Nat 20 & Unwind — Vault of the Black Star (The Lost Missions Debrief)

The first simulation is complete. The team emerges from the Vault of the Black Star — shaken, half-intact, and missing more than a few memories. In this debrief, the cast steps out of the Syndicate’s simulation to unpack what just happened.

We break down how the mission played out, what went wrong in the Still Cold, and which mechanics tested the limits of sanity. From corrupted memory checks to zero-gravity combat, this Unwind episode explores how Vault of the Black Star blurred the line between player and experiment.

Expect laughter, theorycrafting, and post-mission confessions as the crew compares notes on The Archivist Below and what the simulation might be trying to teach them.

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Nat 20 & Unwind is an after-session production of the Scalebound Syndicate. By scale and secret, we endure.

Crit Happens: The Lost Missions — Episode 1: Vault of the Black Star

Welcome to The Lost Missions — a classified simulation within the Syndicate archives. Agents volunteer for these experimental reruns, testing old contracts and discarded session blueprints buried deep in the Oathbinder’s Ledger.

The first reconstruction, Vault of the Black Star, drops the team into the frozen abyss of the Still Cold. Their mission: recover a crystalline key fragment from a long-sealed prison once used to contain The Archivist Below, an entity that devours memory and identity.

But this isn’t a real deployment — or so the Overseers claim. Each simulation rewinds fragments of past missions to test new tactics, altered outcomes, and impossible odds. Every variable is recorded. Every death analyzed. Every success erased.

The question is no longer if they survive, but what the simulation remembers when it’s over.

Sponsors:Dungeon Trader – dungeontrader.appKobold Press – koboldpress.comNomono – nomono.co

Follow Crit HappensInstagram: @CritHappensPodFacebook: facebook.com/CritHappensPodTwitter (X): @_CritHappensPod

The Syndicate agents press onward through the choking heat of the Ashen Belt, their mission heavy on every step. After days of travel through ash-choked passes and rivers of molten glass, the silhouette of Pyreheart Stronghold looms — a fortress carved into living magma, where banners of the Dominion flutter beside the silent sigils of the Hollow Host.

The party’s approach is anything but simple. Scaling the fortress’s jagged exterior, they brave volcanic gusts, cascading embers, and the echoing hymns of unseen sentinels. Beneath them, the molten caldera hums like a heartbeat — the Accord waits above, its signatories sharpening both quills and knives.

Yet as they breach the outer wall, smoke is not the only thing that clouds their path. The agents face choices that cut deeper than steel: mercy or mission, truth or loyalty. In the halls of Pyreheart, even the righteous burn.

Creative Use Disclaimer: This podcast is a transformative work based on Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition) under the Open Game License. All characters, settings, and story elements are original creations set within the homebrew world of Virelios.

The dice have cooled, the ash has settled, and the Syndicate’s agents finally exhale.
In this companion after-show, the cast of Crit Happens! gathers around the table to unpack the first steps of The Pyreheart Accord arc—sharing their favorite market moments, character choices, and theories about what truly awaits inside Mount Varron.

From wild shopping antics in Cindermarch to the creeping tension of a world on the edge of treaty and betrayal, the crew breaks down how these seemingly quiet beginnings set the tone for a volcanic descent into chaos. Expect laughter, speculation, and a few heartfelt confessions about what it means to play heroes in a world built on memory and fire.

Pull up a chair, pour a drink, and roll high on relaxation—it’s time to unwind.

Legal Disclaimer:
Nat 20 & Unwind is an independent after-show companion to Crit Happens!, a Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition actual-play podcast set in the original world of Virelios. This production operates under the Open Game License (OGL 1.0a). All characters, storylines, and settings—including the Scalebound Syndicate and The Pyreheart Accord—are original creative works and are not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, or any official D&D property. Dungeons & Dragons and all associated trademarks are the property of Wizards of the Coast, LLC.

With the weight of a world on the brink of war, the Scalebound agents take one last breath before the firestorm.
Episode One follows the team through the markets of Cindermarch, where ash-forged merchants and relic-peddlers whisper of the coming summit between the Dominion of Fahlreach and the Hollow Host. Between bartering for enchanted steel, memory-ink, and phoenix-proof cloaks, each agent arms themselves for what lies ahead—politics wrapped in prophecy and treachery bound in gold.

As the sun bleeds across the horizon, their caravan sets out toward Mount Varron, the volcanic citadel known as Pyreheart Stronghold. The roads twist through glassed ravines and smoking vents where the land itself still remembers the Oracle’s fire. Strange travelers shadow their path, and distant tremors warn that the mountain is waking.

It’s the quiet before the eruption—the moment where steel is tested, faith is questioned, and the first sparks of the Accord begin to catch.

Legal Disclaimer:
Crit Happens! is an independent production set within the original world of Virelios. This show uses mechanics from Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition) under the Open Game License (OGL 1.0a). All storylines, settings, and characters— including the Scalebound Syndicate, Virelios, and The Pyreheart Accord—are original creative works and are not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, or any other official D&D property. Dungeons & Dragons and all associated trademarks are the property of Wizards of the Coast, LLC.

The stage lights have dimmed, the applause has faded, and the laughter still echoes a little too long. The crew gathers around the table—not for battle, but for breath.

Join the cast of Crit Happens! as they unwind after the House of Fun arc: talking through the traps that tested their nerves, the confessions that cost blood, and the lessons hidden behind the jokes. From near-death theatrics to Nyros’ rebirth and Zebulon’s vow of water-only discipline, the players pull back the curtain on what it felt like inside Virelios’ most dangerous carnival.

Expect laughter, reflection, and maybe a little chaos as the party decompresses, debates their best (and worst) rolls, and shares what they learned about their characters—and themselves—inside the House that wanted to understand them.

“You can’t spell ‘fun’ without ‘uhhh.’”

🎙️ A special roundtable episode where the players of Crit Happens! step out of character, pour a drink (or just water), and unpack the madness behind the magic.

⚖️ Legal Disclaimer:
Crit Happens! and Nat 20 & Unwind are independent, fan-produced podcasts operating under Creative Use and Fair Play provisions. All game systems, mechanics, and terminology are used pursuant to the Open Game License (OGL 1.0a) and in accordance with Wizards of the Coast’s Fan Content Policy.

These shows are not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, or any other rights-holding entities. All original storylines, characters, settings, and audio materials — including Virelios, The Scalebound Syndicate, and Crit Happens! branding — are © 2025 Spencer Hart & P3 Podcast Network.

This podcast exists to celebrate storytelling, friendship, and the unforgettable chaos of rolling dice together.

The laughter fades, but the House isn’t done playing.

After surviving the stage and the Goblin’s performance, our Syndicate agents press deeper into the House of Fun, where patience becomes a weapon and the walls breathe in time with the ticking of unseen gears. Traps whisper lessons about virtue, and every choice weighs heavier than the last.

Acid swamps, half-spoken vows, and the haunting promise of a final curtain call—this “day off” turns into a descent into spectacle and self. The party will learn what it costs to be clever… and what it means when the applause finally stops.

“Glory is cheap. Meaning is expensive.”

🕯️ Part II of the House of Fun arc — where the laughter cracks, the truth bleeds through, and every virtue is tested beneath the stage lights.

⚖️ Legal Disclaimer:
Crit Happens! is an independent, fan-produced actual-play podcast operating under Creative Use and Fair Play provisions. All game systems, mechanics, and terminology are used pursuant to the Open Game License (OGL 1.0a) and in accordance with Wizards of the Coast’s Fan Content Policy.

This show is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, or any other rights-holding entities. All original storylines, characters, setting material, and audio assets — including Virelios, The Scalebound Syndicate, and related lore — are wholly original works created by the Crit Happens! production team and © 2025 Spencer Hart & P3 Podcast Network.

This podcast is made for entertainment, storytelling, and the celebration of collaborative creativity within the tabletop community.

The Syndicate promised a week of rest and amusement… but when our agents step through the lacquered doors of the House of Fun, they find laughter has a sharper edge.
Bright lights, false smiles, and a stage that demands performance—the kind that draws blood when you miss your cue.

Svara, Zebulon, Nyros, Ogaman, Kasdeya, and Osysa test their teamwork in a theater of tricks, uncovering that every joke hides a threat and every spotlight hides something watching. The first half of their “day off” crescendos in the Goblin Puzzle, a performance that’s less riddle and more ritual.

The applause comes a heartbeat too late.

“Welcome to the show, darlings—remember, the House always gets its laugh.”

🕯️ Part I of the House of Fun arc — a deadly day off full of spectacle, paranoia, and puzzles that remember who you are.

Crit Happens! is an independent, fan-produced actual-play podcast operating under Creative Use and Fair Play provisions. All game systems, mechanics, and terminology are used pursuant to the Open Game License (OGL 1.0a) and in accordance with Wizards of the Coast’s Fan Content Policy.

This show is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, or any other rights-holding entities. All original storylines, characters, setting material, and audio assets — including Virelios, The Scalebound Syndicate, and related lore — are wholly original works created by the Crit Happens! production team and © 2025 Spencer Hart & P3 Podcast Network