Critical Recap: Age of Umbra E04 “The Rampart and Beyond”

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Jared Deiro, the Critical Role Junior Lore Keeper and this is our recap of Age of Umbra Episode 4: The Rampart and Beyond!

CAGE THE HERETICS

The bold group make their way toward the cliffside, the distant waves growing closer as the Ashen Seas rage against the Sunken Rampart. August creates a small flame that keeps the path lit, allowing the party some semblance of sight in the pitch black night – but with this leverage comes unwelcome company. Soaked and freezing, the group slowly make their way halfway across the Rampart, with August calling out footholds and unbroken stone to aid his allies. The sound of stalking beasts grows closer behind them.

The group approach a long swinging bridge as they notice the sound of heavy creaking iron. August takes flight and finds a 9 year old girl in an iron cage and a strange grown man in another – this is Adelia (she/her, played by Laura Bailey) and her “pet”, Skreev (he/him, played by Liam O’Brien). Two “heretics” filling out their sentence for digging their noses a little deeper than they should have. Snyx and August break the pair out of their corresponding cages, just as two spined “Painbeasts” leap at the party.

The clash is short-lived, as much as it is rambunctious. With Skreev, August, and the painbeasts falling in and out of the Ashen Sea, Adelia using a small toy doll to blast chaotic energy from its eyes, and Misty and Idyl delivering the killing blows to the terrifying monstrosities.

Introductions are made as Skreev and Adelia explain their given circumstance, seeing no reason to go to Volkoru as they feel it is a terrible place. Why were they caged? Well, a holy man named Sanctifar locked them up after they witnessed him tossing the corpses of devout acolytes into the sea; they were simply “onto their shit” and deemed heretics and locked away. Adelia shares with the group that she and Skreev found each other beneath the streets of Amber Reach after her family were taken by a bad “Elf Man” – she and Skreev have been best friends ever since.

VOLKOR-WHO ARE YOU??

Our weary travelers cross a long rope bridge and make-way through a dense wooded forest; approaching the multi-tiered vertical city of Volkoru. Hundreds of citizens move about the many staircases that cover the old Grand Watchtowers. Its Sacred Pyre burns at the highest central peak.

As the group move closer to the high fortified walls of Volkoru, they notice one-by-one as fishers rush toward the safety of the gates. Suddenly 3 dozen soldiers line the walls, nocking their arrows. Brixton calls out to the troops, explaining why they’ve come and what is at stake in Desperloch. They refuse to let them in and panic when their eyes fall upon Misty – “a cursed vessel”. Baron Lothosharis arrives shortly after, and allows them to trade and sleep outside the walls; they will be under Volkoru’s protection, so long as they stay out. IF they enter, they will immediately be killed. The group humbly takes the offer.

Skreev sneaks off to find a lone fisherman, who watches from behind a bush. Skreev asks the man if he can score him some contraband, a toy, from within. The fisherman nods, and disappears into the gates.

Keegan, an orcish trade representative steps out to do business with the group. Brixton begs for aid in Desperloch and offers the holy war scythe they found within the Luzal Monastery. Keegan takes the items and returns later with some potions, food, and some information on the “Tomb of the Heretic Saint” – they learn that in the years after the Apostasy, Evelyar rose through the ranks as a holy warrior. Believed to have visions of the paths the gods took, and where they went to. It was said that her smile gave a golden glow, and her face was “the threshold to salvation”. Her following grew so much that the Grand Ordinance of the god-king Othedias labeled her a heretic for spouting such nonsense – ultimately removing her eyes and face before executing her. Her body is now left with a blessed branch. Keegan also tells them that by trading in the holy scythe, Volkoru will send aid to Desperloch.

Skreev’s fisherman friend returns later bringing some snap powder, Heartcurdle Venom, and a bone whistle which Skreev gives to Adelia.

THE SCREAMING FOREST

They make their way along the eastern edge of the Screaming Forest, a silent wood filled with leafless trees. August grows more and more terrified as they trek onward. When he lived here he was never allowed out, except for when he escaped with Misty. He begs to move quickly and quietly so as to not attract the attention of “The Hive”. And almost as if he summoned them himself, August hears the thrumming of the winged bugs: a pack of fast approaching Hive Collectors. Idyl leads them into the forest to hide.

While hidden, Adelia notices a dark eye peeking from below a mushroom crest. She scratches the little fungus on its head as it tries to take her doll, Violet. Adelia tugs back which causes more and more of the small fungal creatures to awaken and attack – including the large and dreadful Rotlord.

The group dive headfirst into a fray with the Rotlord and its fungal back-up. But just as they finish with one battle, another rises as the Hive Collectors come to take their spoils, throwing nets onto the party to catch them and bring them back to their “Mother”: an adversary August is all too familiar with. The group proves too much for them to handle and the Hive Collectors take their first opportunity to run. This allows the party to charge northward and hopefully out of the Screaming Forest.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• SOOO excited to meet the haunting duo, Adelia and Skreev. I guess there wasn’t already enough weirdness in the group.
• We LOOOVE a good lore drop, it was very interesting learning about Evelyar, the Heretic Saint – I can’t wait to uncover more about her in the future. Fingers crossed.
• I gotta know more about this Hive?? What’s with the Mother? What makes August so terrified of her??

Catch Episode 5 of Age of Umbra on Thursday, June 26th 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?