The Diver's Grave

is the forty-fourth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein investigate Fjord's shipwreck, and their underwater adventure takes a spooky turn as they head deeper into the Diver's Grave...

Announcements

 * Backblaze
 * D&D Beyond
 * The new intro debuted. It was animated by siblings Kamille Areopagita & Kevin Areopagita (Twitter). The new intro's song was co-written by Sam Riegel and Jason Charles Miller, with vocals contributed by Laura Bailey and Ashley Johnson, backing vocals by Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham. Jason Charles Miller did the instrumentation, and Colm McGuinness (Twitter) contributed a violin portion. Peter Habib of Mr. Fantastic did the final mix of the song.

Previously on Critical Role
So last we left off, the Mighty Nein, after being pulled through a series of pirate adjacent and straight up pirate adventures across the Swavain Islands here in the Lucidian Ocean, on the ship, the Squall-Eater'', under the Captain Avantika's rule, you made your way to Darktow where you attempted to find a way to discredit her. Find a way to not be dragged into her business in the future.''

It got a little messy, but you managed to avoid it coming to too terrible a head until you are brought into her ship last week where a battle unfolded, in which most of you managed to skitter away with the contents of this journal that you had taken from her as well as the translation for the cipher that was used to write it.

''[You] managed to make your way to the Plank King in time and have him bring his resources to the docks before any more of you could be further destroyed. Summoning a demon helped as part of the distraction, as well as patiently waiting. [...] You managed to just break enough laws to be put not in favor of the Plank King but managed to have done a large favor enough to be let leave and never return. Taking the hobbled ship that you guys had busted with you, you made your way out into the open ocean, heading northeast from Darktow and the Dragshallow Reef, in search of the possible shipwreck that started Fjord's destiny in the direction of Uk'otoa.''

''After days of travel and a few location spells cast, you managed to find a blip at the base of the sea. Using your newfound ability to instill the ability to breathe water within the party around you, you sunk to the bottom, holding onto cannonballs, and began to walk the bottom floor in search of the shipwreck, eventually coming upon a valley caldera that slowly sinks down. You noticed, aside from the whale that just skimmed your presence, the bow of a derelict, wrecked ship sitting there, surrounded by seaweed in the barely-visible, creeping daylight making it this deep in the waters.''

Part I
The Mighty Nein head towards the shipwreck. They see signs of an explosion through the hull. The wreck looks to have been there for about a year. Fjord tells the party about the explosion on the Tide's Breath. Fjord saw Sabian go belowdecks and start messing with a package. After seeing Sabian light a fuse, Fjord confronted him. Sabian threw a dagger into Fjord's chest and ran. Fjord chased him. Sabian ran to the bow of the ship and jumped off right before the ship exploded. Fjord does not know why Sabian sabotaged the ship or where Sabian is now.

Caleb sends Frumpkin in octopus form ahead to scout. Frumpkin sees warped metal, burned boxes, and other evidence of an explosion. Fjord asks Jester to explore the captain's quarters with him. The inside of Vandren's quarters has been ransacked. The table and bookshelf were knocked over; all the decorations Fjord remembers being in the cabin are gone. Fjord is too distracted by memories to do a thorough investigation. He seems angry at the idea that someone was looking through Vandren's things. He goes to get the rest of the party while Jester makes a thorough search. Jester finds a metal box underneath a table in the corner. The lock has been opened by brute force leaving claw marks on the sides of the box. The inside looks like it held something spherical, about the size of a small apple. Jester casts Locate Object focusing on an orb similar to Fjord's. She feels the presence an orb away from the ship.

Fjord wants to immediately head towards the orb, but the rest of the party want to investigate Vandren's cabin further. Caduceus determines the creature that left claw marks was the same thing that forced the box open. Beau reminds the party Dashilla, the beast they were warned haunts the area, is said to have "claws that grasp".

Post-Show
Matt announced Deborah Ann Woll's guest appearance in.

The Mighty Nein

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

New

 * Dashilla

Returning

 * Orly Skiffback

Mentioned

 * Sabian

Trivia

 * Logic was in the studio at some point and left Matt a note to be read as soon as the game started. The note says "You, Sir Matt, are the sexist being in all of Neverland. Sincerely, your boo, Logic."