Critical Recap – Critical Role C3E8 “A Woodworker’s Quandary”

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 8 A Woodworker’s Quandary!

THE STORY OF CHETNEY POCK O’PEA

The group heads to the Spire by Fire with Chetney, an elderly gnome of indeterminate age, in tow. Chetney is very brusque and on guard, but explains that he is looking for his friend Gurge and wants to hire the group to find him. Chetney is a master craftsman who specializes in furniture and wooden toys – he works with wood exclusively. He came to Marquet from Uthodurn in search of work, as he was kicked out of his former job. Contacts in the Savalirwood told him that Gurge would be able to help him find a job with other master craftsmen outside of Marquet.

Chetney spent time with Gurge over a few days, but yesterday morning he went to Gurge’s place at the Smolder Spire and found it in disarray, with Gurge missing! Chetney doesn’t know much about his friend – he was known as a wild man who lived in the jungles. He wanted to keep a low profile and was very guarded. The group is willing to go to Gurge’s house tomorrow and see what’s there. They request that Chetney pays them in toys, which he is happy to do. While Chetney is surly, he does take a shine to FCG and Fearne.

THE STORY OF CYRUS WYVERNWIND

While talking with Chetney, Orym notices that they were followed by the same person that he and Laudna noticed earlier. Imogen and Laudna try to talk to the person mentally, but only scare him off. Chetney and Orym follow him, with Orym finally calling out to him and asking what he wants. He requests to speak to Dorian. When Dorian and the others catch up, it’s revealed that the mystery person is Cyrus, Dorian’s older brother. They return to the bar to discuss everything.

When Dorian left home, Cyrus felt angry and betrayed. He spoke with a friend, Zunado, who explained that it is their people’s nature to wander. Even their parents went on their own journeys through the world before they settled down. So Cyrus left too, wanting to step out of his own comfort zone, but he found only trouble. He ran out of money and took on work escorting groups through the Hellcatch Valley. Two months ago, a caravan he was escorting was robbed – an inside job that pilfered a golem and left him as the fall guy.

There is now a bounty on Cyrus’s head for 20,000 gold. The Hubatt Corsairs are giving him shelter but they have no leads. Cyrus is determined to work it off and fix this himself, but he doesn’t want Dorian to tell their parents. If he’s killed, then Dorian is the next in line. Cyrus and Dorian are the sons of the noble leadership of the Silken Squall, a floating tent city of air genasi. They are, essentially, air genasi royalty. Dorian’s real name is Brontë Secondsun Wyvernwind. Dorian escorts Cyrus back to the Corsairs’ hideout, giving his brother the other sending stone to stay in contact in case something happens.

GURGE GRUDGE

In the morning, the group decides that Cyrus seems safe enough for now, so they’ll focus on finding Gurge. As they leave the Spire by Fire, they notice someone nailing a post to a job board while others loudly discuss the city falling apart. The post requests skilled hands to fight the Corsairs and join the Paragon’s Call, saying that the Wilders have lost control of the city. The Paragon’s Call is a determined mercenary group that made their name twenty years ago during the Apex War. The group thinks they sound like an overzealous neighborhood watch.

The Smolder Spire awaits. After boarding a cable car, which unsettles Imogen and delights Fearne, they arrive at the home of Gurge Kisgregg. Chetney uses his lockpicks to successfully break in, and they see the furniture has been tossed as he described. Laudna and Imogen notice claw marks in the furniture and on the ground. They find smatterings of blood on the ground, indicating that even more blood was recently cleaned – as though someone came back.

While they’re investigating, a stern half-elven woman named Siroc approaches. She rented this place to Gurge but he hasn’t paid his bill. She’s aghast by the destruction within and bemoans the state of Jrusar – there was a dire wolf attack a day ago down the street, there’ve been burglaries, an explosion in the Core, hauntings at the Pyre. The group is intrigued by the dire wolf attack, as it could be connected to the claw marks at Gurge’s. The attack happened near a factory down the road.

WILDERS VS WILD SHAPE

The group goes to the factory, finding two Wilders out front keeping watch. They ask the wardens about the dire wolf attack – it was just one wolf and it was taken care of. There is no information on those who were attacked. When they ask about Gurge, FCG casts detect thoughts – the warden is asking himself how they know Gurge. Both wardens go inside to speak with their boss, so Fearne follows them as a rat.

Rat!Fearne follows them upstairs to an office and finds them describing the group to a man behind a desk. The boss instructs the wardens to tell the group that Gurge has been arrested and will be released upon business that is none of theirs. The boss will take care of the rest. Their official stance is that they don’t know anything about it and to stop answering questions.

When the two Wilders turn to go, one of them steps on Rat!Fearne. The damage knocks her out of her rat form and turns her back into normal Fearne… to the surprise of both Wilders and their boss.

That is it for Episode 8 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Holy shit y’all, Fearne is in a pickle. Get out of there, girl, you’re in danger!
• I love Cyrus Wyvernwind so much. Beautiful naive man.
• Apparently, the initials on the caravan that held the golem were JH – Imogen saw these same initials on the letter that Ashton showed her. COINCIDENCE?!
• This same caravan Cyrus escorted (and the bounty) was owned by the Gold Guild of Treshi. Mahaan Treshi is the same house that sponsored the evil wall construction. COINCIDENCE?!

Anyway, Critical Role is on a holiday break, so catch Episode 9 on Thursday January 6th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast! Is it New Year Thursday yet?