The Fey Key

is the 47th episode of the third campaign of Critical Role.

Pre-show
New Nordverse installment, and Marisha is going to the Creator Clash 2!

Part I
With Imogen's fog cloud from her Feywild shard still activate, Bells Hells make their way through the Sablecast Grounds towards the Shiver Keep, where the Malleus Key is located. Fearne leads them through the thorny landscape. The fog makes them harder for surrounding creatures to perceive, and travel is initially uneventful. Towards the end of the hour, shortly before the fog dissipates, they reach some narrow spire-like purple towers with polished white marble tops. Orym does not notice any windows in them. Laudna decides to send Pâté as a scout, and transforms him into an owl-like creature. Through Pâté's eyes, Laudna notices that his vision becomes tinted with violet light, and the party notices that Pâté, off in the distance, glows with this light, possibly Faerie Fire. The ground appears even thornier and dangerous amidst these towers, and the party hears echoing noises coming from all directions. Laudna directs Pâté to make himself more obvious so as to cause a distraction so that Bells Hells can cross in secrecy.

FCG flips his coin of the Changebringer to see if their course of action is a good one, and tells the party they are on the right track, and that the coin, like himself, is a piece of metal that makes choices. Ashton suggests that FCG be a little more patient in their queries to the Changebringer, and the rest of the party caution FCG similarly, but they disregard the feedback. As the party discusses their options, the light around Pâté fades, and Laudna notes it took about ten minutes. Pâté also notices that the ghostly image of Ruidus in the sky of the Feywild seems to be right above the keep in the distance, and that a large, winged creature flies around the keep. He determines a potential path that winds through the needle-like towers towards the keep that could prevent Bells Hells from being caught, and communicates this to Laudna shortly before the connection dies. Laudna suspects Pâté may have been eaten or otherwise killed.

FCG uses the information given to him by Laudna to guide the party through the towers successfully as Ashton casts Pass without Trace. They discuss using the Harrowcall Veils but decide to save them for later. They manage to hide in the trees as a war band in soundless armor, led by a knight on a Nightmare, looks for them. Fearne is able to understand them as they talk in Sylvan. Bells Hells moves towards the gate, but Ashton gets caught in the brambles on the ground and the war band hears them. Imogen, running past, casts Invisibility on Ashton and the rest of the party scatters and hides. Ashton takes damage from the ground as it begins to drag him down, but manages to stay hidden. Chetney meanwhile goes invisible himself and throws some ball bearings away from where he last saw Ashton, and successfully distracts the war party to run in that direction instead. Once the war band has left earshot, FCG tries to Dispel Magic on the ground, but it seems to have no effect. Remembering Morrigan's advice, Fearne tells Ashton to pay the iron tithe. FCG offers themself, but Fearne tells them their coin would be more useful. FCG refuses and Ashton instead throws some metal jacks they have. The ground releases him, though his leg is bloody from the ordeal. Imogen then guides the party to the doors of the keep, just outside the tree line. They can all see Ruidus overhead.

The keep is well guarded, with sentries at the gate and on the walls. There are also ballistae on the walls, and a few sentries have sighthound-like creatures with a void where their faces should be. Laudna recognizes these as eremads, and recalls that it is particularly difficult to hide from them, though she can't remember exact details. She suspects they may be able to see through illusions. The party discuss a number of options. They consider having Imogen summon her Reilora. Orym determines that the sentries aren't particularly powerful, but a direct attack would draw attention. Chetney drops his invisibility, transforms into his werewolf form, and is able to lead one sentry on a chase, leaving only one at the gate. Imogen casts Invisibility on Laudna and Orym after Laudna casts Spiderclimb on herself, and Laudna and Orym go over the wall to investigate further. They are able to see a device similar to the Veilscatter Scope which they recognize as the Malleus Key, as well as six guards around it. They also notice that there is a small amount of room beneath the gate such that the Portable hole might be able to let the rest of the party go under it. Laudna communicates this mentally to Imogen, and suggests they get rid of the guard on the outside of the gate, since Laudna has no line of sight.

FCG Banishes the guard, and Bells Hells uses the minute of banishment to run for the gate. As they do, the second guard, tired of chasing Chetney, returns. Imogen tries to wound him from a distance but misses, but Chetney is able to grapple him from behind as he also runs for the gate. Fearne casts Hold Person, making it easy for Chetney to drop the guard into the portable hole. Bells Hells also sets up the hole so that the banished guard returns right over it when FCG releases the spell. The party closes and folds up the hole with the two trapped guards inside.

They notice a red beam between the Malleus Key and Ruidus, as well as Otohan Thull speaking with a tall, armored, important-seeming individual. Orym is able to read their lips from afar. The individual tells Otohan that Sammanar is becoming impatient, particularly with Ludinus. Otohan tells them that they are very close to their goal, and to focus on that rather than more minor irritations. She reads from a scroll and disappears, and the other person climbs onto a massive frog-like dragon creature and flies off. The party waits until they're sure both have left.

Main player characters

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

Companions
These characters are familiars or other companions of the player characters.
 * Pâté de Rolo

Returning
These characters previously appeared in Campaign 3 or any other Critical Role work.
 * Otohan Thull
 * Zathuda

New
These characters have not previously appeared in Campaign 3 or any other Critical Role work, though they may have been previously mentioned.
 * Gloamglut

Mentioned

 * Ira Wendagoth