An Exit Most Fraught

is the 48th episode of the third campaign of Critical Role.

Pre-show
Rode Slater is back again! Now with 100% more skateboard.

Part I
Bells Hells hide under the Harrowcall Veils as Gloamglut circles above, searching for them. FCG heals Fearne from unconsciousness. Chetney uses the Horn of Silent Alarm and Imogen casts Catapult to call its attention to a different direction, and the party takes advantage of the distraction to run into the surrounding forest. At first, Gloamglut is able to follow, and its Dark Fire Gaze briefly knocks Laudna unconscious, but FCG heals her as well. They all continue their escape, stopping to hide under the Veils and running when Gloamglut seems distracted. Orym is able to help them navigate around one of the spires in the Sablecast Grounds that cause them to glow.

The party comes across a cerulean and dark stone ruin, and Imogen falls into the ground, much as Ashton had previously. She throws in some caltrops, and other party members throw various metal items, but few of the items are accepted, and she is only released after the ground has drawn blood. They all continue, as Gloamglut burns away portions of the surrounding forest. As the fey dragon draws nearer and Bells Hells struggles to find the gate back to Exandria, Imogen casts Sending to contact Morri and tells her that the situation is dire. She receives no response.

Orym is able to discern the thicker portion of brambles Morri had stated was the location of the portal, about two miles away, and the party breaks into a run. Gloamglut draws nearer, but a strange hawk-like creature suddenly collides with Gloamglut, and the two fall into the trees below. The two creatures battle as Bells Hells continue to run. Imogen casts Lightning Bolt to clear a path through the brambles, and the party notices that the bird creature fighting Gloamglut is indeed Nana Morri.

Within the brambles, the ground is mossy and spongy, and there are peaceful pools of water. They quickly come across an arch made of dark, bark-covered wood, with fog floating out of it and flowering vines growing around it. From a nearby ramshackle nest comes a strange creature with one massive, milky white eye, four arms and no legs, no nose, and sharp teeth. They introduce themselves as Terrosh the Lidless Slumber, and speak only in rhyme. They demand a toll for passage through the gate, and Bells Hells quickly realize that when they don't speak in rhyme, the gate darkens and Terrosh grows larger and more fearsome. After the party quickly rubs on the green salve Morri had given them to help with the time dilation, Ashton offers Terrosh the thimble he had stolen from Fearne, and is pushed through the gate. Imogen's initial offering is her Taste of Tal'Dorei pot holder, which Terrosh takes but does not consider a sufficient offering, and suggests he take Little Mister's gun. Fearne refuses. Orym gives Terrosh some oil, which Terrosh pours over the pot holder before eating both, but the gift is accepted. Laudna's gift of the fake journal of Vespin Chloras stolen from the Twilight Mirror Museum, FCG's gift of ginger cookies, and Chetney's gift of a carving of a one-eyed creature on a rocking horse are all accepted.

Imogen makes a second offering of the third, unused Harrowcall Veil, which is accepted, as is Fearne's offering of a golden skeleton key. Terrosh recognizes Fearne as fellow fey before pushing her through just as Gloamglut reaches the portal. As Fearne exits the Feywild, she hears Terrosh scold Gloamglut, telling it that it was not invited.

Bells Hells finds themselves back on the Material Plane, and after a moment, Imogen and Laudna both recognize the trees surrounding them as bluff oaks, indicating they are likely in the Taloned Highlands near Imogen's home. The party looks back to see the portal, which appears on their side as a soundless waterfall. It is close to sunset.

Laudna climbs one of the trees with Spiderclimb to get a vantage point, and is able to see the farmlands and bluffs that make up the Taloned Highlands, with Sruwargas and the Coven Peaks in the far distance and Gelvaan about 40 miles away. She reports back, and Bells Hells considers their options. FCG particularly encourages Imogen to return to her hometown for closure from her father and an opportunity to see her horse Flora, but Imogen tells him she is primarily focused on the apogee solstice and the Malleus Keys, and that she doesn't even know how close the solstice is. Fearne and Chetney both point out that having a landmark will make it easier for either the crew of the Silver Sun or Planerider Ryn to locate them, but Imogen, irritated, asks if they can rest briefly so she can contact Ryn. The wounded and tired party agrees. Ashton compliments Fearne on her home and says they liked her Nana a lot, and Chetney confirms that there don't seem to be any threats or unknown fey in the area. Laudna casts Find Familiar to restore Pâté, which requires she find an animal corpse as components. FCG begins forming his first sourdough starter, and Ashton, after dumping the bodies of the Unseelie Court guards from the portable hole back through the portal as a gift for Terrosh, gives FCG some ingredients he took from the restaurant job in Yios.

Before Imogen messages Ryn, Laudna tells the group that she had been run out of Gelvaan and Imogen had protected her. FCG asks if Relvin helped, and Imogen told them no, but that Relvin had been distant for some time, and that he worked for Master Faramore, who is a major figure in town. Associating with Imogen could put Relvin's employment and reputation at risk. As Chetney looks for Ruidus before realizing it's too early in the night to see it, Imogen messages Ryn and tells her that they destroyed the key in the Fey Realm.

Ryn responds and tells her that she is at the Tishtan excavation site, and that other members of the Grim Verity are in the Shadowfell in an attempt to sabotage the Malleus Key there. She casts her own spell and warns Imogen that there are golems and other guardians, as well as many Ruby Vanguard members at the site. When Imogen tells her that they don't have a means of faster travel, Ryn begins to plan, but seems to be interrupted. Imogen receives no more messages, and catches up the rest of the group. They determine that little time seems to have past, so it is still slightly under two weeks until the apogee solstice, and instead contact Captain Xandis, telling them to meet them near Gelvaan. Xandis tells them they will be on their way shortly, and the party takes their rest, with Orym and FCG taking first watch and Chetney running about the perimeter in werewolf form.

On watch, Orym asks FCG if they are doing okay, and FCG admits they are on edge. Orym tells him that it's easy to prioritize other people's problems rather than one's own, and asks FCG if he's doing that. FCG discusses their new faith in the Changebringer, and that they would prefer to focus on the possibilities of the road ahead rather than their past. While Orym suggests that after the solstice, provided Bells Hells is successful in preventing the release of Predathos, FCG could learn more, FCG is more interested in what they might become, and admits to Orym that he is unsure of his purpose. Orym responds that this is the nature of life. They go to bed, and Bells Hells completes a much-needed long rest.

Part II
Upon waking up, Imogen contacts Nana Morri and confirms that she is all right. Morri tells her she may need to make amends but is unharmed. While Imogen is still reluctant to go towards Gelvaan, they start off in that direction, and FCG verifies that Xandis is a couple days away. Bells Hells also discusses contacting Ryn, but given how Imogen's last Sending went, they decide it's probably best to let her contact them first.

The mountainous terrain of the Taloned Highlands requires strenuous hiking, which exhausts Orym, but travel is otherwise uneventful. FCG and Chetney continue to recommend Imogen at least check in at Gelvaan, but she continues to evade their questions. The party pushes into the early night before bedding down, and at that time both FCG and Imogen contact Ryn; neither receive a response. FCG's coin flip tells him she's alive, though the rest of the party is unsure.

With Imogen's permission, FCG casts Shared Dream again; after some discussion among the group, Laudna, Chetney, and FCG all plan to join Imogen in her dream while the other three keep watch. Imogen also contacts Keyleth at Orym's request and reports back about the Gray Assassins location at the nexus point north of Yios and the Ruby Vanguard's plans. In response, Keyleth tells her that the Ashari are busy with instability in the rift to the Elemental Plane of Earth beneath Terrah.

Fearne plays her panflute as Orym and Ashton take watch, and the other four all fall asleep. In the dream, Imogen focuses on Ryn as the other three, as motes of energy, follow her. They float through the storm to the excavation site, and see that it is much busier than last time, with massive automata guarding the Malleus Key, and with significant reinforcements to the key. Imogen warns the others to wake up if they see Otohan Thull. She feels drawn to the forked tower at the bottom of the pit, and there finds Ryn, petrified, and left, seemingly as a warning. She warns the others to leave. FCG looks at the automata, and while the egg-like shape of them is not necessarily familiar, the machinery surrounding the tower does ring a faint bell from his past. They also notice, slightly too late, Otohan Thull noticing them. In the dream, her eyes, glow, and she addresses FCG, saying she knows them. Imogen and Laudna are able to wake up, but Otohan deals significant psychic damage to both Chetney and FCG, who wake up screaming.

The dreamers report back to the others in Bells Hells, who tell them they were only asleep for an hour. Fearne admits she switched around everyone's clothes. They discuss how they might help Ryn. Laudna realizes that the Malleus Key is more of a focus of transmissions, as opposed to Delilah's ziggurats. While the party wants to destroy the key, Chetney urges them to do so stealthily, as the increased protections indicate an assault will be unsuccessful, and that going through Liliana might be their best bet. Bells Hells discuss other options, such as going to Manaia Turei for another favor, or having Imogen summon a Reilora, but decide they will go to sleep, continue heading towards Gelvaan, and make further plans on the skyship. The party rests, and FCG and Chetney take a point of exhaustion from their experience with Otohan. FCG finds the sensation of the headache to be interesting.

That day, they reach the main road into Gelvaan, which is a beautiful farming town with a central market, surrounded by fields and orchards. Some of the townsfolk, upon seeing Imogen and Laudna, give the group a lot of space and stare at them or avoid them. Ashton stands near Laudna and glares back. The party reaches the Master Faramore's stables where Imogen used to work and Relvin still does. Imogen asks Cynthia, a young half-elf woman who has taken her old job, to fetch Relvin.

Relvin appears shortly after, and Imogen tells him she needs to talk. He tells Cynthia to leave for the day, and sits down, noting the eclectic party. Orym offers to leave, but Imogen tells them they can stay, as she asks Relvin for more information about Liliana and why he never told her she was still alive.

Relvin tells Imogen that Liliana had kept her powers secret for some time, even during their courtship and early marriage. Not long after Imogen was born, she began to have dreams, and he surmises that Liliana might have left because she feared Imogen would share them. He stopped hoping Liliana would return some time ago, and focused on raising Imogen instead. Imogen tells him that she wishes he'd told her more, and he admits he'd hoped that if he didn't say anything, Imogen would not have the same problems Liliana did.

Imogen then tells Relvin that Liliana is working with bad people, but likely against her will, and asks if he has anything that might help bring Liliana back. Relvin is reticent at first, telling her that he hasn't seen his wife in over twenty years, but with some coaxing, tells Imogen Liliana was smart and strong-willed, but that something about her seemed to belong somewhere else.

Fearne asks Relvin if he has anything of Liliana's, but he immediately gets defensive and asks why she'd want it. Imogen explains that it's a world-ending scenario, but Relvin seems angry and skeptical. She continues, telling him that she is trying to help Liliana come back. At that, Relvin gets up and begins walking away. Imogen follows, with Bells Hells at a distance behind them, as Relvin walks to their home.

In the house, Relvin gives Imogen a locket. Within it is a tiny fingerprint - Imogen's, when she was a baby - and a hand engraving that reads "The better halves become a better whole." He also warns Imogen not to get caught up in whatever Liliana is doing, and to leave town quickly given what happened previously. Imogen thanks him, and asks if the people she hurt when she left are okay. Relvin tells her they recovered. As Imogen leaves, she telepathically tells Relvin that she never wanted him to be afraid of her. He pats her shoulder in return, and tells her he didn't want to be afraid of her either.

Imogen exits and catches up to the rest of the party. The skyship is landing in the fields outside, which is an unusual sight for the rural town of Gelvaan. The party leaves, treating Imogen as a dignitary in front of all the people of the town; Laudna uses Unsettling Presence on the first person who looks askance at her. Xandis introduces themself as a king to the people as well, addressing them as bumpkins, as Imogen casts Fly to board the ship. It then takes off and begins heading towards the Hellcatch Valley; Bells Hells can notice what looks like an aurora in the sky as the solstice approaches.

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.
 * Gloamglut
 * Keyleth (, via Sending)
 * Morrigan
 * Otohan Thull (in a vision)
 * Ryn (via Sending)
 * Xandis
 * Zathuda

New
These characters have not previously appeared in Campaign 3 or any other Critical Role work, though they may have been previously mentioned.
 * Cynthia, stablehand at Faramore Estate
 * Relvin Temult
 * Terrosh, guardian of the fey portal in Sun's Shadow

Mentioned

 * Derrig
 * Faramore
 * Liliana Temult
 * Will

Trivia
After the party returned from the Fey Realm, Matt had Marisha and Liam each roll a d20 four times and tell him the numbers, but did not indicate what it was for. Liam then joked about it later, and rolled several more dice with no outcome given at the time.