In the Belly of the Beast

is the fifty-fourth episode of the first campaign of Critical Role. With battle plans in place, Grog frees some Westruun citizens while Vox Machina busily prepares to engage Umbrasyl with the cunning of their tactics and the strength of the Herd of Storms. The hour arrives, Umbrasyl descends, and the battle begins...

Announcements

 * The episode started thirty minutes late due to technical issues.
 * The show is sponsored by Loot Crate, and continuing its partnership with 826LA.
 * Taliesin Jaffe skyped in from Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.
 * Travis and Laura are leaving for Puerto Rico Comic-Con tomorrow.
 * Liam and Sam are in the Fallout Fall Harbor DLC.
 * The intro failed to play so the cast acted it out live. Then the intro played.

Previously on Critical Role
"Vox Machina, the band of adventurers, walking through Tal'Dorei post-the attack of the Chroma Conclave, an evil troupe of chromatic dragons that are currently holding power in this region and beyond, after tearing through many of the bastions of society in this countryside. The party has gone on a quest to search for artifacts known as the Vestiges of the Divergence, from ancient wars and heroes of old and yore, to use them against the leader of the Chroma Conclave, Thordak the Cinder King.

"As part of this confrontation, they made their way to the city of Westruun, which was partially destroyed by the black dragon Umbrasyl, and then while it was off and away with the rest of the Conclave, was then conquered by the wandering Herd of Storms that Grog once belonged to. After finding it occupied by these rather brutal, barbaric individuals, Vox Machina set into the city, destroyed and tore down their leader Kevdak, to much fanfare from Grog's past, and through Kevdak's son and Grog's majestic might they decided to take the remainder of the Herd of Storms and take out the dragon Umbrasyl, the great black dragon. Half the Herd didn't like that and has decided to go ahead and leave to their own devices, while the rest of the party possibly prepares to plot and plan a way to kill an ancient black dragon."

Part I
Percy enlists the help of some villagers to construct large springs for a triggered trap similar to a giant version of a bear trap. Vax pulls Scanlan aside and pitches him a backup plan. He wants to have Scanlan Dimension Door into Umbrasyl's stomach and use the unmovable rod to hurt him from inside. Scanlan asks Vex about the interior of the dragon and she confirms that the acid that the dragon creates is not made inside it's stomach, but in a separate gland. He also asks if he could borrow her Acid resistant armor and jokingly asks her to take her clothes off. Vex agrees to switch armor with him and Scanlan makes a bit of show of taking off his armor while Vex just ungracefully strips and throws the armor at Scanlan's face. Vex questions why he wants to trade, but Scanlan brushes it off.

Pike attunes to her frostbrand sword. Vax goes to catch up with Percy, who he finds working on his project. He asks if he could use the Dragonslayer longsword and Percy obliges, handing it over to him.

Keyleth and Vex'ahlia go to find Zanror who is preparing with Worra. Vex asks if Umbrasyl has been talking to them when it picks up the treasure, and he says it only did at the beginning. Then she suggests using Kevdak's body and telling the dragon that he was plotting to overthrow him and they agree. The two ladies then describe the plan to use Percy's trap and ask the goliaths if they will help by holding Umbrasyl down with chains. Zanror tentatively agrees to help, as long as they understand the scope of what they're trying to do. Keyleth impresses Zanror and Worra with a display of her abilities, and says she will dig a trench for the goliaths to hide in when Umbrasyl approaches. Vex then heads to the drop point and plans to camouflage Percy's trap with her abilities and illusions.

Grog goes into town looking for "meat shields" and is directed to the iron stocks, now abandoned by the herd. He finds four prisoners below, still inside their cells and begging for food. Grog gives them dry food rations and some ale and recognizes one of them as Abjurist Noja. The others are a shifty man named Orn, an old dwarf named Davin, and Amelia, the daughter of Reginald the farmer. Grog finds a set of keys on a slain guard and releases everyone, telling Amelia to come with him and giving Davin a sword, enlisting his help in tomorrow's fight. Noja is missing his spellbook, so Grog asks the party via earring if anyone would like to accompany all of them to Noja's shop.

Scanlan meets with them there and they find the shop picked clean by looters. Noja's spellbook is missing, but an old backup book is still hidden there for him to use. They find two unbroken potions that Noja gladly gives them in exchange for saving him: a Potion of Diminution and a Potion of Speed. They ask Noja if he'd be interested in helping in the battle, but he is not much help without his proper spellbook. Amelia and Davin help them look back at the prison, while Orn seems to have disappeared. Noja's partially-destroyed spellbook is found, as well as several chains and hooks that will be useful in the battle.

Vax asks Keyleth if he can use Fassbender tomorrow and she gives him the circlet to control him. Vax apologizes for leaving her in her room before. Keyleth takes the opportunity to speak with Vax about his situation with the Raven Queen. She says she doesn't have much respect for the gods and that Vax should look at this as an opportunity to enlist the Raven Queen's services for now and then be done with her when all this is over. Vax then pitches in helping to prepare the location of the trap.

Percy successfully completes the springs for his trap, but becomes exhausted in the process.

Break

 * A Critical Role fanart reel is aired.
 * Matt announces a new sponsor for this month: Loot Crate. The cast opens recent Loot Crates and shows off what's in them
 * A Loot Crate commercial is aired.

Part II
Keyleth proceeds to dig the tunnel for the goliaths to hide in. Vax retrieves Fassbender and moves him to the scene of the trap. Fassbender appears not to have been repaired by the previous healing spell. Pike casts an explosive Glyph of Warding on a small chest within the loot in the trap, triggered if the chest is lifted.

With the twins' help, Keyleth uses Stone Shape to embed two large chains into Fassbender's abdomen. She then digs a hole in the ground, puts the other end of the chains in it, and fills it back in and uses Transmute Stone to turn the dirt into a forty-foot cube of stone. With her last bit of Stone Shape energy, the charcoal mustache that Vax drew on Fassbender is made permanent. Finally, she begins to keep watch around the area.

Percy and the villagers that were helping him arrive with the constructed trap and set it. Vex camouflages the trap and Fassbender to the best of her ability, with a bit of inspiration from Scanlan. Then she and Pike spread gold around to make it look like there is a large pile of it. Vex asks Grog for Kevdak's head for use as part of the loot. Grog is hesitant to give it up until he receives a stern look from Pike. Vax lends his Boots of Haste to Vex and his Displacer Cloak to Keyleth since he will be attuned to his longsword, the Deathwalker's Ward, and Fassbender's Circlet. After returning to town, Pike and Keyleth prepare a Hero's Feast for the party and several other warriors and spellcasters from the town. Before everyone beds down, Vax goes to Keyleth and kisses her.

The next morning, Scanlan goes to the goliaths and distributes the chains and hooks. Pike attempts Divine Intervention but there is nothing Sarenrae can do to immediately help her. The party and the assembled warriors make their way to the site of the trap. Pike and Keyleth cast some last-minute buffs and everyone takes their places for a tense wait.

Finally Umbrasyl appears in the distance, circles the city, and lands in the center of the area, springing the trap. The goliaths spring from the tunnel and into action, sinking hooks into the dragon to hold him down. The warriors take several shots at the dragon while it struggles to break free and Vax drinks the Potion of Diminution. Scanlan uses Dimension Door to teleport himself and Vax into Umbrasyl's stomach, but Scanlan's lack of knowledge of dragon anatomy sends them somewhere else inside the beast, where they are separated and being crushed by its musculature. Umbrasyl breaks free and breathes acid down at the battlefield, instantly killing several of the goliaths. The party continues attacking the dragon while Scanlan finds his way into its stomach and activates the Immovable Rod. It painfully holds him in place, but he breathes acid again killing more goliaths and wounding Grog and Keyleth.

Vex sees a moving lump under the dragon's hide and shoots and arrow nearby it to try and free Vax. It pierces through and Vax wraps his fingers around it. Grog throws his Blood Axe at the dragon with the Chain of Returning attached. It lodges into the dragon's hide and Grog holds onto the chain. A frustrated Umbrasyl rips free of the Immovable Rod and flies away with Vax and Scanlan still inside him and Grog dangling from the chain.



Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Amelia, daughter of Reginald
 * Davin
 * Orn, AKA Orn "Blackfoot" (nickname given by Grog)

Returning

 * Abjurist Noja
 * Umbrasyl
 * Worra
 * Zanror
 * Fassbender