Critical Recap: Critical Role C2E128 “Cat and Mouse”

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, the Critical Role Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into our recap of Critical Role Episode 128 Cat and Mouse!

A NARROW ESCAPE

As Trent steps into the room, Caleb uses Allura’s staff to throw up a wall of fire that Trent immediately dispels. He does not attack, saying he’s curious as to why they’re here. As Trent advances, Jester tries word of recall again – Trent counterspells it, but Caleb counterspells his counterspell, the two spells colliding in the air and allowing Team Firestorm to escape. They teleport to Nicodranas, arriving safely on the Brenatto’s balcony.

Meanwhile, Beau sprints to Team Outie as the guards discover that the dragon is an illusion. Caduceus teleports them all successfully to the Wildmother’s Lighthouse in Nicodranas. Back at the Brenatto’s, apologies are interrupted when Trent begins messaging Caleb, saying he’s worried and wants a conversation. He tells Caleb that he could have just asked for anything he wanted, but now Trent will have to tell the Assembly. Caleb tells him to go spin his tails.

The Mighty Nein reunite at the Brenatto’s and take stock of their ‘veilers’ (the anti-scrying amulets) and discover they grabbed 12, bringing their total to 13. They discuss the brutal murders that took place and Caleb reminds them of the horrible things that occur at the Sanitorium. Trent’s voice creeps back into Caleb’s mind, saying that he noticed the traces of dunamancy magic and wonders why Caleb is running instead of talking. Fjord casts See Invisibility, seeing a scrying orb in the room – Caleb dispels it. The Nein comfort Caleb, who is distressed by the encounter and the danger now encroaching upon their loved ones.

A SMALL RESPITE

Veth finds Yeza at the market and sends him and Luc to the Lavish Chateau and the Nein head to the beach to take their short rest and attune to the veilers. Yasha talks to the Storm Lord, asking for his help. She wants to help her friends by using the Holy Avenger, and though she doesn’t know if he has a purpose for her, she wants to be his avatar. Jester notices this and sits down with her, helping Yasha dedicate herself to the Storm Lord by casting ceremony. Artagan makes an appearance, telling Jester that he’s shone a divine spotlight on Yasha.

Veth takes out the crystals she stole from the vault – Caleb recognizes them as the crystals that Trent used to experiment on him and his friends. The crystals were inserted into incisions on his arms to see if their addition changed the power behind his spells, then removed after each session. The stones are synthetic, residuum combined with something else, and are reminiscent of the tripods in Yussa’s amplification room. Caleb wants to keep a stone as evidence, hopeful that someone in the government, like the Cobalt Soul, would care that this happened to him and might still be happening to children.

FAMILY TIME

Deciding to take Yeza, Luc, and Marion to the Gentleman, they head to the Lavish Chateau and Jester goes to see her mother. She gives Marion a veiler and tells her that dangerous and powerful people may want to harm her. Though Marion is deeply reluctant, Jester convinces her to leave the Chateau and stay with the Gentleman for protection. Marion agrees to prepare for the trip and tells Jester how proud she is of her.

Veth gives Yeza and Luc their own veilers, telling them she thought she could have a life of adventure and a family, but she brought danger to their door. Yeza comforts her, saying that danger has been finding them long before now. Yeza’s choices brought the Cerberus Assembly into their lives and that guilt stays with him. Veth just needs to fix this last thing and then she’ll come back and they’ll find their own adventures together. Yeza is proud of her and she thanks him for waiting for her. Yeza tells her that she doesn’t have to be the hero, because she’s already one to him. Veth promises that she will be safe and come back home to him.

Caleb enters, asking to see Luc. He gives him a book of fairy tales and shows him a primer on magic for children, which he gives to Yeza. Once Luc is a little older and more behaved, Yeza will let him look at it. Caleb tells Luc that he has a lot of potential, just like his mother, and that one day, if he wants to learn, he should come find Caleb. Luc listens, clearly interested, before diving back into his play.

WORD OF WARNING

Meanwhile, Caduceus notices two strangers by the door who watched the Nein enter. He informs Bluud, who asks them to leave. One of the strangers charms Bluud into leaving them alone and they continue watching the staircase, clearly waiting for the Nein to come back down. Beau, Fjord, Yasha, and Caduceus go talk to the strangers. Cad tells them that they just want to have a conversation and the two figures agree – they’re just here to deliver a message to Caleb.

The strangers are Astrid and Eodwulf, and they’ve come to warn them to run, to take anyone important with them and go, anywhere but here. They’ve been sent to cut the Nein off, but have not technically arrived yet, choosing to warn them first. Trent is frustrated and currently explaining away the break-in to the Assembly.

Fjord points out that it was on Astrid’s advice that they went to the Sanitorium at the time they did. She says she didn’t set them up and has no idea what went wrong. Fjord doesn’t understand the motivation to help them, but she explains that she’s not helping them. She’s helping Caleb. She and Eodwulf leave, with Veth invisibly trailing them. She follows them to the wealthier district and sees them knock on a door, where a half-elven woman bearing Volstrucker tattoos answers, with Trent by her side. Veth returns to the Chateau to warn the others.

OUT OF TIME

The Nein shut down the Chateau and race onto the streets of Nicodranas with Marion, Yeza, and Luc, heading to Tidepeak Tower. Wensforth ushers them inside, but when they ask for Yussa, he explains that Yussa is unreachable – he went on an information gathering journey to the Astral Plane. His body is here, but his mind is not, and Wensforth has no idea how to wake him. The Nein switch to a different plan, trying to figure out if there is anything else in the tower they can use to just get out. They are low on spell slots and running out of options.

Wensforth shows them a case bearing the emblem of the Arcana Pansophical – a gift to Yussa from someone who jumped from place to place, to be used in an emergency. It contains a scroll with the spell plane shift and a tuning fork with a fiery red glow to it. Caleb thinks this leads to the Plane of Fire, but they don’t have time to confirm. It will only allow nine people to teleport, and they have ten. Caleb offers to go outside and surrender himself to Trent, but the others refuse to let him.

Caduceus suggests hiding the family in the Happy Fun Ball and Veth takes it further, suggesting hiding a few of the Nein in the Happy Fun Ball and then carrying it to the other plane. As they discuss this, they can hear pounding on the door – the Volstruckers have caught up. As Wensforth tries to keep them at bay, Fjord, Yasha, and Beau agree to go in the ball and make their way directly to the dragon’s lair to get out as fast as possible. Caleb preps the ball and tosses it to Fjord, who finishes opening it. It sucks him, Beau, and Yasha inside.

Jester scoops up the Happy Fun Ball as Caleb begins the plane shift spell. As he does, the door opens – it’s Astrid. Her hand is up and prepared for a counterspell, but when Caleb completes the spell, her hand goes limp and the Mighty Nein plane shift. To…somewhere.

That is it for Episode 128 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Holy shit y’all, where are they GOING? It’s gotta be the Plane of Fire. They just need ten minutes for Caleb to cast the dome and then they’ll be fine, right? Right??
• Astrid let them go. Holy shit, Astrid let them GO! I am now deeply worried for Astrid and hope that Trent does NOT find out.
• Team Happy Fun Ball should be okay! The dragon’s lair isn’t too far! In…in theory!
• Oh Mighty Nein.

Anyway, catch Episode 129 on Thursday, March 11th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole and on youtube.com/criticalrole or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday, yet?