Critical Recap: Critical Role C4E35 “Lead the Way”

Hello and welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, the Critical Role Senior Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into Critical Role Campaign 4 Episode 35 Lead the Way!

FEY REFUGEES

The Seekers and the surviving fairies of Hawthorn’s Glade mourn their lost fey fellows and their home. Soobri, one of Hawthorn’s advisors, has died, along with other fairies like Rustblossom and three pixie brothers – Bix, Mack, and Flip. Hawthorn herself is aging rapidly, but she is still alive. Thimble offers to bring the fairies to the new fairy glade in Tintazi Woods. Most of the fairies are afraid to go near a city as large as Dol-Makjar, but Sallow, Hawthorn’s lake hag advisor, is intrigued.

Ulbid offers to set up a warning system and Vaelus tells them the lake dragon will be a protector. Thimble mentions there is already a community of fae folk there and the Hallowed Round is nearby. Sallow wants to see the Candescent Creed be unmade and if Wick is working on that, then she wants to be there for it. With really no other choice, the fairies decide to travel the Miller’s Road to the cherry tree glade. Sallow calls Thimble ‘Cura Sligh’ – hero – and tells her to lead the way. They bury Soobri, whose body vanishes into the earth. Thimble and Ulbid take the fairies to Dol-Makjar while Kattigan leads the other Seekers back to Ulbid’s tower.

Thimble, Ulbid, and the fairies arrive in the Tintazi Woods, where Ulbid sets up the perimeter to warn of non-fey infiltrators. Sallow places Hawthorn’s body between two roots of the cherry tree so she may bond with it over time. Hawthorn may have a new name when she wakes up, and may lack her memories. Rainbloom can sense a strange fey mold in the city (Laumy) and Thimble asks Temelow to tell Wick that Shuffa is here. Sallow settles into the lake, making it all a bit more swampy. She is eager to explore the waterways of the city and cause some trouble.

ON THE ROAD

The Seekers take items from the poachers and Occtis takes Soobri’s ancient crystal ball before they begin their journey back to Ulbid’s. Kattigan asks Julien how it felt to save the fey when it didn’t serve his narrow purpose. Julien considers protecting the fey his duty as a Davinos, so serving them is an honor. Vaelus confirms her lack of spellcasting now, but she still has her ability to fight. Bolaire is happy to have a new body, though the priest’s inner self is screaming. Julien asks what Bolaire wants: freedom. To win the war. To live openly and enjoy life. He cannot be the person he wishes to be during a war.

Upon arriving at Ulbid’s tower, Occtis dismisses Dame Gaya, who urges him to employ her beyond just as a weapon. She can sew his wounds, for instance. Inside the tower, they find Pimley Morn, Ulbid’s nephew. The Black Rabbits fight him, while the others are upset that he sold out Demodus Blix. Occtis has no idea why his school friend Demodus is involved with any of this, so Bolaire explains while they stuff Pimley into a chest for safety.

Ulbid talks to Thimble about how being strong despite one’s wounds just results in being asked to carry more. Thimble feels like a boulder rolling downhill and is grateful that Ulbid is with them. She asks if he knows anything about a soul being stuck to a shadow; Ulbid does. Pimley has used a saying before: “In Dol-Makjar, they’ll take the shadow right off of you.”

SHADOWS OF DOL-MAKJAR

Thimble returns to the tower for Ulbid’s gear and the Seekers find Pimley attempting to escape via a false bottom and trapdoor. Thimble asks what the shadow phrase means: it’s known amongst smuggler circles that it’s possible to get souls in Dol-Makjar. Kattigan and Bolaire are wearing soul clothes right now. If you want a soul packaged in a shadow, talk to someone in House Halovar. The churchgoers don’t know, but the insiders do. Pimley once tried to steal from a carriage to Venatus filled with rolls of shadow. It was from Zebani to Occtis’ Uncle Segundus.

Pimley comments on how the Halovars have to package their dealings differently from the Tachonis, aiming to appear like the good guys keeping Tachonis’ ‘bad guys’ in check. The skull distracts from the light. Occtis agrees with this. Pimley is a thief. He steals magic things and that makes him good at spotting magic things. That same carriage had crates lined with lead and silver runes to move things across the veil.

Kattigan tells Pimlet that they’re going to save his cousins. This surprises Pimley, who knows they’ve been missing. He wants to help in this endeavor. Thimble prepares to return to Ulbid and talks to Julien, who wants Thjazi out of his shadow. She doesn’t understand Julien’s anger, saying Thjazi did what he did to help Julien, who disagrees and says Thjazi has haunted his life. They agree to discuss more later and Thimble returns to Ulbid.

WORTH AND WORTHY

Ulbid finishes his protection wards in the night, so he and Thimble return to his tower in the morning. Occtis talks to Vaelus, telling her not to step in front of him in fights. He is still upset that she destroyed the Stone of Nightsong without considering him. He does not believe that she cares about him, despite her apologies. Vaelus goes to Julien for training. Occtis has Wulferic hunt him a pheasant and refills his syringe with pheasant parts.

Bolaire builds an arch of twigs outside, which will allow the others to see into his mental theatre. Bolaire interrogates Lux Pierce, unsettling the others (particularly Ulbid). Lux Pierce was sent to the glade by Lux Hammothy Bridges. Pierce was Lux Bridges’ ‘Glimmer’. The goal was to rid the forest of both undead and fey evil. Lux Pierce believes that fairies are spirits of the dead. The Halovars wanted the moon crystal. They were to prove themselves to the Archlux Lapid from the Cathedral in Arderin. Pierce sees himself as unworthy and thought Bridges would make him pure. His tattoos aren’t full filament. Bridges took expelled seminaries and sought to lead them.

Clauny and the Black Rabbits return to the glade to get the shards of the moon crystal. Arderin is the capital of Vallow, in Timmony. So this was all at the order of a Creed priest in Timmony. The Seekers travel the Miller’s Road, heading to the tree in Sloak as their next stop. Ulbid learned of Vaelus’ heroism in creating the fairy haven via Temelow, but Vaelus does not consider herself heroic. Occtis and Thimble talk about his newfound weirdness. She tells him weird is good. He’s a soldier now. Becoming numb to the painful bits is normal.

Occtis asks how she can go big now. She was trying to rescue Teor and remembered the stories of fairies getting bigger to protect people. It feels like Teor is with her. Occtis thinks that if magic is intention, she became what she needed in order to rescue the Pridesire brothers. She’s made of magic, after all. Cura Sligh really means fairy champion in Sylvan. Occtis thinks she is the hero she was meant to be.

ROSY WELCOME

The Seekers, Ulbid, and Pimley exit the apple tree in Sloak as the sun sets. They head to Brauwla’s public house and are surprised to find King Gus and his entourage set up. The Hounds welcome Kattigan and his friends, introducing Groveland who is now no longer trapped in stone. The Black Rabbits switch to their rose heads, literally putting on a sweet face. Occtis and Bolaire have their wards to protect them from the knights’ inspection of ill magic.

Inside the pub, Demodus is entertaining Gus and Baroness Cosgrove with illusory magic. The pub is packed with people, from Gus’ entourage to local knights and dwarven bridge builders. Demodus notices the Seekers’ entrance and shouts out to his friend, Occtis, announcing him as a Tachonis to the entire room.

That is it for Episode 35 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Vaelus! You’re a fairy hero just like Thimble! Accept your status as a Wild Thing!
• Truly everyone is going to be super normal about Occtis being a Tachonis. I can feel it.
• Thimble can access five trees via the Miller’s Road: Dol-Makjar, the Dahapshnee Woods, Caller’s Perch, Sloak, and Tybry’s Lea.

Catch Episode 36 of Critical Role Campaign 4 on Thursday, September 24th 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?