Lingering Wounds

is the eighty-ninth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role.

Pre-Show
Last session of 2019! Not to worry, they'll be back next year.

Previously on Critical Role
''Last we left off, the Mighty Nein, after having their showdown with the cult of the Angel of Irons, destroying Obann, the Laughing Hand, and freeing Yasha and the Inevitable End from his influence, you were taken to the throne room of King Dwendal, and upon meeting members of his council and the Assembly, you were tasked to prove yourselves a bit by helping bring some sort of an arrangement between them and the Dynasty, to essentially help forge a possible peace talk or negotiation in this conflict that’s been going on for quite some time, based on the relationship that you have seemingly built with the Bright Queen. You were brought under Ludinus Da’leth, the Martinet and oldest member of the Assembly, who then spoke with you in his private quarters about elements of the conflict, some of the source of the tension that has led and eventually brewed into the war that broke out, and you were given a little bit of guidance as to how much you were to guide the next step in this. You asked as part of this arrangement to inspect the beacon that was supposedly found by the word of Trent Ikithon. As such, you were brought by Ludinus to the Vergessen Sanatorium, a hidden structure somewhere in the northern elements of Western Wynandir, where you were brought to a subterranean research facility where you met Trent Ikithon as well as two of his Scourgers, one of which was familiar to Caleb. You inspected it, found it to seemingly be indeed an actual beacon, had a bit of a tense back-and-forth interrogation via conversation, and then upon returning to Rexxentrum, began to forge a few paths with the time that you had given. It was up to you as to when to choose to engage and begin these negotiations. There was no timeline set, but time is of the essence, for the more time that goes by, the higher chance there is of this temporary ceasefire to be broken.''

''After voicing a few possible interests here in the city of Rexxentrum, you now stand in your chambers within the Kamaruth Cottage, figuring out what to do with the time that you have. So, Mighty Nein, after venturing back from some purchasing at a nearby creepy store, and having some conversation about what the next order of business is, you are still gathered and the city is yours. What would you like to do?''

Part I
During the first day's down time, Caduceus works on playing his new bone flute death whistle, while Yasha reads the book that Fjord gave her, taking a point of exhaustion to read through the first night. Fjord spends his time meditating on the Wildmother and working out with Beau. Nott buys more crossbow bolts, including ten with a rubber tip as training bolts for a young child.

Jester uses Scrying to check in on Kiri, who seems to be doing well although there is visible war damage to Hupperdook. She then casts Sending three times. First, to the Plank King, who doesn't remember her at all. The next message is to Beau's father Thoreau, asking if he heeded her warning and saying they're keeping eyes on him. He responds by thanking her for "helping with the competition," which seems to relate to Obann's attack on the Stassman Family when he recovered Jourrael's skull. Jester's final message is to the Inevitable End, thanking her for her aid in the fight and telling her if she wants a friend, just let them know. The response is curt: Their aid in breaking Obann's will is appreciated, and therefore she will let them live. They will not meet again.

Caleb asks Fjord and Nott to accompany him on a walk to the Soltryce Academy. Nott asks him what he imagines he might have become if Trent Ikithon hadn't gotten his hands on him, and Caleb thinks he would probably have remained at the Academy as a teacher. For the time being, though, he'll focus on teaching Nott, and attempting to read and understand Halas's research notes from the Happy Fun Ball regarding permanent transformation of bodies. After studying them, he can tell that this is a goal he's capable of achieving, but that it will take a long time.

Beau heads to the Cobalt Soul Library to research, learning that there is indeed an archaeological excavation at Pride's Call where a few weeks ago, a Luxon Beacon was found that was claimed by the Cerberus Assembly. This means that the Empire has had three beacons: the one the Mighty Nein recovered in Zadash and returned to the Bright Queen, the recently found one they were just shown at the Vergessen Sanatorium, and the one that Yeza had in Felderwin, the current whereabouts of which are unknown.

When Beau returns to the Kamaruth Cottage, Jester confronts her, asking if Beau's avoiding her because Jester failed to save her in the fight against Obann. Beau reassures her, and Jester shares the message she sent to Beau's father, which startles Beau, although she finds endearing the fact that Jester wanted to make her father suffer because he was bad to Beau. Jester promises not to do it again unless Beau is present. When Beau disparages tarot card readers like the ones her father believes in, Jester leaps to Molly's defense and assures Beau that he knew things and could see the future. Beau gives her the deck of tarot cards that she took as a remembrance when Molly died, and Jester immediately begins learning how to use them.

After sundown, everyone except Caleb heads out to try to find a clandestine fighting pit. They are referred to the King's Cut, a large butchery with a secret basement fighting ring, where after closing time the proprietor books them for three fights to be held the next night: Beau bare-fisted, Fjord with weapons and armor, and Yasha bare-fisted against the Champion. The price is 75 gp for Beau and 200 each for Fjord and Yasha. While they arrange the matches, Jester paints googly eyes on all the carcasses with her magical paint.

Twenty minutes after the others left the Cottage, Caleb goes upstairs and uses his newly-purchased amber pieces to cast Widogast's Vault of Amber, shrinking his books and harness into one of them. He then walks to 31st Woadstone Manor, Astrid's home, on the grounds of Trent Ikithon's tower in the Candles. The door is opened by a male halfing servant, to whom Caleb gives his birth name: Bren Aldric Ermendrud. He is admitted and shown inside, where after a few minutes, Astrid enters. She looks much the same as he remembers, though older, with a new scar down her face from brow to chin and black maze-like tattoos on her arms like those on the halfling Scourger at the Sanatarium. They speak in Zemnian.

He asks how he got to the Sanatarium, that the last thing he remembers is his home burning. She replies that he had a breaking point and began to lash out, implying that a burn scar on her neck was caused by him. "They" took him to the Sanatarium, but had to subdue him first. They always hoped he'd improve, and at times he did. Now, he's defied their expectations and she is proud of him. She has been doing "a bit of tutelage" and what they were meant to do: keeping their people safe. She seems genuinely mournful for Bren's pain and suffering, but accepts that life is suffering and some things are necessary. While understanding his anger, she is pragmatic enough to realize that Trent is an old man who will one day die.

Bren tells her that he will never forget what they were, and that he still cares a great deal about her - or at least, the girl he knew, but that Trent has blinded her and Wulf. He mourns their childhood and their souls. When he says he thinks he'd better go, she replies that he's welcome any time and she'd like to see more of him. As he leaves, she squeezes his hand and he hangs on her face for a minute and thinks about staying, but then goes out, back to the Cottage.

Break

 * D&D Beyond animation.
 * Yev returns, talking about Back Blaze.
 * Clips from.
 * Travis Willingham's Yee-Haw Game Ranch: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, starring Tetanus Terry, Bast'Alar, Marisha, and Matt.
 * Critters' art montage.

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard Lionett
 * Caduceus Clay
 * Caleb Widogast
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin

New

 * Astrid

Returning

 * Kiri (via Jester's Scrying spell)
 * Plank King (via Jester's Sending spell)
 * Thoreau Lionett (via Jester's Sending spell)
 * Jourrael (via Jester's Sending spell)
 * Darrow

Quotations
Caleb: You always were ambitious. Astrid: “So are you, apparently, Bren. Like I said, I’m proud of you.”
 * Caleb: (to Astrid) It’s strange, I find myself wanting to apologize. Still. So much of me feels like I failed. But a lot has changed. I know some things now that I didn’t as a boy. And I am so glad to see you.
 * Caleb: What we did that night– I did fail. But I didn’t fail the Empire. I failed myself and my mother and father.
 * Astrid: (about Trent) “I understand your anger. And as much as he’s been our teacher, he’s not infallible. He’s just an old man, with the right connections, who will one day pass like they all do.”