Critical Role C4 EP 001: The Fall of Thjazi Fang Discussion
The point of this blog is now expanded. My intent was to talk about mental health and trauma originally. But I’ve realized this place can be so much more. It is really about what we discover about ourselves through tabletop RPGs and collaborative storytelling. Dungeons & Dragons helped me understand my non-binary identity. Games gave me a safe space to explore my psyche with my friends. Though none were probably aware of this at the time. I believe other people have discovered this aspect of the game. It gives us a chance to reinvent ourselves. To see things from a different perspective and a different way of being.
So, I’ve expanded the scope of this thing to encompass that.
My History with Critical Role
Critical Role kicked off Campaign 4 last week. By now, I think the entire community is aware that Brennan Lee Mulligan of Dimension 20 is the GM. This isn’t the first time that Brennan has led a Critical Role campaign. He has now done so three times. Each time expanded on the lore and history of the world of Exandria; in Calaminity, Downfall, and Divergence.
I never got into Critical Role, although I understand its importance to the TTRPG community. It is historically the first actual play. The first one to succeed and grow a loyal audience. Greatly expanding the audience and player base for the hobby. I also understood how entertaining the game could be. Before my first game, I would hang out with my local RPG club and observe their play. A was a little too shy to join in. I played for my first time after a few girls had joined and saw how well they were received as new players. It eased my nerves.
I attempted to start watching Critical Role with campaign 3, but I never grew attached to the characters. And I dropped off and stopped watching. I’ve also attempted to watch Campaign 2, The Mighty Nein. I am four episodes in and not enjoying it. Even though I like the characters. I’ve seen so many clips of Jester. I’m absolutely in love with her. My issue is, it isn’t fun to watch something when it feels like a chore. And that isn’t about the quality of it. I recognize that it is good. I’m not getting into it for some reason.
Well, The Might Nein is about to premiere on Amazon Prime as an animated television show. I’m planning on following along. Seeing if the change of format helps. I think the main issue with getting into Critical Role is the number of episodes. Campaign 2 spans hundreds of them and years of play. As opposed to Dimension 20, where the longest season is less than 30 episodes. It is much easier to sit and binge-watch and the plot moves much faster. It is a different style and I don’t think one is better than the other. There are pros and cons to both. Dimension 20 isn’t particularly linear storytelling. While some campaigns continue, they don’t do so immediately. The most we have had is three campaigns of Fantasy High with some side quests. It is the most developed world of Dimension 20. But still, not hundreds of episodes with the same characters. So the world is not as developed as Exandira is. There is still a lot of lore and history in Fantasy High that has not been explored. I still want a Pirates of Levthian two. Like, what is going to happen with Cheese!
All this being said, I am invested in campaign 4 of Critical Role with Brennan as GM. I think a lot of the Dimension 20 audience, if they aren’t already watching Critical Role, are getting into it with this series. I’ think it is a way to ease us into this format that we may not be used to because we watch these shorter campaigns. I plan on watching at least the first four episodes, which they are calling the overture. If you want, you can get a free month of Beacon. This gives you access to new episodes as VODs as well as extras. Along with other Critical Role programming that doesn’t go up on their YouTube channel or Twitch.
The next episode of Campaign 4 airs tomorrow on YouTube, Twitch, and Beacon at 7pm PST. I am kind of sad to find out that episodes aren’t taped live. I always assumed they were. If you miss watching on Thursday night, that is okay. Episodes go up on YouTube on the following Monday. You can also view episodes on demand on Beacon or with a Twitch subscription. There are multiple ways to access episodes depending on your patience. I think the after-show is only available on Beacon, though.
These posts aren’t recaps or reviews. I used to do that for other shows, but I don’t feel comfortable doing that for something that is four hours long. It is a lot to cover. So, I will only be discussing my thoughts on the episodes and where they are going. That is why I’m calling these discussions. They are random thoughts.
My thoughts on Campaign 4 Episode One
Right off the bat, I’m so confused by Liam O’Brien’s character, Halandil Fang. We are introduced to the two mothers of his children. His ex is Thaisha, played by Aabria, and they have at least one child together, a daughter. I’m not sure if Alogar, Thaisha’s son, was also fathered by Hal. We also meet an NPC named Elodie, who is a merchant. He has a child with her, a half-orc daughter. We don’t know if the two of them are still a couple. As it is the first episode, these relationships are not well-established. There might be even more of them to discover. I’m just wondering if Hal is currently in a romantic relationship with anyone.
The other bit that interested me in this was the fact that we are explicitly told the door to fearie is closed. The pixie Thimble was left behind and started to age. We don’t know how long ago this was. I’m assuming that it has something to do with either the war with the gods or one of the rebellions. But what I’m more curious to know is if other fae, other than Thimble, were left behind. I’m betting they might have all sorts of feelings about that. Fae are my favorite characters in TTRPG. It will be interesting to discover the history of what happened. We also know that there is a nail in the Fang home that detects Faeirie and demons. There is some reason why they wanted to be aware of them, which means something more nefarious about them.
The character that interests me the most at the moment is Sir Julien Davinos. Draped in a bit of mystery and currently antagonistic to most of the party, who were friends or worked with Thjazi. My hot take on D&D is that inter-party conflict is okay. In the real world, we don’t get along with everybody, even when working on a common goal. Conflict is needed for world-building and character growth. It drives stories. It is exciting to see how Julien fits in as a heroic character in this party. What will be his motivation to join them? Will his relationships with people change over time? I want to learn more about his backstory and why he turned in Thjazi.
The last bit going into this next episode is What the heck is going on with the elves? It seems that there is at least one faction that wasn’t too happy when their god died. This is represented by Ashley Jhonson’s character Vaelus. So far, the most mysterious and well-dressed character who literally brought the night. I’m in love with her look among all the characters. This character would make a good cosplay. I think these elves will have a darker edge to them because of what has happened to them since the fall of their god. I believe that Taliesin’s character is also an elf. And it seems the two are already connected in some way, or at least know each other.
We are already starting the next episode with the box that got activated when Thimble’s name was spoken. Starting in the middle of something is a great way to begin the next episode. We are all on the edge of our seats to find out what is going on.
I’m looking forward to finding out tomorrow!
Watch Campaign 4 Episode One of Critical Role: The Fall of Thjazi Fang