It happened in Episode 94 of Campaign 2. If you were watching Critical Role live that night, you remember the collective gasp. For nearly a hundred episodes, Jester Lavorre—played with chaotic, sugary brilliance by Laura Bailey—had been chirping about her "best friend," a whimsical deity known only as The Traveler. Most of us just thought he was a quirky homebrew god. Maybe a trickster archetype. A figment of a lonely tiefling's imagination?
Nope.
When Matthew Mercer finally pulled back the curtain, we didn't get a god. We got Artagan. For fans of the first campaign, that name hit like a freight train. The Traveler Critical Role identity wasn't some new cosmic entity; it was a powerful, bored Archfey from the Feywild who had basically accidentally started a cult because he thought Jester was neat.
This wasn't just a "gotcha" moment. It fundamentally rewired how we understand the theology of Exandria. It proved that in Mercer’s world, divinity isn't just about ancient scrolls and golden temples. Sometimes, it’s just a powerful guy with pink hair and a bit of an ego problem who gets in over his head.
The Artagan Connection: From Vox Machina to the Mighty Nein
Let’s be real. Artagan was always a bit of a wildcard. When Vox Machina first encountered him in the Feywild, he was an enigmatic, somewhat menacing figure who helped them move through time—for the price of a memory or a favor. He was dangerous.
By the time he becomes The Traveler, he's softened, but he's also more desperate. He told Jester he was a god because he wanted to feel special. He wanted a friend. But then Jester started telling people. And those people started praying.
Suddenly, Artagan had a problem: he wasn't actually a god. He was an Archfey receiving "pings" from thousands of followers he didn't want and couldn't actually help. This is where the story gets fascinating from a world-building perspective. It explores the "tulpamancy" of Dungeons & Dragons—the idea that if enough people believe in something, it starts to become real. Artagan was literally being molded into a deity against his will by the collective belief of his followers.
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Honestly, it’s kind of a nightmare scenario for a guy who just wanted to hang out and draw sketches with a tiefling girl.
The Mechanics of a "Fake" Deity
How does a non-god grant spells? This is a question that kept the community up at night for years. In the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, and later in Tal'Dorei Reborn, it's made clear that powerful beings like Archfey or Krakens can act as "lesser idols." They provide power, but they aren't bound by the Divine Gate.
The Divine Gate is that big magical barrier keeping the "real" gods like the Raven Queen or Pelor out of the material plane. Because Artagan wasn't a true god, he was already on the plane. He was walking around, eating pastries, and physically hugging his high priestess.
That’s a huge deal.
Most clerics in Exandria pray to a distant concept. Jester was literally holding hands with her source of power. It made their relationship deeply personal, but also incredibly fragile. When Artagan started getting scared of his followers—leading to the disastrous Traveler Con on Rumblecusp—it showed a vulnerability we never see in traditional D&D deities.
Why Traveler Con Was a Turning Point
Rumblecusp was a mess. A beautiful, chaotic, terrifying mess. Artagan’s plan was basically to "retire" from godhood by gaslighting his followers into thinking he was ascending and then leaving them behind.
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It was selfish. It was peak Artagan.
But Jester held him accountable. That’s the core of the The Traveler Critical Role arc. It wasn't about a worshiper serving a master; it was about a girl teaching an immortal being how to be a decent person. Or at least, a slightly less terrible one.
Misconceptions About the Traveler’s Alignment
People often argue about whether The Traveler is "evil" or "chaotic neutral." If you look at the fallout of his actions—like the cultists who genuinely suffered or the chaos he sowed in the Vasselheim temple—it’s easy to paint him as a villain.
But that misses the point of the Fey.
Artagan doesn't operate on human morality. He operates on interest. If you are interesting, he likes you. If you are boring, you don't exist to him. He isn't malicious in the way Bane or Zehir is. He’s just profoundly disconnected from the consequences of his immortality. Jester is the only thing that anchors him to reality.
The Legacy of the Trickster
What does this mean for your own games? Or for the future of the show?
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The Traveler's arc proved that "cleric" doesn't have to mean "religious." You can play a cleric who is essentially a Warlock with a better PR department. It opened the door for players to question where their power comes from.
It also set a precedent for Campaign 3. We see the gods being treated as "parasites" or "predators" by certain factions like the Vanguard. Artagan's story was the first time we saw the "man behind the curtain." It demystified the divine in a way that made the stakes feel much more human.
Actionable Takeaways for D&D Players
If you're looking to bring some of that The Traveler Critical Role energy to your table, here's how to do it without just copying Jester:
- Blur the lines between Patron and Deity. Ask your DM if your "god" can be a powerful entity that is physically present in the world. It creates way more roleplay opportunities than just "I pray and get spells."
- Focus on the relationship, not the religion. Jester and Artagan worked because they were friends. Make your source of power someone your character has a complicated, personal history with.
- Embrace the consequences of belief. If your character starts a cult, the DM should make that cult a burden. People should show up asking for miracles you can't actually perform.
- The Divine Gate is a tool, not just lore. Use the fact that lesser idols aren't blocked by the Gate to create villains or allies that the "real" gods can't touch.
The Traveler wasn't a god. He was a mistake that became a miracle. And in the world of Exandria, that's often much more interesting than a golden light in the sky.
Next time you're building a character, don't just pick a name from a list of deities. Think about who might be listening on the other side of that prayer—and whether they're actually prepared for what happens when you start believing in them. Artagan certainly wasn't. But watching him figure it out was the best part of the journey.