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Roots Between Worlds

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"Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) is the seventy-fourth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells explore the island of Kalutha and prepare themselves to take counsel from the fated wisdom of the Great Tree of Atrophy...

Synopsis[]

Announcements[]

Previously on Critical Role[]

So, last we left off, Bells Hells, in seeking answers surrounding Ashton's history, and possible opportunities to prepare themselves better for the coming showdown with the Ruby Vanguard, you find yourselves in the Shattered Teeth, a collection of islands left in the destruction of the once-continent Domunas. Here, you've gone onto a ghost ship to find passage to the island of Kalutha. Upon taking this journey across the sea with them, you helped bring a long separate romance to a singular unit between the captain and their navigator, had a celebration, and then were dropped off rather rapidly on the outskirts of the island you seek.

As you perused the black pebble beaches, you found a couple of caverns, one that led up to the actual clifftop surface of the island itself for a better view. Upon clambering through the caverns, a sight was missed upon one of the creatures that apparently called it home, and you did battle with a terrifying massive worm creature that was intent on making you its next meal. Surviving the encounter, destroying the creature, and gathering a few odd objects from its nest that gave you some clues as to the denizens of this island, you clambered out to the surface, where you could see the mist-shrouded island stretched out before you.

Part I[]

Ashton overlooking Kalutha - SuzySnoo

Fan art of Ashton overlooking Kalutha, with the three peaks in the background, by SuzySnoo.[art 1]

The fog isn't quite as dense as it is at sea or on Slival, but still present, obscuring the three mountains that mark this island. They appear about two days' journey away. The party moves off through the insect-infested jungle, and with Eyes of the Runekeeper Laudna reads the mysterious writings on the raito charm they found in the lair of the basalt caecilian. They read: "My promise to Shotas", "My love of my children, Ro and Sakagi", "My faith in the cycle of destruction and creation, endless", and "My guilt over my father, Gyodoba". The name engraved at the top reads "Iffodola".

The party travels toward the mountains with Fresh Cut Grass flipping his Coin of the Changebringer to determine the correct path through the dense rainforest. They reach a small river and, holding Laudna's immovable rod, Orym leaps over the river with a rope while Chetney catches fish for dinner. Ashton suggests sending Pâté into the water to test its danger but nothing happens. Most of the party crosses safely, but Laudna tries tightroping across and falls in. Ashton jumps in after her while Orym sends vines toward them both, helping them pull to safety in front of a family of monstrous hippopotami. FCG casts Speak with Animals and tries to explain they mean them no harm, and although unimpressed, the beasts let them leave.

They follow the river without incident the rest of the day. When it grows darker, Fearne creates a shelter with Plant Growth and FCG bakes (badly) in his body the fish Chetney caught. It grows colder and Ashton and Chetney take first watch, seeing nothing, but Laudna takes nine points and Orym takes six points of necrotic damage. When Chetney enters their shelter, he notices movement and when he lights up his chisel, he sees about a dozen small, thin, elongated shadow shapes around them that recoil from the light. Imogen tries to connect with them but feels only a yearning to consume heat. Laudna hits one with Chill Touch and it dissipates, then FCG uses Turn Undead and scatters them. Chetney starts a small fire and during the rest of the night there are no more incursions, although the shadows surround them outside. They disappear at dawn.

The party continues traveling toward the mountains, with Fearne taking the lead, and Chetney plucks her a purple flower. At mid-afternoon, they approach the base of the nearest mountain and notice a trail forking away from the river. They follow the path until Orym notices a trap set before them and stops the group. After much discussion, Imogen throws a stone into it and sets it off, discovering a pike-filled pit beneath. As they cautiously move on, they notice many other traps along the way but evade them all, approaching a pool of water at the base of the mountain.

The trail begins to climb. FCG casts Find the Path using Ashton as his focus to find Evontra'vir, but it does not work. Orym notices five humanoid figures approaching surreptitiously and alerts the group, but the figures emerge from the forest and surround them, armed with heavy woe steel longbows and speaking in a foreign languages. FCG casts Tongues to hear them say, "Put down your weapons," and they comply. Their leader, in Common, demands to know who they are and how they got here.

Break[]

Part II[]

The five cloaked figures surround the party, and Imogen and Orym mention Iffodola, the name engraved on the raito charm they found. Orym pulls it out, offering it to their leader, who says it belonged to Temu's father and he will be happy to have it back in their family. Orym asks about Evontra'vir, and Ashton explains he has the blood of a titan and wants to learn more about himself. The strangers recognize Jirana's name when FCG says she sent them, and tell them that Evontra'vir's presence between the realms of life and death is what draws the shadow creatures that attacked the party earlier. But they decline to give any further aid.

Methods of flying - Elaine Tipping

Fan art of the different methods of flying, by Elaine Tipping.[art 2]

Imogen casts Fly on herself to get above the forest canopy, but can't pick out a good direction until she brings Orym up with her. He sees the trees seem to thin out in near the mountain and when they fly closer, can see a chasm descending into darkness cradled between the three mountains. As darkness approaches, they reach the huge, ominous, extremely deep black expanse. They decide to write down their essential facts and convictions before descending, then leap together into the pit. When they eventually seem to see the bottom, Imogen casts Fly again, Fearne transforms into a shoebill, and Laudna casts Feather Fall on the others. The party falls into the canopy of the tree but eventually manages to find their ways to the ground, where there are multiple small offerings from previous visitors, and skulls.

Eventually, Ashton walks to it and touches its trunk, calling out to it, and identifying himself as "Ashton, blood of titan". He cuts himself, rubbing a bit of blood into the tree. The leaves rustle and the branches shift and a enormous stretched face appears within the tree trunk itself, asking, "What is it you seek?" Ashton says he is the abandoned child of the Hishari and seeks what is owed to him: his past, power, and to know what he is.

“
You are the son of Efterin, a broken man of burning purpose, who endured an odyssey to walk under my boughs and ask for the golden purpose they felt they were owed by the world. He claimed visions throughout his life that promised greatness, a fated path that would leave his mark on history. He was not wrong. I let him gaze into his future and showed him the relic he was fated to own, that he would use to usher in a renewed ancient power. I showed him the way to the necropolis of Toramunda, where this relic lay uncovered and waiting. His ambition met his destiny, and he recovered his artifact, this remaining shard of Ka'Mort, the primordial Empress of Earth, a lingering remnant of her power. He thought his destiny was his to embrace. He was wrong. I granted him this knowledge because he was meant to take it, meant to create and destroy the Hishari, meant to destroy himself, meant to create you. You were his destiny, but in his arrogance he could not see beyond his own aspirations, as it was fated. And now, you return, as I have foreseen, to find another piece of history's sorrow, the unity that twice brought judgment to Exandria's children.
”
– 
Evontra'vir explaining Ashton's history and destiny.[1]
[!h]

Evontra'vir explains he was originally among those Gau Drashari who stewarded the protection of the ancient settlement of Toramunda during the division of Mount Ygora into the flying city of Avalir and the terrestrial Cathmoíra, before the catastrophic explosion that destroyed Domunas and created the Shattered Teeth at the beginning of the Calamity. Ashton pulls out the Pipe of Remembrance and Evontra'vir agrees to smoke it, revealing visions of hundreds of persons running, then caught, brought to the tree, and vanishing into it.

Evontra'vir tells Ashton that a spark of Rau'shan burns in the heart of the Chynes Maw on the island of Igthuldus, in the side of Athos Peak, but warns them that if one vessel hold two of the shards of power, it might sunder it. Ashton holds the strength of The Empress; they must find and bestow the might of The Emperor.

Evontra'vir - Niko Vanhala

Fan art of Evontra'vir, by Niko Vanhala.[art 3]

The tree looks to the others and asks why they have come. Chetney asks if Evontra'vir knows anything of the moons, and is told they are part of that tangle, all bound to this journey. Imogen asks how they can stop Predathos and is told that together, their chaos can undo the plans of others, and they can guide the future of the gods. The tree asks them to choose what they believe, and what is right for the world. He shows them a vision of the future, if Ludinus's plan is not stopped, where the gods leave, chased by endless red light. But Evontra'vir cannot say what is right here-- they must choose. When Imogen asks how they can stop Ludinus, she is told they are already on that path, with visions of the Bloody Bridge, Ruidus, warfare, and the cavern where the shard of the Emperor is hidden. FCG asks how they will know when they are ready, and is told to look for allies. Ludinus should be stopped.

Suddenly, the tree tells them they are being watched, and they see a small glowing orb appear and then shatter. Evontra'vir pulls itself open, revealing an open doorway into a snowy landscape and they dash through, finding themselves high up in the middle of a very cold and misty mountain range somewhere in the Shattered Teeth. Looking up at the mountain rising behind them, they notice one small area bare of snow and ice. They hear the low droning rumbling cry of a sky whale, and look up to see it vanishing into the clouds.

Featured characters[]

Mentioned

Quotations[]

  • Laudna: (to Pâté) Hey, buddy, were you napping?
    Pâté: I was just contemplating the meaning of my existence as a construct that's only really given purpose when it has to bring itself to bear to your command. So, yeah, I'm napping.
  • Chetney: (presenting a purple flower to Fearne) Fearne, would you accept this flower on behalf of romantics everywhere?
    Imogen: (looking very skeptical) Insight check.
    Fearne: It is lovely, thank you.
    Chetney: Not as lovely as you.
  • Ashton: I have a lot of very big people who keep talking about my fate and your fate, but I have a secret. I'm nobody. I've been nobody my whole life. And there is great power in that.
  • Evontra'vir: There are no nobodies that come this far to see me.
  • Evontra'vir: The divine are pilgrims made idols, refugees become conquerers. They are not makers, but crafters, shapers, and their devotees follow in their image. They take what is found and remake it into new, sometimes beautiful, sometimes terrible. Is that their nature, or are they a reflection of us?

Inventory[]

Adjustment Count Item Source Destination Notes
Relinquished 1 Raito charm Bells Hells The Aishio The party returned the charm they found in the basalt caecilian lair to the Aishio group that accosted them in the forest.

Trivia[]

  • The party leveled up to 11th in a video released just before this episode aired: the results were shown on X/Twitter here and here.
  • Sam's jerrycan says "The Shattered Teeth" and it starts out with a map of some islands[2]: he moves them around to say "Hi"[3]; then takes a while to create a face[4]. Later on he makes a middle finger[5] and finally a tree[6].
  • Matt uses Japanese as a proxy for the strangers' language; a Japanese critter in the YouTube comments translated as follows:
    • 止める (tomeru), properly 止まれ (tomare), command 'to stop'[7]
    • 何物だ (nanimono da), interrogative 'who goes there/who are you'[8]
    • お気を付けて (okiwotsukete), cautionary 'be careful', as well as greeting 'take care/farewell'[9]

References[]

  1. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) at 3:11:01.
  2. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 1:31:05 through 1:31:20.
  3. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 1:32:10 through 1:32:40.
  4. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 1:32:40 through 1:34:10.
  5. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 2:49:25 through 2:49:35.
  6. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 3:39:20 through 3:39:35.
  7. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 1:53:05 through 1:53:10.
  8. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 1:54:25 through 1:54:30.
  9. ↑ See "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) from 2:18:10 through 2:18:15.

Art:

  1. ↑ Fan art of Ashton overlooking Kalutha, with the three peaks in the background, by SuzySnoo (source). Used with permission.
  2. ↑ Fan art of the different methods of flying, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
  3. ↑ Fan art of Evontra'vir, by Niko Vanhala (source). Used with permission.
v • d • e
Campaign Three Arc 3 episodes
<< Arc 2: Ruidus Rising Arc 3: Separations and Explorations (Episode 52-75) Arc 4: Ruidus to Aeor >>
"Far From The Others" (3x52) • "Ripples" (3x53) • "Treacherous Toys" (3x54) • "Hope Within History" (3x55) • "By Goat or By Boat" (3x56) • "The Sorrow of Molaesmyr" (3x57) •
"Escape From The Past" (3x58)
"Somewhere Out There" (3x59) • "Faith or Famine" (3x60) • "Crisis of Faith" (3x61) • "A Long Walk of Reflection" (3x62) • "A Haunted Past" (3x63)
"Reunited" (3x64) • "A Path of Vengeance" (3x65) • "Aid of the Tempest" (3x66) • "Bloody Flowers" (3x67) • "For The Tempest" (3x68) • "Nice" (3x69) •
"Embattled in Bassuras" (3x70)
"Mist and Whimsy" (3x71) • "Phantasmal Parley" (3x72) • "Kindling the Spirits" (3x73) • "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74) • "An Ancient Flame" (3x75)
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