A Fog Lifted

is the one hundred sixth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein must now face the ramifications of their fight with Vokodo, both within the dangerous cavern itself and amongst the villagers of Vo...

Pre-Show
The Dungeons & Dragons energy is mellow tonight. They're on island time, baby.

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Previously on Critical Role
''So, last we left off: The Mighty Nein on the island of Rumblecusp, in preparation for the looming date of TravelerCon. As the various followers of the Traveler begin to congregate towards this island, you discovered it was being beset by some strange force and entity that lived within the volcano, that had caused those who had lived there and found their way stranded on the island for an extended period of time, to lose their memory.''

''Now you’ve allied with and freed the mind of the spiritual guardian there, a druid named Vilya, and traveled amongst the island to discover many of the secrets that Vokodo, this entity in the mountain, this creature that apparently had escaped from the Astral Plane, from the Astral Sea, fleeing from something and holing up here had been hoping you wouldn’t find. You then made plans, infiltrated the inside of this volcano, into its lair, and assaulted it with all the powers and spells and weapons at your disposal. After some wayward spellcasting and some dangerous endeavors, you did manage to bring Vokodo to his end, and in his final moments, a psychic wave blasted outward giving you visions of what it was he was fleeing from: some strange, almost living-like city of some kind, that was coasting through the Astral Sea in hot pursuit.''

''As we return to tonight’s game, the vision fades, and you all sit watching as the sludge and ash of Vokodo’s disintegrating remains begins to disperse and cloud the water around you, the glints of coin and objects of gold and brass and other materials tumbling slowly to the bottom of the water-filled chamber, the liquid around you still extremely hot and scalding your flesh. What would you like to do?''

Part I
The immediate priorities are healing and looting. Caduceus casts Detect Magic and locates four strong pings to which he directs Beau. Jester casts Beacon of Hope, which means all subsequent healing spells for the next minute do the maximum possible healing. They all continue to take fire damage each round from the boiling hot water that surrounds them, but the various healing spells are able to keep ahead of it. Caleb is unable to locate a flat enough area on which to draw a Teleportation Circle, and there are no plants large enough for Vilya's Transport Via Plants, so they realize they will have to swim out through the tunnels they came in through, not knowing if the water will be boiling all the way or not.

Looting is therefore concentrated. Veth is able to recover nearly all of the items the party "offered" to Vokodo in their first meeting with him, while the others scoop up gems and coins as fast as they can. Yasha is able to chop through the torchblooms blocking the tunnel entrance and the party, led by Caleb and his Keen Mind memories of the way in, swim out. They are pleasantly surprised to discover that the water temperature quickly drops to a non-injurious level as they go. For the most part the journey is smooth, but at one point Caleb's memory falters and he encounters a sea serpent. He Polymorphs into a hunter shark, and manages to kill it quickly.

Emerging into the cavern holding the ships, they put out the remaining burning ships with Jester's Control Water and Caleb's Control Flames. The remaining ships are the Mistral, the Drunken Mariner, a handful of fishing boats, and the Eden's Horizon. They are, however, now out of spells to divert the water spout blocking the entrance. Beau swims into it and is shot upward, narrowly missing the cavern's ceiling and landing among the rocks and pools on the cliff above the water spout. The rest of the party consider various ideas to get out before Jester paints a small tunnel with her magic paint to one side, allowing them to exit safely. Beau jumps off the cliff to come down to them, and as she falls, Yasha runs out into the pool to try to catch her. Experimentally, she bamfs out her wings -- and as in her dream, they are fully feathered and functional. They beat once and she flies upward a few feet in time to catch Beau, though both of them suffer some reduced damage. The whole party, including Yasha herself and Beau, held in her arms, are amazed. Still holding Beau, Yasha flies upward over the rocky pools, and soars above the edge until her wings poof after one minute and they both begin falling groundward toward the upper cliff. Beau is able to direct their fall into a pool of water reducing their damage, and they have an awkwardly flirtatious conversation before making their way down to rejoin the party.

Vilya transports them to the outskirts of the Vo village, where the bulk of the party remains hidden while she and an invisible Veth scout the village to assess its current emotional state. With the villagers' memories restored, tensions are running high, with suspicions of each other, awkward conversations between partners, and frantic packing. They find an angry and frustrated Lukash, who tells them his name is Deramid and wants to gather his men, find a ship, and get back to Port Zoon. Jaina (whose actual name is Ashelyn) also wants to leave as soon as possible, but Anola prefers to stay, since this is where she's made her home for so long. Veth suggests to Vilya that they have a meeting among the villagers to discuss what's happened and what each of them wants to do, and she agrees. They notice a group of three new people standing on the edge of the village holding luggage -- the first TravelerCon arrivals. Jester greets them along with Veth. While Celia is haughty, leading Jester to wonder how she is a follower of the Traveler, Kellbast is delightful. They were dropped off from a ship and told there would be some means of return when the convention was done, and they want to know where their accommodations are located. Jester fobs off Celia and her bodyguard Trudo with a spurious tale of needing to cleanse themselves first, but Kellbast remains, offering his help in preparations and sharing his history of being an up-and-coming furniture maker in Feolinn.

Orly Skiffback and the remaining crew of the Ball-Eater then approach, and Fjord tells them about the hidden cache of ships and how to get into it. They leave to guard it and make the ships seaworthy again. The party finds a deserted storage shed where Caleb puts up the dome so they can inspect their loot. He bamfs octo-Frumpkin onto Jester's shoulder, but a startled Sprinkle attacks, killing him and sending him back to the Feywild.

Break

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Part II
The party goes through their loot. There are three diamonds, including two that would be usable for Raise Dead or Revivify spells. There are also a lot of sculptures, art, and other gems, including a large emerald, two pearls, and a little jade. Caleb takes the pearls and jade as spell components. There is coin worth over 33,000 gold. They divide the coins, giving Vilya an equal share, but discuss the idea that they will need to use some of it to give those leaving the island a chance at a new start in life, or at least the ability to travel to their eventual destinations.

Veth returns Caleb's amulet and he pockets it but does not wear it. She also returns Skingorger and Beau's slightly boiled drugs. Veth mentions that she's recovered her flask, but that whiskey doesn't really taste that good to her anymore. She offers it to Yasha, who declines, but Beau accepts it happily. Veth tells her that if they find someone to switch the enchantment to produce a lighter-tasting alcohol, she may want it back.

The four magic items are some dwarven crossbow bolts which Veth happily takes; some +AC boots which allow flight for one round and cause electric damage when a hostile creature comes within range which Caleb keeps; "Belabor", a silver +2 quarterstaff with a ranged energy attack, taken by Beau; and a nobleman's coat with a bonus to AC and switchable resistance to various forms of damage, which Yasha is thinking about since it would require not using her Tuskborn Breastplate any longer.

Caleb again summons Frumpkin, this time as a cat. He inconspicuously Fabricates a piece of wood into a small roughly-shaped cat statue. He pulls out Calianna's wand, the bits of stained glass from the Chantry of the Dawn, and some paper, and begins making notes while occasionally looking at the others.

Returning outside to the village, they see Terra leading three other individuals (one of whom appears to have celestial blood) with sacks of weapons trying to be inconspicuous. Terra beckons to Fjord. Accompanied by Yasha and Caduceus, he joins her group in another hut. She tells him her true name is Kotho, and he recognizes that as the name of a famous bountyhunter from the Menagerie Coast, who one day ten years ago just disappeared. She had been looking for someone who stole a very important weapon from an employer of hers on the Coast, who had evaded them for a while and then disappeared, but refuses to say who it was. Jester finds Doron, one of the family whose home the party stayed in their first night in Vo. His name was Berex Valen, and he and his family have decided to stay on Rumblecusp. Jester gives him the pocket watch engraved "B.V." that the party found in his home, but he returns it, saying it's a reminder of a life that is no longer his. She suggests that he could host the visitors for TravelerCon, and perhaps start a business operating a resort on the island, and he and his family seem happy with that idea.

Fjord talks to Jester about her goals for TravelerCon and his concern that the Traveler's followers will take out their possible anger at the Traveler on her, and tells her to keep an open mind. She is concerned with whether it's "mean" to allow people to continue to worship the Traveler when, since he's not a true god, he cannot help them in the afterlife. Fjord tells her he cares about her, not the others, and that as long as she's getting what she wants out of it, the group will back her up. He also urges her to share her concerns with him in the future.

That evening, the village holds a gathering and community forum. Vilya speaks to them about their options, promising transport elsewhere as she can, and assuring them that some villagers are opting to stay. They eventually reach concensus that they will each find their own path, but for tonight, one more night before they part ways, they are still the village of Vo.

Beau takes Vilya aside and asks about her plans. Vilya is not sure she wants to continue to be a leader. She is both scared and excited about returning home. She also asks if the party could give some of Vokodo's money to the approximately sixty-five returning villagers, and they agree to giving it just as the villagers leave so as not to introduce money as a destabilizing influence on the island. Caleb approaches Yasha, and she shares that she would like to offer comfort to the villagers, but doesn't know how. He says she seems lighter lately, and that she has been doing good for the group and for herself. She should allow herself a little happiness. She pulls him into a big hug before they each awkwardly turn away.

They all spend the night together under a dome in Vilya's home.

The Mighty Nein

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

New

 * Kellbast
 * Celia Ovesso
 * Trudo

Returning

 * Vilya
 * Lukash (Captain Deramid Thrune)
 * Jaina (Ashelyn)
 * Anola (Wenthal, formerly)
 * Terra (Kotho)
 * Doron (Berex Valen, formerly)
 * Orly Skiffback
 * Marius LePual
 * Gallan Westman (presumed)
 * Shelda (presumed)

Mentioned

 * Vokodo
 * The Traveler
 * The Wildmother

Quotations
Beau: Thanks for taking me on your maiden flight. Yasha: Thanks for being my first passenger.
 * Matt: You watch as Yasha, glancing up towards Beauregard, her attention refocusing, takes a deep breath, and then, from behind, these wings emerge, not the blackened, necrotic, dead wings that you’re used to, this terrifying visage, but from what you can see, these beautiful bright white, almost gold sparkling feathered wings emerge.
 * Yasha: It’s really cool. I didn’t mean to make a big show of it. But, I mean, I did. But it’s kind of cool.
 * Veth: I'm just saying this is a probletunity for us.
 * Fjord: (to Jester, discussing the Traveler) I have to be honest. I don’t really care about two hundred other people. I do care about you. So as long as you’re getting what you want out of this, you’re not being forced into being something that you think you need to be for him, you can do whatever you want to. And I, and we, will all back you up. But if at any moment it puts you at risk, for him... I won’t be all right with that.
 * Fjord: One last thing. You can tell us if something happens when you speak with him. Last time it seemed like you carried it for a long time. You can tell me. I’ll listen.
 * Vilya: Can we please have one more night as Vo?
 * Caleb: (to Yasha) Listen, I can’t give myself this advice. I don’t think I can convince myself, but I can maybe try to convince you. You’ve been doing good for this group, and doing good for you. You have worth and value, and the promise of something. [...] Yasha, let yourself a little happiness. Even if it’s helping other people.