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What Is Predathos in Critical Role?

The following contains spoilers for Critical Role‘s third campaign.

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The Red End, Predathos, has long served as the looming monster at the end of the extraplanetary labyrinth that is Critical Role‘s Calamity-level Campaign 3 conflict. Let’s examine Predathos’ lore and Bells Hells’ ensuing predicament as the Critical Role adventuring party faces the God Eater in Campaign 3’s epic final act.

Predathos Is the Natural Predator of Exandria’s Pantheon

The first documented origins of Predathos are reenacted in the opening sequence of Downfall, a Campaign 3 mini-arc run by Brennan Lee Mulligan. Prior to their arrival and “founding” of Exandria, the gods lived peacefully on Tengar, until Preadthos brought terror to their home. The God Eater consumed Ethedok the Endless Shadow and Vordo the Fateshaper, chasing the rest of the gods off of their home world. In their new home of Exandria, the gods collaborated to entomb Predathos, creating the second moon of Ruidus.

This intel about Predathos, Exandria’s pantheon, and the true nature of the Moon of Ill Omen is not common knowledge in Exandria. This information has slowly been uncovered by Bells Hells throughout Critical Role’s third campaign, blowing the minds of fans and players alike. While allied organizations such as the Grim Verity have provided the party with some of this hidden knowledge, most has been acquired through their encounters with the ancient mage Ludinus Da’leth in his scheme to free Predathos and reacquaint the gods with the fear of annihilation they met on Tengar.

Though Ludinus is a villainous force first introduced in Campaign 2, the Cerberus Assembly leader is not necessarily the final boss of Campaign 3. The party shares a well-earned mutual loathing for Ludinus, however, they don’t all disagree with his decision to free Exandria of divine influence. At the end of Campaign 3, Bells Hells must decide how to handle Predathos’ power and looming threat to Exandria’s pantheon.

Art of Predathos by zhellers.

Predathos Marks Bells Hells’ Endgame

Bells Hells have remained fairly split on how to approach the impending threat of Predathos, receiving encouragement from the gods in conflicting directions. The Wildmother gifted Orym the blade Seedling to aid in his efforts against Predathos, Aabria Iyengar’s guest player character Deanna received a call to arms from the Dawnfather, and Sam Riegel’s Braius Doomseed harbors a hushed loyalty to the Betrayer Asmodeus all the while divine intervention with the Matron of Ravens and the Arch Heart spun a vastly different narrative. Not all the gods want to fight tooth and nail to maintain their presence on Exandria, and these latter two deities firmly believe that channeling Predathos into a host a chasing them and their siblings off Exandria is the only way to avoid another Calamity.

Imogen and Fearne, the two Ruidusborn members of Bells Hells, must additionally decide whether or not to serve as the vessel for Predathos. It’s unclear what this process will entail, if it’s survivable, and whether or not Predathos will accidentally step on ants – mortals – on its way to consume its larger prey. These are the moral quandaries Bells Hells must contend with when meeting Predathos in Campaign 3’s final arc, one that could change Exandria forever.

https://twitter.com/TylerWalpole/status/1881447466916257837
Official Predathos concept art designed by Tyler Walpole.

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Author
Image of Tara McCauley
Tara McCauley
Contributing Writer
Nerd at large, Tara McCauley's happiest playing or writing about tabletop role playing games. Tara joined The Escapist in October 2023 as a freelance contributor. She covers such TV shows as Fargo and games/fandoms like Dungeons & Dragons. In addition to The Escapist, Tara has gushed about her favorite pop culture topics at CBR, MXDWN, and Monstrous Femme. When she's not writing or rolling dice, Tara can be found catching up on her favorite sitcoms, curled up with a horror comic, or waxing poetic about the WNBA.