Critical Recap: Critical Role C3E61 “Crisis of Faith”

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 61 Crisis of Faith!

ACCELERATION

An intense, chaotic battle against the Dawnfather’s temple and its guards breaks out, with Elder Abaddina summoning an Earth Guardian and Flameguide Kiro summoning a guardian of faith. The two leaders battle each other, with the Earth Guardian creating pillars in the temple that radiate out protection. The Judicator within the temple focuses their attacks on Deni$e, stunning her with its divine condemnation and brutally wounding her.

The soldiers’ gastrointestinal reaction to Bor’Dor’s laxative poisons them for the fight. Bor’Dor attacks the Flameguide from behind, killing her. He collects her blood for Prism’s spell, summon greater demon. As the battle continues, Laudna’s compartmentalization begins to crack. She is reverting due to the stress and remembers Delilah and her undead hounds. She summons a hound of ill-omen and sics it on the Judicator.

Suddenly, a Dawnborn Angel appears within the temple and orders them to leave or be judged. They use fiery castigation while telling Orym to repent, restraining him in burning golden chains. Prism collects the blood from Bor’Dor and summons a barlgura on top of the angel, pitting the heavens and the hells against each other. A combined attack from the barlgura and the hound kills the Judicator.

ENOUGH

The rest of the fight is focused on the Dawnfather’s angel. Abaddina loses concentration on the Earth Guardian, but the Eidolons continue the connection with the elemental. Ashton, in Primordial, asks the Earth Guardian to toss them up. They oblige and toss Ashton into the air so he can attack the angel. Ashton strikes true, but it is the barlgura who brings the angel down to the ground. Bor’Dor moves to the angel and cradles their head.

The angel looks at him with pity as Bor’Dor kisses their head and whispers “enough”. He casts inflict wounds and the angel dies, cracking to dust. The Earth Guardian grabs the barlgura and the two crumble away, both removed from existence. The second Judicator approaches the temple, but leaves upon seeing the commotion. The dead Judicator’s mask is fused to their face. They’re not undead, but flowing with divine power. Prism copies the Judicator’s runes.

The villagers round up the guards as Abaddina taps into the power of the Eidolons, using the vines to crush the temple. Prism and Ashton throw coffers of money into the portable hole while Laudna and Deni$e watch Abaddina. She brings the temple to rubble as the villagers cheer. Abaddina speaks to the guards and allows them to either leave or pay their debts. They choose to leave, except for one teenager who apologizes profusely. There will be chances for him to atone.

CONFLICTED JOY

Laudna quietly warns Abaddina to be careful not to become what she despises. Abaddina is not proud, but sometimes things must be done for the betterment of the people. Laudna tells her there is a thin line between being a savior and an oppressor and Abaddina thanks her for being their savior, then. She thanks them all and promises to scry for them after a night of rest. Deni$e informs her they’ll be sleeping at Abaddina’s house tonight.

The village is overjoyed to have run out the zealots of the Dawnfather. Everyone is celebrating and the unsettling atmosphere that had originally pervaded the town is no longer present. Orym is conflicted, seeing the joy of the town but knowing they defied one of the supposedly kind gods, all to eventually stop someone who wants to destroy the gods. Bor’Dor struggles with his killing of the angel, wondering if he did the right thing.

Prism, however, thinks this was all a net good. She and Ashton give the money to Abaddina, which was mostly town tithes. Proleff will oversee returning it to the villagers. Orym and Laudna talk. She will allow the townspeople the bliss of their ignorance about the stakes of the world, but she is angered by the danger they endured for these people. Orym struggles to believe they can fix anything, but Laudna tells him to focus on what they can control – finding their friends.

THE ELDER IS IN

The group and an exhausted Abaddina return to her home, where she warmly tells them to call her Joan. She appreciates what they did and opens up for questions. If the soldiers return, the Valley Coalition will keep them safe as other towns rise up. Joan does not know anything of Predathos, but the spirits they worship are their neighbors. They work and live together symbiotically, like it was before the gods found and co-opted the world.

There are innumerable guardian Eidolons across Exandria’s lands, all tied to its natural elements as the persisting children of the long-gone primordial titans, the ones who originally sculpted this world. As for Predathos, all the group has to go on is the track record of those trying to release him. Orym can’t wrangle with the other side, as a widower who lost loved ones in this fight. They need to ask more questions on the church’s actions.

Deni$e doesn’t believe in the gods, just in today and tomorrow. Bor’Dor is still upset about the angel, which didn’t seem evil. Deni$e asks what if there is no good and evil, but a spectrum of behavior? Joan commends her wisdom. The titans made space for the gods, but the gods made no space for the titans. It is time to return to a natural state, where people can live with the spirits of the world. To cohabitate, not endure servitude. Orym leaves quietly.

THREATS

Joan believes that morality is innate, but when morality is imposed, it becomes twisted and used to control. She heads to bed, but comments that the Eidolons do not seem to feel threatened by Predathos. Perhaps this is a change of fate – especially strange, considering the goddess of fate gave no warning. Ashton wants to talk to Joan, but she leaves before they can. She said something that made him think she might know more about his origins.

Ashton thought they had been angry before, but now they realize they were in decades of self-pity. This is anger. This is his worst nightmare. His first divine intervention, where the gods saw him and he was not invisible. The gods have made it clear that Ashton is a mistake, that they don’t care and he doesn’t matter. So fuck the gods.

Laudna and Prism stay up reading the religious texts that Prism stole. They find plans for further expansion into the valley and the dispersal of powers to hold the nexus points. Hearthdell is going to be a hub of magical interest for a long time, as the nexus point will not move until the next apogee solstice. Prism also studies the Judicator runes, which are protective and anti-magic. Prism feels like her choice to leave home ten years ago is finally worthwhile.

BELIEF

Bor’Dor leaves and finds Orym up a tree, joining him among the boughs. Bor’Dor asks Orym if he believes in god. Orym responds that the gods are irrefutable. They’ve done irreparable damage and unmistakable good, but he also doesn’t really care. He cares about his family. Bor’Dor’s own life is very small, with black and white beliefs. These people told them to fight something he can’t fathom and in victory, he didn’t see divinity, but sadness and compassion.

Why did they have to do that? Abaddina has no clue what the group is talking about. They just killed an angel and saved a woman who doesn’t understand this fight. What are they doing here? Orym says that if they can find their friends, then they might have a chance to stop more people from getting killed. Bor’Dor will go where Orym goes.

THE SCRY WELL

In the morning, Prism requests a scry scroll from Joan. She makes her one that is beautifully water-colored. Ashton asks Joan if she knows anything about his head. It is a mystery to them both, but she recommends that they speak with the spirits. She can tell that Ashton has a strong connection with the elements already, as well as a stout heart. Joan leads them all to her scry well and requests an item from those they want to scry on.

Orym places his box from Chetney into the well. The spell takes hold and they see Deanna, F.R.I.D.A., Chetney, Imogen, Fearne, and FCG traveling through the snow. They recognize Kravaraad, the volcano, and realize they are heading to Uthodurn. Imogen stops and looks back and Laudna shouts her name. Imogen turns around and keeps going. Bor’Dor also needs to go to Kravaraad. He does not wish to scry on his brother, who is most likely dead.

Deni$e hands over her clump of Dariax’s hair. They see Dariax looking frazzled and concerned, sitting in a dark place. Dorian is there as well, looking worse for wear. Ashton and Laudna suddenly realize that Deni$e is connected to the group via Dariax and Dorian. Bor’Dor decides to try and scry on his brother, but doesn’t have anything that belongs to him. He hands over his dagger, since that is from home, but the modest homestead they see is not Bor’Dor’s.

A DESTINATION

With scrying completed, the group ponders how to get to Uthodurn. Joan cannot teleport them, but her former mentor can. Hevestro, Heirophant of the Emerald Tree, is a powerful arch druid. If the group travels 4-5 days north to the Irriam Canyon, they will find a shrine embedded in rock and surrounded by blue flora. Hevestro guards this shrine.

They question if they should travel to Hevestro or Vasselheim. The Dawn City will need to be convinced to help them and Irrium Canyon is a closer but more dangerous journey. They decide to find Hevestro. Joan summons an Eidolon to guide their way, which takes the form of a wind cougar. The group leaves the Knotburrow and Hearthdell behind and heads for Irriam Canyon.

That is it for Episode 61 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Holy shit y’all, that fight was intense. An angel? A demon? An earth elemental? A hell hound? So much spirituality represented, with so much going on!
• Bor’Dor killed both the Flameguide AND an angel. Bor’Dor was busy.
• Hi Dorian and Dariax! How’s Opal? Is Opal okay? I’m worried about Opal.
• My heart is breaking for this half of Bells Hells. They are really going through it. No Santa for this team.

Catch Episode 62 on Thursday, June 15th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?