Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 2 Part 2: "Broken Wing"

Episode Overview

The second part of "Broken Wing" (Campaign 4, Episode 2) picks up as the party continues to unravel the mysteries surrounding the aftermath of Thiazi Fang's funeral in Dolmakjar. Characters are scattered across the city, each facing mounting political intrigue, grief, and arcane mysteries. As dawn breaks, alliances are tested, dangerous secrets unveiled, and a new, chilling revelation about the nature of magic and power emerges. The tone moves from somber, intimate conversations to tense investigations and the brink of combat, while the shadow of revolution and the consequences of god-killing loom over all.

Key Storylines & Discussion Points

1. The Arknod Museum and the Coffin of Olbalad

(01:32-22:28)

• Setting & Historical Context:
  • Brennan Lee Mulligan describes the Arknod – a grand, magical museum in Dolmakjar, highlighting its post-godwar architecture and revolutionary heritage. The group focuses on the Loi Wing, founded by orcish smiths after the Shapers' War.
• Investigation of the Coffin:
  • Bolaire (Taliesin Jaffe) and Murray (Mollymauk Tealeaf) spend the night researching a strange, newly forged silver coffin with ancient halfling plates and a fossilized wooden lining from the Wastes.
  • Murray uses an Identify spell; Bolaire describes the magical and practical precautions in place. Debates occur about whether opening the box is wise or foolish, with Brennan noting, "Truth, at least in the philosophy of the penteveral, requires some risk." (08:34)
• Shocking Discoveries:
  • The box is new, constructed from relics associated with halfling death goddess Rain and the celestial psychopomp Olbalad, whose purpose was to guide souls. The plates on the coffin reroute and distort their meanings, akin to a ransom note.
  • They realize: the gods created celestials, who turned monstrous after the gods' death. Having the coffin of Olbalad (angel of halfling death) is a deeply dangerous, perhaps blasphemous, artifact.
  • Experimenting with the mist inside the coffin, Bolaire tries to probe it: the tool never emerges and the mist seems to be a void.
  • Bolaire and Murray express growing dread:
    • "I'll be a shaper’s anus." (18:49, Mollymauk)
    • "We got a pretty little relic on our hands." (18:52, Mollymauk)
    • "We need someone with a familiar... We need to put something living in there that we can see through." (19:33, Bolaire)
• Lingering Questions:
  • The players puzzle over why Thiazi wanted the coffin, its connection to the Shapers’ War, and interwoven artifacts (elf and halfling relics).
  • Murray and Bolaire exchange confessions about morally gray dealings with Thiazi:
    • "He’s dead now, so I hardly think it matters at this point." (21:37, Bolaire)

2. Political Machinations: House Divinos & The Stopped Caravan

(25:33-41:54)

• Father and Son Tension:
  • General Raymond Davinos collects his hungover son Julian from a brothel, chastising his lack of propriety in light of recent political upheaval.
  • Their banter is caustic and resentful, underpinned by history of betrayal and resentment for former war hero Thiazi Fang.
    • "How does it feel to be wrong again?" (30:47, Julian)
    • "You did what you did... and it’s like you hate him for it. Why?" (35:53, Raymond)
• The Caravans & Hints of Conspiracy:
  • Word arrives that supply caravans to the Plaza Davinos were stopped at Dvalmar Pass, possibly by a rescue plot for Thiazi. The Taconis family is searching for one of their own, feared involved.
  • Lady Erinessa and General Davinos task Julian with finding the boy and keeping it hidden:
    • "If you find him... bring him here... to understand what may have happened." (40:18, Raymond)
    • Comic family moment as Raymond hurls a pitcher of water in his son’s face:
      • "You are my eldest son. And I love you to it." (41:25, Raymond)

3. Factional Tensions and the Brewing Revolution

(47:49-61:56)

• Cadigan and Thimble:
  • Cadigan wakes in the woods, broke and hungover, haunted by the funeral and memories of a grief-stricken fairy. A determined Thimble prepares to investigate the Crow Keepers, intent on vengeance.
• Azune & The Revolutionary Guard:
  • Azune begins her day at Brethren Hall, reflecting on her duty as an Arcane Marshal amidst new laws restricting magic.
  • Meets Captain Fazir and Lord Knight Horondus Einfarsen:
    • The latter offers House Einfarsen’s “support” but is clearly asserting dangerous political control, with his "solid monolithic core philosophy: of course I should be in charge."
    • "There's no group within the city that compares to the Arcane Marshal's..." (55:32, Horondus)
  • Azune is wary of being subsumed into the ambitions of the sundered houses, and maneuvers the patrol schedule to monitor the Crow Keepers area herself.

4. The Pentevral and Suppression of Magic

(61:56-74:28)

• Murray's Shock at Academic Upheaval:
  • Murray learns from Gallant that Dean Ellipides Tallbarrel has been ousted (forced resignation), a move orchestrated by the Chamber of Lords to revoke students' rights to perform magic on campus.
    • "They're coming in and they're trying to shut down the ability to cast magic at a magic school. That's their angle here." (67:21, Murray)
  • The despair and anger are palpable:
    • "If I stay and they revoke the ability... what happens to the next generation?" (68:04, Tallbarrel)
    • "It's just this slippery slope that we have all been subjected to..." (68:58, Murray)
• Murray and Tallbarrel’s Emotional Farewell:
  • Murray confronts Tallbarrel, who confesses that, despite all their studies, he's undone not by magic, but by political power:
    • "I turned around and found that there was a power greater than that. And it was whatever was written in this letter." (71:03, Tallbarrel)
  • They share a heartfelt hug as Tallbarrel departs in defeat.

5. Dawn at Hal’s House & The Fallout of the Funeral

(75:01-98:44)

• Family, Loss & Moving Forward:
  • Tysha and Hal share a quiet, supportive conversation about regret, unfinished business, keeping their children safe, and the importance of hope.
    • "We were the fallback mechanism. If all else failed, the glyph was supposed to fire and we would get him out and better, alive and in the world and gone." (79:33, Tysha)
    • "We owe it to the world to fix what we can." (84:59, Tysha)
• Thimble’s Vow:
  • Alone with Thiazi’s body, Thimble arranges him with treasures and pixie dust, whispering a vow of vengeance:
    • "I'm going to find who did this." (86:47, Thimble)
• Breakfast Gathering & Party Dynamics:
  • Characters drift together, some suspicious, some tender. Cadigan attempts Spare the Dying on Thiazi’s body, just in case, but nothing happens – Thiazi’s final grin feels as mischievous in death as in life.
• Splitting the Party:
  • Thimble, Cadigan, and Octis decide to chase clues at the Crow Keepers’ haunt, while Tysha and Hal focus on family. Characters humorously discuss who in the group is actually (or "technically") respectable.

6. Beneath the Surface: The Prismatic Retort and the Angel's Secret

(105:29-eol)

• The Candescent Creed’s Ritual
  • Wicander and Tyranny, two clerics of the Candescent Creed, ascend to a secret chamber – following a disturbing conversation where Tyranny is told to rid themselves of Teor, but is unsure whether that means exile or murder.
• The Prismatic Retort
  • Descending into a vast, underground cathedral, the pair – accompanied by family – are introduced to the secret source of filament (magical light): not distilled cosmic energy, but the blood of a chained, tormented angel locked within a giant iron maiden.
  • Tyranny’s grandmother, the leader, delivers a chilling confession of both love and lies:
    • "The love I hold for you is as true as the foundations of the earth... However, some of the things I have told you in your life have not been true." (116:53, Yanessa)
  • As Wicander and Tyranny open the retort, they are briefly overwhelmed by magical force, before beholding the grotesque horror within:
    • "Within it is a 30-foot tall angel, chained with taps like that that removes the SAP from maple trees, gushing blood out. ... Yanessa turns to you: 'Wiki, I'd like you to meet your grandfather.'" (119:59 - Episode End)
  • The source of the "divine" filament that powers the Candescent Creed’s magic is revealed as exploitation of celestial suffering.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the danger of the coffin:

  • "To have a coffin of a celestial that was supposed to guide you from life to death almost seems like a working of blasphemy in some ways." (13:56, Brennan)

• On political manipulation:

  • "You see a person whose entire core philosophy... is a solid monolithic cube. Of course I should be in charge. And everything else gets built on top of that." (57:52, Brennan, re: Lord Einfarsen)

• On the closure of magic at the academy:

  • "It was the feeling of the Chamber of Lords advisory to the Revolutionary Council that casting magic is not necessary for the study of wizardry." (67:37, Tallbarrel)

• On legacy and resistance:

  • "We started a war that freed us and threw the rest of the world into chaos. We owe it to the world to fix what we can." (85:01, Tysha)

• Chilling finale:

  • "Yanessa turns to you: 'Wiki, I'd like you to meet your grandfather.'" (119:52, Yanessa, revelation of the chained angel)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 01:32-22:28 | Museum investigation, coffin lore | | 25:33-41:54 | Divinos family and conspiracy | | 47:49-61:56 | New day: Cadigan, Thimble, Azune’s guard duties | | 61:56-74:28 | Murray at the Pentevral, struggle for academic freedom | | 75:01-98:44 | Hal’s house, mourning, plans for action | | 105:29-eol | Candescent Creed: the true source of light and final revelation |

Tone and Style

• The episode maintains Critical Role’s blend of earnest human drama, high-stakes political intrigue, and whimsical, sometimes dark humor.
• Many scenes are colored by grief, exhaustion, and righteous anger, particularly as the party reels from the execution of Thiazi Fang and the political aftermath.

Summary for New Listeners

In this pivotal episode, the group wrestles with the consequences of their world's revolutionary past, government corruption, and powerful new mysteries after Thiazi Fang's emotional funeral. The players investigate a blasphemous artifact, navigate personal and political fallout, and uncover a horrifying secret at the heart of a major religious institution. The story is rich with emotionally charged conversations, cryptic lore, and a sense that the world is teetering on the brink of profound change — or doom. The final, haunting reveal of the "grandfather" angel promises even darker secrets ahead.

If you missed this episode, now you know: the tragedy, the threats, and the secret powers moving in Dolmakjar are only just beginning to unfold.