The Hour of Honor

is the twenty-fourth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein explore the town of Hupperdook, and find much more intrigue than they bargained for...

Pre-Show
Travis is in a good mood tonight.

Announcements

 * Our two sponsors for the evening are the recurring D&D Beyond and (from inside the family) Jason Charles Miller's new album: "In The Wasteland".
 * Sam did prepare in advance for tonight's D&D Beyond ad. Contrary to popular belief, he spends a lot of time coming up with ads...in fact, he has a file of rejected ad ideas that he reads out loud. They are terrible, to say the least...Sam tempts death by mocking the Dallas Cowboys and sings new lyrics to the D&D Beyond jingle (using Caleb's tragic backstory). He also produces a "computer-generated" photo of what he expects Travis and Laura's baby to look like. Laura says it looks like a Ferengi. Marisha says it looks like that guy from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but she can't remember the name. Sam gives Laura flowers to apologize for that last bit. He also reveals that his flask tonight has Laura's picture...minus her eyebrows. Marisha remembered the name: Anthony Kiedis.
 * You saw him in Campaign 1 as Garthok, he's been on a number of Geek & Sundry shows, he wrote the theme song for the show...and now Jason Charles Miller has a new album out this week! The album cover for In The Wasteland has a cool design. It's available now, wherever music is streamed or sold. You can buy an autographed CD from Jason's website: jasoncharlesmiller.com. If you like rock, country, metal, or any music in-between, you will probably like this album. If you are familiar with his previous work, In The Wasteland is pretty badass, actually. Matt is very big about music, and Jason's stuff is great. There will be a little video at the break discussing the album.
 * The cast made the announcement earlier this week, but Critical Role launched its brand-new online store and is working on brand-new shows for new, independent YouTube and Twitch channels. Laura realizes that none of the cast is wearing the new shirt. Travis has one, he'll put it on during the break. Matt continues, announcing the new Mighty Nein shirt...which already sold out really fast. More have already been ordered, and they are coming in. Only S, M, and 4XL are still sold out.
 * Friends of the cast in the Critter community will be on WebDM on Monday, June 24th at 1:00 pm CDT to do a fantastic fundraiser D&D stream with an all-female cast (including Satine Phoenix), benefiting the Girls Empowerment Network in Texas. Go to twitch.tv/webdm (or twitch.tv/criticalrole, because the new Twitch channel will be hosting them), check it out, and help a great charitable cause. Liam adds that it is not to be confused with "Web MD".
 * The standard editions of the "Vox Machina: Origins" TPB are still available on the Geek & Sundry and Project Alpha online stores.
 * Talks Machina is, of course, every Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm PDT, where our fantastic host Brian W. Foster talks about tonight's episode, next week. A few of the cast will be present to discuss what transpired.

Previously on Critical Role
"So, last we left off: The Mighty Nein had completed their first of two ventures they had agreed to complete in the name of the Gentleman: heading northward towards Berleben, traversing the dangerous Labenda Swamp, freeing the once-endangered safe house from the encroaching merrow dangers that had destroyed and decimated the people that were working there at the time, and freeing it up for future use. You had acquired a bird friend in the tiny Kiri, that is along you, dagger in hand. (She sticks it in folks.)

"You gathered your things and went back to the open road, where you headed to the crossroads, did some trading. Through the evening, jumped into a few old friends, who were looking to rob you. Sent them on their way, and then continued northward, until eventually you came upon the outskirts of the Silberquel Ridge, to the Gnomish city of Hupperdook.

"Upon arriving in this city (supplies in), you took in the industrial sights: the elements of it that are heavy machinery and the creation of new types of clockwork-based technologies. The stacks of soot and steam sent outward. The war machines being developed for use to the eastern lines - where the conflict with Xhorhas is now brewing. You made a friend (the name of Rissa), who said in exchange for a round of drinks in the evening, would show you around the town for a bit. And upon making your way to the upper level, you were given a brief tour of the vicinity, which seemed strangely empty. The streets very well-decorated for some seeming celebration, but nobody present. And as the sun slowly went down, the town came to life as all the work whistles blew, the sounds of merriment began, and suddenly - as the sun goes vanishing behind the distant mountains, the golds and oranges and subtle purples of the sunset begin to take over - the sound of music and laughter begins to take the streets..."

Part I


The group decides that someone needs to tend to Kiri while the rest of them partake in the drinking contest. Fjord decides that hiring Ireena or another person to look after Kiri is the solution, and obliquely tries to ask Ireena if this is possible. Ireena misunderstands Fjord as asking if the Mighty Nein could hire Ireena for the group, much to Fjord's chagrin. Fjord gives her five gold as a deposit in case they need a babysitter and leaves. Immediately afterwards, Yasha volunteers to babysit Kiri for the night.

The Nein decide that Jester will sit out the contest, leaving their contestants as Beau, Caleb, Fjord, Molly, and Nott.

The contest with Blemmy's crew begins unevenly with a victory by Molly and a loss by Beau, but Caleb, Fjord, and Nott decisively defeated them and won the contest.

In the morning, Caleb, Fjord, Molly, and Nott are severely hungover, while Beau is moderately hungover. On checking her body, Beau finds that her entire coin purse is missing. After Jester quickly searches the room and fails to find it, she knocks on the doors of the other rooms and asks the other members of the Mighty Nein to check for their money. The coin purses of every member who partook in the Hour of Honor have gone missing.

Beau tries to make a plan before the table insists that they're going to break.

The Mighty Nein

 * Beauregard
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester
 * Nott
 * Mollymauk Tealeaf
 * Caleb Widogast
 * Yasha (DM-controlled)

New

 * Ashton
 * Blemmy
 * Ireena Clawmop
 * Duncan
 * Fitz
 * Ruth
 * Austin Shuster
 * Gail Shuster
 * Jude Shuster
 * Layla Shuster
 * Sid
 * Tanya
 * Tara
 * Cleff Tinkertop
 * Valkin

Returning

 * Kiri
 * Rissa Tinkertop

Mentioned

 * Astrid
 * The Gentleman
 * Gilda Shuster
 * Wallace Shuster

Quotations

 * Molly: "Amaze me! Baffle me! Make me forget where I am!" (when Ireena asks him what he'd like to drink)
 * Ireena: "Ooh...I like you, you're colorful." Molly: "Bless you. You're colorful yourself. I love everything you're wearing."
 * Ireena: "Would you look at this strapping mass of green and tooth?!"
 * Fjord: "Um...oh no...I have made a terrible miscalculation..."
 * Beau: "Anyone else want a sip of my heritage?"
 * Caleb (drunk): "Nein, nein...the Mighty Nein...the *Mightiest* Nein..."
 * Matt: "I love that woman."

Trivia

 * Sam's flask bears a picture of Laura with the eyebrows cut out in this episode (presumably used to create the "computer generated" picture of her baby).