Critical Recap: Critical Role C2E109 (Frigid Propositions)

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, the Critical Role Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into our recap of Critical Role Episode 109 Frigid Propositions!

SHOPPING MONTAGE

Before leaving Rumblecusp, Yasha got a tattoo from Orly, using emerald dust and residuum to gain a +1 to her Dexterity. The tattoo starts on her neck below her ear, running along her shoulder and down her arm, spelling out Orphan Maker in runes, with vines and flowers interwoven throughout. Now back in Nicodranas, the Mighty Nein ponder what to do next – where to go, what to shop, who to see. They’ll check in with Marian and Veth’s family before heading to Rexxentrum, to research in the libraries and see Vess DeRogna about her job offer. But first, shopping!

Jester and Caduceus locate more diamonds (5 in fact) and purchase the lot. Caleb re-ups his parchment and ink, practically buying out the parchment supply in Nicodranas. Beau goes to The Seafarer’s Bounty to buy more ball bearings, as well as bottle rockets. Sheila shows her a cart of the good fireworks, which are “suspicious” in large quantities. Beau buys the whole cart and takes them to the Lavish Chateau, where the manager, Carlos, helps her hide them. She and the Nein pack a few for their travels. Jester surprises her mother and the two happily reunite and catch up. Marian also points Veth in the direction of her family’s new home.

At the Meandering Treasures, Fjord and Yasha seek healing potions from the tabaxi Deezma. Stock is low due to the war but he’s able to get them a couple healing potions. Fjord and Yasha ask to see something “fun” and Deezma shows them bottles of alchemical fire and a Ring of Fire Resistance that was put on layaway but never retrieved. They purchase the two healing potions and the alchemist’s fire, but Fjord goes back and forth on whether to buy the ring, eventually returning to the shop and purchasing it, as well as receiving the name of the person who’d ordered it – Diedric Sutan.

Veth goes to see her family at their new home and is joyously reunited with her husband & son, who has been working on his rogue skills. Luc adores Nicodranas and tells her all about his new friends and she tells them about her adventures on Rumblecusp. Yeza is just grateful that she’s back. She spends the evening with her family while the Nein go to the Lavish Chateau to see Marian perform. Jester asks her mother if she has heard from the Gentleman, but she has not. If Jester comes across him again, she can tell him he’s invited to visit and to say that Marian was super disinterested in the idea, of course, and also she looked SO pretty.

REXXENTRUM RESPITE

In the morning, Jester confirms with Vess DeRogna via sending that she still has work for them. Veth wants to take another day in Nicodranas with her family and encourages the group to head to Rexxentrum without her. Caleb can now cast teleport and will pick her up tomorrow. The Nein (sans Veth) arrive at the Cobalt Reserve and Beau asks to speak to High Curator Yudala Fon, who is pleased to finally meet Beau, having heard good things about her from Dairon. Beau tells them about their visions in the Astral Sea. Yudala will put their best research team on the information and tell Beau what they find. Yudala points out that they should get more Empire appropriate clothing and Caleb casts Seeming, putting them all in fashionable but severe outfits. Jester and Caduceus vow to fix the clothing problem.

They wander around Rexxentrum, looking for a magic shop. Magical businesses in Rexxentrum are mainly commission based due to the Assembly, but they do find one in the Vigil Circle – Thaydeen’s Endless Emporium of Enchanted Eccentricities, a family business run by a jovial goliath woman named Dimble Thaydeen. The store is essentially a joke shop with curios and knickknacks. The conflict has seized much of her finer items, but she does have a Ring of Spell Splitting and presents to them an array of oddball delights – oops stones (release a noxious odor), chuckle dust (causes laughter), and celebones (emits a kaleidoscope of light).

Delighted, they buy all the items in bulk, including the ring for Jester. Yasha also buys some clay dog figurines and Fjord buys a chipped porcelain unicorn. They walk over to the Chantry of the Dawn, still under repair. Yasha recalls her memories of that time, the trauma of the events and the satisfaction of Obann’s destruction. She and Beau discuss their pleasure at not having killed one another. Yasha too is being rebuilt, just like the temple.

Caleb takes them to the Soltryce Academy, reverently showing them the grounds and pointing out places he used to frequent. He takes them to his favorite dance hall and dances with Beau. He thanks her for everything – her patience, her friendship. Fjord and Jester dance as she drops an oops stone, causing the room to fill with a horrible smell. Fjord gives her the unicorn he bought as they move away from the smell. They switch partners, Caleb dancing with Fjord and Jester dancing with Beau. Jester was delighted by Beau and Yasha’s “romantic” conversation about not having killed each other, but Beau tells her that the ball is in Yasha’s court. Jester tells her she has to make herself available for Yasha to make a move but Beau is afraid of the future.

Yasha and Caduceus escape to the patio, where he asks about her future and her purpose. She tells him about her vision of flying and he asks what, if her chains are broken, is holding her back now? He doesn’t want her to regret not having more time. Caduceus notices the roots of Yasha’s hair are coming in a lighter color. She’s delighted – this is how her hair used to be! He encourages her to keep moving forward. He himself knows he needs to go home, but he doesn’t want to yet. He misses home but might miss this more. He might feel differently once everyone is heading in the right direction. He’s fine being stuck with them for a while.

TEA WITH VESS

They make their way to Vess DeRogna’s home in the Candles, the Two-Faceted Tower. Inside, they are invited upstairs for tea farmed from the Elysium Fields. Caleb asks for news – emissaries have been sent to the front lines, generals and their forces are returning, conflicts are at a minimum and talks are in progress to keep the Empire on their side of the Empire, and the Dynasty on theirs. Vess does not believe the peace will last, as this war has waged for far longer than it has been declared, but these steps will lead to saved lives.

As for their job offer, she wants them to keep her safe while journeying to Eiselcross and the site of Aeor, a pre-Calamity arcanist society that’s advanced research included weapons to defeat the gods. In an unprecedented display of power and solidarity, both prime and betrayer gods crashed the floating city into Eiselcross. An excavation on Foren holds the largest piece of Aeor. The Empire and the Dynasty are in a race to uncover the weapons first. The Nein will accompany her to Eiselcross – they will be compensated and can keep any artifacts they uncover. She doesn’t care about the bad blood between Trent and Caleb and will cooperate with Expositor Beauregard’s reports to the Cobalt Soul.

She shows them a map of Eiselcross – her hope is to travel within the next week. They’ll go to the Pale Bank Village in the Greying Wildlands and take an icebreaker ship to Balin Post, where they’ll meet with a guide. Her mission is educational – she wants to reach the central Aeor ruin and delve within it to prevent others from acquiring knowledge before the Empire and keep dangerous weapons out of the Dynasty’s hands. As they exit the tower, a student approaches, giving “Bren” a letter from Trent Ikithon that invites him and the Nein to dinner at his manor, with Astrid and Eodwulf. “A family reunion,” the letter states.

That is it for Episode 109 of Critical Role!

Final Thoughts

• Hey Trent Ikithon? Stay Away From Caleb Widogast Challenge and you’re LOSING.
• I appreciate that we went from joke shop to arms race. The tonal shifts remain choice.
• Vess DeRogna does NOT like Ludinus Da’leth and spent half their meeting badmouthing him. I’m loving this gossip.
• She also has a very flippant attitude towards divinity, which is going to make her travel with two clerics, a paladin, and a zealot VERY interesting.
• Oh Mighty Nein.

Anyway, catch Episode 110 on Thursday, September 17th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole, or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday, yet?