Critical Role - Seeking Sanctuary | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 13 Part 2

Episode Date: February 10, 2026

Part 2 As the walls close in on the Seekers, they are forced to decide if Einfasen's castle is truly as safe as its lord claims or if they should pursue another haven... New Episodes Release Weekly on Thursdays.Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/   GET MORE CAMPAIGN 4 WITH BEACONWe'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 CASTGAME MASTER Brennan Lee MulliganLaura Bailey as ThimbleLuis Carazo as Azune NayarRobbie Daymond as Kattigan ValeAabria Iyengar as Thaisha LloyTaliesin Jaffe as Bolaire LathaliaAshley Johnson as VaelusMatthew Mercer as Sir Julien DavinosWhitney Moore as TyrannyLiam O’Brien as Halandil "Hal" FangMarisha Ray as Murray Mag’NessonSam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" HalovarAlexander Ward as Occtis TachonisTravis Willingham as Teor Pridesire CREDITSProduced by Maxwell James, Steve Failows, & Kyle ShireSet Designed by Shaun EllisProduction Designer: Noxweiler BerfCharacter Art by Loren HontanillaEdited by Taylor Burke and Emily "Stevie" StevensonCritical Role Announcement Playhouse Editor: Vinny CelestiOpening Title Editor: Paul FoyderOpening Title Colorist: Peter KoocheradisWindow Effects by Christian BrownGraphic Design by Aaron Monroy & Jordyn TorrenceDol-Makjar art by Daniel Jiménez VillalbaMiniatures Painted by Payton Keo LacebalOpening Title Theme by Neal AcreeCampaign 4 Key art by Hannah FriederichsAdditional Art & Design by Hannah Friederichs Episode QC by Catherine Zimmerman & Paula FloresAssistant Editor: Gianna GencarellaPost Production Coordinators: M Swing & Bryn HubbardClosed Caption Editing by Margaret Dill, Nikki Kindelberger, Courtney Knewtson, Danielle Lackie, Eleanor Smith-Dufresne & Alice TsoiPost Production Supervisor: Tal Levitas HEALTH & WELL-BEINGDue 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. Hello. Wow. Welcome back to tonight's episode of Critical Role. Last we left off in the Schneffenkeep of the castle of Haus Einfazen. of Schneff and keep. Schneff and keep. What's the name of that castle again? Clippin'bleck. Clippin'bleck.

I love it here. Every new word is like a new IKEA furniture I want to feel. That new clip and blake lamp is so good. Oh my God, it's so good. What state is Julian in when Aranesa knocks on his door? Oh boy. He is halfway through the bottle. So he's not destroyed, but he's certainly not sober.

His face is a mess. And I mean, just hearing the knocking originally, he like, sober is up 5%. It sets the bottle aside, hides the gauntlet, and immediately goes to wiping his face before pausing and then, who is it? Julian, it's me. Just a moment.

Opens the door. She looks in. I didn't mean to disturb you, Julian. I just wanted to check in on you. How did it fare with the letter? I have a redundancy in place, as it seemed that their paranoia was sufficient to see my initial missive

intercepted. So at the very least, the hope is some sort of information will make its way to our estates. Our safety cannot be guaranteed outside the walls of the castle, and so Lord Einfossen is hoping that we stay. Has he made any motion about our men at arms, who I believe are supposed to be being released from being held at this moment?

I have not seen them released, no. I assume that was part of your discussion. My lady, you seem concerned. How safe do you feel within these walls? If the Einfausen had come to the Golden Orchard, let's say young Ingrid in the company of a druid of the old path and an elven warrior, and I probably would have commanded that

Does she not leave on her own? So there is some sense in us not being safe to leave. However, this city does have soldiers of ours and servants who have been arrested, so we could be allowed to leave with our own guard. Perhaps if we make such a request for the morning to be on our way to be with our, hopefully surviving families that could be understood and a means of getting our individuals and materials outside

of their court's yard. What do you wish to do? Something's not right. The Einfossum, we're not behind this, but there's a way they're moving, a way the whole world has been moving, the way everyone looks at it. is that thing behind their eyes. Pity. I don't think there's a more dangerous feeling in the world. I'm very familiar with it. Well, if you do not feel safe, then perhaps you begin to discuss alternative ways of spending this evening.

Where you go, I go. And where Octus goes, I imagine we also go. It's all right. At this point, I would like to do. You also knock on the door of Julian's room, which I can hear talking as I've been looking to return a bag that I am in charge of. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Erin Ness looks over you. Who is it? It's your room, Julian. Pull the door up and grab you and pull you and close it from behind. Shh. Sorry, I just, your bag.

Thank you. Welcome. That's it. I just finder. What's going on? No, stay by the moment. We're discussing how safe we feel here at the castle. Not at all.

Safer than a worst-case scenario, but Octus, I don't think you're very safe here. No. I'm not. It all just depends on there are explanations for the Lord Ein Fosson's behavior that are innocent. One thing we spoke of was him asking if the Taconas would tell the same version of the story,

as they are both his allies, the Royce and the Taconos. Has he heard word from my family? My understanding is that yes, he has. Indeed. And I'm guessing that the story does not match up. No. Right. It turns out that we have absconded to Ferry.

Wouldn't that have been nice? It would have been incredible. Irvin, at the very least, I think a very upfront request to be on our way towards our intended destinations and their reaction to such a request would be very telling.

I agree. Yeah, I would like to not be here. It is late and we do need sleep. But would you be able to gather? I think we should speak with Tysha and with our companions such as she as Phelis. Right. One second.

I briefly go into PIN's vision, knowing that PIN is staying with you. Where are you still meeting with? Would this have been enough time for me to, that was a very brief conversation. If we're walking back, then I'm petting and cooing into PIN's ear, like, it's time to get the fuck out of here.

We have places to go. Jump back in my body. Tysha is currently holding pin and also wants to leave. One moment. You see, Aranesa steps out, walks down the hallway, and knocks on Valas's door.

Valas is mending her own clothes and also writing a letter. And I will go to open the door. Hello. Could we borrow you for a minute to speak of things yet to come? Yes, of course. Thank you. I appreciate it.

And I think calls you in Julian's quarters that smells richly of wine. The lady Erinness sits, you sort of like seated. One of you has a chair at a small writing desk, the other, like the small bench at the foot of the bed. You see that she looks out and says, Our Lord Einfossen is either waiting to get more information

and keeping us here because we are perhaps fugitives from some betrayal of our own or what have you, I don't see the chambers flooding with our released servants or men at arms, which could have been something that would have happened by now. However, the explanations are either the paranoia of the Ayn Fasin or something more sinister. We just don't know.

And I would love to know. I would love to know how much danger we are in here, I would love to know if perhaps it's a wasted effort to discover how much danger we're in, if we should instead just leave. And knowing that the Taconas have fabricated a lie, that we, that the House of Royce and its vassals have left for fairy, something that will be disprovable, I will ask you, Octus, is it in the style or more? manner of your family to commit themselves to such an outrageous and disprovable lie. Mm.

Mm. Well, depending on what the actual exact words of the lie were, I would say they would only commit themselves to a outlandish thing if they felt that there was no way anyone would either go looking or... or they feel like everyone's too scared to ask questions. And there's no way it could possibly be true. I don't know what the exact phrasing was. Obviously, you didn't go to ferry or standing here.

Do you know what our horses were kept? They've been stabled. Perhaps we leave a letter with the last bit of our intent and our emphatically given perspective across all of this. Then before more can be discovered of our intent, we abscond into the evening and continue on our path. Your message will be sent tomorrow morning.

I guess we shall see. But it will not matter if we are being held. Did they say anything else about what's going on? Back in domo, care? No. Another reason people lie outlandishly from time to time is urgency, if they don't have time to think of something better. Right. Do you know or have any inkling?

And I ask this also of Tysha and Vailas, for both of you are connected. Are you here now? Yes. Okay, cool. She usheres you into the one as well. The events that occurred at the Palazzo Devinos were violent, frightening, nightmarish.

My mind was focused on nothing more than survival. However, a relic of your people centered in the machinations of the Taconas and Tisha, I believe you saw beyond the threshold of this world. I did. It is obvious for the mundane fact that we all escape with our lives that things did not go to plan according to House Taconas. No.

But why do I feel like I don't know what we disrupted? I don't either. I didn't see anything. I mean, I was in the room with you until I was, you know, so I didn't see what happened to the rest of the house. It's, from my perspective,

everything that happened was very much against me, and... But they didn't... Etherand was in the room and he didn't try and kill you. He walked away. Yeah.

He left... the lady of a sundered house and walked away to let his ghouls finish the job. Which is not necessarily unheard of, but if you were the target, he wouldn't have done that. But why, as a byproduct, try and destroy a house? If that's the case. If I'm the target, why, I... What was he trying to do to you? Do you know? He said that the name should have been enough,

and I should have accepted what I was given. But I don't know, he just... He just killed me. That was what I remember. He put a silence bubble in the room, stopped me from casting any of my spells, garrotted me to a table, and split me open. That is what happened, and that is the last thing I remember,

until I woke up. Me, for. I didn't want to press you on this, especially so soon. But if he was just there to kill you, why the stone? Why did he have your heart when you were leaving? This. I don't know. I don't know why he took it.

And I don't know what they're doing with it, because it obviously didn't come back with it. I don't understand why you weren't killed. Neither do I. Neither do I. I'm an insight, check, Aranesa. Whoa! She looks at you.

Fiazzi had been back in Dolmachyar for less than a week before his arrest. He came from the Mornvale, taking the Stone of Night Zone from you. The stone was in Dolmachyar. for less than a month. Did we figure out why they went to get it? No.

Did Thimble know? And I know that it is Julian's theory that the destruction of the plots of de Vinos of many of our bannermen and servants' courtiers was simply a byproduct of their coming for you, Octus. And yet, what did Prietaeus? What did Prieta? I must declare by the fountain.

I didn't hear it when I was upstairs, but you have said that he spoke the names of our houses aloud. Yes. Yeah. Trying to recall exactly what he said. He said tonight the houses of voice into Venus' fault.

I don't know why they would have accepted this job, but did my family hire the Ozzie under false pretence to steal the stone, to have a way to obtain it that didn't lead back to them, and then they had him arrested and killed to cover their tracks. Does he seem like the type of person that would work with your family? I don't know. I didn't know him that well. I knew Thimble better. But you knew him well enough to go with his sister-in-law to Venatis,

to reclaim that. Honestly, I didn't know you were your sister-in-law. Until after. I took a job. I was way over my head, and Tysha took the same job in order to help me. I didn't know who she was till after. It's completely coincidental that I hooked up

with the Hossie's sister-in-law. Is it a coincidence that they attacked our family simply because we had taken you and you were in our home and that's why they attacked? I don't know, that's what I assumed. Now, the one thing I can add is I had a very brief conversation with Otto. And he mentioned that the story from the Royce side

is that Hous Taconos assaulted and obliterate House de Vinos and House Royce, but the Taconas line is that House Royce killed one of their scions. So they're pinning it on you. Here's the thing. Even if both stories were to be believed, the severity of one, no offense,

wildly outweighs the other. Correct. And all that was asked of me was not an accounting of what way I was related to me to it, it was merely to absolve him from any of my circle's intervention in this. What did he ask you, or what did he say? He asked if I was aware that I was not being held against my will, and if the Circle of Ancients had any stake in the conflicts among the sundered houses,

to which I answered no, to his great relief. It's great relief. Yes? I think whatever is happening, he has a plan, and he wants to make sure that he will not catch any undue heat from my people in whatever's about to happen. I think he is resolved. He's going to keep us here.

Yeah. The longer we discuss this, the longer we dally, the more he's going to show up the defenses and make it more difficult for us to slip through in the night. Agreed. Gather our things. Leave what do you think to be the most clear declaration of our position here,

and what has transpired to be discovered, and we abscond with ourselves immediately. Thinking of our men at arms and our servants, the ones imprisoned here. Whatever plans, Lord Eind Fasin has for them, they were decided before you walked through these doors, regardless. Well, I do care for our countrymen. You must agree in these very challenged times

that your livelihood has far larger impact than theirs. They will not be slaughtered in their cages unconnected to these events. At the very least, they might be safest here on these grounds. Go ahead. The rest of our people are in danger. Go ahead and give me, Julian, a... an either insight or history check.

I'll go history. That's a three. A three. You see that looking out, you can see that Aaron Nessa just shakes her head at the insinuation that she is more valuable than the people that are captured here. She looks out and says,

Missive's going in the morning. We know that something is awry. To give them. them the benefit of the doubt. They may only be, and I use this term loosely siding with my family, because you all are basically destroyed anyway. Blood in the water. And there's no repercussions from you if they don't.

And it's the most pragmatic choice to side with the person who's stronger and who is more dangerous. For how long? until Primus Takonis walks in these doors and says, tonight, the House of Einfoss and Falls. And they learn a terrible lesson, and the same one you did. As you say the same one, you did,

anyone who wants to make an insight check at this moment? Most definitely. 24. On a 24, Octus may not have meant it in that way, but you see Aranesa realize that her house did make the same choice. the lesson they learned. And I think

Aranesa was a young woman when the Falconer's rebellion started. But she realizes that her parents made the choice to side with the Taconas and the Halifar over the rebels that heard the Falcons cry and it's led her to this moment.

Just stand beside her and without being too obvious about it to sort of like shoulder to shoulder. She looks up at you. Forward. Yeah. My young Lord Tocoon. Lord Einfosson cares above all else

for the safety and power of his house. I would only hope that there is a fly in his ointment as he seeks to discard the sundered house of Royce, which is hopefully in that shiny fat head of his, He is thinking, why wasn't I told that there was a plan to destroy one of the great houses? And that's a question that burns in my mind and should burn in all of our minds.

Yeah. Say there is one last card to play. Taconis's line is that House Royce killed their child. and you're in their walls. I am. I no longer care about disproving the lie for Roy's credibility. I think we put a target on Ein Faustin's back

by making it very clear that you are here too. I think there are consequences for lack of loyalty. Interesting. My only concern. and with exposing myself is, how do I get out? If there's some way for you to simply make it known that you were here. I have an idea.

And sheltered by Lord Einfossen himself. I have an idea. I gotta go back to my room. Julian, let's prepare to leave tonight. Indeed. So, Octus is gonna go back to his room. and he's going to take some parchment and a quill, and he's going to write a very polite and overly fanciful declaration of gratitude

in order to allowing him to stay, Octus Deconis, to stay within the walls of this estate, and he is going to, once again, this time bringing out the same gilded amalgamation of a skeleton, placed on the ground, weave these green stones, circles in burning it into the carpet on the floor, these arcane sigils, and then raising out of it this really gross that pulls out of the sigil and just is holding it by the scruff of the neck and rolls up the note, puts it on the collar,

not the collar, but ties it to the cats. And as it's sitting there, says, look, now what I want you to do is absolutely destroy this room, and then sit and wait till someone finds you. The arch just grabs his things in his pack and then heads out the door again. Incredible. What do you all do?

I mean, do you guys just gather your things and prepare to head out? Sorry, I very much want to put in the note that Royce did not kill me. Gotcha, my family did. Incredible. You leave unmistakable, verifiable arcane evidence that you were here and that you leave in writing

that in your own words, Royce did not kill you. Yes. You guys gather your things. Yeah, before we get ready, do you want me to leave out the front door to perhaps make it easier for you to walk out the back? Based on the conversation that you had with the Lord, perhaps that is the most prudent

I'd ask how we would ensure us ability to get together as one unit again, but you seem to have many tricks to... Can you get the horses out? I can. Ernessa, if Taconas is indeed bound to the realm of shadow that ever grows with the spirits lost, and my apologies for not being as well-learned in the details of the cosmology, but...

Does Ferry in some way door closed or not keep that barrier strong than without? Would the destruction of the house is bound to Ferry, perhaps give way to more strength to the realm of shadow? She touches an amber pendant around her neck, and Firefly light begins to emerge from behind her, and you see a line of women stretching back from her in light.

As she looks in the far distance, you hear words in Sylvan. Is there anyone here that speaks Sylvan? I do. No, I don't. I speak outlish. Shit. You hear these beautiful words being spoken in Julian. You understand them. They appear all throughout the Golden Orchard written.

and over and over again. And it says, What you have done to save the world of fairy, children and your children's children, in generations beyond counting, ever know the blessings of our kind. And you see, it fades. Golden Orchard was given to us

as a home for our family. And if our family was gone, I do not know. that it would yet stand. I do not know when I think of fairy, I think of our home. It is the last piece of it left at the very doorstep of this world.

If me and my cousins died, maybe the last thread connecting fairy to Aramon would vanish. We should be on our way. He quietly, like, kind of like, slap in pinches his cheek to try and shake off what. Wine still sits in his system.

We are high up in this keep, correct? Yeah. So we can't go out the front door. Four of us, you're allowed to leave. The four of us are not, well, the three of you are not. I don't know. I'm here. I look at the window, which I assume there's a window in this bedroom.

There is, yeah. Okay. Looking out, what do I see? And do I see, like, what's the guard presence outside of this window? Give me a perception. I cascadans. And a D4.

Not bad. Perception. That's going to be some 18. 18, got it. 18, yes. There are guards patrolling the outside of the castle. There are not many. There are long sections of walls that just have a street around them in the city, sort of fading away from the edge of the castle. There are gates at two of the towers.

Each of those gates has two fully armored knights at them, and there are occasional patrols of two mounted knights, just sort of like going up and down the road. Okay. There are also, I would say, in this section, it is earlyish evening, so there are still, call it, you know, like some pedestrians and other people, because it's a city, there's places of revelry,

and these are some beautiful villas and nicer homes near the castle. So there's some lights within the gardens and things like that. So there are also just some people. It's not unusual to have just people walking or carts going by on this road. Great.

If you want to get down quickly, I can make it so that we will not feel the impact of the fall. Will the impact make enough noise to draw attention? We will be as light as a feather. Understood. Understood. Even this one.

Even this one. Octus, what did you say in your letter? I say I thank them very much for their hospitality and for the use of the baths, and I told them that the words of my family are false and that House Royce were not the ones to kill me, but my own family. Very well.

Signed my name and then left on an undead, creature. Very well. There will be some slight rudeness in our departure, and that is informing the tone of the letter I'm about to run. And she quickly starts driving something and says, Tisha, are you to get the horses for us? Yes. Perhaps best for you to meet us, what, downstairs directly below the window? If you think that's the best way for us to just ride out on horseback and bust through the guards, then yes, below the window to this would be excellent. We're not doing this other fight, are we? Probably not.

Okay. Adventure. Unless you just want to leave and let us fight it out. I would love nothing more than to leave you to die again. Fight, it's only necessary if we fail to escape unseen. Correct. If the horses are waiting for us on the outside of the walls, perhaps at your behest, we could have the opportunity to meet up

beyond the Lordship's estate. I will have the horses waiting outside the gate, and in the event that you are not outside the gate, and there are still guards there, we will deal with the guards and get you outside the gate. So then my last question is, there's two ways I can do this. We can gently float to the ground,

but it will take time, or we can fall and then catch ourselves at the last minute. How high up are we? You are about... First story? I'd say you're about 90 feet up. Okay. It will be quite a fall. Indeed. Quick weather check. I want to cast a jury craft just to get a little weather forecast for what the evening's going to look like.

Up at this altitude, it is just as clear, zero percent humidity. Amazing. We will be less likely to be seen if we fall quickly. Hey, I think there's some fog coming in later. Ah, I see. I'll see you on the other side. on the other side. Here see you. This time, when we run, maybe don't make a heroic last stand and beefy.

Are you sure you can get those horses by yourself? Trust me this one time and if I fail you, I'll be your horse. Got it. Oh. Tisha, you leave. Octus, is you open the window to sort of look down look down and see what the fall's gonna be like.

Opening the window, looking out, preparing the spell, you hear a very surprising noise, and your vulture lands on the window cell awaiting further instruction. Did you get it? I look at the beak. Is there blood or anything on the beak? There is blood on the beak.

Good boy. Good job. You also see something else in the beak. Splinters, looking at some wicker, you realize the only reason this vulture was able to catch that pigeon was that the pigeon made it to its destination, and that that destination must be much closer than Dolmachiar. Oh, interesting. Well, I guess good job. Interesting. Interesting. Can the guards at the front gate?

Yeah. Hold on. I'm gonna have the vulture. Stay there for a minute, and I'm gonna decide what I want to do with this. So, you've left. Yep. Okay. Are we ready to go? I'd like to see what you can do.

Jump out the window. Oh, God. Aranesa goes, oh! And you see, Aranesa has just penned a letter. Julian, looking over her shoulder, you see the letter she writes is, my apologies for beating a hasty rest of certain Faye forces have come to our aid

in our moment of need and availed themselves at the window. She then writes, returning to my full seat of power at the Golden Orchard, please pass on to my soldiers and men at arms at your imminent release of them that they are expected forthwith at the Golden Orchard. I love Nasha. Tisha,

You get down, as you are crossing the courtyard, the front gates are opening, and a black carriage is pulling into the courtyard. Oh, that's fine. That's fine. Is it like, you know, shades of black like Tacona's black? It is shades of black. Oh, how fun.

Oh, how fun. And I'm just walking openly across a courtyard. Oh, no. We love to see it. I'm not hiding. I'm gonna walk in the direct line and then only when I get close enough to the stable to like veer off while I turn away.

You walk up stepping from the carriage. The carriage is opened by some valets. You also see that the carriage is massive and there are alcoves almost like the alcoes of a cathedral that would have a saint statue in them, but that have empty suits of black full plate armor in them. The doors open and two enormously tall, identical twin women emerge looking out.

Each of them is pushing seven feet tall, weighing less than a buck 50 each. You see that they're sort of pallid flesh has a sort of metallic silvery sheen around the eyelashes, a square of lipstick just on the center portion of the bottom lip, thick sort of like mascara and eyeliner. Their hair is a sort of corpse-like pallid blonde, such that their hair, which is slick to the head,

tied up into these tall buns that sort of snake up off their head. Their hair and skin color is pretty much identical, so it looks, it's like the hair coming around tight to the head. I had to kill Octus to get that pat, like, what? And you see that the two sisters dressed in these beautiful black gowns have these very long arms, very gaunt,

and a, set of silver rings, torques around their neck, that appear to almost be extending their necks up tall off their shoulders. They each emerge from the carriage and begin to walk to the Central Keep. They're not near you, but they're extremely striking to behold, and they begin to walk to the Central Keep

as in the dark of night, a woman who they don't recognize is walking towards some stables. Okay. Is there any way to do, like, even just a low chance, like, was I clocked as I so very much clocked them?

Hopefully passing by. Give me a perception check. No. No. No. No. I think one of them looks in your direction doesn't make eye contact with you.

You proceed to the stable as the two of them. begin to approach the central keep. I would love to be able to tell Octus that, but I didn't bring then. Approaching the stable, what do you do? Yeah, I'm assuming there's a stable hand here. Hello, what was your name?

Yousafia. Hi. I would need my horse prepared. I have to go attend my business further north. Very well. I will have your horse ready at once, my lady. Thank you. Oh, hold on.

I'm going to come back with you. My companions and I, I think I might prefer to take one of their horses since they're planning on staying here a little longer. So I'm going to just try to come up with an excuse to make my way back towards the rest of the horses. Oh, yeah. You see, there's no role necessary.

The stable hand is very understanding. and says, yeah, very well, your holiness, this is, we have your horses here. Do you wish for them to be settled and prepared for riding? That would be great. Thank you so much. He gets to it and saddles up both horses

that you've asked for. Sweet. Bless you. Stop it. I'm gonna do my best to play a game of horse telephone and cast beak with animals to my two. Yeah. And try to get them to,

debate to the other two. If I loosen their bonds, can you come find us outside of the Western Gate? Just come find your friends if I give you an opportunity to skiddle. See the horses. Hear your command and respond. Great.

Then I'm going to do my best to try to futz the locks on the stalls of the Everton. two horses. So like it's just old metal, like whether it's like keeping it from latching properly or just kind of wanging the wood a little bit. I just want to see if I can sabotage the locks so the horses could like break free if they really tried. Either cast a spell or you can give me a slight of hand. Let's try a sleight of hand. A skill I don't have. I love it. But today's a new day and anything can happen. We believe in you. I have a plus one. Can I cast guidance on myself?

Sure. Great. Okay, that's an 11 plus 11. 13. Do you need some help with that lock? Oh, you seem so nice. I don't want to do this. I'm gonna, I'm gonna cast hold person on it.

He looks at you and says, is everything on? I'm so sorry, this is not your fault. And, oh. If the rumor's about him or true, I think you're gonna have a very bad day when this is over. So I wanna pull like 10 gold pieces out and put them in his pocket and be like,

when you snap out of this, just run, go start a new life, do something somewhere else. I have to do this and it's not your fault. And I'm just gonna like, be like, all right horses, new plan, come with me now. Great, you take the horses out and see him standing, staring at the wall behind where you were standing when you cast the spell.

The horses come out. It's only for a minute should I knock but, God, just I feel worse. Just pull the horses quickly. Great. Nah, I'm gonna elbow him in the back of the head. I need more than a minute. Great. Bunk.

Sorry, sorry, sorry. He paralyzed, hits the deck hard on his shoulder. Can't brace for the fall at all. Oh, no. And five horses come out of the table with you. Yeah. You approach the gate where you see there are guards. As you approach, you see one of the guards says,

Your grace, pleasure. Thank you so much for your hospitality. Of course. Do you require escort into the city? Oh, no. I have it from here. Thank you. And I appreciate you looking after my companions with such diligence.

Of course, they will be protected as long as they stay within the castle. You get out and just go around the side. As you are going a little way, you hear some shouting from the courtyard. Horses, time to run. You canter up the street and you guys from the tower look down and can see the horses beneath you. There they are. You say you won't falling. You've gone out the window.

up the window. I love the- Octus looks at the TV and says, we have to go now. Aranesa cannonballs out the window. Without a moment's hesitation. Full like, So then as Octus throws himself out the window afterwards

into a full dive to try and catch up, as he's going through the window to the vulture, says with me, and goes down and pulls a feather out of the coat that he is thrown over his shoulders, still wearing the clothes he stole from the thing, not wearing his foot, but he grabbed his coat, because that's where all his components are, has pulled a feather out, and he,

as he's falling, throws it into his mouth, chews it up, and then spits, one, two, three, four, four feathers, if one of them staying with him, the other three going, and just pinning into you all, and as we fall, and right as we're about to hit, we go, casting feather fall. Hell yeah.

Before landing. You, but it's like, Completely silent. Erinessa, like as she's falling, goes and like puts active effort right before the spell goes off to tuck her dress in between her knees. Unbecoming!

And then it hits the deck. Alice at Wonderland. Yeah, boom. And you guys land on the horses. I'm going to need a group stealth check, not from Tysha, but from the three of you, disadvantage. Disadvantage. You got it.

Let's go! Disadvantage, we'll see. Oh, no! Not one from Aranesa. Not what? That's a... Not bad, not bad. Right, 22. 22 with disadvantage?

Yeah, I rolled a national 20 and 16. What do we got here, Bayless? 12. 18. 18. So taking the higher two rolls, the lower of them is an 18, which means that's your group stealth check, is an 18.

Pretty remarkable. So all of you, all of you. So all you do the exact right thing. It's a busy street. There's pedestrians. All these guards are used to being approached on foot. They're not looking back at their own walls, let alone straight up. So all that happens is a lady comes by with some horses and arranges them.

And then suddenly there's a weird flash. People like people kind of look at a like, what was that? Like something out of the corner of the eye. But all they see is some people standing on the street that are far away from any of the gate doors. so therefore not a threat. And you are all standing here in the dark with your horses. Aaronessa says, marvelous.

Shall we? I have the vulture lands on my shoulder and go, get inside my cloak or get inside my coat. And it kind of goes behind me on the saddle because I can't have a undead vulture on my shoulder. It's disgusting. Do you have twin sisters? Why do you ask?

Why do you think? Time to go. Oh, shit. You guys take on. A series of very important roles are about to happen. The way you said it made my but hole puckers. Me too! Series of very important roles are about to happen. Number one, you guys get on those horses and ride,

getting away from the castle. Is anyone taking a lead as the five of you thunder out from here? This is as far as the plan got, you were acting fast and for good reason. I'll do it. Tisha, you take the lead. Where are you leading people, right now.

I'm just trying to get to the gate that heads out of town. Okay, you are going to the first gate out of town. Go ahead, give me a history check. Difficulty 10 is the minimum for you to know this neighborhood well enough. If you can get a DC 15, that's a little better. A DC 20 will be flawless and will resolve the role right there. Can I use guidance?

You can use guidance on yourself. Great. Plus one. Oh no. I have a plus one in the history, and we made it two with ten. Okay, DC-10 was the base for getting out of this neighborhood. Okay.

As you pull out of the neighborhood away from the castle, you do hear of that horn of warning sounding over the castle walls. Cool. Right, it's right. You pull out to get you to the edge of this sort of castle area, Busiest thoroughfare going back in the direction of that massive pulley gate. On that 10 history check, that pulley gate is the one that you saw going down.

The only thing you would know on a 10 is there are also a 10 is not high enough for you to have a sure fire way out. The pulley gates lead up and down. They are also the most watched that go up and down the cliffside. There are other smaller thoroughfares. The smaller thoroughfares, by virtue of being smaller, will make you stick out more. Five horses going down a narrow switch back all the way down this like several hundred foot tall cliff will be noticeable.

The third is if you don't want to go towards these busy thoroughfares, the beer gardens, the other sort of like populated places, getting away from the castle, you do see the road lined with shrines and statues leading up to Shongarten, which would be the druidic sort of like power center or the Druidic Holy Grove. Oh, I like Holy Grove, but also out is so close.

How far away is this big ass gate? Big ass gate is short. It would be probably, I'll put it this way. I will make you roll one time to get to the pulley gate, but you don't necessarily know how often the pulley gate is operating at night. Right. Is it up or down? Is it upper down right now?

It would be two roles to get to Sean Garten. Heard. Before I make this decision, can I cast through my staff speak with plants to ask the gate if it's up or down? Incredible. What is the range on speak with plants? I don't know.

I got so nervous I didn't want to keep looking. I lost the ability. A little idea. You look at it. I think in this moment, I think in this, in this moment, It's your actual voice. Yeah.

I think in this moment, you guys pull up on your horses at the first large crossroads as the castle walls fade behind these sort of like alpine beer garden and like residential houses. This street is like all those places that have the like second floors are larger than the first floor overhanging. And there's also like lines of laundry strung up between the buildings here that allow you to like get a little bit of

cover from watchtowers on the castle walls. But this is your point of making a decision here. You can cast that if you get closer to the pulleys, but it's either go for the pulley gate, which is close and hope to get lucky, or take the riskier route to Sean Garten and deal with whatever's there when you get there. This is awful.

I know moving towards my power base is the correct call, but the closer I bring Octus to my people, the more worried I am for him. But I need a shore bet, and they don't fuck with the Druids. Which way's closest to Castle Torch? Sean Garden. You're gonna go to Sean Garden.

You're gonna go to the Druids? Yeah. Okay. You are going to pull off. I'm gonna go ahead right now, and I just wanna do this for fun. I was gonna make fun. It was a 16 or high, it was a 16 or high on the die for the pulley to be at the city and active.

Yeah. 15. It would have just pulled out of the station headed down if you guys had arrived. Golly. Maybe you could have jumped. The, you got to put on all the horses. You gotta hold on tight to your horse. Okay, there are gonna be two rolls getting to Sean Garden.

The two roles getting there will, I think, actually be animal handling just to get the horses there fast enough? Or you could slow way down and take stealth. It's up to you, but stealth would be more roles. Animal handling, please. Okay. I'm going to need two DC-15 animal handling checks. I hate to ask, can I use guidance? You absolutely can.

It's given me roughly one extra. Every time. All right, all right. Oh shit, one of those is not great. 19 for one. Okay. And 15 for the other. Hey! The plus two, help!

Yay! Unbelievable. Okay, so you guys see Tysha takes off into the city moving away from the pulley gates. Julian, I think you recognize that you're moving away from these other areas. As you do, pulling away from them, You see a file of Einfaza Knights

taking off down the road behind you right for the pulley gate. You head off into the city, rising up. As you do, you look and see massive dolmens, carved stone. You see ancient writing written by the hands of giants in these massive diamonds.

in these massive standing stones. You see there are several shrines here with bits of dwarven stone tablet across them from Dwarven pilgrims traveling here. And this enormous series of waterfalls collecting in pools around which are snow white blossoms from dark green vine. You see there is light purple that is cast even more indigo under the starlight and the glow of a loomies blanket, the sort of planetary rings. You can see as the wind blows, there are mountain heather and snap dragons that small motes of glittering starlight sort of come off in the night wind. These little bioluminescent flowers under the garden pull away.

you look over and see resting, overlooking this central, sort of there's a massive flat boulder with a stone circle like eight calendar stones, things that like map the passing of seasons. And you see there is a enormous, probably like 12 foot long, modeled gray and white spotted leopard

with a series of curling rams horns coming off that is sleeping, up on a ledge overlooking this place, and in like probably several hundred cloth penance blowing in the night breeze as you approach this place, you see that there is a large, beautiful, wrought iron gate closed in front of it, but you see that the gate has a small brass-handled door

in the gate, and you can see, is there anyone here that speaks either Dwarven or Giant. It's actually a sort of a language that's like almost in a shared dialect between the two. I do not. I speak Giant. You speak Giant.

Let's go. The in Giant is the sort of giant ruin for sanctuary written on this little inset door within the larger gate. And it has a small, that that ruin appears in brass next to the doorknop. You know where to go. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, we slow down. We don't have to like, I think it's worse to be stomping through the streets. But I'll happily, do you wanna take it since you read it? This is, you do it. Then I'll dismount from my horse. I'm gonna summon Hala beside me.

And yeah, just reach out to the breast handle and open the door. This custom in sacred, here within the mountains of Kavros in the far west of Helvar. The gate is closed to congregants and gatherers at night as the grounds are tended to by the druids who live here in residence, but as always, a door is left unlocked for those seeking sanctuary. The sanctuary door is opened, and you are able to enter this place. As you walk out the steps, you see that the leopard.

And from this central grove you look at, and there are several staircases. One of them goes down into this beautiful mountain grotto with these hardy, scraggly little pine trees that grow horizontal out from a crag and then hook around to start growing upwards. There are several small cottages. You can see a small mess hall,

and it appears to be a druidic monastery. So there are many druids that are like living here and observing their faith in this place. But as the panthers sort of growls, this leopard growls, a small candlelight comes on in a very small cottage right at that staircase of boulders going down. You see an old dwarven man comes out. She's got his thick braided beard. It's all done up. At the bottom of his beard. See, there's a small opening with a little twig poking out of it. You recognize is a birdhouse. And you see that he has a series of a shaven head, a series of tattoos that come down with giant and dwarven tattoos that sort of follow these bands, almost like a badger's

stripes as he steps out and goes, oh, welcome, welcome, please. Come inside. Are you injured? or is there any other reason that you seek sanctuary here? We need to rest and make our way out of town. Cousin, it is good to see you. I am Mosor of the circle of stone. Taisha, the circle of ancients. Cousin, you are welcome here. These are your companions.

Yes, I will let them speak for themselves. Hello. I'm Bayless. Hi, Octus. Nice to meet you. Lady Arnaessa and Sir Julian Divinas. Of the sanctuary that is offered to you here is your privacy a part of the sanctuary which you wish. I have had enough of secrets for one night.

I think some fellowship and open hearts would do us good. No, thank you. Very well. I will tend to your horses outside the gate, but please see yourself to the banks below and whatever place to sleep you can find is yours. Thank you.

He turns and says, Forgive a moment of assurance of the safety of those gathered here. You see, he looks out. The one here in your company, for how long have you known him? Six months. And I trust him with my life. Do you trust him with his own?

He, dear cousin, is part of a bigger conversation that a needs must have with my circle and many others. But perhaps not tonight. My mind and conscience are my own, though. This is very strange, cousin. I know. We live in strange days, and it is no stranger to anyone than myself. I would ask then that you see to it that your friend

does not handle the sacred waters of this place, No touch of the food meant to feed our family. I cannot eat anyway. Understood. I bring mystery to your door, but not trouble in the form of Octus. I swear it. Very well. Help yourselves to a place to stay.

And you see, he turns to go, handle your horses. Having stood there during this conversation, he peels open his coat and goes, You gotta go. And just unsummonds that. Mm-hmm. Vulture. How much other dead stuff do you have on you?

Other than the cat that I left in the castle? And pin, none. Okay, good to know. A pin is away. Remember the magic I was using in Vanadas with the undead that we fought there? Everyone here is as a debt. Yep. Yep, nope.

Yes. I get it. I'm gonna not say anything. It's okay. I just stay close. I've got you. Tasha, you trust this place to save? Yes, without a doubt.

Erinessa looks to you, Tasha, and says, we really, we will be able to sleep here, knowing that we are in the same city where Otis's sisters are prowling. The only conversation Lord Einfossen had with me was to make sure that my people did not meddle in his affair. He will think twice, even the Taconas will think twice about making this big a move.

But if you want to try to leave tonight, we can do that too. I just didn't trust that the gate that we were heading towards was our best option out. But we don't have to sleep here. I do not know of staying here is the best endeavor. We do not know how far they'll go to try and find you. I say I feel the same way. If you are eager to toss very viable eyes,

across the other sundered houses so easily than whatever you're tied in, we are tied into, is of grave importance to them. Yes, but do they want to bring this outside of the sundered houses? Yeah. Are they involving all factions that exist in this world in this fight?

We do not know this. Exactly. But I will say, some of us don't need to sleep. So if we can get you, You all rest here. I can be on watch as I don't sleep anymore. I have trouble shows up. We can go. Lady Arna, sir.

I don't think we will be attacked here. This is the last place. An undead Tacunus would come. Sanctuary written on the gate or not. Confidence and safety is what allowed us to be taken back by the esteemed and legendary hospitality. The Einweiss. Well, we don't know the Einvazen actually have done anything against us yet. It might just be an abundance of caution. I'm just trying to be fair to a house

who might not have done anything. I'm sleeping when I open. Stay near, ready. Descending down this beautiful series of falling boulders to arrive at this tiny little alpine well, surrounded by several humble sort of bunk houses. You see that there is a very fat grizzly bear sleeping under a pine tree.

There's a number of owls in the branches. And within you see that there are long halls that have beautiful ember-filled fireplaces that are keeping it piping. hot, but it's almost so warm that it's like soporific. I mean, you want to fall asleep going into these little bunk houses, smells like wood smoke. And there are shelved beds in the walls.

And you see there are a number of druids, many of whom have like dirty boots and other things like that that are sort of sleeping here. This is sort of the wanderer's bunk. You see there are other larger buildings. There's a large keep beautifully made of like stunning ancient Mason work that is the keep of the circle of stones, that is the attendant circle of this holy place.

But you also see that there are one or two other bunks that appear to have some trappings around them. Go ahead and give me a religion check. Actually, give me nature or religion, whichever you prefer. That's good, nature. Okay, okay. 18 for a nature check. 18 for nature.

You see some other attendant truetic circles that are here. There is a small banner flapping by one of the bunk houses that represents the circle of Seasons, which is a circle that works very closely hand in hand with the circle of ancients in terms of healing Barodels and trying to heal the world. Cross the grotto, not at one of the bunk houses, you do see a small half shield construct.

of wood and bone that bears three bloody stripes on it that you recognize as being one of many symbols of the circle of the hunt, which is a circle that I think you've heard of as being one of a handful of very powerful global orders of druids. And this is one that you heard of a couple years ago, years ago as being like, oh, there are some druids of the Circle of the Hunt that, you know, have, it was something about when Aligar was joining the Barro Guard, there were some druids

from the Circle of the Hunt that were interested in helping that endeavor. You've heard of them more recently being extremely opposed to an envoy of druids headed towards a place called the totality in Hargood, that they are a, from everything you've heard, a very grave and fearsome circle of druids. Amazing. Do I see any banners of, like do I see anything from the Circle of Ancients present?

There is a symbol of the Circle of Ancients in the center tree in this little circle of buildings, this like Grotto. that is hanging in a place of honor and prominence, but there do not appear to be any druids of ancients in attendance here. Then I think I'm gonna go over to the tree and whatever branches are closest to it,

I want to druid craft just a little more vibrancy around it, not to like throw more focus or honor of it, but just to be very clear that there is a member of the circle of ancients present here now. Awesome. Have some conversations and see if I can secure us. stealthier egress from the city. Okay. We'll find a place to gather together.

Should stay relatively close to each other. Agreed. Can I get you? You're looking a little pale. I'm fine. Mm-hmm. And I walk away. Tisha, you walk away.

Erin S looks over at you, Julian. Gotta do you, baby daddy. Let's try to get some rest, I suppose. You need it. I thought I was gonna get to sleep in a big, beautiful bed. You and me as well. It was a terrible thing that I've pulled away. Oh, please.

Those were my sisters. You've got the family there, Octus. You show you the black sheep on this, or do you carry some of this thread of darkness within you beyond just this soft, sweet boy persona? put on for all of us. Look, an apple never falls that far from a tree. I just, if they're here, that means they were already

somewhere close to the city because the bird that the handmaiden got out. My vulture did catch, but it caught where it roosted, which means the note that she said got to wherever it was going, and it was close. Very well. So they know that we are here. Or whatever that note said, they know.

I have to assume they've been notified of our- Right, but they didn't know I was there. Well, they will now. Is there anything we need to know about your sisters? Are they looking to kill you again as well? I don't know if they know I'm alive or what they know. Look, they're my, they're my oldest. If it is my sisters,

Petra and Raya. They're the oldest, probably dealt with them the least out of all my siblings, as they were already ever on doing important work when I was born. What was this in? Surprising no one, they're not kind. What is this important work that your family does that you keep talking about?

I just mean the daily duties of a noble family. I think our family have different duties, but nevertheless, could be worried of your sisters and worry of any Toconis. But they, I don't know what they did exactly. I wasn't, no one, I was not privy to a lot of information that flowed through my house. I was apparently disposable enough that they decided

to kill me when I didn't show any worth. There. There is a non-zero chance that they come upon us some point, if not tonight, on our way out. What can you tell us about your sisters that we should be wary of? Anything in particular that we can use to try and be safe or at least...

I literally just asked him that. See if we could gather any information on these people. Look, yes. Julian, how much... How much do you have to drink? Ha ha ha! This is why I don't drink, because we always have to be ready. Look, you know that my family are sorcerers of undead.

I've seen what my father can do. Petron Raya are his first children. So by going on a scale of me to my sisters, they're the most powerful probably of my siblings. siblings. And yet when you ask a second time I'll drunk, you get more information. How strange. This is true. This is more information than you gave me. So thank you for double-vergobos. I'm desperately trying to quantify my family to all of you.

Erinessa looks and says, Octus, you don't have to tell us if there's a secret hole in your sister's back that if we shoot an arrow into it, it will- If there was, I would tell you. I would like to know if there's a secret hole in your sisters- I don't know. What they, they, I think I saw. I saw them maybe 10 times my entire life. I don't know them, but they'll know me. About a hundred pounds soaking wet, so.

Your family, you see, Erin Slicstein says, that's a recent development. When I was a little girl, I remember when the Taconas referred to themselves as keepers of the passage of life into death. now they openly refer to themselves as masters of the undead. I appreciate me honest, do you?

They sound delightful. Well, there's a reason I left home when I was 15. But they did have an important job at one point in time. You hear a noise outside saying, Cousin. Oh, sorry. I had a thing to do. Apologies. You see that Mozar is out there with his hands crossed by his back saying,

Yes, cousin. Would you come to speak with two of our brethren if you'd be so kind? Of course. Walking back up to the sacred grove, you see that there is an enormous bare folk woman. She's about eight feet tall. She has this beautiful flowery gown.

Origano, she's old. You see that she has like lots of gray long hairs in her bear-like eyebrows. So she's physically imposing massive, and she's sat on her haunches in that kind of like bear sit on the ground. Mostly you just get a sense to, like, lower herself to be a little bit easier to talk to. And there is another druid that it's hard to see what he is. He has this wild helm mass that's got like a bird's like a long predatory beak, feathers, wood things, like tied strands of hair that come off of it. Looks like this weird rainbow scavenger, barbarian, got like claw extensions coming from wrists,

lots of nuts and beads and various tied things. He is like some, in Aramon, it's not typical for druids to dress like that, because after the fall of the gods, communities depended. on druids to give some connection to the power of what is sacred in our world. And it's not that that doesn't mean

festooning yourself with wilderness. It just means being this unapproachable is unusual for a druid, being this sort of imposing. But you see these two figures there that Mozart walks up with. I think as I walk towards them then, especially seeing the non-bearer folk, I've been using my little, my sweet little cane to walk.

I'm like, okay, we're all big druids here, and I'm going to tap it on the ground once and grow the wood inside it and turn it from that horse head to the massive dragon's head that's now just pouring out. Sort of forge-colored magic. We're all big kids here. Walk up, perfectly pleasant.

Cousins. You see that the old barefalk woman says, Welcome, Kaizh. It's nice to have you. Hi. I am Amadal Toadstool. And you see that she turns over and says, welcome to Shungarten. We are sorry to pull you from what has presumably

been a hard day. Not at all. We have raw. rather a hard conversation. You see that the other druid takes his bird-like helm off, and what you thought, you realize as he takes it off, was part of his druidic armor, is actually that half of his ribs are living wood,

and you see some organs exposed under what is a partially wooden rib cage that reaches up. You can see his trachea, esophagus through a single tendon as some injury has like warped that away. And a wild-eyed elven man looks at you and says, you've brought something that needs to die into this camp. And that's all for this episode. No, we can go for like one, four more hours.

Just like, just like 20 more minutes. Come on, someone's got an hour. Someone's gotta not want to kill me. Someone's gonna not wanna kill me. Someday. You're like when everyone decides you should die in Catan and then you somehow survive and then you just die on the next turn.

Because people don't like it when you don't die. They're like, no, man. We got you. Oh my God, come on. Every new druid is cooler than the last droid. This is so dope. We love it. Oh, my sisters are so scary.

Sisters are scary. Druids are scary. It's all scary. The only question I have is, is it Thursday yet? it Thursday yet. Thanks for listening to this episode of 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.

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