A Stage Set

is the 32nd episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells tinker with former friendships and robotic inner workings before returning to Paragon's Call, this time as newly minted members...

Part I
Bells Hells and Birdie make it back to Bassuras without incident. Once they get to the city, Birdie apologizes again to Fearne, and heads to A Taste of Tal'Dorei after the two hug. She tells them that she'll be laying low within Bassuras but will still be at the hideout if they need her.

The party then, after some discussion, decides to have Imogen contact Dancer regarding FCG. Imogen Sends a message to Dancer, saying that she had captured FCG and wanted to discuss futher. Dancer is initially wary but tells Imogen she is at the Revel and Break. Bells Hells goes to meet her. Chetney, Laudna, Fearne, and FCG stay outside while Imogen goes in with Orym and Ashton. Orym and Imogen speak with Dancer while Ashton keeps watch from some distance.

Dancer tells them that she repaired FCG after purchasing them, but cannot take credit for their sentience or personality. Imogen casts Detect Thoughts as Orym shows Dancer FCG's buzzsaw arm, and learns that Dancer wonders why FCG had attacked the rest of the the Division of Public Benefit and felt kinship for him prior to the attack. Through further conversation, Imogen and Orym learn that Imahara Joe's recounting was true: Dancer distracted Joe so she could purchase FCG from a masked trader who said FCG came from the Rumedam Desert, and the two were in an adventuring party.

Orym asks Dancer if she'd like to talk with FCG from a safe distance - for both of their sakes - and she agrees and goes outside. FCG greets her, and the two talk. FCG offers to return to her if she wants them, but she says that until they know why they killed the rest of the party, and address the cause, she can't trust or forgive them. The two reminisce on happier times, and FCG asks Dancer for the details on what happened near Evishi, which she recounts. He also asks her for information on how Bells Hells can turn him off if necessary, and she reveals that if they break the runic cable, it will be extremely hard to fix. The two part, with FCG urging Dancer to take care of herself and find other people to talk to in their absence.

Bells Hells then goes to Imahara Joe's to learn more and so that Chetney can purchase some paint. FCG asks Joe about the trader who sold them, and Joe tells them they go by the name of D, appear masculine, have an elaborate metal mask, and wear a dark cloak. D has come through Bassuras a few times in the past few years, but very infrequently. Imogen then asks Joe, upon learning that he is likely the person with the most expertise into aeormatons in Bassuras, if he can look at the runic cable Dancer spoke of. Joe refers to it as a "ley tether" and, upon confirming with FCG, agrees. He opens FCG's chassis, which reveals a large, strange-smelling metal bowl, which is where the liquids the party had poured into him had gone. The bowl also has glowing runes and a series of pipes. Joe tells the party that the bowl seems to have transmutative properties to convert what is put into it and use it elsewhere, which is how FCG can eat metal to repair themself.

Joe, again asking FCG's permission, asks if he can look further, and opens a latch, revealing a glowing violet energy source. Laudna looks at it and determines it is not of the same material as the gnarlrock. FCG tries casting a few spells, and when he does, the glow of the runes surges. Joe tells FCG that they are very magical and that any further inspection here would be too invasive, but when Fearne asks why FCG's eyes glowed red during their attack, Joe asks if he could look at FCG's cranium. FCG agrees, but no one can find a potential entry point into the head that wouldn't involve cutting or puncturing FCG. The party tells Joe about FCG's episode earlier that day, and Joe retrieves a book and tells them that this sounds like it might be related to The Care and Culling, an Age of Arcanum-era political assassination plot in which aeormatons were given as gifts to political rivals, and then turned on them. He tells FCG that even if this is his origin, it doesn't mean he can't do good now.

Bells Hells presses Joe for more information about D. Joe agrees to Imogen Detecting Thoughts on him initially but finds the experience strange and uncomfortable. However, before the spell ends, Imogen sees his memories of D, confirming D's appearance.

As a parting gift, Joe gives FCG a medallion bearing the symbol of The Changebringer.

Part II
Bells Hells then heads to the Seat of Disdain to join the Paragon's Call. On the way, they discuss how Imogen might hide herself from Otohan Thull. Imogen tries to invoke the Feywild shard to see if that will turn her blue or make her lose her hair again, but it simply makes her Levitate. The party also asks Fearne about being Ruidusborn and if it's affecting her, to which Fearne replies that while she has many dreams, she's never had any like Imogen's.

On the way, Orym notices a familiar figure: Artana Voe. He briefly goes to follow her, and upon catching up to her asks her what she's doing in Bassuras. She tells him that she's visiting a friend, but Orym believes she is not telling the entire truth. He then returns back to the rest of the party. Meanwhile, Imogen notices that a dust storm appears to be imminent.

Bells Hells arrive at the gates of the Seat of Disdain and are let in by the guards, then quickly met by Ratanish. Ratanish greets them and tells them that their first job will be guarding the fortress while much of the rest of the crawler gang is out on an important delivery. As the party goes through, many members of the Paragon's Call cheer for their show in the Deathwish Run. Ratanish then leaves them in their barracks. Shortly after, the minotaur who had appeared at the Chandei Quorum ball comes by and introduces himself as Rockmond, here to give them the tour.

Rockmond takes them to the armory, where the party finds a throwing dart small enough for Little Mister. Bells Hells asks a number of questions of Rockmond, including several about the shipment, before he and Ashton explain that asking too many questions is unwise. Rockmond also gives the party yellow cloaks, and tells them they can come and go as needed from the fortress but that they cannot go into the basement. The tour goes through the rest of the upper floors, concluding with Rockmond bringing them to the courtyard. Ashton begins helping load the shipment, and Ratanish tells the rest of the party to do so as well. At this point, the dust storm is visible to all but has not yet hit.

While loading the shipment, Imogen tells Chetney telepathically that the shipment could be an excuse to move a person, such as Treshi. Ashton notices that some of the crates look identical to the one he saw at the fateful break-in at Jiana Hexum's manor, and Orym notices that some of the crates are marked with Treshi's name. Fearne and Chetney notice a unique symbol on another crate, though neither of them recognize it. Otherwise, many of the crates appear to have masonry and other building materials. The Paragon's Call soldiers and officers ignore all questions about the shipment.

Once the shipment is loaded, Ratanish sends them back to their barracks and tells them to go get food when they want. Back in the barracks, Fearne confirms via Detect Magic that there appear to be no magical effects or scrying in the room. The party discusses how they might retrieve Treshi, whom they have not yet seen in the fortress and who they worry might be leaving along with the shipment. Fearne and Chetney draw the symbol they saw, which Orym recognizes as the symbol of the Cerberus Assembly. Laudna realizes that the orb from Eshteross still points towards the River of Renewal shop. After some discussion of possible plans, FCG casts Locate Creature and learns that Treshi is directly beneath them, in the basement.

Ashton and Laudna decide to go out in the now raging dust storm to purchase Treshi's locator ring so that they can, if necessary, use it to track the shipment. Tying themselves together with a rope, they make their way to the Bank of Renewal, which is largely shuttered, and knock on the River of Renewal door asking for shelter. The Hiros let them in, and tell them they can wait out the storm as long as they don't steal anything. Laudna and Ashton begin a conversation about Laudna's "kooky" personality while feigning interest in purchasing a ring. After some back and forth, Ashton purchases Treshi's platinum ring for 350 gold, and the two leave. As they walk back, they talk about how they are both visibly and likely permanently broken, but that their close friends, FCG and Imogen, might not be, and how they can support them. Ashton asks Laudna to be more honest, and they eventually get back to the Seat of Disdain.

Meanwhile, Chetney casts Invisibility on himself and is able to pick the lock and enter the basement. Down there, he finds a number of jail cells, one of which houses Treshi. Treshi appears to not be a prisoner, based on the comfortable furniture in the cell and the fact that the guards treat him respectfully. Chetney also notices that one guard sits near a large chain leading upward, possibly to an alarm or to a vault that can be opened. He telepathically reports back to Imogen while still in the basement before returning to the room.

The reunited party resumes their planning in their barracks: Orym tells everyone that he saw Artana Voe, and Ashton tells them that the crates don't appear to be Treshi's belongings, but rather that they seem to be connected to whatever Jiana was importing. As they all theorize about how this is all connected, they are interrupted by a commotion outside their door. Chetney opens it and they see a number of Paragon's Call members rushing towards the mammoth crawler on which they had loaded the crates. As a soldier falls in the attack, another calls out that everyone needs to go protect the shipment.

Player characters

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

Returning

 * Artana Voe
 * Birdie Calloway
 * Dancer
 * Imahara Joe
 * Ratanish
 * Rockmond, minotaur member of Paragon's Call
 * Adon Hiro
 * Armand Treshi

New

 * D, a masked trader in Marquet (via a memory)

Mentioned

 * Avandra
 * Axer, member of the Division of Public Benefit
 * Oatmeal, Pussy, and Thunderstorm, Dancer's destroyed automatons
 * Otohan Thull
 * Ozene, member of the Division of Public Benefit
 * Terrawyn, member of the Division of Public Benefit
 * Jiana Hexum