Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins: Caduceus Clay is the eighth and final issue of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins. It was written by Kendra Wells with direction by Taliesin Jaffe and Matthew Mercer, art by Selina Espiritu, colors by Eren Angiolini, and letters by Ariana Maher. The cover illustration is by Gus Allen and Eren Angiolini. The issue was published by Dark Horse Comics in book stores on June 19, 2024, and in comic book shops the following day. It further explores the backstory of Taliesin's player character, Caduceus Clay.[1][2]
Publisher's summary[]
Plot summary[]
A very young Caduceus Clay is weeping over a dead bird when his mother finds him and helps him to bury it, telling him that "Part of love is knowing they will go, and cherishing them with your whole heart in the face of that hurt." Years later, he overhears his sister Clarabelle arguing with their father, who is leaving in search of his wife and her sister, and also to seek a cure for the corruption overtaking their home, the Blooming Grove. While he is gone, Caduceus and Clarabelle have a job to do: a wizened body has been left in care of the family, with a spell placed on it that makes the deceased keep talking until her body is taken to a mountain temple.
After bidding their father farewell, the two firbolgs prepare the body and Caduceus leaves with it to carry it to the temple, leaving Clarabelle alone at the Grove. He should return in a few days. He travels through the corrupted forest, conversing with the talkative corpse, encountering rough terrain and strange, corrupted beasts. At one point he is attacked by what looks like it was once a wolf, and fends it off with the magic in his staff, killing it. Reverently, he decomposes the body, telling it, "Without decay, new life can't bloom. Thanks for keeping the wheel turning."
Eventually, he and the corpse reach the top of the mountain in which the temple cavern is located. He asks her about her life, and she tells him of her husband, only daughter, and her four-going-on-five grandchildren. He asks if her life was what she wanted it to be, and she muses that it was hard, long, and unremarkable, but she and her husband weathered it together and raised a child who is better than them both and passing that along. Although she never thought of love, she realizes now they had it, and her life was good. They enter the temple and Caduceus reverently performs her people's rites before decomposing the body. The spores from the beautiful fungi float around him and out the cavern door into the sunlight.
Caduceus travels back down the towering mountain and back into the corrupted forest, confronting and evading more corrupted beasts, casting Decompose on a dead bear he finds, and overcoming the extremely difficult terrain. Finally, he reaches the Blooming Grove, but to his shock, the house is dark and Clarabelle is gone. A note left on the table reads: "Going after Dad. I'm sorry." Tears fill his eyes, but he realizes someone needs to stay, because there is work to be done.
In the following years, Caduceus cares for the Grove alone. One night, he dreams of finding a dead bird, among a field of thousands of dead birds, which suddenly transform into a field of fungal flowers and butterflies, and a realization: someone is coming. When he wakes, he bathes in a nearby pool and finds a large, jagged purple crystal on its bottom. Thanking the pool, he takes it with him. When he returns to the house, he dons his best clothing and alters his staff to hold the crystal at its end. As he prepares tea, there is a knock on the door. When he opens it, five strangers stand there.
Featured characters[]
Returning[]
- Caduceus Clay
- Clarabelle Clay
- Constance Clay
- Cornelius Clay
- Beauregard Lionett
- Caleb Widogast
- Keg
- Nila
- Nott the Brave
Mentioned[]
Media[]
Editions[]
| ISBN | Released | Publisher | Format | Price | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9781506723730 | June 19, 2024 | Dark Horse Comics | Hardcover | $17.99 | [1] |
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Cover art featuring Caduceus, by Gus Allen and Eren Angiolini (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
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