I love how excited they were immediately when they saw crayons.

The cast talks about The Legend of Vox Machina and Mighty Nein animated series. Nothing new, really. Same talking points as their other SDCC appearances, but I love looking at their art.

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

It’s the Season 1 Finale of The Re-Slayer’s Take! Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.

• Episode 12 releases Monday, August 19th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• A message from George Primavera and Nick Williams on Monday, August 19th on Beacon

Fireside Chat with Taliesin Jaffe

Join us in the tavern for a monthly Ask Me Anything (AMA) series where you can sit down with us and learn more about our Critical Role cast and guests! Questions will be curated directly from Beacon members via Discord and each episode will feature a different cast member for a 30-60 minute fireside chat. Cozy up by the fire and enjoy the deep dive with us!

• Starts Monday, August 19th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Critical Role Abridged

All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.

• Campaign 3, Episode 18 releases Tuesday, August 20th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 18 Podcast out Tuesday, August 20th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Campaign 3, Episode 40 releases Tuesday, August 20th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

MOONWARD: A Midst Roleplaying Story

Join Midst Creators: Xen, Sara Wile, Matt Roen, alongside Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien for a four-part, standalone, improvisational mini series to the destroyed moon of Midst. Learn more here!

• Episode 3 releases Wednesday, August 21st at 10am Pacific on the Midst Podcast YouTube Channel
• Episode 3 Podcast out August 21st on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episode 4 VOD and Podcast available on Wednesday, August 21st at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Episode 4 VOD and Podcast available on Wednesday, August 21st at 10am Pacific Midst.co

Critical Role: Campaign 3

Episode 105

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, August 22nd at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, August 22nd at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, August 23rd at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, August 26th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out August 29th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Role Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 105

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 105! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Matt says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.

• Releases Thursday, August 22nd at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

The Puppy Roll can be seen live on August 20th, 2024 from 6-10 pm Pacific. It will be available to view live on Anjali Bhimani’s YouTube page or on the Tiltify donation page.

Forbes Article

by Rob Wieland

Dungeons & Dragons can tell all sorts of stories. It can tell the story of heroes rising against evil, of scoundrels scrtaching out a better life or even the fall of an empire. On Tuesday, August 20th, it will tell the story of good dogs.

The Puppy Roll brings together Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, Baldur’s Gate), Ashley Johnson (Critical Role, The Last of Us), Aabria Iyengar (Critical Role, Dimension 20), Maggie Robertson (Resident Evil, Baldur’s Gate) and Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian) to play a fantasy adventure as their real life dogs. Anjali Bhimani (Ms. Marvel, Critical Role) will serve as the Dungeon Master for the event.

Bhimani concieved the event from two main sources. The first was the love of her own dog Charley and the chance to play him as part of the Kickstarter that raised funds for her book I Am Fun Size, and So Are YOU!: Thoughts from a Tiny Human on Living a Giant Life. The second was a puppy encounter on the ASTRAS red carpet sponsored by Petco Love.

While putting together the event, Bhimani initially considered using Realms of Pugmire as the game system. Created by Eddy Webb, this role playing game tells the story of a kingdom of dogs that’s risen up long after the disapparance of man. Bhimani opted for something a bit more light hearted in the end.

“I love Pugmire but didn’t want to deal with the potential of characters based on our dogs dying,” said Bhimani.”I wanted to keep things relatively light hearted for this stream. Plus, I wanted to come up with puzzles and traps that dogs might face in real life like opening a door without having any thumbs.

”The Puppy Roll benefits Petco Love, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of pets and pet owners. The nonprofit supports adoption centers around the world, helps owners find affordable veterinarian care and reunites owners with thier lost pets. The foundation, which began in 1999, has donated over $400M to these causes over the past 25 years.

Petco Love Lost is a massive photo database of lost pets. It uses photographic matching technology to connect potential matches between photos uploaded by pet owners and by ones uploaded by people who have found strays in the wild. It uses the power of the Internet to increase the odds of bringing a pet home to the family that loves it, going above and beyond fliers posted around the neighborhood.

Bhimani also plans to use the power of her platform to find some homes for new pets. She’ll be using pictures of dogs currently housed at shelters as NPC portaits during the game. Hopefully, viewers will be enticed to bring home the shadowy dog in the corner giving out the mission or the grumbling guardian of the dungeon door.

Fans can donate ahead of the livestream to unlock items for the puppies such as gear, spells and “insPAWration” to help out with dice rolls. Bhimani will be joined by author Jonathan Graziano, whose book Noodle & The No Bones Day became a viral sensation in 2022. The event is targeting $10,000 dollars as the main fundraising goal.

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST

Runtime	Break start
4h 33m	1h 51m

Episode 104: The Cradle's Convocation

Bell's Hells, after trekking to the ruins of Aeor, had an encounter with Ludinus Da'leth himself (during which he showed visions of the fall of Aeor in hopes of expressing the dubiousness of the great deities that are considered the prime beings of law and morality in this world).
After trying to convince you to join him and the Vanguard in their interests, you combated his outlook and also each others' (with some internal strife in communication), after which Laudna's own dark passenger was triggered. Thus battle ensued with a Delilah-possessed Laudna. You defeated her and (while she was reduced within) used the soul anchor (that you had taken from the ruins) and successfully completed a ritual with Essek's help that bound Delilah into the stone which was then bound within you (Laudna), reversing the power dynamic between you and Delilah.
After you went to go meet up with the Voice of the Tempest and the rest of the troop that was waiting on the western encampment within the Hellcatch Valley. You arrived to find it in ruin, still smoldering. The fallen stone being picked through by Reilorans and Vanguard soldiers alike. With rapid reaction, teleporting to Vasselheim. There you were able to maneuver through the city, climb the stairs that lead to the Platinum Sanctuary (where it seems a lot of dignitaries from around Exandria are gathering, along with their compatriot armies and protectors).
Upon arrival, Essek had to say his goodbyes, for there was tenuous relations with some other figures that were present. Upon arriving here on the outskirts of this crowd that had gathered in the central forum of the Platinum Sanctuary, you were trying to push through to get a good view.
You saw people from all over Exandria here. You saw within Vasselheim itself:

• The Highbearer Vord
• The Earthbreaker Groon
• The Holy Curator
• The High Hierophant
• The Coven of the Veil of the Matron of Ravens
• J'mon Sa Ord, the leader of Ank'Harel
• Keyleth, Voice of the Tempest
• Empress Leylas Kryn of the Kryn Dynasty of Xhorhas; The Bright Queen
• Gavis Aranda from the Chandei Quorum of Jrusar
• Guardian Tofor Brotoras from the Council of Taldorei
• Mythmaker Qi Mendozi
• Allura Vysoren and Lady Kima of Vord and a number of others

As you tried to push your way through, a massive goliath figure (with over-sized stone gauntlets, a bit of a paunch, and a black fuzzy beard with streaks of gray) made your announcement loudly, causing the group in front of you to divide slightly, and the entire chamber to shift its attention back to you in one moment. Here in that tense, awkward silence, all eyes are on you.

Previous Episode: "Cages"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Announcement: https://www.innersloth.com/announcing-among-us-x-critical-role/

Hello Crewmates and welcome to tonight’s episode of Criti-

Waaait a minute. Sorry, I meant to say — our collab with Critical Role is out now on all platforms!

Roleplayers rejoice! Adventure awaits as you try to perceive the Impostor, roll high on your task checks, and hopefully avoid that TPK in update v2024.8.13. Will donning the threads of members from Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, or Bells Hells save you from an untimely death at the hand of the Impostor? Well… you may certainly try.

Getting to work alongside the wonderful crew of the hit TTRPG show Critical Role to bring some of their magic to Among Us for Gilmore’s Curious Cosmicube has been mind blowing. Be sure to go to our in-game store and spend some Stars before the Cosmicube is gone on November 12th, 2024 at 7am UTC / 2am ET! For those in the Pacific time zone the Cosmicube will be gone on November 11th, at 11pm.

If you need a refresher on how Cosmicubes work check out this article so you have advantage on your knowledge check.

Once you’ve purchased, you can take your time (or grind) to get the following items:

• Artagan’s Cloak Skin
• Artagan’s Hair Hat
• Artagan’s Incredible Brows Visor
• Chetney’s Eyebrows Visor*
• Chetney’s Headband Hat*
• Chetney’s Tracksuit Skin*
• Dust of Deliciousness Nameplate
• FCG’s Noggin Hat
• Fearne’s Dress Skin
• Fearne’s Hair Hat
• Jester’s Dress Skin
• Jester’s Horns Hat
• Laudna’s Dress Skin
• Laudna’s Hair Skin
• Mister Pet
• Mollymauk’s Garb Skin
• Mollymauk’s Horns Hat
• Moons Over Exandria Nameplate
• Nott’s Cloak Skin
• Nott’s Hood Hat
• Nott’s Mask Visor
• Orthax Manifested Hat
• Pâté Pet
• Scanlan’s Hand Hat
• Sprinkle is “Fine” Hat
• Teatime with Caduceus Nameplate
• The Nine Eyes of Lucien Nameplate
• Vax’s Armor Skin
• Vax’s Hair Hat

* Equipping all of Chetney’s items as an Impostor will include a brand new kill animation! (Your untimely demise is a small price to pay to see it.)

That is a lot of items – hopefully you survive your adventures to show them off!

Is it Thursday yet?

Innersloth

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.

• Episode 11 releases Monday, August 12th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• We’re taking a brief break but will have more episodes coming soon to Beacon!

EverythingIsContent

SteamWorld Heist II

Join Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe as they set sail for adventure and sink rival ships in SteamWorld Heist 2! Learn more here.

• Airs Monday, August 12th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD out Monday, August 12th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
• VOD out Wednesday, August 14th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube

Critical Role Abridged

All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.

• Campaign 3, Episode 17 releases Tuesday, August 13th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 17 Podcast out Tuesday, August 13th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Campaign 3, Episode 39 releases Tuesday, August 13th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

MOONWARD:

A Midst Roleplaying Story

Join Midst Creators: Xen, Sara Wile, Matt Roen, alongside Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien for a four-part, standalone, improvisational mini series to the destroyed moon of Midst. Learn more here!

• Episode 2 releases Wednesday, August 14th at 10am Pacific on the Midst Podcast YouTube Channel
• Episode 2 Podcast out August 14th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episode 3 & 4 VOD and Podcast available on Wednesday, August 14th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Episode 3 & 4 VOD and Podcast available on Wednesday, August 14th at 10am Pacific Midst.co

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 104

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, August 15th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, August 15th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, August 16th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, August 19th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out August 22nd on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 104

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 104! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Matt says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.

• Releases Thursday, August 15th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST

Runtime	Break start
4h 6m	2h 2m

Episode 103: Cages

Bells Hells, after trekking deep into the ruins of Aeor along with their guide, Essek Thelyss, you encountered the strange demonic entity that was keeping the Vanguard at bay, Dominox. Defeating it by pushing it through a gate into the abyss of its origin with the aid of Ludinus Da'leth, who then gave you a vision through a relic that he had discovered not too far beyond that of the Fall of Aeor (an era of Exandrian history spoken of but largely lost in its details), as it was it seems, one of the darkest moments for the Pantheon. With the intent of showing this to the world to erode the faith of Exandria (and in the hopes finding a point of understanding with your group) the invitation was given to join the Vanguard and see the world the way he does. After much debate and some heated discussion, he left the offer in your hands and left an offer in Delilah's as well.
Tossing a relic of enticing power towards Laudna (the words having hold in her heart), Delilah fought her way to the surface and wrestled control of Laudna. The rest of you were forced to do battle with your friend in what may be her darkest moment. But you managed to defeat Delilah, sending her back for the time being as but a shard of shadow withing Laudna's spirit, likely rapidly growing back.
At this moment, satisfied with what youve learned, Essek took your group via teleport to a place of safety, the abode of his partner Caleb Widogast. Here in this humble abode within the Dwendalian city of Rexxentrum. You had a moment to breathe. A moment to absorb, though still more likely to come. In the midst of these conversations, debating on what you've seen, what you've witnessed, what you've discussed and what's to be done next.
It was considered that this 'soul-anchored' gem (now empty and bereft of its intended target) might have a secondary use to turn the tides of poor Laudna's fate. After talking with Essek about it (and him looking to research its possibilities), he seemed to come to you with a bit of hope that it is indeed possible, though challenging.
After coming up from his study, his laboratory, to all of you saying that it could be done but it needs to be done quickly, likely before Delilah can begin to recover her former power in this subdued state. Time is of the essence, and began to draw you all back to the laboratory here in this late, late hour, as you stand exhausted, but hopefully driven to see this through.
So, here, as you all begin to follow Essek back into the laboratory where you arrived, you see him now, a number of books even further scattered amongst the laboratory interior. But you see he's taken some time to organize some of the stacks into more solid towers. It has a number of strange instruments laid across one of the tables. He runs over quickly to start sketching out a larger runic circle than the teleportation one that brought you all here in the first place. In the quiet as you all stand there, he begins the initial process.

Previous Episode: "Reconciliation"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.

• Episode 10 releases Monday, August 5th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episodes 12 releases Monday, August 5th at 5am Pacific only on Beacon.

Critical Role Abridged

All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.

• Campaign 3, Episode 16 releases Tuesday, August 6th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 38 releases Tuesday, August 6th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Campaign 3, Episode 39 releases Friday, August 9th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

MOONWARD:

A Midst Roleplaying Story

Join Midst Creators: Xen, Sara Wile, Matt Roen, alongside Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien for a four-part, standalone, improvisational mini series to the destroyed moon of Midst. Learn more here!

• Episode 1 Airs Wednesday, August 7th at 7pm Pacific on our new Midst Podcast YouTube Channel, Critical Role Twitch Channel and Critical Role YouTube Channel
• Episode 1 Podcast out August 7th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 7pm Pacific
• Episode 1 VOD available immediately after the stream ends on Midst Podcast YouTube Channel, Critical Role Twitch Channel and Critical Role YouTube Channel
• Episode 1 & 2 VOD and Podcast available on August 7th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Episode 1 & 2 VOD and Podcast available on August 7th at 7pm Pacific Midst.co

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 103

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, August 8th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, August 8th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, August 9th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, August 12th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out August 15th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 103

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 103! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Matt says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.

• Releases Thursday, August 8th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

What goes on behind the scenes in the most formidable alliance in the nerdworld business
article by Cheryl Teh

Brennan Lee Mulligan of "Dimension 20" fame remembers when he first met Critical Role's Matthew Mercer, and relates that anecdote with the infectious joy of a man who's found his gaming soulmate.

Mulligan was working on "Um, Actually," a web series on the streaming platform Dropout, and for one episode, he was tasked with writing errors into a round of "Dungeons & Dragons" combat laid out in comic panels. Mercer was a guest on that November 2018 episode. At the time, "Critical Role" — the "D&D" Twitch stream that turned the company Mercer co-founded into a key player in the nerdworld business — was just taking off.

Mercer, as a "rules lawyer," had to spot all the mistakes in Mulligan's slate. He not only got all of them, he found ones the other man hadn't even listed.

When filming wrapped, they stood at the elevators at that West Hollywood studio, talking about their "D&D" games.

"There's love at first sight, and this is one of those variations," Mercer told BI. "Like, this is a person I immediately know: 'I'm going to know for a very long time, and I look forward to seeing them again.'"

These two men have now formed a formidable alliance in the nerdworld business. The shows they front get fans to pack arenas: "Dimension 20" sold out Madison Square Garden for their January 2025 gig, and "Critical Role" has filled venues from Wembley Arena in London to the Greek in Los Angeles.

Beyond that, they also have leadership roles behind the scenes. Mercer is the chief creative officer at Critical Role, working with his eight friends on everything from Amazon-backed animation series' to board game ventures. Meanwhile, Mulligan is one of the major creative minds at Dropout, a streaming platform that's now gunning for Emmy nominations.

Mulligan helmed his first Critical Role miniseries, EXU Calamity, in May 2022. Mercer then returned the favor, and game mastered for "Dimension 20's" Ravening War," a six-episode campaign that aired in May 2023.

On to 'Downfall'

Mulligan told BI he had long watched Critical Role, and that he got to dive deep into Mercer's lore while working on EXU Calamity. Then he was invited back for "Downfall" — a three-episode arc that aired in July.

Mercer told BI that working with a guest game master like Mulligan on Critical Role requires a "strong sense of trust" because of how dear the stories in Exandria are to him.

"I was anxious at the possibility of trying to live up to what I saw in my head, then had the joyful realization that somebody else that I trust can do it better justice than I think I ever could," Mercer said of Mulligan.

Mulligan said he would go to Mercer with "broad strokes" of where he planned to take the narrative. But Mulligan had "total freedom" to improvise while role-playing at the table, which he found "really gratifying."

"With Matt, it's never restrictive. It's much more like: 'Here's an area that I need to protect for something coming in the next campaign, and then everything else here is the playground," Mulligan said.

Crafting Aeor

Mulligan said it helps that he and Mercer are always on the same page — from their familiarity with mythological references to similar visions for the story's direction.

Together, they built the sprawling landscape of Aeor, from a glamorous speakeasy where robots and humans can party together to the brutalist architecture of key city wards. They also created a battle set together, setting the stage for where the gods of the Exandrian pantheon warred against dragons, monsters, and powerful mages.

"We pulled minis together for that battle and really pulled out all the stops," Mulligan said.

"I was right off camera behind the curtains watching the whole thing as it was happening, just giddy and crying, and it was wonderful," Mercer said.

Mercer and Mulligan agreed that storytelling and work aside, they're just glad they get to hang out with each other.

"As a person who grew up challenged to find community at various points in my life, and the passions and things that I loved were not the easiest to find people to share it with," Mercer said.

Mercer says telling stories for his friends is his love language, and he's glad to be able to do that with Mulligan.

"The CR crew have become the closest people in my life that aren't blood," Mercer said. "What's great about these collaborations is it allows that family to expand, it allows more people to come in and be that community," he added.

Now, Mercer's back in the game master's seat for Critical Role's campaign three. I asked if he would want to be a player at Mulligan's table for a change, perhaps piloting a fan-favorite character, the elven wizard Essek Thelyss.

"Nothing wrong with pitching it. I'd love to," Mercer said, adding that if the opportunity comes up for another adventure with Mulligan, he's game.

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST

Runtime	Break start
4h 07m	1h 19m

Episode 102: Reconciliation

Bell's Hells, following the path of Ludinus and the Ruby Vanguard into the ruins of Aeor, accompanied by Essek Thelyss (somebody who had been there a handful of times).
You delved below and into the darkness that had taken the Vanguard and Ludinus' interest in the ruins, Dominox, a grand demon from lore long ago.
You had gone through and had suffered terrible visions from this demon in proximity to the engine that he still clung to, the Soul Anchor holding him present.
You met a new figure, Braius, a minotaur revealed to have been a worshipper of the Lord of Hells. Also Teven Klask, a devilish entity that has been bound with Fearne.
After getting into battle with Dominox, and Ludinus coming in at the last minute to help you defeat this entity (and claiming no aggression or animus towards you). You stopped after defeating the Dominox and he invited you to join him in the chamber beyond, one of the goals of his excursion. Here in this domed, cracked, partially-ruined chamber, you see amongst the rising stairs and statues of Aeorian mages of old, a central dome-like dais. Ludinus pulls from it a sphere of light blue arcane ribbons, an information keeping device of some kind. He tells you this is the Occultus Thalamus, and it is indeed a record keeping device. What he has found with the time spent with it is of utmost importance to Exandria. Ludinus asked you to look into this.
As he activated it, a white light filled your vision and you all experienced within this record (viscerally, as if you were there and amongst them) the tale of these gods, pantheon members of Exandria, who during the height of the Calamity had called a truce because the last great floating city had developed technology that could abjure the gods themselves.
Scared and uncertain, they reincarnated as mortals and infiltrated this city. Seeking information they discovered existence of a device, the Factorum Malleus, that could (in theory) destroy the gods themselves.
In this information-seeking infiltration mission, they found conflict and allyship. They found means to question everything about their presence and what it is they are doing here on this world. When push came to shove, they all still came to agreement, the city had to die and all of the information with it.
So you experienced from the beginning of the arrival of these beings stepping into Aeor, to the final destruction of the city of Aeor as it crashed into Eiselcross. That is what you are aware of through this vision. The prologue and the epilogue are more just for our fun narrative aspect of it as the audience and players. That is what you have experienced as Bell's Hells. Here as these fragments of information and moments and people and faces and screams and energy whoosh by. Eventually the light fades and here you all stand once more in this cracked and ruined and long forgotten chamber that house the Occultus Thalamus.
As you all take a breath, feeling yourselves back in your bodies, feeling the sensation of your own flesh and touch and the buzzing of energy of the strange, alien, wildly altered magic of these ruins around you.
Ludinus still stands holding his orb, smiling and holding it to his chest.
"Fractured as it may be, the Thalamus gifts us with an unintended boon, a record of divinity's true face. The face I've always known. They wade in their narcissistic fantasy and push forth the decrees for mortal lives. Contradictory among their kin, an endless tapestry of guesses and punishments. Harvesting their faith through reverence and fear, ultimately to redirect the natural flow of the soul to their realms and feed from them.
Here you know what I know is true. The living soul of Exandria borrowed and reshaped to create us as the seeds to their eternal garden of exploitation. We are chained to a cycle of their making against the natural order of life between these realms.
The Eidolons, the natural spirits of the land, they existed before the gods arrived and will exist long after they are gone. They are primordial spiritual life we once were, stolen and industrialized to sustain their self-obsessed tyranny. They funnel the very essence of the world away from it, a sentence of entropy for Exandria in ages to come.
What they did not account for was the strength of our spirit, the drive of our ambition, the desire to learn and grow, make and unmake and make again.
To challenge the mysteries of the universe with the brief time we have.
In their arrogance, they made something more perfect than them, us. In the Age of Arcanum, our enlightenment was revolution, an age where philosophy, art, and the promise of understanding were our purpose. It was their presence, their thrones, their meddling that brought ruin upon our potential. We deserve to inherit the future and they would not dare step aside and let us be greater than they.
I understand it may take some time to truly absorb what they are. What did you see? What do you see them as? What did you experience through this vision?"

Previous Episode: "Downfall: Part Three"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Braius artwork by yghiilra

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.

• The Re-Slayers (Bonus) Take w/ Dani Carr releases Monday, July 29th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episodes 11 releases Monday, July 29th at 5am Pacific on Beacon.

Critical Role Abridged

All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.

• Campaign 3, Episode 15 releases Tuesday, July 30th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 36 releases Tuesday, July 30th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Campaign 3, Episode 37 releases Friday, August 2nd at 10am Pacific on Beacon

San Diego Comic-Con Q&A Panel

Join Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, and Travis Willingham (sadly minus Sam Riegel) as they discuss everything going on in Critical Role Land with a fireside chat and short Q&A.

• Releases Tuesday, July 30th at 12pm on Beacon and YouTube

4-Sided Dive, Episode 26

Discussing Up to Campaign 3, Episode 101

Join Brennan Lee Mulligan, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey as they discuss the tragic tale of Downfall! They will also be playing a very fitting game of KerPlunk because you know sometimes floating cities go kerplunk…

• Airs Tuesday, July 30th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Tuesday, July 30th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• VOD out Wednesday, July 31st on YouTube at 12pm Pacific
• Podcast out Friday, August 2nd on your favorite podcast streaming service

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 102

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, August 1st at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, August 1st at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, August 2nd at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, August 5th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out August 8th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: C3, Ep 102

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 102! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Matt says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.

• Releases Thursday, August 1st at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Laura Bailey Talks Critical Role: Downfall and Becoming the Matron of Ravens

*article by Josh McCoy

Critical Role may not have invented the idea of watching several of the most talented vocal performers of the era weave an epic narrative through a collaborative storytelling game, but they've virtually perfected it. Over three Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, several one-shots, and thousands of hours, they've built a fan base that could take on the world. Each dive into the world of Exandria reveals new details that will keep long-term fans hooked. In Critical Role: Downfall, the returning cast and a few new faces embody avatars of the mighty Prime Deities as they launch their attack on the legendary flying city of Aeor.

Laura Bailey is a beloved member of the Critical Role family. While she remains one of the most celebrated voice actresses in the gaming industry, critters remember her best as Vex'ahlia, Jester, and Imogen, among others. In Downfall, Bailey takes on the role of Emhira, the physical embodiment of the Raven Queen. As a new deity, the Matron of Death is still finding her place in the Pantheon. Downfall sees Laura Bailey portray a level 20 Warlock using her character's own divine form as a patron. Bailey talked to Game Rant about creating her character, working with new cast members, and the experiences she's had over 13 years of sitting around playing Dungeons & Dragons. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: You were tragically not able to appear in Calamity. So what was it like to finally get to work with Brennan Lee Mulligan as a dungeon master?

Oh my gosh, he's so talented. Yeah, I was unbelievably excited when I got to do, or when I thought I was gonna get to do, Calamity, and we did the whole, you know, building character process with him. And so I was even more excited because he just has so much wonderful insight and was devastated when it didn't get to happen. Marisha did an amazing job, though, and took that character, made it her own, and really developed it. But yeah, I jumped at this opportunity when they asked if I would be down for doing Downfall. I was beside myself.

Q: What's it like to onboard new cast members like Abubakar Salim, Noshir Dalal, Nick Marino, and other newcomers?

It was amazing. We've worked with Abu before, and we've worked with Noshir before. This was the first time we'd ever even met Nick, so I met him when we were developing the characters together, and he's so wonderful. I don't know how, every time we bring new people into Critical Role, they happen to be the most wonderful human beings, and they really are. And I think that, you know, we bring in people that are friends of the family a lot of times, or we bring in people that are friends of friends, so that's how we end up finding such amazing people. And Abu had actually watched Critical Role and had been a fan of the show, and we met up with him in London, and we were huge fans of his as well. So it was just wonderful that he got to that. He had the time to come out and do this. They were also sweet and so open to explore the characters and dive into the lore, because with Downfall there was so much history, right, obviously, and so much lore that you had to kind of get into your brain before you could even start to create a character. So yeah, they were all so committed. It was amazing.

Q: Speaking of that lore, what was it like to step into the role of a character that has had such an impact on your previous characters? Were you going back and watching how Matt played the Raven Queen or working on trying to make this your own?

No, no, I wanted to be true to what Matt had already established, and I did go back and watch, but it turns out I didn't really need to, because I had a very strong memory of her appearing to us. Yeah. It's very strong. And yeah, it was actually Marisha who brought up me being the matron from the get-go when they said, “You guys are gonna be playing the gods of Exandria. Here's the whole Pantheon; go to town,” and really nothing was off limits. Brennan had kind of mentioned, "Maybe let's play a little easy with the Betrayer Gods," because he had plans for that. So Marisha was like, “I really want to have Matron representation at that table, and it could be really cool,” and I was terrified to play her because she does have so much lore and so much of it is shrouded in mystery still. I don't know it or I didn't at the time, and then I got to have some meetings with Matthew and some meetings with Brennan on the side and find out a little bit more of a deep dive about her history, and that way I could play her a little more accurately with how they were seeing it with how Matt was seeing it.

Q: With Downfall being the first time you’re each picking existing characters, what was the process of sitting down and selecting which gods you'd be representing?

We each picked, and it wasn't decided for sure that I was going to be the Matron. That was just one of the options that you know, like, let's think about this one, because it would be fun to have her at the table. She's just so present in all the campaigns and that makes sense. I mean, the goddess of death, so each person kind of came in, and we pitched basically three characters to the table, meaning the rest of the cast and Brennan, and said like “this is what I was thinking for this God and this is what I was thinking for their avatar and how that could work” because ultimately, we played three characters, but we were really trying to embody two separate entities. And so then, after we all kind of pitched all three, then we went back around the table and thought about how those ones could mesh and which ones resonated strongly with the rest of the group and that's how we ended up being the characters that we did.

Q: How did that impact building the characters mechanically with you stepping in with really powerful level 20 characters? Are you pulling entirely from the lore, or what would be interesting to play from a gameplay perspective?

Everything was on the table, right? Brennan, when he threw out he was like "you guys are gonna be level 20," he also said "anything you really think of that you want to do, just pitch it to me, and we can probably make it work because you’re Gods. You can do whatever you want," which that freedom is a little overwhelming, you know. I haven't played a lot of level 20 characters to begin with, and then I picked Warlock, which I'd never played at level 20. Yeah. So it was really like looking at it and going, “how does this work for her? Why would she choose Warlock?” I thought about maybe, you know, would a Wizard make more sense, but she was, you know, she wouldn't want to do things that she'd already done. So it might be nice to come back in this life and have it be easy, you know. You don't have to learn everything in magic. It just comes to you from another power. So she basically made a pact with herself and she was her own source of power.

Q: As a role player more generally, are you the type of person who has a massive list of stuff that you want to do eventually or are you approaching every single new challenge like a completely new blank slate?

I mean, there's always gonna be ideas, right, of things. “That looks really cool, I want to get to play that,” but then each time a new campaign comes up, or a new game comes up, all that goes out the window, and you start focusing on that campaign. And I tend to… this is so dumb... I think about, like, physically, what I want them to be sometimes and then “how do I fill that out?” How does that make sense? You know, literally with Imogen, my starting point was I wanted her to have pastel hair. Where do I go with that? And I had come up with like a whole bunch of different characters that could have this kind of sort of appearance and then ended up with Imogen. So yeah, with the Matron, I thought it would be really fun to make her Avatar something that looked really soft and almost innocent and gentle, so that it would be more of a contrast when she did reveal that Matron form.

Q: What's the process of finding the relationships that may have already existed with these characters that have obviously been around so much longer before you took them over? What's the process of finding who your friends and enemies are among your circle?

Well, honestly, it's already kind of established within the history of Exandria, so you know. It's more about what we know, at least for my character. We know that she came in, that she kind of forced her way into this Pantheon and, at that point, it's like, how do the others perceive her? And how did she perceive them in her mortal life? How did she perceive them? Once she became a God, what did they do? Did they shun her? Did they welcome her? Each person had a different reaction to how that would happen because she basically replaced a member of their family. This whole campaign, this whole mini-game, has been about “what is family and what is family to the Gods?” So, we actually went around the table right before the very first game. We'd already kind of established everything, you know, we'd had side conversations between the players about who knew each other. That's why Nick and Ashley had calls between each other and really established their character relationship and everything, but at the beginning of session one, we went around and said basically, who each person was in a family, like if you're sitting around a Thanksgiving table? What would each person be at that table? Would you be the older sister? Would you be the father? I was that girlfriend that shows up that nobody really knows and maybe stands to the side for a little bit. The new one that nobody knows how to treat yet. So yeah, we re-established that right before we started playing so that it would be fresh. Because it needed to come with that history the moment we started playing, it had to have all of that history.

Q: Are you a person who is conscious of playing with or against type? Are you experimenting in the realm of things you haven't played with in the past? Are you very aware of how this character might interact with some of the traits you might remember from Jester or Imogen?

I think that it's normal to want to play something that is different from something we’ve already shown, right, and with each character. Vex, we never knew or thought about it ever being shown to anybody but our friends, so we were just playing what was natural to us, and that's how Vex ended up being who she was. With Jester, I wanted to be the complete opposite of Vex. I wanted to play a character that didn't have to think before she started talking, and it didn't have to sound smart. I could just, you know, be stupid, and it was so much fun to do that. And so, with Imogen, it was how can I separate her from both of those experiences and how she would perceive things differently than them. And then with the Matron, there's so much history there. It's almost like I wanted to find the connecting threads between what Matt had already established and what her relationship would be between those characters and the other gods, like how did she get from this point to where she is in the future campaigns, right? And also, how do I show those glimmers of moments? You know, she has that moment in Campaign One, where she actually has mercy. She sees something in Vax and is able to change the threads of Fate to make his deal, and could I find a moment in the campaign to show that kind of similar personality trait of hers, right? I really thought about it when I wasn't expecting it. When Brennan suddenly said, “You are the Matron, explain what this character sees.” I didn't know that was gonna happen, and I didn't know I was ever going to be explaining my Divinity in that way, and all I could do was think about the moments that Matt had described in the past and was trying to give that same world to the character that Brennan was playing… Oh, he's so good. I don't know if I've said that already, and he's so fast. Like I'm used to playing with Matt and so like coming in with another GM who brings his own flavor of speed and comedy and depth. It was just so much fun to get to experience that.

Q: You’ve had so much experience with one DM. And is it more challenging or is it just a kind of welcome reprieve?

It's not a reprieve by any means because I look forward to our weekly game with Matt, probably more than anything else that we do and he still surprises us. I don't know how he does it after 10 years of playing together that he still... Actually, it's more than that, isn't it? Wow… personally, off camera. Yeah, it's like 13 years almost… Wow. Geez Louise. He still surprises us. It was just, I think, more nerve-wracking to play with Brennan, because I don't know how he's gonna perceive what I'm giving him. Oh, I lost a little sleep before our first game, that's for sure.

Q: In a couple of weeks, we're going to come back to Imogen, and we're going to learn what she has gained from this experience. What do you feel like you've learned from this? What do you feel like you've gained from the Downfall Arc?

Well, I gained a lot more history about Exandria, that's for sure. Travis, that's my husband, he is. all about the history. Because he and Sam executive produced the Vox Machina Animated Series, they have to know all of that. Travis really has become a wealth of knowledge as far as all of the different moments in history and Exandria and what it all means. I was still very confused about all of it, if I'm gonna be honest. But after this game, I fully get it. Oh, this is the Divergence. Oh, this is the Calamity. Oh, this is… Yeah, I feel like I'll be coming back in as a player with a better understanding.

Q: Do you sense a radical difference in tone between playing week to week and playing in Downfall?

Oh sure! Sure, I mean, Brennan let us know from the get-go that this was going to be a tragedy, right. It has to be. So there were those moments of levity, but honestly, I was surprised there were going to be any. I had no idea he was going to throw out that whole bar sequence. And it was so welcoming. It was so nice to have that moment of brightness in all of the horror that we were seeing. So, yeah, there weren't any shopping episode in Calamity. You know, there's no time to just kind of chill. It’s run and gun.

Q: How does the shorter time limit affect how you make a character when you're not going to be with them for quite as long?

I don't know if it did. I mean, I think if I was playing a one shot or a one-off I would not commit to that much backstory. Like when we were creating Menagerie characters, we went super goofy because we were like, “wow, we're going to play this one time,” and then we had so much fun, and we are going for it. But that's how we started with Vox Machina. We thought we were only playing one game, so we created characters quickly and then as you play, you create more backstory, and I think that's normal for a tabletop game. It's different now, going into the future campaigns that we've done, because we know we're going to be playing them for maybe a hundred games or more. So you want to create all of that before you begin. With Downfall, all of that was already available. I didn't have to create anything for the Matron. I did, you know, I talked to Matt. I talked to Brennan and really kind of established some stuff. And then I had to create all of Emhira’s backstory, and we didn't know how much of our avatar’s backstory was going to be in the game, if any. It was more just for our own knowledge of where they were coming from.

Q: Are there any interesting details about Emhira that you feel like might not have even made it onto the screen?

So, I mentioned her warlock patron was the Matron. So I had created a backstory where the Matron actually decided what child she was going to be born into, created The Pact with an unborn child, and sent her Champion to that family before or upon Emhira's birth and so Purvan, her Champion, was with her from her birth to protect her and keep her safe throughout her life and to help teach her everything that she would need to know, how to fight and all of that kind of stuff, and took care of her and her family and really helped out. So he was like a father to her, in some ways.

Q: You got this opportunity to select from the Prime Deities. If you had been given the same opportunity to pull from the list of Betrayer Gods, is there one that particularly calls your name?

I love the Lord of the Nine Hells, but maybe The Crawling King? I don't know why I pulled that in here. I have all these... Look, I have all of these books because my son is obsessed with drawing monsters from our game world. He presented me with like seven new drawings this morning of Iron Golems he was pretty excited about.

Q: That is adorable. Eventually, the fanart corner will just feature his drawings

[Laughs] No joke. No joke.

Q: Is there something that no one has asked you yet that you feel like you want to discuss?

Gosh… I don't know if I have anything that hasn't been asked… Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I have so much fun stuff planned, but I can't say any of it. It’s all hidden and mysterious. There's so much fun stuff that happens in the final episode of Downfall, and so much fun stuff that is coming up in our Campaign Three. We've already played a couple of games post-Downfall, and there's some really, really great stuff. Oh, it's good. It's good. I wish I could talk about it. Oh, no.

Q: Did you design your character’s clothing?

That was our amazing artist, Hannah Friederichs. I sent ideas to them about hairstyle and clothing colors and the general like softness or hardness of certain elements, and then, you know, we were presented with a few different options for looks based on what we had sent in and then we kind of refine it from there, just like we do for our other campaigns as well.

Q: A few people pointed out that Emhira looks quite a bit like you

Oh, really? That wasn't my reference, but I'll say good. I had said I had sent images of like Rachel Weisz from The Mummy and Catherine Zeta-Jones from Zorro, like, I want this ultra-feminine, soft look. So if they say it looks like me, then I'll take that complement.

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST

Runtime	Break start
6h 30m	1h 51m

Episode 101: Downfall: Part Three

For those coming back, the gods have not only infiltrated the city of Aeor, but have infiltrated Exandria itself. A plan decades in the making while Exandria remained choked under ash and beset by monstrous hordes of the armies of the gods both Prime and Betrayer alike.
A plan was hatched to bypass the magical wards of the mighty city of Aeor; for the gods to take mortal form to pass those boundaries that only mortals could pass.
Having arrived in Aeor disguised as humble ground-dwelling mortals bringing food. Probably the last thing tethering Aeor to terrestrial Exandria. The gods and their companions discovered that they would need to work quickly, that the Factorum Malleus was all but operational.
Moving swiftly, our divine protagonists (we have to wait to find out if the word ‘heroes’ is appropriate or not) discovered the Archmage Cassida Preven who was working on the Factorum Malleus. Part of a secret society of Aeorian archmages dedicated to helping the Prime Deities win the Calamity. After all this is a war between gods isn’t it? Or are they not so much enemies as family?
We also discovered the Obtenebrator Engine and beneath it The Scribe (an Aeormaton tasked with operating the massive obfuscation that is hiding the city from divine sight, but also in the event of an emergency, broadcast the schematics of the Factorum Malleus across Exandria; an insurance policy should the gods somehow bypass Aeor’s defenses). It took less than six seconds for you to dispatch them.
We return now to an extra-dimensional holding chamber (a “back room” if you will) of the Ars Elysia (the hidden speakeasy/society of beauty/nightclub run by SILAHA aka The Arch Heart). Within this realm, you now appear:

• The six of you
• Cassida Preven (one of the archmages who crafted the Factorum Malleus)
• Your sister and companion Arcadia (also masquerading as an Aeorian archmage; one of the two deities to have spent some time in Aeor.
• Zaharzht, Father Milo Caust, and Tishar

All of you dwell now under scintillating silver light forming an ovoid sphere with elongated twinkling silver strands in all directions. You do not stand on the floor so much as you hover in suspended space here in the middle. Though it is clean and scintillating and extra-dimensional, perhaps you can smell that not very long ago, a celestial died here.
You have removed the Obtenebrator Engine and thus the gods can see Aeor. You have removed the Eravox Protocol and thus their insurance policy to disseminate this knowledge has faded. In that engine room you heard winds kick up outside; omens of things to come. All that remains is the destruction of the Latimus Princeps that force keeping the gods physically away and keeping you definitively mortal. That Latimus Princeps has been integrated to and built within the weapon itself.
You have one task remaining, but can you agree on what that task is? As we enter this chamber and Cassida (standing by Trist’s side) looks as Zaharzht coughing blood. Tishar goes and flanks Cassida on the other side and puts her chin close to Cassida’s shoulder and sniffs,
Tishar:”Mortal. Funny.”
Cassida looks to all of you now gathered here after the flash of combat and feels the power radiating off of all of you (who have just unmade decades of arcane work in a matter of seconds),
Cassida:“Who is everyone here? Are you…?”
Tishar reaches up a hand and puts it on Cassida’s back.
Tishar:“This person is supposed to be here? Or they leave?”
Tishar grabs the hair on the back of her (Cassida) head. Trist takes Cassida’s hand and looks at Tishar.
Trist:”She’s with me. Please take your hand away.”

Previous Episode: "Downfall: Part Two"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Artwork by KuyaSerge

I'm posting this here because Geek and Sundry have de-listed the video and it is a brilliant example of how to run a one-shot. Also, Liam's DM style is enthralling to watch.

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.

• Episode 9 releases Monday, July 22nd on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episodes 10 releases Monday, July 22nd at 5am Pacific only on Beacon.

Critical Role Abridged

All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.

• Campaign 3, Episode 14 releases Tuesday, July 23rd at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 34 releases Tuesday, July 23rd at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Campaign 3, Episode 35 releases Friday, July 26th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

Official MOONWARD Trailer

Our newest tale from the Cosmos of Midst! ICYMI here’s a little teaser.

• Releases Wednesday, July 24th on YouTube at 10am Pacific

CRITICAL ROLE: CAMPAIGN 3, EPISODE 101

The Finale of Downfall!

Episodes 99-101 of Critical Role, Campaign 3 will explore a three-part story of historical memory from an arcane relic within the ruins of Aeor! Join Brennan Lee Mulligan as he leads players Laura Bailey, Noshir Dalal, Taliesin Jaffe, Nick Marini, Abubakar Salim, and Ashley Johnson through a tragic tale that led to the destruction of the flying city of Aeor over a century into the Calamity.

• Airs Thursday, July 25th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, July 25th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, July 26th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, July 29th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out Thursday, August 1st on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 101

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 96! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after BLeeM says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.

• Releases Thursday, July 25th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST

Runtime	Break start
4h 0m	1h 36m

Episode 100: Downfall: Part Two

Salutations, as we return to the heart of the city of Aeor in the moments before its inevitable downfall.
We return to where we left off, within the Chamber of Seasons, deep in the heart of the Opus Ward. Ancient stone and the illuminated images in this temple of old that now are brought to new life under the light of a hidden sun. Images of the gods flank the walls of this chamber. As you prepare to leave, knowing only that a weapon (made to destroy the eternal) is at the very threshold of operational status, deep within the heart of this last bastion of mortal might.
As you prepare to leave you see that these strange companions (also in the form of mortal avatars) begin to smile and make their way towards the exit. For those of you that have conversed here, we have several groups preparing to travel out from this place:

• Asha and The Emissary are preparing to move with Tishar (a tall-hulking barbarian woman with a massive greatsword on her back) and Zaharzht (a spiky Tortle, sort of albino, sickly-green eyes, with hooks and jagged chunks of rusty metal in his flesh. They prepare to head to the Obtenebrator Engine (which disguises the city from divine sight and scrying) in the Genesis Ward at the center of the city.
• SILAHA (an aeormaton) and Emhira are preparing to leave in the company of Umleta (a small halfling archer) to make use of SILAHA's connections within the mageocratic city of Aeor. Searching for rumors or clues to the Eravox Protocol (a means by which, should the mageistry of Aeor become aware of the threat to their great project, the knowledge of that project would be transcribed and sent to the far corners of Exandria) one last failsafe that the knowledge found to destroy the gods would not be lost to mortalkind.
• Arcadia (your companion and ally from here in the city) and Father Milo (a priest of the Dawnfather) accompanying Ayden and Trist. Searching for passage into the Genesis Ward (highly secretive, the arcane heart of Aeor where its greatest secrets (some of which will be discovered many years from now under the icy frost of Eiselcross but in this day they are at the zenith of their power) lie.

Is there anything that you do or say to each other as you prepare to disembark from the Chamber of Secrets, uh Chamber of Seasons?
As Umleta comes to join you, you see that she looks up at you and smiles. You see that she has this rogue-ish way of carefully taking this silken rope and begins to pack it around an elbow and a hand, creating a little coil that she tucks into this large, black bag on her back. You see there is thread... like a web. You don't like that they (these betrayer gods) were here before you arrived. You've been in this city for a long time and you begin to wonder how long they've been here for.

Previous Episode: "Downfall: Part One"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.

• Episode 8 releases Monday, July 15th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• The Re-Slayers (Bonus) Take w/ Dani Carr releases Monday, July 15th at 5am Pacific on Beacon.

Critical Role Abridged

All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.

• Campaign 3, Episode 13 releases Tuesday, July 16th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 32 releases Tuesday, July 16th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Campaign 3, Episode 33 releases Friday, July 19th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

Live Fireside Chat with Sam Riegel

Join us in the tavern for a monthly Ask Me Anything (AMA) series where you can sit down with us and learn more about our Critical Role cast and guests! Questions will be curated directly from Beacon members via Discord and each episode will feature a different cast member for a 30-60 minute fireside chat. Cozy up by the fire and enjoy the deep dive with us!

• Starts Tuesday, July 16th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 100

##Part 2 of DOWNFALL!

Episodes 99-101 of Critical Role, Campaign 3 will explore a three-part story of historical memory from an arcane relic within the ruins of Aeor! Join Brennan Lee Mulligan as he leads players Laura Bailey, Noshir Dalal, Taliesin Jaffe, Nick Marini, Abubakar Salim, and Ashley Johnson through a tragic tale that led to the destruction of the flying city of Aeor over a century into the Calamity.

• Airs Thursday, July 18th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, July 18th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, July 19th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, July 22nd at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out July 25th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 100

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 100! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after BRENNAN says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.

• Releases Thursday, July 18th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST

Runtime	Break start
4h 17m	2h 18m

Episode 99: Downfall: Part One

Light.
Light suffusing all. Eternal, undying, infinite.
Names beyond counting does this place have in the timeless time in which it existed. But in your tongue, Exandrian, let us simply call it Tengar, the Eternal Palace. Behold endless ramparts and hallways of spinning stars. A nebula so vast that light would age a thousand lifetimes of its origin to cross from the threshold to the ending of this palace.
Let us imagine beings of infinite possibility and endless wonder, populating the vast and joyous caverns, chambers, hallways, ramparts, all of the chapels and unending mystery that this Eternal Palace has to offer those that have always dwelt herein. Shimmering light, beings of wonder whose potential (having never touched 'the real') is limitless.
Within this place we must describe for you in words that mortals can comprehend. What you have come now to witness.
In Tengar, the Eternal Palace, past the hallway of the Unbroken Shard, one can spy the Quill of Infinites (that which writes those worlds that have yet never been). We see a small parade of twinkling lights. These lights that we now behold are, to us, inhuman. But of course, this realm has never known the touch of humans. So, let us instead give it a name, that we might understand it. Sparkling light traveling down a hall, we see EDUN, a kaleidoscoping ephemera of twinkling lights moving through the palace towards the Orchard of Possibility, as once it was called. EDUN beholds a small flickering shape, ARU. Though it would be impossible for a mortal to comprehend, (Nick describes a star). EDUN, much larger than you, ARU, rolls past.
"Oh, Aru! Splendid! I was wondering if I might come across any of the vibrant denizens of these wings of Tengar. Have you any friends nearby to call out to? I wish to show you something, if I could."
Light spirals out as EDUN moves past you. (Aru calls out to Luz (Ashley)).
LUZ, you arrive at the edge of a vast balcony ending in a staircase descending to an orchard of fractal light. They are trees, but they are also mirrors and stars and perhaps the hands of some great and eternal love for the being of all things yet to come. EDUN, this kaleidoscoping, shimmering train of light begins to descend the staircase, and you see ARU, eternal sibling of yours rushing behind you, LUZ. As you see ARU, a shape comes and turns to look at you and it's now shimmering blue, but a crackling fire in front of you. This is your sibling IMRI.
Imri:"What's going on? Is something happening? Are we starting a new game?"
Luz:"I don't know."
Aru:"Edun has something to show us."
Imri:"Well, Edun certainly can't show it to all of us at the same time and I, as ever, shall be there first!"
IMRI surges forward as a trail of fire shoots down the staircase, into the stars. Luz takes off after. IMRI rushes past EDUN as quickly as possible.
Edun:"Careful! Careful!" You see the trees shimmer. Purplish light, almost what you would describe as the reflection of water when it plays on a wall, lounging beneath the trees, fractals playing on fractals, enjoying the peace.
IMRI races past, trips on a purple fractal, explodes in endless fireworks.
Imri:'I could've known, always louging around in the Orchard. EDUN! Nahal tripped me!"
Edun:"Oh, sweet Nahal. I did not wish to disturb your slumber. IMRI, you have run much too fast and become a thousand beautiful exploding fireworks. Enough of that!"
EDUN begins to surround a tree. NAHAL you look on. You feel a growing sense of something that you've always felt, like you might feel one day, but have never yet felt, is unusual in the Eternal Palace, to feel anything for the first time. You feel a sense of dread.
Nahal:"What is this? It's exciting and horrible."
EDUN looks.
"Ah! Yes. What I wished to show you. A new tree being born in the Orchard of Possibility."
A tree shimmers and twitches. Sharp, painful. There is a fruit hanging from it, but also a gem, but also a sun falling into itself. EDUN looks up. IMRI looks at you and goes,
"Beautiful...I don't know if I agree. Don't you feel a little bit..."
IMRI looks to you for the word that they have never had to say before. EDUN reaches up and plucks the fruit.
Luz, you say, "Wait. Give it a chance."
A moment too late.
Edun:"Oh."
Edun's shimmering form ceases. Each point of light is fixed.
Nahal:"What is this?"
Luz:"What is happening?"
Edun:"I'm sorry. I think I'm going away."
Nahal:"What is away?"
Aru:"Edun!"
A point of lightlessness rests in the middle of the Orchard.

Previous Episode: "The Nox Engine"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

MIDST: Moonward Teaser

"There's more to come from the Cosmos, keep your eyes peeled for updates as we leave the wake of MIDST behind and head MOONWARD… 🌙"

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.

• Episode 7 releases Monday, July 8th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episodes 9 releases Monday, July 8th at 5am Pacific only on Beacon.

“It’s Been A While”

Critical Role Abridged

All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.

• Campaign 3, Episode 12 releases Tuesday, July 9th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 30 releases Tuesday, July 9th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Campaign 3, Episode 31 releases Friday, July 12th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

Daggerheart 1.5 Update

Join us LIVE as Matthew Mercer and Spenser Starke walk you through the changes made to Daggerheart in version 1.5.

• Airs LIVE Tuesday, July 9th at 4pm Pacific on Beacon, Twitch and YouTube.
• VOD releases immediately on Beacon, Twitch, and YouTube

4-Sided Dive, Episode 25

Discussing Up to Campaign 3, Episode 98

Sam Riegel is back! Join Sam Riegel, Matthew Mercer, Taliesin Jaffe, and Travis Willingham as they pull questions for the tower of inquiry, roll some dice in the game “Roll For It,” mourn the loss of fallen friends, discuss their latest adventures in Aeor, and…of course… relive the events of the BELLS HELLS LIVE SHOW!

• Airs Tuesday, July 9th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Tuesday, July 9th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• VOD out Wednesday, July 10th on YouTube at 12pm Pacific
• Podcast out Friday, July 12th on your favorite podcast streaming service

MIDST: Season 3 Roundtable

Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien reunite with Third Person, the creators of Midst, to discuss the reality bending events of Season 3 and the epic Midst SERIES Finale!

• Airs Wednesday, July 10th on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm Pacific
• VOD and Podcast out Wednesday, July 10th at 7pm Pacific on Midst.co and Beacon
• Podcast out July 10th at 7pm Pacific on your favorite podcast streaming service

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 99

Downfall Part I

Episodes 99-101 of Critical Role, Campaign 3 will explore a three-part story of historical memory from an arcane relic within the ruins of Aeor! Join Brennan Lee Mulligan as he leads players Laura Bailey, Nosir Dalal, Taliesin Jaffe, Nick Marini, Abubakar Salim, and Ashley Johnson through a tragic tale that led to the destruction of the flying city of Aeor over a century into the Calamity.

• Airs Thursday, July 11th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, July 11th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, July 12th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, July 15th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out July 18th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 99

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 99! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after BRENNAN says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.

• Releases Thursday, July 11th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon.

It's Been A While

Sam opens up about his ongoing battle with cancer.

Here's a moment from Campaign 1 of Travis as Grog Strongjaw, paying tribute to resurrect Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam's character) that highlights their friendship in and out of game.