Critical Recap – Critical Role C4E42 “A Stalwart Heart”

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 42 A Stalwart Heart!

SINK OR SWIM?

Vaelus and Thimble wake up and admire the apple sapling as Sloak’s skies clear and the sun warms the lands. Vaelus allows Thimble to take a peek behind her veil, asking her not to be scared; she unveils her scarred face where her jaw, teeth, and parts of her throat are made of metal. Vaelus tells Thimble that her mourning veil once belonged to her sister, who died nearly 80 years ago, and she’s worn it ever since.

The Seekers strategize and plan for the days ahead; Occtis and Demodus help Ulbid and the dwarves assemble the statues of the fake Morn girls. Kattigan draws a layout of the River Viennen, the Gainesly Bridge, and Bradanfall. Ultimately they decide they need to get eyes on the caravan, specifically the wagon carrying the real Morn girls, and the ferry in Bradanfall. Julien scoffs at the back-and-forth bickering, preparing them for the possibility that their plans may fail and that they need to be ready to sink the ferry.

They decide that Kattigan, Morgaine, Vaelus, Julien, and Bolaire will head to Bradanfall to get the lay of the land, while Thimble, Clauny, and Groveland will check on the Tachonis caravan in Caller’s Perch. After everyone clears out, Pimley warns Bolaire that Julien is going to get them all killed, fearing his “warning” about the plan failing is a “confession.”

BRADANFALL

As “Team Bradanfall” arrives at the River Viennen, King Gus’ caravan continues onward to hire masons to shut down and “repair” the Gainesly Bridge, which will send all traffic to the Bradanfall ferry for the next few days.

Sir Hewn introduces the shire reeve, Alden Gwinnel, to Kattigan. Cyrus vouches for the group, explaining how they’re here to help “fix” the ferry before tomorrow’s chaotic traffic. Happy to have all the help they can get, Shire Reeve Alden leaves them with free rein over the ferry.

As night settles, everyone goes to work on the ferry, creating a slide door and compartment within the raft’s hull to stash the statues, an air gap beneath, and a cable attached to the bottom.

CALLER’S PERCH

As Thimble, Clauny and Groveland step out of the Miller’s Road at Caller’s Perch, Thimble flits off to the sectioned zone the Tachonis made for themselves.

Arriving at the carriages, we learn that the Tachonis caravan consists of eight wagons: two troop vessels, three cargo, and three luxury travel wagons belonging to Vassal House Seremai, Vassal House Vachari, and, of course, House Tachonis. Among the many mounted knights guarding the caravan, Thimble overhears a Vassal Knight of House Cormoray speaking of a dao he carries at his hip.

Thimble moves forward and scans the wagon believed to be holding the statues, learning the floorboards are made of thick wood. Thimble then eavesdrops on the Tachonis wagon, overhearing Primus Tachonis speaking with the twins, Petra and Ryah, until Primus hears something outside.

Primus steps outside and casts Trueseeing on his son Ethrand. Thimble flies inside the statue cargo wagon to quickly gather as much information as she can. She finds a human-sized statue in a crate by itself, then finds a second crate holding three small gnomish paladin statues. Getting what she needed, she darts from the carriage, where she sees Primus Tachonis staring directly at her. She’s made.

Thimble takes off as Primus follows in suit, he tears a hole in the mountainside, conjuring five skeletons to attack. And just when all hope is lost, Groveland, stalwart Hound of the King Augustus Valian of Timmony, leaps into the air and bites Primus. “RUN!” Groveland growls at Thimble.

Thimble disengages, flees, and hides. Primus silences Groveland, but loses sight of Thimble. He yells to the soldiers to find the pixie just as she hears a thud as something hits the ground. Thimble flies away, finds the Black Rabbits, and leaves Caller’s Perch.

SERVE

Thimble arrives in Sloak. She tells Felltower and Hawkins of how Groveland sacrificed himself for her. They console her, making sure she knows that Groveland died in defense of his king; he WISHED to fight. And in their order, the honorable Hounds of the King will return to serve, again and again.

Thimble, Occtis, Ulbid, Felltower, and the statues arrive at Bradanfall. Thimble tells the others of how badly her scout mission went and that Primus saw her. With Primus knowing as much as he does, Julien and Bolaire think they’ll have to sink the raft. Morgaine speaks up – capsizing the boat in the middle of the river means villagers aboard, and no one has a plan to save those caught in the rapids.

Morgaine makes clear that there is no debate over whether the original plan will continue. With House Tachonis planning to destroy the Old Path, more is at stake than just the fate of the Morn girls, and Morgaine will stand against them. She and Thimble decide to take the Miller’s Road to watch the King’s Highway and keep an eye on the Tachonis.

As Thimble and Morgaine arrive at Arderin, they see every wagon in the Tachonis caravan is weighed down, each one loaded with heavy weights.

That is it for Episode 42 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Does Vaelus visual mean new Vaelus art? Who do I gotta talk to to get that STAT?!?
• GROVELAAAAAND!!!!!
• That ending was such a gut punch, boy, does that pendulum swing. TAKE ME BACK TO BRAUWLA’S

Catch Episode 43 of Critical Role Campaign 4 on Thursday, November 12th 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?