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The Weave Mind

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→ This article is about the Campaign Three episode. For the Ruidian rulers, see Weave Mind.

"The Weave Mind" (3x116) is the one hundred sixteenth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein steal their way through the Arx Creonum to confront the psychic minds that control the Ruidian populace...

Synopsis[]

Announcements[]

  • Tales of Fablecraft is a free-to-play virtual tabletop RPG on Steam and iPad that helps GMs not be nervous, but Sam is lost in nightmares of being judged, everyone but him speaking French (Laura can actually speak French, or fake it really well!), and lots and lots of Matts making him very nervous. (Matt's thank-you outro translates to: "Thanks, large-toothed trash can.")
  • The Daggerheart Critmas Story Live Show is this coming Saturday, 7 December 2024. It'll use the final Daggerheart ruleset and be streamed in place of the main campaign on Thursday, 19 December 2024.
  • Darrington Press will be at PAX Unplugged this weekend, 6-8 December.
  • Ultra PRO has released a GM screen inspired by Caleb Widogast's spellbook.
  • The Critical Role Shops Critmas sale ends December 9th.

Previously on Critical Role[]

So, last we left off, the Mighty Nein, after trekking alongside Bells Hells to the red moon Ruidus, keeping low within the core of the city of Kreviris until they were notified that the assault on the Malleus Key had commenced, and they were likely in the best position to separate and tackle their two separate goals. The Mighty Nein set off with the Volition, waiting for a detonation on the outskirts of the Prime Pillar citadel known as the Arx Creonum, and with a massive explosion, a portion of the outside of this stronghold was destroyed and left exposed. You trudged up these cables that were fired upon it, and then some of you fell from them but managed to salvage the arrival, battle along the outskirts of the exposed portion of the citadel, the exterior battlements where numerous Reiloran guardians were defending the arriving attackers and yourselves as well. Defeating a number of them and managing to dart into the exposed interior among one of the many broken floor openings to the core of this stronghold, you began to sprint down one of these long marble hallways with the sound of Gaz Tomo covering your rear, charging towards where you think the Weave Mind might be hiding within.

Part I[]

Beau confronts Veth over her attempts to sabotage her ("You tried to kill me, you bitch!"), and the other Mighty Nein members agree that Veth shouldn't try to kill other party members while they're fighting serious enemies. However, Beau proposes a new bet that she'll kill more Weave Mind people than Veth, and Veth accepts. From nearby, they can hear the sounds of various battles around them as the Volition is attacking, and Caduceus casts Mass Healing Word on everyone. They follow the density of ruidian glass veins in the wall deeper in toward the Weave Mind, evading the various patrolling reilora rushing about, but fail to deceive one group. However, Veth's Hypnotic Pattern convinces all but one to leave them alone, Caduceus' Command prones him, Yasha whacks him, and Caleb's Firebolt kills him.

The Weave Mind - Tyler Walpole

Official art of the Weave Mind, by Tyler Walpole.[art 1]

As they move deeper, they notice ghostly images of the Weave Mind occasionally observing them. Two massive feline-like entities approach the group but Beau's ball bearings foil them. They reach a higher position, evading explosions and rock collapses with some damage which buries Caduceus, but Jester, Yasha, and Caleb's Telekinesis spell pull him out. Veth casts Intellect Fortress on herself, and she and Beau continue to place bets on various things as the party travels. They reach a grand hallway leading to a metallic, partially ajar door with nasty creatures behind it, but succeed in closing the door before they attack, then go back and take a different route. Continuing to fight off occasional mental probes and seeing the visions of the Weave Mind as they move, they reach a large room with a teal glow emanating from a door at its end.

Beau moves to the doorway and looks in, seeing a room holding a massive Ruidian glass archway and other exposed veins and pillars of glass rising into it. Fjord uses Star Razor to cast See Invisibility on himself, and sees two invisible figures inside, both concentrating on different pillars. A voice in Fjord's head welcomes him, asking if they've come to converse a bit. A third invisible reiloran drifts in when Fjord declines, and the voice says, "We insist." Caleb notices Fjord being pulled toward the doorway and uses his Telekinesis to contest it, holding Fjord in place and causing damage from the opposing forces. Fjord's Faerie Fire is resisted but he uses Far Step to teleport behind one of the Reilora. The others only see that Fjord has disappeared. Beau uses Empty Body to become invisible and grant herself resistance to all damage (except force) and runs in after him, followed by a Holy Weaponed Yasha.

Break[]

Part II[]

The interior room is large and multileveled, with seven glass pillars, a sunken glass pool, and a massive archway of ruidian glass. Fjord is inside, next to one of the invisible Weave Mind. Beau (also invisible) almost immediately arrives next to him, while Yasha and Veth get about halfway from the door. Jester casts Blink on herself, and she, Caleb, and Caduceus remain just outside in the doorway.

Beau immediately swings blindly in the direction Fjord is facing, hitting the Weave Mind once. Fjord stops her, being able to see five total Weave Mind figures using his See Invisibility. He also notices, within the archway, a faint vision of a battlefield with opposing forces colliding. Fjord asks about the Weave Mind's purpose, and they telepathically respond that they are the vessels of Predathos, ensuring the future of their people on the Blue Dream that its inhabitants have squandered. Jester and Caleb are telekinetically pulled into the room near Yasha and Veth, and Caduceus, although he resists the pulls, voluntarily walks into the room. Fjord Far Steps away slightly, telling everyone what's going on and asking the Weave Mind to reveal themselves, but when the one near her drifts upward, Beau swings on him but misses. They then all begin to hear the conversation. The Weave Mind believes that Ludinus Da'leth is serving his purpose, and when his purpose is complete, "He won't be of concern." They invite the Nein to either fight or watch, and Veth responds they have only one choice, cocking her Aeorian Security Cannon.

Caleb casting Time Stop - Zhellers

Fan art of Caleb casting Time Stop, by @zhellers.[art 2]

With that, the crystals pulse and the reilora Beau damaged re-strengthens. Jester uses Divine Intervention to have Artagan make all of the figures visible, then casts her Spiritual Weapon. Two of the reilorans attack psychically, causing significant damage to Caduceus, lesser damage to several others, and stripping reactions from Caduceus and Yasha. Caleb casts Time Stop, using it to cast Mirror Image and Fire Shield on himself, uses Telekinesis to pull at the archway, casts a Delayed Blast Fireball above three of the reilora, and finally casts a second Fireball in the same place. They notice the damage taken is dispersed among all five of the reilora, but that all of their temporary hit point shields are now gone. One of the Ego Hunters counterattacks with Gouge Ether, causing Caleb to lose both hit points and spell slots. The group then uses their collective legendary actions to create an Entropic Storm, damaging Fjord and Beau. Veth successfully sneak attacks on one of the reilora; Yasha releases a battle cry then attacks the glass arch, which is immune to fire and resistant to slashing, but succeeds in destroying it when combined with Caleb's early Telekinesis attack. Caduceus uses Divine Intervention to plant one of the pieces of shattered crystal to begin a new graveyard, making all of the crystals vulnerable to attack for one round.

Beau and Fjord therefore each attack and destroy another crystal, infuriating the Weave Mind. Their shields regenerate only a little bit this round. A Manipulator attacks and hits Veth and Caduceus, pushing them close to Jester who moves away and has her Spiritual Weapon attack another crystal before casting Blade Barrier in the sky. Veth is hit by a Mental Evisceration for serious damage and is left able to take either an action or bonus action on each turn, then blinded along with Caduceus. The Weave Mind then causes another Entropic Storm which gives damage to Caduceus, exhaustion to Yasha, and both to Veth. Caleb uses the Stormrider Boots to get into position to cast Gravity Fissure and also fry several reilora. However, one of the Ego Hunters uses Gouge Ether twice on Caduceus, knocking him unconscious, but his Death Ward brings him back at one hit point. Veth Shocking Grasps an Ego Hunter and saves against her blindness, and Yasha attacks him as well. Caduceus Heals himself, curing his blindness although the healing is halved by a reiloran, then ends the Holy Weapon spell causing a burst of radiance and damaging the reiloran within 30 feet.

Beau (still invisible) attacks and Extracts Aspects, learning that the Weave Mind's communal abilities are linked to the ruidian glass features. Fjord attacks the same pillar Jester damaged earlier, destroying it and bonus action Far Stepping under a bridge. As a Lair Action, the Weave Mind activates Drain Nerve but it is never triggered. The Manipulator Telekinetic Blasts Caleb for significant damage but misses Caduceus. Jester whacks one with her spiritual weapon before doing a Mass Heal, although some of the healing is halved by the Weave Mind's Dampen Divinity. The Ego Hunter uses Gouge Ether again on Caduceus and Caleb for more damage and spell loss, and uses Legendary Actions for another Entropic Storm for massive damage and exhaustion, followed by a Psychic Tempest which causes more damage and loss of reactions. Caleb Power Word Stuns one of the floating reilora but it uses their last legendary resistance to overcome it. Veth hits a reilora who is at a distance from all the remaining crystals for 50 points of damage, which the reilora has to absorb entirely himself, being too far away from a crystal to share the damage. In very bad shape, the reilora Folds Space to teleport 60 feet away, but Yasha pursues him doing another 50 points and killing him even though this damage is now distributed to all of the reilora who begin wailing at their loss, while vowing revenge. Caduceus Heals himself.

Beau moves to attack two surviving reilora and succeeds in stunning them both, destroying their ability to triangulate for the hideously destructive Entropic Storm. Fjord hits them with Eldritch Blasts before the lair action creates a penalty to all weapon attacks and regenerates the Weave Mind's hit points slightly. The Manipulator fires his Psychic Tempest at Jester, Caduceus, and Veth, seriously damaging all but Veth. Jester attacks a pillar with her Spiritual Weapon and a reilora with Guiding Bolt for massive damage. Caleb then sends a Disintegration ray at the same one, killing all of them as their collective hit points are reduced to zero. In the stillness, the party realizes they have succeeded in their task.

Featured characters[]

Quotations[]

  • Weave Mind: We ensure the future of our people. We seek the Blue Dream that you squander. We are the vessels for its will, and we will see our people freed.
  • Weave Mind: You arrive here for the purpose that all do in times of challenge and war: to stop us. A shame. Throwing your lives away when they could be so much more useful. [...] Exandrian rodents. Insignificant beings. [...] You may sit down and watch as we work, or we can finish this charade and send you on your way.
    Veth: There's no chairs in here. So I guess we have only one choice.
  • Caduceus: The first body in our charge was made entirely of violet crystal. It never sprouted any plant. It never sprouted tea. It never sprouted a flower. It only gave us the grove itself. This is where we'll begin the next graveyard.

Inventory[]

Adjustment Count Item Source Destination Notes
Acquired 1 Ruidian glass blade Reiloran guard Beau Looted from the body.
Expended all remaining Ball bearings Beau Ruidian feline beasts
Consumed 1 Healing potion Caleb Caleb

Trivia[]

  • This episode was recorded on Chris Willmott's birthday.
  • Sam tracked the results of the various bets Veth and Beau made during the battle, and reported that at its conclusion, the net result was that Beau owed Veth 150 gold.[1]
  • Sam's gigantic flask has a trophy on it labelled "1st" and "Best Mom"[2].

References[]

  1. ↑ See CR Cooldown - C3 E116 at 6:50 (subscription required) (Transcript).
  2. ↑ See "The Weave Mind" (3x116) from 49:25 through 49:35.

Art:

  1. ↑ Official art of the Weave Mind, by Tyler Walpole (source). Used with permission.
  2. ↑ Fan art of Caleb casting Time Stop, by @zhellers (source). Used with permission.
v • d • e
Campaign Three Arc 6 episodes
<< Arc 5: Downfall Campaign Three Arc 6
"Reconciliation" (3x102) • "Cages" (3x103) • "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) • "Collecting Legends" (3x105) • "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106)
"Under the Arch Heart's Eye" (3x107) • "Looming" (3x108) • "A Test of Fate" (3x109) • "In the Shadow of War" (3x110)
"The Nein Hells" (3x111) • "The Assembling of Legends" (3x112) • "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) • "Fight for the Bloody Bridge" (3x114) • "To the Arx Creonum" (3x115) • "The Weave Mind" (3x116) • "Race to the Ruidian Core" (3x117) • "The Hallowed Cage" (3x118) • "Predathos Awakened" (3x119)
v • d • e
Campaign Three Arc 6
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