Critical Recap: Critical Role C3E101 “Downfall: Part Three”

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 101 Downfall: Part Three!

RING AROUND THE ROSIE

The winds from the Stormlord begin to pick up outside as the group stands in Ars Elysia, having just destroyed the Obtenebrator and the Scribe. Only one more barrier remains: the Latimus Princeps, which is built into the Factorum Malleus itself. Cassida, secret worshiper of the Everlight and Archmage behind the Factorum’s design, is crushed to learn that the Prime Deities are working with the Betrayer Gods. Her pain is twisted by Milo, who tells her that mortals don’t matter to the gods at all and breaks her further.

Umleta arrives and shows them a recording she just captured of the solar Acastriel meeting with the Archmages Adamar Cadrow and Selena Erenves (S.I.L.A.H.A.’s “creator”) – Acastriel reveals that the gods are here in mortal form and that they will cast aside these forms when they cast aside Aeor. He gives them a glass amulet, similar to the one holding Emhira’s imp Slitch. A soldier enters and informs the two archmages that the Obtenebrator is down and that the protocol failed. It is time to use the weapon.

Cassida reveals one more place that stores the knowledge of the weapon – a bank of scroll batteries. There are 3 archmages who can recreate the knowledge: herself, Adamar, and Selena. But they don’t each have all the pieces, they can only create it in tandem with each other. She pleads with the gods to just destroy the weapon and not the city itself. The Primes don’t want to destroy the city and will attempt to thread this needle – destroy the scroll bank, destroy the weapon, leave the people alone.

POCKETS FULL OF POSEY

Cassida, Trist, Arcadia, and Umleta head to the scroll bank while the other gods split off to the weapon. Selena, Adamar, and Acastriel have already arrived and Selena realizes that S.I.L.A.H.A. has betrayed her. Fighting ensues; The Emissary immediately destroys the first Latimus Princeps ward, that of Divine Prowess. This returns the gods’ high skill check abilities. Fighting continues, with the arrival of two demons (a glabrezu and nalfeshnee), multiple archmages, and three dragons – Ataro the shadow dragon and two mages transforming into a brass dragon and a silver dragon.

Trist and Arcadia make it to the scroll bank with Cassida and realize that their family needs their help. Trist’s son Topher calls her on the sending stone, where he frantically tells her that Hawk’s Hill is being attacked. Purvan is trying to usher the family to safety, but her daughter Haylie has left to help the encampment. The stone goes silent, her husband Amaris’ voice the last thing she hears. Arcadia asks what Trist is doing here when it all feels wrong. Arcadia can work a miracle in this room and tells Trist to go work her own miracles. Trist leaves and chooses to aid her family at the Factorum Malleus, who are being hounded by numerous enemies.

ASHES, ASHES

S.I.L.A.H.A. casts meteor swarm, bringing down the 3 highest wards – that of Magic, Vitality, and Potency. These return the gods’ health, higher magic, and higher damage. This changes the game, with the gods unleashed and barely hanging onto their mortal forms. The Everlight controls a construct, making it destroy the ward of Divine Resistance. Ayden weeps as the Dawnfather takes over, telling the mages that their magic blotted out the stars and made them forget that there were things above them.

The Emissary destroys the 6th Ward, granting the gods’ Truesight – Father Milo disappears and they realize that the Lord of the Hells is elsewhere, but are unsure where. Selena throws the glass amulet that Acastriel gave her into the weapon as she casts a spell: S.I.L.A.H.A. chooses to save the amulet, which holds an unknown god and thus, an unknown sibling, and allows the spell to go through. It is a wish spell that sends the knowledge of the Factorum Malleus into the minds of Aeor’s wizards.

The Emissary is worthy. He is scared, but ready. The Matron destroys the final ward, releasing their Divine Vigor and allowing their godly forms to return. The Emissary drops the bomb within him to disanimate the Factorum Malleus in an explosion of force. As that explosion builds, the Wildmother releases the god within the amulet – the Knowing Mistress pops out. They realize that the Lord of the Hells switched places with Arcadia at some point, trapping her in the amulet.

WE ALL FALL DOWN

Trist uses her slingshot to magically shoot the sending stone all the way back to Hawk’s Hill, saving her children from a fiend. Topher and Haylie take up the two sending stones and glow with light, destroying the demons and devils attacking Hawk’s Hill. Two new demigods, blood of the divine, have entered the Calamity with hope restored. It is not over, but its final chapter begins now.

The Arch Heart and the Knowing Mistress stay with the Emissary and the Factorum as the others race to the scroll bank. They find Cassida murdered and the Lord of the Hells claiming she renounced the Everlight before her death. He has the scroll and wants the Factorum Malleus turned on in order to use it against the Primes. The Everlight casts Guiding Bolt and destroys the scroll as Selena’s wish enters the minds of everyone in Aeor. The Arch Heart recites the Scribe’s poem, activating the Malleus Key and sending its power through the city, destroying the Genesis Ward and crashing Aeor into Eiselcross.

The Matron, alone, lovingly guides the Emissary’s soul back to his mother the Lawbearer, telling him how good of a job he did. The Matron also saves Hallis, sending him elsewhere before Aeor’s crash. The Arch Heart shields Serena from the blast, telling her how proud they are of her and of their children. Ayden looks at the Lord of the Hells and asks why it must always be like this. The Lord of the Hells says they chose the mortals and that they had a chance to be a family. This is all the Dawnfather’s fault and the Lord of Hells will hate him forever. Ayden’s head explodes with light as he sheds his mortal form and tells the Lord of Hells not to lie to him before the Betrayer disappears.

SUNRISE/SUNSET

The gods shed their forms, holding one another with love and exhaustion. They reunite above the clouds, devastated at what was lost. The Lawbearer reunites with the Wildmother and begs to know about her son. She could not have come, knowing that the Wildmother would be there. The Wildmother agrees, grateful the Lawbearer wasn’t there. They couldn’t have been those people together. The Wildmother tells her about the Emissary, their sweet and brave child.

The gods look over Exandria, at the place they have broken. They have to close the door behind them. Everything is a half measure until they leave. But first they must seal the Betrayers away. The Matron shows the Everlight the two shining stars in her thread of fate, giving her the comfort that her children will do great things and she will see them again.

The Dawnfather does not want to leave his children, to not be at their side as they grow and change. The Arch Heart tells him they will always be together in some way. Like a scar. The Dawnfather sheds a tear for his children, the final part of Ayden’s hope, and stands resolute with his family. The light fades.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Holy shit, y’all. When Aeor fell, Aeor fell hard.
• Who did Trist’s demigod children become? What are their stories?
• What will Bells Hells have to say about these revelations?? What will LUDINUS?!
• Shout out to our incredible guests Abubakar Salim, Nick Marini, Noshir Dalal, and Brennan Lee Mulligan! Wonderful job, y’all!!

Catch Episode 102 of Critical Role on Thursday, August 1st at 7pm Pacific on beacon.tv, where Beacon members get access to the entire episode, podcast included! The episode will also release on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole and a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?