Critical Recap: Critical Role C3E27 “A Race for the Prize”

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, the Critical Role Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into our recap of Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 27 A Race for the Prize!

FEY POSTCARDS

Bells Hells arrive at the Undercarriage, a partially underground caravanserai, and settle in for the evening. They discuss their plans for tomorrow, deciding that Ashton and a couple others will go to Paragon’s Call and speak to General Ratanish about joining them on an ‘odd jobs’ basis. If this fails, they’ll bring up Deathwish, the race. They turn their attention to Fearne’s postcards, examining them for any clues or codes.

Chetney notices that the postcards seem to be in mint condition, which casts doubt on them having gone through any kind of postal service, as well as the true age of the letters. They wonder if maybe Fearne’s parents haven’t been gone as long as Fearne thinks they have. It’s possible that the Calloways got caught in the Fey Realm’s time soup. Nana’s artistic skills are mentioned and Fearne realizes that Nana might have made the postcards herself, possibly to protect her from her parents’ mission. Fearne is confident that her confusion will be put to rest in just a couple days when she sees her parents.

WITCHES AND ROBOTS

Imogen uses her gifted pencil to signal to Laudna that she wants to talk and leaves the room, but when Laudna goes to join her, Dusk steps in. She asks Laudna out to dinner, telling her that she likes her. Laudna nervously tells them she needs time to think about it and runs off, leaving Dusk with some of her hair. Laudna goes out to Imogen and the two make up, apologizing to each other. Imogen gives Laudna the ruby snake ring that she bought and vows that no rocks will come between them again.

Imogen tells Laudna about her Ruidus dream and the two ponder what it could mean – are there people on the moon? Do they need to go to the moon? Imogen remembers that she told FCG that he could facilitate their reconciliation, so the two decide to pretend to still be fighting. They go to FCG, who is having difficulty recalling names and mixing up Dancer’s appearance with that of their newer friends.

FCG wants to talk to Dancer but they’re scared, wondering why she went away and who he was before, what life he might have been living. Imogen and Laudna promise to help FCG research and discover who he was. They make up again with FCG’s help, though they worry that FCG constantly taking on everyone’s emotional struggles is not helping him. Ashton puts FCG to bed, saying that if anyone ever made FCG feel bad, he would kill them, as FCG is the best of them.

TOY SWORDS, TOY WOLVES

Meanwhile, Orym talks with Dusk, who can’t recall where she learned to fight but remembers a childhood by the ocean. Orym offers to fight them in order to alleviate some mutual stress. They have a playful duel with the toy swords that Orym purchased from Taste of Tal’Dorei. Orym wins and Dusk flirts with him, but Orym clarifies that he is only interested in guys, plus things are complicated. He lets her keep the toy sword and Dusk is left with two rejection tokens – a sword and some hair.

Fearne and Chetney take first watch together and Chetney shows her the music box he’s engraving for her. He apologizes about her postcards and Fearne shows him a green gem that her Nana gave her. If she finds her parents, she’s supposed to give them the gem. She doesn’t know what it is, but Chetney can tell it’s enchanted. Fearne asks about Chetney’s parents. He tells her they weren’t very close. He left early on to go into woodworking and when he came home a long time later, they were gone, along with his siblings. They moved around a lot, but didn’t leave word for him. Chetney then gives Fearne her toy, a wooden wolf.

THE LEADER

In the morning, Bells Hells return to Finders Takers and pick up their commissioned bomb. Fearne tries out a pepperbox for Mister, but it’s too large for him. Esmer tells Imogen about Dancer, that she was a complicated person but shone compared to the others in Bassuras. Next, the group goes to the Seat of Disdain to talk with Paragon’s Call. Ashton, Chetney, Laudna, and Dusk (with Fearne as a rat in Dusk’s pocket) are allowed into the courtyard to meet with General Ratanish, who is surprised to see them.

Ashton convinces Ratanish that they are here for work, in an off-the-books capacity. Ratanish explains that they’ll need to talk to the leader of the Paragon’s Call and introduces Otohan Thull, a woman with piercing eyes and grey hair, wearing dark leathers and a mantle – the same woman from Imogen’s dreams. Ashton recognizes them as a famed war hero from the Stratos Throne during the Apex War. Otohan disappeared after the war and returned about five or six years ago as the leader of Paragon’s Call, responsible for expanding them beyond Bassuras.

Ashton is starstruck by the appearance of a living legend. Otohan tells the group that if they want to prove themselves, then it’s either a fight or Deathwish. Ashton chooses Deathwish and Otohan sets the race at dusk, giving Bells Hells little time to prepare. At Otohan’s order, Ratanish gives them a Paragon’s Call sponsorship emblem for a second crawler.

RACE PREP

As the group leaves, Rat!Fearne decides to check out Otohan, as something is hidden beneath her cloak. She scurries up the cloak and sees a strange contraption on her back, like a metal backpack with two cavities containing crystal canisters. Rat!Fearne tries to stealth away, gets noticed by Ratanish, and then saved by Dusk, who claims her as their pet. Bells Hells meet back up and quickly separate to go prepare for the race.

Ashton and Laudna go to All-Minds-Burn, where Justi gives Laudna drugs and an invitation to join with the wavelength. Justi is happy to help with the race and gives Ashton a yellow cloth to mark their vehicles so they know who to avoid targeting. The others go to Imahara Joe’s and show him the Paragon’s Call emblem and he agrees to get a loaner crawler ready for them by dusk. He shows them how to drive the crawlers and explains the race’s lack of rules.

Deathwish runs from the Bone Tree in the Skids through hairpin turns, then down a ravine switchback course and through a cave system that houses natural dangers (like creatures), then climbs up the sides of the Carmine Curtain, ending back at the Bone Tree, where the big traps come out for the grand finale. Bells Hells discuss various configurations for drivers and gunners as they make their way to the Bone Tree to set up for the race. News of the race has already spread, attracting a rambunctious plethora of onlookers and participants.

That is it for Episode 27 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• The person from Imogen’s nightmares is in charge of Paragon’s Call?? That’s not good.
• As of now, the plan is for Chetney and Ashton to drive, but the second seat (gunners) is still up for grabs.
• Laudna and Imogen made up!! But FCG is having such a hard time. Poor friend.
• The meeting with the Calloways is in the morning, so just survive Deathwish and meet Fearne’s parents! Easy, right?

Anyway, catch Episode 28 on Thursday, July 21st at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?