A Race for the Prize

"**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) thumbnail featuring Liam O'Brien and Erika Ishii.

### Episode

Campaign Three,​ Episode 27
(C3E27)

### Transcript

Transcript

"**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) is the twenty-seventh episode of the third campaign of *Critical Role*. Bells Hells tend to their inner relationships before returning to the Seat of Disdain, but a surprising face in Paragon's Call rattles several members of the group...

## **Synopsis**

### **Announcements**

* The best female lounge singer this side of the Pacific, Dallas Baumgartner-Bouvier joins Ludo McGillicutty in the **Quip** Public Domain Lounge, demonstrating how many wrong names beginning with "M" there are to call Matt. Now save 25% sitewide using code CRITICAL25.
* This episode also sponsored by **Thorum**, makers of handcrafted unique wedding bands and rings. Use code criticalrole for 20% off.
* Critical Role is back with their first live appearance since COVID! The cast (except Sam) will appear for a panel at **San Diego Comic Con** on 23 July 2022 at 5:00 Pacific, which will be uploaded to YouTube Thursday, 28 July at 10:00am Pacific.
* **Merch Alert!** New Critical Role Gradient Logo t-shirt now available.

### **Previously on *Critical Role***

*So, last we left off: Bells Hells, here in the city of Bassuras, on the central southern side of the Hellcatch Valley, have come at the behest of Lord Eshteross to hunt down and return Lord Armand Treshi who is responsible for much of the chaos in the city of Jrusar. Upon arriving, you've gotten some interesting revelations through meeting a new friend, who themselves have lost some of their memory but have unique ties to the past of Fearne Calloway. Fearne, in reaching out to your mother, realizing that they're not that far away. In fact, should be coming to Bassuras fairly soon.*

*Upon trying to find a way into or decide how to get towards Armand Treshi, who is currently confirmed to be held within the Seat of Disdain by the Paragon's Call faction of Crawler gangs, you have plotted some possibilities. In preparation for one of these possibilities, the event known as the Deathwish Run, the terrifying deadly race that is utilized as a means of celebration or conflict management, or just searching for glory or death within this city, could be a means of getting in with the faction of the Paragon's Call and get closer to your goal.*

*You went and spoke with the resident chief engineer, Imahara Joe, who apparently does a lot of the repairs and construction of the automatons and the crawler machines throughout the city and beyond. Through this conversation, one, began to commission one of these skirmish-crawlers to be utilized in such an event, with the possible lien that if you appease one of the factions, or at least beseech them for membership and this is your test, they might give you a loaner or two with an emblem that they would give to you. Imahara Joe also took a glance over here at FCG and seemed to be quite entranced by the history that you might not have been aware of, the seeming possibility that you were not built by Dancer, but indeed may have been something much older.*

*Speaking of Dancer, also, found out that Dancer is still alive and had passed through town a short time ago. But, as we finished up, with a lot of these events stacking around the corner, you all decided to find a new place to sleep, given that the previous one was found after you were followed by the Paragon's Call, and began making your path towards The Undercarriage.*

### **Part I**

The party arrives at The Undercarriage and rents rooms for the night, where they go over their plans again, trying to determine who is least likely to be recognized by Armand Treshi as having been at the ball in Jrusar and involved in the theft of his ring. They also inspect the postcards that Fearne received through the years, allegedly from her parents, and Chetney notices they are handmade and not at all worn, although they are about ninety years old and Fearne reads them regularly. Fearne accepts the possibility that they may have been written by her grandmother rather than her parents, although she is very confused.

Before bed, Imogen uses the pencil Laudna gave her to write a note: "Can we talk?" in Laudna's notebook. Dusk waylays Laudna first to ask her out to dinner, but Laudna nervously puts her off and leaves. Imogen is waiting for her in the hallway, and they both apologize, saying they don't want to fight anymore. Imogen gives Laudna the ruby ring she purchased the day before, and Laudna shares with her that Dusk asked her out and she's confused. Imogen tells her about her latest dream, and that the figure had spoken to her this time. When she woke up, Ruidus was flaring. They decide to try falling asleep holding hands to see if Laudna can join her in the next dream. They also decide to pretend to still be fighting so that FCG can participate in patching up their relationship.

They join the others, feigning an argument, and Imogen asks FCG to help them, but the plan backfires when FCG only feels more guilt about not having been there when needed. His speech is glitching and he refers repeatedly to past events and people as still happening-- he seems very confused. Imogen point-blank asks if he wants to find Dancer, and he does, but he's very worried about why she left him and who and what he really is. Imogen promises the party will help him find Dancer, but Laudna says he should be prepared to find she isn't fully who he thought she was. FCG's mental confusion seems only to increase when he tries to describe Dancer, and they agree maybe he needs rest. Laudna and Imogen quickly pretend to make up and thank him for helping them.

Meanwhile, Orym tells Dusk he's never seen fighting technique such as she employs, and asks her to spar with the wooden toy swords he bought earlier, first to score five hits wins. They battle, each disarming the other and then recovering, but Orym wins. He thinks her fighting style is fey, and she asks him for some pointers. How about tonight? Embarrassed, he tells her it's complicated, and he only likes guys, but she can keep the sword.

The party moves to their rooms. Imogen asks Fearne and Chetney, who are taking first watch, to keep a close eye on FCG. Ashton tells FCG that if anyone makes FCG feel bad, Ashton will kill them. While the others sleep, Chetney shows Fearne the progress on the music box he's carving for her parents and asks if she has paint or ink to fill in the indentations, but Fearne doesn't. He tells her it's okay if she wants to tell them anything, and she produces a small grape-sized green gem that her nana told her was very important to give to her parents when she saw them because it would help them. It has grooves along the side that appear to be designed to carry some sort of enchantment. Chetney gives Fearne her hand-carved gift: a small wooden wolf.

### **Break**

* **Merch Alert!** Fresh Cut Grass and Uk'otoa water bottles in all shops except Canada; Critical Role Gradient Logo t-shirt and reversible bucket hat in all shops; Beaurebar coaster set everywhere except the EU.
* Q&A with the cast at **San Diego Comic Con** on 23 July 2022 at 5:00 Pacific in Ballroom 20.
* ***Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn*** now available in all five Critical Role shops.
* Presenting "The Bard College of Tragedy" from the ***Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn***, now restocked in all five CritRole shops.
* **Exandria Unlimited: Calamity** Wrap Up now on YouTube.
* **Welcome to Tal'Dorei**Critical Role soundtrack album available now on all digital music platforms.
* **Critical Recap** every Wednesday on CritRole.com.
* **Submit fan art and cosplay** for possible inclusion in the weekly online gallery at https://www.critrole.com/submit.
* President Gale wants to reduce maximum goobage with subscriptions to **Critical Role on Twitch**.

### **Part II**

In the morning, the party heads to Esmer's shop and picks up the wall-breaking explosive, after having an arcane timer added to its fuse. Esmer asks them, if they come across Dancer, to tell her Esmer says "Hi." Imogen asks her to describe Dancer. She had dark black hair, olive skin "with a bit of fuzz fur on the edges", and a tattoo of a star on her right cheek.

They all head to the Seat of Disdain, the fortress of Paragon's Call. Orym, Imogen, and FCG hide themselves in a deserted building within eyeshot of the citadel. Fearne turns into a rat and scurries into Dusk's pocket, and they and the others are admitted to the Seat, where General Ratanish comes out to meet them, greeting Ashton in a friendly way. He buys Ashton's story of being in town and looking for casual work. Ashton tells Ratanish they were surprised the Call has expanded out of Bassuras, and Ratanish replies that "Otohan" has changed the way Paragon's Call does business for the better. However, Ratanish doesn't decide who to hire. He will bring out the person who does.

He goes inside and returns with a lithe woman with short grey hair (strongly resembling the woman from Imogen's dream two nights prior). This is Otohan Thull, and Ashton is awestruck to be meeting such a famous figure. Otohan asks what the party can do for them, and when Ashton rattles off a list, they are told that Paragon's Call doesn't hire just anyone. They must prove themselves. They can do this either by fighting, or by participating in the Deathwish Run.

Ashton, as a local kid, chooses the race, and Otohan sets the time for dusk that evening. Paragon's Call will provide them an emblem for one vehicle. As Otohan turns to leave, Fearne (in rat form) discreetly runs up Otohan's back and under her cloak, finding a very small metallic backpack-like contraption with two cavities in its middle holding two crystal or glass containers. As she drops back down to the ground, Ratanish notices her and approaches, but Dusk scoops her up, calling her "Poots", and they're allowed to leave.

They meet up with the others and tell them what's happened, and that they will now have two vehicles. Ashton and Laudna head to All-Minds-Burn where they meet with Justi Pross. She agrees to help them sabotage the other contenders in the Deathwish, and gives them two improvised flags with which to mark their vehicles. She also gives Laudna a small packet containing some of the group's drugs.

The rest of the group goes to Imahara Joe's to tell him they now need two vehicles instead of just the one. He shows them how to drive them. When they leave, they decide Chetney and Ashton will drive, and Laudna and Imogen will ride shotgun respectively. Orym and Dusk will try to jump on a competitor's vehicle in The Skids and take it over, while Fearne performs creative sabotage along the way.

They return to Joe's where both their vehicles are ready. People are beginning to gather along the race route, and when they reach its starting line, there are four other skirmishers ready to compete.

## **Featured characters**

### **Bells Hells**

* Ashton Greymoore
* Chetney Pock O'Pea
* Fearne Calloway
	+ Little Mister
* Fresh Cut Grass
* Imogen Temult
* Laudna
* Orym

### **Returning**

* Dusk
* Esmer
* Imahara Joe
* Justi Pross
* Tanvir
* Ratanish

### **Mentioned**

* Adorna, a worker at Imahara Joe's
* Armand Treshi
* Cyrus Wyvernwind
* Dancer
* Delilah Briarwood
* Erad Fuckfork, a driver in the Deathwish Run
* Morri Calloway
* Ollie and Birdie Calloway
* Stanley, a worker at Imahara Joe's

## **Quotations**

* **Dusk**: *(to Laudna)* I kind of get the fact that maybe you like me and because I kind of like you, and I asked Imogen, because it seems like there was some sort of tension between you two and I asked her and she said there really wasn't anything between you two. So maybe... I did sense vibes when I asked her.
Laudna: *(frantically playing with her hair)* Like a date? ... Um. Oh, wow! Uh. This hasn't really happened to me before. I'm sort of off-putting to people, being the whole not fully alive thing. So, I need... a moment. ... I have to go.
* **Imogen**: *(to Laudna)* I'm sorry!
Laudna: I don't want to fight anymore.
Imogen: I don't either.
Laudna: I miss you so much.
Imogen: I miss you so much. And I don't-- I know that you didn't do that on purpose. ... It must have been so scary to have that happen.
Laudna: It was. But it was more terrifying, is feeling like there's a rift in our friendship and that's more scary than anything.
* **Ashton**: *(to FCG)* If anyone ever makes you feel bad, I'm going to fucking kill them. ... You're the best of us. Sleep well.
* **Chetney**: *(to Fearne, gifting her the wooden wolf)* If you ever want to roll with the flow, this is for you.
Fearne: *(gasping in delight)* Chetney!
Chetney: Yeah, you know, sometimes you got to take a ride on the wild side, so the invitation's out there, but there's been some personal shit tonight so it feels a little tone deaf.
* **Ashton**: *(to Otohon)* I had nightmares about you when I was a kid.

## **Trivia**

* Sam's flask originally read: " 0  Minutes Since Major Lore Drop". The count later increased to 17 then 35 before dropping back to 0. In the second half, it read: " 35  Minutes Since Dusk Busted a Move" Sam then spent a long time altering it before finally revealing "It's been " 1  Week Since You Looked at Me."

## **References**

1. ↑ See "Hidden Truths" (3x26) at 0:31:00.
2. ↑ See "**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) from 44:30 through 44:50.
3. ↑ See "**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) from 1:02:00 through 1:02:10.
4. ↑ See "**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) from 1:19:50 through 1:20:05.
5. ↑ See "**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) from 1:48:30 through 1:49:20.
6. ↑ See "**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) from 2:29:00 through 2:29:20.
7. ↑ See "**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) from 2:32:40 through 2:34:50.
8. ↑ See "**A Race for the Prize**" (3x27) from 4:00:10 through 4:00:20.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of Laudna and Imogen making up, by cvleart (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Fan art of Dusk and Orym sparring, by Houda Belgharbi (source). Used with permission.
3. ↑ Fan art of Imahara Joe and Fresh Cut Grass, by Lap Pun Cheung (source). Used with permission.