Critical Recap: Critical Role C4E2 “Broken Wing”

Helloo! and welcome to Critical Recap! Jared Deiro, here! Your friendly Critical Role Junior Lore Keeper! Let’s take a peek back into Critical Role Campaign 4 Episode 2 Broken Wing!

FALCONS OF WAR

Fire rains across a bloody battlefield – years long gone. The Falconer’s Rebellion rages as Teor, Kattigan, and a 15-year-old Azune fight desperately. The odds are stacked against them. Loza Blade thrusts a small axe into an enemy soldier’s head as she pushes the young soldier Tunk forward.

Sorcerers brandishing the colors of the Sundered Houses glide toward the Torn Banner soldiers while Thimble and Thjazi scramble downhill. Thjazi calls out a Sorcerer of House Cormoray right before he takes a blast to his side.

Above, an incoming barrage of enemy wyverns covers the skies, swooping toward the young scoundrel, JUST AS Casimir picks Thjazi up and carries him to safety.

THE MASK

A BOOM rumbles through the home of Halandil Fang in present-day Dol-Makjar. Thaisha and Hal stare at the shattered black ceramic pieces of a strange mask. Thaisha has no idea what this could be; all she knows is that Thjazi asked her to get it from the land of Venatus and bring it to Bolaire. She touches the shattered ceramic, and the fabric drops into a funnel of cold mist. Thaisha falls unconscious, but Hal catches and heals her.

Bolaire, Murray, Shadia, and Vaelus rush upstairs to see what the commotion was. Bolaire immediately knows the silver box full of mist is actually a small coffin. He recognizes the word ‘Obsidia’ written on its side in an ancient halfling language called ‘Kessian’ (along with a few celestial glyphs).

Thaisha awakens, hearing the bird song of a nightingale as she looks at Vaelus, but this is interrupted when Shadia both consoles and berates her mother for her foolhardiness. Vaelus watches the two dolefully.

Frustrated, Bolaire warns everyone not to be stupid and touch things they know nothing about. He and Murray put on protective gloves and take the artifact to the Archanade immediately.

While the Farramh gets cleaned up, Hal requests that Hero bring her lyre forward, and the two perform a hopeful song from the Falconers Rebellion called “Broken Wing” .

EVEN IN DARKNESS…

Teor, Kattigan, Azune, Occtis, and Thimble return to Hal’s home. Thimble finally sees Thjazi; she’s the last to see him. She lands on his chest and apologizes, sobbing. When she sees Vaelus, Thimble blames her – was this revenge? Either way, it doesn’t matter. Thimble tells Vaelus her stone is missing. Occtis divulges to the rest of the guests that Thjazi’s hideout was ransacked.

Azune knew Thjazi was supposed to use the glyph; Azune sensed it on him. He DEFINITELY felt it. The Arcane Marshal searches Thjazi’s coat and finds it. The magical forgery. A betrayal. The group runs through the escape plan – the only two they cannot account for are Casimir and Cyd (Teor’s Brother). They remember black feathers in the hideout, and Casimir is a member of the Crow Keepers (one of the oldest thieves’ guilds in Dol-Makjar). But also, no one can account for Cyd; no one had eyes on him or the wagon. They can’t be sure if the wagon even arrived. With the fiery flare of revenge, Thimble decides she wants to go see about these Crow Keepers.

Vaelus pulls Thimble upstairs; she wants her Stone of Nightsong, and she wants it now. She tells Thimble that though Bolaire let her into the city, she played no part in the execution. She did not come here to hurt anyone.

Downstairs, Loza tells Teor and Thaisha she is retiring. She’s hanging up the mercenary banner and heading back to her family home in Dol-Rungja. Loza hands half of a Torn Banner to Teor — though it’s been 12 years since they disbanded, she could never get rid of it. It was always meant for Teor.

IN THE LIGHT

The next day at the Villa Aurora, the home of the Candescent Creed and House Halovar, Aspirant Tyranny finds her sisters Enmity, Cruelty, and Agony. Tyranny tells them she thinks it’s fun that Wick actually believes in all of the religious stuff. Enmity warns Tyranny to remember where she is from and what she is. They are here to help the Halovars.

Outside, Teor waits for Wick, when suddenly he notices a crate slide off the back of a wagon and crush a worker’s foot. With incredible strength, he lifts the crate with ease and heals the individual in the same motion. A glowing white liquid seeps from the crate. Wick sees the act of heroism and is enthralled. Teor, Wick, and Tyranny make proper introductions – Teor tells Wick that he wishes to help guide others to the light.

Wick understands that Teor fought alongside Thjazi on the side of a war that was fully against his family. But ALL is forgiven, that’s a key belief in the Candescent Creed. As this discussion is happening, Photarch Yanessa enters and introduces herself to the mighty soldier. Yanessa is well aware of Loza Blade and the Torn Banner. She will send for Wick’s uncle (and head of security), Sir Filoneus Halovar, to meet with Teor.

After Teor leaves, Yanessa tells Wick to get rid of Teor. This is all unnecessary, they are the house of priests and are not to be affiliated with members of the Torn Banner. The Tachonis are making moves and the Halovars need to keep up. Yanessa is STRESSED about the Tachonis; it’s all very suspicious. Their lands are the most Sundered between two Barrowdells – How are they so strong? What moves are they making? She tells Wick that Thjazi had to die because that’s what the Tachonis wanted, and the Halovars need to stay close to the Tachonis. Times are changing, it’s time for Wick to grow up and learn the truth. It’s time for Wick to be promoted.

AFTER HOURS

Bolaire and Murray worked all night studying the fossilized coffin without rest. They learn that the wood was taken from deep within the Wastes, and ancient holy silver Kessian plates were placed over the wood. Strangely, the materials are ancient, though the coffin itself is new. What’s even STRANGER is that the plates reference this as the coffin of Olbalad: a celestial and the halfling angel of death. This coffin is basically blasphemy. With one last test, they drop a tool in the hollowed mist, it falls… and falls… they hear no sound. This is a BIG problem.

After the sun rises and Murray leaves, Bolaire checks his private vault of the Lloy Wing, finding mysterious crates of paint with a parchment reading “For Hal, with all my love.” Hm curious.

DARK TIDES TURN

The morning after the Farramh, General Raimond Davinos rides back to Palazzo Davinos with his son, Sir Julien Davinos (having just awoken him from a local brothel). The general debriefs Julien about how some resupply lines were stopped and did not make it to the Davinos Estate – word is they were stopped at the Dvalmar Pass. Julien doesn’t know anything, but he learns that their family discovered a plot to rescue Thjazi Fang, and the Tachonis are looking for their son Occtis. Davinos needs to find that son. He’s in danger.

Meanwhile, Azune suits up in his room within Brethren Hall (Home of the Revolutionary Guard) and heads to the office of his captain. He runs the day prior through his head, and analyzes the changing laws throughout the city (mainly around outlawing the use of magic).

He enters Captain Edrian Fazir’s office, where he finds Sir Harondus Einfasen, of the Chamber of the Lords Advisory. The Knight offers his assistance and resources to the Arcane Marshals – seeing that he is now the security overseer.

Studying the Lord Knight, Azune sees a man hungry for authority and power. Believing he deserves it.

Dean Ellipides Tallbarrel of the Penteveral apologizes to Murray; the Sundered Houses pushed him out. He had to resign – if he resigned, the school would continue to be allowed to practice magic – if he did not, it would be outlawed. His hands were tied. As he explains the circumstances, the hollow voice of Lord Primus Tachonis is heard from the hallway. He is looking for his son, Occtis Tachonis.

Kattigan, Thimble, and Occtis step into the Guards Tower, a Crow Keeper safehouse and tavern. As they gaze across the room of feather-cloaked rogues, Thimble asks when they last saw Casimir – just before she hears the rustle of a burlap sack flying toward her from behind.

BLOOD OF MY BLOOD

A KNOCK beckons Wick and Tyranny to the Prismatic Retort of the Villa Aurora. Wick gleefully confides to Tyranny that the Prismatic Retort is what they use to change “light energy” into filament.

They pass through gargantuan doors and halls covered in symbols of the Candescent Creed and lost runes of the fallen Shaper Tansul. They pass by enormous war hounds wafting pulses of dispel magic.

They are approached by Photarch Yanessa at the base of an enormous stone sarcophagus. Wick’s father, Godard, opens the retort by unbinding his blindfold. Beams of light shoot from his lidless eyes and funnel into the Prismatic Retort. He chants as runes alight.

The Retort opens, and with horrifying realization, Wick sees that it is not a sarcophagus. It is an iron maiden, and within is a chained thirty-foot-tall angel with siphoning taps in its body.

Photarch Yanessa tells Wicky to meet his grandfather.

And that’s a wrap on Episode 2 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Gotta love an action packed cold open, like, we KNOW they were going to be fine. And yet that opening scene still had me worried for the soldiers. Very cool.
• SO many things are happening, so many moves being made. I am enthralled. Where is this all heading? How does this all tie?
• YOOOOOO sorry – WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT NANNA HALOVAR??

Catch Episode 3 of Critical Role Campaign 4 on Thursday, October 16th at 7pm Pacific on beacon.tv, where Beacon members get access to the entire episode, podcast included! The episode will also release on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole and in two parts on our podcast. Is it Thursday yet?