The Apogee Solstice

→ This article is about Episode 51 of the Third Campaign. For the event, see Apogee Solstice.

The Apogee Solstice
"The Apogee Solstice" (3x51) thumbnail featuring the cast.
Episode	Campaign Three,​ Episode 51 (C3E51)
Airdate	2023-03-09 19:00 PST
Running time	4:37:04
Episode link	VOD
Podcast link	Podcast
Transcript	Transcript
Starring
Laura Bailey – Imogen Temult Taliesin Jaffe – Ashton Greymoore Ashley Johnson – Fearne Calloway Liam O'Brien – Orym Marisha Ray – Laudna Sam Riegel – Fresh Cut Grass Travis Willingham – Chetney Pock O'Pea and Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master
Order
Previous	"Red Moon Rising" (3x50)
Next	"Far From The Others" (3x52)
Airdate Order
Previous	"Red Moon Rising" (3x50)
Next	"Exandria: An Intimate Appendix - Ruidus and the Gods" (Sx75)

"The Apogee Solstice" (3x51) is the fifty-first episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells race against time and lifelong plotting as they attempt to stop the Ruby Vanguard from releasing the god-eater Predathos and potentially dooming the world...

Synopsis

Announcements

• Sam and Max Schapiro present Octopath Traveler II from Square Enix, which uses HD-2D graphics fusing retro pixel art and 3D CG to follow eight travelers across the fantasy world of Solista, now available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Playstation 4 and 5.
  *Octopath II does not fight grease stains, slice or dice tomatoes, smell minty fresh, clear acne, or whiten teeth, although Sam Riegel is wearing fake teeth.
• Matt and Marisha will be doing a Game Storytelling panel at South by Southwest next week, March 13. Tickets are available to attend either in person or online.
• Merch alert! Laura has misplaced her voice tonight so Liam fills in as Jester presenting the Yasha Nydoorin slash-sleeve sweatshirt.

Previously on Critical Role

So, last we left off: Bells Hells, upon travelling all across Marquet in search of a number of varying threads, have watched them converge as are the various ley lines towards this nexus point on the northeastern side of the Hellcatch Valley, here, above an ancient ruin that has been partially uncovered by one of the nearby academies and then taken over by the Cerberus Assembly (specifically Ludinus Da'leth) in preparation for the Apogee Solstice, which is nigh. You've all taken your airship, the Silver Sun, to this location, divided your troop along with some allies you brought up with the crew of the ship. You have on the ship, currently waiting, your second team, which is FCG, Fearne, and Ira Wendagoth, the Nightmare King. They are standing by at the ready, while the rest of you have begun a slow infiltration of this sunken pit of an excavation site.

Along the way, you encountered a couple of members of the Ruby Vanguard. You defeated them, partially disabled one of the massive automatons that they were using to guard the space, and encountered two other individuals that were also in the process of scoping out and infiltrating this: Beauregard Lionett and Caleb Widogast. After a brief conversation and aligning your interests and goals, some information was traded and your groups scattered out amongst the region of this excavation.

Part I

Back aboard the Silver Sun, Fresh Cut Grass and Fearne are growing anxious. FCG Sends to Orym, asking their progress, and Orym responds they could use some help jumpstarting a robot. After discussion, FCG and Fearne decide to entrust Captain Xandis and Ira Wendagoth with crashing the skyship into the Malleus Key at the proper time, while Fearne and FCG join the rest of the party there. Just before they leave, Ira confides to FCG that he thinks the Malleus Key is missing a lens.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party decides to take a short rest. They are approached midway by suspicious patrolling guards but are able to convince them the fallen Warder simply malfunctioned. As their rest completes, FCG and Fearne join them and they all exchange information. FCG is able to connect himself in the place of the Warder's fried power cord, gaining control over it, and they are able to crowd all of the party into the Warder's chest cavity except Orym, who is carried in the Warder's hand, and Imogen who remains outside. They approach the pit itself, lined with the grisly trophies of Paragon's Call, and descend one of the ramps leading downward. Imogen Sends to Keyleth, asking her to arrive in one hour, and Keyleth responds, agreeing.

Fan art of Bells Hells inside the Warder, by Elaine Tipping.

As they descend, they encounter two figures coming upward. One is General Ratanish, who asks Imogen what she found. Orym Druidcrafts red berries and smears their juice on his face, playing dead in the hulking automaton's hand as Ratanish inspects but does not recognize him. As Ratanish sends Imogen on, he warns her there are rumors of more ships on their way to attack from Vasselheim. Warder-FCG (carrying Orym in one hand and most of the party in his chest) and Imogen continue downward, watching workers load hundreds of Potions of Possibility into four subsidiary towers around the central Key. Imogen notices Otohan Thull among the workers there, having fresh potions added into her backpack before disappearing into a freshly-cut side tunnel, and also spots the petrified body of Planerider Ryn. Further on, Imogen notices her mother Liliana leap from a catwalk high above and drift downward slowly, then help the workers by telekinetically shifting a large piece of armor plating into place.

At the base of the pit, FCG and Imogen walk over to a quiet side alcove, passing the broken body of a Judicator that was apparently thrown in. Once there, they discuss strategy and decide to try exploring and destroying what they can along the way. The first alcove they come to is too small for FCG to enter but Imogen can see a rapidly-descending cavern within. Laudna sends Pâté ahead where he finds multiple arcane power sources connected by residuum tethers.

Imogen, Ashton, Orym, and Chetney descend and she tells the three guards they're needed above, but they're suspicious and flank the group. Orym attacks one, knocking him prone and getting in front of Imogen. However, the guard casts Hypnotic Pattern affecting both Orym and Ashton, freezing them in place. Imogen recognizes it as Exaltant energy. Chetney counterattacks with Turmoil but is hit and wounded by the two others. Imogen telepathically tells FCG to join them before casting Psychic Whip, causing the wounded enemy to drop concentration on his Hypnotic Pattern and freeing Ashton and Orym. Laudna uses Pâté to cast a Shocking Grasp before Orym kills the Exaltant, Ashton rages and kills another, and Chetney intimidates the last into dropping his sword just as the rest of the party arrives to help.

Chetney questions the guard, learning that Paragon's Call requires their members to wear the symbol of the Duskmaven. Imogen asks about and learns there is a glyph trap on the ground right in front of the power array. Searching the fallen Exaltant, Orym finds a locket bearing a portrait of a little girl. Chetney investigates the power sources with an eye to disconnecting them from the grid.

Meanwhile, Laudna checks the tracking orb attuned to Otohan Thull and discovers she is moving, while FCG, still outside the cavern piloting the Warder, sees Otohan move toward the cavern where the party is. FCG immediately Messages Laudna warning her.

Break

• Octopath Traveler II from Square Enix now available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Playstation 4 and 5.
• Merch Alert! Yasha Nydoorin slash-sleeve sweatshirt now in all shops except Canada; Critical Role dice tome rolling tray, Mighty Nein dice for Caleb, The Traveler, and Jester, pullover hoodie, and Essek t-shirt available in all five shops; Trinket slippers in all shops except Australia.
• Uk'otoa game now available in local game stores and all Critical Role shops.
• Welcome to Tal'Dorei and Welcome to Wildemount Critical Role soundtrack 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.
• Laura and Travis star in a holiday romcom demonstrating how romantic a gift subscription to Critical Role on Twitch can be.

Part II

The party frantically prepares for battle. Still outside in the massive Warder automaton, Fresh Cut Grass sees two massive explosions destroy the machines emitting the periodic antimagic pulses. Otohan Thull immediately turns towards them, but Imogen releases a Psychic Lance without seeing her. Otohan uses a Legendary Resistance to succeed on her save but is unable to tell where the attack came from and runs towards the explosions, away from the party. FCG Sends to Ira Wendagoth, telling him it's time for the airstrike. Meanwhile, the others work at exploding the power cores and eventually succeed in significantly damaging and disconnecting them.

Outside, FCG sees two flashes of magical energy produce a 12-foot-tall armed golem and Ludinus Da'leth. In the chaos caused by the explosions, FCG moves casually to the petrified Planerider Ryn but when he attempts to pick her up he accidentally knocks a wall down onto her. Ludinus, annoyed, deactivates the automaton FCG is inside.

Meanwhile, Ashton quietly kills the third guard, and as they leave a thoughtful Orym takes the locket he found earlier. While leaving the cavern they encounter two searching guards but are able to pretend to be guards themselves, saying the power array's compromised. They all hear Otohan's voice in their heads, bidding everyone at the site to gather at the Key. As they move forward, they see a crowd looking up at Caleb Widogast falling, then stopped in mid-air, seized around the back of his neck by the claw of a mage hunter golem, and Liliana floating down behind him. They can also see Beauregard Lionett walking calmly down a spiraling ramp, controlled by Liliana, before she is chained and gagged.

Fan art of Ludinus ascendant, by Natalie Chenard.

Standing on a ledge midway up the Key, Ludinus spreads his arms and addresses the two captives, telling them they will have front row seats to see what they have failed to prevent. He also bids the crowd to dig out Planerider Ryn, whose right arm has snapped off. Ludinus says that too many entities are drawing close, so their timetable is being accelerated. He places one hand into an opening in the Key, causing the residuum along the spire to glow as he fuels it with his own arcana. At his signal, Liliana causes the armored sides of the spire to drop, revealing within it a small dodecahedron. As the device powers up, time seems to stop and then accelerate around them as hours pass in seconds until the red moon is directly above them. Ludinus removes his hand, now dark and withered, then looks up as the Silver Sun suddenly falls at high speed toward them. He throws up one arm creating a Wall of Force that protects them and the Malleus Key as the skyship explodes into rubble.

The party is able to see that Xandis and Ira Wendagoth escaped the ship before it exploded. Laudna asks Ira's advice to destroy the key, and he replies he'll see what he can come up with. Imogen Commands the golem to "Release" and it obeys, disconnecting, but its claw becomes a collar around Caleb's neck. With Orym's help, FCG is finally able to escape the deactivated Warder, but Liliana notices. As she lifts a hand, Imogen telepathically contacts and distracts her, saying, "Mama. It doesn't have to be like this." She tells her she loves her, and the better halves make a better whole, begging her to remember. Liliana responds that she told Imogen to run, and that this is the only way to be free. "We're its seeds, you and me. Why do you think we have this power? The Ruidusborn, the Exaltant... it's been building a bridge and we're the mooring."

Suddenly, there is an explosion deep below them: Ira has found a way to help, but Ludinus seems unbothered. Liliana, however, turns to look and spots Ira escaping. She casts Banishment on him and he disappears. Ludinus continues to address the crowd, justifying his hatred of the gods, and they can now hear the sounds of fighting above them at the edge of the pit, while Laudna and Ashton succeed in damaging another power source with dynamite. Liliana turns back to Imogen, telling her "It's already done," and assuring her it will be all right. A dull red glow begins to emanate from the skin of all the Ruidusborn present, including Liliana, Imogen, and Fearne. Just then, a large boulder crashes down, slowly unfolding into the form of Earth Elemental Keyleth, casting Mass Cure Wounds around her.

Fan art of the Champion defending Keyleth, by MishellyArt.

Ludinus looks down on her and smiles, saying, "Right on time" as he successfully casts Power Word Stun on her. Otohan Thull and her three echoes surround Keyleth, unloading their attacks into her, knocking her out of elemental form and into her own body before any of the others can do anything. Finally, Otohan stands over her prone body, poised for a final heart strike, when in a whirl of black feathers the masked figure of Vax'ildan, Champion of the Matron of Ravens, interposes himself, standing over and protecting Keyleth's body, daggers in each hand, saying, "Don't you even dare."

Orym vs Otohan, by Kamille Areopagita and Kevin Areopagita from "A Gathering of Heroes" (3x76).

FCG tries and fails to dispel Caleb's antimagic collar, while Orym attacks Otohan's backpack, damaging but not quite destroying it despite his desperate attempts. Liliana holds her action. Meanwhile, Chetney has climbed the Key to reach Ludinus. He transforms into his werewolf form and jumps onto Da'leth's back to attempt a grapple, but Ludinus cast Shield to avoid his grasp and Chetney falls onto a spike of the Key. Imogen makes one final attempt to persuade her mother, but fails.

Above them, Ludinus states: "And now the final piece. The sliver of divinity, the lens." He reaches back into the device as Liliana uses her held action to cast a spell toward Vax'ildan. All the mirrors lining the pit light up, shooting hundreds of beams of energy into his body, causing him to scream in pain as he is compressed down into a sphere of dark shadow. Liliana uses Telekinesis to move the black sphere into the empty spot in the machine. Ludinus attempts to power it up, but there has clearly been quite a loss of power to the machine. Muttering, "It'll have to do," he throws the final switch as they see a multitude of other skyships appearing in the sky above them, just as the red moon glows above.

Every Ruidusborn present is brought upright as the red energy filtering from them is drawn into the center of the spire, and forms into a sphere of energy at its top. A thick beam of red energy fires upward toward the red moon, blowing away the skyships as it reaches upward. Ludinus laughs as the converging power of the ley lines is drawn in and the sky goes from pitch black to deep red to a multicolor explosion of arcane energy, to white.

Fan art of the Malleus Key activating, by BlackSalander.

Laudna's vision clears slowly, and she finds herself in an unfamiliar sulfurous rocky landscape, with Ashton next to her, surrounded by multicolored pools and small geysers. Orym is just above them. They are alone, and they have no idea where they are. But on the horizon they can see the red moon Ruidus connected to a red beam disappearing down behind distant mountains.

FCG lands in soft, white, crystalline sand, maneuvering with difficulty. He is surrounded by dunes, the rising sun in the distance, and no moons visible. From the top of a dune he can see further: mountains to the east, a snowy forest south, and a line of ocean to the north, all far distant. He also finds Fearne, who seems normal. They shout for the others, and Chetney and Imogen hear them and come to meet them. Chetney suddenly realizes they are in the Crystalsands Tundra, and his home of Uthodurn is not far away to the east.

And all of them can still see in the sky the shifting, glowing auroras of the ongoing Apogee Solstice.

Featured characters

Bells Hells

• Ashton Greymoore
• Chetney Pock O'Pea
• Fearne Calloway
  • Little Mister
• Fresh Cut Grass
• Imogen Temult
• Laudna
  • Pâté de Rolo
• Orym

Mentioned

• Predathos

Returning

• Beauregard Lionett
• Caleb Widogast
• Ira Wendagoth
• Keyleth
• Liliana Temult
• Ludinus Da'leth
• Otohan Thull
• Ryn (petrified)
• Ratanish
• Vax'ildan
• Xandis

Quotations

• Ira Wendagoth: You want to know what the secret is? To feeling completely free? Friends complicate things. The less threads you need to maintain, there's nothing to hold you back.
• Sam: (after Caleb is captured) Uh-oh-regard.
• Ludinus: Caleb, Beauregard, you have been thorns in all of our sides for quite some time. I think it only fitting that we give you front row seats to what you've worked so hard to fail to do.
• Ludinus: Stain my legacy all you wish. I have worked selflessly for a thousand years to find the means of shattering these chains of fate and oppression! Let me be your villain if it means liberation for all and forever.
• Vax'ildan: (to Otohan, while protecting Keyleth) Don't you even dare.
• Chetney: (attacking Ludinus, in wolf form) You said something about natural predators.
• Ludinus: A thousand years. You couldn't stop me. You couldn't-- (the machine sparks) It's too late! It's too late! (evil laugh)
• Sam: Where did we Geauregard?

Inventory

Adjustment	Count	Item	Source	Destination	Notes
Consumed	1	Potion of Possibility	Fearne	Fearne
Transferred Consumed	1	Potion of Possibility	FCG	Xandis
Acquired	56	Gold pieces	fallen guard	Imogen
Consumed	1	Cherry Danish	Orym	Orym	FCG had baked and given it to him earlier.
Acquired	1	Locket	fallen guard	Orym	The locket held a portrait of a little girl.
Expended	1	Dynamite	Ashton	power array

Trivia

• The cast celebrated Critical Role's eighth anniversary in this episode. The first episode, "Arrival at Kraghammer" (1x01), aired on the 12th of March 2015 on the Geek & Sundry Twitch channel.
• This episode marked the appearance of a new set of thumbnail photos, with the cast wearing colors themed to their characters rather than black and gray.
• Sam's jerrycan says "Critical Role Cameo Bingo" with a bunch of C1 and C2 character names written on it: Keyleth, Percy, Trinket, Pike, and Vex are already circled; he circles Beau and Caleb. Later he also circles "Matt as a Guard", and finally Vax.
• Vax'ildan's appearance in this episode makes him the sixth member of Vox Machina to appear in Campaign 3, after Bertrand Bell, Keyleth, Percival de Rolo, Vex'ahlia and Pike Trickfoot.
• Between the end of this episode and the beginning of "Far From The Others" (3x52), the party leveled up to 9th and rolled for hit points:
  • Ashton rolled a 7, increasing hit points to 105.
  • Orym rolled a 10, increasing hit points to 83.
  • Imogen rolled a 5, increasing hit points to 58, leaving her as the lowest of the party.
  • Fearne rolled a 5 and took the level in Druid, increasing hit points to 63.
  • FCG rolled a 5, increasing hit points to 85.
  • Laudna took the level as a Sorcerer and rolled a 5, increasing hit points to 80 with the Amulet of Health.
  • Chetney rolled a 7, taking the level in Blood Hunter, for a total of 77 hit points.

References

Art: