Escape from the Underdark

is the thirteenth episode of the first season of Critical Role. The week before it aired, the special episode aired instead of a normal story episode.

With K'Varn killed and the dread god Orcus's machinations put to an end, the party struggles with what to do next. Before a decision can be reached, several illithid glide into the chamber of the elder brain, and victory quickly yields to impending doom as Vox Machina struggles to escape the city alive...

Pre-Show

 * The full party will be here tonight (although they aren't yet).
 * The character backstory videos for Grog Strongjaw, Keyleth, Percival de Rolo, Scanlan Shorthalt, Tiberius Stormwind, Vax'ildan, and Vex'ahlia are shown.

Announcements

 * Los Angeles traffic is bad, but everyone has arrived.
 * There will be a big giveaway today, at 3300 subscribers, for a dice box, signed t-shirt, starter set, and signed Player's Handbook.
 * Thanks to Aaron's Books in Lancaster County, PA, for providing the giveaway items, and congratulations to Aaron on his sixth grade graduation.
 * Last week's episode, due to player absences, was a mini-game and DM tips workshop. There will hopefully be more content like it in the future.
 * Happy birthday to Kit Buss, the Critical Role artist!
 * Matt and Travis are in the newly released Super Friends animated series by DC Kids on YouTube. Matt plays Superman and Travis plays Lex Luthor.
 * Orion and Matt are both in Final Fantasy Type-0. Orion thanks August8913 and Greven on Redbubble for their Final Fantasy shirts.
 * Marisha will be at Lock and Load, the War Machine Hordes con, in Seattle this weekend. She will be cosplaying as Scar, and G&S will be hosting the Lock and Load livestream.
 * Laura and Travis will be at MetroCon in Tampa this weekend.
 * The 3300 subscriber mark is achieved during announcements. Flyingsquid63 wins the giveaway; the next one will be at 3350 subscribers.
 * Matt will be at Colossal Con in Sandusky, OH, this weekend.

Previously on Critical Role
''"The party, as they ventured deep into the Underdark beneath the Cliffkeep Mountains in the dwarven city of Kraghammer, sought and discovered Lady Kima of Vord, a folk hero, a paladin of Bahamut, who had been captured and tortured by the duergar that live beneath. After saving her, they discovered that there was an even deeper, darker, more dangerous evil brewing beneath the surface. There was an illithid, or mind flayer, city of Yug'Voril deeper within this cavern structure, and currently the elder brain of the colony was under the control of an entity known as K'Varn, who they came to find out was a self-mutilated and advanced beholder who had come into contact with a dark artifact known as the Horn of Orcus that was actually gifted many, many, hundreds upon hundreds of years ago by the god of undeath himself, Orcus, to one of his avatars. Somehow it found its way to this beholder and gave it enough power to where it gained complete dominion over this colony and these caverns as a whole.''

"The party fought their way through, made a few allies including the ousted mind flayer Clarota, seeking to return to his colony, has been fighting alongside them, as well as Lady Kima, the paladin they came to save. Upon finding their way into the final cavern, they used their magic carpet to completely go around the giant city of Yug'Voril, perch on top of the temple in the center of the city, and, using a Polymorphed fomorian giant cascading hundreds upon hundreds of feet through the glass structure on top, managed to break their way into the temple. After which a very dangerous battle with K'Varn the beholder took place. A number of very close calls, they managed to take him out, using Tiberius' Telekinesis tore the horn from its forehead, and the beholder fell to the ground, unmoving, and finally killed as opposed to its undead form."

Clarota
Vox Machina take a moment to gather their wits in the wake of their victory. While they discuss what to do with Kima (still petrified) and the Horn of Orcus, a trio of illithids enter the room. Clarota moves forward to greet them.

The illithids remove the helmet from Clarota's head, seeming to welcome him back into their fold. As they do, Clarota turns on the party with a mind blast that sends Pike and Scanlan reeling. Vex'ahlia retaliates by attacking the Elder Brain and is joined in that effort by the rest of the party. Keyleth cracks open the well of fluid housing the Elder Brain. As more illithids swarm into the temple, Tiberius seals the entrances to the room with stone obelisks. Percival shoots Clarota in the head, releasing Scanlan, who had been grappled by the turncoat.

As the remaining illithids take heavy damage, the two of them Plane Shift out of the room in self-preservation. This gives the party enough time to escape, Grog carrying the stone form of Kima with him. Percy, Vax, Vex, and Keyleth take shots at the Elder Brain as they leave and stay long enough to watch it reconnect with all of the illithids in the city, after being dormant so long under K'Varn's oppression. Though the brain takes some heavy damage, it is not quite enough to kill it before they are forced to leave the temple.

Return to Emon
Tiberius is the first one to make it to the beach and begins to prepare a Teleportation circle. As the others arrive, he finishes the spell and they all rush through the portal.

They emerge safely in an unfamiliar room somewhere in Emon. They are greeted by a rather flustered elven man, Gatekeeper Xanthus, who tells them they have arrived (unannounced) at the Traverse Junction of the Alabaster Lyceum at two o'clock in the morning. He shows them out and asks that tomorrow they file the necessary paperwork for their use of the lyceum's teleportation circle.

Vox Machina take off in the direction of their home, Greyskull Keep, stopping at every pub they can find along the way.

Break

 * The Critical Role intro and character intro videos were re-aired.
 * Zac announced they were near another giveaway and went ahead with it in chat.

Greyskull Keep
As they make it to the front gate of their keep, they are hailed by the guard on duty. They announce themselves and are let in. Laina welcomes them home and tells them there has been no news or visitors, except Allura to check in on them a few days ago. She preps a meal for them while they discuss how to handle the Horn of Orcus that they have acquired. Eventually, they all go to bed.

They wake up the next morning and check that the Horn is still safe in the Bag of Holding. Tiberius, in his room, opens a teleportation circle to Draconia and disappears for a while.

Meanwhile, around the breakfast table, Pike casts Greater Restoration to un-petrify Kima. They tell her that K'Varn has been defeated and the Horn is someplace safe. In return, Kima elaborates on her mission: that the Horn must be securely sealed and forgotten to prevent it drawing more evil to itself.

A message arrives, a summons for Vox Machina to report to Sovereign Uriel posthaste. They decide, however, to visit Allura first.

Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Tiberius Stormwind
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Trinket
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Cordell (first time on stream)
 * Erwen Dastell (first time on stream)
 * Gatekeeper Xanthus
 * Laina Yor (first time on stream)
 * Shayne Tranter (first time on stream)

Returning

 * Clarota
 * Kima

Mentioned

 * Allura Vysoren
 * Bahamut
 * Jarett Howarth
 * Kendrick Yeates
 * K'Varn
 * Natibe Kurios
 * Orcus
 * Sarenrae
 * Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei II

Quotations
Tiberius: Quite the contrary. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be fighting that damn thing. Scanlan: What on earth are you talking about? Tiberius: Silence. Scanlan: Dispel Magic. Yes, I did. Tiberius: Counterspell. (out of character) Sam: Do I have a will save? Orion: No, you're done, you're quiet. Matt: That low enough level? No, unfortunately. Sam: I turn him into a goat. Orion: He has to say that, it doesn't work. Matt: I know that. Sam: Okay, then I'll Banish him. Matt: Also requires verbal casting. Sam: I have to touch him, right? Matt: You also have to be able to speak. Sam: Fuck! Matt: So while you're talking to them, Scanlan is tapping you and mouthing words angrily. Sam: I turn him into a rat. Matt: Go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw, Tiberius. Orion: Hold on a sec. I can still cast as an animal, right? Sam: Nope. Matt: Nope, you cannot talk. Orion: Oh. I still go to bed.
 * Scanlan: Well, you weren't there when we needed you the most. You were out doing God-knows-what.
 * Percy: (after killing Clarota) Some people have no sense of fucking honor!
 * Orion: I stand up and I head towards the sleeping quarters and I just say, "Leave her to stone tonight, we'll deal with it tomorrow." And I go to bed.