The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1 - Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business
The thumbnail for "The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1" (Sx73), featuring Yasha Nydoorin, Beauregard Lionett, Kingsley Tealeaf, Caleb Widogast, Fjord, Jester Lavorre and Veth Brenatto.
Episode	Specials,​ Episode 73 (C3E40a)
Airdate	2022-11-17 19:00 PST
Running time	4:32:44
Episode link	VOD
Podcast link	Podcast
Transcript	Transcript
Game system	Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
Starring
Laura Bailey – Jester Lavorre Taliesin Jaffe – Kingsley Tealeaf Ashley Johnson – Yasha Nydoorin Liam O'Brien – Caleb Widogast Marisha Ray – Beauregard Lionett Sam Riegel – Veth Brenatto Travis Willingham – Fjord and Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master
Order
Previous	"Generation Nord" (Sx72)
Next	"The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 2" (Sx74)
Airdate Order
Previous	"Compulsions" (3x40)
Next	"The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 2" (Sx74)

"The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1" (Sx73) is the seventy-third special episode of Critical Role. Picking up several months after the events in Cognouza, The Mighty Nein have all started new chapters in their lives. However, when some discover that there are still old chapters yet to be closed, our unsung heroes must reunite for more stories untold…

Synopsis

Announcements

• Tonight's episode is sponsored by classic sponsor D&D Beyond who are having a massive Cyber Monday sale! But because of when this episode was recorded, Sam's got no idea what items are on sale so he makes it up, including Matt's first vest (the one he was born in) and all 400 of Sam's baby teeth. Marisha stops him when he just starts listing everything on the set.
• The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 2 will be streamed Thursday, 1 December 2022 at 7:00 pm Pacific on Twitch, YouTube, and participating Cinemark theaters.
• The music in tonight's episode includes tracks from Welcome to Wildemount, their second soundtrack album, now available on all major digital music platforms.
• Breaking format, Matt skips playing the intro and goes directly to narration.

Previously

It has been six months since the fall of Cognouza and the destruction of Lucien. The Mighty Nein, returning to Wildemount and Exandria proper, have dealt with the immediate ramifications of the decisions they've made: the arrest of Trent Ikithon, the reality that they've come to a point of closure across many stories, and now have their lives to continue on from this point. After some tearful goodbyes to friends and allies until you meet them again, to deciding what the next journey was before you, the group that you know as the Mighty Nein fractured a bit, to pursue personal journeys, to discover who they are outside of the struggles that brought them together, but never losing the binds that originally brought them as a team, and since made them a family.

Now, in this time that has passed, not too much has changed in Exandria at large. The struggles, the dangers, that you undertook and succeeded at, only really known by a select few. And in some circles you are highly regarded and lauded, though they are themselves semi-secretive circles. But, for now, your paths have somewhat scattered. And here, six months later, let's go ahead and begin in Nicodranas with you, Veth Brenatto.

Part I (Prologue)

In the middle of a sunny Nicodranas afternoon, Veth Brenatto is making plans to receive the first group of campers at her new camp for talented young teenaged adventurers, the Wildemount Wildlings: "Wilde out!" (The camp is free for the campers because Veth has an agreement with The Gentleman to launder his dirty money for him). Veth is shopping with Luc and helping her husband Yeza test scents for products for his new alchemy shop.

Fan art of Yasha and Beau in their garden, by Kiera James.

Meanwhile, in Zadash, Expositor Beauregard Lionett arrives through a teleportation circle in the library of the Cobalt Soul and hurries to the cozy home she shares with Yasha Nydoorin. Yasha has planted a garden with Caduceus Clay's help and is learning to cook, plus helping out Veth with the camp. Beau is growing bored with watching the Cerberus Assembly, who have been keeping a low profile.

Meanwhile, far away somewhere in the Swavain Islands, the party's ship has been at sea for some time, with Fjord, Jester Lavorre, and Kingsley Tealeaf aboard. They have been monitoring the waters between the Menagerie Coast and Darktow Isle and trying to start a shipping company (tentatively named "Stone's Throw Shipping"). Fjord and Jester have bought a very small property in Nicodranas so that they don't have to stay with Jester's mother Marion in the Lavish Chateau, although Jester feels that would have been fine. Kingsley has been learning the ropes aboard ship. Navigator Orly Skiffback approaches to ask the direction to sail to avoid approaching weather. Fjord's cast of Augury produces equivocal results, and Jester directs him to go north, while coaching Fjord to be more assertive as captain.

Meanwhile, in Rexxentrum, Caleb Widogast is finishing a guest lecture in a class at the Soltryce Academy, before he heads home to put up his tower and wonder if he'll get a visit from his Kryn friend that week.

Fan art of the return of Uk'otoa, by Kaitlyn Leeds.

Back aboard the ship, Orly points out a storm on the horizon that soon overtakes them. In the cold rain, Fjord feels a colder sensation and an absence of direction from the Wildmother. As the storm worsens, Jester and Fjord use Control Water to lessen the waves. Kingsley spots giant shoulders and a head in a distant rising wave and alerts the others, but it crashes over the ship. As it does, Fjord finds himself in darkness and hears the familiar but long-unheard voice of Uk'otoa in his head: "I found you." Fjord sees a yellow eye open in front of him before his vision clears. He warns the others and again feels the Wildmother's absence as the ship lurches.

Fjord casts Fly on himself as the massive hands of a storm giant slam onto the deck. The ship's cannons do substantial damage to it but it throws a spear of lightning at both Fjord and Jester as seven deep scions climb aboard, shouting for "the traitor" and the return of "the key". The giant continues to attack, with Jester by far the most damaged, and when the scions also go after her, she is knocked unconscious. Fjord immediately casts Cure Wounds on her to bring her back, and saying, "Forgive me," pulls out the Cloven Crystal from his Bag of Holding.

Seeing it, the scions immediately stop and stare as the giant demands, "Relinquish the key and be spared a cold forgotten grave below." The mage floats down, holding out his hand, and when Fjord places the Crystal in its palm, hisses, "Wise move." Fjord promises he'll see them again, and the scions leap over the side into the ocean. The giant, however, disappears beneath the ship and they hear splintering as the ship is torn apart.

Kingsley pulls out and activates his boat-in-a-box and the party and crew all climb aboard as the ship sinks, but thanks to Fjord's cast of Water Breathing only crew member Shelda Delles has been lost in the fracas. As the storm quickly subsides, they make for the nearest land half a day away. Fjord suggests Jester cast Sending to alert their friends, especially Caleb, that the crystal has been taken and it will be a race to get to the third temple before its new holders do.

Break

• Whew! All that was prologue, and the animated opening plays now, art slightly altered for the occasion.
• Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen now available for pre-order on D&D Beyond.
• Merch Alert! Ugly Critmas sweater, pajama lounge set, Chetney winter hat, Bells Hells holiday ornaments, Mighty Nein dice sets, and Limited Edition The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen in all five CritRole shops; Mighty Nein action figures in the US shop. Uk'otoa, the Game available in local game shops and the Critical Role shops. Critical Role: The Mighty Nein - The Nine Eyes of Lucien available wherever books are sold. Jester statue on preorder from Sideshow. The Mighty Nein tarot pin on preorder from Pinclub.
• Welcome to Tal'Dorei Critical Role soundtrack album available on all digital music platforms.
• Critical Recap every Wednesday on CritRole.com.
• Submit fan art and cosplay for possible inclusion in the weekly online gallery at https://www.critrole.com/submit.
• Jester and Duplicate Jester think you should subscribe to Critical Role on Twitch.

Part II

Jester casts Sending to Caleb, telling him their boat sank, Uk'otoa is "awake or something", and Fjord gave away the key. He's needed. Caleb asks where they are and she tells him they'll be at the Twinward Isles by morning, and make sure Beau and Yasha know. She also Sends to Veth, telling her their boat sank, Fjord gave away the key, and they need Veth's help. Although Veth is otherwise occupied with Yeza at the moment, she responds she'll be there. Fjord is worried about abandoning his crew while they chase the crystal, but Orly assures him they'll be fine. Fjord is upset with himself and disheartened for not making sure the crystal was secure on land before he went to sea, although Jester tries to reassure him they'll stop Uk'otoa's minions before he can be released.

Meanwhile, Caleb uses his sending stone to contact Beau and tell her the situation, although Beau is otherwise occupied with Yasha at the moment. He then teleports to Nicodranas and gets Veth (who puts Yeza in charge of dealing with her newly-arrived campers) and transports them both to Zadash. Beau greets them with wine in hand and they discuss at length how to proceed. None of them have a way to contact Caduceus (although Yasha still believes she does and tries, unsuccessfully). Caleb uses his 9th-level spell slot to cast Teleport a third time and take them to the Twinward Isles, but lands slightly off course and they take slight damage and have to swim to shore.

Fan art of the party studying the map, by Danika Kersten.

They find the others by the fire they lit. Fjord is still awake, and Jester wakes up and greets them joyfully. Fjord has no idea how to proceed, but they try to pin down the third temple's location which he saw long ago in a dream-vision of three cities along a coast, with jungles and a mountain behind them, and in the jungle, a ruin. Eventually, Fjord determines that the three cities must be Nicodranas, Port Zoon, and Feolinn and the temple must be located in the Cyrios End Forest.

Jester casts Sending to Yussa Errenis, warning him they'll be coming through his tower in a few minutes, while Caleb draws a Teleportation Circle. All of them, including the crew, leap through and are greeted by Wensforth and quickly ushered out. Jester sends the crew to the Lavish Chateau for the night and escorts the party to her and Fjord's house. It is a very small one-room house, painted with climbing vines to disguise the half-dead potted plants, a white picket fence and a turquoise door. The party beds down and gets a long rest.

They wake in the early afternoon and discuss how to reach the third temple quickly. Since Caleb has never been there, Teleport is something of a crapshoot. Since Caleb, Jester, and Fjord can all Polymorph into giant flying creatures, that presents another possibility. Jester casts Scrying on the deep scion mage and sees him trudging through coastal lands, clutching the Cloven Crystal, accompanied by the storm giant and other smaller figures, not yet having reached the jungle. Eventually, they Teleport to the Wuyun Gates and fly as three giant eagles from there over the mountains to the Cyrios End Forest. Kingsley spots the giant off in the distance, about half an hour from reaching the edge of the jungle.

Caleb finds a break in the canopy and clumsily lands, joined by the others. Rain begins to patter down, although the day had been clear, and they realize it comes from the approaching scions. Guided by Jester, they move to intercept them, coming across a fifty-year-old destroyed camp along the way where Beau finds a healing potion and two scraps of paper from a journal: "Taking the less traveled pathways within the depths of the ruin, markings of the sun are a deadly invitation." "Regardless of the seemingly endless source of venomous serpents, seem to ... nightmarish curse upon the stone itself, dormant as they might be. Light of M seems to begin their exodus from hiding and we know not when they will stop." Jester points out that during her scrying, the daylight seemed to be bothering the scions.

Fan art of the party traveling through the jungle, by Elaine Tipping.

Moving on, they stumble on a root-buried ancient statue of the Wildmother holding a jade green gem with a divine magical essence bringing a blessing of luck to the bearer, which feels warm when Fjord touches it but to no one else. He easily removes and keeps it. Further on, Jester finds a red and green monkey in a tree which begins hooting very loudly, and when they move away it follows despite several attempts to lure it away. Beauregard accidentally steps on a fungal growth that releases a poisonous cloud of spores that damage them all and poison Jester.

Eventually they reach ruins even more ancient than the Wildmother statue. Fjord notices a pattern of plinths that seem to point northwest, and hears the giant approaching from the west, apparently headed to the northwest as well. They decide to try to ambush the enemies and rush forward to an intercept point, finding a sandstone-colored ruin of a large temple in a small clearing. The footsteps continue to approach behind them and they all hide to stage the ambush here. At Fjord's request, Veth climbs to the top of the temple, and there sees multiple carvings depicting the sun and a small gap in the fallen stones along the stone platform at the top revealing a deeper path below. Veth Messages Fjord this information and he directs the whole party to climb the temple just as the giant knocks down the trees surrounding the clearing and pushes through.

Featured Characters

The Mighty Nein

• Beauregard Lionett
• Caleb Widogast
• Fjord Stone
• Jester Lavorre
• Kingsley Tealeaf
• Veth Brenatto
• Yasha Nydoorin

Returning

• Luc Brenatto
• Marius LePual
• Orly Skiffback
• Shelda Delles
• Sprinkle
• The Traveler
• Uk'otoa
• Wensforth
• Yeza Brenatto
• Yussa Errenis

New

• Gunther, a student at the Soltryce Academy (played by Sam Riegel)
• Martina Steward, Beau and Yasha's halfling neighbor
• Nyla Ko, female orc powder monkey aboard the Balleater
• Root Frenilda, a student at the Soltryce Academy
• Thoonum, a storm giant
• Deep scion mage

Mentioned

• Astrid Becke
• The Gentleman
• Caduceus Clay
• Essek Thelyss
• Marion Lavorre
• Mrs. Vinia, the Brenattos' neighbor
• The Wildmother
• Naphalene, a young Air Ashari at Veth's camp
• Pidge, a young dragonborn from Draconia at Veth's camp
• Shakäste
• Soldes, a young wizard from Xhorhas at Veth's camp
• Vokodo
• Yudala Fon

Quotations

• Caleb: (lecturing his class) If I could leave you with one challenge as we break for today, it would be to set aside the "what" and the "how" for some time, and to consider the "why". As each of you leaves the Academy and you go on to poke and prod at the edges of reality, ask yourselves what the knowledge and power you've gained here is for. Transmutation is a powerful tool for change. How will you use it to alter the world around you? And to what end? And ask yourself, how will it change you? When I studied at this school myself, that question was never on any exam. Maybe it should have been. Also, make time in your studies for history or you will be doomed to repeat it. History is littered with sharp-minded individuals like yourselves who bit off more than they can chew, and it somehow always comes back to bite them in the butt.
• Kingsley: (to the crew) All right, everybody, get to your work. You're too pretty to die today.
• Fjord: (to Jester, as he hands the Cloven Crystal to the attackers) Forgive me.
• Fjord: (summing up for Kingsley) Uk'otoa is an ancient creature that I saw in dreams that gave me the first of my magical abilities, and I have two of the three keys and just gave up the third, which he needs to be released upon this plane and to wreak havoc. [...] In hindsight it probably would have been smart to make sure the eye was in safekeeping but I held onto it and stayed at sea at the same time with no clear exit strategy or plan for attack. But you know, what can you do?
  Kingsley: Honestly, it's one of the things I respect about you the most. That's a bold move.
  Fjord: Yeah, bold.
• Yasha's Apron: "Zadashian in the streets, Xhorhasian in the sheets."
• Veth: And now, there is a brewing supernatural force that could affect the entire world, and no one knows about this but us, and we are the only ones who can stop it? I mean, this is our thing. If we succeed, no one will know what we've done. If we fail, the world will end? This is what we do!
  Beau: This is what we're good at. The heroes no one asked for, yes!

Inventory

Adjustment	Count	Item	Source	Destination	Notes
Transferred	100	Gold pieces	Fjord	Orly	To help the shipwrecked crew with expenses.
Acquired	Many	Cinnamon pastries	Nicodranas bakery	Jester The party	For breakfast. Cost 8 silver.
Acquired	1	Potion of Superior Healing	Destroyed camp	Beau	Found among the bones remaining there.
Acquired	2	Scraps of paper	Destroyed camp	Beau	They appeared to be remains of a journal. Found among the bones remaining there.
Acquired	1	Polished jade green gem	Statue of the Wildmother	Fjord	Magical, bears a divine blessing of luck and good will.

Trivia

• The animated opening played just before the break instead of at the top of the show, since the entire first half was actually a prologue for the rest of the episode. The animation was altered slightly, with the image of Caduceus in the Blooming Grove for Taliesin Jaffe's credit being replaced by Kingsley Tealeaf standing on a mast. The NPCs in Matt's book were Essek Thelyss, Orly Skiffback, Yeza and Luc Brenatto, Yussa Errenis, Captain Adella, and Martina Steward, the new neighbor of Beau and Yasha. The final creature was Uk'otoa surrounded by various other monsters.
• Sam's jerrycan has a bucket of popcorn attached to it, with no lid…

References

Art: