Ghosts, Dates, and Darker Fates

is the tenth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role. After a successful but interrupted burglary, the party splits in order to follow leads, go on a date, and investigate the machinations of the mysterious Nightmare King...

Announcements

 * The Nordverse is back once more! All hacksonas except for BlackWillow69 (aka Sam Riegel) resurface to reboot the set and defeat Setty (Robbie Daymond). Next up, bringing back BlackWillow69... the next time Nord VPN sponsors the show.
 * The Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn comes out on 18 January 2022. New art, deeper lore, and overall, more content. Go to the Darrington Press website to learn more.
 * The Legend of Vox Machina premieres in fifteen days, on 28 January 2022! Plus, on 20 January 2022, Fanology Prime Video will be spotlighting LoVM during their Fanimation Week dedicated to all adult animation available on Prime Video. Watch Fanology's socials for more information.

Part I
Despite Chetney's invisibility, Vali locates him because of the rain bouncing off of him and begins running toward him. The rest of the group casually approaches Vali, and Imogen casts Calm Emotions on him to calm him enough to hear her explanation of the party's legitimate presence. Meanwhile, Laudna uses her Unsettling Presence and Form of Dread to convince him the area is haunted. He bolts back into the tower. The party decides they should leave, and they are escorted off the premises by the patrolling wardens.

Chetney tells the party what he learned and suggests some of them stay there and keep a watch on things overnight. Fearne remembers the bedtime stories her grandmother told her about the Nightmare King, who bends and twists nature for fun, gives nightmares, and occasionally brings death. Chetney gives Dorian and Ashton their agreed payments for searching for Gurge.

The party decides to split up for a while, but when it's suggested Dorian use his sending stone to contact the others, he has to admit he gave his stone to Cyrus. Orym gives him the corresponding stone. Fearne, Imogen, and Laudna coax Fresh Cut Grass to join their date with Pretty as he'd never been on one before. Ashton leaves alone for an undisclosed location. Before they split up, Chetney gives Imogen the items stolen from Vali's office to hold, just in case he is captured and searched. He, Orym, and Dorian stay to keep watch on the Moon Tower, seeing the movement of investigating wardens inside it before a sheet of canvas is hung over the broken window to keep out the rain. Dorian and Chetney bond as they pretend to be passers-by, calling each other friend.

Meanwhile, the women and FCG meet Pretty in the crowded Soot and Swill tavern. Pretty collects on the bets he made with the tavern patrons that his dates would show up and gifts Imogen a spiral cauliflower, Laudna a perfect artichoke, and Fearne a double-headed pumpkin, all sourced from the kitchen. In return, Laudna gifts him an improvised bouquet she crafted on the way there from chicken bones and scrap linen. As she offers it, maggots crawl out. To Preio's dismay, Pretty sets the bouquet on the tavern's mantel. Pretty shoos away the other patrons from a secluded table, and the on-duty chef presents the dating group with a meal while they make small talk.

During this time, Ashton goes alone to the Lucent Spire, a largely residential upper-class neighborhood, to Hexum Manor, the home of Jiana Hexum. The gate opens as he approaches, and the heads of the two sentry statues to either side of the entrance turn to follow him as he passes. At the front door, he knocks and announces, "Nobody's here." The door opens to reveal a female elf who admits him, commenting that it took him long enough.

Break

 * Ghostfire Gaming presents Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun, released 1 January 2022, a subscription-based set of 5e D&D adventures.
 * Official Trailer for The Legend of Vox Machina coming 28 January 2022.
 * Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn coming 18 January 2022 from Darrington Press.
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Part II
Jiana has had an idea that would allow Ashton to settle their debt with her: she is currently in a "deep wager" with a rival, Evon Hytroga, the owner and proprietor of the Twilight Mirror Museum in Heartmoor Hamlet. Since the failed burglary of her home some years ago by Ashton's old gang, the Nobodies, she has been teased that Evon's security is better than hers. The bet is that someone will be able to steal an item he designates from him, and if they do so successfully, Jiana will keep it. Otherwise, she must give up one of her own. And she has heard that Ashton now is working with a new group that might be able to pull this off. She would provide their expenses for food and travel to the Heartmoor Hamlet.

Meanwhile, back at the Mirror Towers, Chetney, Dorian, and Orym are keeping watch and see Vali Dertrana leave with his guards. Vali plans to vacate his office in the morning. The rest of the group is concluding their date with Pretty at the Dreamscape Theater. While they enjoyed the show and each other's company, Pretty gently breaks up with them, citing the great difference in their personalities, and heads back to the Soot and Swill.

The group all gather at the Spire by Fire. Ashton shares that Jiana Hexum is the person who issued the bounty on Dorian's brother Cyrus Wyvernwind, and that she has offered the group a job that would settle Ashton's debt to her stemming from the Nobodies' failed burglary of her home, in which Ashton suffered the injuries still visible on his body. The Nobodies (with whom Ashton was raised in the Greymoore State Home in Bassuras) then left town, leaving Ashton to pay off the debt to Jiana, although Ashton thinks they did the right thing and holds no resentment against them. Ashton thinks, however, that even if they do the job for Jiana and settle Ashton's debt to her, she will still want the return of her stolen golem in order to cancel the bounty on Cyrus.

For now, though, the party agrees that they should go back and investigate Vali's office further before he moves out in the morning. They clumsily stealth along the outside wall, drawing the attention of a guard. They tell him they've heard there are ghosts in the tower, and he confirms he's heard voices there. When he moves off, Laudna creates the Silent Image of a ghostly face and uses Message to create creepy whispering. The guard drops his spear and bolts.

Orym leaps on top of the wall and sees six other guards in the courtyard. He fastens a rope and the others climb over the wall as well, then sneak to the broken window of Vali's office. Imogen uses Mage Hand to throw a rock at a distance to distract the closest guard. Laudna then uses another Silent Image to create a ghastly flower girl and at that, the guard passes out completely and the group reaches the base of the tower safely.

Imogen's telepathic abilities reveal no one inside the office, and they are able to climb through the broken window. Chetney finds a new trap on the desk, but is able to drill through the drawer, disarm it, and open the secret doorway. Coming from the bottom of the downward-leading stairs, he hears cheerful humming, the sound of electrical arcing, and Ira's voice. Chetney moves extremely carefully further down the stairs to where he can see a pulsing blue light in a stone, prison-like chamber. It comes from a ten-foot-tall metallic contraption with glowing blue lines and tubes. The room is lined with multiple barred holding cells. Facing away, working at a central table filled with alchemical supplies, is Ira, a very tall, very thin humanoid with gray-yellow skin and very long ears curving backward.

From elsewhere in the chamber out of sight, Chetney hears Gurge Kisgregg's voice asking what Ira is doing, and Ira replies that Gurge has a gift that Ira wants shared with the people. As Ira works, he places a blue stone inside the metallic contraption where it sparks and flashes before he carries it back to the table and continues working.

Chetney stealthily slides down the stairs further and sees a haggard Gurge in one of the cells. He telepathically tells the rest of the party to join him, and they prepare for battle before quietly descending. As they reach the bottom, Ira turns around holding the now-flashing blue gem, and says to the party, "Well, I wasn't expecting guests, but the night seems to be getting more and more interesting, doesn't it?" They see Ira's face: eyebrowless, dark green eyes without irises, no nose, and a lipless jagged mouth that curves up to his long ears.

Player characters

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

Returning

 * Dorian Storm
 * Ira Wendagoth
 * Preio Madali
 * Pretty
 * Vali Dertrana

New

 * Gurge Kisgregg
 * Jiana Hexum

Mentioned

 * Andy, a former crush of Laudna's from Whitestone
 * Dancer
 * Evon Hytroga
 * Kendra's Flying Lauders
 * Mistress Isha Sabanis, rival of Jiana Hexum
 * Milo Krook
 * Samuel ("Sam"), a friend of Imogen's from Gelvaan

Quotations
Chetney: Oh, a rat puppet. I wrote down something else, but I think we're talking about the same thing. Mine started with an F, but go ahead. Dorian: I would say you don't truly know someone until you fight alongside them. Chetney: Oh, shit, that's so deep. Imogen: Sam. Samuel. Fresh Cut Grass: What a stupid name. Laudna: We have to have your approval, right? Pretty: Of course. I'm invested in your happiness now.
 * Ashton: (to Dorian) I'm not disappointed, I'm just angry.
 * Laudna: (to Chetney) I want a rat puppet for Pâté. That was a genuine request, yes. Pâté needs a girlfriend.
 * Chetney: You know, you don't truly know someone until you fight them.
 * Fresh Cut Grass: (talking about a boy Imogen once liked) What was his name?
 * Pretty: (to his "dates") You'll find your special someone, one day. And when you do, bring them by and I'll make you all a meal.
 * FCG: Dancer always said that love equals friendship plus alcohol, but I think there's more to it than that.
 * Ira: (to Gurge) Oh, do not worry, friend. You've a gift, a gift that you hoard so selfishly. I want to see it shared with the people. After all, why not share your gifts with the world?

Trivia

 * The vision of the flower girl was taken from the nightmare Marisha had that led to the creation of Laudna. Inspired by the creepiness of her dream, she turned the reanimated flower girl into an adult and talked with Matt until they determined that the Briarwoods hung her on the Sun Tree as the effigy of Vex'ahlia.