Dubious Pursuits

 is the fortieth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein undergo a dangerous watery escape from the temple, and go to great lengths to maintain their alliance with Captain Avantika...

Previously on Critical Role
Last we left off, The Mighty Nein, in pursuing a thread of a mysterious orb that seemed to connect in some way to the entity in which Fjord has somehow connected himself to, and as such been granted these strange eldritch powers, led you southward from the Menagerie Coast after commandeering a ship called The Mist, turned into The Mistake''. Followed it through some dangerous reefs to a pirate ship called the Squall-Eater, and there on the captain, Avantika.''

''You made a pact with her, where the choice was to either die, to help aid her and a companion she hired for this to help navigate this island.This kind of strange, seemingly dangerous or cursed island, to which you made your way through the jungle of this Urukaxl. Managed to avoid lizardmen. Managed to barely sneak through a ancient city of yuan-ti. Making your way to the top of this temple and through the interior. A series of battles later, an encounter with a strange lightless internal orchard in which two of the fruit within had been eaten by two members of your team and have been tripping balls ever since.''

''You made your way to the bottom, subterranean, guardian chamber, where you met a yuan-ti abomination that was laying guard to the true guardian: a large hydra. The hydra had turned around and laid waste to much of your party, but you managed to, through a series of clever choices, uses of fire magic, and some rapid assaults, managed to cleave all the heads from its body and kill it just in time. Its corpse now lying fresh on the ground, Captain Avantika seeming pleased and impressed by the display of the strange, new compatriots that have now come to work under her. You now sit in the stillness of this chamber, able to now finally take a moment to look about and see what secrets or mysteries it holds.''

Warden's Chamber
The Mighty Nein and Avantika took a moment to breath following the defeat of the Hydra. Caleb and Nott angrily confronted Jamedi Cosko about why he hid throughout the whole fight. Jamedi argues that was not paid to fight giant beasts; he was paid to scout.

Unlike the rooms in the rest of the temple, the original wall carvings in this chamber have not been covered up. Caduceus cast Detect Magic, while Fjord and Avantika examined murals on the walls. The three walls have three murals, mirroring the placement of the three pillars that hold up the room. Caduceus noted that the pillars have a magical aura to them.

One mural shows a crowd of humanoids looking up at silhouettes of three larger humanoid figures bathed in light. Most of the mural depicts a giant bird made up of dark purple, red, and grey flames. The bird's head has three eyes with an onyx stone set in each one.

Avantika walked towards another mural. It shows a similar crowd of humanoids, also looking up to three larger figures with a radiant aura. Above them is painted a giant coiled serpent with eyes all along the body. Each eye is a small amber piece set into the wall. Its head has three eyes made of amber as well. It's mouth is open as a giant tidal wave bears down on the crowd below it.

Beauregard examined the third mural. It depicts a curling worm with tooth-like scales over its skin. Its mouth is an open ring of teeth with three ivory eyes set where its tongue should be. Its burrowing creates mountains and cliffs that look about to break and crush the crowd below. Three larger humanoid figures stand above a crowd in this mural as well.

Caleb and Nott, still under the influence of the unknown fruit from the underground orchard, can see glowing runes that start in the ceiling, continue down the walls, onto the floor, and meet at the well where the Hydra rose from. Caleb determined the runes are some kind of abjuration magic, although he cannot read them.

The First Seal
The group gathered around the well, discussing how to best approach exploring it. Avantika jumped in unexpectedly. As Fjord made to follow her, Caleb grabbed him and warned him about the abjuration magic with an unknown purpose. Fjord anxiously jumped, worried about what Avantika will do if he does not catch up to her. The well continues down almost 80 feet; strangely, it is salt water. Avantika had a head start on Fjord, but he managed to catch up and reach the end of the tunnel at the same time as her. The two began to scrape grime off the floor.

Fjord found a spherical stone relief about the size of a fist. He tried to reach inside his chest for the orb, but only touched his armor. He summoned his falchion and tried to touch the now glowing yellow eye in the hilt to the relief. Avantika rushed towards the relief, pulled her glove off her right hand, and was faster than Fjord.

As her palm with the eye in it touched the relief, her body seized up. A yellow glowing light spread out from between her fingers. When she pulled her hand back, blood was pouring out from a large open wound. A cloven crystal was resting in the stone relief on the floor.

Escape
Previously invisible runes began to glow, reaching out in three lines from the relief up the sides of the well. The rest of the group still in the hydra chamber saw runes appear glowing and spiraling on the three pillars. A loud crack resonated throughout the whole temple, creating cracks in the walls. Avantika began to swim towards the surface; Fjord reached up and tried to grab her. She slipped out of his grasp. Fjord played it off like an accident. She seemed to be fooled and kept swimming upwards.

The well in the hydra chamber began overflowing rapidly, filling up the room. Caduceus, Caleb, Jamedi, and Nott ran towards the stairs to the outside. Beau and Jester waited by the well for Fjord. As the water reaches high enough they can no longer stand, Avantika and Fjord made it back into the hydra chamber.

The party rushed up the stairs all the way back to the orchard, the rising water level just on their heels. Nott found the button to close the door behind them and lower the spiral staircase back up. Water continued to rise. Caleb cast Enlarge/Reduce on Caduceus, making him twice his normal size. Caduceus used his height to lift members of the group up into the next level. Fjord held on to Enlarged Caduceus's hand. Caleb cast Enlarge/Reduce again to shrink Caduceus down to half his normal size so Fjord could pull him up.

Once the whole party was in the top floor, three yuan-ti entered the chamber from another door. The rising water filled the entire chamber. Caduceus cast Spirit Guardians and rushed at the yuan-ti before they could retaliate. An underwater battle ensued. Beau and Caleb dashed up the stairs to the trapdoor the party used to enter the temple and found it locked. She realized Jester had the key. Caleb attempted to pick the lock, but failed. Jamedi moved to the side of the chamber, avoiding the battle entirely.

Avantika, Caduceus, Fjord, Jester, Nott, and Yasha were able to defeat the three yuan-ti, but not before Fjord and Yasha took enough damage to reduce the amount of time they could hold their breath. Caduceus, Jester, and Nott were forced to use some of their air as well to cast spells in the battle. As they all prepared to flee, both Jester and Caduceus ran out of air and began to drown.

Fjord grabbed Jester, kissed her, and gave her his own air supply, putting himself in danger of drowning to save her. Jamedi and Avantika grabbed Caduceus and pulled his unconscious body towards the exit. Beau, Caleb, and Nott teamed up to help Jester get to the trapdoor and unlock it.

As soon as the door was unlocked, a geyser of water pushes everyone 20 feet straight up into the air out the top of the temple. Nott and Caleb both cast Feather Fall. Between the two of them, they were able to target everyone. Nott used a shield she had taken off a yuan-ti as a "sled" for a still unsconscious Caduceus. Now outside, the party could see more and more water spilling out of the temple and flooding the entire city. Gently falling into the rushing water, Jester was able to reach Caduceus and cast Cure Wounds.

The party were able to ride the flooding water safely away from the temple, but were noticed by about twenty yuan-ti. The yuan-ti began to chase them as they hit solid ground. Caleb, able to perfectly recall the route they took from the Squall Eater, led the charge through the jungle.

Captain's Quarters
Avantika told Fjord she knew someone else who had a falchion similar to Fjord's. His name was Vandren. He called his falchion the "Sword of Fathoms". Avantika told Fjord Vandren was the one who introduced her to the power of Uk'otoa, but later abandoned her and took a Cloven Crystal with him. The orb Vandren took may be the one Fjord now has or Vandren may still have it.

Fjord asked Avantika how she got her Cloven Crystal. She tells him Vandren helped her. They discovered one was being auctioned off in Port Damali. Avantika and Vandren stalked the collector who bought it to an unknown island, killed him, and took the crystal. Avantika absorbed it, causing Uk'otoa's eye to appear in her palm. Avantika continued to press Fjord about why he has the same sword and possibly the same orb as Vandren. Fjord claimed he did not know Vandren. He told her he found the falchion after being lost at sea in a storm and washing up on as island with it, not mentioning Sabian's act of sabotage.

Avantika was not fooled by Fjord's lie. He admitted Vandren had been the captain of the ship that sank. Avantika concluded Vandren would not have traveled without the orb so it is likely still at the site of the wreck. Fjord showed her the location of the storm on a map and agreed to help her find it. Fjord and Avantika slept together to seal their pact.

Fjord attempted to sneak back to the room he shares with Caduceus, but Caduceus heard him. Caduceus only commented "Sleep well with your bad decisions."

Post Show
After this episode, the Mighty Nein reached level 7. The players present rolled hit points.
 * Travis rolled 5
 * Marisha rolled 1 then 2 on the re-roll
 * Sam rolled 1 then 8 on the re-roll
 * Caleb rolled 2
 * Taliesin rolled 6

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre (controlled by Matt, Sam, & Taliesin)
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin (controlled by Matt & Travis)
 * Caleb Widogast

New

 * Jeremiah Willowhisk

Returning

 * Captain Avantika
 * Bouldergut
 * Jamedi Cosko
 * Vera

Mentioned

 * Uk'otoa
 * Vandren

Quotations
Matt: "You, yeah." (Fjord and Caduceus  stare at each other; Fjord awkward and Caduceus dubious as the former crawls into his bunk) Caduceus: "Sleep well with your bad decisions." Sam & Taliesin(together): "And not a drop to drink." Matt(laughing): "You may have broken me. I think it finally happened."
 * Travis: "Okay. Looking around, still having plenty of air in my lungs, I turn around and see Jester starting to panic and I know she has the key, so I will reach out and grab her face and bring her into a kiss, and I will blow all of my air into her lungs." Sam: "Are you upside down right now?" Travis: "Shape of Water!"
 * Taliesin (describing Caduceus casting Sprit Guardians): "Anybody I don't like within 15 feet is currently getting ransacked by tiny fairies."
 * Taliesin: "Can I figure out what happened just by looking at him?"
 * Liam: "Seamen, seamen, everywhere."

Trivia

 * Sam's flask bears an image of a mostly-naked McCree riding a mechanical bull, with two Nott stickers above it.
 * Nott got the "How Do You Want To Do This" against the yuan-ti mailson in the underwater battle.
 * At the end of this episode, the Mighty Nein reached level 7.