Critical Recap: Critical Role C2E94 (With Great Power…)

Written by on February 12, 2020

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, Production Coordinator and Frumpkin Herder. Let’s dive into our recap of Critical Role Episode 94 With Great Power…!

NIGHT OF THE EXPLODING DEAD

Night has fallen as the Mighty Nein race away from the witch’s hut and back into the forest. As they search for solid ground so Caleb can cast the safety dome, they pepper Jester with questions. They disbelieve her story about the cupcake, not thinking such a gift would be enough to save Nott, and she promises to fully explain when they’re all in the hut. Finding a spot of land, Yasha and Jester rip out a dead tree trunk to clear the area, but the noise attracts the denizens of the swamp — husk zombies, cursed beings that explode when they die, releasing poisonous insides. It is a long fight, with many zombies joining the fray, but Jester’s usage of incite greed and Caduceus’s turn undead turn the tide in their favor. As more are drawn to the noise of battle, Fjord casts major image of a young blue dragon thrashing away from the camp. This distracts the zombies and panics Jester, but it gives Caleb enough time to finish the spell and put up the hut.

Beau recalls the history of the woods, formerly a colony built around the worship of a god in the mountain known as the ‘Twilight Phoenix’ — when the Julous Dominion came into power, they wiped out the cult, whose undead presence now haunts the area. This notion of a phoenix god reminds Fjord of the bird god seen pictured in the temple on Urukaxl, but it’s unclear if the two are related. Now that they’re settled, Jester explains her modify memory on Isharnai. Everyone is surprised but impressed, though Jester is worried that the hag may seek retribution, either on them or the Lionetts. Beau tells her not to worry about her family, though Jester and Caduceus theorize that Thoreau’s price was the misery he created from his own fear.

The entire group voices their frustration with Beau’s attempted bargain and willingness to walk away from the Nein — she wouldn’t have made just herself miserable, but the group as well. Caleb tells her to follow her own advice about not leaving, and Fjord reminds her that the Nein care about her, and that it’s foolish to think she’s peaked when there is still so much life to live. Nott may be free of the curse, but she’s still afraid of changing back, feeling like a bad mother and worried about no longer wanting to be with the Nein. Caduceus thinks she needs to look inward to her desires, and Beau offers to teach her to meditate. Beau leads a group meditation, though everyone but herself, Caleb, and Jester fall asleep. As they rest, Jester apologizes to Caleb for her usage of modify memory, but he knows she would never use it with ill intent.

XHORHOUSEKEEPING

In the morning, Nott agrees to try sobriety as the best way to clear her mind. Jester casts stoneshape so Caleb can have a flat surface to cast the teleportation circle. The question is — where are they going? It is ultimately decided that they will head to Xhorhas, to see if Essek can teleport them to the island where the Stone Family’s menagerie is purportedly located. Caduceus is nervous, but willing to follow his path. They return to Xhorhas and the Xhorhouse, where Yasha attempts to give Sprinkle a bath and Nott bemoans not having a proper housekeeper.

This desire sends Nott wandering the Corona District looking for someone to hire. She meets a drow girl named Vidalla who is intrigued by the offer of caretaking. Nott brings her back to the Xhorhouse for an interview, where Beau immediately distrusts her and Jester casts zone of truth for the interview. They ask her many questions about her work experience and her level of trustworthiness, and she seems genuine and willing to take on the work, though she vastly overstated the money she makes. They agree to hire her at the aforementioned 40 gold a month, an outstanding price but the one Nott offered.

Now that their housekeeper will be starting immediately, the Nein head to Essek’s house. They ask him to teleport them, and he agrees, though he has never been to the White Dawn Lagoon. Luckily, the teleportation is a success, and they land safely on the island’s beach, a tropical forest yawning ahead of them. Caduceus casts commune, learning that they are in the right place and that they have a day or so’s dangerous journey ahead of them. Essek casts his own teleportation circle on the beach, and the Nein head into the jungle.

FOREST REVELATIONS

It’s another skill challenge for the party as they attempt to traverse the new terrain (and Fjord and Caleb attempt new tiny ponytail hairstyles). Caduceus’s perception is a success, finding them the clearest path through the thick growth of vegetation. Fjord attempts to intimidate the woods, but his failure leads to him being swallowed by a giant plant pod that snaps shut around him. Luckily, their barbarian frees him from the plant’s clutches. Yasha now investigates, using the wildlife’s tracks to find the most commonly traversed areas. Beau climbs a tree, invigorated by an ass slap from Jester, and successfully uses perception to find a clearing in the distance.

They make their way to that clearing and Caleb casts the hut as night approaches. Nott tries to drink from her flask and Yasha slaps it away, finally taking it from her as the two argue over it. Jester draws a hag and a maiden optical illusion on one of Molly’s blank tarot cards, and Caleb turns Frumpkin into a capuchin monkey. The party bed down for a night’s rest, with Jester taking first watch. As she doodles, she sees in the distance the Traveler beckoning her. She leaves the dome without waking anyone up and hurries to him.

The Traveler asks if she trusts him and upon her affirmation, leads her to an opening in a tree so they can have some privacy. He finally lowers his hood, showing her his face — exaggerated elven features, almond-shaped emerald green eyes, and a mane of orange-red hair. He tells her she’s ready to hear the truth. When he first came here, he had no responsibilities, preferring to pluck and pick at lives from the shadows. Then he met a little girl, whose spark of mischief and bright personality charmed him. Her belief in him was so great that he put on the mask of a god for her. He even sought out others, traveling to new believers and growing from their faith. He became what Jester believed he always was, but he found that these followers were spreading him too thin. His hope is that he could gather them into one community. However, he confesses that he has no idea what he’s doing. And he needs Jester’s help.

That is it for Episode 94!

FINAL THOUGHTS

  • Holy shit y’all! The Traveler is Artagan confirmed! Beware of C1 Spoilers in that link.
  • IT’S A CULT!!!
  • Apparently, Jester’s actions with the hag convinced the Traveler she could help him. But how do you help a fake god?!
  • Nott’s parents are named Travis and Ashley. I bet you can guess why.
  • Now they’ve got to deal with Caduceus’s backstory AND Traveler shenanigans. There are a lot of threads converging in this jungle, y’all.
  • Oh Mighty Nein.

Anyway, catch Episode 95 on Thursday, February 13th at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv/criticalrole, or a week later on our podcast. Is it Thursday, yet?



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