Dark Portents

is the 29th episode of the third campaign of Critical Role.

Part I
Dusk apologizes to the party for lying about their true form, and tells Birdie to explain what she is doing. Multiple members of Bells Hells have questions - Laudna wants to know about the arcane batteries, Imogen wants to know about the Unseelie Court, and Orym wants an explanation for Dusk's behavior. Birdie tells Fearne to run and goes invisible but does not manage to escape Dusk's grasp. Orym holds his sword to Dusk's back. Dusk tells the party that Birdie is a thief, which the invisible Birdie does not deny. Dusk then shifts into the appearance of a very attractive half-elf man and makes a pass towards Orym, who stabs her.

Dusk repeats that Birdie stole from the courts, which Birdie confirms is true, but that she had good reasons for doing so. Dusk also reveals that their name is Yu Saffiad, not Dusk. Birdie breaks free from them, but Imogen and Ashton block the doors. Yu repeats that they just want the artifact that Birdie stole. Fearne asks her mother about the strange difference in the time passed between the two - six vs. 90 years - and Birdie cannot answer. Most of the party continue to demand answers, with Yu continuing to repeat that Birdie stole from the courts and telling Birdie to explain. Birdie then breaks her invisibility when she stabs Yu. The party prepares for a fight, and Orym is able to steal Yu's rapier. Chetney asks Birdie to back up and explain what she was initially trying to do, and Birdie begins by telling him that Fearne was born in Exandria, during a Ruidus flare and that Ruidus has begun to appear in the Feywild. At this, Fearne casts Flame Blade and stabs Yu, and a brief fight begins. In it, Yu shifts into Imogen's form to manipulate Laudna. Imogen meanwhile casts Detect Thoughts on Birdie and learns information that leads her to call for more talking. Ashton grapples Birdie and Chetney stands between Yu and Fearne to prevent the fighting. Once everyone stops, Imogen asks Birdie why she is working with the Nightmare King.

Birdie reveals that until seven years ago, the only moonlight in the Feywild was that of Catha, never Ruidus. Ruidus then began to appear, and Birdie and Olly believe the Unseelie Court is trying to use it, but that it will bring destruction to the Feywild. The Calloways had asked the courts for help, but were denied, and so took matters into their own hands.

Through further discussion, it comes out that Birdie and Olly stole the Moontide Crown, which is what Yu is attempting to take back. The crown is needed for a machine that Ira is helping build and which is to be activated in a month, on 21 Fessuran, an apogee solstice. Birdie isn't particularly familiar with how it works, but Hondir, an ally in Bassuras, can explain it if the party will go with her to visit him. While she and Olly don't particularly like Ira, and were unaware of his activities in Jrusar in the employ of Armand Treshi, they were under a tight timeline to save Fearne and the Feywild and needed someone with very particular skills for help and Ira was the only person they knew. Birdie also tells Fearne that she didn't know about the time dilation, and that Morri is very powerful and might be behind it. Additionally, Fearne shows Birdie the gem Morri gave her, which Fresh Cut Grass identifies as a Weave lens.

Through this, Yu continues to repeat that Birdie stole the crown, and that other assassins from the courts will come for her and will be less forgiving. They invite everyone to the Feywild, and try to appeal to Imogen's interest in the gnarlrock.

Chetney suggests that, as Birdie and Olly only need the crown for another month, Yu stall for a month with her superiors, let them activate the device, and then come back to claim the crown and take the Calloways. Birdie agrees, on the grounds that if the machine works, she will have done what she needs to do, and if it doesn't, being taken by the Unseelie Court would be the least of her worries. The party argues for some time after, but eventually returns to this as a sufficient compromise. Ashton angrily tells Yu to leave, which they equally angrily do.

The party somewhat warily introduces themselves to Birdie. Fearne looks at Imogen, and Imogen messages her mentally. Fearne asks if they should reveal that Imogen is Ruidusborn, but Imogen points out that she's not sure if she even is. Birdie meanwhile apologies to Imahara Joe for the scuffle in his shop and pays him for any damages, as well as for the repairs on the party's crawler. She then reveals to the party that she stole Yu's ring. Fearne shows her mother the mirror she stole from Yu. They all leave to meet Hondir.

Part II
The party follows Birdie towards Hondir. As they do, Laudna Messages Imogen and asks her if they should tell the rest about Otohan Thull, but Imogen tells her to wait for now. Birdie leads them all to one of the city's storm cisterns which is marked with a symbol, and then to a nearby shed. Orym and Chetney verify they don't seem to be followed, and they all enter the shed. A chair sits above a trap door, which Birdie knocks on. Hondir answers, and asks why he hears so many footsteps, which Birdie assures him are from allies.

She opens the door to let them in to where Hondir is living. He is a goblin in clothing that appears old, but too nice for Bassuras. Birdie vouches for the party and introduces Fearne as her daughter. Hondir tells everyone that the room is rigged with explosives should they do anything untoward, which Imogen verifies is true.

Ashton asks Hondir about the kidnapping Ira had been doing, which Hondir is horrified by and which Birdie again states was something she was unaware of. Hondir asks the party what they are faithful to, and they respond that they're unaffiliate with any specific deities, which he seems to approve of. He then explains the principles behind the machine they are building:

Leylines run across all of Exandria, and there is a nexus of several of them in the Hellcatch Valley near Bassuras. At these nexuses, especially during a celestial solstice, it is possible for rituals or magic to have considerably more power than normal. Additionally, solstices can shift the patterns of the world's leylines. The apogee solstice Birdie referenced is likely to do so, and the machine will use this power.

Hondir is from the Aydinlan Seminary in Yios, but his research into ley energies has made him and others who study similar topics a political target, which is why he is now in hiding. However, prior to him having to leave, he and his colleagues believed that the next celestial solstice would likely be centered in the Hellcatch Valley, though it could also be centered just north of the Oderan Wilds, or in the Panagrip Sands - all in Marquet.

Orym, recalling something Birdie had said earlier, asks Hondir if he is familiar with the Grim Verity. Hondir is taken aback for a moment but says that he is, and asks how Orym knows. Orym tells him that he had been looking into the murder of the Lumas twins due to a connection to an attack on Zephrah with similar assassins. Hondir names these as the Gray Assassins, and he and Orym confirm they are talking about the same people. Hondir also confirms that Keyleth is not a member and that he is not sure why she was attacked. Hondir is now in hiding because of them; his home was destroyed while he was away, and he has been on the run ever since.

Orym then asks Birdie to explain her involvement in more depth. She tells him that she and Ollie had been in the Verdant Expanse when Fearne was born, and at the moment of Fearne's birth, the sky glowed red. Birdie initially didn't realize the significance of this, as Ruidus is not typically in the Feywild, but later learned of the concept of Ruidusborn. Ollie later took some intoxicating herbs and had dreams of Ruidus eating and burning away the entire Feywild. He only took it seriously after Ruidus appeared in the sky of the Feywild a year later. At this point, the Calloways began asking the courts for help in investigating the influence of Ruidus, but were turned away. In the process, they found that the Unseelie Court seemed to be hiding Ruidus and were perhaps using it for some unknown purpose, and were additionally meeting with people from the Material Plane to build a device pertaining to it. At that point, Birdie and Ollie tried to talk to the Unseelie Court, and when that failed, stole the Moontide Crown and escaped to Exandria, leaving Fearne with Morri.

At this point, Imogen realizes that the description - dark gray leathers and gray cloth - match that which the figures in her dream wore, and she asks Birdie if one of the people working with the Unseelie Court is a woman matching Otohan's description. Birdie confirms this and Imogen explains who Otohan is. Hondir panics at this, realizing a member of the Gray Assassins is in a position of power within Bassuras. He asks the group if they're sure they want to know more, and Laudna and FCG tell him they do. He says that he also wonders if the assassins might be from Vasselheim, since records of two previously unknown gods were recently uncovered there by another member of the Grim Verity, and the powers in Vasselheim have been trying to prevent that information from getting out. Said member escaped with their life and without killing any guards, though they have since been assassinated, and even Hondir doesn't know where those records are, for his own safety.

The party takes stock of the information they know. Hondir explains how the Feywild and Shadowfell are related to the Material Plane, and recommends they perhaps check with Planerider Ryn, a skilled interplanar traveler. Imogen then asks Hondir if he knew her mother, Liliana Temult, and learns that not only was he familiar, though he hasn't seen her in twelve years, but that Liliana shared Imogen's telekinetic abilities. Hondir tells her he is sorry that she inherited these abilities.

Bells Hells is still angry about Ira's involvement, and warns Birdie that he is likely to turn on her, which she acknowledges. They then ask how they can help and Birdie tells them the Weave lens, which is what they had asked Morri for, would be the biggest help. Fearne and Birdie talk about Morri, and Fearne tells her that she knows Morri wrote the postcards; Birdie and Ollie missed Fearne but had been trying to keep her secret from the courts (which has failed now that Yu told Zathuda of Fearne's existence), and had no means to communicate. Ira is the one who asked Morri for the lens. The party updates Birdie and Hondir on Ira's activities in Jrusar, but agree to pick up their crawlers from Joe's and head out to the machine, which, by crawler, should only be a few hours round trip.

They go to pick up the crawlers, and leave the city with both Birdie and, after a false start, Hondir, to go see the machine.

Player characters

 * Ashton Greymoore
 * Chetney Pock O'Pea
 * Fearne
 * Little Mister
 * Fresh Cut Grass
 * Imogen Temult
 * Laudna
 * Orym

Returning

 * Birdie Calloway
 * Imahara Joe
 * Yu Suffiad

New

 * Hondir

Mentioned

 * Balan and Zeyar Lumas
 * Delilah Briarwood
 * Dorian Storm
 * Ebenold Kai
 * Ira Wendagoth
 * Keeper of the Moontides
 * Keyleth (unnamed)
 * Liliana Temult
 * Morri Calloway
 * Oleander Calloway
 * Otohan Thull
 * Roe Estani
 * Ryn
 * Sehanine

Trivia

 * Sam's ad bit for this week features Ryan Manuel. The ad bit was similar to Manuel's two appearances as #13 on Jerma's Twitch stream, in which he replaced Jerma and took over his Twitch stream.