Scaldseat (episode)


 * This article is about the episode called "Scaldseat". If you are looking for the location, see Scaldseat.

is the one hundred seventh episode of the first campaign of Critical Role. Vox Machina descend into the heart of an undersea volcano to find the forge of the gods.

Announcements

 * The sponsor for tonight's episode is Magic: The Gathering - Puzzle Quest. Sam quizzed Liam on "Magic: the Gathering card or Kama Sutra position?"
 * Merch update: posters will be sent out in a week. Aprons sold so well that the manufacturer ran out of cloth, but will be sent out in a couple of weeks.
 * GenCon live: tickets are almost sold out. This will be a canon episode (i.e. not a one-shot or battle royale).
 * Critical Role podcast: episodes 21 to 30 have been added.
 * Talks Machina will be on some unspecified future Tuesday, at 7pm Pacific, hosted by Brian Wayne Foster on Twitch and Alpha.
 * The final episode of Sagas of Sundry: Dread is now up on Alpha.
 * New episode of CelebriDND is up, with Matt DMing for Laura, Liam, and John Bradley (Sam Tarley from Game of Thrones).
 * It's Travis' birthday!

Part I
Before bed, Vax has a word with Keyleth concerning his deal with the Raven Queen and how she feels about it.

The next morning, they plan their excursion to Scaldseat. Pike prepares a Heroes' Feast, though she herself will have to stay in Vasselheim. Keyleth does an Inspiring Leader interpretive dance to boost their health even further. Pike gets word to Kaylie and Tary that everyone is doing okay (for the moment). Keyleth opens a tree portal to Shorecomb.

They find themselves on a seaside cliff, near a dock, and pay a local fellow named Fenna to introduce them to someone who can rent them a boat. He brings them to Senth, a half-orc woman who dislikes gnomes. She rents them a boat called the Shore Shanty, helmed by Captain Santy, for three days' use.

After about two hours of sailing, they arrive above the undersea volcano. Keyleth casts Water Breathing on the party, and they all dive in. Vax explores the main shaft of the volcano for a way in, but finds it difficult to swim against the pressure. They make a circuit of the volcanic cone, finding a small hole that Grog is able to punch wide enough to admit all of them. They navigate their way through a combination of air- and water-filled tunnels, using water from Grog's Alchemy Jug to breathe through the sections that have only deoxygenated air.

As they are making their way through one of the tunnels, past a river of magma that they all jump over, they begin to hear a rumbling sound in the earth and quickly hide themselves.

Break

 * The condensed version of CelebriD&D with Game of Thrones' John Bradley plays
 * Darin De Paul trails Sagas of Sundry: Dread

Part II
The rumbling turns out to be a magma bulette and two of its children. Scanlan True Polymorphs himself into a planetar for the fight, but the three bulettes are dispatched with little trouble.

They move further into the tunnels. In his planetar form, Scanlan finds runes on what appears to be an exit seal, saying, "Here the Crafter's Halls lay dark, the means of making the World Ender gone. Allhammer protect us all." Grog uses his gauntlets to rip open the seal, revealing a stairway that leads downward into darkness.

Down the stairs, they find some breathable air, as well as walls carved with metal reliefs of armored warriors. They emerge into a massive hexagonal chamber. In the floor is a pit of heated coals, and on the wall is a solid gold relief with a large, triangular opening in its center. To either side are large metal warrior reliefs, similar to the ones in the hallway, with a third on another wall. Behind the staircase that led into the room is a smelter. At this point, Scanlan's planetar form expires.

Vax notices that each of the carved warriors is faceless, but has an opening in its face like a smaller version of the one in the gold relief. As Percy inspects the shapes of the openings, there is a flash of orange light and all three warriors come to life, stepping out of their walls.

Vox Machina

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

New

 * Fenna
 * Captain Santy
 * Senth

Mentioned

 * Delilah Briarwood
 * Ioun
 * Kaylie
 * Moradin, the Allhammer
 * Raven Queen
 * Sarenrae
 * Sprigg
 * Vecna