AI Summary
5 min readThe Onyx Spire
The cage lurches upward, swinging in the wind as the Sallowlands spread out hundreds of feet below. Inside, the party watches the ground recede—the base of the tower shrinking, the dust storm fading to the southwest, and for the first time, a full view of the impossible city on the horizon. One of the locals later describes it simply: "About three months ago, it was just there. A great terrible cracking, and then an expanse. There it was."
Entering the Tower of Oxidus
The party's arrival at the Tower of Oxidus is tense from the start. They are met by Archon Petra, an older elven woman with pale translucent skin, striking blue eyes, and a severe demeanor. She commands a retinue of heavily armored Exemplars—elite soldiers wearing skull-masked helmets—along with templars and standard troops. Bowen, the templar who survived the earlier bird attack and guided the party here, vouches for them, but the Archon is openly skeptical. "These strangers," she says, "who stand in the place of those who are supposed to return with you. Arrive and ask to meet our holiest of prophets. Seems an incongruent series of events."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:17) **Episode Introduction & Context** - Matthew Mercer welcomes listeners to part two and recaps the party's situation arriving at the Tower of Oxidus.
- 2 (01:49) **Confronting the Exemplar Patrol** - The party faces the Archon and her heavily armored retinue at the tower's base, where Bowen vouches for the strangers.
- 3 (04:50) **The Party's Plea and Presence Roll** - The group makes their case to the Archon, with a series of presence rolls determining their fate.
- 4 (24:46) **Entering the Tower of Oxidus** - The party is escorted through the bustling vertical city, a repurposed religious stronghold teeming with life and suspicion.
- 5 (31:38) **The Ascent and a View of the City** - During the cage ride, the party gains a terrifying and beautiful view of the Sallowlands and the mysterious city on the horizon.
- 6 (40:00) **Meeting the Herbalist** - The party is led to a gnarled dwarven herbalist who cures their lingering sickness with a strange, gritty tea.
- 7 (66:20) **Exploring the Courtyard and Social Tension** - The party wanders the tower's interior, observing daily life and the palpable tension directed at them.
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Show Notes
Part 2
Promises of safety unravel as the group seeks refuge within the towering stronghold of Oxudos...
DAGGERHEART: HOPE & FEAR
Explore new Daggerheart content seen in Sallowlands with the first expansion for Daggerheart! Hope & Fear comes out August 25th and features new classes (Witch, Warlock, Assassin, Brawler), transformation cards, adversaries, campaign frames, and much more. Visit https://www.daggerheart.com/pre-order to learn more, or head directly to Critical Role shops to place your pre-order!
US: https://shop.critrole.com
UK: https://shop.critrole.co.uk
EU: https://shop.critrole.eu
AU: https://shop.critrole.com.au
CA: https://canada.critrole.com
AGE OF UMBRA: SALLOWLANDS
A group of outcasts and survivors brave blasted lands in search of answers in Age of Umbra: Sallowlands. This 6-part Daggerheart mini-series features Game Master Matthew Mercer and players Laura Bailey, Jennifer English, Abubakar Salim, Vico Ortiz, and Zachery Renauldo. They’ll form an unlikely band of companions, who venture off the beaten path in search of answers in the Sallowlands, a new region of the Halcyon Domain filled with cracked badlands, dangers, and awe-inspiring secrets. What fragile hopes dare they cling to in this story of desperation and survival? Learn more at https://critrole.com/umbra
BEACON
Curious what happens when the camera turns off after an Age of Umbra episode? Watch the Cooldown episodes with the cast discussion after each episode, exclusively on Beacon! Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to the shows you love completely ad-free! You’ll receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord.
CREDITS
See full cast and crew credits at https://critrole.com/sallowlands-credits/
Starring:
Game Master Matthew Mercer | @matthewmercervo
Jennifer English as Dillywin Hellekin | @jenniferjenglish
Abubakar Salim as Mercy | @abubakarsalim
Laura Bailey as Sister | @laurabaileyvo
Zachery Renauldo as Alphonse | @zachthebold
Vico Ortiz as Cagauma | @puertoricaninja
Art by:
Key Art by Daniel Jiménez Villalba | @Danieljimenezvillalba
Character Art by Strange House | @strange_house
Sallowlands Map by Marco Bernardini
Miniatures Painted by Keo Lacebal, Angela Basset, and Erik Lonnquist
Main Theme Song by Omar Fadel
Set Design by Shaun Ellis
Set Fabrication and Production Design by Noxweiler Berf
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