Critical Recap: Critical Role C3E57 “The Sorrow of Molaesmyr”

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 57 The Sorrow of Molaesmyr!

GHOST PATH

The group delves deeper into the ruins of Molaesmyr, which are covered in tangles of the corrupted Savalirwood. Everyone can talk to each other telepathically thanks to the casting of telepathic bond by FCG, so they’re able to remain quiet and stealth through the city. F.R.I.D.A. navigates them around the numerous cracks and fissures that leak the cursed miasma. They spot a massive tower rising above the ruined buildings and head in its direction.

This tower is so tall that its spired top sticks above the treeline and has seemingly preserved some of Molaesmyr’s former beauty. The rest of that beauty is lost to time and corruption, seen in the frequent ghosts and the numerous skeletal bodies entangled in the roots of the surrounding trees. The trees themselves are twisted in horrifying shapes that resemble corpses and bloom in a red canopy that unsettles everyone.

FCG casts divination, asking the Changebringer to show them a safe path to the tower. A wind blows through the mist, clearing a path for them to travel down. FCG guides them, but they’re confronted by numerous ghosts when they reach the center of the town. They fight the ghosts and eventually dispatch them, though Chetney is momentarily possessed. F.R.I.D.A. spots a creature moving around the other distant towers, something winged and headless.

TOWER TO TOWER

In order to avoid this winged creature, the group enters the closest tower as they make their way towards the northwestern portion of the city. Deanna spots a tapestry that has a symbol of a white tree corkscrewing upward, with its roots corkscrewing down to a subterranean sun. She recognizes the tree as part of the Uthodurnian crest. F.R.I.D.A. goes upstairs and finds another twisting tree with a corpse-like face.

F.R.I.D.A. accidentally steps on a branch, which purposefully injures them. They also notice the tree looking at them. F.R.I.D.A. spots a tower to the northwest that is leaning at an angle and caught by the trees before it could fall entirely. This is likely the Gildhollow Tower, the one Ludinus used for his studies. F.R.I.D.A. chooses to stay at the window and look out for creatures while the others go to the tower, intent on joining after ensuring they’ve made it safely.

FCG leads the others to the Gildhollow Tower, but falls into a crack of black miasma, which reduces his maximum hit points by 5. They comment on their stress levels, which are elevated right now, and Deanna encourages FCG to go to his happy place. The group’s telepathy is fading, so they urge F.R.I.D.A. to come along. F.R.I.D.A. spots the winged creature returning to its tower with prey, so feels comfortable enough to leave and rejoin.

THE WOLF-KING

As F.R.I.D.A. stealthily makes their way to the group, a bridge collapses beneath their feet. The noise attracts the attention of the Wolf-King: a massive and horrifying wolf creature of five separate wolf torsos that pull behind them, chariot-like, a primary wolf body. Imogen creates a storm in the distance, distracting the Wolf-King and allowing F.R.I.D.A. to join them at the tower, but Chetney and FCG had already run back to try and save F.R.I.D.A.

Imogen attempts to cast sending to FCG, hoping that the spell will work since the magic is not having to travel a distance across the tangled leylines. Her theory is correct and the spell works, connecting with FCG. She informs him that F.R.I.D.A. is safe and to return to the tower. Chetney and FCG sprint, but are followed by the Wolf-King. The others begin climbing up the vines to the leaning tower’s balcony and Deanna casts a guardian of faith that looks like werewolf Chetney.

F.R.I.D.A. falls from the tower, but Imogen telekinetically grabs them. Everyone makes it inside the Gildhollow Tower just as the Wolf-King arrives. He attempts to climb the tower as well, but is kept at bay by the Guardian of Faith and eventually wanders off. Deanna is frustrated with F.R.I.D.A. for trying to brush aside their near death and reiterates that no one is getting left behind. F.R.I.D.A. asks her to trust that they will always make it back to her.

WHAT WAS LEFT

The Gildhollow Tower is cluttered and filled with debris. There is a strange dry residue on the walls, like stretched parchment, and numerous bodies. The tower has been heavily looted, but Fearne can still sense that this was definitely Ludinus’ tower. A body on the stairs appears to have been killed by a magical trap. They notice a glyph and Deanna dispels it, allowing them to go upstairs. Deanna realizes that the strange parchment on the walls reminds her of shed skin.

The room upstairs has also been looted, but they spot old notes on the walls in elvish writing. Deanna translates, learning that the writing speaks of patterns of arcana across cultures and time. There are fragments of the Exandrian calendar, and notes on repetition and the shiftings of magic. These scrawlings also cover fonts of arcana and overlapping celestial events, as well as the locations where magical shifts continue to recur.

Another section of notes in the chamber call out historical specialists like Vaatora, Laerryn, and Vishtaraan. None of these names ring a bell for the group. They find pages that were torn from a religious tome with comments of temple propaganda, inconsistencies and contradictions within religious rites that offer proof that there is no real truth or plan in the gods. They also emphasize the Matron of Ravens and specifically focus on what her name is; an obsession with finding her name and the power that names hold.

WAKING UP

Chetney rubs dirt on the walls, attempting to see if there are any more notes or indentations in the walls. He finds a circular portion of the wall that the dust unnaturally clings to. Deanna casts light on her staff and touches the wall – the circle sucks the magic into itself and glows for a moment. F.R.I.D.A. begins to feel a strange familiarity with this place, like a tickle in the back of their mind. Imogen offers to mind meld with them to help them uncover their memories.

They discuss what spells might work on the circle while Chetney climbs up to the ceiling. He pulls on the roots to see if there is anything more up there. When he does, he realizes there is something soft, rotting, and bloody on the ceiling. The branches tear and an ooze of skinless tendrils falls onto the floor. Faces emerge on the skin and something begins to form that is drawing inspiration from the group and the city itself. This lifeform is hungry, chaotic, and awake.

That is it for Episode 57 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Ludinus was obsessed with the Matron and her name… could he have possibly found it?
• The Wolf-King is a good boy and I love him. Wolf-King did nothing wrong. Get in his five mouths.
• If the name ‘Laerryn’ sounds intriguing, make sure to watch EXU: Calamity!
• That fleshy monster sounds terrifying but OPEN THE CIRCLE. PLEASE!!

Catch Episode 58 on Thursday, May 11th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?