uses the two legendary toys he has crafted to distract them for a minute while the others sneak past and continue traveling through the Colloquium. At one point, Chetney uses Grim Psychometry on some exposed Ruidian glass but senses only brief flashes of stone crushing, anger, hunger, and loneliness. Eventually they reach an arcane laboratory with two reiloran scientists within, which Gona identifies as the Engineering Bay from which Evoroa was taken. Gona believes Evoroa is being held somewhere below. The lab itself contains multiple glass jars of all sizes (including one very large one) holding organs and fetuses of all races preserved in chemicals, the remnants of various experiments. Gona senses Evoroa near, and they move into the next room which holds two more reilora, more of the same biological experimentation, and a Judicator being autopsied. To one side, a cross-section model of Ruidus indicates its core is Ruidian glass, with occasional veins reaching the surface. There is also a large glass vat holding a bormodo woman in liquid whom Gona identifies as Evoroa, still alive.
Team Detonation: FCG Sympathetically Binds with Fearne and Ashton before they step out and Ira attempts to charm the guards. Three of them leave to walk back up the tunnel, but the juggernaut is unaffected and a subsequent Dominate Person also fails. Fearne's Charm Person succeeds and the hulk also leaves, but suspiciously, and is also suspicious of Ashton hanging back in the hallway. Ira is happily pulling out and placing the bombs with FCG's help, but the hulk grabs Ashton by the throat and Ashton telepathically tells the others he's in trouble. Ira asks FCG how long to set the trigger on the bombs for and FCG responds, "One minute," not realizing Ira was setting them to start the countdown immediately. They realize they need to get the hell out, right now. FCG casts Silence on the room and they charge back down the tunnel, Ira Polymorphing the hulk holding Ashton into a snail as they pass. When they reach the door, Ira sends the other guards back to the digging chamber and they keep going as fast as possible.
.jpg){kind=link}
Fan art of FCG being carried from the explosion by Ashton, by Jesstin (@WaterFaulter).[art 3]
Behind them, they hear the muffled roar of the explosion and an approaching white light. Ira grabs Fearne and they Dimension Door out, leaving FCG and Ashton behind. When Fearne starts to slide into the crater on the surface the massive explosion creates, Ira annoyedly uses Wall of Force to give her a way to climb out, but he disappears while she does so. Meanwhile, the explosion is catching up to Ashton and FCG, killing people in its path instantly. Ashton activates the Shard of Ka'Mort, and carrying FCG just above the ground, moves as fast as he can through the rock, but the explosion is gaining on them. FCG tries Divine Intervention without success, so at the last second Ashton throws him into the portable hole and tries to evade into the rock, halving the damage to both of them. However, FCG is brought extremely close to unconsciousness as they are both blown by the force out of the cavern. Suddenly, they hear the screech of Gloamglut above them.
Team Infiltration: The team hears telepathically that the explosion is imminent but before they can decide what to do, it's upon them. The room shakes violently, cracking the vat, and invisible Chetney shouts from outside to evacuate. The scientists run, but a mystic and a shrike remain. Together, Orym and Imogen surprise attack the mystic, Imogen with a Psychic Lance and Orym with a very visible Hex followed by a flurry of attacks, killing it bloodily. He runs to the shrike, hitting and knocking it prone, and Chetney hits it with his new glass-bladed scythe. The shrike, however, uses its telekinetic blades to attack a large glass tube, releasing the creature within: a huge adolescent vidulch. Imogen casts Synaptic Static on both it and the shrike while Chetney goes after the vidulch, shattering his new glass scythe on the second hit. Orym finishes off the shrike and stands in front of Imogen. Laudna, Spider Climbing on the ceiling, casts Blight on the vidulch, but it counterattacks powerfully, damaging Chetney and Orym significantly. However, it wasn't fully "cooked" when it was released from its glass tube, and begins falling apart and losing strength and speed.
Gona is pounding on the glass holding Evoroa frantically, trying to release her. Imogen Lightning Bolts and Shocking Grasps the vidulch, bringing it very low. Chetney rips his ears off and flames take their place in a Crimson Rite, then finishes the creature off. Orym immediately attacks the vat holding Evoroa, releasing her, barely conscious. Laudna casts Wither and Bloom to give her a little health, and Imogen makes them all invisible while Chetney carries Evoroa. Laudna grabs some lab specimens, Chetney grabs the Aeorian technology device, and Imogen takes the model of Ruidus. Orym looks at the Judicator and notices its face is mutilated in the same shape as the mask normally worn by then, but cannot determine when the damage was caused.
Reunification: Laudna telepathically checks in with Fearne as FCG casts a 4th-level Cure Wounds on Ashton and himself. Fearne is alone in the devastated area of the city and with some difficulty is eventually able to locate Ashton and FCG, just as the red glow around her brightens. The aura around Imogen glows brightly as well and within Fearne and Imogen's minds they hear a high-pitched female scream of fury and horror. Laudna uses the scry ball quickly and sees Otohan Thull is still inside the Pillar but moving downward. Fearne grabs Ashton's hands and asks him not to let her float away as they begin making their way back to the hideout. The other group eventually finds their way to a balcony, when suddenly, there is another detonation of pink energy within a building, and a single lavender streak of power and energy flies upward. Imogen realizes both the figure, and the scream they heard, were from her mother.
The infiltration team, with the aid of a rope, manages to reach the ground and scatter off to safety. The purple flame is still flickering in the air, and both Fearne and Imogen telepathically hear a furious, "Did she know?"
Featured characters[]
Bells Hells
New
Returning
Mentioned
- The Changebringer
- Otohan Thull
- Pâté de Rolo
- Predathos (indirectly)
- Rashinna
- The Strife Emperor
- Vezoden Amerai (unnamed)
.jpg){kind=link}
Fan art of Liliana's cry, by Rachel F. (TheWhaleLord).[art 5]
Quotations[]
- FCG: You're not going to leave us to die like the group you just tried this with, right?
Ira: Oh, I didn't leave them to die. They just happened to die, and then I left. It's an important distinction. - Ira Wendagoth: Let's go destroy something beautiful.
- Fearne: (to Ashton) Don't let me float away, please.
- Liliana Temult: (following the assassination attempt, furiously) Did she know?
Inventory[]
| Adjustment | Count | Item | Source | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transferred | 1 | Hairpin | Fearne | a beggar | |
| Expended | 2 | Legendary wooden toys | Chetney | two guards | One was a wolf; the other was a grooved stick with marbles. |
| Acquired | some | Lab specimens | the arcane lab | Laudna | |
| Acquired | 1 | Arcane machine | the arcane lab | Chetney | Aeorian in design. |
| Acquired | 1 | Cross section model of Ruidus | the arcane lab | Imogen |
Trivia[]
- Sam's jerrycan has a myceit made of gum labelled "My Pet Myceit" to which he adds what might be a nose[1]; later on he adds more gum, the purpose of which is unclear (possibly better to leave it that way)[2] and later still some more which might be a sword or a magic wand[3].
- The normal seating position at the table has been changed for this episode to better suit the two teams. Team Detonation (Ashley, Taliesin, and Sam) is on one side, and Team Infiltration (Marisha, Laura, Liam, and Travis) is on the other side.
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Fearne and FCG talking to the avadon, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Gona seeing Chetney's transformation, by iwilltryalittlearter (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of FCG being carried from the explosion by Ashton, by Jesstin (@WaterFaulter) (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Fearne and Ashton, by @zhellers (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Liliana's cry, by Rachel F. (TheWhaleLord) (source). Used with permission.
| |||||||||||||||||