Well Beneath

is the fifty-fourth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role.

Pre-Show

 * D&D Beyond is behind the campaign for president. There are two promo codes this week- ISupportSam and ISupportLiam. Sam shot a promo for D&D Beyond while on a ski vacation with his family.

Announcements

 * Travis- A Vox Machina animated series is happening. So far the Kickstarter campaign has funded six 22 minute episodes. The first two episodes will be an original story. The next four episodes will be the beginnings of the Briarwood arc from The Campaign of Vox Machina. The VOD of a community Q&A about the campaign is now available on the YouTube channel. The Kickstarter campaign continues until April 18.
 * Matt encourages everyone to check out the hashtag #FundDiverseGames on Twitter to look for other creators and designers and support them if you are able to. Critical Role is just one of many creators out there. They are committed to growing the community and lifting up everyone around them.
 * Sam introduced two new stretch goals for the Kickstarter. If the campaign makes $7.5 million, he will start using a larger flask. If the campaign makes $8.8 million, he will start using a 4 gallon flask. Both flasks were sent in by Critters. If someone finds a bigger flask and sends it in, Sam will put it on the show.

Previously on Critical Role
''Last we left off the Mighty Nein, making their way across the eastern wastes of Xhorhas in search of the kidnapped husband of Nott- Yeza, discarded in a past life with the death and reincarnation of Nott not too long before- and hearing that him getting caught up in the conflict between the Dwendalian Empire and Xhorhas, you've gone to hunt down his location and seem to have pinpointed it somewhere near or in Ghor Dranas, the capital of the Kryn Dynasty. You made your way under the mountains of the Ashkeeper Peaks, battled through the wastes, and interacted with a number of the denizens of Asarius, the City of Beasts. Here under the Kryn Dynasty you have come to discover a society that is not held by humans, dwarves, elves; but by gnolls, bugbears, goblins, kobolds, and of course the ruling drow (it seems), the dark elves of the Kryn Dynasty.''

''You made some friends. You made a trade and paid for three moorbounder beasts to aid you in your travel east towards the capital. You trained with them (successfully for the most part), and you began to discover what seemed to be strange rifts that began to spring up and lurk beneath the city that were allowing various entities from the Abyss to begin to harass and encroach upon Asarius itself. You spoke with one of the Kryn representatives here in the city, and she notified you that there were two goals here you could achieve. One is to search for a perceived spy from the Dwendalian Empire that existed in the Four Corners, or involved somewhat with the Four Corners tavern, and to find the source of this demonic incursion and snuff it out. Pay for both: but for the incursion perhaps pay or a favor with the Dynasty itself in the capital.''

''So you began your first search, going to the Four Corners bar under the guise of the various unique and eclectic individuals that seem to exist in and permeate the society. You found one of these drow figures that caught your attention and attempted to communicate and try and gather some information from them. You also threw down the gauntlet, both Beau and Jester, into the Four Corners gravel pit: which was a four person battle royale, weapons allowed, possibly to the death based on what antes were placed in the center of this battlefield. In this fight, in which you were joined by a large ogre (still somewhat damaged from his previous fight but arrogantly accepting that he could probably still take you down) and this dark elf that you had previously harassed upon your entry. In this fight, Jester fell unconscious; the ogre fell unconscious. In the showdown between this drow with a somewhat familiar fight style, Beau also too fell.''

''However, this figure also invited you to meet them in an alleyway not far from the city. Half the party followed. The other half got completely lost and are still lost wandering a space they are unfamiliar with amongst creatures that may or may not be amiable to your presence. But those of you that made it followed this drow into a nearby small storage shed, upon which it was revealed that this was some sort of illusion or physical transmutation. And there before you you saw Dairon: the beautiful dark-skinned, shaved head, long eared elf monk of The Cobalt Soul and for lack of a better term Expositor case worker of Beauregard. And that's where we left off.''

Post-Show
Matt forgot to mention in the pre-show announcements that the cast will be at Emerald City Comic Con for panels and signings. He would like to thank the community for the amazing response to the Kickstarter campaign. Matt also encourages Critters to check out and support other artists and storytellers that do not have the platform and visibility that Critical Role does.

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin (played by Matt, controlled in combat by Travis)
 * Caleb Widogast

New

 * Umadon

Returning

 * Dairon

Mentioned

 * Yeza Brenatto
 * Zethris Olios
 * Portis

Quotations
Fjord: "What dreams, Umadon?" Umadon (oblivious to Fjord's hint): "The ones I told you about...?" Fjord: "Naaaaaaah..." [cast cracks up] Umadon: "You asked me about them a couple times..." Fjord (frustrated): "WE...(clasps his hands to pray for patience, and carefully enunciates each word)...We. Never.  Spoke!  Never happened!  Okay?!?  Never happened!" [ DM: "You're blowing his mind right now!"] Umadon (confused): "But we...I...you followed...!" Fjord (shushing Umadon): "AH-AH-AH!!!" Beauregard: "...Stay alive." Dairon: "And?" Beau: "...Listen?" Dairon: "And?" Beau: "...Trust no one?" Dairon: "...Ehhhh..." Beau (apologetic): "I kind of gambled on that last one, you've said a lot of things." Dairon: "Be patient." Beau: "Oh, patient! Right, be patient..."
 * Dairon (scolding Beauregard): "So...LISTEN. Be patient.  Protect...these friends you've made.  But don't get too close."
 * Umadon (nervously): "You're not going to tell anyone about the dreams, are you?"
 * Dairon (quizzing Beauregard) "What did I say?"
 * Caleb: "Uh, Nott just ran up that tunnel, so we should..." (leading the party down the tunnel after the invisible Nott)