Critical Recap: Critical Role C4E32 “Road of Dreams”

Hello and welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Jared Deiro, the Critical Role Junior Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into Critical Role Campaign 4 Episode 32 Road of Dreams!

I DREAM OF FAERIE

Asleep in the fairy cave beneath Lake Nahami, our new Seekers – Kattigan, Vaelus, Bolaire, Thimble, Julien, and Occtis dream after a long day in Dol-Makjar.

Kattigan dreams of a bygone peaceful time with his wife, Marienna, and daughter, Esmé. It quickly turns to a nightmare as Lord Primus Tachonis infiltrates the cottage and Kattigan feels himself turning into a wolf. As Kattigan leaps after the sorcerer, he finds himself falling…

Falling into a dream where Julien Davinos drags the heavy body of Thjazi Fang in a tavern called “Primus’s”. Having just come from a war-torn battlefield, Julien takes the now human Kattigan and drags him out of the tavern.

Thimble dreams of a floating fey crystal above a pathway of water among stars. The crystal beats like a heart, the water acting as a veil between Faerie and Death. She sees Dame Gaya Seremai grimacing through the water. Thimble tries to pull Seremai through the veil but not before Occtis appears between them. Occtis is drawn to Thimble’s presence and apologizes to Dame Seremai, promising not to abuse her soul as his family would.

As Occtis and Thimble approach the crystal, a fairy appears and speaks to Thimble. They are in a place “in-between”, a crossroads where Mortal, Faerie, and Death are all nearby. Just then, Julien and Kattigan appear as Thimble is pulled into the crystal.

A booming voice speaks to Thimble as she looks up at the trunk of a cherry tree stretching across an endless sky. There is an enormous figure of a miller with tattooed knotwork – an archfae. “You’re marvelous to behold, daughter of Faerie,” the Archfae says to her. He tells her he is proud of her and that there is grief and sorrow in her journeys ahead – It is unfair to ask her to be a light to others, but would she shirk that duty if he asked? She agrees, always. The Archfae tells her exactly how to use the Miller’s Road before bidding her farewell.

SISTERS OF SYLANDRI

Vaelus finds herself standing barefoot in a stunning meadow. She finds a mess of a scarecrow made of garbage, and ratty feathers with his head trapped in his chest. She helps get it out and places it on his body. The Scarecrow doesn’t know his name. Vaelus feels like this ruined old scarecrow is Hannan. It doesn’t feel like Hannan, but it has his mask. She wonders if maybe people aren’t like their souls externally.

In the distance, she can hear the crying voices of her family. Instantly, she runs to them, finding herself on a pane of glass, running through a night sky. Maywyn, her sister, is upside down on the pane, matching her footsteps. Their hands meet in the water. Maywyn weeps to Vaelus; she doesn’t know where she is. Suddenly, a voice calls out to her –

“Sister Vaelus, have you retrieved the Stone?” asks Sister Matriarch Kyra of the Sisters of Sylandri, wondering why Vaelus has not returned to the Abbey. Vaelus tells Kyra she destroyed it.

Around this time, Thimble steps back into the space in between, where she and the rest of the group see Vaelus standing before her Sister Matriarch. Kyra threatens to torture Vaelus for eternity, as Vaelus attempts to use her magic; it fails. Sister Kyra tells Vaelus that the magic is no longer hers since she has forsaken her vows. As Thimble takes hold of Kyra’s ring, it grows larger and larger until they find themselves falling into Bolaire’s theater, where one-by-one they cut themselves from the terribly realistic lucid dreaming.

THE ENCHANTER’S TOWER

The Seekers wake up the next morning, swim out of the cave, and take the fae Miller’s Road toward Timmony. As they walk for a short time, Thimble recognizes an alpine tree near Ulbid Morn’s tower, and, remembering Ulbid’s telescope, they decide they could peer down the highway and see what lies in wait.

Stepping off the Miller’s Road and toward the tower, they recognize the rambunctious Black Rabbits protecting the cottage and blooming garden. While Ulbid welcomes them, he’s very surprised to see Thimble and Kattigan back so soon. They tell Ulbid about the Tachonis caravans currently on the way.

Climbing up the tower and peering through the telescope, they notice at the bottom of a cliff a bunch of heraldry, tabards, and banners of Argosia, but no bodies, no wagons, and no dead animals (Bolaire realizes that this is the group that left the gala after the assassination attempt). Ulbid mentions that he saw King Gus’ caravan a while ago, and the Tachonis caravan early this morning. Thimble spots the Caller’s Perch in the far distance, with a scraggly faerie tree beside it. She pitches an idea to slow down the Tachonis and help King Gus – “Let’s make a rockslide.”

Thimble then tells Ulbid about his stone daughters being among the Tachonis caravan, promising they’ll get his girls home. Ulbid insists on coming with them. Though Julien tries to dissuade him, Ulbid begs. Kattigan tells Ulbid that he understands where Ulbid’s head is at; he puts Bolaire on the old gnome.

Inside, Ulbid begs and gives his word, knowing that they have a greater chance of saving his daughters if they work together – he will do anything. Bolaire feels Ulbid could be helpful, mentioning that if he becomes a problem, Bolaire can make him flee. With Ulbid Morn and the Black Rabbits in tow, they leave a note for Ulbid’s nephew, Pimley Morn, and head out to set their trap!

That is it for Episode 32 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• You know how hard it is to explain your own dream to someone? Now imagine typing out what someone else is telling another person about a dream that their character is having, but in a faerie cave.
• HELLL yeaaaahhh, we got the Black Rabbits back in this joint. I am now – locked in.
• SHAPERS, PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS OLD GNOME DIE, PLEEEEEEAASSEEEE

Catch Episode 33 of Critical Role Campaign 4 on Thursday, September 3rd 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?