Rebirth

is the one hundred thirty-ninth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role.

Previously on Critical Role
So, last we left off: The Mighty Nein had arrived at the living city of Cognouza, adrift for over a thousand years in the Astral Sea, as the Somnovem and the thousands of minds that were melded due to the arrival in a terrifying psychic storm all those years ago had slowly reformed into the chaotic essence of what is now that living city.

''Giving chase to Cree and Lucien as they both rocketed off to different directions on this rock, you ended up choosing left and followed the path of Cree. Upon searching, you ended up encountering her in the subterranean semi-stone tunnels beneath the city, and battled her, catching her entirely off-guard as two of you managed to journey into the Threshold Vault beyond, and begin to keep it from being pulled into the city itself, thus temporarily thwarting the Tombtakers' plan. The rest of you slaughtered Cree and in her dying breaths, you heard-- those of you who were currently connected to the Somnovem through the eyes upon your body-- heard Cree mentally reach out to Lucien for aid. And Lucien aided, in a way, by transforming Cree into a terrifying flesh horror. Flickering elements of "the pattern" seemed to visibly appear upon this creature's body. And some of you, upon peering into it, could not withstand the will of the Somnovem and grew eyes yourself.'' ''As you reconvened, you all aided Jester and Caleb in tearing free one of these two threshold crests and sending it into a distant plane, seemingly thwarting the long-form plan of Lucien and the Tombtakers. There you went searching for the spirit of Yussa. Beauregard, utilizing the gifts of the Somnovem, expanded your consciousness into the city of Cognouza itself, and using the network of minds in this place, you were able to successfully locate where Yussa's spirit was currently being bound. All of you together took flight across the astral sky above the city, arriving and freeing Yussa of his prison here on the city, sending him back to his physical body back in Exandria.''

''Feeling the success still vibrating within you, you decided to go ahead and consider willing yourself a tunnel within the city to lead you to the Aether Crux, this location where it seemed the Somnovem's heart resided beneath the surface. You followed this tunnel downward and came into this massive chamber. Here in the center of this space, amongst the areas of broken stone, echoes of cityscapes, and roiling skin, you saw in the center a massive fleshy structure where you saw nine egg-like entities merged in the center: the core of the Somnovem, the Aether Crux. There, all of the varying scattered personalities, these nine long-shredded philosophers, combined and spoke to you as the true singular Somnovem.''

''As you discussed things back and forth, asked questions, received answers, and are left with more questions, you weren't the only ones to have entered the chamber, as you noticed across the way, Lucien had approached from the opposite side of this massive room. And apparently came prepared with the next wave of his long-cracked plan, as a cluster of intuit charges seemed at the ready, linked to detonate at a whim. Lucien then offered the opportunity to run, for you'd already played your part in distracting the Somnovem enough to allow this moment to transpire. In a brief instant, Jester summoned a massive earthquake here in the center that began to rip and sunder elements of the flesh and stone. Parts of the room began to collapse as you hear Lucien laughing and laughing. The rest of you running, back in the cavern where you came and hoping that you were far enough away, saw the residual flashes of the detonations of multiple intuit charges behind you. As you all lie scattered on the floor of this cavern, heavily breathing, still processing what had just transpired, and what's about to transpire, we return to the game.''

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard Lionett
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Caleb Widogast
 * Frumpkin
 * Fjord
 * Jester Lavorre
 * Veth Brenatto
 * Yasha Nydoorin

Returning

 * Essek Thelyss
 * Artagan
 * Lucien (as the Nova Somnovem)