The following contains major spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 3, Episode 63.
Delilah Briarwood returned with a vengeance when Marisha Ray's Laudna was stung by the betrayal of Issylran companion Bor'Dor Dog'Son, resulting in one of Critical Role's deadliest player-versus-player conflicts.
It turned out that the Bor'Dor dog fan theory had no bark to its bite, instead Utkarsh Ambudkar's guest player represented a more formidable foe from Bells Hells' recent memory. When Aimee Carrero's Deni$e forced his hand, Bor’Dor unveiled his true backstory and dogmatic stance against the gods. This belief led Bor’Dor to become a member of the Ruby Vanguard, meaning he was in attendance when the Bells Hells infiltrated Ludinus Da'Leth's base on the evening of the Apogee Solstice. Unable to stomach the betrayal, Ray's Laudna unloaded the last of her necrotic damage into the restrained and unconscious Bor'Dor, bringing a violent end to his journey with Team Isslyra. This development has led to some passionate reactions from Critical Role fans on Twitter.
When the Bells Hells fought for Laudna's second resurrection, the adventuring party believed that they had freed their friend from the influence of Campaign 1 villain Delilah Briarwood. However, the presence of purple magic and an ominous heartbeat echoing in the back of Laudn's mind as she killed Bor'Dor signaled that her decision may have reawakened one of Exandria's darkest entities. Though Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer did not solidify Delilah's presence by bringing her voice back to the table, the signs were imbued in Bor'Dor's final moments and Laudna later expressed a fear over Delilah's return.
Bells Hells War Against the Ruby Vanguard
Though Erikka Ishii brought betrayal to the table with Dusk/Yu earlier in Campaign 3, the party's dispirited disposition in the wake of the Apogee Solstice proved less amenable to Bo'rDor's reveal. Liam O'Brien's Orym, the peaceful center of the Bells Hells, even soured upon the betrayal and contextualized Laudna's actions as a necessary act of war. Not only did Orym encourage Laudna's decision with a nod, but the halfling abandoned the locket that he had picked off the corpse of a Ruby Vanguard soldier to remind himself of the cost of their actions.
Team Issyra's third guest player, Dimension 20 alum Emily Axford, contributed to Bor'Dor's demise with a priming punch that forced him to automatically fail two of his death saves. Mercer praised Ambudkar on Twitter, positing that the actions of Episode 62 would cause long-lasting ripples at Critical Role's table.
Those ripples will continue to be explored when Critical Role's Campaign 3 returns on Thursday, July 6th at 7 PT on Twitch and YouTube.
Source: Twitter