"Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106) is the one hundred sixth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells return to the Fey Realm in an attempt to tangle an upcoming meeting between Ludinus and the Unseelie Court...
Synopsis[]
Announcements[]
- Robbie proves yet again that facial hair makes the man.
- Sponsor tonight is Czepeku, which makes maps, not perfume. But Sam and Ashley are just too sexy to not do a fragrance ad anyway, proving that anything shot in black and white gets automatic coolness points.
- All episodes of Moonward are now available on the Midst YouTube channel.
- The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Three trailer has dropped, and the show premieres 3 October 2024 on Prime Video.
- Merch Alert! "It has begin"[1] t-shirt now available everywhere except Australia and the UK. Matt's shame and regret is never-ending. Remember, the internet is forever.
Previously on Critical Role[]
So, last we left off, Bells Hells, after returning to find your west encampment in the middle of the Hellcatch Valley destroyed, you escaped to Vasselheim where you encountered not just Keyleth, but many of the higher up movers and shakers of Exandria had gathered to discuss how to deal with the coming threat and the looming chaotic pinnacle of the Vanguard's plot. As part of this discussion, you yourself spoke with some of the familiar faces which you had built a rapport with since this journey began and figured out a plan in hopes that it would be the one everyone could put themselves behind. You pitched this plan, this multi-pronged attack, using the backdoor secret portal, the passage to Ruidus that you had discovered. Upon beseeching all that had gathered within the Platinum Sanctuary to help you, Keyleth, the Council, and the numerous other allies you had made to make this mission function, you sold your case, and most were convinced. As such, what you had decided upon is now being hatched as the initial plot against Ludinus and the Vanguard, which involves multiple groups of heroes from all across Exandria, some being pulled from retirement, some being pulled from their current decrees, others being sought after who've been missing for a while, until everything is aligned. Within a week, which is hopefully enough time, you are to all descend upon the Malleus Key, the Weave Mind, and the very core of Ruidus at the same time, with Bells Hells to be the key linchpin to head towards the center of that moon.
After some chance encounters with some other interesting powerful entities and a reunion with Dorian's father, you went to rest for the evening. After a discussion, Imogen, with your mother, you heard that a simulacrum of Ludinus was traveling with Sorrowlord Zathuda to meet up with the Unseelie who had been conspicuously absent since the destruction of the second Malleus Key. However, you also ran into a superfan of Chetney Pock O'Pea, and unraveled what appeared to be a community of superfans, who have been collecting, cataloging, and essentially worshiping the grandiose wonderful craftsman legend that has walked alongside you. After receiving a tour of his modest collection, you were allowed a room to sleep for the evening.
Part I[]
Before they go to sleep, the party changes some attunements and Imogen Sends to Ira Wendagoth, telling him they're heading to the Feywild and the Unseelie Court, and asking if he'd like to join them there. Ira has "been keeping a low profile" in Kreviris, but would be happy to be of use. Imogen tells him they'll meet him in the morning at Nana Morri's house, Ligament Manor.
Fearne goes to talk to Waylon Amaredda and offers to buy the Chetney-created egg in his collection, but has only 69 gold. To sweeten the deal she tells him that she and Chetney are a couple. Although Waylon can't sell the egg, he might agree to trade it for another Pock O'Pea original. Fearne offers him one of the figures of her family Chetney made her, but that isn't enough to persuade him. When he retires, she tries to steal the egg by trading it with her 69 gold but finds her hand trapped in a claw trap. She calls to Waylon and admits what she's done, and to her relief he fights down his anger and releases her.
Official art of Ligament Manor, by Adrián Ibarra Lugo.[art 1]
In the morning after a hearty breakfast, the group heads to the Abundant Terrace to meet with Keyleth, who agrees to remove Ashton's remaining exhaustion and offers them several hundred gold for shopping later. They discuss with Braius the merits of Asmodeus versus the Platinum Dragon and whether he could serve both. Keyleth then Plane Shifts (using a tree) the party to a location near Ligament Manor in the Fey Realm. Dorian (a first-time visitor) is somewhat taken aback by the weird environment, but plays a song for the seemingly sentient (and appreciative) flowers.
When they reach the manor, Fearne calls out to Nana Morri and is happily welcomed. Morri is pleased to meet Dorian, kissing his hand and forehead simultaneously with her two mouths, but is totally smitten with Braius and the two flirt shamelessly. As Nana makes them all morning cocktails, Chetney potentially fulfills his part of their bargain by giving her a piece of the broken Ruidian glass scythe, formed from the body of Predathos. Nana appears pleased and requests he bring her more. When the party tells her Ira Wendagoth might be coming by, she is quite interested although claiming that "that ship sailed long ago."
Morri was aware of Fresh Cut Grass' death, saying she keeps an eye on them all from a distance, paying close attention to their fates. The party explains they're headed to try to disrupt a meeting between representatives of the Unseelie Court and Fearne's biological father Sorrowlord Zathuda, and Morri approves, but suddenly stops as Ira slowly enters and greets them all. They introduce newcomer Braius, and Morri pointedly continues their flirtation while giving Ira something of a cold shoulder. At their farewells, Braius kisses her hand while making eye contact with Ira, inspiring Ira to do the same.
Before they leave, Morri turns to Orym, who thanks her for her aid on Ruidus. Morri apologizes it wasn't enough, but their journey is not yet done. Birdie Calloway comes downstairs, hugging Fearne quickly before they must be off, but handing her a necklace made from part of the broken Weave Lens. With a swirl of magic, Morri summons nine six-legged spectral horses that will last for one hour. Imogen questions her a bit about the Fey Realms' relationship with the gods, learning that the Courts are more bound to them than the free fey (like Morri) are. Fearne directs the spectral steeds to take them to Pravenier, but Ira knows the way. They fly up through the tree canopy, seeing the Fey Realm spread beneath them.
Break[]
- Czepeku makes maps for online play, including the ability to create your own tokens.
- Shade Mother mini now available for preorder at WizKids.
- Trailer for The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Three, coming October 3rd.
- Tickets for the Daggerheart Live Show 7 December 2024 in Camden, NJ now available.
- Trailer for Moonward.
- Excerpts from "4-Sided Dive: Queries & Quandaries" (4SDx27).
- Merch Alert! "It has begin" t-shirt in all shops except UK and AU; Percival de Rolo cardigan, Critical Role rib knit beanie, Candela Obscura journal, Vox Machina weapons button-down shirt, and half-crew socks in all shops; healing party and Dreaded Bloom t-shirts not in Australia.
- Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past coming 13 November 2024.
- Candela Obscura Original Soundtrack, Welcome to Tal'Dorei and Welcome to Wildemount albums available now on all digital music platforms.
- Submit fan art and cosplay for possible inclusion in the weekly online gallery.
- Beacon cures low CR.
Part II[]
The party each name their steeds and speed toward their destination. As they sink into the tree canopy, Laudna, Braius, Fearne, and Ashton take minor damage before they all land just outside the abandoned walled settlement of Pravenier, former home of a vibrant arts community that suffered a mass poisoning years ago. The dead still haunt it and despise the guidance of the Arch Heart from within his temple. Orym climbs the vine-covered wall easily, seeing within a sprawling village now being slowly reclaimed by nature. Near the center is a large temple-like structure, and scattered throughout are bodies also being wrapped within the overgrowth.
Screenshot of Pravenier from "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106).[art 3]
Ira casts Invisibility on himself, while Imogen spends sorcery points to allow herself to fly and to see invisibility as the others climb up and over the wall. Orym spots movement deeper within the village, eight or nine dark armored figures heading toward the temple. Ashton casts Pass Without Trace, Imogen casts Invisibility and mind links the party, and they stealth along the wall (some on top of it and some below) in the general direction of the temple. Fearne accidentally kicks a rock, making noise, and as the party freezes they see a hawk appear and circle twice before returning toward the temple. Laudna sends Pâté after the hawk, but he loses it. Chetney uses Grim Psychometry on one of the corpses and sees a vision of their sudden death from a poison that suddenly settled into all of the village's water.
Through Pâté's eyes, Laudna sees three of the figures enter the temple, while five others remain on guard outside, some hidden, wearing similar garb. He also spots something resembling a jet black dog with a human face patrolling. Unfortunately he is then spotted by one of the guards and the connection is lost. Chetney uses the Monocle of True Essence to cast Arcane Eye, which he sends in through a window, while Dorian is able to spot three bowmen hiding in the surrounding bushes and trees. Imogen flies up invisibly, looking inside the temple, then hears a thud and spots a camouflaged Gloamglut clinging to the side of the building who resumes its natural coloration and slithers inside. As it does, two figures leap from its back: Sorrowlord Zathuda and Ludinus Da'leth, who also enter the temple.
Screenshot of Ira in the tree from "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106).[art 4]
The team telepathically plans their next step. Chetney suggests that since the goal is to make the Unseelie distrust Da'leth, they should make it appear Ludinus is attacking their three emissaries. Perhaps this could be accomplished by collapsing the building. Meanwhile, the dog creature continues to prowl. As they're telepathically planning, Ira quietly kills one of the hidden guards, and the party decides to try to take out the remaining guards so they can get closer. Ira casts Silence on one, then Chetney assumes werewolf form, sneaks up on him, and kills him silently. Dorian casts Charm Monster on the patrolling dog and successfully tells it that it's free and should leave, and it flies off. However, that draws the attention of a guard, who approaches and spots the hiding Dorian, but Braius Silences him before Imogen Psychic Lances and incapacitates him, and Laudna finishes him off with Chill Touch. Imogen telepathically asks Ira to Silence another of the guards while Chetney and Ashton attack, killing him and leaving only the two armored figures at the door. Ira casts Hold Person on the two guards, Braius Silences them, and Orym kills one while Ashton kills the other.
From inside the temple, Orym hears the simulacrum of Ludinus angrily berating the Unseelie representatives for their failure to join his forces and to defend the secondary Malleus Key in the Feywild, but the Unseelie point out they work best from the shadows and that they share his vision. Ludinus expects an assault by the Exandrian Accord forces on the Hellcatch Valley Malleus Key very soon and needs the Unseelie forces there ready to deliver their Uncanny Ambush. He then turns on Zathuda, berating him for not speaking up during the conversation. The group realizes they need to prevent the message summoning the Unseelie from being delivered to the Court, and they can hear the footsteps of the departing emissaries almost at the door around which they're standing. From the rooftop where she has Spider-Climbed, Laudna casts Animate Object on a statue of the Arch Heart against one wall, alerting Ludinus to their presence. Gloamglut drops from the ceiling to the floor while the Unseelie rush back inside, drawing their swords.
Everyone approaches the doorway, while Imogen joins Laudna and uses Passwall to create a viewing port on the roof. Fearne stealthily moves in slightly, enough to get a better view, and it is at that point they realize the central chamber (where all the enemies are) is much larger than they thought. As Fearne watches, the attacking animated statue is destroyed by a tail attack by Gloamglut. Fearne casts Transmute Rock to dissolve the rock floor and a supporting pillar, causing two of the emissaries to be trapped and the structure to begin cracking. Fearne runs for the outside exit but is spotted by an angry Gloamglut.
Featured characters[]
Bells Hells
Returning
New
- Ademadon (unnamed), an Unseelie guard
- Cashadoor (unnamed)
- Kamal (unnamed), an Unseelie guard
- The spectral steeds of Bells Hells: Mochi, Wagyu, Udon, Edamame, Pocky, Shishito, Marzipan or Shabu Shabu, and Angela Lansbury
Mentioned
Quotations[]
- Fearne: Literally the only gold that I have in my pocket, I have 69 gold pieces.
Waylon: Nice. - Nana Morri: (to Braius) Where are you from? You smell like shadow and bad choices.
- Nana Morri: The funny thing about fate is the end of the threads are unfocused, cloudy. You can see possibilities, but that's where the weave of the fate's threads is important. I don't weave them-- that lies in the Matron's domain. I just tend to sneak in and tug a little here and there.
Inventory[]
| Adjustment | Count | Item | Source | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transferred | 1 | Carved peacock | Chetney | Waylon | The tail feathers could be fanned out. |
| Transferred | 550 | Gold pieces | Keyleth | Orym | |
| Transferred | 1 | Potion of Invulnerability | Fearne | Orym | |
| Acquired | 1 | a tree branch | the Fey Realm | Chetney | |
| Transferred | 1 | Small shard of the shattered Ruidian glass scythe | Chetney | Nana Morri | Potentially fulfilled Chetney's bargain to bring her a piece of Predathos. |
| Transferred | 1 | Necklace made from the broken Weave Lens | Birdie Calloway | Fearne |
Trivia[]
- Sam's drinking vessel held a picture of the ugly carousel horse meme, which turned out to be oddly prescient when the party received their spectral steeds from Morri.[2]
- During the episode, Matt's brain conflated "spread your wings" and "stretch your legs" with unfortunate consequences, although as applied to Fearne, possibly accurate.[3]
- The "It Has Begin" t-shirt introduced during this episode relates to a tweet Matt made[1] the day The Legend of Vox Machina, Season One released.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) on Twitter: "It has begin. We genuinely hope you enjoy, as we (and SO many other wonderful people) have poured our hearts into this for years to bring it to you. The first 3 episode have officially dropped, and it only gets better from here. ;)" (2022-01-28).
- ↑ See "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106) from 2:01:45 through 2:02:40.
- ↑ See "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106) at 2:05:45.
Art:
- ↑ Official art of Ligament Manor, by Adrián Ibarra Lugo (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Morrigan the Fatestitcher, by Dim (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Screenshot of Pravenier from "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106). 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.
- ↑ Screenshot of Ira in the tree from "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106). 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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