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"Red Rural Revelations" (3x84) is the eighty-fourth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells are introduced to a village on Ruidus and learn about the way of life on the moon…

Synopsis[]

Announcements[]

Previously on Critical Role[]

So, last we left off: Bells Hells, after fighting and sneaking their way to the center of the Tishtan excavation site, stepped upon the Bloody Bridge and found yourselves transported to the surface of the Red Moon of Ill Omen, Ruidus itself. Upon arriving, you used the still-lingering spell from Keyleth, the Air Ashari, to transform into mist, once you had managed to escape a brief encounter at the center of the receiving encampment on the moon, and managed to evade discovery long enough to escape over the windy and dust-covered landscape.

Upon traveling and traversing to a region that seemed safe, you found a cavern where you could rest and collect your thoughts. Imogen reached her mind out to try to connect to the weird drawing essence of the very moon that you stand on. In doing so, you seemed to draw some attention, but learned some very important things, as you now continue to seek information about what's happening here, what's important about it, who's responsible, and what you can bring back that might offer an advantage to all those that lie in wait on Exandria. You continued on through a storm, met some of the local wildlife from a distance, and then settled down in a mountain-nestled village, where it seemed a lot of farm folk and livestock were being tended to, gathered in a very simple life, still with a Reiloran presence, some working, some walking with authority. But here in the shadow, five of your troop have traveled down into one of the little farm sections, an offshoot of the village proper, and began to transform back into your physical selves from the mist form within a storage structure of some kind. Upon nearly completing your transference, an entity walked in and noticed, about to squeal for a moment. You shouted towards it to stay quiet, and through a brief moment of persuasion, the tension seems to have been abated or not crossed over into anything dangerous.

Part I[]

Dono - Lilith Wu

Fan art of Dono, by Lilith Wu.[art 1]

The short figure is at first very startled, fearful, and confused. Laudna immediately tells him they're there to help against the Ruby Vanguard, and by casting Detect Thoughts Imogen learns he is afraid this is a test of his loyalty to the Imperium because the party is still wearing their Ruby Vanguard clothing. They assure him they hate the Imperium and learn his name is Dono. Fearne notices him whispering toward his chest and Laudna sees movement there, and when Fearne Druidcrafts a flower and gives it to him, he hands it immediately to a second set of long, thin arms coming from his chest for inspection. A small iguana-like humanoid crawls out and also inspects it, eventually eating it. Dono introduces it as Kaniey, a very young cytaa.

Dono is afraid because they are not supposed to talk to the Dreamers (their word for those from Exandria) when they come through. His people, the bormodos, bond with the cytaa symbiotically, and he (and many other bormodos) have learned common through Exandrians' dreams, which they share instead of themselves dreaming. As "simple farm folk", Dono suggests taking them to Elder Barthie in the village for their more complicated questions, although he does mention that several Imperium supervisors left about three days ago, and that there has recently been a push for much greater production, creating some tension.

Dono agrees to lead them to Barthie's home, and the group alerts Orym and Chetney (still in mist form) to this. They all change into mist and move into the darkened village, where Orym spots two guard reilora and determines they are not as powerful as he is. Once at Barthie's, Dono cautiously knocks and is eventually admitted, although Barthie seems annoyed with him. Still in mist form, the party follows and re-apparates. When Barthie asks for evidence of their allegiances, Chetney produces the juggernaut head from the Bag of Holding, which Barthie finds convincing.

Orym and FCG explain they're in search of information and would be happy to trade information about Exandria. Barthie shares that the Imperium has been around for at least 500 years. As far as anyone knows, Ruidus has always been there, and so have the bormodo, carved from its rock by The One Who Sleeps and shaped to be a reflection of the dreams they share with Exandrians. Until recently, the bormodo thought Exandria was the place they'd go when they died, and that one day, everyone would be able to leave Ruidus for Exandria.

Cytaa - ZioCorvid

Fan art of a cytaa, by ZioCorvid.[art 2]

Imogen learns there are fungal farms under the city of Kreviris, the capital of the Imperium. Barthie also has a question: What do pastries taste like? The party gives him one, but a hand reaches out from from his shawl and grabs it, eating it rapidly. Barthie introduces his cytaa, Chu, who is more suspicious of the party than her symbiote. She wants to know their plans. When they promise not to hurt Barthie, she warms a little but doubts Exandrians would welcome the Ruidians with open arms when the party says they'd be welcome there. At Chetney's inquiry, she tells them that bormodo must be properly escorted in order to enter Kreviris, the capital.

They learn a trade caravan to Kreviris was due a few days ago, but hasn't yet arrived, and Kreviris is a few days' travel away through several reiloran checkpoints. Despite Chu's warning, Barthie shares that he has a few friends that the party might be able to talk to about traveling there. Because of the Imperium's doubled demands on the village, Willmaster Edmuda has been sent there to enforce the demands on behalf of the Dominion of Cruth's disciplinary division, The Will. His friend, Zhesh, is a secret member of the Volition, a resistance group, and it's possible Zhesh will be with the expected caravan and can help the party get into Kreviris. Laudna and Chetney transform themselves to look like Ludinus Da'leth and Otohan Thull, and Barthie has seen both of them, several weeks ago with the initial wave of dreamers. Barthie describes Zhesh and gives them a piece of semi-opaque "sub glass" like turquoise obsidian, which is the "glass of the land", used to craft strong tools and implements. Zhesh is a master shaper of such glass. Barthie shares that the barmolo refer to a flare of the moon as a beat of the heart of the One Who Sleeps. When one occurs, the ground illuminates with near-blinding red light and everyone shares a euphoric unified dream in a spiritual connection.

Chetney offers to do any favors or odd jobs Barthie needs done, and Barthie expresses interest in A Taste of Tal'Dorei so is gifted a pencil and a toy sword. They debate whether to leave for Kreviris now, while they can use fog form, or wait for the caravan to arrive. While Imogen prepares to Send to Zhesh to confirm if she's with the caravan, Orym and Chetney scan outside. Orym spots a number of lanterns converging at the edge of the village where the road enters, and they send Dono to see if it's the caravan. It is, so Imogen casts Sending, telling Zhesh they're with Barthie and would love to speak to her. She responds cautiously that she's just here to do business. They decide to send Barthie to her, and Imogen begins turning into a mist cloud again. But as Barthie starts to open the door, there is a loud knock and the door is pulled out of his hands. Outside is a tall, thin reiloran: Willmaster Edmuda.

Break[]

Part II[]

Most of the party dives behind furniture, trying mostly unsuccessfully to hide. The Willmaster looks in, seeing a partially transformed Imogen (therefore out of action for the next several rounds) and various body parts of the others sticking out. FCG invites her in and casts Fast Friends, but it fails to affect her and initiates combat. Edmuda steps back slightly revealing multiple Ruby Vanguard soldiers accompanying her, plus two shrikes.

Not knowing what they're doing yet, Orym simply pushes Barthie back and guards him. However, Laudna Hexes the Willmaster, then casts Fireball on the group of figures outside. Most of them take full damage, but the opportunity to negotiate is gone. One of them, a teenage boy, suddenly bursts into a familiar blast of purplish-white energy,[1] a newly awakened Exaltant who immediately uses Telekinesis on Laudna to lift her off the ground slightly. Chetney casts Shatter on Edmuda and a shrike, while Ashton enters a Gravity rage and uses Erratic Defense to gain resistance against a shrike attack, teleporting it 30 feet away before whacking another enemy twice. The Willmaster's eyes flare initiating her Meat Shield, and every one of the villagers present rush in to the battle before she flings a Jagged Dart at Ashton. Edmuda fails a save against Fearne's Charm Person, but nonetheless refuses to come inside at her request. FCG fires their grapple cannon toward Edmuda, but she uses her Meat Shield ability to interpose an innocent farmer, who is pulled inside toward FCG who guiltily takes half the farmer's damage.

Orym casting Hex - Jenny Dolfen

Fan art of Orym casting Hex, by Jenny Dolfen.[art 3]

Orym's eyes go deep green and he casts Hex on Edmuda, causing small black flowers and tendrils to emerge from her chest, then attacks. On his second and third strikes, the Meat Shield causes him to hit villagers instead, but he action surges to grapple and elbow her. In retaliation, the shrikes surround him and attack for massive damage, then disappear from Ashton's sight. Laudna casts Mirror Image, then Ray of Frost at Edmuda. The new teen Exaltant Blights Laudna, and another soldier hits her with a crossbow bolt. Chetney transforms into wolf form and knocks out the only remaining potential Meat Shield, then attacks the Willmaster and Ashton knocks her out, leaving two shrikes, two Vanguard, and the Exaltant. FCG casts Calm Emotions on the shrikes and uses a healing potion on an unconscious villager.

Orym transfers his Hex to the exaltant and knocks him out. The shrikes calmly lift the Willmaster's body and begin moving away, but Orym trips one and Laudna kills the other with Eldritch Blast. Spooked, several wuukor break out of their corral and stampede forward, while the two remaining Vanguard run off. Chetney kills the shrike with a claw attack, and Ashton pulls two villagers out of the way of the stampede. Fearne kills one of the fleeing Vanguard with Scorching Ray, while Imogen finally finishes transforming into a mist cloud and flies up to see multiple villagers coming to investigate the noise. FCG uses Stone Shape to shield themself and a villager from the stampede. Orym runs toward the fleeing soldier, pulls him back with Seedling's vines, and knocks him out. The wall of stone created by FCG diverts the cattle, which run off.

Barthie comes out of his home and asks in bewilderment what their plan is. The party pulls the bodies into the Elder's home and sets out the portable hole, while figures begin converging on the uproar from the edges of the village.

Featured characters[]

Quotations[]

Inventory[]

Adjustment Count Item Source Destination Notes
Transferred some Ball bearings Laudna Barthie
Transferred 1 Pastry Imogen Barthie
Transferred 1 Sub glass Barthie the party
Transferred 1 Pencil Imogen Barthie From "A Taste of Tal'Dorei"
Transferred 1 Toy sword Orym Barthie From "A Taste of Tal'Dorei"

Trivia[]

References[]

  1. See "What Dreams May Come" (3x34) at 0:15:47.
  2. See "Red Rural Revelations" (3x84) from 2:30:50 through 2:31:02.

Art:

  1. Fan art of Dono, by Lilith Wu (source). Used with permission.
  2. Fan art of a cytaa, by ZioCorvid (source). Used with permission.
  3. Fan art of Orym casting Hex, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
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