O Captain, Who's Captain?

 is the thirty-sixth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein hire a crew and set out on a naval adventure, but danger lurks on the open seas...

Announcements

 * two sponsors:
 * Backblaze:
 * D&D Beyond:
 * New York Comic Con:
 * Between the Sheets:
 * All Work No Play:
 * merch update from Laura:
 * That's the end of the announcements, so Matt thinks it's time to get into tonight's heroic adventure. Matt dedicates it as a celebration of real heroes in this world (some by the name of Christine).

Previously on Critical Role
"So, last we left off: The Mighty Nein had been following a story thread: they had encountered some pieces of paper that alluded to a mystical orb that they had previously encountered - that seemed to be connected to, or related to something about, your patron, Fjord.

"After unknowingly having a vision and absorbing this orb within yourself, you completed your business up in the Empire and - following information in this note - you made your way south outside of the Dwendalian Empire, to the Menagerie Coast, to the city of Nicodranas: which was home (and is home) to Jester. Bought some pets along the way (lost some pets along the way).

"But you've met the Ruby of the Sea. You aided her in absolving herself of the stress of having a really unfortunately aggressive admirer, who was becoming a serious problem. So you told him to stop by cutting off his hand and sending him away forever! (It sounds bad when you say it like that...)

"And then you went to inquire at the docks at night, looking for an individual named Marius LePual. You stealthed your way there, began to formulate a plan to listen in. Unfortunately, due to a not-quite-as-quiet attempt at entering the water, garnished their attention. A not-quite-effective attempt at deceiving them triggered them to realize that they were being followed, and proceeded to try and cover their tracks, and take out those who would be following them.

"That led to a scuffle on the battlefield of the docks here in the wharf, where you alerted the guards, managed to take down these shadowy figures, captured Marius LePual, and hijacked their ship (called the Mist) - where you managed to leave the docks out into the night air (the moonlit, open night), as you had just managed to take down a few figures that remained on the ship. A few things were burned in the process. The chaos...was...PALPABLE. Caduceus managed to swim out to you guys in time to make it onto the ship. And, where we left off, you all had taken a moment and some of you began to head back into the ship to see what lied within..."

Interrogations
Caleb rationalizes that all went very well: it could've been worse, and the shadowy figures attacked first, unprovoked. Caleb quotes a Zemnian saying: "Sometimes you have to follow the cabbages in front of you." Fjord is at the helm of the Mist. Jester confesses that she accidentally stuck an ax in the back of a guy's head: she had been aiming for his shoulder. Beau points out that Jester can Speak with the Dead. Jester decides to head down and speak with the corpse of the dead man. Nott and Caleb go down into the ship with her. A wet Caduceus sits at the front of the ship, completely out of it. Fjord asks Caduceus to come to help him, but Caduceus doesn't respond. Beau volunteers to help Fjord sail the ship, while Yasha goes over to talk with Caduceus, who is clearly upset. He notes that she keeps leaving, and that she might have the right idea.

Beauregard checks the ship over and finds that there is a lot of charred wood where the fireball impacted. Some of the wood around the deck is splintered, and the sail is singed. Most of the damage is aesthetic and won't impede the ship's movement.

Below decks, Jester discovers that the crewman she took out with an ax is still alive, and still has an ax in his head. He tries to crawl away, but Jester grabs his ankles and pulls him back. He passes out. Caleb tries to move the ax, but Jester stops him, worried that his brains will leak out. Nott fetches Caduceus, who is having a rough day. He heals the guard as Caleb takes out the ax. Nott tries to cheer up Caduceus by reminding him he just saved a life, and Caduceus remarks that 'he'll be dead eventually." The enforcer wakes up and Jester welcomes him to the crew, and also informs him that all his friends are gone.

Caleb, Nott, and Jester interrogate the guard. He tells them that he was picking up and delivering a message. He resists talking until Caleb threatens (subtly) to torture him. He then tells them that The Mist is a sister ship to Captain Avantika's ship, the Squall-Eater, and that the former captain of The Mist was named Captain Jawgrasp. The papers he burned were mostly maps. Their job was to meet with Marius LePual and either get the money back, or the orb, and deliver either to Avantika.

He says Avantika is a weird one, and the orb is a religious thing for her. The crew of the The Mist have no interest in Avantika's religion; she hired them to run errands for her. They operate out of Darktow. Avantika is waiting for them to return somewhere in the Swavain Islands. He doesn't know the name of the island, but most people avoid it because it's cursed. After asking for his name, Gallan Westman, Jester tries to convert him to The Traveler.

When Gallan says he wasn't one of the important ones, Nott points out that he was the only one who survived the attack, and survied an ax in his head. He's on board at first, but is shocked at the revelation that he had an ax in his head and freaks out. Nott assures him it missed all the major organs. They ask Gallen what his job on the ship was. Gallen was the ship's carpenter.

Nott and Jester realize they should probably come up with a new name for the ship come up with the name The Mistake. Caleb has finished casting Comprehend Languages and is able to read the partially burned papers. It seems to be a list of materials that were on the ship. Nott formally conscripts Gallen Westman into the Mighty Nein for their sea journey and appoints him first mate since no one else but Fjord knows how to sail. Jester and Nott take him to his quarters so he can sleep.

Meanwhile on deck, Beau and Fjord wake up Marius LePual, who is still tied to the mast. They ask Marius about what he was doing with the ship. Marius was not planning to go on the ship. He was only hired to post a letter then wait for the delivery of the orb. Since the orb never showed up, he was going to return the money to Captain Jawgrasp. Marius doesn't seem to know much more so they let him go belowdecks to get a drink and calm down.

Caleb, Jester, and Nott show the papers they have to Beau and Fjord. The partial map looks familiar to Fjord. He thinks it could be one of two places in the Lucidian Ocean- Inkclaw Reef or Deep Row Reef.



The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin (controlled by Matt)
 * Caleb Widogast

Returning

 * Marius LePual
 * Orly Skiffback
 * Gallan Westman

Mentioned

 * Avantika
 * The Traveler

Inventory

 * The Mistake (formerly The Mist) ship hijacked and partially-crewed by the Mighty Nein

Quotations

 * Fjord: "I'll check you, you'll check me."
 * Fjord: "I have...a series of...um...expectations...but I wouldn't call it a plan..." (responding to Caduceus asking if Fjord has a plan)
 * Caleb: "Don't make me run, I'm full of chocolates!"
 * Sam: "I look like Cap'n Crunch, by the way."
 * Nott: "And between you and me...Jester's a really bad Cleric..."
 * Nott: "Harpy! Harpy! I'm your biggest fan!"
 * Jester: "Sometimes the things that are the most beautiful are the things that can hurt the most."

Trivia

 * Matthew Mercer received toxic comments and criticism on Discord and social media for his support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford at the top of the show. Matt responded on Twitter that many in the Critter community (and many of his friends) are among the millions of women who have suffered from sexual assaults and sexual abuse, and defended his support as human decency for a woman who bravely stood before the world to confront her abuser. While Critical Role is not a politically-driven or politically-affiliated show, the show belongs to the cast and the cast can say whatever words of support they want to people they respect.