Critical Recap: Critical C3E92 “Broken Roads”

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, the Critical Role Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into our recap of Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 92 Broken Roads!

ANSWERS

Bells Hells emerge topside from the tunnels of Kreviris, reeling from and shocked by FCG’s sacrifice. Liliana joins them and answers questions about the Ruby Vanguard’s plan. Predathos is locked behind boundaries created by the gods, imprisoning it within itself. The Ruidusborn are instrumental in pushing past the final boundary. There is something within the Ruidusborn that the gods cannot stop; they are the only ones who can reach Predathos.

Predathos, however, requires a vessel to carry it into their realm. Liliana is the current choice to be that vessel, but she is not the only possibility. She is afraid of what will happen if she isn’t here to slow down and focus this process. Orym asks if there is any guarantee she will have control if used as this vessel. He fears the unknown consequences unleashing Predathos. No matter what Ludinus says, there is no guarantee.

Liliana claims to have communed with Predathos. She doesn’t believe that it wants the people – she and the other Ruidusborn can feel that all Predathos wants is to be free. Laudna asks why she thinks apathy is better than disdain to a god eater, but Liliana says that something feels right about what Predathos wants. It is angry and hungry and wants to hunt its natural prey – the gods that locked it away.

IN TOO DEEP

Bells Hells have to get off Ruidus. Imogen steers Orym away from revealing the secret Issylran portal to her mother and instead requests that she help them get to the Bloody Bridge. Liliana questions if she should go with them – if she leaves the Ruby Vanguard, she won’t be able to inform on them for Bells Hells. Imogen tells her to stay, which lightly disappoints her mother.

The Weave Mind has been working with Ludinus for three centuries. They use each other for their own ends, which allows Liliana to play the mother hen. Ashton believes Liliana is self-deluded. Liliana has only recently realized the barbarism that the Vanguard has claimed is necessary, but she’s in too deep to walk away.

Fearne asks when Liliana became a follower. She was afraid she was going to bring something terrible to her family, so she sought guidance about her dreams. Ludinus found her and became a teacher and a guide to her. He taught her to control her powers and made her feel important – like she could do something to free herself of this burden. Now she’s trying to figure out what’s right. Imogen is the most important person to her, the reason she chose to do this.

Imogen disagrees. She thinks that Ruidus is Liliana’s home. Imogen doesn’t want her mother to put the choice to leave or stay on her shoulders. Just help them, wherever she is. Liliana agrees and teleports Bells Hells to the Bloody Bridge, using her magic to slow down time. Liliana will see Imogen in their dreams. Bells Hells travel through the Bloody Bridge, leaving Ruidus.

BACK ON EXANDRIA

The group arrives at the Malleus Key, in the middle of the Ruby Vanguard’s encampment. Fearne disguises herself as a Reiloran and they quickly pretend to be escorting “Liliana” away. Soldiers are alerted, but Laudna casts phantasmal force to make them see Imogen as Liliana and Bells Hells escape the battle-scarred ruins. Imogen contacts Keyleth, who will meet them at their allies’ encampment site.

Bells Hells take a moment to mourn FCG’s loss. Ashton says that FCG has wanted to sacrifice themself since day one. Orym thinks if he hadn’t, they would all have died at Otohan’s hand. Laudna doesn’t agree, but Imogen thinks Otohan was too strong. Ashton is still angry about the sacrifice, though recognizes the situation.

Imogen didn’t trust her mother and hopes that sending her back to the Vanguard will let Liliana prove herself. Laudna apologizes to Imogen – they have all struggled with feeling designed, controlled, and manipulated. She understands Liliana and is grateful that Bells Hells were guided by FCG in learning that they are more than what their creators intended. Ashton hopes Liliana is right, because her means to an end are unforgivable.

THEORIES

Evoroa, the rescued bormodo scientist, reveals interesting intel – Ludinus is in Aeor. That’s where he’s been getting all of the technology that they have been using to drill into the glass of Predathos’ prison. There are multiple layers to the glass. The second layer has some kind of divine magical protection. Ludinus returned to Aeor to check on the technology’s excavation. Something called the Dominox has taken root in Aeor and is interfering with that process.

The excited scientist explains that the Aeorian tech is able to unravel the weave of divine magic within the glass layers, which would allow them to penetrate the secondary glass shell containing Predathos. They were inspired by the Malleus Factorum (Aeor’s Creator Hammer) and were developing it on a smaller scale to go through the additional layers of glass. They theorize that the glass veins of Ruidus are the remnants of Predathos’ last form. Its former body has become its own prison shell.

Imogen goes to Orym, who had heatedly walked away during the conversation about Liliana. He apologizes. They both understand how difficult this is for each other. Orym is trying to honor what his loved ones signed up for. Imogen thinks they would be proud. She doesn’t want him to worry about them not seeing eye to eye. Orym wanted Imogen to have her family. She is grateful to have Bells Hells. Orym uses the sending stone to call Dorian – he says they’re northeast of Bassuras and asks Dorian to come. Orym is struggling and misses him.

MEANWHILE

The narrative shifts to the Crown Keepers, who have been laying low since Kymal and trying to stay away from their enemies in the thieves guild known as the Nameless Ones. Ever since the solstice, they have felt fear from their gods. Recently, they received an urgent message from Orym telling Dorian to find the Voice of the Tempest, so they are heading to Zephrah – all while Opal struggles under the pressure of her dark bond with the Spider Queen.

Dariax has felt protective of Opal and is following in Dorian’s footsteps. Morrighan feels like a dog on a leash, finding new purpose as a paladin of the Matron of Ravens but feeling on the outskirts of the group. Fy’ra Rai is conflicted, feeling confused about where she is most needed and feeling the loss of her sister to the cruelty of the Nameless Ones. Dorian feels like he is missing purpose, despite running from that purpose originally.

Opal is losing the thread of her own self. She is in a dreamlike existence, where sometimes she is herself and sometimes she is far away. She has had no memory of her dreams and she can feel that her sister, Ted, is exhausted, too. But she knows there is a fight between Ted and the Spider Queen within her mind. While on their journey, this mental fight becomes too much. She feels something inside of her break.

SHATTERING

Opal explodes webs and opalescent gemstones in every direction. Spiders creep into the forest surroundings. In her mind, the Spider Queen explains that she wanted time to do this organically, but she needs a Champion right now. She will sever the ties that keep Opal with the Crown Keepers. Opal doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but she is forced to attack her friends in order to send them away. Ted manifests as a shadowy echo, attacking anyone who hurts Opal.

Fy’ra Rai asks the Wildmother how to stop this, but the Wildmother asks why she would want to. The gods need Champions in order to survive. However, removing the Spider Queen’s crown from Opal’s head will remove her influence. Fy’ra Rai steps on one of the opal clusters caught in the webs – it activates the trace of a memory. A spider crushes a separate stack of gems and Opal feels something inside her go away forever.

It is the memory of her true past with her sister Ted. The story her mother told her, long before she disappeared, about the Aevilux – a group of people who found a beacon and learned from the Luxon: how to split one’s soul in order to understand oneself and the world. As a child, Opal was torn in two – into Ted. Then they reunited again. Ted and Opal are one soul, something rare in Exandria. But then that knowledge is gone in the moment of knowing it.

UNCRUSHED GEMS

The Crown Keepers must protect the opals – if they are lost, Opal is lost. Morrighan grabs some gems and recalls asking Opal why she took the circlet of barbed vision. It was the thing to do at the time. It gave her a purpose, which is all Mor ever wanted. The two affirm their bond. Morrighan protects those opals, maintaining a pillar of Opal’s personality.

Fy’ra Rai saves some gems, triggering a memory where Opal comforted her about the discovery of her cruel sister Fy’ra Kai’s betrayal and allegiance to the Nameless Ones. Fy’ra Rai’s parents named her and her sister for two sides of a coin – Kai for warrior and Rai for trust. She promises to fight for Opal like she is her own sister.

Dariax, too, finds gems. His memory is from just a couple days ago, when he found Opal muttering to herself in a dream. He wakes her up and they talk about what she’s going through. How she doesn’t feel real. Dariax assures her that they all care about her, even when she feels alone. Dariax has spent his life stumbling into purpose, but now he’s going to put care into what he does. He will protect her and she will protect him, too.

Dariax offers to give Opal a cuddle, but the memory changes. Opal refuses to come to him. She thinks she has to go soon. Wherever Opal goes, Dariax will follow. That angers Opal and she says that she has to go by herself. He needs to let her go. He has to let her go with the Spider Queen. This memory of Opal lunges for him, mouth split open. The vision clears, but the gems are corrupted.

SECOND FORM

The Spider Queen is tired of playing. If the Crown Keepers stay, she will make Opal kill them. So either Opal needs to make them leave or the Spider Queen will. A spider attacks Dorian’s brother, Cyrus, and poisons him. Ted returns to Opal’s body as the Spider Queen takes over. Dariax and Dorian see their versions of their worst fears come to life, with Dariax seeing Opal turn into a spider person and Dorian seeing his friends corrupted.

The Spider Queen decides it is time to do this the hard way. Opal gets taller and two sets of arms emerge, holding daggers and crystal swords. Two sets of crowns adorn her head. A third set of arms emerges. Opal, Ted, and the Spider Queen in one – Opal, the Twice-Crowned.

That is it for Episode 92 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Ludinus has known about Predathos for three centuries. That’s around the same time he caused Molaesmyr’s fall. So it stands to reason that Ludinus was successful in contacting the Weave Mind in that moment – at the cost of Molaesmyr.
• No signs of Planerider Ryn at the encampment. She’s likely been moved somewhere.
• Oh hey Crown Keepers and Aabria! SO excited to have y’all back for a big split episode! But uh, please leave Opal alone?

Catch Episode 93 on Thursday, May 2nd at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?