Family Shatters

is the ninety-sixth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role.

Pre-Show
Dragons!

Previously on Critical Role
''So, last we left off, The Mighty Nein had made their way to the southern edge of Xhorhas, to the White Dawn Lagoon, in search of what seemed to be the next destination in Caduceus’s main journey, through his visions he had received through the Wildmother in hopes of hopefully coming upon the rest of his family, as they themselves have been traveling, scattered a bit, over time. You made your way through the jungles on the southwestern edge of the White Dawn Lagoon coast. Through there you encountered some dangerous creatures, had some revelations with the Traveler, and a unique series of conversations of mild understanding of where both sides between you and him stand, and the impending gathering of Traveler followers in the weeks to come.''

''Upon battling your way through the jungle and some odd creatures that didn’t seem indigenous to this specific region, you made your way to the oasis in question, a beautiful lake lying here in the center of this deep, dense jungle, its deep red earth exposed against the clear waters, and a collection of stone sculptures that peppered the entirety of the banks here, of all sorts of creatures and people, which upon closer look, seem to be a bit more detailed than you anticipated. Upon inspecting a number of these entities, Caduceus recognized members of his family amongst these statues, and as you began to assess the scenery, you heard the heavy hoof-beats of a creature charging from the tree line in your direction: a metally-armored bull-like entity, swollen with muscle, piercing barbs that pushed between its metal plates, emitting some sort of a greenish fume from between its various exposed underbellies, its giant carved horns pushing forward, and hooked. As it barreled towards you, you hear this large, bellowing roar as its mouth opens up, not like that of a bull’s, but almost like a giant two-part scoop jaw. It is unnatural. It is mutated. And it is charging your direction.''

Part I
The gorgon approaches the party from the forest as they are scattered along the edge of the pool. Although they are able to wound it, anyone near it when it receives impact damage takes damage from the cloud of poison gas it emits. It also has legendary abilities each round to tighten its armor plating (increasing the difficulty to hit it), to move out of melee without incurring an attack of opportunity, and to unleash Petrifying Breath, which on a failed save restrains the victim and begins the petrification process which concludes at the end of the victim's next turn on a subsequent second failed save. Early on, Beau is hit by it but succeeds on her second save, shrugging off the petrification effect. During the battle, two statues are hit by the giant bull and crumbled into rubble.

Fjord takes massive damage from the creature, knocking him unconscious, but his Relentless Endurance brings him back with one hit point. Beau hits the gorgon twice, and its consequent poison gas release knocks out Fjord again, then inflicts a failed death saving throw on him. Once the bull moves away, Jester brings Fjord back with Healing Word. The gorgon regains its Petrifying Breath and Beau fails her save again, then fails the second save and freezes into a stone statue.

Caleb gets the How do you want to do this? despite the creature using its last legendary resistance to succeed on its saving throw against Widogast's Web of Fire. Jester and Nott immediately run to Beau, where Nott uses her willowshade oil to cure the petrification. Yasha uses Healing Hands on Fjord. Caduceus immediately runs to the statues of his father and sister Calliope, casting Greater Restoration on both.

They are startled to see Caduceus there, and Caduceus seems overcome to see them again. Cornelius, his father, points out his petrified mother Constance, and Jester immediately restores her as well. She hugs Caduceus excitedly, but is horrified to see Corrin, Caduceus's aunt, in pieces at her feet. Jester begins reassembling the chunks of rock and eventually succeeds in putting it back together, mostly, using Mending. There are still two large gaps in the chest and waist of the body, however, and Caleb uses Vault of Amber to store the statue until they can figure out what to do.

Cornelius suggests that they next restore Eramis Stone, an elf statue standing nearby, as he could be helpful. When they do, they discover that he has been petrified for ten years. He identifies two other petrified figures nearby, all of different races, as also being members of the Stone family, and suggests they go into the cave to restore another family member who may be helpful. While the rest of the party looks for broken statue bits at the edge of and in the pool, Beau finds the head of a dragonborn and tosses it into the water, telling the others, when they ask what it was, that it was just a rock.

They head into the cave descending downward at the north side of the pool, a red stone chiseled shaft veined with gold. It leads to a domed oval-shaped cavern with numerous small huts along the edges, and a large beautiful shrine in the center, the home of the Stone family. It is surrounded by many other figures, all frozen in stone.

Break

 * D&D Beyond animation.
 * Two Point Hospital coming 25 February 2020 for consoles. Check it out!
 * Ghosts! Sam and Liam search for the other side on All Work No Play now available on Twitch and YouTube. Next episode 3 March 2020 at 4:00 pm PST.
 * Clips from.
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 * Critters’ art montage.

The Mighty Nein

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

New

 * Cornelius Clay
 * Calliope Clay
 * Constance Clay
 * Corrin Clay
 * Clarabelle Clay
 * Colton Clay
 * Eramis Stone
 * Mekatoth Stone
 * Gima Stone

Returning

 * Reani (via Jester's Sending)
 * Archivist Demid Sunlash (via Jester's Sending)

Quotations
Jester: I don't want to be a good cleric. I want to hit him. Caleb: I will absolutely be there for it. Nott: All right. Well, maybe for the last time, goodnight, Caleb. Caleb: Goodnight, Nott... the Brave. Nott: Are you asking me to join your cult?Jester: Wellll, I’m asking you to open your heart to chaos.
 * Caduceus: (in battle against the gorgon) I'm trying to be a good cleric.
 * Nott: (talking about her transformation back to halfling form) And you’ll be there for it.
 * Jester: I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone in my entire life that would be as good a follower of the Traveler as you. You’re everything he looks for.