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.

Part II
Bells Hells discuss how they might destroy the Malleus Key, ideally without drawing attention to themselves. They acknowledge that the eremads make hiding difficult, and none of them have a good way to escape magically; there is a very good chance (backed up by a Changebringer coin flip from FCG) that this will not go well for them. They agree that they need to irreparably damage it, and if they must, can fight their way out. As they go through a list of options, largely centering on which creatures Fearne can Wildshape into, Ashton opens the portable hole, where the two guards they trapped have suffocated. They and Chetney put on the guards' armor and Ashton takes a battleaxe, regretfully putting their hammer into the hole for safekeeping, to better disguise themself. The two then stand at the front gate, pretending to be sentries.

Orym, Laudna, and Fearne go in to break the key. Laudna still carries Orym as she Spider Climbs, and the two are still invisible. Fearne Wildshapes into a slow loris and stealthily climbs towards the device. FCG uses Sympathetic Binding with Laudna, Orym, and Ashton. Laudna and Orym reach the Malleus Key. It is black and shiny, and looks much more cohesive and streamlined than the Veilscatter Scope. It appears to have been adapted to no longer need the Moontide Crown. Laudna squeezes into the machine to look at how she might be able to damage it from the inside. She determines that mechanical damage won't be significant enough; either something arcane must be removed entirely, or they need to overcharge the machine. As Laudna investigates and communicates this to Imogen telepathically, Fearne knocks over a tool, alerting an eremad. Laudna also gets caught on some of the machinery and sustains some damage as the innards slash at her.

Orym climbs in to join her, and Laudna casts Prestidigitation so he can see, which costs her invisibility. Orym's dexterity and smaller size allow him to go further into the machine, but he is unsure how to damage it quietly, so the two decide to use dynamite, knowing this will alert the guards. Laudna messages Imogen, who in turn messages Ashton and Chetney. The two of them quietly remove the bar barricading the door. Chetney prepares to pick the lot, and Imogen preps long-range spells to cast on the Malleus Key. Laudna activates her Form of Dread and Mirror Image, and Fearne climbs into her branches. Chetney successfully picks the lock, and Ashton puts some pasta dough from his exploits the previous day, but some of the other guards notice their strange behavior.

Laudna lights the dynamite and escapes, as Fearne waits for Orym, who also makes it out.. One of the guards notices Laudna and fires a bolt at her, but she Shields. Orym pushes one of the guards against the machine and Imogen casts Witch Bolt, twinned, against two of the arcane cores that power the machine. They begin to crack, but still hold. Fearne shifts back to her usual form as they enter combat.

The martial members of the party prepare to attack the guards, while the spellcasters focus on the Malleus Key, with Laudna damaging the two cores Imogen could not reach with Eldritch Blast. The machine becomes unstable. Imogen shoves another guard into the machine, and Fearne casts Wall of Fire, which damages all four cores. With a loud cracking of glass, the Malleus Key's power sources explode. Fearne, Orym, and Laudna all take significant damage, and five of the guards in the courtyard are killed. The dynamite then goes off, damaging it further. At this point, the eremads rush towards the party, and Bells Hells hears a sound from the sky. However, they also see the beam between Ruidus and the now-ruined machine dissipate as the red moon disappears from the sky of the Fey Realm. The remaining guard sounds an alert.

Chetney and Ashton are able to damage the eremad with Turmoil's Shatter and some rage-fueled attacks respectively. Ashton also intimidates a guard into no longer attacking them, and FCG heals the party as they begin to flee. However, they notice Gloamglut, the fey dragon creature, and its rider coming after them. Imogen makes herself and FCG invisible as they all scatter and run. Orym uses Seedling's Grasping Vine to pull himself towards the gate, and Ashton's Orbital Decay rage and Imogen's telekinetic abilities help pull other party members towards the gate of the Shiver Keep. The commander of Gloamglut roars at the party that they will learn not to cross Sorrowlord Zathuda, and Chetney, Fearne, and Orym all take fire damage from the creature's gaze. They all make it through, but Fearne is knocked unconscious from the attacks, despite Laudna's Silvery Barbs. Bells Hells grab Fearne and keep running for the forest as Gloamglut and Zathuda take to the sky to pursue them further.

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
 * Ludinus Da'leth
 * Sammanar