The 5 Sundered Houses of CRITICAL ROLE CAMPAIGN 4, Explained

by

The five Sundered Houses have been a key element of Critical Role Campaign 4 from the start. They were originally responsible for the death of Thjazi Fang, and later played a role in the downfall of House Royce and House Davinos. Episode 5 revealed that the entire campaign’s central conflict will focus on these Houses – how they connect and influence events in Dol-Makjar. So, what exactly are Sundered Houses? What are the five Houses featured in Critical Role Campaign 4, and what does each of them represent? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is a Sundered House in Critical Role Campaign 4?

The Sundered Houses are the noble families of Dol-Makjar in Critical Role Campaign 4. They existed long before the Shapers’ War, which ended with the deaths of the Aramán gods. Since then, some houses have become more powerful while others have weakened, and many are now actively trying to increase their influence. They’re called the Sundered Houses because they suffered greatly during the Shapers’ War, but despite these losses, they remain a significant force in the region.

Following the Shapers’ War, the once-great Sundered Houses fought in several other conflicts, including the War of Axe and Vine – the details of which remain unknown. Their biggest test came with the Falconers’ Rebellion, a revolt led by Thjazi Fang against their rule. During this uprising, the five Sundered Houses united to fight against the revolutionaries.

Currently, in Critical Role Campaign 4, the Sundered Houses control Dol-Makjar by influencing the Chamber of Lords-Advisory, which provides guidance to the Revolutionary Council. It was this council, likely at the urging of Houses Halovar and Tachonis (though they may not admit it), that ordered the execution of Thjazi Fang. Following Thjazi Fang’s death, several houses began maneuvering to strengthen their positions throughout Dol-Makjar, and we’ll explain how below.

Which 5 Sundered Houses Exist in Dol-Makjar?

The five noble houses of Dol-Makjar featured in Critical Role Campaign 4 are House Tachonis, House Halovar, House Royce, House Einfasen, and House Cormoray.

Do the Sundered Houses All Agree on Everything?

The Sundered Houses generally prioritize their own interests. Though they temporarily united under Thjazi Fang during the Falconers’ Rebellion, they were divided during the Shapers’ War. Houses Halovar and Tachonis were known as “Priestly Houses,” meaning they supported the gods in that conflict. Conversely, Houses Royce, Einfasen, and Cormoray were “Rebel Houses,” seeking to destroy them. These differing beliefs appear to persist even now. While it’s unknown if Houses Royce, Einfasen, and Cormoray are currently allied, Houses Halovar and Tachonis seem to be collaborating, as seen in Critical Role Campaign 4.

House Tachonis, Explained

Okay, so let’s talk about House Tachonis from Critical Role Campaign 4. From what we’ve seen, they actually fought with the gods during the Shapers’ War, which is pretty significant. They’re basically the house all about death and shadows – think funerals, cremation, and guiding souls to the afterlife. It’s seriously cool, and a little spooky, how they can summon shades of the dead. They even almost managed to break the barrier between the living world and the realm of the dead! Plus, they’re a family of powerful sorcerers and necromancers, and they’ve got this incredible castle built right in the Tenebral Reaches – basically, the realm of death itself. It’s a really fascinating house, and I’m excited to see what else we learn about them.

House Tachonis’ Ambitions in Critical Role Campaign 4

In Critical Role Campaign 4, House Tachonis has proven to be a major threat. They launched a devastating attack on House Royce, completely destroying it along with its allied House, Davinos. Currently, they’re also involved in a mysterious plot surrounding the Stone of Nightsong, an ancient elven relic. They even went so far as to remove Occtis Tachonis’ heart and replace it with the stone, but Thaisha Lloy intervened before the ritual could finish, leaving their plans unclear.

In Critical Role Campaign 4, House Halovar and House Tachonis appear to be allies, but their partnership is more for show—neither house genuinely supports the other.

Notable Critical Role Campaign 4 Characters From the Sundered House of Tachonis

Occtis Tachonis, played by Alex Ward, belongs to House Tachonis. Though he shares his family’s magical abilities as a sorcerer and necromancer, he’s distanced himself from them. Occtis was a student at the Penteveral and also journeyed with Thaisha Lloy.

Occtis’ father, Primus, and brother, Ethrand Tachonis, are both incredibly dangerous. Primus killed Julien Davinos’ father, and Ethrand went even further, killing Julien’s brother and trapping the Stone of Nightsong inside his body. It’s a truly horrifying situation!

House Halovar, Explained

As a huge fan of Critical Role Campaign 4, I’ve become really fascinated by House Halovar. They’re one of the Priestly Houses, and their story is pretty tragic. Originally, they were incredibly powerful priests devoted to Tansul, the sun god – second in influence only to the royal family of the old Aramán empire! But then the Shapers’ War happened, and it nearly destroyed them. Now, they’re trying to rebuild their influence by spreading a new religion they created themselves, called the Candescent Creed, which centers around the worship of light. It’s a really compelling arc, watching them try to claw their way back to power.

The Candescent Creed grows stronger by taking in new followers. They also create a powerful magical substance called Filament. This Filament is revealed to be the blood of Aetheon, a celestial being from Tansul – essentially an angel who once served their god. Aetheon is being held captive beneath their estate, Villa Aurora. Surprisingly, Aetheon is also the grandfather of Wicandar Halovar. Wicandar’s grandmother, Photarch Yanessa Halovar, a leader within the Candescent Creed and head of House Halovar, used Aetheon’s blood to magically create her son.

House Halovar’s Ambitions

House Halovar wants Thjazi Fang dead, though the reason isn’t clear. They’re also trying to gain followers by promoting the Candescent Creed. Photarch Yanessa Halovar has her sights set on the D’Antonio family’s land, and plans to have her son, Wicandar, marry Ebecca D’Antonio, the current heir, to claim it. Yanessa believes the land contains vineyards with unique alchemical properties, and the wine produced there could help spread Filament more easily.

Notable Critical Role Campaign 4 Characters From the Sundered House of Halovar

Wicandar Halovar, a character in Critical Role Campaign 4 played by Sam Riegel, is a standout member of House Halovar. He seems to be the only genuinely kind-hearted person in his family, deeply devoted to their beliefs and always striving to do what’s right. He has a close, heartwarming connection with his apprentice, Tyranny, a demon played by Whitney Moore.

Besides Wick, I’ve learned about Photarch Yanessa Halovar, and she’s determined to restore her family’s influence. I also discovered Wick’s father, Godard Halovar, has an incredible origin – he was magically created from the blood of Aetheon, a celestial being! It turns out Godard is like an angel himself, complete with wings, which is just amazing.

House Royce, Explained

In Critical Role Campaign 4, House Royce seems to be the only one of the Sundered Houses with genuinely good intentions. They’ve been blessed and linked to the magical realm of the fey, but that connection was severed before the campaign started, causing their power to diminish. Their castle, located in the Golden Orchard, was once a place where both mortals and fey could meet. Beyond that, we know Lady Aranaessa Royce was formerly married to Thjazi Fang. However, even House Royce joined the other Sundered Houses in opposing him during the Falconers’ Rebellion.

During episode 4 of Critical Role Campaign 4, House Tachonis, another powerful family, attacked the Palazzo Davinos, severely damaging House Royce.

House Royce’s Ambitions

House Royce seems to desire both peace and fairness, and they’re hoping to rebuild the connection between the human world and the realm of the fey.

Notable Critical Role Campaign 4 Characters From the Sundered House Royce

Lady Aranessa Royce, a character played by Brennan Lee Mulligan, is currently the most prominent member of House Royce we know about. She was married to the now-deceased Thjazi Fang, and is a close friend and liege lord to Sir Julien Davinos, a character played by Matt Mercer.

House Royce’s Vassel House, House Davinos

Julien belongs to House Davinos, which is currently the most prominent vassal house featured in Critical Role Campaign 4. While House Davinos technically serves House Royce, Julien’s father, Raimond, made a controversial decision during the Falconers’ Rebellion: he supported Thjazi Fang instead of his own liege-house. Though likely the ethical choice, this act brought dishonor to House Royce. Julien never reconciled with his father over it, but sadly, Raimond and many others from House Davinos were killed by House Tachonis before they had a chance to discuss it.

House Einfasen, Explained

House Einfasen hasn’t been a major player in Critical Role Campaign 4 so far. This noble family is known for its military strength, and doesn’t appear to have much magical power.

House Einfasen’s Ambitions

Following Thjazi Fang’s death, House Einfasen is attempting to gain control over Dol-Makjar’s military and police forces – specifically the Arcane Marshals and Revolutionary Guard. It appears they want to transform the Revolutionary Guard into a personal army loyal to them, as seen in Critical Role Campaign 4.

Notable Critical Role Campaign 4 Characters From the Sundered House Einfasen

I got a quick glimpse of Sir Harondus Einfasen when we were at Revolutionary Guard HQ, and honestly, he immediately struck Azune Nayar and me as someone who wasn’t just ambitious – he felt like he deserved power, and that definitely felt ominous. He just gave off a bad vibe, you know?

House Cormoray, Explained

We’re still learning about the Sundered House of Cormoray in Critical Role Campaign 3, but we know it’s associated with sorcerers and they produce wine. In the campaign, Lady Amariya Cormoray is seen investigating the Archanade museum, where Bolaire works, which shows another Sundered House starting to interfere with a Dol-Makjar organization.

Other Things the Sundered Houses Are Up To in Critical Role Campaign 4

Beyond everything else, several of the Sundered Houses want to eliminate magic in Dol-Makjar. They’ve already convinced the Revolutionary Council to prohibit magic in public markets, and now they’re even attempting to ban it at the Penteveral – a school dedicated to magical learning. This is concerning.

The Schemers Want to Turn the Sundered Houses Against Each Other

The Sundered Houses are causing trouble, but the Schemers’ Table has a plan to pit them against each other. Azune Nayar noted that one powerful family recently destroyed another, and he’s using that to warn the remaining families they could be targeted next. The Schemers’ Table hopes that by preventing the Sundered Houses from uniting, they can save Dol-Makjar.

More About Critical Role Campaign 4

Critical Role’s fourth campaign starts every Thursday at 7 PM Pacific Time on Beacon.tv. You can also watch it live on Critical Role’s YouTube and Twitch channels. The recorded episode (VOD) becomes available to everyone the following Monday at noon Pacific Time. The audio podcast is released in two parts: the first part one week after the live show, and the second part the following Tuesday.

Read More

2025-11-07 11:09