Critical Role - King of Cards | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 21 Part 2

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

Part 2   A visit to The Seven Stars yields important meetings and a nudge in the direction of their disappeared illusionist...   New Episodes Release Weekly on Thursdays. Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/     GET MORE CAMPAIGN 4 WITH BEACON We're excited to bring you even MORE Campaign 4 with a Beacon membership! Get access to exclusive shows like our behind-the-scenes Critical Role Cooldown and ask the Campaign 4 cast your burning questions directly through our LIVE monthly Fireside Chats. You'll also receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant ad-free access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord. Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to everything Critical Role!   OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN 4 CAST GAME MASTER Brennan Lee Mulligan Laura Bailey as Thimble Luis Carazo as Azune Nayar Robbie Daymond as Kattigan Vale Aabria Iyengar as Thaisha Lloy Taliesin Jaffe as Bolaire Lathalia Ashley Johnson as Vaelus Matthew Mercer as Sir Julien Davinos Whitney Moore as Tyranny Liam O’Brien as Halandil "Hal" Fang Marisha Ray as Murray Mag’Nesson Sam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" Halovar Alexander Ward as Occtis Tachonis Travis Willingham as Teor Pridesire   CREDITS Produced by Maxwell James, Steve Failows, & Kyle Shire Set Designed by Shaun Ellis Production Designer: Noxweiler Berf Character Art by Loren Hontanilla Edited by Taylor Burke and Emily "Stevie" Stevenson Critical Role Announcement Playhouse Editor: Vinny Celesti Opening Title Editor: Paul Foyder Opening Title Colorist: Peter Koocheradis Window Effects by Christian Brown Graphic Design by Aaron Monroy & Jordyn Torrence Dol-Makjar art by Daniel Jiménez Villalba Miniatures Painted by Payton Keo Lacebal Opening Title Theme by Neal Acree Campaign 4 Key art by Hannah Friederichs Additional Art & Design by Hannah Friederichs   Episode QC by Catherine Zimmerman & Paula Flores Assistant Editor: Gianna Gencarella Post Production Coordinators: M Swing & Bryn Hubbard Closed Caption Editing by Margaret Dill, Nikki Kindelberger, Courtney Knewtson, Danielle Lackie, Eleanor Smith-Dufresne & Alice Tsoi Post Production Supervisor: Tal Levitas   HEALTH & WELL-BEING Due to the improv nature of Critical Role and other RPG content on our channels, some themes and situations that occur in-game may be difficult for some to handle. If certain episodes or scenes become uncomfortable, we strongly suggest taking a break or skipping that particular episode. Your health and well-being is important to us and Psycom has a great list of international mental health resources, in case it’s useful: http://bit.ly/PsycomResources Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello again, it's Brennan Lee Mulligan, and you're listening to Part 2 of this episode of Critical Role. If you haven't checked out part one yet, pause this now and head over there first. What are you doing? Otherwise, let's jump right back into this adventure and the world of Aramon. Welcome back from the break. Liam said ass without a trace. It's not how this works here. Hard, NARC. You never have to us.

Having someone on your side. I'm not on your side, okay? We're supposed to abuse you and you're supposed to take it. The fans have a right to know they're talking about ass or not a trace. We return to the city of Dolhaphyat. Where you guys speed on from the seven stars, where you have met a king,

confronted a smuggler and talked to a chambermaid and who is to say which of those has more political heft behind it? For indeed, you now are heading in the direction of the Okramack marketplace potentially to get to Boler's place but potentially also to compare notes.

Your conversation picks up as you leave the seven stars together. Boler, you are no longer in disguise, correct? Oh, yeah, I've dropped that. You dropped it, great. As you move through the city, what information do you share? Well, all the thing I'll point out is Hal will give a rundown of everything that he learned from Romina. And I just want to put a fine point on it that this woman is just trying to go about her day.

And if anything should happen to her, let's not let anything happen to her. So everything that we've learned via that avenue underlocked. Okay, please. And that's it, so I do a complete download. Very also does a complete download. And follows up with that. You know, I gotta say the more we talk to, of course we gotta look out for people like Ramina,

but also the more questions we ask, we're also exposing ourselves as well. Yeah. I might have showed my hand a little bit too much to family. But it's fine. If you go asking around, you start poking the bear,

you go start asking about Taconuses. People are gonna wonder why you're asking about Taconuses. So just so we're all aware of that. Each conversation comes with its own element of risk and exposure. So true. So true, Bestie. All right.

So are we heading to Buller's or? No, I think we know where the boy is now. We know who has him. And I know that, I know where the crowkeepers hang, at least during the day. The guard tower, the guard tower tavern is where they post up during the day. It might be too late to catch them there.

That's in Caravan Hill. I patrolled that area plenty of times. We can start there and then see if we can figure out where they've gone from there if they're not there. That also might be if they were looking to keep someone the wraps that might be where they kept them. Right. It's familiar.

Well, I'll start to head us all towards Caravan Hill unless somebody else gets a different idea of where to go. Guard Tower Tavern, you said? The Guard Tower Tavern. Okay. Yeah, and what's our angle? Well. Well, we have a couple of angles, I think.

We could be going there to do business, Because as far as we know, wasn't it the crowkeepers that knocked over that wagon with those blank glyphs? Yes. And personally, I'd like to get my hands on a number of those so that we can use them down the road. Yeah, I think if we pull on this thread to find Demetis, we can also kind of kill two birds

with one blank glyph here. Yes. So we can at least initiate a conversation about that, perhaps. I mean, I have a few contacts in the crowkeepers. I don't know how willing they're gonna be to squeal at this point in time. I think everyone is aware the tensions are running hot in the city. I'm also conducting an investigation on behalf of the Revolutionary Guard.

I'm an Archangmarshal working with Ein Fossa, and I could be going there to collect him on behalf of them. Demetis? Yes. Demetis was grabbed by the crowkeepers. Do we know who hired them? He wasn't grabbed by the crowkeepers. He was turned over. Sorry, what I mean to say is,

Why are the co-keepers after him? Was that a hire? No, Demetis took out a loan from someone named Zaghi. Okay. So Demetis being down on his luck, basically went to a loan shark, took out a loan. How much money we got. And couldn't pay up on his goods, so he got.

This is it, he turned over. 22 gold loan? I'm trying to remember. I think something got mentioned of it. It wasn't a huge loan. Did you mention the name? I don't think he's heard the exact number. All right.

I think you've heard the exact amount. I mean, Demetis, I think, was trying to get out of town, and I think it just backfired. He put his trust in the wrong scandal. Well, we have options. If we're lucky, we can just walk in, ask them to hand him over and walk out. Walk into a smuggler's den and ask for someone under their thumb.

Oh. Fucking family. That is what they're not. they do. What do we have to offer? I have coin at home. I have. Decent amount. Free tickets. Something you said. Oh, no. Azuni. Yeah. Azune. I found actually very alarming, which is if Taconas catches wind of Diminis being in the custody of the crowkeepers, I don't want. He's, he's more safe. in the hands of scoundrels than he is, Taconas.

It is. You're absolutely right, maybe. Maybe we just have a conversation with the crowkeepers and learn what they intend to do with him. Yeah, I mean, there's a chance that crowkeepers will just want to flip their investment. Right. Yeah. Maybe they don't want to give them up.

Or maybe they do. Maybe they do for the right price. Well. I mean, they're not going to want any of the vassal houses or the centered houses. coming and knocking on their door. No, they don't. This kid is at risk.

We also have information. Yes. We know what really happened. We know that the gate to Faye to the ferry lands was absolute crap. That's worth a lot, at least at the moment. You took the case file from your lieutenant, right? Asking about Demetis.

Yes. So you've got the actual paperwork. I have it on me. How many I think that might be our best shot at this point, if you can show him the warrant for Demetus. My concern is that kind of puts me in the crosshairs because they will be able to report back to anyone that comes to them and say that I was the person that they handed him off to.

I think you're onto something, Mary. I think our best weapon is fear. They may not know who is after Demetka. who is after Demodice? They may not know that Taconas is after them. And if we're showing up saying, hey, we're here to do you a favor by getting this person that someone is coming after

and they're already on your scent. We're not the only ones that know to find him here. Taconas is on their way right now. You hand them over to us. And maybe, maybe they'll do that if we make it seem like we're doing them a favor. Maybe. Oh, I don't know.

Maybe. They may be talking to the Tacomans. to go in his house already. I think we're gonna have a hot flash. Get him ready to sell them over. Do you need a moment? I just got underboob sweat. Well, there is something to be said

about not wanting to hang on to something hot. No. Oh shit. I don't know. What do we do, guys? What do we do? We're going to have to go in and just go in and appeal to their sense of security.

It's not like anyone else has survived this knowledge at this point besides us. they surely must know that just knowing this child exists, pardon my, is enough to have them killed. I also say this too. Above table, we do have some skills that can be rolled here to make use of your guys, particular capabilities, experience, wisdom, and insight.

If you would like to roll either a group check or individual checks, making like an investigation, basically being like, You know, like, for example, even with all of the wild amount of NPCs that you guys all know, your characters have lived in the city for decades or more, some of you. So, like, the amount of people you know numbers in the hundreds, right? We could extrapolate this into an investigation check to be like, okay, you know where the crowkeepers hang out. Like, do you know specifically where?

You know what I mean? So if you want to, we could have you guys roll an investigation check to see what you can hear, kind of like, like montage it a little bit as you go in. I'm into that. I'm into that. Cool. Yeah. I think I, like Murray is obviously gonna be thinking about like the resources that she has connected to the crowkeepers and the other, and her contacts under there and like where best it would be to go for this.

Hell yeah. Everyone pulling on your network, we can all make individual checks if you'd like or we can make one group check. But we'll keep it at 15, 20, and 25. We'll keep that at the DCs. Kind of like a group check idea. Yeah. Do a group check? A little group check.

Let's do it. As we're putting our heads together, how might I, if it makes sense to guidance in this situation, I mean, I'll let you cast guidance on the, if we're doing a big group check, which feels kind of fun, I'll let you throw that D4 to the group's role, if you like. Cool? Okay. I'd say that Howe would come with this not from the underworld, because he was pretty insulated from that.

Yeah. He still swims amongst people from the noble houses. So any knowledge that he would bring to this would be coming from him gossiping with the muckety mucks. Hell yeah. The two of us would have had some contact with them at some point. Yeah, absolutely. All right, so this is... Investigation.

Investigation. Oh, good. No good. Investigation. That was terrible. Here's the guidance. Oh, that's a four. Did anyone do a good one?

You did? Yes. Because I can you, you did? I did not, but I got it four on the guidance. I'm gonna use a luck point. Okay. So I'm at 15. Worst feet.

Worst feet. I don't know. Same ain't here. Much, much better. That's an 18. Adding a four. to your ultimate investigation, Liam. So we all get the four?

We all get the four. We all get the four. 23. So wait, wait, wait, investigation is too, and so it's gonna be 26. 26. You got a high investigation. 10.

15. 15. 15. Okay, our median role is therefore a 23. Not bad at all. Or our middle role is a 23. You guys get down to Caravan. Hill. Um,

Azuna, it's rowdy down here. Okay. It is, it is late on, uh, this is, uh, Farmer's Day. So the beginning, many people will be enjoying the first day of a weekend tomorrow. Oh. Um, and you are, uh, so people are rowdy Caravan Hill

is a neighborhood filled with, um, a lot of wagons and carriages that have become permanent structures here. It was named Caravan Hill in the days where all the caravans of merchant things would just come in, but some have been here for so long enough time. So you'll see there's lots of enormous carriages that have had their wheels taken off and are propped up with stonework now and have little porches and taverns, rowdy, lots of outdoor drinking gardens with strings of paper lanterns out. And amongst the rowdiness, Azunei, there are, I think you see,

see a lot of people giving you a kind of nod as an officer of the Revolutionary Guard. Belair, this is a little bit more, let's put it as upbeat than some of the paths you walk. Murray, there are a lot of friendly faces here and how you see a lot of friendly faces. I think on a 23 check, very near the Guard Tower, the Guard Tower always has a crowkeeper presence at it.

On your way getting closer and closer there, I think you guys see that there are a couple of fights that have been broken up. It's a little bit of a rowdier Farmers Day Eve than normal. Honestly, I think it's just, I remember the revolutionary guard. You just get a whiff of, the Crowskeepers

have been dealing with a guild master of theirs dying suddenly. Veilis killed this person in the overture. Oh my God. That's right. Oh my God, that's right. Oh, my God. Going to where they had their combat.

Yes, you're literally going to where they had their combat. It's been a while. It's been a while. 24 hours, guys. I know, right, yeah. Maybe two days. I think you see that not too far.

That not too far from the guard tower Murray, you recognize someone who's had some interest in the Pentevereal from time to time. You've always known her by the name Temelow. And Hal, you know Temelow from a lot of your troop swear by her prophetic reading. She reads cards. She can read tea leaves and crystals and things like that. Hackers.

Wow. Hugh. But you can see outside of a carriage at a beautiful table. There is a peacock feather pattern silk tablecloth over a small table that you see has some cards on it. There is a stunning woman, ringlets of red hair. falling and cascading from around her head.

You see that she has a sort of a tiara with a pair of small, delicate antlers coming off of it. And she has like a deep, ruddy, red-brown skin with some white freckles, almost like a deer pattern. Wow. But is gorgeous, you see she has sort of like some exposed, like midriff and arms, but otherwise this like beautiful gown of what looked like emerald sort of like glass. You can tell it's glass dealer. It's not actual gemstones, but it's a

sparkling green glass dress. This is Temelow. This is Temelow. Okay. So, you know, she's out working her wares. You see that she's telling some young woman whose eyes are aglow, some good news about the affairs of love and romance that are coming her way. The main thing I think you know on that high investigation role is that Temelow works a corner that like two blocks up

sees the guard tower. So you're within side of the guard tower and Temelow has her eyes on the front door of that tavern basically all day. From two blocks off. Yeah. But you walk up to her. I think also you're not

I'm not exactly sure. Tamelo might be human, but she's got an ever so slight point to her ears, ever so softly. She looks up and smiles and says, well, one moment dearie, Professor Magnessen. Tamilow. It's an honor to see what brings you to Caravan Hill.

Oh, you know, fateful farmer's night. It was, I don't know, I'm feeling a little I was hoping maybe you could give me a little reading. I'd be delighted to one diviner to another. It's always good to get a gut check from someone not so close. She puts a small file of a tincture in the young woman's hands and says, Margaret, hold to that a few drops in your tea every morning, and you'll be sure to catch your true loves eye.

And you see that the woman gets up very excited. Timmelow gestures for you to take the seat and moves and grabs a little pitcher of water and just pour some water in another little file, puts it, and then sort of slides into the side of her gown. Murray just kind of chuckles and gives a little like, like a little nice nod, like, mm-hmm, after seeing that. What can I do for you? Well, I'm not sure if you know my compatriots, have you all met Timelo before? We've never had the pleasure, but I've heard a lot about you from a lot of mutual friends.

I've had more readings about you than you might first suspect. Oh, that's not the news I was looking for. I am very curious to see how all this works, so I think that a friend here is in the mood for a reading, and we're just here to learn this is the rest of our merry little little Band for the night? Officer. Yes. I'm not on duty right now.

And I do have my shield, duty. Duty. I have my shield on my side, but I'm very relaxed with it. No weapon in hand. And I'll just give her a nod. And I'll step back

and kind of turn half away from her just to, in case she needs a little more reassurance that I'm not. Pleasure, sir. Absolute pleasure. Well then, let's commence to the reading. You see that she smiles and says, friends and family,

but a single silver piece will see your future divined. Oh, you really got to start charging more to allow. You know you're worth more than that. I give her two silver pieces. Your generosity knows no bounds. I assure you it does. Yes. Very well.

Pose your question to the cards. You see that she shuffles, and you see more than a little slight of hand in the movement of the cards and maybe even a little bit of illusion. Okay. Though nothing that constitutes actual spell casting, even though this is outside the marketplace

and spellcasting is still allowed here, you see there's like a little bit of, it's a little bit concerning. So she puts the deck in front of you, Cut where thou wilt. Do I ask my question now or after I cut the deck? Cut first. And ask your question.

You know what they say. Birds of a feather must flock together. But I think this particular group of magpies might be looking to find the nest of any crows that might be nearby. You see that she flips the first card over and you see that there is a pale figure surrounded by wings on the card that holds loft an hourglass in one hand.

You see, she says, The path I tread, death walks not far behind. Time, as ever is of the essence. That is the journey you are on, but where you have arrived, so she places a second card. You see that this card, before it, you see that there is a golden and a ruby mask facing each other, each on a side. You see she looks over and says, appearances quite deceptive, conflict mediated through smiles, forces, moving, and depicting their movements as other than they truly are.

takes a third card, places it down, and you see that there is an enormous coiling dragon on it whose body is the blue of river water and with trees growing from its massive scales as it circles around. Fate of the world hangs in balance. Anyone who wants you give me a perception check? Yes.

I'm gonna let them go because I'm fixated here. Mm-hmm. Uh, yeah, I can do math. 17. Seven. Seven. Eleven. Looking away half, halfway.

Um, Bollaire on a 17, a minor illusion flickers over Temelow's eyes. And you see glittering gold. Temelow is a glashtick. She is a type of fay. sort of like a very close to a sater or a fawn, but with the appearance of a deer or stag.

She looks up and says, I know not what troubles you on this journey, what my eyes have seen. And you see she touches her head and the tiara with antlers, she adjusts it and only the tiara moves and the antlers stay put. Ha ha. Have taken deep underground.

where the water of the dragon of the world flows. I have seen them flying from their rook all day to day, worried and flustered they are more than usual, for a great treasure has come to them in a time where they lack leadership. There is dispute amongst their number about how to make good on this propitious occasion.

The hourglass of death ticks slowly by, the sand falls quickly. Deep underground there is a cavern, where they now seek the council of one who trucks with dark powers. Water flows down to these caverns. And if I were you, Mary Magnesson, I would follow the stench, for indeed they seek foul things for answers as to what they should do with their prize. Do you believe in fairies, Miss Magnesson?

Would I dispute something that I already know to be real? There are things in the dark which are truer and deeper than what is real. They are looking for a way out, the crow's meddle with something they do not fully understand. The treasure you seek will not stay long in their country, for crows are fickle birds, and they will go for what is shiny

or for what they know can cause them harm. You are running out of time. The stench, the water, and she gestures towards a place where literally the water is running down the street towards the massive storm drains that approach the river. Right. Well, you know how difficult it is

for a carrion to resist a fresh carcass. Thank you, Miss Imelow. I'm gonna pebble. That's her another silver piece. She flicks it. He goes, A fairy has recently caused great trouble for the crows.

If you find her, please let Thimble know we are waiting for her. The city is becoming more dangerous. Some of us have already gone missing. She gets up, collects her cards. Pleasure. The divining arts have drained me

of some strength, of spirit, I will retire to my carriage where I can replenish. Thank you. Hal twists his hand in the air just behind Marie, and a translucent magpie appears on her shoulder. I just cast minor illusion, and its eyes sort of brighten blue, and like a stately little gentleman bows to Timmelow, and then vanishes from the shoulder.

From one diviner to another. Expect that you'll keep this between us. Between a diviner and those for whom they peer through the veil of past, present and future, there can only be the most unshakable bond. And besides, not everyone's thrown around three silver like that. And you see that she abscans to her carriage. You heard the woman, let's go.

Let's go. Oh, no. No? No? Oh, I'm going. It's just disgusting. It's going to get messy. I know.

Do whatever you need to do to prepare. Yeah, I'm already down both in my high. So the storm drain that you mentioned, is it off the beaten path a little bit? Yeah. Yeah. The water runs down to a, you guys are in Caravan Hill. The storm drains get to the other side of the Victor's Road,

which is the main highway. But there's a couple little alleys that they peel down into, and they're sort of civic infrastructure, so they're quite a bit larger. Some of these, like, grates are like eight feet wide. They're big, big grates. And they'll flow down under the city out into Lake Nahami. Okay.

All right, so we're gathering at one of these out of view. Yeah, let's make sure that we're out of sight. Yeah. Keeping an eye out. Yes. I will, as we move, I'm gonna focus on perception, perceiving my surroundings, and I'm actively heightening my senses, guidanceing myself as I look around.

Go ahead, you cast guidance on yourself, go ahead and give me an investigation check. Great. 17. 16. 16. 16. Moving down through the shadows,

You guys arrive seeing the water flowing over the cobblestones. There's a number of grates nearby, sort of under this massive foundation of a large stone building, so it's sort of like the huge buttresses of this larger civic building underneath of these big, wide grates the water is flowing down into. You look and see that of the greats,

Of the grates, you hear that about three of them are making a loud, a distant splashing. The other grate that you walk by, it continues to just sound like running brook. You don't hear a splashing. There's like a babbling as the water vanishes into the darkness on the other side of the grate. This one that seems a little bit different

from the others, I will call that everyone's attention to it. I think this might be the one that people have moved through, perhaps. and I'm going to start to look for evidence of people having moved through here. If it's wet here, then there might be some wet footprints. The water approaches the grate and flows over the lip of it,

so no ability to see footprints here. But you can give me perception or something else here if you would like to. But that 16 investigation does bring you to the fact that this grate doesn't sound like the others. I'm just gonna cut to the chase and I'm gonna put my hands on the grate and I'm gonna try to move it.

Give me athletics difficulty of 10. Let's go. Oh, that's very good. 22. Oh, great. Great. Great. Great.

A great. You put your hands around it. Your boots stand in running water. What did Azne think when that third card came up? The one about past, present and future? The third one, a dragon coiling on with a river of its body and tree. growing from its side.

A lot of things flashed. I saw that card as she was talking about that past, present, and future, and I saw it was the trees growing out of it, and I just thought of rebirth. You stand in this flowing rainwater, hold the gate, passageways, past present future. The water always always flows forward, but eventually it does find where it began again.

And this grate that appears to be solid has a hidden hinge behind the stone and opens up into the darkness of the base of the building. The water, instead of dropping into a major aqueduct to flow out to the lake, babbles because someone has come into the dark here and built into the side of the stone a staircase, a wooden staircase that has water rushing over it. To build something of wood here means it has to get rebuilt and rebuilt and rebuilt over and over again. And the water rushes down as steps proceed into the darkness. Who can actually see in the dark? I can.

I cannot. I mind me neither. But I can give us some light if we need to. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, why don't you maybe you, maybe you you can lean on, on Hal and I for a little bit. Right.

How dark is it down here? Is it like dark, dark? Pitch black. No. Great. Did Bowler say he cannot? I cannot. Can not.

I'm not. I'm not very sure. I'm not very sure. I'm quite sure. Double-checking. I definitely cannot. Okay. Well, maybe it's best to have a little bit of light down here,

and then we can always extinguish it. I can't. We hear something. Keep it between us. We'll keep it low. Maybe put a bit of, I can put it in my cloak.

Well, I'm just like the actual fire. It's not gonna be a magical light. It would be torchlight. Well, that'll do. Pull out a torch and I'll light it. Yeah. You light the torch. As you step onto the staircase,

following the water down into the sewers, Do you close the gate behind you? Well, I think How is the last to follow? And I think as the others maybe get 10 or 15 feet in, they might realize that he's still standing up at the door. And I don't verbalize any of it, but all I can think in this moment before walking down into this dark hole

is that everything that's happened in the last two days, Al has managed to sort of tap dance around the worst of it to maintain a place in society that is public and easy and natural. Everything that his brother issued, and down this hole is everything that his brother tried to protect him from. And he, I think he knows. in his gut that if he walks down this tunnel,

he shouldn't expect things to be the way they are anymore in too many days. Do we notice him hanging back a little bit? I think you do. I look at Azuni and Belair. Shut the door. Oh, I'll get him. Walk up.

Yeah, I'll join. Are you with us? Are you all right. I hope this time later to tell you how sorry I am that this has to happen. It was the one thing your brother did that I agreed with. This was not meant for you. He did a lot to protect you from this life.

But now, with his sword on your hip, I don't think you have a choice but to start a walk in his footsteps. Oh, that's a good story, gets its hooks in you. You have to follow it to the end. Pull it shut behind me. Whatever life was meant for Hellandiel Fang, before the rope went taut.

vanishes into the dark like so much rainwater. You head into the shadows. What's it smell like? Does it smell like shit? Getting down the steps, you arrive at a place where mostly what's happening is rainwater. However, the deeper aquedicts are coming from further up into town, especially like the embers, closer to like the penteveral. And this is a place where industrial waste is coming down,

where other things are coming down into the water. With that, if you follow Temelow's advice, I'd like someone to give me investigation with advantage as you follow the stench. I'm pretty good. I'm a six at investigation. Oh, you're better than I am. I will help you.

And just while this is going on, Murray has her notes out, and she's kind of like doing a very light, kind of making notes and doing a light map of the directions that we're walking. She's kind of writing down. Also, are you taking depth into account as well? I'll do my best.

That's just counting steps mostly. All right. I could see down here, but I sure as hell couldn't write. Oh, not great. With advantage for help for me? I already had advantage. Oh, okay. Yeah.

Buddy, 14. 14. As you continue along, you follow the stench as best you can. Long meandering path. A couple of false starts. Who is carrying the torch right now? I am carrying the torch. You got a shield in one hand, torch in the other.

With that 14, you are caught a little bit off guard, so I'm going to need a group stealth check. But I'm going to need, I think I'm going to need it to be rolled with disadvantage. Oh, no. Everyone at the table. Everyone at the table will have disadvantage. I love it.

It's like that scene in Labyrinth where every rock this stuff on it farts. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not great at stealth, y'all. I'm okay. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.

I rolled a natural 20, but it doesn't matter. Who's the other roll? Where were you? Six. Oh, man. Where were you? Sorry. Four five for me.

Five. 11. 11. 14 with disadvantage. 20. Oh! 14 is our median role here. Okay, this can get actually very interesting. Oh, no.

No, no, 14. I was expecting this to be a catastrophe, and a catastrophe has actually been avoided on a 14. I'm just checking one other. Oh, boy. Huh. Now how about that? Bly.

That is I don't have any problem telling you. That is the exact number you needed. I'm looking at a passive perception of a 13 right now. Oh, boy. How do you like that, MacPies? Walking up Azune at the last second, thankfully, your approach, which is a little bit faltering

and a couple of false starts. You guys have been traveling down here for about like 40 minutes now, coming to some dead ends. The store, you know, and eventually you get to places where you realize that where the stench is highest is not only where like off run is coming from higher up in the city, but where it's also coming with enough time

to fester and stink. So the main channels, the big giant aqueducts, you actually have to avoid, and you have to find the smaller, weaker, older tunnels where things can kind of putrify. Oh. And eventually, I think, Bel Air, you do actually find some crow feathers,

and you find some ways to get where you're going. At the last possible second, Azunei, You are going to see torch light coming from around a corner where you'll have enough dim light to be able to at least find your footing for those of you they cannot see in the dark. There are torches lit up ahead. Okay.

And you hear a voice going, some other feather, and hear another voice from deeper in the darkness. I want to kill that torch. Control flame? Yeah. Snuff it. Torch is snuffed. We can see the light dancing from there.

The torches up ahead. Yes. You can see right now you are approaching basically a T intersection where your little passageway of sewer will open out going left and right. And it is on that wall up ahead. So you are perfectly a shadow, but that wall up ahead shows a little bit of torchlight. Like it can see a chamber with torch's lit. As you look at that, that's where you begin to hear the voices. But you are approaching. having to make the choice if you step out into that passageway that has a little bit of ambient torchlight. Even that is still technically darkness. It's just the barest bit of torchlight reflecting from around a corner. Mage armor. Cast major armor yourself. I just use, oh, I use a bonus action to very quietly make my sword glass slowly crackle and appear.

Mine rapier with just a bit of green phosphorescent glow in the center like it's hitting a black light. Just the tiniest bit. Glass sword in your hand. Do you approach? Roughly how far away were we? Give me a perception check. The things we were were clearly unnatural. That didn't sound like. One sounded like a humanhood voice and something sounded like something else. Yes. You said perception check.

Yeah. I knew all of those roles were gonna come back. I knew the new. 10. Everything is water and dripping and flow, so it's impossible to tell how far away they are. I, being a dwarf, I'm going to, I have stone conning. So as a bonus action, I can gain tremor sense

with a range of 65. for 10 minutes. Okay. So I'm gonna cast tremor sense on myself. Yeah. My perception of my visual and auditory sense is absolutely failing me. And then so Marie is just going to get down on a knee and touch the ground and see if she can sense how many people up ahead we're dealing with. Give me perception with advantage.

Okay. Clever. Nice move. Much better. That's gonna be an 18. Wait. That's not a whisper. The King's over.

Let me go. What do we do? Is it finally happening? Oh. We talk out our problems. You have the grown-up table. What? Employee table.

There's a lot of things in that. Crowkeepers, I've come to bargain. On an 18, Murray. Oh, wow. I'm just rubble this out here this way. Oh my goodness. On an 18, you are about 30 feet down that way around another passage.

There are one or two less than 10 crowkeepers in this hideaway down beneath you. They are speaking to something whose form is taking up the entire, you don't know how to say this other than there is something unnatural through the stone that you can feel that is growing into the stone. There is something there that is essentially like a monstrosity. It's form is formless, but that voice you heard,

the deep and unnatural voice, is speaking as if from a mouthpiece on an entity that is actually filling up the entire chamber. There is something down there that is beyond, you would need to do magic or do Arcana to tell what the fuck it is, but there is something unnatural and non-humanoid that is in that space with them. Water, there's equipment around there. Most importantly, there are two passageways

being guarded, including the one, if you step out into that partially lit chamber, there are guards that will see you. You can feel their foot scuffing. As you think about generations of dwarfs before you that had to feel the rock moving around them in deep subterranean minds, almost like a breathing creature, to know when they were safe and when they were not. You feel their scuffed feet. They've been standing watching guard for like 45 minutes,

so they're so exhausted on their feet that they just keep moving and shuffling and scuffing. So you've got two guards that will absolutely watch your exit from that place and be able to call out. There's another passage way, much like that the water coming from. That one similarly guarded. There are, in the stone, you can feel it, they're ringing slightly, which is iron placed in the stone intervals. You feel that there are ladder rungs. If the water is running north-south and the ladder rungs are on the

perpendicular walls, east and west. So if you could get up to another level, retrace your feet back a little while, get up one level, you might be able to drop down a ladder and bypass some of the guards from further up above. Resting, there's one body very small that is resting on stone and breathing raggedly and shallow. You recognize that rasp in that breath. I really hell of that.

If we step out into that, Corridor ahead of us, we're dead. Also, there's something in there that's big, room big. And it's not of this world. It's not of Aramon. Not that it doesn't seem anyway. And it sounds like Demetis is in there. I recognize the sound of that mouth breather anywhere.

He's in there. That we might be able to backtrack and maybe get above them and at least be able to get eyes. If we can get in the corridor over top of them, Maybe there's a vent or something that we can look down into. But we're talking, I don't know, eight, ten people, 10 crowkeepers. Okay.

And a monster. And a monster. And terrified. From what I can sense doesn't sound like he's doing too good. What do we do? Can I ask for clarification DMM of dimensions? Yeah. Are we down this way?

Or if we walk out this way, way we're in view. You are, so the entrance to your side passage is 30 feet down. You're probably another 15 feet back out in shadows. So we're over this way, but further down. Yep. Further down.

And you said there was another corridor where the water was, oh no, that side. That's where the water's coming in. And it continues down past you guys. For more clarification, asking for a friend, the ladder that she could feel through the stone, was she feeling the one that I see on the border? That one and one over here.

Okay. Okay. What do we do? I mean, we want to back, try to climb up the ladder and get a look down. I think going this way is a certain death they were armed and ready to go. We don't want them to see us. I don't think that's the way.

We're gonna jump in here. Also, are we trying to talk? Are we trying to talk or are we trying to fight? We could also try a distraction, see how many of them that we can get out of there. I think trying to get some of them to chase something down the way. Yeah. But that will only buy us a certain amount of time.

They're going to run down, see that something isn't there, and then they're going to run back. But I think getting rid of some of them will be the move to make before we make ourselves known. I might be helpful here. I think I might be able to do something. What do you think they should... What do you think there's something that you could put in there that would make the most of them chase it down there?

down the sewer. You know that they're on edge. I think almost literally anything at this point, if they feel like their hideaway has been compromised, they're gonna go after anything. City guard. The city guard, yeah. The city guard.

Even the sound of running feet, splashing and away from them. All right. I just need to get within 60 feet. of... Maybe getting on the second floor will give you a better vantage. Looking down, you might be able to find the right angle. As long as someone...

I'll say to 60 feet is not a tall order for you right now. Because where you're at Belair, so we do 30 feet past that. 60 feet, if you were to step to the very edge of your shadow, 60 feet would be right here from the opening into that. that side canal. So is there a, is there a, I don't know if there's other labyrinths here that I can send them down

that is not, if we can. Totally. Your passage opens up into this main aqueduct. That aqueduct goes 30 feet down to your opening, another 40 feet down to another chamber with multiple openings coming from that. There's another side opening, probably 15 feet going the other way, down where past you are here. This is like, in other words,

this is not like a snakey little mine with one way and one way out. This is a honeycomb of sewers to get water out from the city. Yeah, so lots of avenues. Lots of openings, lots of avenues in and out. Okay. I'm going to try and use a phantasmal force. Hell yeah. This is going to be interesting. Uh-huh. I'm going to need you to grab a rock or something. I reach down and I grab a loose piece of of brick or stone. When I say so,

just toss it in that direction just a little bit into the water. I can also help embellish. I can give you something visual or audio as well. Audio might be nice. What do you think? Visual or audio. I'm going to make some soldiers.

I'm going to have them see them, attempt to attack, and then run just enough that they see them head off in the direction that isn't ours. So they're going to get a look at our friends and then take off running? It's the hope. Are we ready?

You have an idea? I got my part. Also, I'll take a little bit of a, actually, no, this is a save, not an attack. Okay. I cast a phantasmal force on whichever one looks more of an idiot. Great. So you're going to have to get line of sights. You're going to have to partially emerge from that.

But you only need a tiny little corner of your eye to be able to cast the spell. So give me stealth with advantage to cast the spell off from Shadow. Not great. 12. Oh. Not great. Not great.

On a 12, you emerge. You are also casting the spell in the moment you emerge. So we are going to roll our check here. We're going to roll our save. Your difficulty is 14, correct? Yep. This guy needs a 14 or higher on the die to save. I'll roll in front of the board.

Okay. That is a nine. So, Boller, two things happen simultaneously. You get the spell off. One of the two guards will be affected by the spell. The other does faithfully see you. You see him make you in the shadows. This was happening coterminously to these other actions.

Ozeney, what are you doing? I'm doing just as he instructed. I'm throwing the brick. Just out of sight so that it makes a real splash in that direction. Cool. Real splash, got it. You hear a gruff voice go,

We're made. Run back to the Master of Arms, it's infested. But throwing his voice down that direction. That way. Yeah, it's a 30-foot range for me, so I'm throwing my voice. Throwing your voice down there. Incredible.

I immediately, I back up cloak and like I back up pull cloak and attempt to hide. You back up and attempt to hide here. You see a couple of these. What is the phantasmal force that this one of them is seeing? It's shadowed and it's hard to make out, but it is a small group of guards of soldiers who are clearly down here.

looking for things and I'm going to have them just as as the first of it well he's approaches I'm gonna have them hit him with a with a psychic blast just like they're trying to clear their frame just as he gets a little further down okay the one of them that saw you we are going to have to resolve yep but we are also going to roll now a deception check these are gonna be two deception checks back to back. We are going to be rolling a group deception check for the auditory illusion that everyone is hearing, and yours, you will be rolling with advantage because it is being, the person being affected by phantasmal force. So I'm going to need both of these.

You're giving me a deception with advantage. You're giving me a flat deception. Because of the liars played, I have advantage on deception that factor into this. That does factor into this. Okay, here we go. Your brother's sword, inveterate, that he is gleams at your side. I'm gonna need two deception rolls. And I'm gonna say this right here. If we get both of these, if we get both of these rolls at a 15 or higher,

that's good. If we get both of these rolls at a 25 or higher, that's exceptional, all right? Let's go ahead and roll. Oh, all right, that's good. Yeah, that one's good. Not 20. Not 20.

Holy shit. And a two. And a two. Okay, what do we get here? 24 on this end. 24, incredible. So 26 total. 26 total, gotcha.

Plus. Where have you been? Okay, so a couple things are going to happen simultaneously. We hear all of you hear this like, we're made, it's infested, as Garfield tree, big rock splash, and you see the guy who spotted you goes,

side hole, as the other one says, down that way! And you see the other guy goes, what? It turns to him. What I will need you guys to do is I actually would like, with this, I would like how to roll me a 1D4, and I would like Blair to roll me a 2D4, if you'd be so kind. I'm curious about what this is about, but I'm into it.

I can't find any of my D4s. Do you need two? Just two at the moment. There you go. I'll find out where they happen. Uh, oh, seven. Seven, great. Okay.

And I saw you. still haven't done damage to that guy once he hits the, when he gets close enough to the beginning of that. Yes, copy that. Da-da-da. Okay. You see what is now going to happen is this.

This guy rushes, grabs a torch, calls in, says, God found us! And the other one is going to rush for the tunnel. I'm going to need an attack roll from you, if you would be so kind of. Well, I actually don't think, I think I automatically do the 2D8 damage. Because they failed to say.

An affected target can even take, yeah. This is about the guy who spotted you, who is not the one who was affected by your spell. Oh. So the one who is unaffected by the spell is the one who clocked you and is going to come towards you. Yes. Okay, so you need a.

Mm-hmm. Base attack or? Yes, yes, yes, yes. So go ahead and give me an attack roll for that guy. Is he within five feet or is it a distance attack? No, I think you're hiding around the corner. So he's gonna rush around the corner

with a blade at the ready to see if he can get you guys before everybody else is here. And I'll say too, actually, as he's rushing around, you guys here, on that, you rolled a three and you got a seven, added together an average, that's gonna be five. You see that, You hear a voice from someone in the humanoid voices going,

you two! Donovan! Here's after him! And you hear five sets of boots begin to rush down the tunnel away from the chamber after the invisible guards, as one of them is pursuing down the side passage for you. If that person lives in the darkness long enough to shout, we have to make them vanish immediately. You have the instant of their walking in to that passage, to that passage to make them vanish.

However, all of that is going to be reliant on what you roll for initiative. Go ahead and roll initiative. Oh, my favorite words. You guys will roll initiative. So low. T-t-da-da. Oh.

Yeah. Ossony, what did you get? 11. Howl, what'd you get? Seven. Murray, what you get? Six. Okay.

Oh, God. Oh, God. We're so fast. Oh shit. We're so fast. Oh, shit. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You rolled seven, I rolled six.

You were 11. 11, 11. And 11. Oh, boy. That's not good. Those are terrible. Oh, my God. So I'm gonna let you know.

Unfortunately, Murray and Hal will not be able to act before our crowkeeper. Only Azune and Boler have a chance to prevent your true position from from being made. And you will have to do that on next week's episode of Critical Role. Okay.

Okay. Study your build. It's gonna be a big one. You got rid of five of them if you can stop this guy. This one guy. This one guy. How about it? We'll see you all on another episode of Critical Role.

And as always, is it Thursday? Thanks for listening to this episode of Critical Role. Critical Role. If you're enjoying this story, consider leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice. We're always looking for new critters to share our adventures with, and your review may help a new batch of wayward souls find their way to Aramon, Exandria, and beyond. Or if you want to hear what the cast discussed after the episode, head to beacon.tv and check out our exclusive show Critical Role Cooldown. You'll be right there at the table immediately after we say, is it Thursday yet and experience our cast's post-show reactions. We'll see you next time.