A Dangerous Chase

is the sixty-fourth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. Giving chase to their wily target, the Mighty Nein travel north into the Barbed Fields, a dangerous and terrifying wasteland.

Previously on Critical Role
"Last we left off: the Mighty Nein, who have been residing for a little bit of time in the region of Xhorhas, the Eastern Wynandir area on Wildemount, you’ve made alliances in the city of Rosohna with the Bright Queen and the Kryn Dynasty. You returned a beacon. You’ve done a few deeds, and gave on to the Bright Queen information about movement the Empire was taking in this war that they have with the Dynasty. You were rewarded, as such, and began to pursue a thread of information that you worried might have something to do with this war, whatever it may be. You’ve scryed upon an individual and learned of a dropping point, or some sort of a meeting that was to happen in the city.

''"Upon the date of this fateful meeting, you found a place to watch and lie in wait. You watched a number of individuals enter the Overcrow Apothecary, and Nott went on a stealth mission, managed to avoid detection a number of times, except for the last one. Upon doing so, a brief conflict took place within the apothecary, in which the drow figure that was meeting with this dragonborn character on horseback managed to flee, the bodyguard left behind to fight to the death, and the courier, this dragonborn, killed in the street along with its horse. You managed to defuse the immediate tension of the nearby guard and populace being interested in the sudden display of bloodshed and conflict. You managed to temporarily hold off and keep, not prisoner, but certainly under your watch, the owner of the Overcrow, Maruo the goblin, as well as her bugbear bodyguard. You’ve dragged the corpse of both the dragonborn and the horse to the back of the building, and you’ve gained just enough knowledge through your spell use that the drow figure that escaped has been on the move northward, and beyond the reach of the spells you had already cast. We come back to you all gathering at the Overcrow, and figuring out what to do next."''

Part I
Nott apologizes to the party for telling them to stop the dragonborn, and to Yasha for shooting her. Yasha tells her it's okay, and that the rest of the Nein has bigger things on their minds right now. Nott says she thinks she should start drinking again because she functions much better drunk.

The party questions Maruo further, but she insists she knows nothing more about the drow's meeting. Jester and Nott ask Yasha whether she knows the people who called her "Orphanmaker", but she's never seen either of them before. She says Orphanmaker is the name given to her by her tribe when she took her blood oath to them, and it was only known in her tribe. The Nein threaten to kill Maruo if she tells anyone anything about what happened, and with the payment of 15 platinum from Beau, she agrees to keep quiet and tell them if anyone else arrives.

They agree that they should head north, towards Bozzoxan. There are two paths: the longer, safer one, called the Hallowed Path, or a shortcut straight across the deadly wasteland known as the Barbed Fields, ground zero for the final battles of the Calamity, full of terrible creatures and weird errant magic. They notice for the first time some writing in Undercommon on the map of Xhorhas, and Caleb is able to use Comprehend Languages to translate that it says "Deep River Mine", "Ashguard Garrison", and the "Bloodwalk". To the south in the Fevergulf Lake are the islands called the Eyes of the Lake, and to the southwest, just north of the Lotusden Greenwood, is an area called "Charis".

Caduceus wants to question the hobgoblin and the dragonborn, but can't until after a long rest, so they sever the heads and take them, along with the hobgoblin's sword which Caleb identifies (but Matt will have to give them the paper on it after the break). They collect their moorbounders from the Xhorhaus, and ride back to the Overcrow, where the moorbounders breakfast on the dead horse and dragonborn body.

The party rides through the Ghostlands and into daylight, reaching the edge of the Barbed Fields, a desolate wasteland under a baking sun. Nott gets drunk. At sunset, Caleb notices the badly-injured Beau is flagging, but she insists she's fine. He tells the party that he needs to stop for the night. Frumpkin becomes a vulture. At dusk, the moorbounders abruptly stop and sniff the air, and they see a person sitting next to one of the trees. Caduceus determines it's not undead; but when Frumpkin goes to investigate more closely, it wails mournfully and dashes toward the party.

Break
The break included a personal message from Matt and Marisha thanking everyone for the continuing support for Red Nose Day.

Also covered was the DnD Beyond animation and message about the forthcoming Tales of Equestria one shot.

The break ended with the art montage.

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin
 * Caleb Widogast

Returning

 * Maruo
 * Marion Lavorre
 * Yeza Brenatto

Mentioned

 * Astrid
 * Eodwulf

Quotations
Creatue Moans and then shuffles towards Mighty Nein rapidly Party/Cast: Scream in horror Liam: Laughing/Clapping (1:32:15)
 * Matt: It kind of looks to you all and gives this...low, mournful wail

Caleb:It is.
 * Beau:Man, you make vulnerability look so easy.