The Stalking Nightmare

is the twenty-ninth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. Live from Indianapolis! The Mighty Nein descend deeper into the Sour Nest to rescue their friends, and find help in an unexpected corner… (guest Khary Payton!)

Pre-Show

 * Brian arrives onstage in the outfit picked out for him by Taliesin, which Brian describes as either "a good mix between Colonel Sanders and Liberace" or "the gay televangelist". Producer Max described Brian as "a pimp from Atlantis".
 * If you are at Gen Con this weekend, please stop by the Critical Role booth (Booth #2931): a real-life Invulnerable Vagrant.
 * Brian gives a couple housekeeping rules before introducing the cast:
 * There will be a break, just like every episode of Critical Role. He asks the audience to try and stay in their seats until then, and then go to the bathroom, get merch, etc. during that break.  Brian points out (and those who were here last year will remember) that when someone stands up, the chair sounds like someone waterboarding a pterodactyl.
 * The audience is free to laugh, scream, cheer, cry, gasp, and any of that stuff during the show. The only thing that Critical Role asks is that the audience doesn't shout any rules or corrections at Matt or the players.  And the only reason why they ask is because (to quote Brian): "IT'S F***ING ANNOYING!"  So keep those to a minimum of zero.
 * Today (August 3rd) is our beloved Travis Willingham's birthday. He and Laura couldn't make it to Gen Con this year for the best reason possible: because they just had a beautiful little baby boy, Ronin.  According to Brian, "He's such a bud-dee!"  Since he couldn't be there in-person, Brian thought he could FaceTime Travis and have the whole audience sing Happy Birthday for him (the Critters already did that before the show, but why not do it again?).  Brian had hoped he wouldn't catch Travis in the middle of breastfeeding.  Travis and Laura misses the cast and Critters so much.  Brian gives Travis his present, and the audience sings.  Travis thanks the audience and says they are amazing.  He has only one birthday wish...one request for his fellow players: "Mighty Nein, I want you to kick some F***ING ASS!"  Laura states that they'll be watching along tonight.  Travis asks if they "earmuffed" Ronin for that?  Laura says, "Totally.", as she hurriedly covers Ronin's ears.  She insists, "No cussing!  Don't talk about dem t*****s!"  After the audience says goodbye to Travis and Laura,  Brian wishes they could be here...but instead they brought him for some stupid reason.
 * Without further ado, Brian introduces the cast of Critical Role:
 * Liam O'Brien (dressed as Caleb, complete with scarf and book...though under his coat, he has a shirt of a cat shooting lasers out of its eyes)
 * Marisha Ray (dressed as Sam from the Campaign 2 intro, she blows kisses to the audience)
 * Taliesin Jaffe
 * Ashly Burch (complete with cigarette)
 * Hide your kids, hide your wives, hide your faces...it's Sam Riegel (dressed in a pink dragon costume, with butterfly facial makeup, roller blades, streamers on his back, and a giant LED light stuffed into his crotch)
 * and your, mine, our beloved Dungeon Master: Matthew Mercer! (who gets a standing ovation as he walks out)
 * Matt clarifies he is the "poor, unfortunate soul who had to follow Sam Riegel out onstage". Sam takes the LED light out of his crotch, and Ashly starts to look at it.  Matt shouts at her not to touch it: we all know where it's been!  Liam shouts, "Don't look, Marion!"
 * Matt welcomes everyone to Gen Con 2018 and our live show at the Murat Theatre. So many incredible faces in the audience here, and many of you wonderful people back at home watching us, so welcome to all.  Matt has butterflies in his tummy.
 * Someone in the audience shouts, "It's High Noon!" Ashly believes time to high noon is in three minutes?  Matt (as McCree) states, "Somewhere in the world..."

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Fjord (Unconscious & controlled by DM)
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester (Unconscious & controlled by DM)
 * Nott
 * Caleb Widogast
 * Yasha (Unconscious & controlled by DM)

Returning

 * Keg
 * Lorenzo
 * Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna
 * Protto
 * Ruzza
 * Shakäste