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Here's a fandom crossover we didn't expect: Vico Ortiz, star of beloved queer pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death, is officially joining the Critical Role family. Specifically, Ortiz will be rolling the dice during the company's next actual play series using their own high-fantasy TTRPG system, Daggerheart. A follow-up to last year's Age of Umbra mini, Age of Umbra: Sallowlands will see Ortiz and others exploring a brand new region of the grimdark world of The Halcyon Domain.

The announcement came straight from the official Daggerheart website in an article posted May 20. Along with Ortiz's involvement, the company has also revealed that OG Critical Rolers Matt Mercer and Laura Bailey will be returning to Umbra, alongside Abubakar Salim of Assassin's Creed: Origins and and Jennifer English of Baldur's Gate 3 fame. Zachery Renauldo, who joined Critical Role for last year's sponsored Suikoden one-shot, rounds out the cast.

As I don't have to tell anyone who watched the first foray into Age of Umbra, this next chapter of Daggerheart actual play is set in a desolate and dreary wasteland, a place of old glory blighted by ancient horrors. 

"The Sallowlands region," explained the official announcement, "Expands upon the campaign frame from the Daggerheart Core Set: A once-vibrant lake of the Old World now lies sunken and barren, a canyon desert of swirling dust storms and desperate communities holding fast to the light. Against this ghastly backdrop a new tale is told, when a surprising development sends a group of outcasts and survivors off the edges of the map in search of answers."

Sounds like a pretty rough time, Daggerheart fans. But hey, if there's one person who can keep their chin up (and nose on), it's Pirate Jim.

Age of Umbra: Sallowlands debuts on Critical Role's Beacon, Twitch, and YouTube channels July 9.

With two animated series on Prime Video, Campaign 4 in full swing, and so much more Exandrian lore to come, Critical Role is showing no signs of slowing down. That's why the adventuring party at Popverse are here to bring you everything we can from those nerdy-ass voice actors & Bo., including:

• Critical Role release schedule
• Critical Role's Campaign 4 characters ranked
• How to watch Critical Role in order
• Ways for you to relive the Critical Role panel from ECCC '26
• Taliesin Jaffe on playing Mollymauk Tealeaf for Campaign 2 vs. playing him for Prime Video
• Matt Mercer's homebrew warrior class (created originally for Vin Diesel)

...and much, much more. Roll initiative, player. Magic awaits.