Who Is the Chained Oblivion in Critical Role?

The events of Critical Role‘s super-sized Campaign 3 finale have altered the fates of Exandria’s pantheon, with the stipulation that one Betrayer God remains banished in the Abyss. Here’s who Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion is in Critical Role.

The Chained Oblivion in Critical Role, Explained

Similarly to Predathos, Tharizdun is considered a threat to the gods of Exandria. The Chained Oblivion is thus named for the gods’ two known attempts to seal it away, once around the Founding and most recently in a significant battle during the Calamity. As witnessed in the opening sequence of Downfall, the majority of Exandria’s pantheon, both Primes and Betrayers, fled to the planet after their home world of Tengar was destroyed. Tharizdun is what’s known as an Elder Evil and is one of the rare Exandrian deities who wasn’t a resident of Tengar. The Chained Oblivion’s older than the Protean gods of Tengar, though it didn’t begin reeking its chaos on Exandria until after their arrival.

The Protean god’s first attempt to seal Tharizdun proved disastrously insecure during the Calamity when the Elder Evil broke free and displayed a violent mastery over its domain of destruction. The Elder Evil was subsequently re-banished into the Abyss in arduous effort from multiple deities including the Dawnfather, the All-Hammer, the Changebringer, and the Knowing Mistress. Since that second concealment, the Chained Oblivion appears to remain divinely shackled in the Abyss, though the threat of its reemergence looms in the back of the pantheon’s mind.

Related: All Guest Appearances in Critical Role’s Campaign 3 Finale

When Has the Chained Oblivion Appeared in Critical Role?

The mention of the Chained Oblivion in Campaign 3, Episode 121: “A New Age Begins” might have provoked the classic Critical Role refrain “It’s been a while,” because references to the mad god are few and far between across the show’s main campaigns. Though Tharizdun has been mentioned in each campaign, Campaign 2’s Mighty Nein was the party whose path most directly crossed with the Chained Oblivion. The Elder Evil took an interest in Cognouza, exerting some influence over the living city visited by the Mighty Nein. Ultimately, even the Mighty Nein’s encounters with the Chained Oblivion were limited by the restraints of its abyssal banishment.

Much like with Cognouza, the Chained Oblivion has exercised subtle influence over a few tumultuous events in Exandrian history since the Calamity, though its capabilities are mitigated by its divine exile. Despite its seemingly successful confinement, the gods’ voicing concerns about Tharizdun to Bells Hells nearly a millennium after its banishment demonstrates how perilous of an opponent the Chained Oblivion was and could still be if it ever finds a way to break free.

And that’s who the Chained Oblivion is in Critical Role.