Ghosts, Dates, and Darker Fates

is the tenth episode of the third campaign of Critical Role.

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 Amazon Prime Video. Watch Fanology's socials for more information.

Previously on Critical Role
''Last we left off, this group of heroes, after solving one mystery, gaining an ally, and following their path as this newcomer to this troupe for the time being, known as Chetney Pock O'Pea, was in search of a person that they were meeting with here in Marquet, in the Oderan Wilds, the wild man Gurge, who vanished in violence. After finding he was captured by the local wardens, and interrogating them, more or less, you discovered that actually, he was taken by a bounty hunter. Finding this bounty hunter, you discovered the person that hired them to acquire this individual, and went and found them in the Moon Tower at the top of the Core Spire.''

''After walking your way in and trying to talk your way into their office, you were told they were out for the evening, but as you were distracting the one person who was keeping tabs on the entrance to the tower, the invisible Chetney snuck into the office as the door was closed. There, while the rest of you were leaving the tower to be escorted out for the evening, the rain pattering outside in the night sky, the early evening now coming to bear upon the city of Jrusar, you inspected the contents of this office, and amongst them found a button that shifted the bookcase and revealed a stairway that delved below. There you heard some conversation and some approaching footsteps. Scrambling about, you couldn't find a way out of this room and hid in the corner, invisible.''

''However, some of the things that were now missing at the desk where it was once left, the individual whose office it was, Vali, began to search around, saber in hand, of who might be responsible, poking and prodding and swiping in the corners of the chamber. As it began to bear upon you, you immediately leapt onto the arm and shoulder and back of Vali, jumped onto the desk and through the stained glass window, landing into the wet grass of the courtyard outside, and that was where we left off.''

Part I
Despite invisibility, Vali locates Chetney due to the rain bouncing off of him. With help, Laudna and Chetney pretend to haunt the grounds to successfully scare him back into his tower. All are escorted off the premises by armed guards.

Chetney gives Dorian Storm [?] and Ashton Greymoore the sum he stole from Vali as payment for searching for Gurge Kisgregg, slightly disappointing those who requested a toy. Fearne Calloway tells her compatriots about the bedtime stories her grandmother told her about The Nightmare King, who bends and twists nature for fun. According to her grandmother, he also gives people wet willies, nightmares, and occasionally death. Dorian comes clean about the sending stone that he gave to Cyrus Wyvernwind. Ashton leaves to pay off a debt, Chetney, Orym, and Dorian stay to keep watch on the Moon Tower. Fearne, Imogen Temult, and Laudna coax Fresh Cut Grass to join their date with Pretty as he'd never been on one before.

The four greet Pretty in a cramped tavern. Pretty collects on the bets he made with the other staff that his dates would show up and gifts Laudna a symmetric cauliflower, Imogen an asparagus, and Fearne a double-headed pumpkin, all sourced from the kitchen. Fearne places the pumpkin on her horn. In return, Laudna gifts him flowers hastily made of chicken bone and scrap linen. As she offers the flowers, maggots crawl out. Pretty sets the bouquet aside for later use in the establishment, and it is quickly taken away by other staff for "safekeeping" purposes.

Pretty shoos away the other patrons, all of whom are enjoying the show. The on-duty chef presents them with a meal, and they make small talk.

Dorian and Chetney bond as they pretend to be passers-by, with Dorian specifically including him as a friend.

[PARTIAL]

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.
 * Merch Alert! Eiselcross beanie and scarf and the McFarlane Toys' 12" Shaun Gilmore figure are in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada Critical Role shops; Vox Machina dice sets and Uk'otoa game in all five shops; Heroes of Whitestone puzzle in the US, UK, and Canada.
 * Critical Recap every Wednesday on CritRole.com.
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 * Sam uses soothing backgrounds, relaxing sounds, and his whisper to describe the benefits of subscribing to Critical Role on Twitch.

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.

Campaign Three adventuring party

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

Returning

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

New

 * Gurge Kisgregg
 * Jiana Hexum, owner of Hexum Manor, to whom Ashton owes a debt

Mentioned

 * Andy, a former crush of Laudna's from Whitestone
 * Dancer
 * Evon Hytroga, curator of the Twilight Mirror Museum in Heartmoor Hamlet
 * The Flying Lauders
 * Mistress Isha Sabanis, rival of Jiana Hexum
 * Milo Krook
 * The Nightmare King
 * 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. 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.
 * 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?