Critical Role Campaign 4 delves into the brand-new setting of Aramán, a world that is vastly different from that of Exandria, where the previous three campaigns were set. In this world, the gods were slain by mortalkind only 70 years ago, magic has gone wild, and we’re left with people having to come to terms with governing themselves without divine intervention. After watching the first couple of episodes, I can safely say that award-winning storyteller Brennan Lee Mulligan took the challenge of creating this new world even more seriously than I imagined.
Mulligan and the Critical Role cast, who all contributed to shaping this new setting, took the approach of throwing the audience into the deep end straight away. Because how else are you going to learn how to swim?
There are so many different narrative threads, factions, and people introduced in this first episode that it’s hard to keep track of everything. Many important events are mentioned but not explained, and the same applies to key characters, such as Thjazi Fang and their past. This is all part of the mystique that the Critical Role crew is trying to build around this new campaign, of course, but fans can feel a little lost after the first episode.
That’s where we come in. While there are several unanswered questions that we’re sure are bound to be answered as the campaign unfolds, this is what we know about the world, story, people, and factions of Campaign 4 so far. Be aware that there will be spoilers.
The World of Campaign 4
Our main location so far is Dol-Makjar, which is situated on the eastern edge of a region known as Kahad. Dol-Makjar is a mountain city that highly regards the revolutionary heroes of the Shapers’ War. The statues of these heroes protrude from the walls of the city, pushing against the surrounding mountains as if keeping them at bay. The river Vrosh flows through the city, coming out of the mountains and descending through Dol-Makjar.
While Dol-Makjar is where we start in the first episode of Campaign 4, there are several other locations that are named throughout. The first is the Rookery, which seems to be the more artistic area of the city, where bards, poets, actors, and everything in between live. It’s in this neighborhood that we spend most of our time throughout the first episode of Campaign 4. This is also where Halandil’s theater, the Dithyramb of Azgra, is located.
In episode 2, we are introduced to the Archanade, a museum in the Dol-Makjar neighborhood of Lugzash, full of dangerous, magical artifacts. That’s where Bolaire resides. The neighborhood of Mirzhash in the high western ward of Dol Makjar, in the via Aurora, is the seat of the Halovar family and the Candescent Creed
Episode 2 also gave us insight into the Penteveral, a wizarding academy where people, no matter their age, background, or upbringing, come to study magic. However, things seem to be taking a turn for the worse for the academy, as by the end of episode 2 of the campaign, we see that its Dean, Tallbarrel, a male halfling, has been told to resign via the Revolutionary Council on the advice of the Chamber of the Lords Advisory, otherwise the ability to cast magic will be revoked completely.
Further into Kahad is another city called Dol-Rungja, though what is significant about this city has yet to be revealed.
Tir Cruthu is the land of the fairies and a mysterious place beyond the material world. It seems Tir Cruthu has vanished, however, and the door to the world of Faerie has been closed. The meaning behind this hasn’t been revealed, but it does seem to affect Thimble, who has now begun to age since being shut off from that world.
The location Venatus, somewhere at least two weeks away from Dol-Makjar, has also been mentioned. This is where the silver box, collected by Thaisha Lloy and Occtis Tachonis for Thjazi, is found.
Finally, there is the Mournvale, a land far from Dol-Makjar and where Vaelus and the Sisters of Sylandri reside. It sounds like the realm of the elves, but again, much about it remains a mystery so far.
The Story and Lore of Campaign 4
The story begins in the city of Dol-Makjar. At the start of the episode, the Dol-Makjar citizens are gathered for a very important event: the execution of Thjazi Fang. According to the herald, Thjazi is going to be executed for being “a traitor, arcanist, murderer, and open sedition against the city and its people.” Thjazi was once a war hero, but now he is seen as a criminal by the Chamber of Lords-Advisory to the Revolutionary Council.
At Thjazi’s execution, 13 different individuals with a connection to him gather to witness. These are are our main cast for the campaign, consisting of Azune Nayar (Luis Carazo), Occtis Tachonis (Alexander Ward), Thaisha Lloy (Aabria Iyengar), Halandil Fang (Liam O’Brien), Thimble (Laura Bailey), Murray Mag’nesson (Marisha Ray), Wicander Halovar (Sam Riegel), Teor Pridesire (Travis Willingham), Tyranny (Whitney Moore), Sir Julien Davinos (Matthew Mercer), Bolaire Lothaire (Taliesin Jaffe), Kattigan Vale (Robbie Daymond) and Vaelus (Ashley Johnson). A handful of these individuals seek to free Thjazi; however, the plan fails and Thjazi is executed.
Thjazi’s death sets into motion the events of Campaign 4, but everything is tightly connected to the history of the world of Aramán.
If Exandria is a world defined by deities, Aramán is defined by their complete absence. 70 years ago, the Shapers’ War ended when mortals slayed the last of the gods, known as the Shapers. With the seven lords of creation now gone, mortalkind had to make do by themselves in a new world, rife with unpredictable magic and uncertainty.
It’s also been revealed that the gods were not native to Aramán. Other creatures existed in that world before them: fairies, demons, and giants. The latter also fought against the gods, perhaps trying to stop their takeover of the world. At some point in recent history, however, the orcs rebelled against Azgra the Conqueror, Shaper of War, lighting the spark that led to the Shapers’ War. House Lloyd, known for their prowess in smithing, went to Dol-Makjar and forged the Pariah Blades, swords that were used to slay Asgra.
It’s important to remember that not every mortal joined the rebellion: many stayed on the side of the gods. Also, the conflict had catastrophic effects on the world. According to the Photarch of House Halovar, Yanessa, the world is now “half-poisoned, wastelands, ruins, magic chaos, and eternal night.” The ancestral lands of House Halovar, Obridimia, are now “cast in eternal darkness,” and the place where Sylandri, Shaper of the elves, was killed is now called “the Wastes.” The celestial servants of the gods went mad after their death, becoming feral monsters that can bring destruction to entire regions.
As magic quickly grew wild and unpredictable without the gods around, perhaps the biggest question that arose concerned the souls of the dead. In Aramán, the realm of the dead is known as Obsidia, or the Tenebral Reaches. This was understood as a Purgatory-like place where souls of the dead had to sojourn momentarily before moving on to the realms of the gods. It appears that the Shapers created celestials to fulfill the role of psychopomps, guiding the souls of their dead mortals to the divine realms without having to stay in the Tenebral Reaches. (At least two of these celestials have been named: the Nightsong for the elves and Olbalad for the halflings.)
The underworld, thus, was a “metaphysical cleaning house.” Undead creatures were considered so rare to be mythical, because few mortal souls were so powerful as to resist the call of the gods. Now that the gods and their servants are no longer around to ferry souls to the afterlife, mortals have begun to wonder what happens after death. While some believe that the realms of the gods are still around, simply untethered from Aramán, others believe they have been completely destroyed. From the main story beats of the first episodes, it appears that the fate of the souls of the dead will be a main theme in Campaign 4.
After the Shapers’ War, mortalkind banded together and began to build their life anew. However, as predicted, not everyone agreed with what this new world would look like. While we don’t know much about the War of Axe and Vine, it’s mentioned several times in the first episode, and Thjazi was considered a war hero after the war ended.
However, two years later, war struck again in the form of the Falconer’s Rebellion. While details are still scarce, it appears that the Sundered Houses of Dol-Makjar were beginning to establish a tyrannical rule not too different from that of the gods: “A stand taken in this world by the brave and just, when they realized that a world that had risen up against the tyranny of the gods had, in the span of a few generations, replaced that tyranny with one of their own devising.”
The people who were against that banded together in the rebellion, but it ultimately failed. The Revolutionary Council (the authority established during the revolution against the gods) failed to come to the Falconer’s aid, and, according to Thjazi’s final words in episode 1, the “Sundered Houses are stronger than ever,”
Furthermore, with magic being “wild”, it appears to be regulated and kept under close watch by Arcane Marshals from The Revolutionary Guard, such as Azune. Pretty different from how magic is seen in a much more celebratory light in Exandria. Meanwhile, House Halovar seems to have a monopoly on divine magic thanks to a “filament” they distill from the essence of the cosmos — a lie that hides a terrible secret, as shown in the ending sequence of episode 2.
The People of Campaign 4
As well as our main cast of characters, we’re introduced to several important NPCs in the city of Dol-Makjar.
The first is, of course, Thjazi Fang. A scoundrel, a thief, a rebel, a lover, a brother, a hero: Thjazi is the lynchpin around whom the first episode centers, and we suspect that will be the case for a long time to come. According to his wife, Thjazi was a dashing hero from the War of Axe and Vine (of which we know nothing), an adventuring rogue who, two years after his marriage, “took up the banner of rebellion” in the Falconer’s Rebellion. Apparently, Thjazi’s side fought against House Halovar, House Tachonis, and even his wife’s house, House Royce. However, it does look as though Thjazi had allies in the Sundered Houses, such as Raimond Davinos (Julien’s father) of House Davinos, and Aranessa, the wife Thjazi left behind.
There’s a lot about Thjazi that was unveiled in these first few episodes, but a lot more that still remains mysterious. His fate and life between the Falconer’s Rebellion and the current events are still vague, and they will surely be explained further in the future. We know that he was a commoner who married above his status, and that Aranessa gave to him, as a wedding gift, Thimble the fairy, following a family tradition. After the Falconer’s Rebellion, Thjazi and Thimble were apparently pardoned along with all the other rebeles, and they lived in Dol-Makjar.
Next are Shadia, Hero, and Alogar. Though the latter has not made an appearance, all three are the children of Halandil Fang. Thaisha Lloy is the mother of Alogar and Shadia, while Hero is the daughter of Halandil and his previous partner, a human woman named Elodie. Alogar in particular seems to be of interest, as he is currently under the tutelage of Sir Julien Davinos, played by Matthew Mercer.
Then there’s Loza Blade, a battle-hardened orc who was Thjazi’s commander during the Falconer’s Rebellion as the leader of the Torn Banner, a mercenary or military group. It’s been established that the group disbanded after the Falconer’s Rebellion, but Loza and Teor have been helping ex-members ever since.
Other soldiers who fought alongside Thjazi during the Falconer’s Rebellion are named. Cid Pridesire is Teor’s brother. Teor describes him as being someone who isn’t very reliable and has very sticky fingers. Next is Casimir, who helped save Thjazi from being killed during the cold open of episode 2, and later on, for being part of the Crow Keepers. Both Cid and Casimir are currently missing, having originally been part of the plan to get Thjazi away from being executed. Are they traitors? We’ve yet to find out.
Aranessa Royce is a noblewoman from House Royce, who married him after the War of Axe and Vine. It is Aranessa who gifts Thimble to Thjazi, as House Royce is known to have the protection of the fae. Two years afterward, Thjazi took part in The Falconer’s Rebellion against the Sundered Houses. However, that doesn’t seem to have cooled her love for her husband, nor her grief at his death.
Sir Einsfasen of House Einfasen is part of the Chamber of the Lords Advisory to the Revolutionary Council and, from what’s been established, the head of the Sundered House Einfasen. Episode 2 of the campaign establishes his role as the Security Overseer of Dol-Makjar, who is trying to lay off certain segments of the Revolutionary Guard. While he may not seem as fanatical on the surface, insight from Azune made it clear that Einfasen sees no problem with the power he’s accumulating and simply expects to be in charge. Clearly someone to watch out for.
We were also introduced to General Raimond Davinos of House Davinos. Julien’s father comes across as stern and domineering, but he is also clearly someone whom Aranessa respects. Raimond claims he’s heard a rumor of a plot to free Thjazi (something Aranessa and Julien are both aware of but choose not to reveal) and mentions that House Tachonis knows one of their own was part of the plan. Better be careful there, Occtis.
Speaking of being careful, the Photarch of the Candescent Creed of House Halovar is Yanessa. An older, wizened woman, the grandmother of Wicander Halovar, appears kind and genteel in her mannerisms, except when she’s speaking to her family members alone, where she lets her mask fall. Her authority in Dol-Makjar appears to be one of the highest. It is she who, ultimately, decides that Thjazi will be put to death despite previously having reassured Wicander of the opposite. This seems to be because House Tachonis wanted Thjazi dead, and to keep on their good side, Yanessa gave in to their wishes. Whatever the real reason for Thjazi’s death, it looks like House Halovar and House Tachonis are the main culprits.
But Yanessa isn’t the only one of House Halovar that we should be keeping an eye out for. Alongside Tyranny are her fellow aspirants and demonic sisters, Agony, Enmity, and Cruelty. It’s hinted by Enmity that there’s something dastardly going on behind the scenes, and that Tyranny and the rest of her sisters know everything. It does seem, however, that Agony, Enmity, and Cruelty live up to their names far more than Tyranny does, as the first thing they want their sister to do after hearing about how she’s made a new friend is to use them for their own means.
Last but not least is Godard Halovar, Wicander’s father and Yanessa’s son. He was introduced in the first episode, but we didn’t really know his deal until the second, where we found out the real reason why he wears a blindfold: he can shoot beams of light from his lidless eyes. Metal.
Factions in Campaign 4
The biggest factions that stand out in the first episode of Critical Role Campaign 4 are, undoubtedly, the Sundered Houses. While The Sundered Houses don’t appear to be completely in charge, as that task seems to fall to the Revolutionary Council, the governing body of Dol-Makjar, they do seem to have enough authority and are able to cut corners to still wield considerable power within the city. It seems as though they’re really the ones in charge, and they’re progressively stripping the Revolutionary Council of any authority.
The origins of the Sundered Houses are still a bit of a mystery, but some interesting details were revealed. It appears that the “sundered” part is not just a fancy way to address themselves: their ancestral lands were actually sundered during the conflict with the gods (this is mentioned both for House Halovar and Tachonis). House Halovar, for example, came from an empire known as Obridimia, where they were the house of priests, second only to the royal house in terms of power. According to Yanessa, the Shapers’ War cast their homelands into eternal darkness. It’s unknown how these Houses survived and moved to Dol-Makjar.
The Sundered Houses introduced in the episode are Tachonis, Halovar, Royce, Einfasen, Cormoray, and March. Halovar and Tachonis seem to be the most powerful houses, with Halovar in particular having a significant amount of power now that they’re also wielding the religious doctrine of the Light under their new religious branch, the Candescent Creed. This is significant because the world of Aramán slayed its gods not too long ago, so it appears that the Creed is trying to fill that religious void.
The Candescent Creed is led by Wicander’s grandmother, the Photarch, Yanessa. Their symbol is a point of light hovering above a pillar, stylized to resemble a sun or a candle. They are eager to spread the message of the Light, but are apparently struggling to do so among the people of Dol-Makjar, who aren’t too enthused by this new religion. What’s interesting about the Candescent Creed is that their priests have aspirants, who are entrusted to their tutelage. The aspirants we’ve seen so far seem to be demons (which seem to be Aramán’s versions of tieflings), who hail from a place called the Pit. The demons we’ve met until now are Tyranny (Whitney Moore) and her siblings, Enmity, Agony, and Cruelty. Right now, we don’t know why demons, specifically, are brought under the wing of the Candescent Creed, but considering the revelations of episode 2, we doubt it’s for a good reason.
House Halovar and the Candescent Creed aren’t as benevolent as they first appear. It’s revealed that, through the Prismatic Retort — a 30-foot “angel” with taps that draw blood out of its body, they have chained up in a cathedral-like complex underneath the Villa Aurora — that they are able to convert the “energy of the universe” into a filament that can be distilled into a liquid used in rituals. This helps them “wield the Light” and cast magic. The tattoos on Wicander’s face are made with such filament.
However, while Thjazi Fang’s defiance against the Sundered Houses may have led to his death, it doesn’t look as though the Houses are all in agreement or on an even level. House Royce, led by Thjazi’s widow, seems to have some serious qualms with what House Halovar did after they shunned seeing her and her attempts at begging for Thjazi’s life. There’s also the fact that, despite being powerful herself, Yanessa of House Halovar is fearful of House Tachonis and what they’re up to, allowing Thjazi to be executed to keep them happy.
One lesser house is a vassal of House Royce, House Davinos. Sir Julien Davinos is a childhood friend of Aranessa, and his house lives to serve the Royce. If the Houses did come to blows for whatever reason, we can only assume the Davinos would be right behind Royce.
Then there is House Lloy, Thaisha’s house. They crafted the Pariah Blades, which were used to slay Azgra, the Shaper of War. These blades were then used to defeat the other gods in The Shapers’ War.
The Revolutionary Council is vital to the general goings-on of the city of Dol-Makjar. However, they do not seem to be as powerful as the Sundered Houses. Their military arm is known as the Revolutionary Guard, a military force with its base at the Brethren Hall, likely under the command of the Revolutionary Council. Through Azune Nayar we know that they have a specific group that is used for dealing with magic-related crime and issues: the Arcane Marshals.
With magic being wild and dangerous after the defeat of the gods, the practice of it has started to become regulated. Furthermore, much like the Revolutionary Council itself, the Revolutionary Guard is under threat from the Sundered Houses. House Einfasen reveals that they’ll be laying off certain segments of the guard, forcing the people of Dol-Makjar to rely on the private soldiers/underlings of the Sundered Houses for protection. Privatization of public services? That’s sure to go down well.
A former faction was the Torn Banner, a mercenary group led by Loza Blade that fought in the Falconer’s Rebellion. Thjazi, Thimble, Teor, Azune, and Kattigan were all members of this group during the rebellion. Loza and Teor Pridesire have been helping others from the Torn Banner by taking up contracts here and there, moving from place to place. When they heard about Thjazi’s execution, they traveled as fast as they could to get there.
We only hear mention of the Crow Keepers, the oldest thieves’ guild in Dol-Makjar. Not much more is known about them, outside of them possessing the Stone of Nightsong.
Easily the most fascinating faction reveal of the first episode is the Sisters of Sylandri, who seem to be the keepers of the Stone of Nightsong. Based in the Mournvale, an area far away from Dol-Makjar, it’s unknown what their purpose is outside the worship of their dead goddess, the Shaper of Elves, Sylandri. What we do know is they very much want their Stone of Nightsong back.
Last but not least are the arcanists/occultists of Dol-Makjar. While they don’t have an official faction name for this group, it’s clear that magic is regulated heavily in the city. Halandil’s theater, the Dithyramb of Azgra, is only allowed to go ahead on the condition of safeguarding it against any arcane shenanigans that might unfold. Furthermore, Occtis Tachonis (Alexander Ward) jokingly pleads with Azune not to lock him up for performing magic in public, and with later episodes confirming that there are notices about not being able to perform magic in places like the marketplace, it’s obvious that arcanism and magic are almost seen as a criminal element in Dol-Makjar, despite the city having a wizarding academy, the Penteveral.
That’s all we know about the world and lore introduced so far in Campaign 4 of Critical Role. Not surprisingly, there’s a lot to unpack about this new world, and we have more questions than answers. There are still two more episodes to go in Campaign 4’s overture, where we hope to receive some big answers.
