Whispers of War

is the eighteenth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The end of the Harvest Close Festival brings a victory overshadowed by the bigger problems of the Empire...

Announcements

 * The cast wished Marisha a happy birthday!
 * Matt's gunslinger class is now available on DnD Beyond. To celebrate, Sam recites a top 10 for awesome Percy attributes.
 * Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is out now.
 * The cast is heading to Gen Con 2018.
 * Over $100k has been raised for 826LA.
 * If you have Amazon Prime, you have Twitch Prime and can subscribe for free.
 * Talks Machina is every Tuesday.
 * The online shop has more d20s in stock.

Previously on Critical Role
''The Mighty Nein, upon clearing their names, making some new friendships in the city [of Zadash ] and taking some time for themselves in preparation for the coming Harvest Close Festival, found themselves wandering through the streets of celebration. They partook in a number of various games of chance and skill, got some fine snacks and food, challenged themselves, got thrown by their other party members, won some trinkets and toys, and then ended up signing up to the Victory Pit, the grand tournament that ends the Harvest Close festival. [ Nott ] managed to catch a few phrases off to the side of the initial lounge [they] were signing up in, where [she] discovered that war had been declared by the king on the eastern region of Xhorhas, that information was to be held back until the festival was over.''

''[They] were held below with the other competing teams, and then one by one [the teams] were each presented into the center of the Victory Pit tournament where each [team] has to battle a challenge of a creature or creatures in a three tier structure. Whoever survives all three bouts gets to share in the final pot prize.''

''Currently two of the other teams have been knocked out, and it only remains to be [the Mighty Nein] and one other. [The Mighty Nein is] up first. [They are] pulled into the center and announced as The Mighty Nein's final round. Knowing the Stubborn Stock is watching from behind the distant doorways that lead into the central arena, [the members of the Mighty Nein] all scattered about the sands as the sun begins to get close to dusk, shouting out [their] various plans and then abandoning them last minute. [They] found places as these heaping, heavy thuds start quaking the ground in arrival before the door swings open. Out from behind it, roaring, a frenzied, angry hill giant, complete with pierced thorns jammed into each side of the body to drive it to a point of absolute anger and fury, comes bashing into the center of the arena, knocks over one of the large pillars, and this is where we begin.''

Part I
Against the huge, powerful, lumbering hill giant, the Nein begin the fight by trying to stay back and take ranged attacks, using crossbow, Firebolt, Spiritual Weapon and Sacred Flame. The giant lobs chunks of stone at them, unsuccessfullly. Molly gets into melee for his sword attacks and is immediately knocked unconscious by the retaliating giant, but is stable because of the Periapt of Wound Closure. Beau crits with a throwing star. Fjord then takes a falchion attack and evades the resulting attack of opportunity as he runs back, thereafter staying back to snipe with Eldritch Blast. Yasha goes into melee with the giant, doing little damage.

On succeeding rounds, Nott, Caleb, and Jester snipe away with ranged. Yasha is knocked unconscious, almost dying from the strength of the attack. Seeing Nott in danger, Beau runs up and insults the giant's penis size, but he seems unperturbed by her uninformed opinion and clubs Nott seriously, forcing her to run away.

As a desperate gamble, Caleb casts Sleep on the giant, and to his (and the party's) massive surprise and jubilation, it succeeds. Jester uses her last spell to bring Yasha back to consciousness, and gives Molly a healing potion. The party surrounds the sleeping giant and as one, whack away at it, killing it, with Nott getting in the final crossbow bolt. The crowd goes wild, but Caleb pulls his hood further down over his face.

The Stubborn Stock takes the field, and with great difficulty kills their opponent, a wyvern. The prize money is split between the two winning teams, netting 1600 gp for the Mighty Nein. The winners are all invited to the afterparty. Present are the Starosta Wyatt Fedar, Lawmaster Orentha Stonegrasp, Dolan Thrym, and many others from as far as the Menagerie Coast and Marquet. When Fjord, talking to Wyatt, mentions the attack on the Zauberspire, Wyatt says they should talk to two individuals standing over by the window, the two figures who were also present in the arena, Oremid Hass and another older human male mage. Caleb moves to take a seat as close to the door as possible.

The party decides to send Beau and Yasha to talk to them, and Caleb sends Frumpkin with them. Hass introduces himself and his companion, Master Trent Ikithon. Trent is curious about Yasha, who admits she is from Xhorhas and has been in the Empire only about eight months. During their conversation, she fails a wisdom save, but with no obvious consequence. Trent says he would very much like to talk to her in the future. As he and Oremid leave, Caleb leans forward and looks at the ground.

The party discusses what to do now, in the light of the news of war breaking out between the Empire and Xhorhas. Molly is all for getting out of town fast, but Caleb bargains for 24 hours and they agree that's reasonable.

Break

 * "Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire -- You Control Critical Role!"
 * How to Play Sparkle*Kitty
 * Starter Kit: Numanera
 * How to Play Wonderland
 * How to Play Action Cats!

Part II
Late in the evening, the Mighty Nein head out for the Tri-Spire they get in with the badges they earned. Caleb asks Beau to get into the library tomorrow. Beau wants to trade access for information about Caleb’s fear of fire. The group arrives at the Pillow Trove and head inside to get rooms. Jester asks after and picks up a package her mother sent her. The Package contains a sweet letter, a vial of her mothers lavender perfume, five small ink vials -one red, one blue, one green and two black vials- and a bag of two-hundred gold. Jester tells the group she was hoping for more but still really appreciates it. She offers to split the money, which the group refuses, then offers up the gold to become the party’s emergency funds. Molly then has some ‘Friendly company’ come over. Conversations about eating rats were had. Beau and Nott order food and go over to Caleb on his request. Liam asks all the other players except Sam and Marisha to leave the table.

Caleb's Story
Caleb proceeds to tell the story of how he murdered his mother and father. He tells of when he was a young boy and was accepted into the Solstress academy. He was picked out -together with two other kids- and trained by Trent Ikithon. After being trained Trent tested his students. Caleb was told to torture and kill “Traitors to the Empire”. After being trained more and more he went home and found out his parents had become traitors to the empire. He knew what was expected of him and together with two of his peers he murdered their parents and lastly he murdered his parents by blocking the doors and setting the house on fire. When he heard their screams he broke. He spent some years in an asylum until a women cured him of his madness. Caleb was also freed of the fake memories of his parents being traitors, memories that Trent put there. Caleb wants access to the library to take down Trent and also to gain great power through knowledge. Beauregard doesn’t want Caleb and Nott to go at it alone. She then leaves. Nott stays to comfort him. Nott tells him it’s not his fault and that she will stay with him until he can start to forgive. Caleb tells her he has an idea. The other players return to the table. Everybody goes to sleep.

Over breakfast the next morning the group decides on where to go. The group plans to go to  Habarduk and Nog-Vurott. The latter of these to see the mercenaries they met at the fair and possibly go investigate the disappearance of children. Jester sends a picture via post to her mom. Jester, Fjord, Molly and Yasha go to Dolan to get information. Caleb, Nott and Beau go to the library. When they get outside it appears the town has heard the news of the declaration of war. The city begins to prepare for the war to the east.

The group that was headed to Dolan now instead decides to look for jobs as private escorts south. They see the Hall-Keeper who informs them that the Law Master wants to speak to them. She offers them fifteen gold a week plus access to supplies et cetera in exchange for becoming mercenaries to  protect the people of the city. They might get assignments in exchange for bounty the first one of those would amount to ten-thousand gold. The group decides to think about it and returns to the Leaky Tap.

Caleb, Nott and Beauregard get to the library. They see Nadir, he lets them in. Caleb asks for books about the theories surrounding the Arcane. Nadir explains that this kind of information is kept by the Cerberus Assembly. But there are a few books about them. Caleb learns a bit about transmutation and time travel. He learns about the eight members of the Cerberus Assembly. -Master Trent Ikithon being the Archmage of Civil Influence is the propagandist.- Beauregard gets extremely bored. So after four hours of reading they leave.

In the meantime Fjord focuses on the magic stone and gains a fate-point. The whole group meets up at the Penta market to see Pumat Sol. He is out of healing potions. Caleb buys a lot of paper, Jester buys a pearl of power, Nott buys two incendiary crossbow bolts and Fjord buys a shield. The party discusses the Law Master’s offer and other options and decide to make that decision later. They get approached by Kara with an offer of the Gentleman.

At the end of the episode, characters all level up to level five.

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester Lavorre
 * Nott
 * Yasha Nydoorin
 * Mollymauk Tealeaf
 * Caleb Widogast

New

 * Jasna Bree
 * Captain Jeremiah
 * Madeer

Returning

 * Darrow
 * Starosta Wyatt Fedar
 * Oremid Hass
 * Trent Ikithon
 * Kara
 * Jermai Kull
 * Madam Luenna
 * Pumat Sol
 * Orentha Stonegrasp
 * Dolan Thrym
 * Voloshin

Mentioned

 * Astrid
 * Lunidus Da'leth
 * Vess DeRogna
 * Eodwulf
 * The Gentleman
 * The Hawker
 * Jenna Iresor
 * Zivan Margolin
 * Ruby of the Sea
 * Doolan Tversky
 * Athesius Uludan
 * Leofrid Widogast
 * Una Widogast

Inventory
Grace of the Wilds

Quotations

 * Beau: (to the Hill Giant) I'm going to point at his dick, and I'm going to go: Tiny thing! Then for my action, I'm going to take the dodge action.


 * Nott: Message received!


 * Caleb: I am going to tell you the story of how I murdered my mother and father.

Beau: And you had to do this to graduate, to prove your loyalty. Caleb: Well, yeah, but it didn't exactly go according to their plan because as soon as I heard my mother and father screaming inside... I was so sure. I was so sure... until I wasn't, and I broke a bit.
 * Caleb: When the three of us were summoned and told what was expected of us, I knew what had to be done. We went to this other boy's home first, Eodwulf, and we stood by as he killed his parents. We went to Astrid’s house, and had dinner with them, and she poisoned them. Then we went to my home and we grabbed a horse cart, and in the middle of the night, placed it against the door to the home and I set it on fire.

Beau: Like to run again. Caleb: Hmm? No, I like you all. Beau: You were just talking with Nott about running tomorrow. Caleb: Well, that all depends on you, Beauregard. Beau: If I don't let you in? Caleb: On if you can keep a secret.
 * Caleb: So, I would really like to get into that library, because I would--


 * Caleb: Anybody can make lights. Anybody could send a message through a wire. I want to bend reality to my will.


 * Nott: What you did was awful, truly terrible, despicable and unforgivable-- until you can forgive it. At some point, you'll have to do that. And I swear to you that I will be at your side until you do.


 * Molly: I'm coming in with the food into [the women's] room, and I am wearing nothing but my tapestry. "I am your god, long may I reign. Eat of my fruits."

Trivia

 * Sam's giant flask bears an Austin Powers meme in this episode that reads "WHO TAUNTS A GIANT? HONESTLY."
 * At the end of this episode, the party reached level 5.