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This article contains spoilers through episode 104 of the Critical Role Bells Hells Campaign.
Critical Role’s third campaign Bells Hells has been more than just another epic adventure set in the fictional world of Exandria, it’s a culmination of their previous campaigns across nearly a decade of storytelling through Dungeons & Dragons gameplay. Bells Hells has already had a number of past characters appear as NPCs played by DM Matt Mercer throughout the campaign, including the cast’s former characters from Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein. But now that the fight to stop Ludinus Da’Leth from freeing the God Eater Predathos has come to a head, Episode 104 “The Cradle’s Convocation” has put a plan into motion that could see the cast return to their former characters once again.
In this episode, Bells Hells arrive in the religious stronghold of Vasselheim just in time to reconnect with Keyleth of the Air Ashari and all of the worldly powers gathered to voice their opinions on Ludinus’ plans for the red moon Ruidus and the being lying somewhat dormant within it. The group shares what they’ve learned from both their journey to the moon itself and their experience with Ludinus in the ruins of Aeor, hoping that it will help the powers that be come to some kind of an agreement. However, these already tenuous alliances simply have more to think about now, so the meeting is adjourned with plans for a smaller group to meet in the morning to come up with a plan.
In this small meeting, Chetney (Travis Willingham) accidentally lets slip that the group discovered a secret portal to the moon that could be used to mount an assault from another angle. Keyleth and the others tentatively agree to this plan after discussing the three major targets that they’ll have to attack in tandem in order to be successful – the recently erected fortress guarding the Malleus Key, the only other known entrance to the moon and the only one that they believe Ludinus is aware of; the Weave Mind, the powerful, ancient, psychic leaders of Ruidus that have oppressed the people of the moon for centuries; and Ludinus himself who is thought to be in the depths of the moon working to release Predathos from the Hallowed Cage that they were confined to by the Gods.
Keyleth, Vex’ahlia de Rolo, and Allura Vysoren suggest that Vox Machina lead the assault on the fortress as a distraction with the Mighty Nein presumably the team tasked to take on the Weave Mind, leaving Bells Hells to go after Ludinus as these attacks all happen simultaneously. While they still have to pitch this idea to the collective at large, Keyleth makes it pretty clear that this is what she plans to do, whether they have support from others or not.
In the Beacon exclusive Critical Role Cooldown companion episode, Matt reveals that should this plan come to fruition, it would likely see the cast step back into the shoes of their past characters for each stage of the attack. Reminiscent of the Avengers: Endgame portal scene, we’d get to see the cast play as Vox Machina, the Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells in what would technically be the same fight, though spread out over their respective targets.
This kind of crossover event is something that fans have been speculating about ever since Campaign 3 revealed how closely it was tied to the other two campaigns. The cast has already revisited the Mighty Nein during this time period in the live show Echoes of the Solstice, but that was technically separate from the campaign. In this case, it seems more likely that these battles would simply be asides in the general campaign just as the Crown Keepers and Downfall arcs were.
The Bells Hells campaign continues to find ways to make this story exciting both for us viewers and the cast as players. What better way to begin the potential final chapter of this campaign than to take us and the cast back to the characters that started this all for one epic battle. The fates of Exandria, Ruidus, and the Gods hang in the balance, and it looks like it’ll be up to these three merry bands of misfits to save them all.
Critical Role Campaign 3: Bells Hells streams live on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon on Thursdays at 7 p.m. PT. The VOD is available for subscribers immediately after, and the following Monday on YouTube for everyone else.
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