The cast of Critical Role has returned for the long-awaited campaign three, bringing a host of new characters to the table, while also integrating a few previously-introducedinExandria Unlimited. Set on the Exandrian continent of Marquet approximately one year after the eventsexplored in Aabriya Iyengar'smini-game, the first episode aired on October 21 with Matthew Mercer (who had been a player for Exandria Unlimited) backasDungeon Master.
With the first episode of campaign one integrating Robbie Daymond as a guest player into the mix so early, many fans wonder if Daymond's character will join the cast long-term as a permanent member of the campaign or simply appear as a guest for an indeterminate number of episodes. Either way, the adventure is off to an intriguing start with an amalgam of new characters that are already leaving their mark.
Note: The article was updated on December 28, 2021 to add Travis Willingham'snewcharacter,Chetney Pock O'Pea.
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Laura Bailey Plays Imogen Temult
Imogen Temult, portrayed by Laura Bailey, was the first character introduced into the campaign, first seen while riding a cable car to the Starpoint Conservatory in Jrusar. A human Sorcerer with soft lilac hair and a seemingly shy yet forceful disposition when she believes others are being cruel or disingenuous with her, Imogen is searching for important information with her friend and ally, Laudna.
Uncertain of the nature of her powers,Imogen began the campaign trying togain access to the conservatory to conduct research about her magical abilities, though her initial efforts have been thwarted. It is said that sometimes when she draws upon her magic, her eyes flash white and the energy crawls up the lengths of her arms. Thus far, it appears her unique abilities may bederived fromtelekinesis or telepathy.
Marisha Ray Plays Laudna
Initially, it was unclear what race Marisha Ray'sWarlock/Sorcerer Laudnawas, thoughshe was described as being humanoid in nature with pale skin, black hair with a shock of white, dark lips and doll-like eyes with pupils so large they all but take up the entire iris. Eventually, she was revealed to be a Hollow One, a Critical Role-original race comprised of those resurrected by the magic of Blightshore.
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Hailing from the city of Whitestone in Tal'dorei, Laudna's frightening appearance doesn't phase her. In fact, she hardly seems aware at all of how terrifying she looks. Despite her appearance, Laudna is actually quite laid back and personable. She and Imogen became fast friends and companionable allies a couple years before the start of the campaign and currently live together in Jrusar with their landlady.
Taliesin Jaffe Plays Ashton Greymoore
An Earth Genasi Barbarian, Taliesin Jaffe's Ashton Greymoore looks like he's seen better days. Givenhis shattered appearance, somewhat lackadaisical nature and quest for breakfast beer after rolling out of bed late in the day, one can only surmise the horrors he's probably seen. Dressed in well work leather, the back of his jacket offers fair warning, reading JUST DON'T -- pretty good advice for a being with a being touting a sizeable hole in the side of their head.
He runs with a little robot Cleric named Fresh Cut Grass, whom he met prior to the start of the campaign. As with many of Taliesin's characters over the course of Critical Role, Ashton's Barbarian subclass is homebrewed, and there aren't many details yet about what he can do.
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Sam Riegel Plays Fresh Cut Grass
Automaton ClericFresh Cut Grass (also known as F.C.G.) is exactly what one might expect from the hilarious Sam Riegel. This adorable little robot sustains and repairs himself by consuming metal instead of food, which amuses the people around him who've never seen such a thing. With a friendly, helpful and hopeful personality and shining bright metal plating, F.C.G. is a literal breath of fresh air whenever he rolls into a scene on his wheeled appendage to brighten the lives and moments of those he meets.
The interesting thing about F.C.G. is that despite being a Cleric, he is fully aware of his nature as an automaton and doesn't believe he has a soul. Created by a woman named Dancer, she seemed to name all of her creations after her favorite smells,which included oatmeal, apple pie and (obviously) fresh cut grass. F.C.G. met Ashton prior to the campaign when the latter came to investigate what happened to an adventuring party the former belonged to that had disappeared into the mines.
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Ashley Johnson Plays Fearne Calloway
SatyrDruid Fearne Calloway was first introduced in Exandria Unlimited. Portrayed by Ashley Johnson, Fearne tends to appear very calm and cool, but appearances can be deceiving. She has a somewhat erratic disposition and doesn't often think about the consequences of actions she might take or insensitive things she might say. She entered Exandria from the Feywild, using the portal Vox Machina originally built for Artagan, sent by her grandmother for reasons that have yet to be fully established.
Fearne travels with a Wildfire Spirit she named Little Mister, whoappears in the form of a monkey with a gaping mouth of flame that burns anything that enters it. She was sent to Jrusar with companions Orym and Dorian on a mission to Marquet orchestrated by The Tempest, Keyleth.
Liam O'Brien Plays Orym
Liam O'Brien's Orym was also introduced in Exandria Unlimited. A halfling Fighter of the Air Ashari, he was sent to Marquet by Tempest of the Ashari, Keyleth, along with companions Fearne and Dorian. He was formerly a guard in Zephrah, where he often overheard conversations by Vox Machina during their visits to the Ashari with Keyleth. He later worked for Keyleth, and seems to be following her orders even now, though his overall mission has yet to be fully determined.
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Orym tends to be very cautious, especially when it comes to the Vestiges of Divergence, as he knows secondhand through Keyleth how dangerous and powerful these magical artifacts can be. Level-headed and practical,Orym considers himself responsible for his friends, Dorian and Fearne, knowing the kind of trouble they tend to get themselves into.
Robbie Daymond Plays Dorian Storm
Another Exandria Unlimited alum, Robbie Daymond joins the game as Air Genasi Bard, Dorian Storm. As mysterious as he is charismatic and outgoing, little is known about Dorian's past, only that he had (or has) a brother and he left his home to search for a better life. It is assumed, after a suggestion by Poska in Exandria Unlimited, that Dorian came from a well-to-do family, but he shrugs off the claim and says he is naught but a humble bard.
It is unknown at this time how long Dorian will remain with the band of adventurers currently exploring Marquet. For the time being, he has joined forces, alongside Orym and Fearne, with the party to carry out some intriguing tasks they have been drawn into by Sir Bertrand Bell.
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Travis Willingham Played Sir Bertrand Bell
Thesilver-haired, elderly Sir Bertrand Bell (played byTravis Willingham) was previously introduced in the Vox Machina one-shot, "The Search for Grog." Thirty years older, and just asinflated, self-important and potentially misleading as he was all those years ago, Bell tends to make promises he probably can't keep, telling the party he can introduce them to people in high places if they agree to join him in carrying out tasks similar to the first fight that drew them together in Jrusar.
While the other player charactersstarted the campaign at level three, Willingham's character was level 18 Fighter in "The Search for Grog." However, age and, perhaps, inexperience have regressed him to a level five Fighter with advantage on his initiative rolls. However, it was laterdiscovered that Bell's experience and higher level would not be enough to protect him from one of the earliest character deaths in Critical Role history.
In episode three, Bertrand was murdered in a dark alley by a corrupted dwarf named Dugger the party had been pursuing. DMMatthew Mercer explained on Twitter thatWillingham wanted his true character for Campaign Three to join the party later in the story, so they devised a way that he coulddo so without having to miss the first few episodes -- bybringing Sir Bertrand Bell back for a brief stint that would culminate in a grim end ofMercer's devising.
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Travis Willingham Plays Chetney Pock O'Pea
Introduced in episode seven, shortly after the party finished battling a sentient wall monster, a small, elderly gnome hovered in the shadows just beyond the playhouse. Imogen reached out to him with telepathy, and he joined the group to ask them for aid in finding a missing man named Gurge who was supposed to help him find work in the city.
This was Chetney, a woodworker and Rogue with a tongue nearly as sharp as the blades he wields and a penchant for carving wooden toys. Chetney is a play on another characterWillingham portrayed, an elderly Christmas Elf named Chutney Choclatecane, in the holiday one-shot, "The Night Before Critmas."
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