Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyCritical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria – The Mighty Nein Part Two
Dark Horse Books
Written by Dani Carr
Art by Helen Mask, Hunter Bonyun, Francesco Heinz Furukawa
Bookshop owner Iva Deshin has decided on her next book and it is a deep dive into the adventures of a mercenary group known as The Mighty Nein. A book that will require her to leave the relative comfort of her shop Chastity’s Nook and take her on an adventure across the continent tracking the movements of the Mighty Nein and interviewing people and creatures who have come in contact with the group during their adventures. Deshin will find herself in new and exotic locations speaking with and befriending unlikely allies and through chronicling the adventures of the Mighty Nein, find herself having an adventure of her own.
Being both a fan of Critical Role and more specifically, the second campaign this chronicle is based on, I was pleasantly surprised by the tone and direction Carr takes with this story. I immediately thought it was a brilliant decision to tell this story from the point of view of an NPC (non player character). Having played Dungeons and Dragons for many years, those NPC’s and side characters can be useful in moving along the story or giving the players information that they need to move forward, but they tend to not have much of a life after the fact. One thing that DM Matthew Mercer has always been brilliant at is giving these characters memorable personalities and Carr gives Iva Deshin an inner life that makes her story and perspective compelling.
Deshin’s first forays into the world outside of the city of Zadash will bring her to new and dangerous places from the port city of Nicodranus all the way to the heart of the Krynn Dynasty which is currently at war with her home in the Empire. One of the things I loved about how Dani Carr handles this story is that the character is not without skill when it comes to her trek and she has enough guile and ambition to see it through. Carr does a fantastic job of fleshing out the character and giving her more personality to the point where you care about Iva Deshin outside of her quest. I also really love the notes to the editor in the sides of many of the chapters and how they evolve as well as reveal Deshin’s personality both in her excitement and frustration.
In between the chapters are beautiful works of art that not only feed into the adventure, but also help visualize the fantastical fantasy world of the Mighty Nein. There are some beautiful character portraits as well as vistas that are breathtaking in their scope and detail.
Deshin’s adventures are not without risk as she weaves her way through dangerous enemy territory with nothing but her wits and magic hat to protect her and I love getting her perspective on not just the adventures of the Mighty Nein, but also on the world she is discovering in her journey. Carr does an amazing job of crafting what a chronicle should be by making it not just about the subject being chronicled, but also how the journey changes the one doing the chronicling. In that way, the story takes on layers outside of what I’ve experienced in both the actual play and the companion comics that I appreciate.
The worlds Matthew Mercer and the cast of Critical Role create are rich, lush and brilliantly engaging and Dani Carr takes those worlds and beautifully evolves them in this chronicle. This is wonderful edition to the lore of Exandria told from a unique and engaging perspective and I loved reading it as a fan of Critical Role and The Mighty Nein.
Critical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria – The Mighty Nein Part Two
