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:
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 * 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..."

Interrogation
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 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 Gallan 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. He can't be sure which one it is, but both of them are fairly far away. Inkclaw is closer so they can start there. Fjord tells the group he wants to meet with Avantika so he can find out what she knows about the cloven crystal. As they begin to plan, Beau points out that they should talk about what just happened first. Caduceus has not joined in the conversation; he is sitting curled up by the bow of the ship.

Introspection
Beau and Jester walk over to Caduceus. Caduceus talks to Jester about his holy purpose to save his home. He thought by joining the Mighty Nein that he was honoring that purpose, taking their arrival as a sign from The Wildmother. Now he is beginning to think that he was wrong. Caduceus is feeling overwhelmed by almost drowning and now being on the ocean. It has been a long time since he has received a sign from The Wildmother. Jester reassures him that temporary silence doesn't mean his god has abandoned him. Long periods of time will go by where she does not hear from The Traveler, but he always comes back. She reminds Caduceus to complete his mission he will have to step out of his comfort zone. Caduceus says he feels much better. He invites Jester to join him belowdecks cooking.

After Caduceus and Jester leave, Beau asks Caleb if he really believes they have done nothing wrong. Caleb responds that Jester's mother and the creature they freed from slavery are better off now because of what they've done. He insists again that because the crew of The Mist attacked first, the Mighty Nein were justified in attacking back. Beau feels like she is not living up to her promise to herself after Molly's death to be a better person. Caleb reminds her of the people they saved from Gnolls in Alfield and the people they saved from the Iron Shepherds in Shadycreek Run. Beau still doesn't think helping Jester's mother justifies murdering six people. Caleb once again insists that they did what they had to because they were attacked first.

Fjord calls Beau over to ask about how she feels. He does not feel good about their actions the past day. Thinking back on it, Fjord wonders why they did not just talk like they had planned.

Their plan was to talk to Algar then Marius, but they ended up killing people in both situations. Having power is new to Fjord. He says using magic to solve problems does not feel right. Beau tells him she can relate. She has always used her fists to solve problems. Beau again mentions Molly's death and her commitment to be better to honor him. Beau and Fjord agree to check each other when the other one is abusing their power and make an effort to find non-violent solutions to problems going forward.

Fjord calls everyone together for a ship meeting. They come to the conclusion that they should go back to Nicodranas, hire a crew, and do damage control. After that they can head towards the reefs to meet Captain Avantika and see what she knows about the cloven crystal and Vandren. Their plan is to dock at a different section of the docks than they left. Jester repairs the burned sail using Mending. Beau comes up with the idea to start a "whisper campaign" in the taverns around the docks. They will loudly tell a story about how the evil pirate Captain Jawgrasp was responsible for the incident on the docks. However, everyone needs to rest first.

Caleb and Nott take the first watch while the rest of the group rests. While they are alone, they agree that everything went badly and neither of them feel good about their actions. Caleb is concerned that group as a whole is feeling bad.

He considers the Mighty Nein his family and wants to help them feel better. He suggests they take it upon themselves to raise the group morale. Nott agrees that they want the Mighty Nein to stay together. Caleb asks Nott if she's angry he used magic to influence her. Nott says she didn't mind and it was helpful, but he should warn her before if he's going to do it again. She suggests Caleb fake a heart attack so the group can "save" him as a way of making them bond. Caleb is not sure if Nott is joking, but he promises to follow through anyway.

Caduceus and Fjord take the next watch. Fjord is concerned about how Caduceus feels. Caduceus seems to have made peace with the situation, saying he is going to embrace the chaos. Fjord says he is very impressed by Caduceus's ability to read people. Caduceus says part of his job his whole life is to talk to the people who came to the graveyard. He has learned about the world from them.

The Mistake
Gallan Westman begins repairs on the fire damage the ship took during the battle. Yasha dangles Jester off the side while she repaints the name to The Mistake. Fjord assists Jester in forging the proper paperwork for entry into the Open Quay docks in Nicodranas, a completely different section of the city from where they hijacked the ship. Caduceus, Caleb, Fjord, Jester, and Nott all cast Disguise Self to change their appearances. Jester uses her disguise kit to put makeup on Beau. Yasha stays on the ship to keep an eye on Gallan and Marius. Fjord bribes the dockmaster to tell anyone who asks about their ship that they're from Port Zoon.

Caduceus and Jester buy enough supplies and food for one month's journey. Beau spends the time in taverns spreading rumors that the evil pirate Captain Jawgrasp murdered his own crew and sailed away alone on his ship. She hears news already spreading that the bodies of Javeed Jawgrasp and another sailor named Mattheus Freecall, two known criminals, were discovered at the docks. Some unknown do-gooders are responsible for killing two people with bounties on their heads. The guards did not seem to realize there were two different groups fighting and assume other members of Captain Jawgrasp's crew took the The Mist after their captain was killed. However, the guards are searching for the body of a blue-skinned tiefling who killed herself on the docks.

Caduceus comes up with the idea to spread a ghost story. He, Beau, Jester, and Nott come up with a story of a little devil girl who drowned 100 years ago. She haunts sailors and drives them mad, looking for her long lost love. While spreading the ghost story, they also spread misinformation about what the ship that was taken looks like. During this time, Fjord has found crew for every position they need except a navigator. Caleb remembers that Orly Skiffback, the tortle they met in the Wayfarer's Cove, is a navigator. Jester casts Sending to tell him a boat called The Mistake will hire him as a navigator.

Despite not recognizing any of them (due to the Disguise Self spells), Orly agrees to work for the discounted rate of twenty-seven gold a week on the condition he gets to choose his own quarters. With everything they need, The Mistake sets sail to the Inkclaw Reef.



Part II
The Mighty Nein show Orly the partially burned map and ask his opinion. Comparing it to his intact map of the Lucidian Ocean, he agrees it looks like the Inkclaw Reef. If it is, the X marked on the burned map seems to be the island of Urukaxl. Orly wants to know why they're going there. Fjord tells him they are trying to catch up with another captain they need to make contact with.

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
 * The Wildmother

Inventory

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

Quotations

 * Jester: "Well. A lot of times I think that maybe The Traveler has left me and I think maybe things are going poorly and he doesn't like me anymore; but sometimes he'll just show up after a while and tell me that I was on the right path all along, and he just made it fun for me to find it again."
 * Beau: "It's just that- I've done a lot of shitty things and I've made a lot of shitty decisions and a lot of mistakes. And after Molly I told myself I was going to try and not do that as much, but it's fucking hard.
 * Fjord: "Magic's new to me; this sword is new to me. I didn't have most of this all of my life. All I had was my words to get out of situations, to try and heal conflict, to try and outsmart somebody. And now all of a sudden, I have this power; and I feel like it's a shortcut and I've been cheating myself. I don't feel like I've put forth the same effort to resolve something because I can just will something into happening. That doesn't seem right to me." Beau: "In a fucked up way, I can actually relate to that quite a lot. For me, I've always had my fists. And man, is it way easier to solve problems when you're beating the shit out of somebody."
 * Fjord: (to Beauregard) "I'll check you, you'll check me."
 * Nott: "We'll keep them together. If all else fails, fake a heart attack. Everyone will go to your aid, and when they save you, we'll be like 'Yeah! We saved him! Yeah!'" Caleb: "I don't know if you're joking or not, but I'm going to do it."
 * Caleb: (pointing out a planet in the sky to Nott) "There really is another world." Nott: "No, no, no, we're on the world." Caleb: "Fine." Matt: Nott is a One Earther.
 * 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." (describing how Nott looks after casting Disguise Self in Nicodranas)
 * Matt: "I'm so happy this campaign you guys have a mostly deceptive, illusory based party. This really makes for a lot of shenanigans."
 * 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."
 * 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.
 * Five out of seven members of the Mighty Nein can cast the spell Disguise Self.