Critical Role

Critical Role

I love seeing so many people leaving these sweet posts about “Remember when” memories of earlier Critical Role streams and how much the show has grown and how proud they are of the cast and the critters.

Cause like, my no life ass just sitting here remembering when I binge watched the first 2 episodes 3 times in a row because “HOLY SHIT THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER” before catching episode 3 live and have been watching live ever since. So yes,I do remember when, I remember it all. 

I remember when critters ordered food for the cast during the stream. 

I remember when the cast would play Just Dance after the game.

I remember the first time the cast received a gift in the mail.

I remember when the cast had to stop thanking subscribers at the end of the stream because there were TOO MANY.

I remember when the giant stuffed Trinket was earned by the subs.

I remember when the ships were just hopes and dreams of the fans.

I remember when No Mercy Percy was born.

I remember when Pike became a Monsta.

I remember when Grog tripped Vax in the underdark for calling him smelly and spawned the prank war of the century.

I remember the first time we saw Greyskull keep and met the NPCs there.

I remember the first time we met Gilmore, Allura, Kima.

I remember “Do not go far from me.”

I remember “We’re basically gods.”

I remember every “I would like to RAGE.”

And I will always remember how fucking proud I am of the cast and the critters for every achievement we’ve accomplished through our love of this nerdy ass game. I don’t care how long you’ve been a part of this, I don’t care how much or how little you’ve donated to charities or the kickstarter, I don’t care if you’ve made fanart or fanfiction or cosplays, or if you just sit around once a week to have fun watching a group of nerdy ass voice actors play D&D, I am so fucking proud of you for being apart of whatever the fuck this madness is. <3

So yesterday’s game was, interesting to say the least.

After getting the Tome of Strahd from Diath’s grave, at the crossroad gallows. The Warlock cast Find Familiar and summoned the Imp, Samiel, who was the Imp his Grandfather had as a familiar when the PC was a child.

She was sassy and out spoken. Loves to drop the F-bomb and takes every opportunity to do exactly what she’s told but in a way her master does not expect. The players loved her and she was so much fun to play.

The first thing she did was call out her master for being stupid enough to get himself brought to Barovia.

When he asked how she knew this place she dropped the revelation that his Grandfather was born here and got out at great cost. She even went as far as to say he still had family in Vallaki.

While this was going on the Druid saw a figure in the trees watching them. He could only make out a black pointed hat and a Crescent staff, before the figure yelped and turned into a cloud.

This was Strix.

The party moved on, saying goodbye to Ismark and taking Ireena on towards Vallaki.

They’d already received an invitation to dinner from Strahd back at Death House so his carriage was waiting for them. They debated but decided not to go because of Ireena.

They passed through the gates and camped in a clearing where they found a ruined Varda wagon and the Rogue had flashbacks of his family being murdered by Van Rickton here. (I’ve adopted Paultin’s history for him as he had no backstory.) his reaction was amazing! He played out the horror and pain his character felt and got drunk by the campfire.

They found Mr, Shambleface in the wreckage and he kept hold of it.

The next day the party saw Bonegrinder on thehill and the Hag Morgatha making her way towards it. They’d seen her back in Barovia village tormenting a boy who got away. They’d also taken the deed to the mill from the Durst family back in Death House. The Warlock was very put out that there were “squatters” in his Mill.

Ireena, persuaded to party to take the hag out and they followed her to the mill.

This is where it all went to hell!

They left the horses on the road and spent so long bickering in the road that Bella, one of the Hag daughters saw them and came to the door.

They pretended to want to buy Dreampastries and went inside.

The Druid pretended to leave and cast invisibility on himself. He snuck up to the second level but bumped into the mother hag who threw flour on him so she could see him. She cast hold person and called her other daughter down from the third floor. They started to torture the druid while the rest of the party was oblivious downstairs.

The rest of the party bought two dream pastries then asked about potions so Bella called for her mother who came downstairs leaving the other daughter up with the druid.

Ireena tried to stealth around and attack the mother hag but was caught in the act.

They all rolled initiative and the Warlock loudly tells the Hags that Ireena is Strahd’s betrothed and that the party was his guests.

The hags immediately wanted Ireena from then on. She ended up unconscious at the bottom of the stairs with the mother hag dragging her to the upper floors.

Lightening bolt was cast and the lower floor caught fire. The druid finally broke free and joined the fight but it was going very badly for the party. That’s when the Warlock called out for Strahd to come and save Ireena.

He didn’t expect it to work but he’d accepted some of the Dark Powers from the vampire secretly in the night and so Strahd heard and was on his way.

In the meantime the rogue heard children screaming on the upper floors and started to run up to try and save them.

The druid decided they should all run and when he went outside he looked up and saw Strahd arriving on his Nightmare.

Strahd walks intk the mill and sees Ireena barely alive being dragged by Morgatha who has her blood all over her and has clearly done the most damage to her.

While the Hags grovelled Strahd picked Ireena up and looked to the Warlock suggesting he leave.

Strahd then cast fireball into the bottom floor of the Mill at 6th level, doing 48 points of damage and turning the first floor into an inferno.

Strahd walkedback to his Nightmare with Ireena in his arms and like the Badass he is, didn’t turn to look at the explosion.

The druid stood his ground and said “I know it’s useless to fight you, but you know I have to try!”

Strahd was kinda impressed and the druid cast tremors hoping to stall him but the Nightmare just started to fly ignoring the effect.

Behind them the mill started to collapse. One of the burning hags ran out screaming only to be kicked back inside this-is-sparta style by the Warlock just as the mill crumbled around them.

The rogue was on the third floor trying to get two children out of the crates. He got them both out and they were climbing down a rope as the tower started to fall. The little boy failed his check and fell to his death.

The rogue and girl held on as long as they could but had to jump 20ft to the ground. The girl died on impact.

The Warlock was buried under the rubble and Strahd was flying away with Ireena.

The druid shouted “WAKE UP” and cast healing word on Ireena who woke and plunged her dagger up under Strahd’s chin, up through his tongue and pallet. She took out his speech and spell casting and used his shock to leap from the nightmare.

Strahd vanished and I couldn’t bloody believe that not only were the party still alive, but Ireena was still with them!

They dug the Warlock out and made a shelter out of the rubble where they made camp.

They decided to take the children’s bodies with them in the hope that the abbot at St Markovia’s abbey could resurrect them.

During the night Strix snuck into the camp and took Diath’s Amethyst out of the Rogue’s pack. They all woke the next morning to Owlbear tracks.

The party carried on to Vallaki and the Warlock cast Friends on the guards to get them to let the party in. He was immediately arrested and taken to the stocks while the rest of the party hid in the stockyard and found Rictavio’s wagon.

The druid now has made ithis mission to havd the armoured sabre-tooth tiger for a pet even though the smell of the vistani rogue makes it go savage.

Meanwhile at ghe stocks, a boy theew a rock at the warlock who told their Imp to scare the child. She immediately went over and stung the child in the neck killing him instantly.

That was where i ended the session.

Kinda proud of my players.

Isn’t anyone else concerned that The C Team are just planning on doing something with the rings? I mean, two parts of Evelyn’s soul are in there granting the rings their power. The odds of those pieces being ok after they finish the ritual or whatever, probably very slim.

Yet everyone is ok with this? I’m still mad at Diath for not demanding the rings return. He literally sold Evelyn’s soul, not knowing what impact that might have on her in the near future. He just assumed she’d be ok with it.

I really, really hope they don’t lose her for good because of those rings.

Finally saw episode 115 of Dice Camera Action and I squeed at the little Paultin/Evelyn moment where she shows him the battleaxe and he looks at her not the axe and says “beautiful.”

I so believe he was talking about Evelyn, not the axe.

I’d allow it

Diath pony done!