Summary of Make Merry | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 11 Part 2

Overview of Make Merry | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 11 Part 2

This episode continues the party’s infiltration of Castle Delaney’s dungeons. The group discovers a cart full of petrified figures — including Teor’s brother, Sid — harvests a basilisk for potentially curative ingredients, uncovers notes tying the Taconus to larger schemes, escapes in disguise, and receives help from Dame Morgaine and the Hounds. The episode ends with a campsite bonding scene, several character beats and short mechanical advancements, and the party deciding to return to Dolmachiar to seek experts who might reverse the petrification.

Plot summary (chronological)

• The party explores a dungeon chamber at Castle Delaney and finds a cart of stone statues posed in finery; one statue is Teor’s brother, Sid.
• Insight and investigation reveal the statues look mournful and the poses are staged; pulleys, chains, and stolen noble clothes indicate the Taconus’ operations.
• The group kills a basilisk and Cadogan harvests organs (tongue, heart, kidneys, and crucially the stomach/duodenum containing a petrifying bile).
• Investigation of the knight Sarami’s effects yields:
  • Potions/flasks written in an older Obra‑dye script (some look like anti‑petrification antidotes but probably only preventative).
  • Letters and notes referencing Lord Doset, Houndsport in Ganilear, Trimus (likely Tekonis family member), Captain Lantry Farris, and the Bay of Garethi.
  • A scrap with the precise phrase used to activate statues: “warrior, reach your senses, tell me true. do the dead draw near.”
• Arcana/Detect Magic reveals every statue is emitting the paladin-like divine sense — implying the Taconus used captured paladins as sentries.
• The party collects mechanical and magical gear (a Ceramai sword, Royce bracers, ~60 gp, stolen finery) and crafts a tincture from the basilisk stomach bile.
• They disguise themselves as Taconus guards (dirty/natural 20s) and escape through the cellar door, burning Sarami’s body to prevent resurrection.
• Outside the castle they encounter Dame Morgaine and Fel Tower (the Hounds). Morgaine offers shelter, aid, and a covered two-horse carriage in exchange for payment.
• The party pays 250 gp (100 party funds + 150 personal) to secure a carriage/horses and safe transport for Sid.
• At camp, personal scenes: Teor places a wooden lion’s head in Sid’s stone hand; Tyranny receives a remade dagger and partially attunes; Cadogan trains and gains a mechanical/feat advance (Sharpshooter); Wulfric’s quiver gains an extra bolt (narrative/level beat). The party agrees to travel back to Dolmachiar to seek alchemical/artificer help (Bolair, Murray) to reverse petrification.
• Episode ends with them setting out, more questions than answers, and a clear next objective: get Sid to someone who can process basilisk bile and investigate the Taconus’ activities.

Key discoveries & clues

• The statues are not ordinary sculptures but petrified paladins — they were used as magical sentries via their paladin “divine sense.”
• The scripted phrase (“warrior, reach your senses… do the dead draw near?”) appears to trigger a paladin’s awareness while petrified.
• Basilisk stomach produces a bile connected to petrification magic; raw organs may be usable by a skilled alchemist/artificer to produce an antidote or reversal (but the party should not experiment blindly).
• Several proper nouns that map the investigation:
  • Lord Doset (correspondent to Knight Sarami)
  • Houndsport (in Ganilear, north in Timony)
  • Trimus (likely Tekonis family member)
  • Captain Lantry Farris (Spurring)
  • Bay of Garethi (sea area near the Barrow Dell; heavy mist, dangerous)
• Potions in Obra‑dye script: some appear to be quick‑use anti‑petrification remedies (likely preventative), but not cures for fully set petrification.
• The Taconus were harvesting/transporting petrified paladins and dressing them as noble finery — suggests a systemic, organized operation.

Loot & notable items obtained

• Basilisk parts: tongue, heart, kidneys, stomach/duodenum (bile tincture created).
• Two Royce bracers (enchanted; used by Sarami to increase strength), a Ceramai sword (serpent pommel), a finely crafted but non‑magical shield.
• ~60 gp recovered from Sarami’s effects; party later contributes additional funds to procure a carriage (total 250 gp spent).
• Book/sketches explaining statue poses (one copy) and letters from Lord Doset (names/locations).
• Wooden lion’s head token (Teor places this in Sid’s hand).
• Repaired and returned dagger to Tyranny with a new carved bone handle — Tyranny begins attunement, senses but cannot yet unlock full magic.
• Cloaks/finery used for disguises; a farm carriage provided by Dame Morgaine & allies.

Characters present & NPCs introduced

• Players/PCs: Teor (paladin-like, brother Sid is petrified), Cadogan, Wulfric, Thimble, Wick, Tyranny.
• NPCs:
  • Lord Doset (letter writer; associated with Sarami)
  • Knight Sarami (dead; bag/documents found)
  • Dame Morgaine and Fel Tower of the Hounds — allies who aid the party and provide passage/carriage; Hawkins is another Hound who tends the wounded.
  • Mentioned figures: Trimus (Tekonis), Captain Lantry Farris, Bolair, Murray (alchemists/experts referenced for help), Lord of Gormelay (the Earl).
• House/Organizations: House Taconus (culprit), House Royce (bracers), the Hounds (Morgaine & Fel Tower, allies of party/king), Candlefeast festival participants.

Character & emotional beats

• Teor: intense personal discovery and grief — sees his brother petrified and places a family token in his hand; grappling with legacy and purpose.
• Tyranny: major growth moment — receives a restored dagger, begins attunement, wrestles with demonic nature vs. choice, shows vulnerability and promises to change.
• Cadogan: practical, harvests basilisk organs, creates a tincture; later trains, pushes himself physically and gains a mechanical advancement (Sharpshooter).
• Wulfric: caring, heals allies (lay on hands); his quiver gains a boon (extra bolt); calm guardian.
• The group bonds around shared trauma and purpose — deciding to return to Dolmachiar together to seek help and answers.

Mechanical/Meta beats (leveling, feats, spells)

• Cadogan takes Sharpshooter (narrative roll to “level”/gain feature).
• Wulfric’s quiver gains an extra bolt/archetypal mechanical benefit (level beat).
• Tyranny begins attunement to the dagger but does not fully unlock its magic.
• Detect Magic / Arcana / Investigation / Survival checks used to reveal clues and harvest basilisk parts.

Decisions & next steps

• Primary plan: bring Sid (the petrified paladin) to Dolmachiar to find Bolair or Murray (or other skilled alchemists/artificers) who can process the basilisk organs and create a reversal.
• Alternative leads to pursue later: Houndsport (closer, contains Taconus names and contacts), Bay of Garethi (farther, misty sea area tied to darker lore).
• Immediate tactical choices: rest, regroup, and use the carriage provided by Dame Morgaine to travel safely; avoid direct confrontation with Taconus until they have a plan.
• Investigative angle: follow Lord Doset ↔ Sarami correspondence and trace Taconus logistics (who authorized the petrifications, where were they assembled, why paladins?).

Notable quotes & lines

• Scraped from the parchment: “warrior, reach your senses, tell me true. do the dead draw near.” — Phrase used to elicit paladin sense from petrified statues.
• Teor’s moment at Sid’s hand: “The stars remember…” — familial/ritual line linking Teor to his past and hope for Sid’s restoration.

Action items for next episode (what to watch/listen for)

• Arrival in Dolmachiar and locating Bolair or Murray (who can process the basilisk bile).
• Whether the basilisk organs can be safely transformed into a cure — who will the party trust?
• Deeper investigation into Lord Doset, House Taconus operations, and why they target paladins (motivation & scope).
• Houndsport lead: decide if the party will travel north to Houndsport or focus on Dolmachiar first.
• Tyranny’s dagger attunement progress and any abilities revealed.
• Any fallout from burning Sarami’s body and stolen items — will Taconus notice the missing statues and mount a hunt?

Short takeaway

This episode mixes horror (petrified paladins used as sentries), procedural investigation (harvested basilisk parts, documents and names), and emotional character work (Teor and Tyranny in particular). The party now has a tangible lead (basilisk stomach + alchemical expertise needed) and a clear immediate goal: get Sid to someone who can reverse petrification — while also unraveling a larger conspiracy implicating the Taconus and Lord Doset.