In episode 102 of Critical Role’s campaign 3, “Reconciliation,” Bells Hells grapple with earth-shattering revelations about the gods and face a harrowing battle against an old foe. The aftermath of their journey into Aeor’s ruins leaves the party questioning everything they thought they knew about divinity and mortality.
Echoes of Aeor: Gods Among Mortals
Ludinus Da’leth’s smile fades. The Occultus Thalamus—a mystical orb of swirling blue energy—has just shown Bells Hells a vision of the gods themselves, stripped of divinity, walking among mortals in ancient Aeor.
Ludinus wastes no time spinning the tale to fit his agenda. “Don’t you see?” he presses, eyes gleaming. “The gods are nothing more than narcissistic farmers, cultivating us for worship.”
Imogen’s laughter cuts through his rhetoric. “You’re no better than what you’re fighting,” she shoots back.
Ludinus’s Gambit: Shattering Divine Illusions
The discussion that follows is a whirlwind of conflicting viewpoints. Orym and Laudna stand with Imogen, while Ashton sees all deities as betrayers. Braius, their unexpected minotaur ally, champions a third path: the Betrayer Gods.
“The Primes betrayed me long ago,” Braius growls, his words heavy with centuries of resentment.
Ludinus, his voice tinged with bitterness, speaks of living “an entire human lifetime in the ashes” left by the Calamity. His goal, he claims, was not to rule but to reveal—to spread the vision of the Occultus Thalamus far and wide.
Chetney, ever the skeptic, asks the ageless archmage, “How’ve you stayed kicking for 800 years, anyway?“
Ludinus’s reply is chilling. He speaks of stretching his mortality, of watching Aeor fall as a child, of growing up in a world torn apart by divine wrath.
The Briarwood Resurgence: Laudna’s Inner Demon
The atmosphere shiftes as Ludinus turns his attention to Laudna, addressing the specter within her. “Delilah,” he says, producing a glowing gemstone that humms with arcane energy. “I can free you.“
What follows is chaos. The gem changes hands rapidly—Ludinus to Chetney, then to the Bag of Holding. Laudna, her control slipping, lashes out with necrotic energy.
As Ludinus vanishes in a Misty Step, Laudna’s form explodes into a maelstrom of shadow and violet energy. What emerges is a nightmarish fusion of Laudna and Delilah Briarwood—a visual representation of the internal struggle that has long simmered beneath the surface.
Craven Edge: The Black Blade Reborn
The fight that erupts is as much for Laudna’s soul as it is a battle to make it out alive. Ashton’s rage-fueled attacks clash with Delilah’s wraith-like assaults. Orym’s heartfelt pleas mingle with the clang of discarded weapons.
“Laudna, please!” Imogen cries, her attempts to calm falling short.
The tide turns as Laudna briefly regains control. “Kill me,” she begs, her voice a mixture of desperation and resolve. But Delilah’s iron will reasserts itself, summoning the dreaded Craven Edge—a hooked black blade that had once been sealed away by the legendary Vox Machina.
Essek’s Goatly Wild Magic Misadventure
The battle rages on, a symphony of spells and steel. Ashton calls upon the power of the Shard of Ka’Mort, while Delilah’s Horrid Wilting spell saps the life from all it touches.
In a moment of surrealism amidst the chaos, a misfired spell transforms Essek into a floating goat. The absurdity lost on no one, even as they fight for their lives.
Poison Pen’s Verdict: Braius Seals Delilah’s Fate
As allies fall and rise again, the air thick with the scent of ozone and decay, Braius strikes the final blow. His flail, the Poison Pen, carves a symbol of the Lord of the Hells into the wall with its venomous spray.
With Delilah temporarily subdued, the exhausted party takes stock of their situation. The mysterious gem is revealed to be a battery of spell slots, while the recovered armor proved to be demon shell—a prize for Chetney.
Rexxentrum Respite: Widogast’s Wall of Memories
Their arrival in the shared home of Essek and Caleb Widogast brings a moment of respite. The walls, adorned with mementos and playfully drawn appendages, speaks of adventures past and friendships forged in fire.
Essek’s suggestion of using the soul anchor to potentially bind Delilah offers a glimmer of hope, but requires further research. With Ludinus still at large and Laudna’s condition uncertain, the decision is made to Teleport to Rexxentrum.
As Braius awkwardly introduces himself—mangling names in a way reminiscent of Taryon Darrington’s early days with Vox Machina—the weight of their recent ordeal begins to sink in.
Laudna whispers a confession to Orym, revealing that if she had to be killed, she hoped it would be by his sword, Seedling. Fearne meanwhile muses on divine familial bonds, serving a reminder that even in the darkest times, moments of connection could still be forged.
Crossroads of Divinity: An Uncertain Path
With the echoes of Aeor’s fall still ringing in their ears and the shadow of Ludinus’s plans looming over them, Bells Hells finds themselves once again at a crossroads, the path ahead uncertain.
As they settle into the safety of Rexxentrum, questions abound: Could Delilah truly be separated from Laudna? What were Ludinus’s next moves? And how would the revelations about the gods shape their future actions? Only time would tell.
TLDR: Bells Hells confront Ludinus Da’leth about his plan to overthrow the gods after witnessing Aeor’s fall through the Occultus Thalamus. A mysterious gem unleashes Delilah Briarwood’s control over Laudna, leading to a fierce battle. The party temporarily subdues Delilah and escapes to Rexxentrum with new ally Braius, seeking a way to free Laudna from Delilah’s influence.
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