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 headed towards the shipwreck. They saw signs of an explosion through the hull. Fjord told the party more about what happened when the Tide's Breath exploded. 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 sent Frumpkin in octopus form ahead to scout. Frumpkin saw warped metal, burned boxes, and other evidence of an explosion. Fjord asked Jester to explore the captain's quarters with him. The inside of Vandren's quarters were ransacked. The table and bookshelf were knocked over; all the decorations Fjord remembers being in the cabin are gone. Fjord was too distracted by memories to do a thorough investigation. He seemed angry at the idea that someone looked through Vandren's things. He went to get the rest of the party while Jester made a thorough search. Jester found a metal box underneath a table in the corner. The lock had been opened by brute force leaving claw marks on the sides of the box. The inside looked like it held something spherical, about the size of a small apple. Jester cast Locate Object focusing on an orb similar to Fjord's. She felt the presence an orb away from the ship.

Fjord wanted to immediately head towards the orb, but the rest of the party wanted to investigate Vandren's cabin further. Caduceus determined the creature that left claw marks was the same thing that forced the box open. Beau reminded the party that Dashilla, the creature they were warned haunts the area, is said to have "claws that grasp". Looking through the rest of the ship, the Mighty Nein realized the wreck was salvaged after it sank.

Attracted by Caleb's Dancing Lights cantrip, two merrow and a shallow priest attacked the party. After seeing the two merrow fall, the shallow priest attempted to flee. It was finished off by Caleb's third-level Magic Missile.

Jester compared the merrow claws with the claw marks on Vandren's box. They didn't match. Whatever opened the box had slightly larger claws. Caleb doused his Dancing Lights cantrip and had Frumpkin's octopus form wrap around his head so he could see using its darkvision. The party continued in the direction Jester sensed the orb through Locate Object. Jester's spell fades. As they moved further towards it, other wrecked ships came into view. Some of the ships appeared to be decades old. The group began to see a light flickering in and outahead. Fjord worried it could be Dashilla's "lantern lure" as described in the sea shanty.

The rest of the group began to see the light as well. Caleb sent Frumpkin ahead to look. Frumpkin followed the light to a large cluster of dead coral surrounding a rocky stone shelf with an open cavern entrance underneath the shelf. The Mighty Nein moved quietly towards the cavern, Beau and Jester using seaweed as camouflage. Reaching the entrance, they saw the shimmering. It was caused by some unknown light passing over coins scattered about the cavern entrance. Fjord, only half joking, suggested to still intoxicated Nott that she go first. Beau reminded Fjord of her promise to check him when he was getting too aggressive; in her opinion no one should go in this cavern entrance. It looked like a trap.

After a few minutes discussion, the Mighty Nein moved around into positions on the shelf on top of the cavern entrance. They planned to send Jester's illusory duplicate to pretend to pick up the coins and ambush whatever attacks the duplicate. After nothing responded to the duplicate's presence, Fjord jumped down into the cavern entrance. Nothing happened. Looking inside, the shimmering light that reflected off the coins was not there anymore. A tunnel leading down into another chamber was just visible.

Fjord summoned his falchion inside the cavern. The eye in the sword hilt cast a bight light as Fjord felt an eagerness building in him. Jester held Nott as they walked past the coins so Nott was unable to grab any. The rest of the group moved slowly into the cavern.

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

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Caleb Widogast
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin (controlled by Travis in combat & Matt out of combat)

New

 * Dashilla

Returning

 * Orly Skiffback

Mentioned

 * Sabian
 * Vandren

Quotations
Nott: "Can you hear yourself right now? You sound pathetic. Pathetic!" Fjord: "I'm just looking out for you, Nott. I don't want you to-" Nott: "I understand when I'm being condescended to, even when I'm drunk!" Caleb: "All right, let's treat this situation with the seriousness it demands." Liam(occ): "I douse the lights and bring Frumpkin down onto my own head like a mask, so I can see through Frumpkin vision."
 * Fjord: "Wait, Nott! We're about to cross the area of the button graveyard that lies beneath the waves."

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."
 * Sam's giant flask had a drawing of Kiri wielding a dagger.