Critical Recap: Critical Role C3E69 “Nice”

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 69 Nice!

GROUNDING VISITS

Bells Hells split off to go enjoy Zephrah for a few hours. Ashton, alone, has an intense panic attack in which they see stone pebbles on the ground shift as they breathe. He goes to Fanny Z’s and picks up his new outfit, which incorporates the Hishari symbol and the other symbol Ashton has dreamed about. Ashton is trying to figure out who he wants to be and this outfit is a step in that direction. This feels like a uniform, something important.

Orym, Fearne, and FCG visit Orym’s mother-in-law, Nel. She gives FCG advice about consulting wise friends for guidance, as well as trusting one’s own experience. She joins the three of them on a visit to Derrig’s and Will’s gravesites, which bear their breastplate and sword, respectively. Orym speaks to Derrig, telling him that he does his best to emulate his father’s good heart every day and thanking him for everything.

Orym then speaks to Will: his words are heartfelt and heartbroken as he tells his husband that he is doing this for him, but everything is so much bigger than them. Orym is scared, but will make them proud. He misses him, loves him, and will see him soon. Fearne gently says not too soon. FCG tells Orym that they were lucky to be part of the world and lucky to love Orym, to his gratitude. The world is messy and beautiful and they have each other.

TO THE SKIES

Meanwhile, Chetney and Laudna go skysailing with Imogen in tow, convincing the attendant to give them call signs – Arr, Snappy Twig, and Sunrise Sally – and to let them loose on Zephrah. Laudna also happily tells Chetney that Imogen is her girlfriend. Chetney and Laudna have a playful dogfight, with Imogen flying alongside sans sail. They tear up the skies of Zephrah, as well as a few roofs, before eventually landing amongst chickens.

Orym picks up his new leather armor from Torth the blacksmith and learns that Keyleth waived the cost as a gift to the Savior Blade. They all regroup and go drinking, where they catch up as friends. Chetney encourages FCG to get followers for his own machine uprising. The gods have been talking to most of them. Laudna and Ashton are more interested in pursuing the primordials.

TENANT

They continue to drink and make merry while Laudna sneaks off to a cliff edge. She meditates, trying to reach out to Delilah. She doesn’t hear anything and eventually Imogen comes to join her. Laudna has always had a tenant, so it’s hard for her to make room for gods. They need all the help they can get, but how much power does Delilah have outside of Laudna?

Imogen prayed to Delilah like a god when Laudna died, but Delilah was useless. None of the gods call to Laudna and she suspects the Matron of Ravens wouldn’t look kindly on her. They playfully call out to the Moonweaver for insight, but receive no response. They return to the others and as the night continues, Laudna hears Delilah’s voice again, telling her that no matter who she prays to or reaches for, she will always be Delilah’s.

TALKING SWORDS

To punctuate a joke, Chetney pulls out his sword Graz’tchar. The blade speaks to him, warning Chetney that he is being duped by Keyleth and claiming that she is responsible for degrading society via the Council of Tal’Dorei. Chetney must be careful and not listen to her lies. Chetney thanks him for the heads up.

Bells Hells have a slumber party at Orym’s house, where Fearne scries on Dancer via drunken ribbon dancing. Fearne sees Dancer stumbling along an alley on a cobblestone street with two new automatons – one a headless bat, the other a spherical tripod. She throws up into glowing water, which indicates that she is in Yios. The group is now interested in seeing Dancer instead, since they have a firmer grasp of her location.

In the morning, they visit a much healthier Keyleth, who encourages them not to rush and to prioritize gathering information. She suggests that the group do a scouting mission to Ruidus and back to see what they’re dealing with on the moon. Keyleth can gather allies, but they need to know what’s waiting for them up there. Fearne asks for and receives a bit of the perennem poultice while Chetney grills Keyleth about the Council of Tal’Dorei, egged on by his sword.

KEYLETH IN TOW

Keyleth could accompany them to their next destination, then she could send them through a tree and continue on her personal journey. Keyleth is excited to take on a disguise and travel again, as it’s been some time for her. They discuss again whether to find Dancer or D to repair Ludinus’ harness and eventually settle on Dancer in Yios. Keyleth can regrow limbs, so they could see if healing would appeal to Dancer.

FCG uses the staff to teleport them to Yios, though the travel is rough. This is the first time Keyleth has seen Ruidus locked in the sky, as well as the bloody bridge from the moon to Marquet. The others notice that Chetney is on edge around Keyleth, as the sword is now telling him to kill her. Fearne leads them to the Endeavor Ring and FCG casts Locate Creature, taking them to a hostel where Dancer is staying.

A DANCE OF DANCER

Imogen and FCG go upstairs, finding Dancer’s room. Dancer and Imogen flirt until Dancer opens the door – Imogen casts calm emotions on her. She and FCG talk, still tense, and FCG explains that he needs her help to fix something and maybe he can fix her in return. Dancer, however, has no desire to have her arm healed and doesn’t need FCG to “fix” her. Dancer says that FCG is the only one of them still hanging onto the past. She is willing to help how she can, but FCG must be the one to move on.

FCG is willing to treat this as a job. They will pay for her to fix something very old and then FCG will leave. She introduces her new contraptions, Pussy the Second and Cookie, and heads down to meet the others. Dancer examines the harness and confesses that it is beyond her, but thinks they could return to Bassuras and get Imahara Joe’s help. The two of them together could tackle it. Keyleth has been to Bassuras and can get them there by tree.

GARGO

They head to the Aydinlan Seminary in search of a tree, only to be dive bombed once more by Shithead, the revenant bird that shits on FCG. Fearne casts speak with animals, learning that Shithead’s name is Gargo and that his master is gone and he has no other purpose. FCG casts destroy undead, which finally destroys Shithead/Gargo. FCG treats this as a sign that he can finally begin to move on.

Keyleth has missed this level of chaos. They go to the Aydinlan Seminary and find a tree, where everyone is transported to Bassuras. The city is awake, despite the early hour, and the perpetually locked Ruidus overhead casts the entire Hellcatch Valley in a dull red glow.

That is it for Episode 69 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Liam O’Brien got me in the tear ducts again.
• Sooo Delilah is definitely awake again. Not great. But Laudna called Imogen her girlfriend. VERY great.
• Graz’tchar (and Travis), please leave Keyleth alone. Our girl has been through enough.
• Congratulations to FCG on vanquishing the personification of his guilt. This will be good for them to finally take steps (rolls?) towards healing.

Catch Episode 70 on Thursday, August 24th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?