Attack on the Duergar Warcamp

is the fourth episode of the first season of Critical Role. Vox Machina forms a tentative alliance with an illithid outcast, named Clarota, deep inside the caverns under Kraghammer. They must get past the first mind flayer they encountered, as well as its small army of duergar. The heroes devise a plan and fly themselves down to the center of the enemy's war camp to chance a risky assassination attempt on a creature that could easily break their wills with a glance.

Synopsis
Vox Machina form a tentative alliance with an illithid outcast named Clarota, deep inside the caverns under Kraghammer. They learn of the creature’s people and their subjugation to a mysterious being known only as K'Varn, as well as the haggard mind flayer’s expulsion from the hive. Now cut off from the elder brain, Clarota burns with hatred for this K'varn, and wishes to free the illithid race from the usurping entity. In order to do so, Vox Machina must proceed further into the deep, and reach the center of Clarota’s hive. But in order for the heroes of Emon to reach the illithid city in the belly of Khaloor, they must get past the first flayer they encountered, as well as its small army of duergar.

The heroes devise a plan, and fly themselves down to the center of the enemy’s war camp, to chance a risky assassination attempt on a creature that could easily break their will with a glance.

Previously on Critical Role
"The party has been sent to the city of Kraghammer, through a friend of theirs named Arcanist Allura Vysoren. A good friend of hers and a folk hero throughout the land known as Lady Kima of Vord, who is a halfling paladin of Bahamut, has gone missing. She went on a vision quest as part of a pilgrimage she has been on for the past year and sensed a dark evil brewing far beneath the city of Kraghammer, disappeared into the city and hasn't been seen for weeks. So Arcanist Allura asked the party, hired them essentially, to go and see her whereabouts.

"Upon arriving in Kraghammer, they interacted with some of the local characters, eventually found themselves talking to Lord Nostoc Greyspine, who owns and runs the mines at the very bottom of Kraghammer. After a brief encounter where a mutated abomination of a Naga creature, they were then hired by Lord Nostoc to go into the mines, find out whatever is creating these abominations, destroy whatever is the source of them and he will pay well and also pay for each creature head that is brought to him individually.

"After getting into the mines, a few battles ensued with some of the local denizens, a couple umber hulks that were turned into snails and other interesting circumstances, the party then found what looked to be an entirely abandoned goblin city and a series of goblinoid corpses, many of which had bored holes in their skull, in various states of decay. They found a long bridge across an open chasm. Upon traversing it, Scanlan went invisible and found what looked like a duergar warcamp, which are like ashy-skinned evil dwarves that live deep underground, watched a dwarf get executed by what appeared to be some sort of strange alienoid creature that was revealed to be an illithid or mind flayer, a being that is psychic and consumes brains.

"Upon returning, the party had a plan to lead them off an illusionary cliff that went pretty well, ended up taking out a significant portion of the charging army at the time. Vax here, however, got stunned on the way across by the one mind flayer, nearly fell, however was saved by Tiberius at the last moment. Nearly lost their magic carpet, but was retrieved. After a brief discussion, Keyleth and Vex decided they didn't want to listen to anyone's bullshit, hijacked the magic carpet, flew down into the chasm below, and discovered behind one of the underground waterfalls some sort of a mind flayer who was cast out the society, covered in rags, a twisted physical form and, after a very tense discussion, seemed to befriend it under the mutually agreed retribution against those that are oppressive to this whole chasm area."

The Rise of K'Varn
Vox Machina and Clarota head back to the abandoned Goblin village to rest. As they approach Vax sees a light up ahead. He and Scanlan go to investigate. Where the duergar were camped, they find Pike examining the symbol carved by Lady Kima on the wall. Scanlan is ecstatic to see her.

Upon returning to the rest of the group, Clarota tells them what he knows of K'Varn.

&#10077;A great battle took place, and it appeared something had sieged the stronghold. Reading the surface thoughts of the deep dwarves I encountered in the following weeks, I found a shift of power. Whatever had taken this whole had now demanded fealty of them. And they accepted when faced with annihilation. This entity, that took the duergar by force, they called K'Varn.

I caught no sight of it, but the fear I could sense from within these dwarves was so primal, so great that I knew to keep a distance to be safe.

Not but four months ago, one of my estranged people was captured by these ash-skins and brought within the obsidian walls for what I assumed was interrogation. Long after, the bulk of the duergar people marched back through the long, deep tunnels that led to my people's colony and attacked. Strangely, before much bloodshed could occur, what I only assume was the next step in this onslaught, the fighting stopped, and the colony allowed the ash-skins to waltz directly into the temple, unharmed, unchallenged, where our elder brain resides.

It wasn't until after, I discovered whomever this K'Varn is, they themselves infiltrated the temple and somehow took the elder brain under their own control. I watched as my people had their will robbed of them. And they took the will of all the others that live and breathe in these tunnels.

Now a terrible army is forged of both factions and they walk under the banner of this K'Varn.&#10078;

Clarota expresses a deep desire to free his people in the hope that they will allow him to rejoin the colony, his family. Vox Machina wants to know if they can jury-rig a helmet like Clarota's for themselves, but Clarota says they don't need it. Grog brings out a large bronze pot from the bag of holding and wears it on his head.

Percy negotiates free passage for their help to which Clarota agrees.

The Plan, Part II
Clarota suggests that they attack the duergar warcamp and capture their general so that Clarota can "pry" him for information on the stronghold below. But Clarota warns that since they have seen Vax, they will be prepared.

While they are strategizing how to attack the warcamp, Pike mentions that she experienced a vision where she was pulled down towards the mines, into the tunnels where the dwarves were working, passed the goblinoid creatures and passed a great underground lake, passed a jagged onyx-colored fortress framed in molten rock, passed a field of broken glass and bone.

The group briefly considers exploring the lake to see if that yields a way around the duergar warcamp, but Clarota warns that the ancient creature in the lake is best not tampered with.

Percy suggests blinding the members in the camp and Clarota mentions that the deep dwarves hate light. Keyleth wants to enchant the flying carpet with a light spell that blinds the duergar as they fly over. Vax asks if he could fight blindfolded without being affected, Clarota is unsure. Scanlan has a ring of mind shielding which Clarota assures would help against psionic influence. Vax suggests that an invisible Scanlan infiltrate the warcamp again and blind the illithid but Clarota reminds them that this would not affect the duergar already under its control.

The party finally decides on a two-pronged plan. Vax and Scanlan will sneak in to kill the illithid, while the rest of the party creates a distraction and try to blind them with light.

After an uncomfortable sleep filled with unsettling dreams due to Clarota's presence, the party wakes to the ground rumbling. Scanlan asks Clarota what it is and he says they are creatures and it's best to stay still. The party holds still until the rumbling subsides. When the danger passes Clarota explains that some creatures can detect movement in the sound.

Vox Machina makes final preparations for the attack on the duergar warcamp, including finding some goblin refuse to use to blind the illithid. Clarota offers to cloud the illithid's mind if the rest of the party protects him.

Attack on the Duergar Warcamp
Keyleth turns into an eagle and picks up the gnomes. Tiberius casts Fly on Grog and hops on his back to steer, as Grog still has the pot on his head. The rest get on the carpet and they all fly over the crevasse to the warcamp. Clarota gives them a final warning that there could be an abomination in the camp.

As they fly over the camp undetected, they can see tunneling siege engines being constructed as well as other preparations for an attack on the city above. They approach the center of the encampment and land on the roof of the barracks.

There is no roof access but Vax and Scanlan scale down the wall and sneak through a window on the side of the building. They find themselves in a dormitory and continue into the hallway. They avoid the duergar stationed in the hallways. Vax throws a gold coin down the front hall and one of the two guards goes to investigate. Vax sneaks up behind the second guard and stabs it in the throat, killing it. Leaning the guard against the wall, Vax and Scanlan continue into the central chamber.

Inside the chamber is the illithid, the duergar general and two other duergar. Vax and Scanlan hear footsteps behind them. They sneak into the room unnoticed. Vax positions himself behind the illithid and Scanlan throws the refuse at the illithid.

As Scanlan throws, his invisibility fades and the illithid catches a glimpse of him before being blinded. The party hears Clarota in their minds, "Now."

Vax makes his attack on the illithid. Keyleth casts Daylight on Grog's pot, and Pike casts it on her shield. The light is so bright that the others on the roof have to avert their gaze. The illithid manages to pull Vax's dagger from the back of its neck and, eyes burning with rage, turns to him. The duergar in the room are now on alert, reaching for and pulling out their weapons.

Vax makes another attack and the illithid crumples to the ground. The general runs across the table in the center of the room and swings at Vax with his flaming warhammer. Grog slams his war axe into the roof, splitting it open. Grog slides down into the room below, Pike jumping onto his foot and falls to the side.

Vex and Percy jump down and they both take a shot at the general.

The duergar are in the room and more entering the room are cringing at the light coming from Grog's pot helmet. They try to avert their eyes but it is still physically hurting them. They have a disadvantage attacking.

&#10077;'Cause I'm so bright.&#10078; &mdash; Grog

The duergar attack Vax, Grog, Vex, and Scanlan. Tiberius casts Obelisk of Stone under the three duergar attacking Vex and Grog, crushing them. Scanlan dominates the general and makes him stand down and has him order all his guards to stand down as well. Clarota is pleased. Keyleth binds the general's hands with grasping vines.

A familiar tremble begins. The rumble gets louder and the duergar look around nervously. The stone floor below splits open near Percy, though he manages to dodge out of the way. A large, armored, four-legged creature comes burrowing out of the ground and takes a bite out of him.

Pike casts Guiding Bolt at the bulette, blasting into the side of its face. Clarota tries to attack it but fails. Vax clicks his Boots of Haste, runs to the creature and strikes at its underbelly.

The general breaks out of Scanlan's influence and the grasping vines and picks up his warhammer.

Grog frenziedly slams his axe into the bulette, cleaving open some of its armor. It glares at Grog with one of its eyes. Vex casts Hail of Thorns and shoots an arrow, piercing the bulette's armor.

Percy, his hand still in the bulette's mouth, fires his gun. A dull blast is heard as its eyes pulse with intense fury and pain. Smoke billows out of its mouth and nostrils.

The duergar grab their weapons and take advantage of the distraction to attack Scanlan and Vax.

Tiberius uses Telekinesis to pry open its armor and shoots a Fire Bolt in the hole. Scanlan runs toward the general, "Come here big guy. Come here," gives him a big hug and banishes him to another dimension. To follow, he gives inspiration to Pike.

Keyleth turns into a rhinoceros and charges the bulette, goring it. The bulette jumps over Keyleth, carrying Percy with him, to land between Clarota and Scanlan, crushing them. It drops Percy's arm to attack Scanlan. Scanlan is no longer conscious as the bulette thrashes him around. Pike rushes to Scanlan, pulling herself over a ledge to get to him, and heals him. Clarota blast a Lightning Bolt at the bulette, searing the back of its armor. Vax runs up to its butt and carves into it.

The duergar general Scanlan banished returns right in front of the bulette, but swings his hammer at Percy, knocking him out. Grog flanks the bulette and attacks. His attack catches the corner of its mouth, so he reaches in with his teeth and pulls its tongue out. Wrenching its jaw open, Grog punches into its brain and the bulette goes limp. Pike heals Percy.

Q&A
The cast held a Q&A after the game session.

Returning

 * Warcamp illithid
 * Duergar general
 * Clarota

Trivia

 * The chat room chose the bulette as the creature they would fight.