The Search For Bob

is the forty-fifth special episode of Critical Role. Vox Machina returns in this special one-shot, canonically taking place immediately following Campaign 1 and the events of.

Pre-Show
This adventure is one of the stretch goals of The Legend of Vox Machina kickstarter campaign and is also a throwback to Critical Role's Sunday morning brunch games prior to Twitch streaming. They are all wearing pyjamas or similar sleepwear for this session.

Announcements
There were no announcements for this game.

Previously on Critical Role
"So, last we left off... The party known as Vox Machina upon saving Exandria, by and large from the incursion of Vecna, Thar Amphala and the Shadowfell based minions of his that had brought him to ascend as a god, sealed them away, however in the process closed the chapter on your friend Vax'Ildan."

"Upon returning home to Whitestone, Grog pulled a card from the Deck of Many Things, pulled the worst card from the deck and had has soul jettisoned off into a random plane, his body left lifeless. You had discovered his soulless body... Took it to Vasselheim and asked some of the Council there for help in trying to ascertain the location of his spirit, wherever it may be."

"Discovering that it was in the Plane of Pandemonium, the windswept realm of madness, you gathered yourselves, a couple of allies in Sir Bertrand Bell, a seasoned adventurer who had volunteered his services as a guide, who had been to Pandemonium before supposedly, but had never been to Pandemonium and Lieve'tel, a really nice Lady of the Raven Queen, who as paying penance for the loss of Vax'ildan offered herself to volunteer to aid them on this mission."

"So, you guys round up the last bit of things you needed, said goodbye to a few friends about the city and then made your journey to Pandemonium."

"Immediately blasted by the incredible winds and the lightless expanse that was around you, in the interior you shouted commands as you made your way across the dangerous landscape... Ran into a strange individual, who seemed to be of Gith lineage who couldn't remember their name and asked some curious questions before vanishing into the dust storm around you."

"You continue going forward after having visions of where this stone, this ruby-like gem that contained Grog's soul was embedded, at the top of this spire that existed somewhere in this plane. You made your way to the Howlers' Crag, the base of this mountain tower. You battled Howlers that had stalked and hunted you on your way there. You made your way through the tunnels and caves that wound up the interior of this giant structure... A bunch of Bugbears came out of nowhere and tore off Percy's arm... It was crazy."

"You then also stealthily bypassed a distracted demon entity known as a Balor that seemed to be in the process of painting bloody pictures on the wall... As you carefully pushed by the tight space, many of you burned heavily, escaping the other side and climbing to the top of the tower, where awaiting you...Guarding this gem as part of the enchantment, or just the general proximity of Pandemonium, or a combination of the two... A Corrupted Empyrean, an entity of celestial origin, a half-child of the gods, screaming mad into the winds above, bound somehow to this tower... Its history lost and its mind every bit as scattered."

"You climbed the outside of this tower, did battle with it. It smashed and angrily dashed each of you... Nearly from the tower multiple times, sending Bertand Bell clinging to life, did actually smash and kill Lieve'tel, who now lies lifeless."

"In the midst of this intense throw-down, Trinket, gritting his bear teeth with the unconscious, soulless body of Grog affixed to his back by chains, climbed the edge of the mountain, rushed towards the stone, and upon meeting Grog's body to the stone, Grog was brought back to consciousness, this spirit instilling him with angry barbarian power from within... And through some absurd luck dealt the final blow to the creature. His axe sinking into its corrupt, celestial body, tearing it sunder. And that was where we ended."

"So...We begin..."

Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Vex'ahlia

Returning

 * Shanak formerly known as Bob (DM controlled)
 * Bertrand Bell (played by Travis)
 * Lieve'tel (played by Liam)

Mentioned

 * Vax'ildan

Quotations

 * "It's been awhile!" (recurring reference to the 2001 song by Staind, usually in response to someone forgetting their character's spells, inventory, etc.)

Trivia

 * This episode was unlocked for reaching the $1 million stretch goal in the Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund The Legend of Vox Machina. It was pre-recorded in the Critical Role studio on April 7, 2019, and later aired on the Critical Role Twitch channel on June 23, 2019.