New Critical Role Dungeon Master Brennan Leigh Mulligan lays the foundations for a truly epic and challenging Campaign 4, sowing the seeds of an ambitious plot set in a godless world, sparked by the tragedy of the execution of hero and scoundrel Thiazi Fang. The first four episodes take us through the delightfully twisted playground of Dol-Makjar, a city full of political intrigue and devious deals. Last Thursday night, however, we saw the first non-overture episode of Critical Role Campaign 4, and with it the first good look at the world outside of Dol-Makjar.
Fans followed Soldier's table this time: Theor Pridesaire (Travis Willingham), Thimble (Laura Bailey), Vikander Halovar (Sam Riegel), Kattigan Vale (Robbie Daymond) and Tyranny (Whitney Moore), heading north to Timmony in search of Sid Pridesaire, Theor's brother. While this episode was shorter, it quickly established something crucial to the lifeblood of the campaign: there are good people in Araman's world worth fighting for.
This may not come as much of a surprise to longtime Critical Role viewers. In every past campaign, even in moments of defeat and utter despair, good always triumphs over evil, and hope and love are key themes. Again, Campaign 4 creates a very different atmosphere. Previous campaigns did not begin with such a hopeless debut: the execution and then the funeral of the NPC beloved by most of the characters. It's a harsh note that surprised me when I watched the premiere.
Moreover, the Overture episodes depict a world devastated by the aftermath of the conflict that overthrew the gods. The city of Dol Makjar is currently involved in fraud Destroyed houseswho are trying to deprive the Revolutionary Council of its powers using the terrible and all too real weapon of privatization. And that's when they're not trying to establish a fraudulent religion or use the undead to destroy an entire house. Is it any wonder that one might wonder if Araman is worth saving at all? This setup felt familiar to me, having played D&D campaigns that were so dark they became depressing to play.
However, in episode five, my opinion quickly changed with the appearance of two NPCs: Brookmeadow and Ulbid. The first is a fairy like Thimble who mistakenly thinks Thimble has been captured by the “big men” in the group and offers to help her get to a fairy settlement called Hawthorn Glade. Brookmeadow does this by dragging Thimble into the creek, using the air bubble to communicate and offer her protection. It is only when Thimble makes it clear that she and the rest of the group are allies that Brookmeadow feels safe, allowing Thimble to leave and continue her journey, and also warns Thimble about dead and dangerous creatures in the forest and on the road.
It's a small interaction in the grand scheme of things, but its value is undeniable. Brookmeadow reveals that the fairies left behind after the door to their world closed had no choice but to band together and form communities. Even with so much violence, death and abandonment, people come together to help each other. This is a great way to provide more information and knowledge about the world in a way that doesn't rely so much on exposition but rather on interaction.
Another NPC, Ulbid, is an ancient-looking gnome whom the party encounters in the forest after stumbling upon his observatory. The place feels more like a junkyard than a home, and his eccentric nature (such as his confession to spying on people) makes some members of the group, such as Cattigan and Theor, feel uneasy. Considering that the Soldier's task is to deal with the traitor Casimir, whose debts forced him to sell Tjazito the Broken Houses, I, too, expected Mulligan to eventually reveal something sinister about the dwarf.
However, this turned out to be a red herring, and the only revelation was that Ulbid's eccentricity stemmed from deep sadness. His three daughters left home 15 years ago to fight in an unnamed war (judging by the time, I'm guessing it's the Ax and Vine War) and never returned. He looks out for them on the roads, waiting for their return with a stupid but heartbreaking hope.
Mulligan is known for being harsh when it comes to NPCs (I can't watch Home of Wanderings DM session without tears), but I was not the only one who was deceived by this revelation. Talking about Cool down Immediately after the episode, players at the Soldiers table stated that they expected Ulbid to have some kind of dark, twisted backstory that Mulligan was waiting to pounce on everyone.
But for Mulligan, Ulbid and Brookmeadow were key components in reminding viewers that Araman's world wasn't just full of nefarious characters.
“I pulled Matt's character's father's skull out of his head.” Mulligan said, referring to one of the darkest moments of the fourth campaign, which occurred at the climax of the third episode. “I thought, 'We need to show that the reason bad things happen sucks is because there are good people in the world. If everyone was like, 'I'm a fucking Skull Ghost, damn it!' We'd be like, 'Why are we fighting for this world?'
It's a vital reminder, both narrative and mechanical, that beauty and goodness can be found even in the darkest of environments. Brookmeadow could have easily abandoned Thimble to her fate, but instead she was willing to risk her life. Ulbid's desire to help the group stems from his concern for the people around him and his desire for his daughters to return home from a war they may not have even survived.
It's hard to describe a whole world, even with Mulligan's years of experience. It's even harder to create this world and make it real for the players. You can have the smartest and most engaging story, but if your players aren't able to understand it or care about it, then what's the point? This is why it's so important to have well-developed NPCs that tug at your heartstrings or that you can relate to in some way. This is why introducing Ulbid and Brookmeadow works.
Ulbid is a father who has lost so much due to constant wars after losing the gods in the War of the Creators, and his grief is not only prison, but also hope for a better future, tomorrow, when his daughters return home. As for Brookmeadow, the faeries have been displaced, trapped in a world so different from their own, and all they want is to go home. Thanks to these NPCs, Critical Role provided not only an emotional storyline, but also important information about Araman and what lies beyond Dol Makyar. It's a great approach to world building that even makes me eager to learn more about Araman's world.
