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The world of Critical Role takes inspiration from just about every facet of fiction that you could imagine. From the Lord of the Rings to the Greek pantheon, from Jane Austenian romance to Michiavelli's brutal politicking, it's all there in the Hallowed Halls of Exandria. Now, critters can appreciate the TTRPG liveplay's inspirations in an all-new way with Critical Role: The Armory of Heroes, a new art book and lore compendium from writer Martin Cahill and artist Ana Fedina (AKA Anafi). In honor of the book's release, Popverse got a chance to chat with none other than OG cast member Liam O'Brien, and we couldn't help but ask about the inspirations for one of our favorite (if lesser known) campaigns - Exandria Unlimited: Calamity.

In case you don't know, Calamity takes place eons before the more popular storylines of Vox Machina or The Mighty Nein, CR's first and second campaigns respectively. Calamity is set during an era called the Age of Arcanum, a time period that blends science fiction and mythology into a pre-disaster world populated by flying cities. One of those flying cities is known as Avalir, and it was this particular location that O'Brien pulled back the curtains on. 

"For me," OBrien says, "The city of Avalir is a science fiction fusion of The Great Gatsby, The Emerald City of Oz, the old Fritz Lang film, Metropolis, and all the incredible Art Deco art and architecture of Manhattan. I love thinking about this grandiose city crafted by arcane visionaries, forming beautiful architecture with the sheer power of the mind. It seems like it would intertwine art and architecture even more gracefully than they already are."

To O'Brien's point, every piece of media and architecture referenced here is associated with the 1920s-30s, all of which come before our own real-world calamities of the Great Depression and World War II. In envisioning a world before one of Exandria's greatest disasters, it would make sense that GM Brennan Lee Mulligan (and artist Fedina) would look to this real-world time period for inspiration. 

Critical Role: The Armory of Heroes is available now. 

From the lands of Exandria to your very own smartscreens, Popverse has everything you need to know about the TTRPG phenomenon that is Critical Role. Here you'll find:

• Popverse's Critical Role watch order
• An interview with GM Brennan Lee Mulligan
• The cast's appearance at C2E2 '25

...and more. Roll initiative, player. Adventure awaits.