Critical Recap: Critical Role C3E70 “Embattled in Bassuras”

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 70 Embattled in Bassuras!

CHAOTIC RETURN

Bells Hells arrive in Bassuras beneath the constant light of Ruidus, with Keyleth (disguised as Kimothy) and Dancer in tow. Three skyships from Vasselheim are docked by the Carmine Curtain; the group watches as one skyship is hit with a solitary explosion, despite no aerial combat. The few civilians in the early morning street seem nonplussed and are setting up carts in order to make money from the various new soldiers passing through and heading north.

Keyleth wants to speak with some people, as she might know someone up there from Vasselheim. She will meet back with everyone at noon by the tree they entered through. Bells Hells head to Imahara Joe’s, but there is no answer at the door. Chetney unlocks it and Laudna calls out for Joe. They hear noises and an unfamiliar voice swear. Imogen opens her mind, finding nine people within the workshop. A glass ball is tossed out, a bomb of lightning damage.

They all look for another way in, with Laudna and Imogen going to the roof. Imogen can see through a grated skylight that there are seven armed individuals, with Imahara Joe and another lagomore, or rabbitfolk, individual under guard in the back. Though Bells Hells attempt to sneak in, Laudna is spotted and attacked on the roof, initiating the fight. They quickly realize that these are Paragon’s Call mercenaries led by General Ratanish – Otohan Thull’s second-in-command.

PARAGON

Laudna, injured from the sneak attack, throws a fireball down into the workshop. Chetney is badly injured before he can transform into a werewolf, but Dancer heals him via Pussy II. FCG casts banishment on Ratanish, successfully removing him from the battle for one minute. Orym detonates a broken crawler outside, killing a mercenary. Mister also takes down a mercenary via a flame seed to the throat. However, a druid mercenary wildshapes into a giant eagle and absconds with Imahara Joe and his friend.

The eagle breaks out of the workshop and into the sky. Ashton uses a wormhole strike, opening up a portal and sending their hammer through to hit the eagle. It causes enough damage to make the druid drop form and sends the druid, Joe, and the lagomore plummeting through the sky towards a sharp fence. Ashton hops into the portal and appears in front of Joe, grappling him, and Orym springs into the air to catch the lagomore, while Imogen uses her Telekinesis to bend the wrought iron fence away from her falling friends.

Ashton and Orym break the fall of Joe and the lagomore, saving them from greater injury, while the druid is knocked unconscious. With only a few seconds left on the banishment of Ratanish, Bells Hells surround the area where the general will reappear. When he returns, the group unleashes their attacks on him. Orym sets Ashton up for the final blow, with a final message from the titan of blood – Ratanish should have killed Ashton back at the Jrusar ball. He kills Ratanish, pulling his hammer through the general’s body.

TINKER TIME

Bells Hells realize that with all the Paragon’s Call mercenaries dead, they have no one to question, so they put Ratanish’s body in the portable hole for a future speak with dead. Joe informs a gathering crowd that the noise was a tinkering accident and returns to the group, deeply grateful to see them. The lagomore is Verna the Viper, a mastermind of the Overmind sect of tinkerers who specializes in esoteric explosives.

Joe explains that after the solstice, Ratanish grabbed them to make explosives, as well as a brumestone nullifier that Laudna destroyed with her fireball. Imogen loots Ratanish, taking his money, nice battleaxe and boots, and all the Duskmaven symbols. They leave the workshop and head to Hondir’s safehouse, wanting to avoid the Gajakhandas crawler gang on its way. Safe for now, Joe, Verna, and Dancer examine Ludinus’ harness.

The harness can attach to a powerful magic source and channel the source energy to the neck of the wearer. Normally this would destroy the host, but the runic tuning of the harness is specific to the wearer. However, the three of them could repair it in about two weeks and possibly make alterations. They will need residuum and a workshop. Maybe Keyleth could take them to Whitestone and work with Percy. Joe has heard of the Terrible Tinkerer of Tal’Dorei.

ALL-MINDS-BURN

After a short rest, Imogen joins Ashton to find some of his old friends. Pocket has gone underground, so they head to the All-Minds-Burn to find Justi. There, they meet Shady Sally – a member of the Nobodies, Ashton’s old crew. They have a tense reunion and Sally claims that Ashton would have left her behind, too. She says he was broken. Ashton punches her and she catches their fist, but her attempt to strike back fails. Ashton demands that Sally get the gang back together, because he needs them to help save the world.

Justi arrives and brings Ashton and Imogen downstairs so they can meet someone. It asked for them. Imogen can sense the presence of an alien mind, fractured but unified and not yet dangerous. They meet a large mass of organic matter, with skeletal remains of those who rejoined – the All-Minds-Burn. Imogen reaches out, learning that the Burn has lived many lifetimes and it is not sure where it came from – but this is home. It lives through the eyes of those who take from it.

The All-Minds-Burn wants to help, to see the moon. It releases a small object, like an orange, that Justi calls the Brood Pit. Take this to the moon and leave it there. If they do, the All-Minds-Burn will be there for them when they need them. There are so many minds that it can call upon when the time is right. Imogen agrees to plant the Brood Pit on Ruidus. Justi claims that the All-Minds-Burn means no harm, but is just lonely.

ONWARD

On the way back to the others, Ashton tells Imogen that he has never felt important before, but now, every hit feels like a hit someone else doesn’t have to take. They matter. Imogen spent a long time feeling like she was taking up space meant for someone else. Ashton took up space and was ignored. Now, though, they feel like things are coming together. Imogen tells Ashton that he’s special. They say she’s special, too: that’s why they’re fighting for her. Ashton will get her to the moon.

They return, to Laudna’s worried relief. She had been convinced that Ashton had kidnapped Imogen. Bells Hells stealth to their original tree and find Keyleth. She met with the Dawn Marshal Quethir Droh, a warrior of the Stormlord who is leading a battalion on the skyship that was attacked. Battlements are being set up around the Bloody Bridge to Ruidus; however, there is a sizable army of Reilora at the site. No one is sure what this army is capable of and thus they are in a deadlock.

It’s time for Keyleth to see some old friends and pull some out of retirement. They request that Keyleth take the tinkerers to Whitestone and Keyleth agrees. She just needs to talk to Percy. She promises that he is a sweetie when he opens up. Bells Hells are going to the Shattered Teeth, specifically to the island of Slival to meet with Jirana the Shore Shrew. She is an older galapa, or tortoisefolk, and the caretaker of the island. Keyleth opens the tree to Slival and tells them all to say hi to Toriz for her. Bells Hells rush through and the tree closes.

That is it for Episode 70 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Percy is canonically known as the Terrible Tinkerer of Tal’Dorei, Taliesin is living his best life!
• That fight with the Paragon’s Call was gnarly. It would have been completely different if Ratanish was there properly. Clutch move, FCG!
• Speaking of, RIP to General Ratanish, a very scary enemy!
• Off to the Shattered Teeth, an area in Exandria we’ve never explored! I’m so excited!

Catch Episode 71 on Thursday, September 7th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?