Found & Lost

 is the twenty-sixth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein wake up to missing members, meet a stranger who could possibly help them, and find that some plans... have a high cost (with guest Ashly Burch).

Pre-Show
This is the first episode in Critical Role's new, independent studio!

Announcements

 * Tonight's sponsor is D&D Beyond!
 * Sam has written an audio drama re-enacting the birth of Travis and Laura's child. Taliesin narrates, Sam plays Travis, Marisha plays Laura, Liam plays the doctor, and Matt plays himself and the baby. Travis pops in chat to announce that their revenge will be swift and exacting.
 * Wyrmwood giveaways are back! The keyword for the giveaway should be entered into the chat for the Critical Role Twitch chat, which is hosting the stream from Geek & Sundry.
 * Talks Machina is every Tuesday at 7:00 pm PDT, talking about last week's episode of Critical Role with host Brian Wayne Foster.

Previously on Critical Role
''Last we left off, The Mighty Nein were making their way north after making a deal with the Gentleman in Zadash. They had completed the first of two tasks for him, the second one requiring them to make their way to the northern city of Shadycreek Run, outside of the Empire, to meet with a business operative of his, who had been busy with some other elements and needed some help to reconnect about what their business together was. Along this journey, [the party] had made a stop in the gnomish city of Hupperdook, where [they] discovered the work-hard-play-hard gnomish society, got all [their] money taken from [them], got it returned to [them] as [they] found out the thieves were the young children of a family, the parents of which had been arrested and had been imprisoned for a while.''

[They] went to the prison, helped destroy one of their long-haywire guardians, and paid off the rest of the fine for those parents, to set them free, returning them to their children, and decided to leave [their] temporary companion for a while, Kiri, with them, as a safer means of continuing her journey, now with her new family.

''With that, [they] gathered [their] things, Nott found [her]self a better crossbow, and began heading back on the trail along the Crispvale Roadway and making [their] way northward. There, [the party] had set up camp for the evening about a day's travel outside of Hupperdook, and during the night, while Yasha and Fjord were taking their watch, wakening Jester with their conversation, and the three of them deciding to step away from the camp as not to wake the rest of you, they were... Well, they went missing.''

A New Ally
Nott, Beau, Molly, and Caleb woke up to find that Jester, Fjord, and Yasha are gone. After searching for their missing friends, the four were encountered by an armored dwarven woman. The new arrival and Beau began shouting at each other almost immediately. Eventually everyone calmed down enough for the stranger to introduce herself as Keg. After the remaining members of the Mighty Nein explain their situation, Keg revealed that the Iron Shepherds, a dangerous group of slavers, were the ones to kidnap their friends. She explained that the slavers were out of Shadycreek Run, and that she is headed there to kill the Shepherds.

Keg made a deal with the group, that she will lead them to their friends. In return, they must help her kill the Shepherds. Without any other choice, the four head out with Keg to find and rescue their missing party members. Beau asked about the reason the Mighty Nein were going to Shadycreek Run to begin with- The Gentleman's contact Ophelia Mardun. Keg did not know Ophelia, but knew that the Mardun family are rivals of the family that employs the Iron Shepherds. The group packed Jester's haversack, shield, and everything else their kidnapped friends left behind. They decided to leave their cart and one of the horses (Loaf) so they could travel faster. Keg borrowed Molly's giant tapestry of The Platinum Dragon to wrap around herself as a disguise.

Reaching the outskirts of the Crispvale Thicket, Nott asked Caleb (as the leader) whether they were following the road around the forest or the faster path that goes right along the edge of the forest. Molly, irritated with Nott's repeatedly insisting Caleb was in charge, cut off a debate over whether Beau or Caleb was the leader by starting down the faster path.

Further along the path, the group found an abandoned house and briefly stopped to check the inside.

Ankheg Ambush
While looking through the house, Beau and Keg noticed the horses outside starting to get nervous. Beau felt subtle vibrations in the ground and yelled for everyone to get off the ground. The rumbling began to get louder. Beau, Caleb, and Molly ran towards the treeline intending to get into trees. Nott hid inside the house while Keg stood her ground. One of the horses, WC, while running away from the vibration got sprayed with green acid and fell over.

Two ankhegs, eight to nine feet long cockroach-like creatures, burst out of the ground. The ankheg that sprayed acid at WC and another one scuttled out of hiding. During the ensuing battle, the horse named Loo also was severely injured by acid spray. The group destroyed all four ankhegs, with Beau getting the final blow on the last one.

Keg realized they were unable to heal Loo and mercy killed the horse with her axe. Nott found the living horses that had run and WC lying on the ground. Not realizing WC was still alive, Nott cut out the horse's tongue and killed them. Keg was disturbed, even more so when Nott ate the tongue raw. Beau carved up one of the ankheg bodies and managed to extract a basketball sized sac of acid. Nott carefully punctured the sac to funnel acid into the three empty vials she took from the Evening Nip. Beau, Keg, and Nott each took one.

With only three horses left, the party was forced to double up to continue. They continued for another hour along the road until dusk then set up camp. Caleb and Molly take first watch. Molly noticed another campfire somewhat near them. They decided not to wake anyone else up yet. Caleb cast Find Familiar to change Frumpkin's form from a falcon into an owl.

Break

 * announcement of Critical Role at New York Comic Con
 * D&D Beyond ad
 * "Additional Knowledge Acquired": Marisha tells the Critters about Twitch Prime
 * "Loremasters: Legends" ad
 * Spellslingers gag reel for "Day[9] vs. Ari Stidham"
 * "How To Play with Becca Scott": Becca teaches us how to play "Coup"
 * previously on "Good Fornight Kevin": a parody of sitcoms set in bars
 * fan art reel

Guiatao Clan
Frumpkin (in owl form) flew quietly towards the campfire. Looking through Frumpkin, Caleb sees an old woman and a small child. He wakes up the rest of the party. They move stealthily towards the campsite. Beau approached first, and the adult (a Firbolg) reads her mind to assess if the party are a threat. Her fears assuaged, she introduces herself: Jumnda of the Guiatao Clan. The child Ombo (another Firbolg) with her is not her son, but one of the children of her clan that was saved from being kidnapped.

The clan was attacked three days ago while having a coming of age celebration. The attackers killed some of the clan. Others were wrapped up in nets and dragged away. The attack made no noise even though the firbolgs being taken screamed and fought back. Another member of the clan named Nila was away when the attack happened. When she came back to find out her son and mate were taken, Nila left to get them back on her own. A few of the clan besides Ombo are alive in the remnants of the village further into the forest but still badly injured. Jumnda has been trying her best to heal them. Jumnda allowed the group to stay with them for the night and offered them herbal tea. They accepted.

When the group woke up, Ombo was cooking squirrel-like creatures over the fire. Smiling, he offered the group each a skewer of meat. Jumnda gave the group specially prepared medicinal moss that can crumbled and ingested to heal wounds. She asked the group to please bring Nila's body back if they find her so the clan can give her a proper burial. Molly promised to do their best. Nott asked Jumnda if she knows Pumat Sol. The rest of the group pointed out that assuming all firbolgs know each other is like assuming Nott knows every goblin. The party said goodbye to Jumnda and Ombo and continued on their way.

As Nott rode on the back of a horse with Caleb, she flipped through Jester's sketchbook. There are caricatures of each member of the Mighty Nein and several people they have encountered through their journey. Besides short notes in Common, there are longer notes written to The Traveler in a language Nott cannot read (likely Infernal). Over the next eight hours of fast paced travel, the party made their way around the Crispvale Thicket and reached the Glory Run Road.

Trading Secrets
Keg and Nott took first watch together. Nott offered Keg a drink, saying she thinks they got off on the wrong foot. She asked Keg who the Iron Shepherds took from her. Keg refused to answer and became irritated that Nott continued to ask her personal questions. Keg apologized and said she realized Nott was just trying to be nice. Nott responded that she wanted to get information that could lead to the weaknesses of the Shepherds. Keg vaguely answered that she knew them well but denied having been one of them.

Nott tried to get Keg to tell her more by offering to play a game. They each tell one thing no one else knows and take a shot. Keg told Nott that her friend was enslaved by the Shepherds. Nott responded by telling Keg she is a pretty good dancer. Keg and Nott start loudly yelling at each other. Keg thought they were talking about serious things. Nott said she thought they were going to start small and build. Molly loudly yelled that he was trying to sleep.

Beau was also woken up by the argument. She and Molly took the next watch since they were now awake. Molly asked Beau to gamble and pulled out his tarot deck. You put a question on the deck, whoever draws the lower card has to answer it. Beau initially told him she hated his tarot cards and wanted nothing to do with them. However, she was intrigued by the question he offered to play on- "What's the best lie you've ever told?" Beau pulled the higher card. Molly revealed his best lie ever. He pretended to be reincarnated royalty from across the sea for three weeks as part of a scam. Beau decided to tell Molly the lie she's most proud of even though she won the game. She pretended to be a house hand to get blackmail material on a politician and his wife that she did not like. She found they were both cheating on each other and used that information to ruin their relationship and their lives. Beau thought out loud as she told the story that maybe she should not be proud of it. Molly was impressed and was sure the politician and his wife had it coming.

Caleb took third watch with Frumpkin. He wondered out loud why he was still with the Mighty Nein. Molly cannot help him. He is angry with himself that he told Beau everything to get into The Cobalt Soul library and he learned nothing useful there. Looking at Nott, he asked himself how he can expect Nott to help him with what he wants to do. Nott is as much as liability as she is a help to him. Caleb told himself it is time to go, but sat the rest of his watch, waited for everyone to wake up, and did not tell anyone what he has been thinking.

The next morning the group set off again at a fast pace along the road. Without the cart, they are able to travel much faster. They catch up to a caravan about five hours later that Keg thought looked like the Iron Shepherds. The group slowed down and began to plan. Caleb cast Suggestion on Keg, compelling her to tell them details she has been holding back that will help them. Although she feels weird about it, Keg tells the group the names of the Iron Shepherds: Lorenzo the human fighter (and the group's leader), Ruzza the half-elf sorcerer, Protto the halfling rogue, Dwelma the half-orc druid, and Wohn the human barbarian. The Shepherds transport their prisoners in carts with an enchantment to make it look like the carts are filled with normal trade goods instead of cages. Under the influence of the spell, Keg also confessed that she lied to Nott. She did use to work with the Iron Shepherds. Nott admitted she lied as well- she is only an average dancer.

Realizing they have the advantage of speed, the party stayed a good distance behind the Shepherd's caravan and waited until they stopped for the night. After the caravan stopped, the Mighty Nein pushed on for an hour ahead and rested for the night. They planned to ambush the Shepherds the next day. The party found a spot where the road was surrounded by two hills. The party placed a fallen tree so the carts would be forced to go single file through the road.

Lesson Learned
Caleb cast Alarm across the road further back so they would know when the Iron Shepherds were approaching. When Caleb heard the signal from the spell, the party took their planned hiding places. Keg was hidden behind a tree on top of one of the hills. Nott hid inside a hollow place in the log blocking the road. Three carts approached. Protto was driving the first cart. Keg did not recognize the person driving the second cart, but she did recognize Dwelma, Lorenzo, and Ruzza walking alongside it. Wohn was walking alongside the third cart. Keg did not recognize the cart's driver.

As planned, the carts moved into a single file line to get around the log in the road. When the first cart came near the tree she was hidden behind, Keg chopped it down so it fell right on top of the first cart. The cart came to a stop. Lorenzo saw Keg and looked surprised. Before any of the Shepherds could react, Caleb jumped out of hiding and cast Slow on all of them. Dwelma and Lorenzo resisted the spell, but the rest of the caravan was affected. Nott jumped out of her hiding place, darted past Lorenzo, and dumped her flask of oil all over him. She onto one of the carts inside of the illusion. Inside of the area covered by the illusion, Nott was now able to see that the cart was packed with cages.

Beau and Molly came out of hiding and flanked Dwelma. Ruzza cast Hypnotic Pattern towards Caleb, but the spell did not take effect right away because she was affected by Slow. Caleb's spell also prevented the cart drivers from shooting more than one arrow each at Beau. Lorenzo called for his party to move aside and held his hand out in front of him. Protto moved out of the way, hitting Molly with two arrows. The two cart drivers and Wohn back up as well.

Keg became frightened seeing Lorenzo again and ran away, putting part of a hill and one of the carts in between her and the battle. Dwelma cast Dispel Magic ending the effects of Caleb's Slow spell and moved away from Molly. Beau was able to stop her from completely running away, but she was now out of the range of Lorenzo's spell. Ruzza's Hypnotic Pattern took effect because Slow ended but Caleb was able to resist it.

With his allies out of the way, Lorenzo cast a Cone of Cold severely hurting Beau, Nott, Molly, and several prisoners in the cages. Nott attempted to unlock a cage with one man still alive inside but failed. Beau attacked Dwelma again, knocking her unconscious, then charged Lorenzo. Ruzza cast Hold Person on Beau and Molly, but both resisted the spell. Seeing this, she hid behind the trunk of the chopped down tree on the hill.

Molly charged Lorenzo along with Beau. He used his Blood Maledict ability, hurting himself to try to weaken Lorenzo. Unfortunately he took enough damage to knock himself unconscious. Realizing he is about to die, Molly spat his own blood into Lorenzo's face. Lorenzo twisted his glaive into Molly, ending Molly's life.

Lorenzo tauntingly asked Beau if they had learned their lesson. Beau responded she has no respect for authority. Lorenzo responded "Then another life it is."

Keg moved back towards Lorenzo and asked him to make her the example. Nott, still under the cart illusion, tried and failed again to pick the lock on the cage. She gave up and ran out of the cart towards Caleb. Beau struck her tinderbox and lit Lorenzo (still covered in oil) on fire. He seemed unconcerned by the fire. Beau took two more strikes with her staff towards Lorenzo then ran away towards Caleb. Lorenzo ignored her. Ruzza ran up to Lorenzo, cast Cure Wounds on him, and tried to put out the fire on him. He pushed her off.

By this time, the unconscious Dwelma had bled out and died. Lorenzo told Keg they seem to have an "eye for an eye" scenario and asked if she really wanted to be an example. Keg asked if he would let the others go. Lorenzo said he would. He raised his glaive in the air and called off the attack. The rest of the Iron Shepherds took Dwelma's body and started to get the carts moving again. Still on fire, Lorenzo walked with Keg over to Beau, Caleb, and Nott. He told them to tell everyone they meet what happened today. After pushing Keg to her knees, he whispered to her that killing her now would be too fast. She will have to live with the memory of what she has done. Only then did Lorenzo put the fire out. He left the party with one last threat to kill them if he ever sees them again.

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Fjord (absent, mentioned)
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre (absent, mentioned)
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin (absent, mentioned)
 * Mollymauk Tealeaf
 * Caleb Widogast

New

 * Dwelma
 * Jumnda
 * Keg
 * Ombo
 * Protto
 * Ruzza
 * Wohn

Returning

 * Lorenzo

Mentioned

 * The Gentleman
 * Nila
 * Ophelia Mardun
 * Pumat Sol
 * The Traveler

Inventory

 * The party left Loaf and the cart given to them in Alfield behind along the Crispvale Roadway.
 * Loo and WC were severely burned by Ankheg acid spray then put down after the battle.

Quotations
Keg: "You have no choice?" Nott: "No! I have very thin lips, very long teeth, some would call them fangs. It's not my fault. When I smile it looks like I'm trying to bite your throat off."
 * Nott: "Maybe they weren't targeting anyone specific, just coming to grab folks, and those were the ones that were awake or closest to the road?" Caleb: "You'd take the three beefiest of a group of strangers?" Nott: "Well, they took the three ugliest ones."
 * Keg: "Ah, son of a dick. All right, let's get this over with." (when she notices Molly approaching her and Beau badly hidden watching her)
 * Nott: "I am the greatest detective of all times! I poured one drink, and I solved the case!"
 * Keg: (asking about Fjord, Jester, and Yasha) "How much do these people mean to you?" Beau: "Well, they're the only people I've had in my life since my father, so, parents." Molly: "We don't leave people behind, and that's the deal."
 * Molly: (suggesting Keg hire the Mighty Nein) "Twenty gold." Keg: "You just gave me twenty gold." Molly: "Yes, that's how I know you can afford us."
 * Beau: (to Keg) "You don't fuck us, and we don't fuck you. Unless, like . . . you know . . ."
 * Keg: (to Nott) "You being a detective, is that just you hear other people say information and then you remark upon it? And then that's you saying you're a great detective?" Molly: "Yes."
 * Sam: "I believe we're going to take WC, Loo, John, Crapper, and Toilet; but we're going to leave Loaf."
 * Ashly: "Keg is aroused."
 * Keg: (when Nott asks if she is related to ankhegs) "No, Nott. Keep trying, little detective. You'll get it one day." Nott: "The subject seems to be exhibiting signs of distress or at least annoyance." Keg: "Annoyance!"
 * Nott: (to Jumnda) "Do you know someone named Pumat Sol?"
 * Matt: (describing Jester's sketchbook) "It is absurd. There are sketches across the spectrum of silly-faced interpretations and caricatures of the people you've met, of each of you. There's little notes to The Traveler throughout. You see people that you've liked in the past looking beautiful, with tiny bodies. You see people who you've hated in the past getting stepped on by a poop monster. It's childish in all the delightful ways that you'd expect from Jester's capability."
 * Nott: "I have to bare my teeth at everyone! Look at these things- they're huge!"
 * Nott: (about Jester) "Together we were a dynamic duo of mystery solving. We could solve any mystery, find any criminal mastermind, no matter how nefarious. We had all the tools, all the insights, all the instincts. It was amazing. We were a well-oiled machine and then . . . she was taken. And now it's just me."
 * Molly: (to Beau): "You are a good friend to have and a terrible enemy to make."
 * Caleb: (out loud to himself) "You should just go. You have told too much. I am going to go. It's time to go." Liam: "He sits there for a solid five minutes. Then two hours. Wait for everyone to wake up."
 * Ashly: (watching Beau do pull ups) "It goes without saying that Keg is aroused."
 * Keg: "You actually had a good idea for once." Nott: "I'd better get drunk then."
 * Sam: (referring to Lorenzo) "He's covered in oil, which makes him kind of sexy." Ashly: "I'm aroused and scared?"
 * Lorenzo: "It it time for another, or have you learned your lesson?" Beau: "You should know, I have no respect for authority."

Trivia

 * Sam's giant flask says "Clean Me" on it.
 * Keg got natural 20s on both rolls for on a stealth check with disadvantage, the first time in Campaign 2 a PC has done this.
 * Keg was aroused five times in this episode.