Beneath Bazzoxan

is the sixty-sixth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein tussle with a roc and make their way to Bazzoxan, a village holding the line against historical terrors...

Pre-Show
Sam attempted to begin his new rap advertising D&D beyond (The show's sponsor) when he was interrupted by Liam, who demanded he be allowed to clear his name of accepting illegal campaign donations. He was aided in this by a report from the renowned forensic investigator, Doctor Travis Willingham who, by means of various procedures, including the use of his Level 9 Microflux Video Meter on the alleged footage of Liam conspiring with a British contact, scrubbed the image with a military grade, Series 7 Vector Graphic Discombobulator, showing how the footage had been doctored. Liam then provided the raw footage that he had stolen from Sam's hacked laptop, which showed that Sam had faked the whole thing with the assistance of Marisha and Mark Hulmes. Sam vehemently claimed his innocence before he ran, screaming from the set.

Announcements

 * D&D Beyond: Encounter Builder (Alpha) is now available to all subscribers.
 * Between the Sheets with Ashley Johnson is now available on YouTube.
 * Matt thanked all the Critters who came to the Denver Pop Culture Con.
 * Laura mentioned some new shirts available from the online store.

Previously on Critical Role
''Last we left off: The Mighty Nein, after making their alliances in Rosohna and the Dynasty of Xhorhas, you have been seeking an individual you believe is connected to the placing of these various abyssal anchors that have been tearing open portals between the Prime Material Plane and the Abyss. You've encountered it a few times since you've crossed over the Ashkeeper Peaks, or I should say, under, and you've been able to scry and put together a couple of individuals that are involved with this endeavor. You nearly got them in Rosohna, and then they escaped and made their way north, where you've been chasing them off and on -- pretty much all on -- through the Barbed Fields, not around it, but through the Barbed Fields, where you've encountered strange oddities and dangerous creatures and gloomstalkers, and eventually a mysterious, majestic, divine tree that sits in the center of this barren, destroyed, desolate wasteland where the final battles of the Calamity took place.''

''You slept beneath this tree for protection. You climbed it, some of you in very unique ways, and stumbled upon a giant nest of some sort of a creature, that you later on came to understand to be a roc, a massive bird that was asleep, until it was rustled from slumber. In hopes of escaping, a number of you -- Fjord, Jester, Nott, and Beau -- had all leapt from the tree, plummeting down about 150 feet before Feather Fall kicked in and now you're all gently floating to the floor, as tearing out of the canopy of this massive tree is the screeching, hunting, rustled-awake roc. And that's where we left off.''

Part I
As they Feather Fall down from the boughs of the Arbor Exemplar, Jester casts Disguise Self to make herself look as much like a leaf as possible, and Fjord makes himself look like a decaying, rotten zombie. Nott turns invisible. Jester tries to Command the attacking roc, but fails, and it comes toward her and Fjord, who Misty Steps out of reach. Caleb, in eagle form, lands and resumes his human form. When the roc comes back around, Jester uses Dimension Door to transport Beau and herself to the safety of the alcove at the bottom of the tree. The roc attacks Fjord, wounding him, grappling him in a talon, and carrying him off. Fjord uses Relentless Hex to teleport out of the claws and onto the roc's back. Jester Polymorphs it into a bat, sending Fjord crashing to the ground and causing him more damage.

Caleb resumes eagle form and taxis Beau back up to the nest in the tree, where they find a baby roc and some minor treasure. Meanwhile, Jester captures the extremely angry bat in her cloak, from which it periodically escapes and tries to attack. Caduceus's continuing castings of Bane keep it from being very successful. However, Beau and Caleb get too close to the baby roc, who manages to wound Caleb enough that he becomes a wizard again. He is able to re-cast Polymorph to return them both to the ground with ten minutes to spare before the mama roc is no longer a bat. They mount the moorbounders and charge off at full speed, finding a cavern where they manage to hide from the searching, persistent roc flying above.

While they're waiting, they go through the treasure. There is a locked wooden box, which Nott, who has been drinking steadily, picks without disarming, setting off a Fireball on the entire party. While the party is distracted, Jester manages to grab Nott's flask without her noticing. The ring found inside the box is a ring of protection, which is given to Yasha.

During the afternoon, they ride past an orc village and are attacked, but an Insect Plague from Jester and a few Fireballs from Caleb convince the orcs to let them go past. They continue to see the roc, still searching for them, throughout the afternoon, but it doesn't notice them. Towards nightfall, they spot Bazzoxan in the distance, and press on through the night, reaching the village after dark.

Break

 * D&D Beyond animation.
 * Advertisement for new t-shirts featuring Brian Foster.
 * Clips from Talks Machina.
 * Clip from Between the Sheets with Ashley Johnson on YouTube.
 * Liam hams it up for Twitch subscriptions.
 * Critters's Art Montage.

Part II
As the Mighty Nein approach Bazzoxan, they are approached by seven armored figures, but Caleb convinces them that the group is working for the Bright Queen, and they are allowed to pass. The village of Bazzoxan is primarily a military outpost fighting the things that attempt to escape from the massive black temple looming above it, through the Umbra Gates.

The party is able to find stabling for the moorbounders, and a room for themselves for the night at the Ready Room, run by brother and sister drows Prima and Delez Demona. It's very basic, but they are able to purchase (at a steep mark-up) enough incense and ivory for Caduceus to be able to cast Legend Lore at some point. Jester defaces the sign for the inn and changes it from 'Ready Room' to 'Ruddy Poon'.

Caleb changes Frumpkin back into a cat. When Nott reaches for her flask, she discovers it's missing, and panics. Fjord tells Caduceus about his vision of the Wildmother, and Caduceus tells him about her, and teaches Fjord to meditate. In the early morning, Jester tries to scry on Obann, but is unsuccessful. Nott is frantic about her missing flask, and Caleb quietly buys an incredibly expensive bottle of booze and tucks it away.

Fjord questions a soldier named Sulo about the tunnels beneath the village. The temple is not a tomb, but the ancient palace of the Princes of the Abyss, guarded by the Umbra Gates. The entrance to the tunnels is to the right of the gates, but it is not a tomb. During this exchange, Fjord is somewhat embarrassed when Sulo points out that Jester is doing the 'Cabbage Patch' for no apparent reason.

Having no other ideas, Jester Sends to Obann to let him know they have arrived at Bazzoxan, and he replies with instructions on how to find him. On the way out, when Nott tries to buy booze, Fjord tells Prima she's underage and buys a bottle himself, but refuses to give any to Nott.

They ride their moorbounders into a dust storm. Locate Creature fails, but Locate Object finds the crest, which reads in Celestial, "Let lie the king's instrument, deathless and detained, until the world ends." It has apparently opened a door into the cliff side, which leads to miles of tunnels. Far into the depths of the mountain there is a slate-gray obelisk marking a side tunnel, which bears partially defaced script reading in Abyssal, "Build every bridge. Become every nightmare. Feast on every heart."

Down that tunnel are two partially opened doors carved with two winged humanoid creatures that appear to be weeping blood. Nott goes Invisible and enters through the doors, finding a room filled with fourteen celestial statues, kneeling, all weeping blood, surrounded by what seems to be celestial skeletons and the remnants of a battle. They face a huge adamantine portcullis door, raised about two feet, in the center of a wall. Thrumming through the statues, the party can hear faint oboe-like music. Caleb sends Frumpkin through the door into the dark room beyond, but he can see little without light. Fjord and Caduceus transform to look like Yasha. The still-invisible Nott creeps beneath the adamantine door and into the chamber within.

The Mighty Nein

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

New

 * Delez Demona
 * Prima Demona
 * Sulo (a soldier)
 * Lianos

Returning

 * Obann (via Jester's Sending spell)

Mentioned

 * Essek Thelyss

Quotations
Jester: She comes alooooone... But she comes more with another person. Travis: (head in hands) My wife, the mother of my son. Yasha: Yeah. Jester: And I know we were kind of joking about it before, but if anything gets too hard or if you, you know, you don't want to hear what he's saying, just say the word and we'll all have your back. Yasha: Okay. Jester: And I know that you lost your family, but we can be your new one and we love you very much, Yasha, no matter what happened. Okay? Yasha: Okay. Thank you, Jester. Obann: Expedient and trustworthy. I am impressed. And a performer. Come five, six miles west of the village. Look for the hidden entrance. I'm waiting.
 * Inscription: (on the seal of the entrance to the cavern, in Celestial) "Let lie the King's instrument, deathless and detained, until the world ends."
 * Inscription: (on the obelisk inside the cavern, in Abyssal) "Build every bridge. Become every nightmare. Feast on every heart."
 * Fjord: (Workshopping a message to send to Obann) What about, "She comes alone."
 * Jester: I don't know what we're going to find in there, but this guy is obviously after you. Yeah?
 * Jester: The Orphanmaker has arrived. Where can we find you? (singing) Doo doo doo doo doo. Doodoo doo do doo.
 * Sam: Did we just defeat a whole village in like 30 seconds... but it took us days to leave a tree?

Trivia

 * When Yasha reads the inscription on the obelisk, Laura sings the line 'Become every nightmare' to the tune of Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music.