High Seas, High Stakes

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

Pre-Show
We play Dungeons & Dragons... for five years! Things are crazy right now. Stay healthy and take care of yourselves and let's make tonight both a celebration and a distraction.

Previously on Critical Role
''So, last we left off, the Mighty Nein had made their way to Nicodranas. They had discovered some secrets in regards to one of their allies, Essek, and his involvement with much of the events that led to the current war between the Kryn Dynasty and the Dwendalian Empire. After a deep discussion, you had left business in Nicodranas, gathered your ship, and made your way with the armada towards the meeting point where the negotiation between these two factions is to take place.''

''After some days at sea, a storm began to brew, dreams were had, invoked by an element of divinity and one’s path to embrace who they are and whatever this path may be. As well as being awakened by a pained nightmare become reality, as Fjord found himself under attack by what was immediately obvious to be agents of Uk'otoa, seeking the still-hanging elements of his unveiling and freedom. A battle took place where these various deep sea creatures, these mutated and altered entities here under the will of Uk'otoa, stormed the ship, crawling through its many decks to assault you, as Fjord fought valiantly to keep them at bay. And you managed to come and support him in dire need. During the final moments of this climactic battle, in the midst of the rolling seas, the flashing lightning, curling thunder, and the waves of rain battering down upon the deck, both Orly, the bard tortle, and your friend and companion Fjord, lay slain before you dealt the final blow to the assailants. And that was where we left off. Mighty Nein, as you gather here on the wet decks of the ship, still rolling with the ocean as the storm batters onward, you look down upon the scattered bits of blood, and your unmoving allies.''

Part I
Caduceus casts Gentle Repose on the unmoving, rain- and blood-soaked bodies of Fjord and Orly, and then Detect Magic on Fjord, but sees nothing within him. At Jester's frantic urging, he then casts Revivify. The diamond he uses turns to dust and congeals in the bloody chest wound, before vines grow from the wound and wrap Fjord's torso, turning bright green before withering and decaying. After a tense moment, breath returns to Fjord's body. Jester kisses him on the forehead and immediately successfully casts Revivify on Orly as well.

Almost immediately, there is the sound of an arriving Dimension Door and a brief incantation, and all of the party save Fjord, Caduceus, and Caleb find themselves paralyzed. A woman appears, whom they eventually recognize as Lady Vess DeRogna of the Cerberus Assembly. She noticed the commotion on their ship and came to investigate. They tell her that they were attacked and show her the dead creatures, but deny knowing why the attack took place, very convincingly. She tells them the Martinet speaks highly of them, and suggests that when all of this is over, if they're looking for work, there may be possibilities for them to work together "in the north". In Zemnian, she suggests to Caleb that there is plenty of time on the sea to speak of this, says good night, and Dimension Doors away. The other ships that have moved closer to investigate begin to move off.

The party notices that the three deep scions that were killed have begun to shift and change form into a human fisherman, a female elf, and a goliath. Jester slices open the chest of the now-fisherman, who had appeared to be the leader, but does not find an orb within him, although he bears a tattoo of one on his chest. Fjord is now sure the orb - the third and final key to the unlocking of Uk'otoa - remains within him and was not destroyed when he threw the Sword of Fathoms into the lava of Kravaraad. Caduceus confirms this with a Locate Object, although Jester is unable to find it by feeling Fjord's chest thoroughly. She casts Commune and Artagan in his Traveler form assures her it is within her skill set to remove the orb from Fjord.

They decide to try Greater Restoration, using some of Veth's powdered residuum as the component since they're out of diamond dust. Jester holds Fjord's hand while Caduceus casts the spell, sending Fjord into intense, horrible pain until he begins to vomit and the cloven crystal rolls onto the deck. Caleb puts it into his Vault of Amber where it will presumably be unlocatable. They throw the bodies overboard and retire to the gun deck where they sleep together under Caleb's Tiny Hut and Alarm spells.

The next morning, they use Speak with Dead to interrogate the deep scions, learning that they were willing followers sent by Uk'otoa to recover both the orb and Fjord. Jester disguises herself as the dead female elf to speak to the former leader, pretending to be confused about what to do now that they were defeated in the battle, and he suggests speaking to Uk'otoa for guidance, and that she should find Fjord, "the betrayer" and take him to the temple of the final seal.

That evening, Caleb checks in with Yasha who is staring out at the ocean. She is intrigued by the fact that Fjord had a dream where he swallowed an orb and then it was actually there. She admits that she's recently had strange dreams herself, good dreams, and that she's feeling steadier lately, surrounded by the party.

The next day, at Beau's request the previous day, Caleb casts Fly on both of them and they fly to the Wind of Aeons, being met by Martinet Da'leth and asking to see Lady DeRogna. Ludinus seems surprised when they tell him she visited their ship, but Sends for her to join them. Caleb asks to inspect the beacon as was previously discussed, and they agree, taking them below to a magically secured entrance leading to a room where they all take tea. Beau brings up Lady DeRogna's offer of work in the north, again to Ludinus's apparent surprise. They agree to discuss it further if the peace negotiations are successful. Ludinus apparates a chest holding the beacon, which appears to be the one stolen from the Dynasty. Testing it, Caleb stares into its infinities and gets a fragment of possibility. Satisfied for the moment, Beau and Caleb return to their ship.

Break

 * D&D Beyond animation - except it's Ashley's a cappella vocal track recorded last week.
 * Each of the cast recorded a celebration and thank you to fans for five years of Critical Role. We meet Dagon!
 * Marisha is here with no juvenile prop humor, cheap costumes, putting employees in embarrassing positions, Brian W. Foster edgelord jokes, or Sam re-creating an obscure commercial. Also definitely no green screens or Matt in cosplay, or complicated B&W Taliesin Jaffe parody promos to get Critical Role Twitch subscriptions. Nope, not today. No weird graphics or puppet murder, no Sam Riegel, just Marisha and sweet simplicity.
 * Doom Eternal one-shot will air Monday, 16 March 2020 at 7 p.m. PDT on Twitch, available the following Wednesday on YouTube.
 * Sam, Liam, Noelle Stevenson, and Satine Phoenix get beautiful on All Work No Play 17 March 2020 at 4:00 pm PDT on Critical Role's Twitch channel.
 * Clips from.
 * Critters’ art montage.

The Mighty Nein

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

Returning

 * Orly Skiffback
 * Gallan Westman
 * Marius LePual
 * Shelda
 * Vess DeRogna
 * Artagan
 * Essek Thelyss
 * Martinet Ludinus Da'leth
 * Isharnai (via Jester's Sending spell)
 * Leylas Kryn (via Jester's Sending spell)

Quotations
Caleb: Trust comes slow. Ludinus: If at all.
 * Ludinus: The key to preparing for interference is not letting all of your plans be known. But trust and be assured, I have taken precautions.
 * Jester: Was it Yussa that said wizards have a hard time working with each other because they’re very powerful? Or was that Halas? Caleb: No, it was Yussa. And... ego plays a great part in it as well. Jester: Do you think, as you get more and more powerful, you’ll become egotistical, Caleb? Instead of nice like you are now? [ ... ] Caleb: I don’t know. Jester: I think you should stay like you are.
 * Matt: (As Jester is trying to Scry on the Traveler) Okay. As you sit down and set up your ritual, and begin concentrating on the divine gift– Jester: This is kind of hard because he grants me my power. Matt: --granted you by the Traveler, you beseech him to take your vision to show you the Traveler, and as you sit there and complete your incantation, all you hear in your ear is, “Curious.” Jester: Oh, shit. I wasn’t really thinking about that one. Artagan: “No, you were not.”

Trivia

 * This episode streamed on the fifth anniversary of the broadcast of, the first episode of Critical Role.
 * This episode also marks the first time Fjord has used a paladin spell (Cure Wounds) since he multiclassed in.