In this week's Critical Role Round Up we're going to take a quick looks at what happened last week, and dive into this week's action from last night's episode.
Episode 8: The Gates of Zadash
Before the Mighty Nein leave Alfield, Jester procures a letter of recommendation to the Soltryce Academy for Fjord and reveals some of her backstory. Then the party leaves town, headed for the city of Zadash.
While camping along the road, everyone on watch rolls terrible Perception checks and are surprised by a group of bandits. Caleb vaporizes their leader with a Scorching Ray at the same time other bandits drop him to unconsciousness with arrows. After a single round of combat, the Mighty Nein prevail, and Molly sends the surviving bandits -- who turn out to be quite pitiful and poor -- on their way with a good scolding and a gold piece each.
Upon entering Zadash, the Mighty Nein meet a man who recommends various establishments in town which provide services they need. Caleb needs magic supplies, so he, Jester, Fjord, and Nott go to a shop called The Invulnerable Vagrant. They meet the sales staff: three simulacrums of a friendly firbolg, Enchanter Pumat Sol. Pumat Sol is exceptionally gregarious and polite and amazing.
Marisha: This guy's our new Gilmore, you guys.
Liam: I'm not seducing this person.
Matt: You say this now…
Liam: Touché.
Marisha: 500 hours later, we're fighting gods with him.
Everyone finishes shopping and heads to the Leaky Tap, the inn where they plan to stay.
In other news…Laura and Travis announced they are having a baby in July!
Episode 9
The group enters the Leaky Tap. Its owner is an elf woman named Claudia Sheed, and a dragonborn man named Wessec the Trim tends bar. Jester invites herself into a card game and gets uninvited for trying to cheat almost immediately.
They meet with Claudia, looking for work and guidance about local customs. She lists the six deities approved for worship in the Dwendalian Empire -- the Allhammer, the Platinum Dragon (Bahamut), the Matron of Ravens (Raven Queen), the Dawnfather (Pelor), the Lawbearer (Erathis), and the Knowing Mistress (Ioun) -- and tells them where to look for work.
Jester uses the term "the Gentleman" and Claudia tells her to be careful where she says that name. The mysterious Gentleman has been mentioned a couple of times previously.
These are heavy worldbuilding episodes. There is a growing sense that many people are very poor and the government is oppressive, especially as you move farther north in the Dwendalian Empire.
"Take good notes because there's going to be a quiz later."
About 20 working-class and lower-middle class people meet in a basement room for a secret political meeting. Fjord and Beau are curious and attend. The group, the Knights of Requital, are "discussing methods of changing the current political unhappiness in the city of Zadash and beyond." A few members speak about their bad experiences with the government. Fjord and Beau both profess their lack of affection for the Empire. There is serious discontent with poverty, the lack of education, the abuses of the government. The Knights are planning "important events" in the next two days or so. Cara, a young half-elf woman, is helping organize it.
Meanwhile, Molly has a little talk with Nott about not stealing from the sort of people who need what little they have. Instead, Molly advises, take things from grumpy people who are weighed down by having too much money, too many things -- though not people who are grumpy because they are hungry.
In the morning, they go out to run errands. A town crier employed by the government reports that the attack on Alfield was put down by the Crownsguard. It's as if state-run media isn't committed to accurate, objective reporting. Another town crier reports that the Harvest Close Festival is in two weeks, and entry for the "victory pit" ends in four days.
They head to the archive, but Caleb determines he can't get in without proper credentials.
They see the Kings Hall, the city's central courthouse, and look at the task board there. Some are for construction jobs, but several offer payment for information on Myriad activity in the city, rebel gatherings and anti-crown rhetoric, or heretical religious worship. One requests experienced adventurers to hunt a roving beast.
At the bathhouse, they pay for a communal bath, plus extra to have their clothes cleaned. When they enter the bath, Yasha is already sitting in the hot tub, greatsword in hand. Ashley joins everyone at the table, having just arrived from New York. Hooray!
Yasha reveals that she worships the Stormlord (Kord), who is not one of the approved deities in the Dwendalian Empire. She says he pulled her out of "what literally felt like the depths of hell," so she owes him her life and will follow him no matter what.
They discuss taking the beast-hunting job, and how to develop a professional reputation without actually gaining fame. They tell Yasha about how cool Shakäste was, and Fjord and Beau try to teach water-fearing Nott how to swim.
The group visits the herald to inquire about the beast-hunting job. They register with fake names, and give two additional names to pretend the group actually has nine members. They are told the creature is in the sewers. Some Crownsguard went down to check it out, found some scary congealed blockage and webbing, and left. It's a dangerous mission, so the reward is 700 gold.
Jester goes to the Pillow Trove, a fancy hotel, to see if her mother sent her money. It's in the wealthy part of town known as the Silken Terrace, which is gated and guarded. Jester persuades a guard to walk her there when they won't let Caleb in because he doesn't look upscale enough. Caleb attempts to enter using Disguise Self, but it dispels as he approaches the gate. The whole district seems to be protected against magic.
The hotel has no package for Jester. She prays to the Traveler, who actually appears to her in his familiar green cloak. He tells her she is with friends, and that he is never far away, then vanishes. She and Caleb return to the group, and the group heads for the sewers.
Next episode: all seven members of the Mighty Nein fight a sewer monster!
contributed by Annie Bulloch
Episode 8: The Gates of Zadash
Before the Mighty Nein leave Alfield, Jester procures a letter of recommendation to the Soltryce Academy for Fjord and reveals some of her backstory. Then the party leaves town, headed for the city of Zadash.
While camping along the road, everyone on watch rolls terrible Perception checks and are surprised by a group of bandits. Caleb vaporizes their leader with a Scorching Ray at the same time other bandits drop him to unconsciousness with arrows. After a single round of combat, the Mighty Nein prevail, and Molly sends the surviving bandits -- who turn out to be quite pitiful and poor -- on their way with a good scolding and a gold piece each.
Upon entering Zadash, the Mighty Nein meet a man who recommends various establishments in town which provide services they need. Caleb needs magic supplies, so he, Jester, Fjord, and Nott go to a shop called The Invulnerable Vagrant. They meet the sales staff: three simulacrums of a friendly firbolg, Enchanter Pumat Sol. Pumat Sol is exceptionally gregarious and polite and amazing.
Marisha: This guy's our new Gilmore, you guys.
Liam: I'm not seducing this person.
Matt: You say this now…
Liam: Touché.
Marisha: 500 hours later, we're fighting gods with him.
Everyone finishes shopping and heads to the Leaky Tap, the inn where they plan to stay.
In other news…Laura and Travis announced they are having a baby in July!
Episode 9
The group enters the Leaky Tap. Its owner is an elf woman named Claudia Sheed, and a dragonborn man named Wessec the Trim tends bar. Jester invites herself into a card game and gets uninvited for trying to cheat almost immediately.
They meet with Claudia, looking for work and guidance about local customs. She lists the six deities approved for worship in the Dwendalian Empire -- the Allhammer, the Platinum Dragon (Bahamut), the Matron of Ravens (Raven Queen), the Dawnfather (Pelor), the Lawbearer (Erathis), and the Knowing Mistress (Ioun) -- and tells them where to look for work.
Jester uses the term "the Gentleman" and Claudia tells her to be careful where she says that name. The mysterious Gentleman has been mentioned a couple of times previously.
These are heavy worldbuilding episodes. There is a growing sense that many people are very poor and the government is oppressive, especially as you move farther north in the Dwendalian Empire.
"Take good notes because there's going to be a quiz later."
About 20 working-class and lower-middle class people meet in a basement room for a secret political meeting. Fjord and Beau are curious and attend. The group, the Knights of Requital, are "discussing methods of changing the current political unhappiness in the city of Zadash and beyond." A few members speak about their bad experiences with the government. Fjord and Beau both profess their lack of affection for the Empire. There is serious discontent with poverty, the lack of education, the abuses of the government. The Knights are planning "important events" in the next two days or so. Cara, a young half-elf woman, is helping organize it.
Meanwhile, Molly has a little talk with Nott about not stealing from the sort of people who need what little they have. Instead, Molly advises, take things from grumpy people who are weighed down by having too much money, too many things -- though not people who are grumpy because they are hungry.
In the morning, they go out to run errands. A town crier employed by the government reports that the attack on Alfield was put down by the Crownsguard. It's as if state-run media isn't committed to accurate, objective reporting. Another town crier reports that the Harvest Close Festival is in two weeks, and entry for the "victory pit" ends in four days.
They head to the archive, but Caleb determines he can't get in without proper credentials.
They see the Kings Hall, the city's central courthouse, and look at the task board there. Some are for construction jobs, but several offer payment for information on Myriad activity in the city, rebel gatherings and anti-crown rhetoric, or heretical religious worship. One requests experienced adventurers to hunt a roving beast.
At the bathhouse, they pay for a communal bath, plus extra to have their clothes cleaned. When they enter the bath, Yasha is already sitting in the hot tub, greatsword in hand. Ashley joins everyone at the table, having just arrived from New York. Hooray!
Yasha reveals that she worships the Stormlord (Kord), who is not one of the approved deities in the Dwendalian Empire. She says he pulled her out of "what literally felt like the depths of hell," so she owes him her life and will follow him no matter what.
They discuss taking the beast-hunting job, and how to develop a professional reputation without actually gaining fame. They tell Yasha about how cool Shakäste was, and Fjord and Beau try to teach water-fearing Nott how to swim.
The group visits the herald to inquire about the beast-hunting job. They register with fake names, and give two additional names to pretend the group actually has nine members. They are told the creature is in the sewers. Some Crownsguard went down to check it out, found some scary congealed blockage and webbing, and left. It's a dangerous mission, so the reward is 700 gold.
Jester goes to the Pillow Trove, a fancy hotel, to see if her mother sent her money. It's in the wealthy part of town known as the Silken Terrace, which is gated and guarded. Jester persuades a guard to walk her there when they won't let Caleb in because he doesn't look upscale enough. Caleb attempts to enter using Disguise Self, but it dispels as he approaches the gate. The whole district seems to be protected against magic.
The hotel has no package for Jester. She prays to the Traveler, who actually appears to her in his familiar green cloak. He tells her she is with friends, and that he is never far away, then vanishes. She and Caleb return to the group, and the group heads for the sewers.
Next episode: all seven members of the Mighty Nein fight a sewer monster!
contributed by Annie Bulloch
