The Sorrow of Molaesmyr

is the 57th episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. Bells Hells' Team Wildemount venture deeper into the haunted ruins of Molaesmyr and search for the tower that once belonged to the imperious mage Ludinus Da'leth...

Pre-show
Sam channels Fred Schneider of The B-52's; Laura and Ashley channel Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson.

Part I
Bells Hells, still connected by the Telepathic Bond FCG cast, continue into Molaesmyr. They try to avoid the mutated elk-like creature they had previously seen, and Fearne casts Pass Without Trace to help them stealthily move through the city. As they walk through the ruins, the party notices a lot of cracked and crumbling stonework, and purple and red ferns growing abundantly, as well as a few old encampments from past expeditions or looters. It is foggy, with tiny spores floating in the air. The party can see distant, intermittent blue lights and occasionally hears clicks or the sounds of birds. FRIDA stops everyone from stepping into one of many fissures that emit a purplish-black miasma, and notices a large central ivy-covered tower, which the party begins to head towards. As they continue, they begin to notice a number of bodies, most rotted to skeletons, with the forest growing up through them. Deanna notices that some of the trees appear corpse-like themselves, with bright red leaves that emit more spores. She also is able to read the title on the town livery, in which there is a deformed horse skeleton. She warns Imogen not to look, but Imogen tells her it's less upsetting than what happened to the flot goat. FRIDA casts Decompose. Chetney keeps an eye out for the ghosts, and FRIDA hears a distant howl.

When Bells Hells reaches a fork in the path, FCG casts Divination and asks the Changebringer which path will be safer for them. In response, she blows away some of the fog and mist on the right hand path, which the party takes. As it grows colder and the presence of undead more common, FCG also casts Spirit Guardians, making the guardians look like FRIDA. Suddenly, the party no longer hears the ambient noise of the undead, but each time they turn and look, there are more ghosts, growing closer. Deanna Turns Undead, eliminating many of what would have been 20 ghosts, but five remain, and Bells Hells enters combat.

In the combat, the ghosts attempt to possess FCG, Imogen, Chetney, and Fearne, but only succeed in possessing Chetney. While possessed, Chetney attacks FCG with Turmoil. FRIDA climbs a tree to take a vantage point and keep an eye out for other threats, and FCG fights off the ghosts attacking them. Deanna is able to free Chetney of his possession with Greater Restoration. Between the spiritual and physical attacks of the clerics, Imogen's Mind Whip and Dissonant Whispers, Fearne's Ice Knife, FRIDA's scimitar, and Chetney's use of Turmoil, they destroy all the ghosts attacking them.

As the party exits combat, FRIDA notices a winged creature crawling out of the large central tower. Fearne recasts Pass Without Trace and the party starts heading towards the tower. FRIDA and Deanna get a closer look at the flying creature, which appears headless, but with large, leathery wings with dark streamers floating behind them, and multiple taloned legs. Inside the tower, Deanna recognizes a white tree in a tapestry as part of the crest of Uthodurn. The tower's first floor otherwise appears to have been picked through by looters. On the second floor is another corpse-like tree, and when FRIDA climbs to the top floor, they take damage from the tree's thorns, which reach out to grab them, despite them attempting to avoid it. However, they are able to make it to the window and look out on the city. They warn the party about the tree creature and its roots and vines, and also notice a silvered blue tower with gold accents that is tilted at an angle, which they believe to be the Gildhollow Tower. FRIDA tells the rest of the party to go towards that tower, and they will shoot any threats from the vantage point. The rest of Bells Hells agrees, and begin to make their way.

Part II
The party, minus FRIDA, begins to stealthily move towards Gildhollow Tower, with FCG leading the way. He very quickly falls into one of the fissures, causing the miasma to erupt from it. The rest of the party is able to avoid the worst of it, but FCG is harmed and their max HP reduced, though they are able to get out of the hole. Imogen takes over guiding the party to the tower. Chetney asks FCG if he is nearing his breaking point, and FCG tells him he's not quite there but is very stressed. Deanna and FCG talk a bit as they walk. FRIDA meanwhile keeps an eye on the winged creature, which has one purple eye on its body. Bells Hells warns FRIDA the Telepathic Bond is about to expire and tells them to catch up. It is also beginning to grow dark.

As FRIDA goes to catch up with the party, they go over a bridge that is rotted and begins to give way. While they do not fall, the sound it makes attracts the howling creature, which is revealed to be the five-headed Wolf-King. Chetney transforms into his hybrid form and, as a werewolf, runs towards FRIDA. While Imogen tells the party to wait until FRIDA catches up, FRIDA tries to lead the Wolf-King away from the party. Realizing this, Fearne begins to run to the tower as Imogen casts Seething Storm in a direction away from where she can hear FRIDA in the hopes of distracting the creature. FCG begins to run for FRIDA and Deanna follows Fearne. As FRIDA runs towards FCG and Chetney, FCG uses Stone Shape to hide them, and similarly, as Imogen begins to follow Fearne and Deanna, Deanna casts Minor Illusion to hide her and Fearne. Imogen is able to successfully cast Sending to FCG over the short distance and tells them to make for the tower, and the party all manages to avoid the Wolf-King. The tower's entrance is unusable, but climbing to higher floors and going through the windows is possible, and they begin to do so. Deanna casts Guardian of Faith and makes it look like a spectral Chetney in his wolf form. The Wolf-King begins to attack it, taking damage, and while it tries to chase the party, they make it inside safely and it soon gives up.

Inside, Deanna briefly berates FRIDA but is reassured they were just trying to keep everyone safe. The party begins to investigate the tower. It smells intensely of rot and mold, and there is a grayish-peach residue in the rooms. Fearne determines that once, the decor in this tower was very well crafted. Imogen notices past encampments and a few bodily remains. FRIDA begins to douse the two remaining support beams with flammable liquid for when the party leaves. They continue up the stairs, finding a body in moldy leather armor with a nice gold ring on one of its fingers, and give the ring to FCG who does not believe it to be magical, but is persuaded not to eat it. FRIDA notices a magical trap up ahead and Deanna dispels it.

The next room is heavily entangled with trees, and has more of the same residue, which Deanna recognizes as possibly being similar to a reptile's shed skin, or perhaps an old cocoon. The room has a bookcase, bed, and an armoire and also appears to be heavily looted, but Chetney finds a few papers amid the roots of the tree, in Elvish. Deanna reads it: it contains analysis of patterns of arcane and celestial events throughout Exandrian history, and the names of historical specialists, people to reach out to, and those who have researched the topic in the past: Vaatora, Laerryn, and Vishtaraan. There are also pages that appear to have been torn from religious texts with notations on things found to be contradictory or misleading, to provide proof of the fallibility of the gods, which appear to be preparation for a speech on the topic. There are also many notes about the Matron of Ravens regarding an interest in learning her real name. FRIDA records this as Deanna reads it aloud.

Chetney continues to investigate and finds a circular patch on the wall to which dust seems to stick. It otherwise appears normal when he touches it and when Imogen tries to telekinetically interact with it, but when Deanna uses the Light spell on her halberd and brings it close, the light is sucked into the circle and the halberd goes dark. The circle briefly glows before fading. The party considers what magic they might need to cast, and FRIDA finds the circle oddly familiar, though they cannot tell why. When they mention this, Imogen and FCG offer to use Detect Thoughts to try and uncover more, but FRIDA is unsure. Meanwhile, Chetney has continued to investigate and has climbed out onto the tree that is growing through much of the tower. Amid the reddish leaves, he suddenly touches something soft, and smells something sweet but rotting. He withdraws his hand and finds there's blood on it, and begins to return to the interior of the tower, but a large, shapeshifting reddish-pink mass with multiple features follows.

Main player characters

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

Guest player characters

 * Deanna Leimert
 * FRIDA

Companions
These characters are familiars or other companions of the player characters.
 * Little Mister

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

Mentioned

 * The Changebringer
 * The Dawnfather
 * Laerryn Coramar-Seelie
 * Ludinus Da'leth
 * The Matron of Ravens
 * Vaatora and Vishtaraan, mages mentioned in Ludinus research