Shadows of Thomara

is the one hundred eleventh episode of the first campaign of Critical Role. Vox Machina make their way through the cursed caverns of the undead dwarven city of Thomara, hoping their presence won't be discovered.

Announcements

 * Middle Earth: Shadow of War is coming out October 10, including voices from Matt, Sam, Travis, and Laura.
 * Matt encouraged viewers to donate to the Red Cross to support those affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
 * Merchandising!
 * Podcast released up to Episode 40.
 * Marisha cancelled a plan to roll on announcements.
 * Dark Horse is releasing a Critical Role comic book series starting on September 20 (digital). Trade version released in Spring 2018.
 * Talks Machina on September 19 about.
 * The entire archive of Critical Role has been added to Alpha.
 * Twitch is having "Subtember," halving the price of subscriptions
 * Travis and Laura will be at Anime Weekend Atlanta, which takes place September 28-October 1.
 * Travis and Laura are going to Australia (Adelaide and Brisbane) in November (if Laura gets a passport).

Part I
As the small tunnel leads upward, Vex and Vax head up a short distance ahead of the party to investigate. They find that the path has been blocked by a rockslide. Grog goes into a rage and destroys the rocks with the Titanstone Knuckles, allowing them to proceed.

Afterwards, Vox Machina finds a stone hallway of dwarven make that connects to an iron room with a brazier, mirror, and buttons on the walls. Vax uses his serpent belt to press one of the buttons from outside of the room, revealing it to be an automatically sealing incinerator. When the room opens back up, Scanlan notices arcane marks visible in the corners opposite the buttons. Grog and Vex uncover vertical lines in each of these corners underneath layers of ash, while Pike finds and translates dwarven numbers on the entrance archway. Scanlan uses this information to tell his Unseen Servant (dubbed Simon 2 in honor of the belt) to press the buttons with a lance in a specific order. The causes the mirror to become a portal, which Vox Machina traverses.

The portal leads to a hallway and staircase, eventually coming out into a central portion of the dwarven city of Thomara. After attracting and dispatching some undead dwarves, Vox Machina investigates a temple full of more undead dwarves in the area. With Grog distracting the dwarves and Vax and Vex dispatching the two undead dwarves who were not distracted, Scanlan uses Simon 2 to retrieve a crystal from the temple. Vox Machina bid Simon 2 farewell and ascend towards a gap in the roof of the city-sized cavern.

Part II
Vox Machina comes out into a domed chamber, which appears to have drained water into Thomara at some point. They debate destroying the crystal, agreeing to wait before a final decision. Grog open doors on the sides of the chamber, ultimately revealing a single path upwards. After looting some boxes, Vex and Vax scout ahead into a hallway.

Three cloaked figures appear in the hallway, wearing Vecna symbols. Upon noticing the symbols, Vex and Vax attack, killing one and wounding the others. One of the cultists, Viskorad, orders another, Odell, to alert others to Vox Machina's presence, beginning a fight.

Vex manages to attack Odell before Viskorad summons wraiths and a Wall of Force. Scanlan, Keyleth, and Percy waste time attempting to attack through the Wall of Force. Odell moves a Sphere of Annihilation into the side of the room containing Vox Machina. One of the wraiths reduces Vex's maximum health.

Scanlan shifts the course of the fight by using Dimension Door to move past the Wall of Force. He then uses Bigby's Hand to punch Viskorad, breaking his concentration on the Wall of Force. In the ensuing flurry of attacks, Vex kills Odell and Percy kills Viskorad, while Pike and Vax eliminate the wraiths.

Vox Machina loot the bodies of the three Remnant members. Scanlan attempts to grab the Sphere of Annihilation with Bigby's Hand, and then tries twice to control it with his mind. The first attempt leads the sphere to move into and injure Scanlan, but the second attempt allows him to move the Sphere, which he dubs Simon 3. Pike and Vax decides to combine Zone of Truth and Speak with Dead to compel one of the cultists to share information about the titan and Thar Amphala. After Vax casts Zone of Truth, Pike attempts Speak with Dead on Odell. The spell does not function as intended and Pike is psychically damaged in the process. Vox Machina throws the three bodies into Simon 3.

Vox Machina

 * Taryon Darrington (absent; mentioned only)
 * Doty 2.0 (absent; not mentioned)
 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot (controlled by Liam and Laura)
 * Trinket
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Odell
 * Viskorad
 * An unnamed Remnant member

Mentioned

 * J'mon Sa Ord
 * Kaylie
 * Vecna