Critical Role: Stone-Faced | Campaign 4, Episode 4 | Part 2

Release Date: November 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In Part 2 of "Stone-Faced," the party navigates secrets, betrayals, and supernatural events in the city of Dolmak Yar. The session is a confluence of personal revelations, magical discoveries, and pivotal choices as the group responds to the aftermath of tragedy, unearths hidden truths, and faces threats that span both the mortal and spiritual planes. The tone oscillates between tense vulnerability and sardonic camaraderie, true to Critical Role's storytelling style.

Key Discussion Points & Story Developments

1. The Quiet Before the Storm (01:34-09:00)

• As the tension from earlier events settles, Hal and Murray are left alone at the Fang household. Shadia, Hal's daughter, discusses plans for revitalizing the community theater—injecting art and myth into a city searching for meaning after decades under a tyrant god.
• Notable Quote:
  "I think that sounds like an excellent idea. All of those did. And I think you should pick out your favorite ones, and then we will get to work on figuring out design." —Hal (08:57)

2. A Letter for Murray (04:00-14:55)

• Murray receives a mysterious letter, allegedly meant for “Bolair.” The letter is filled with ominous undertones about alliances, warnings, and the existence of hidden files on notable figures in the city. The group speculates on its implications, including possible blackmail.
• Notable Quote:
  "If you took that mask off of him, I suspect you'd have him well in hand. Signed the Ozzy Fang." —Murray, reading from the letter (12:29)

3. Secrets, Files, and Intrigues (14:55-20:00)

• The conversation proceeds to analyze the relationship between characters and the city’s shadowy power brokers. Trust, old alliances, and the business of dangerous magical artifacts feature prominently.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "If you are going to get into the business of magic, then you need to be willing to get a little greasy." —Murray (16:31)
  • "I thought you were a bursar." —Hal (17:31)
  • "Have you ever met a trustworthy financial advisor?" —Murray (17:34)

4. Reflection and Legacy at Falcon's Rest (23:11-29:54)

• Azune slips into reflection at Falcon's Rest, reciting names of the fallen to ensure they are not forgotten. The theme of memory versus letting go emerges, and a failed insight check reinforces Azune’s struggle to distinguish between remembrance and release.
• Notable Quote:
  "I don't know the difference between letting go and forgetting. And I don't want to forget." —Azune (27:09)

5. Gathering at the Archives—Revelations & Trust (34:00-57:06)

• The party, joined by Bolair (Curator of the museum), gathers in his secret archive—a repository of arcane artifacts and secrets.
• The group confronts Bolair about their true nature and the past. Bolair finally reveals a major secret: they are not simply a person, but a magical mask—a living weapon created in the Shapers War to kill a god, capable of “wearing” different people over centuries.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "I am an object created to kill a God. I am a thing. I am a mask that can be worn. I am a mask that wears other people." —Bolair (65:34)
  • "Knowing you has made me bigger. Watching your talent has made me capable of wanting to be more." —Bolair to Hal (68:39)
  • "He thought I was a thing. He had no compulsion about treating me as." —Bolair on Ozzy Fang (69:27)

Timestamp: The Archive Scenes (42:57–57:06)

• The players descend into Bolair’s secret vault, confronting personal and historical mysteries. Murray’s magical intuition (Diviner Wizard, portent: nat 20 and a 2) foreshadows a pivotal success.

6. Museum Intrusion & Suspicion (73:02–80:09)

• Bolair is interrupted in the archives by Temade Wernst (museum benefactor) and the influential Lady Amaria Cormoray inquiring about the Pariah blades—legendary weapons from the God Wars. A sudden blackout at the prestigious Palazzo Divinos signals imminent danger.

7. Palazzo Divinos – Aftermath and Investigation (82:14–92:48)

• The group investigates the Palazzo, now mysteriously dark and eerily empty. They encounter a melted black wax—soon identified as a powerful necromantic spell component.

• Murray and Azune, encouraged by the group, mend the wax, triggering supernatural effects: Hal perceives (with nat 20) the presence of a spirit fox, leading the group to the Loy family estate.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "This is powerful necromancy. Maybe you realize it's a material component of a spell that was supposed to... shred violently the fabric between the world of Ahriman and the realm of death beyond." —Narration (86:58)

8. The Loy Family Estate—A Miracle and Its Cost (93:03–125:13)

• At the estate, they find Tysha with Octus’ body, desperately trying rituals while others hold vigil. Investigation and magic reveal Octus’ heart is gone, replaced by a necromantic stone (the Stone of Nightsong).

• Through expert collaboration (portent nat 20 yields automatic success), Murray and Bolair extract the stone and restore Octus—against all odds, returning him from death. His body is stitched together by a magical ribbon—the act is described as one of the most significant magical feats in the city’s history.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "Turns out you do. Because several absolutely thunderous, potent magical mistakes are not only prevented, but in this moment mended. You've fixed things you weren't even aware had been broken." —Narration, on the effect of the portent and the extraction ritual (112:18)
  • "It's gravity. The inevitability of the fuck objects to come into contact." —Bolair, reflecting on the weight of the moment (114:11)

9. Resurrection, Distrust, and Unanswered Questions (115:06–125:13)

• Octus, revived but altered (no heartbeat, uncertain status between life and death), struggles to remember and articulate his afterlife visions, hinting at a spectral war and the plans of the Taconis family in the underworld.
• Tensions rise as Julian nearly strikes at Octus, questioning if the miracle is a ploy—and the group prevents any rash acts.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "This one who walks from the realm without a heart. Once again amongst you. And you're so easy to call him a great gift from beyond. His family have always been nightmares. And tonight they have taken everything from me." —Julian (124:30)
  • "The doors to Faerie have closed. Step by step, wound by wound, we are made less. I will not have it. ... If there are answers, we will find them." —Erinessa (126:45)

10. Cliffhanger—A City on the Edge (129:49–End)

• The episode closes with the party reeling from the miracle, crisis of trust, and the looming threat. The city is described as beset by supernatural and mortal danger alike, while Octus is asked to recollect what he saw “on the other side,” knowing the fate of the city may depend on it.

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Unpacking Bolair’s Secret:
  • "I am an object created to kill a God. I am a thing. I am a mask that can be worn. I am a mask that wears other people. I am as old as the war itself." —Bolair (65:34)
• On Trust and Betrayal:
  • "I have tried so hard to never lie to you. Any lie I've ever told you is because your brother forced me to." —Bolair (54:22)
• On the Cost of Memory:
  • "Who knows what letting go is? But forgetting would be an injury and an insult. Forgetting is death." —Narration (27:15)
• On Resurrection and Possibility:
  • "Several absolutely thunderous, potent magical mistakes are not only prevented, but in this moment mended. You've fixed things you weren't even aware had been broken." —Narration (112:18)
• On Loss and Determination:
  • "The doors to Faerie have closed. Step by step, wound by wound, we are made less. ... If there are answers, we will find them." —Erinessa (126:45)

Critical Timestamps for Navigation

• [03:33] Re-entry to story (post-break; setup at Hal's home)
• [04:00] The letter from Thimble to Murray
• [14:22] Reflection on the letter’s intent; theorizing city politics
• [23:11] Azune’s ritual honoring the lost at Falcon's Rest
• [34:56] Searching for Thimble; calls for the party to gather
• [42:57] Bolair opens the hidden archive and reveals his vault and identity
• [57:06] The group discusses the implications of Bolair’s revelation
• [80:09] Blackout and danger at the Palazzo Divinos
• [86:48] Investigating the spell component in the Palazzo
• [93:03] Arrival at the Loy estate; Tysha's unsuccessful attempts to revive Octus
• [107:07] Portent-aided extraction of the necromantic stone
• [115:03] Octus’ resurrection and the aftermath
• [124:30] Julian’s accusatory confrontation
• [126:45] Erinessa’s speech and the party’s shift towards action

Tone and Language

The episode is rich in emotional vulnerability, with sardonic wit, raw grief, and philosophical asides. The tone is both epic and intimate; long-time fans will appreciate the layers of lore and high stakes, while the party’s banter grounds even the most miraculous moments with humor and heart.

For New or Returning Listeners

This episode is a narrative pivot, drawing from campaign-long arcs but accessible through its clear emotional stakes and character-driven scenes. Mysteries are unearthed, and major character developments unfold. If you missed Part 1, you’ll want to catch up for full context, but this episode stands out for its potent revelations and the extraordinarily rare event of a PC dying and being brought back—brilliantly, through a combination of luck, lore, and layered teamwork.

Next Episode Tease

The Overture concludes, with a one-shot scheduled for the following week before the narrative returns to the "soldiers" storyline. The city stands at a crossroads, with trust tested and the supernatural threat scarier—and more personal—than ever.

Is it Thursday yet?