Critical Recap: Critical Role C3E71 “Mist and Whimsy”

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 71 Mist and Whimsy!

FOG BANK

Bells Hells find themselves transported via Keyleth’s tree door to a dense forest surrounded by fog. This is the island of Slival in the Shattered Teeth. Imogen and Orym take to the sky together to find a break in the fog and get an aerial view, but the fog is too thick to see through. They spot a massive creature moving through the clouds and return to their friends before they are spotted. The group travels along the cliff edge in order to get the lay of the land.

When they begin moving inland again, they notice fireflies appearing as dusk falls. These fireflies are a lizard-like fairy creature of teal and fuchsia light. They hear a strange rumbling noise in the distance, like a growl, and Laudna steps into a foot track that’s seven feet long with three toes. There is a second print nearby, parallel. Chetney uses his hemocraft ability Grim Psychometry, where he sees a fight between predator and prey – the denizens here belong to nature and nature alone.

They hear the rumble again as Fearne casts plant growth to create a natural tent for them to rest beneath. Chetney and Laudna, on their first and second watches, realize that the distant rumble happens consistently every 15-30 minutes. Laudna sees that numerous lizard fairies (known as dolabos) have gathered in the trees above to watch the group. One approaches Laudna, seemingly on a dare: Laudna doesn’t move and it eventually returns to its friends.

ME TIME

During FCG’s watch, the dolabos grow in number, still watching from the trees. One latches onto FCG’s face and the two attempt to communicate, with FCG giving them some dried meat. FCG casts Tongues and they chat, with FCG calling this dolabos ‘Me’ – since the dolabos says they have no name, just me. FCG learns that the rumble in the distance is likely a geyser of some sort and the dolabos live in tiny villages in the trees, the bushes, and the ground.

FCG asks if they can visit the dolabos’ villages, but Me says that they are too big and noisy and will draw out the smelly one – a creature with a superior nose. The dolabos mask their smell by using their own poop. There are no villages for people here, just Toriz the protector. Me suggests drawing him out with a big fire. Me and the dolabos would LOVE to see a big fire. The dolabos take Bells Hells to an area to safely set a fire on the rocks.

Chetney uses Grim Psychometry again, seeing people attacked by a multi-legged creature, and prompts concern about whether the dolabos plan to feed them to Toriz. The dolabos just really love fire. They agree to help shield Bells Hells from the smelly one via a rain party… which, yes, involves a hundred lizard fairies raining teal poop down onto the group. It seems effective. They build a pyre and Professor Calloway instructs her fire student Laudna to light it via fireball. Laudna does and the dolabos are entranced by the flames.

ENTER TORIZ

The flames draw out a multi-legged lizard-like creature with a star nose – the smelly one. It bites Chetney, deeply wounding him as the fight begins. Imogen summons another Reilora, similar to the one she summoned before. The rain party they experienced helps them hide from the creature’s nose. As the fight continues, a massive toad creature with three eyes and a lantern-lit living room within its mouth arrives to help: this is Toriz.

Imogen tells Toriz that they’ve come from Keyleth. The smelly one flees; Toriz leaps and flips the creature, which vanishes into the distance. He returns and opens his mouth – there is a home within, like a grandmotherly cottage built within the toad. An elderly galapa greets them: this is Jirana the Shore Shrew and she knows the Voice of the Tempest to be a trusted friend. She invites them in, telling them about the creatures of the island.

The smelly one is Bari Mondolo, the child of the protector reef serpent Esquala. It is simply a teenager acting in its nature. The dolabos are the eternal children of the island and the creature Orym and Laudna spotted is a sky whale – the Cloud Jaws. Jirana is the caretaker of the island. She is not the first to live within Toriz, but is the latest steward. Her journey to becoming a grief counselor is a long one, but she has learned much wisdom in the losses of her long lifetime. Her perspective and her connection with Exandria has helped many; plus, she’s a very good listener.

JIRANA’S KNOWLEDGE

Jirana is about 400 years old and has lived in the Shattered Teeth her whole life, though of the 43 islands, she only roams Slival now. She tells them of the Great Tree of Atrophy: Evontra’vier is a survivor of the continent’s past and took the sorrow of the Calamity upon themself, taking root in the island of Kalutha to be a memory of sacrifice and a vessel for the sorrow of others. He became a window into the realms of death and beyond, even able to see the path of death.

Jirana came to her own understanding of grief by spending time with the tree. There can be joy in remembering and carrying forth the lessons of those lost. She gives them a map from about 12 years ago, but the islands move around so it is not completely accurate. She describes Kalutha as having three big mountains. Imogen could try to teleport, or Jirana suggests they could try to flag down a Wandermen ship or have Chetney repair a boat.

THE LOST COMPASS

There is one other option that Jirana offers – one far more dangerous. She shows them an intricate brass compass: the lost compass of the Dread Captain Urlu Novos. He was a notorious privateer from Wildemount who was ambushed 100 years ago, where he made a dark deal to allow his ship to haunt the waters, seeking to recollect what they lost.

If they place the compass in the water, they could call the ghost ship and possibly make a deal. Chetney uses Grim Psychometry on the compass – he sees a vision of a storm and a scarred, bearded dwarf cursing the sky. He is killed by a bolt and falls to the deck, smiling. Jirana gives the group a care package of potions, including healing potions and balms, a slickshimmer oil, and a vial of cleansing fire.

BROKEN THINGS

FCG bakes Jirana some tea cookies and tells her that he dabbles in therapy, but doesn’t believe he’s very good at it. He doesn’t feel like he’s helped anyone. FCG hasn’t existed as a human, so has trouble identifying with human feelings. Their friends encourage them, saying that FCG has experienced a lot of human feelings. FCG just needs to keep living – wisdom takes time.

Jirana can see that FCG carries a deep grief of their own. She doesn’t think he is incapable of helping others, but must learn to let others help him, too. FCG also needs the tree. One day, FCG will come back and the two of them can have a proper session. Jirana welcomes them all back, whenever they need guidance.

Toriz carries them all to the north shore, a bouncy and Willy Wonka-esque ride. Jirana and Toriz stay behind the tree line, in case the group needs help. As they exit, Ashton stays behind. He asks Jirana how one grieves if they don’t know what was taken from them. She tells them to not focus on the loss, but on what has been gained since. Answers may or may not come in time, but it will only weigh as much as they’re willing to give it.

Ashton says they will see how broken he is. Jirana says she is perpetually surrounded by broken things: everything can be mended with time. Bells Hells head to the shoreline with the compass, intent on summoning a ghost ship.

That is it for Episode 71 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Ghost ship!! Ghost ship!! Ghost ship!!
• I love Me and the dolabos. They’re so cute. Even despite the poop.
• Jirana and Toriz are amazing. This group is so very much in need of grief counseling.
• Hey, Travis got a map! Yay for maps!

Catch Episode 72 on Thursday, September 14th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?