Heartwarming / Critical Role: Exandria Unlimited

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

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Episode 1: The Nameless Ones

• Matt's pure reaction to being told HDYWTDT. He normally restrains it as a DM so his players can earn the win, so as a player himself it definitely hits differently.
  Matt: WHOA! That's what it feels like! THAT'S COOL!

Episode 2: The Oh No Plateau

Episode 3: A Glorious Return

• Not only are the cast overjoyed to see Gilmore again, the episode reveals that he's now married.

Episode 4: By The Road

• While he clearly isn't happy about doing it, Dariax helps to heal Mister so he could fight Dark!Fearne and Mister.
• Dariax who apparently hates it when others lie to him, is more than happy to keep Dorian's "secret" that he's actually "circus folk".
• As Opal suggests the group enter the pageant with her, she also suggests they could be her back up band, adding that they could be like a family.
  • Everyone being supportive of one another for the pageant and are clearly having fun.
• Opal rolls low for her performance, prompting Aarbia to tell Orym and Fy'ra that they can intervene and help out Opal. Fy'ra makes Opals hair look like it's glowing while Orym makes flowers bloom around her hair.
  Fy'ra: She has all the elements now.
  • When Opal is crowned the winner, she gives a speech not talking about how wonderful she felt winning, but how proud she was at being from Byroden. She also talks about being happy her new family was there to show her she didn't have to do things alone.
    Opal: Fearne, Dorian, Dariax, Fy'ra and Orym. (whispering) Slash "Nancy".
• Opal decides to return home for a moment, going up into the room she once shared with Ted. As she looks over her sister's empty bed, Opal takes off her crown and gently places it onto Ted's bed before she leaves the house.

Episode 5: The Test of Worth

• Dariax asking if he could sleep next to others back to back after his nightmare scared him.
  Dorian: Back to back?
  Dariax: Back to back.
• The party really doesn't want to hurt the fey crocodile. When they flip it on its back, they start giving it scratches and apologizing. The croc takes it in stride and seems to enjoy the pats.
  Dariax: Are we taking him with us?

Kymal Episode 2

• New Meat Morrighan gets her moment when she has to sneak onto a sky deck and safely evacuate it, but one of the senior staff, and one she's not on such close terms with, is tending the bar. A combination of a blatant lie, the whole city under siege by the Nameless Ones, and a deception check of 19 despite disadvantage allows the bartender to see through it - not as a lie, but as a hint that she should leave immediately, for her own safety. They even share a hug before she goes.

Calamity

Episode 1: Excelsior

• Zerxus gently calling out for his son in his dream. He's described as awkward and unsure of how to talk to his son who he hasn't seen in a while, but does clearly love him.
• After spending most of the time arguing and sniping at each other Loquatius calls truce with Laerryn as he remembers that the Replenishment marks their anniversary and how much he'd like to be on good terms with her again, at least for a little while for nostalgia's sake, and then she's free to go back to hating him again after. Laerryn's response is to quietly tell him she doesn't hate him.
  • During the party as Laerryn is inspecting an object, Loquatius gently holds her shoulder and gives her Inspiration. It's these small tender moments to show that despite the strain between the two, Loquatius does deep down still care for Laerryn.
  "I'll do something I've done hundreds of times but not in a while, I'll gently rub her shoulder and inspire her."
• Nydas being excited at receiving a kite from his brother and sister-in-law. Along with the kite, she sent him a loaf of bread that he happily holds and savors.
• In the middle of some very busy preparations Nydas takes the time to be very kind to a visiting group of school children set to be part of his parade. While most of his behavior can probably be chalked up to maintaining public image he is genuinely very good with them.
• It's revealed through a letter from his sister-in-law that Nydas' family has been watching Zerxus' son for him back in Cathmoira. The fact that Zerxus feels he could trust them with something so obviously dear to him, much less that they'd be willing to do so, seems to show a very strong bond of trust and friendship.
• While most of the group is focused on the puzzling out the mystery and literal meaning of Zerxus' dream Cerrit with his focus on investigation is more concerned with Zerxus' well being and how his friend is holding up. All of them do their best to try to reassure him.
  • Despite some of the group's hesitance at believing Zerxus's dream, they all genuinely want to comfort their friend in their own ways.
• Patia and Nydas tenderly greeting each other when he arrives. Patia even proudly displays the tree Nydas got for her.
• Nydas takes the time, as he's leaving in a rush to get to something personally important, to stop and reassure Zerxus that he is worthy of his post and doing a good job.

Episode 2: Bitterness and Dread

• Cerrit plays along with his son's cloak and dagger antics during the sending conversation, but he breaks character briefly to tell his son that he loves him.
• When Cerrit breaks the news to Patia and Loquatius that he killed someone at the party he reassures them it was "no one important". Loquatius pops up with "I'm sure his mother thought he was important".
• Zerxus proceeding to cast Ceremony on Asmodeus, specifically the Atonement part of the spell. Atonement is the ceremony that, if successful, restores the target to its original alignment. In a way, this almost doubles as a moment of awesome as well, because Zerxus tried to atone the Lord of the Hells.
• Luis tears up during the description of Evandrin's death. Marisha notices and wordlessly gets him a box of tissues.
• In the same conversation, Zerxus explains to Asmodeus that Elias is his son and loves him dearly despite not being of his blood. Then, using the relationship he has with his son as an analogy, Zerxus pleads with the Lord of the Hells not to take his pain out on mortals, as they are still his children.

Episode 3: Blood and Shadow

• We see that, for all their sniping, Loquatius and Laerryn are still very much in love. He's used his position to protect her, and a part of her drive to plane shift the city is to let him return to the Feywild.
• We also see the depth of the friendship between Zerxus and Nydas, where Nydas snapping at Zerxus is enough to make Zerxus back down. They take a moment to check in on each other after the massive lore dump scene, and reassure each other that they are okay.
• Cerrit's old partner is killed in the chaos, but didn't die immediately. He could have spent his last moments tyring to get help, but instead he was able to get two Runes of Recall for Cerrit so that Cerrit's children could escape Avalir.
• Heartwarming in hindsight: The druids of Gau Drashari created the Tree of Names to cast a spell of protection over Exandria. Even as they fade and become the Ashari tribe, they continue to protect Exandria by guarding the entry to the elemental planes. Keyleth and Orym of the Air Ashari would go on to become protectors themselves, her by going on her Aramenté and gathering power and experience to become the Voice of the Tempest, him by actually being a fighter and guard, then leaving to investigate the attack on the Ashari at the Tempest's behest. Laerryn (played by Aabria Iyengar) destroyed the Tree and started the Calamity, but centuries later a young acolyte (played by DM Aabria) gives Orym a seed from a pre-Calamity place and tells him to make it grow, because he is an Ashari. The seed that Marisha has planted by choosing to become "this girl from this tribe" is still growing, the importance of her choice reverberating throughout the world of Exandria past and future.
• Crossing over with Tear Jerker: A split second before Loquatius is impaled by the Tree, Brennan refers to him through Laerryn's point of view as "your husband". Not ex-husband, just husband. Laerryn immediately casts Blight to save him and Patia, dooming Avalir and Exandria.

Episode 4: Fire and Ruin

• At the beginning of the episode, everyone has to roll saving throws for their magical items. Loquatius loses all of his...except one: the pure ether Laerryn gave him that can restore a spell slot.
• As everything is happening in slow motion, Laerryn attempts to save Loquatius from the blast by throwing her Arcane Ward on him. It manifests as a golden apparition of herself, sprinting forward and blinking through space before wrapping both arms around his shoulders in an embrace.
• Zerxus briefly reunites with Evandrin in the Astral Plane, and after they speak Zerxus realizes that Evandrin will not be able to save their son. Zerxus chooses to take up the Mace so that he may return to the world. Evandrin is sorrowful, but resolute, vowing to find some way to save his husband. Crosses over with Tear Jerker and Awesome.
• Zerxus manages to bring back his friends who had died, thanks to a bonus spell slot given to him by Loquatius, which was itself a gift to Loquatius from Laerryn.
  Sam: The power of love!
• Everything Zerxus accomplishes for the rest of the episode is made possible by a single act of kindness. Throughout the miniseries, Zerxus has been making heartbreakingly sincere, incredibly misinformed attempts to Atone or otherwise cleanse Asmodeus. As the Mace begins to take hold of his soul, he casts out a hand toward the tortured devil who was once Vespin—and this one last time, it works. Vespin is able to alter his contract at the last second and buy him a few more hours because Zerxus, in what he fully believed would be his last moments as a true paladin, spent those moments showing compassion for the one creature in that room who least deserved and most desperately needed it.
• Instead of answering to the Ring of Gold and focusing on the treasure, Nydas orders his crew to take all of the citizens they can and get them to safety.
  Nydas: Damn the Ring of Gold! The people of Avalir must survive!
  • When his second-in-command takes insult to that and runs him through the moment he turns away, Nydas says that the gold no longer matters if there are no more people.
  Badran: You've lost your mind! At the beginning of time, the gods made all the gold there will ever be. There will always be more people!
  Nydas: Gold? Gold means nothing if you do not use it to lift people up. Gold is a resource by which mortaldom climbs! And if you cannot see that, then you have lost your way, Badran.
• In the midst of the chaos as the city is attacked there are brief and passing moments of NPCs stepping up and helping evacuate others showing the heroes are not alone in trying to save lives, and that lives are being saved: there will be other people who survive the fall of Avalir.
• Loquatius is given a chance to return to the Feywild and escape the coming Calamity, and decides to remain in Exandria.
  Loquatius: I'm sorry, my lady. I love you, but I love another more.
  Faerie Queen: Oh, my child. My heart breaks, but I would rather that mine break so long as yours remains whole.
  • As everything crumbles, Loquatius notes that it feels like they're in a church. Both he and Laerryn confess that they still love one another and embrace until the end.
• During the last battle, Zerxus and Nydas take point on the door against the Taxmen, and Brennan rules that for a moment they're boys back in Cathmoira.
  • Zerxus casts Shield of Faith on Nydas.
  Nydas: I'm able to look him in the eyes now.
• As Patia helps Laerryn, she telepathically sends a message to her friends.
  Patia: I love you all, my family.
• Laerryn takes a hit that would have killed her, but Loquatius saves her with a Healing Word that he has been holding.
  Loquatius: Don't leave me. You cannot leave me now.
• Before Zerxus dies, he looks to Tempus and tells it to go and save itself. Tempus looks to him, and says, with Evandrin's voice (according to the captions), "I'm with you". As it leaves, it takes one of the enemies to drop.
  • After Zerxus' death, Tempus is able to take Elias to where Evandrin is, and Evandrin vows to save his husband no matter how long it takes.
• Patia accepts her death and knows that, for the future ahead, there will be people who will dream on for her. Her golden sphere successfully reaches Maya Agrupnin, Cerrit's daughter with a facility for history, passing on the legacy of the Keeper of Scrolls, her life's work, and the Libriarium Incantatum.
• Nydas, on the brink of death as Avalir is destroyed, is contacted by his brother asking if he made it out safe. Nydas reassures him that yes, he's safe, and as he dies he recalls a childhood memory of looking up at Avalir with his brother and dreaming of making it to the city someday.
• With the remaining Brass Ring's help, Cerrit manages to escape the crumbling city. It takes weeks of travel until he is able to reunite with his family.
  Cerrit: (to Laerryn) The Brass Ring endures. I want you to know that you gave us a chance.
• The top table (Lou, Marisha, and Luis) having their arms over each other's shoulders for support during stressful moments.
  • They also held hands during Brennan's summation.
• Brennan's "Why do we tell stories?" summation is beautiful. The entire cast is misty-eyed during it (even him).
  Brennan: We've told a story of the coming of a time of darkness, the coming of Calamity, of shadow and fire and ruin. Why do we tell stories? To try to make sense of a world that can be terrifying and enormous.
  In Exandria, I don't know that your story will long be known. I don't know who will remain to tell it. But it did happen, and it did matter.
  And though Calamity is here, because of you, it will not be here forever.
• The Ring of Brass may have accidentally facilitated the death of 2/3 of Exandria, but they actively worked to ensure (at least part of) 1/3 lived. YouTube commenter ollaRHJG put it beautifully:
  I love how all these flawed characters got to have some semblance of redemption at the end of the campaign. Cerrit, the Eye that sees everything and everywhere but home, got to have a second chance to be with family. Zerxus with his compassion wrapped in arrogance, this time pursuing redemption for himself. Hell might have his soul, but his heart remained safe among the stars. Quay initially killed the truth in the name of love. Eventually, he found a love returned by championing the truth. Patia & Nydas were hoarding knowledge and riches. In the end, she chose the dreamers and he protected his most important hoard, the people. And Laerryn, with her single-minded ambition, went from starting the calamity to giving the world a fighting chance.