Critical Recap: Critical Role C2E92 (Home is Where the Heart is)

Hello! Welcome to the written Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, Production Coordinator and Lore Fiend. Let’s dive into our recap of Critical Role Episode 92 Home is Where the Heart is!

AFTERMATH

Though the spell was performed correctly, Nott is still a goblin. Caleb and Nott describe the laugh they heard, with Nott recognizing it as the woman who changed her. Nott describes her death again, saying that she awoke in a mountainous region to a woman laughing, who said that a debt had been paid. The goblins then took her back with them, though they remained in the Marrow Valley. Caleb, who recognizes this as a curse, wants to find the witch so they can fully fix Nott, which the others agree on.

Beau realizes that this all feels similar to her father’s stories about the fortune teller that he made a deal with. Thoreau revolved his entire life around the predictions she gave him, stories which Beau had always believed were the ramblings of a superstitious man. As everyone discusses this coincidence, Caduceus casts Commune, confirming with the Wildmother that the witch who cursed Nott still lives, that this was the same woman who spoke to Beau’s father, and that Caduceus’ family waits for him at the menagerie.

Faced with the prospect of seeing her father, Beau details more of her past: she wanted to help with the family business, but Thoreau rejected her ideas. They clashed over his selfishness and her feeling constrained by his ideal life for her. When the monks came, her father slapped her, calling her his misfortune. Later, a letter arrived bearing the news of a son, Thoreau Jr.. With multiple paths ahead, neither Nott, Caduceus, nor Beau are ready to take the next step, but Beau’s father holds clues for Nott, and Caduceus’ menagerie is close to Traveler Con’s island. They decide to go to Zadash and then Kamordah, in hopes of finding answers for Nott and closure for Beau.

TO ZADASH

The Nein research myths and fairy tales, finding two soothsayers within the Marrow Valley, but only one who seems right: Isharnai the Prism Sage, a witch in the Cyrios Mountains who grants boons and hexes to those who seek her and pay her price. Jester scries on her, referencing a disguised Nott. She sees a woman with long fingers and arms, who moves strangely as she consults runes. The woman notices the scry, and asks who is watching her. She hopes that this means visitors soon, and destroys Jester’s scrying orb, terrifying the cleric.

They head to the Evening Nip to get drinks with the Gentleman. Jester excitedly tells her father about all (and I mean all) their adventures. Suitably charmed, he lets them stay the night for free. Fjord checks in with Beau, who is visibly upset. Beau just wanted to make her dad proud, and is still trying to do things to please him without realizing it. Now that her family is the Mighty Nein, it’s even harder for her to look back at a time when they weren’t around. She worries about her newfound happiness going away, but Fjord reminds her that nothing is set in stone. They have each other, and will take care of each other. His gentle support makes her feel better.

ACROSS THE VALLEY

In the morning, Jester leaves the Gentleman a ruby, and gets a letter from him to use when they request horses. This nets them 7 horses, beginning their trek to Kamordah. When they camp for the evening, they see a campfire in the distance. An invisible Nott investigates, accidentally getting trapped. She gets herself loose, but a close-by Jester thinks she’s still trapped. They have some Benny Hill shenanigans trying to find each other, and catch the attention of the hunters. These turn out to be the bandits they’ve encountered before, now with a cleaned up act. Jester and Nott excitedly tell the rest of the Nein about the bandits’ new leaf.

The next night, Yasha reveals to Caleb that she knows about his past. They discuss regret and their past misdeeds, and how they both hope they can do something to better themselves. During a lull, Yasha asks ‘Do you love her?’ and when he asks for clarification, she implies that he knows exactly who she’s talking about. Yasha encourages him to be honest about his feelings, but Caleb thinks that it’s already too late.

HOMECOMING

The group arrives in Kamordah, a ramshackle town designed for function over aesthetic. As the group psyches her up, Beau leads them to her childhood home, which is a large estate. Beau’s arrival astounds her mother, Clara. Their reunion is strained, though Clara seems genuinely happy to see Beau. They’re quickly interrupted by the arrival of TJ, Beau’s two-year old little brother. Clara introduces him to his big sister, and Beau gives him her jade necklace. She asks her mother if they knew they were pregnant when they sent her away, but gets no reply. Clara tries to make excuses for her husband, but Beau is aghast at her mother’s passiveness.

Thoreau arrives, shocked to see his daughter. Their conversation is strained, but he tells her he’s proud of her becoming an Expositor. They argue over his parenting, and he attempts to justify his actions by pointing out her growth. She tells him what he did turned out to be the best thing for her, despite his bad choices. She asks him about the hag from his stories. He is unnerved by her desire to go there, but tells her what he knows — the hag was known as the witch of the mountains. He sought her out, eventually finding a little hut. She told him she could give him what he wanted for a fragment of his fortune. He agreed, as he had no fortune. He would be a great craftsman whose land would be fruitful, and he would have a beau who would grow into a great name, and he would be humbled by that which he desired most. Now he lives in fear of her coming to call on him.

Thoreau tries to say that he does love her, attempting an angry apology. Jester tells Beau that she believes him, and encourages Beau to listen to her father, as there is no joy in grudges. Beau tells her father that she is going to do the work to understand him, despite her parents’ lack of effort to understand her. He gives her another jade necklace (his version of a good luck charm) and she accepts it as an upgrade. He hopes to make up the missteps of his parenting. Beau says her goodbyes, telling her mother that she’s allowed to have an opinion. Thoreau gives her some final advice on how to find the hut. As everyone leaves, Nott steals a jade statue, and Yasha gives Thoreau an ominous warning about him learning what is truly important. The Nein walk away from the house, and Beau pulls her friends into a tight hug.

That is it for Episode 92!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• That was some extremely heavy Beau lore. No wonder she’s kept it inside for so long.
• It’s fascinating to see Nott’s and Beau’s stories interweaving!
• Nott sings Sweet Caroline in Abyssal. Just so you know.
• “Armadillo” is the new Jenga, pass it on.
• Go ahead and cast your votes on which “her” you think Yasha was referring to in that conversation with Caleb!
• Thoreau sucks, also pass that on.
• Oh Mighty Nein.

Anyway, catch Episode 93 on Thursday, January 30th on twitch.tv/criticalrole, or a week later on our podcast! Is it Thursday, yet?