Branching Paths | Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 5 Part 2

Summary of Branching Paths | Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 5 Part 2

by Critical Role

1h 50m•November 18, 2025
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Overview of Branching Paths | Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 5 Part 2

This episode continues the party’s pursuit after the chaos in Dolmachyar. The group follows tracks in the rain and debates whether to take the open King's Highway (fast but more exposed) or the Dahopshiny Wood (slower but stealthier). They choose the forest, free a prisoner from a gibbet, encounter a helpful naiad who confirms a lionfolk (Cid) passed through stressed and heading north, and ultimately detour to an eccentric arcanist’s lookout/observatory to rest and resupply before pressing further toward Timony and Hawthorne’s Glade.

Key plot points & outcomes

  • The party tracks two plausible routes after leaving Dolmachyar: the King's Highway (fast, populated) and the Pilgrim’s Road (unlikely) — they eliminate Pilgrim’s Road and weigh forest vs. highway.
  • Group decides to use the Dahopshiny Wood to conceal their movement and cover tracks rather than risk the highway where pursuers could match pace.
  • At a roadside inn, they free Abelang (a prisoner hung in a gibbet) via a successful thieves’ tools / sleight-of-hand attempt.
    • Abelang provides intelligence: carriages bearing the symbol of House Taconas and riders with crow-feather cloaks passed along the King’s Highway and lingered nearby.
    • He’s persuaded (high roll) to spread a confusing story implicating Nicander Halovar if questioned by the Candescent Creed.
  • A high Survival roll uncovers a naiad (brook fairy) named Brookmeadow who confirms a lionfolk (Cid) passed through the area, looking frightened and heading north.
  • The party debates going directly for Hawthorne’s Glade (fairy sanctuary) or a nearby observatory/lookout tower on the ridge. They choose the lookout tower to rest and gather info.
  • At the ridge they meet the tower’s eccentric owner (a gnomish arcanist/hermit), who offers porridge, small accommodations, and telescope observations.
    • The telescope confirms some traffic on the roads; glimpses of King’s banners/“Hounds of Timmy” moving south are noted (useful context).
    • The tower has defenses and oddities (fireworks, wooden toys, mechanical trinkets, a lookout setup).
  • The party rests (short/long rest possible), keeps watch, and departs with renewed supplies and information to continue the pursuit north the next morning.

Characters & NPCs (as presented in the transcript)

  • The player group (names as in the transcript): Cadogan (Cadigan), Thimble, Teor, Tyranny, Kat/Katya, and Wulfric (tracking hound/wolf companion).
  • Targets / referenced: Cid (lionfolk they’re searching for), Kazimir / Casimir (pursuer/merchant figure tied to the sale of a stronghold), House Taconas (guards seen on the highway).
  • Prisoner freed: Abelang (or Abileng) — provides local info and a lead about a nearby arcanist/observatory.
  • Tower/observatory owner: eccentric gnomish arcanist (callsigns and names vary in transcript; he’s a hospitable, curious person who studies clouds, watches roads, and keeps fireworks and toys).
  • Minor NPCs: Brookmeadow (nixie/naiad in the spring, confirms Cid’s passage), and references to Halivar family members (Nicander/Nick/Hal).

Note: The transcript has inconsistent spellings and name variants; above are the clearest forms used most often.

Important locations & worldbuilding details

  • Dolmachyar: the city/region they departed recently (previous episode content).
  • Dvalmar Pass: major pass east of Dolmachyar — branching point for the King’s Highway and other roads.
  • King’s Highway: major road to Timony/Timmons Rock — fast but more visible and policed.
  • Pilgrim’s Road: ancient dwarven mountaintop road — unlikely for carriage travel, largely abandoned.
  • Dahopshiny Wood: high-altitude, cold rainforest—misty, vine-laden, dangerous at night, but useful for concealment.
  • Hawthorne’s Glade: a fairy sanctuary/deep-forest refuge — potentially safe but ambiguous about “big folk” being allowed.
  • Observatory/Lookout Tower (ridge): stone/thatched observatory with a brass telescope; run by an eccentric arcanist who watches clouds and roads. Offers shelter, porridge, and local intelligence.

Gameplay highlights & mechanical moments

  • Guidance and other spells/abilities were used to boost checks (DM explicitly allowed it to affect DCs).
  • Multiple skill checks carried weight:
    • Survival checks to track and choose route; a high Survival (23–26 range for one roll) revealed the naiad and other clues.
    • Sleight of Hand / Thieves’ Tools successes freed Abelang.
    • Persuasion nat-20 healed and deeply influenced Abelang (gave him gold coin, changed his testimony intentions).
    • Deception nat-20 by Thimble convinced the naiad she was seeking “Hawthorne’s Glade.”
    • Group stealth checks (with disadvantage because of pace) and perception checks during travel and at the tower.
  • The party repeatedly balanced speed vs. stealth and civilization vs. wilderness safety.
  • Watch rotations and one long rest at the tower (providing respite and time for reconnaissance).

Themes, tone & notable dynamics

  • Trust vs. performance: The group leans into roleplay and deception (posing as Candescent Creed supporters or Halivar affiliates) to move through populated areas safely.
  • Small kindnesses and practical alliances: freeing a prisoner, helping a hermit preserve his banner, and accepting hospitality produce tangible benefits.
  • The world is a mix of danger and quaintness: undead/creeping threats and high-stakes political forces (House Taconas, possible collusion with “crows”) sit beside eccentric, sympathetic locals (gnome, naiad).
  • Humor and light moments punctuate tense scenes (comic banter about “truffle hunting,” shoes/slippers, and banner mending).

Notable quotes & beats

  • “May the beam reach you.” — recurring blessing from a Candescent-leaning NPC.
  • Comic interlude: “We’re going truffle hunting.” — a cover story the PCs use to explain woodland travel.
  • Banner over the tower: “Welcome home.” — emotional thread about the tower owner’s lost daughters; establishes human, sympathetic stakes.
  • Naiad’s line: “Are you in danger?” — catalyzes confirmation that the lionfolk passed through (key lead).

Sponsors & episode logistics (from the transcript)

  • Ads read at start/middle: Alienware, 1-800-Flowers, Shopify, Carvana.
  • Host note at the episode start: Brennan Lee Mulligan advises listening to Part 1 before Part 2 for context.
  • Post-episode plugs: request for reviews, and a reference to Critical Role Cooldown on beacon.tv for post-show discussion.

Takeaways / Where this leaves the story

  • The party has confirmed Cid (lionfolk) moved north through the Dahopshiny Wood and may be stressed/in danger.
  • They obtained intelligence linking cloaked carriages and House Taconas/crows to the caravan up the King’s Highway.
  • They resupplied, rested, and are poised to continue northward (toward Timony and possible fairy sanctuary or other safeholds).
  • The next episode will continue the pursuit and likely reveal more about who is moving the stronghold deed and how House interests (and the Candescent Creed) are involved.

If you want the essentials quickly: they chose stealthy forest travel, freed a useful informant, confirmed Cid’s direction via a naiad, rested at a helpful lookout, and now head north to continue the chase.