If you felt the cast of Critical Role Campaign 4 was brimming with oddities, prepare for a jarring escalation. Age of Umbra: Sallowlands, the latest Daggerheart miniseries, has arrived, and between the unsettling character designs and the haunting premiere, the aesthetic feels plucked straight from the twisted annals of Elden Ring.
<p><strong>Editor’s Note:</strong> The following contains spoilers for the series premiere of <em>Age of Umbra: Sallowlands</em>.</p>
<p>Set against the backdrop of the bleak, god-forsaken Halcyon Domain, this gothic odyssey features a star-studded ensemble: co-founder Laura Bailey, Jennifer English, Abubakar Salim, Vico Ortiz, and Zachery Renauldo. They portray an eclectic group—Sister, the duo of Dillwyn and Badger, Caguama, Alphonse, and Mercy—all guided by the steady hand of <a href="https://www.polygon.com/critical-role-matt-mercer-dungeon-master-age-of-umbra-sallowlands/" target="_blank">Matthew Mercer</a> as Dungeon Master.</p>
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<p>While we have only caught a glimpse of this tragic cast, it is clear that there is significant depth beneath their formidable exteriors. Here is a breakdown of the survivors wandering the salt-crusted Sallowlands.</p>
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<h2 id="sister">Sister</h2>
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<img src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2-2.jpg" alt="Critical Role Sallowlands Sister">
<small class="body-img-caption">Graphic: Polygon/Image: Critical Role</small>
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<p><strong>Player:</strong> Laura Bailey | <strong>Ancestry:</strong> Fungril | <strong>Class:</strong> Hedge Witch</p>
<p>Best known for her iconic work as Abby in <em>The Last of Us: Part II</em>, Laura Bailey takes on a much darker role here. Sister is a member of the Fungril (a mushroom-folk ancestry), but she is a far cry from the lighthearted characters Bailey has portrayed previously. Driven by the need to halt a catastrophic depletion of magic, she has abandoned her kin to seek a desperate cure. There is also an enigmatic link between her and Mercy that remains to be unraveled.</p>
<h2 id="mercy">Mercy</h2>
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<img src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1-2.jpg" alt="Critical Role Sallowlands Mercy">
<small class="body-img-caption">Graphic: Polygon/Image: Critical Role</small>
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<p><strong>Player:</strong> Abubakar Salim | <strong>Ancestry:</strong> Giant-Fungril | <strong>Class:</strong> Juggernaut Brawler</p>
<p>Abubakar Salim, recently seen as Alyn of Hull in <em>House of the Dragon</em>, brings a powerhouse to the table. Despite his hulking frame and brutal combat style, Mercy is a soul defined by gentleness and his fierce loyalty to Dillwyn and her companion, Badger. He travels toward the rumored sanctuary of the Sallowlands, though he is plagued by a lack of memory regarding his own life before he attained consciousness.</p>
<h2 id="dillwyn-hellekin-and-badger">Dillwyn Hellekin and Badger</h2>
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<img src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/3-2.jpg" alt="Critical Role Sallowlands Dillwyn and Badger">
<small class="body-img-caption">Graphic: Polygon/Image: Critical Role</small>
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<p><strong>Player:</strong> Jennifer English | <strong>Ancestry:</strong> Wildborne Simiah | <strong>Class:</strong> Beastbound Ranger</p>
<p>Fresh from her celebrated performance as Shadowheart in <em>Baldur’s Gate 3</em>, Jennifer English joins the Critical Role table for the first time. As a rapid, evasive ranger, Dillwyn is defined by her unbreakable bond with Badger, a pig-like bat. Her primary motivation is the safety of her close friend, Mercy, helping to keep the group moving as they navigate the perils of the Halcyon Domain.</p>
<h2 id="alphonse">Alphonse</h2>
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<img src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/5-1.jpg" alt="Critical Role Sallowlands Alphonse">
<small class="body-img-caption">Graphic: Polygon/Image: Critical Role</small>
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<p><strong>Player:</strong> Zachery Renauldo | <strong>Ancestry:</strong> Reborne Elf | <strong>Class:</strong> Order of the Specter Blood Hunter</p>
<p>TikTok creator Zachery Renauldo steps into a more serious narrative role with Alphonse, a skull-masked blood hunter. Unlike his companions, Alphonse is deeply cynical about the rumors of a utopian city. He traverses the wilds with the specific intent of exposing the destination as a potential trap to prevent others from falling victim to its false promise.</p>
<h2 id="caguama">Caguama</h2>
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<img src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/4-1.jpg" alt="Critical Role Sallowlands Caguama">
<small class="body-img-caption">Graphic: Polygon/Image: Critical Role</small>
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<p><strong>Player:</strong> Vico Ortiz | <strong>Ancestry:</strong> Seaborne Galapa | <strong>Class:</strong> Divine Wielder Seraph</p>
<p>Vico Ortiz, known for their vibrant work in <em>Our Flag Means Death</em>, portrays the elderly and seemingly timid Caguama. However, beneath a gentle exterior lies a character with over a century of experience, surviving from a time before the Domain fell into decay. Caguama acts as the party’s diplomatic compass, offering a stark contrast to the more combative members of the group.</p>
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<p><em>Age of Umbra: Sallowlands</em> is currently airing. Episodes premiere weekly on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon.tv, with video-on-demand versions becoming available on YouTube the following Monday.</p>Source: Polygon
