Critical Recap: Age of Umbra Sallowlands Episode 5 “Decaying Deliverance”

Hello and welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Jared Deiro, the Critical Role Junior Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into Age of Umbra: Sallowlands Episode 5 Decaying Deliverance!

AND THAT’S THE WAY THE EMBERTOLL CRUMBLES…

After multiple attempts to stop the Dova caravan and wake their friends, Dilly flees into the canopy and reaches the perimeter of Hookburrow, the massive, nature-made village home to hundreds of various beastfolk. The caravan takes the group of survivors to the center cliff face of the village as the gagged and blindfolded survivors slowly wake up.

The entire community emerges, while the survivors secretly break free from their ropes. The people look reverently at the Embertoll as a 12-foot-tall, horned, robed figure, known as the Chieftain, steps onto the stone platform.

The Chieftain calls forth one of the non-beastfolk denizens to the platform. They press their forehead to the Embertoll as it violently corrupts them into a dismorphed beastfolk. They give a birth howl, and the village howls with them. Mercy uses this moment to get up and rush for their weapons, while Alphonse and Badger send a blood bolt at the Embertoll. With a heavy and haunting BONG! Dilly resists the sound as the Dova charge them.

Chaos unfolds in the community, and Caguama yells and begs for the fighting to stop and for them to be let go. The Chieftain asks for Caguama’s trust, offering them the chance to step to the Embertoll. Caguama can feel the disc humming along with their relic blade.

Alphonse looks at Caguama and the relic; he remembers his younger self on the walls of Oathwell. A patrolman in another life. He remembers the populace gathered around a religious figure holding a nexus of some kind. He remembers his daughter, Valia, among a group of children making a circle around the figure, and just as Alphonse smiles, there is a white flash, and all those near the nexus are turned to ash.

Alphonse shoots at the Embertoll. Red lightning cracks from his rifle. The gong sounds, a red crack glows in the disc, and the relic falls. A screeching howl rings from the Dova as the community is raptured with horror and begins attacking each other in the chaos.

THE HELLSCAR

The survivors flee, reaching the Threadbares crest. And just as they see the city skyline, the world rocks, the sky glows green and blue, and massive alien-arcane sigils appear within the walls. The ground splinters and curls as it consumes the city, and a magical shockwave throws the survivors back. Then – where there was once a massive metropolis, there is now a broken crater.

As they push toward the plumes of green smoke emerging from where the city once stood. Alphonse pulls out his relic, it glows the same emerald green. Sister takes the glass orb and attempts to commune with the spirit it belongs to, seeing a black horizon of people marching north away from Amber Reach. Wearing red tabards and robes, the handsome and smiling figure leading them holds a strong air of rebellion and purpose. A woman with vibrant green eyes takes his arm, and they kiss. Sister tells the others that the group marched in contempt of the gods, then were destroyed here, long, long ago.

They hear a horn and see some from Hookburrow, along with many others, descend into the Hellscar. They decide to join the race to the center of the Wound.

MAGNAMITY

Being the first to enter the Wound, they hear a battle behind them while factions collide. Bloodied people scramble up through the ruins, ”Have you come to help us?” a man asks. Caguama senses something off within the man and turns to the others, warning them not to touch the people. Alphonse instinctively begins to turn just as the strangers reveal themselves to be demons of the Hetacomb Legion.

A fight breaks out, and the tide turns against the heroes as Mercy is mercilessly swarmed and cleaved by the enemies. Alphonse destroys his glass orb relic, ridding the field of a demon priestess.

Falling apart, Mercy makes a last-ditch effort and reaches into their chest, blooming into a fungril mass. He leaps toward the demon priest, who becomes enveloped in Mercy’s mycelium form. The two fall into the pit, breaking the other attackers from the priest’s demonic hold. Giving them and his fellow companions one last shred of mercy.

That’s about it for Episode 5 of Age of Umbra: Sallowlands, friends!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Terrifying opening fight, I cannot believe Caguama keeps getting away with these peaceful chats mid-combat! They can’t be stopped!
• WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THIS CITY, MAAAN?!?
• R.I.P. Mercy. What a way to go out.

Catch Episode 6 of Age of Umbra: Sallowlands on Thursday, August 13th 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 in two parts on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet!?