Critical Role Campaign 4 returns on 27 August, bringing its sprawling story in Aramán into a second arc. For viewers catching up from Australia, the first 31 episodes establish a godless world, a growing rebellion and three adventuring groups with very different priorities.
The campaign began in October 2025 with Brennan Lee Mulligan, known for Dimension 20 and Dropout, taking over as Dungeon Master from Matthew Mercer. Instead of returning to Exandria, the cast entered Aramán: a land shaped by magic, death and revolution.
Campaign 4 uses a West Marches structure, dividing its 13-player ensemble across three tables: the Soldiers, the Seekers and the Schemers. The format lets the story move between different corners of the setting while maintaining a shared political conflict.
What happened in Campaign 4 Arc 1?
The opening four-episode overture introduced Pasitar, where mortals are still rebuilding society 70 years after overthrowing the gods during the Shaper’s War. Magic no longer behaves as it once did, faerie communities and ordinary citizens remain vulnerable, and the Sundered Houses are determined to reclaim their former influence.
The campaign opened with the funeral of Thjazi Fang. He was remembered by some as a war hero, by others as an inspiration, and by a few as a villain. His attempt to topple the Sundered Houses, known as the Falconers’ Rebellion, ended when House Tachonis captured and executed him.
Thjazi’s death did not extinguish the revolutionary cause. Instead, he left behind clues for his friends and family, sending the three tables in different directions.
The Soldiers
The Soldiers consist of pixie rogue Thimble, played by Laura Bailey; katari paladin Teor Pridesire, played by Travis Willingham; aasimar sorcerer Wicander Halovar, played by Sam Riegel; demonic aspirant Tyranny, played by Whitney Moore; and ranger Kattigan Vale, played by Robbie Daymond.
The group pursued Casimir, the low-life who betrayed Thjazi to House Tachonis, while also attempting to rescue Teor’s brother, Cyd Pridesire.
The Seekers
The Seekers are human fighter-rogue Sir Julien Davinos, played by Matthew Mercer; orc druid Thaisha Lloy, played by Aabria Iyengar; drow paladin Vaelus, played by Ashley Johnson; and hollow-one wizard Occtis Tachonis, played by Alexander Ward.
Their search for Thaisha’s missing son, Alogar Fang, exposed a far darker plan. House Tachonis wanted to transform Occtis into a godlike being under its control, then use him as a weapon against House Royce and the Golden Orchard, a demiplane and ancestral home of the fae.
The Schemers
The Schemers include dwarf divination wizard Murray, played by Marisha Ray; orc bard Halandil Fang, played by Liam O’Brien; warlock Bolaire Lathalia, played by Taliesin Jaffe; and human sorcerer-paladin Azune Nayar, played by Luis Carazo.
Remaining in Dol-Makjar, they worked to weaken the Sundered Houses by recruiting people and groups neglected or mistreated by the ruling powers. Their efforts helped establish a new and rapidly developing rebellion.
The tables later reunited in Dol-Makjar before dividing again to handle three major events taking place on the same night.
- The Sundered Houses’ meeting: the gathering confirmed that the ruling families intended to restore their status and prevent any future challenge to their authority.
- The Hallowed Round performance: Thjazi’s wider plan came to light. The theatre was being prepared as a gateway to the Dying Fields, the orcish afterlife. Vaelus’s destruction of the Stone of Nightsong made construction of the bridge possible.
- The rescue at Obrimus Manor: the group entered House Tachonis’s home to save Mara the Wing, a member of Thjazi’s mysterious organisation, the Cloak.
Mara survived the rescue, but Teor and Cyd were killed in the manor’s crypts. Julien also discovered that Thjazi’s soul was linked to his shadow, suggesting that the revolutionary leader continues to exist in some form.
At Hal’s house, Mara explained the Cloak’s objective: restoring the bridges to all the other afterlives, which disappeared after the Shaper’s War.
Where will the three tables go in Arc 2?
The second arc again separates the cast according to three distinct objectives.
The Soldiers head to Dol-Rungja
Thaisha leads the Soldiers to Dol-Rungja, where she plans to meet her grandmother and other druidic circles. Her goal is to convince them to abandon neutrality and join the struggle against the Sundered Houses.
The Seekers travel towards the Golden Orchard
Thimble, Occtis, Julien, Vaelus, Bolaire and Kattigan will travel along Miller’s Road to the Golden Orchard. They intend to meet Mara the Wing and her contact there, with a possible stop in Timmony to meet their new ally, King Gus.
The Schemers remain in Dol-Makjar
Halandil, Azune, Wick, Tyranny and Murray stay in Dol-Makjar to confront the city’s political unrest.
When does Critical Role Campaign 4 return?
Campaign 4 returns on 27 August, two weeks after the finale of Sallowlands. New episodes will be available live on Twitch, YouTube and Beacon.tv on Thursday nights at 10 p.m. PDT.
For viewers who miss the live broadcast, episodes are uploaded to YouTube the following Monday at 3 p.m. EDT, or 12 p.m. PDT. Australian viewers should check the relevant local conversion before tuning in.
For more background, explore the Critical Role series listing, then browse RETROCADE’s arcade news and editorial coverage. Fans planning a dedicated tabletop or streaming setup can also compare arcade cabinets, consider a space-saving bartop arcade, or use the arcade machine buying guide before choosing a display.
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