Critical Role Recap: Episode 20

Previously on Critical Role, the Mighty Nein accepted two jobs from their criminal patron, the Gentleman. Both jobs took them out of the city of Zadash, so they hitched up their cart and traveled north on the Bromkiln Byway.

Two-Paragraph Synopsis

The Mighty Nein continued their journey north on the Bromkiln Byway towards the swamp town of Barrelben. Upon entering the dismal Labenda Swamp, they came upon a kenku under attack by a pair of giant crocodiles! They saved the creature’s life and learned that she was named Kiri, and that her sisters had been eaten by crocodiles and she was searching for her parents.

Late that evening, the Mighty Nein arrived in Barrelben and found the man the Gentleman had sent them to find. Febron Keyes, a lecherous and cowardly drunk, was reluctant to lead the party to the Gentleman’s safehouse, but a song to the tune of 100 gold pieces changed his mind. Now, the Mighty Nein are resting in the Keystone Pub in preparation for a day of swamp exploration.

Art by Caio Santos (@BlackSalander)

Full Summary

Today’s episode of Critical Role began with a short discussion of Nott’s flask of endless whiskey and some general tomfoolery, but the Mighty Nein quickly resumed their journey northward towards the town of Barrelben in the Labenda Swamp. They rode on their wagon and setting watches as they traveled and rested. To not do so would be folly; the roads of Wildemount are dangerous, especially at night. Despite the danger, the landscape was beautiful and rugged in the heartland of the Dwendalian Empire, and the party kept their eyes on the horizon, even those who weren’t assigned to keep watch.

Diverted by the Imperial Legion

On one chilly afternoon, the party spotted an imperial legion crossing the countryside, a massive procession of soldiers headed eastward to war. They decided to hasten their pace to race past the lumbering serpent of shields and spears. Their cart bumped and jostled as they urged the horses on, and the poor vehicle began to come apart at the seams. They didn’t have the speed to overtake the legion. Beau searched for alternate passages or places to hide, and they hunkered down and began to repair their busted-up wagon.

As they worked, however, a detachment of horsemen broke off from the main line and made their way towards the Mighty Nein. They quickly prepared an alibi and greeted the horseman that appeared before them. His introduced himself as Captain Drubenlode, and they implored him for help repairing their cart. Drubenlode’s troops dismounted and began to help them—and Nott immediately went off to “investigate” their saddlebags. It was full of naught but dried oats and corn, to the other players’ acerbic glee.

In the meantime, the party asked the soldiers some questions. They seemed nervous and eager to get to the front lines—a place they had not yet seen. The diversion only lasted a few moments. Thereafter, the soldiers repaired the wagon and returned to their legion, leaving the party unharried.

Yasha’s Vision

Later on the journey, a storm brewed in the dead of night. A bolt of lightning leapt from the wrathful sky and smote a tree in the near distance. That night, Yasha had a fitful dream—and all players but Ashley were asked to leave the table. In her vision, Yasha—a Path of the Zealot barbarian dedicated to the Stormlord—saw a silhouetted figure atop a rock. It was a statue. In the dream, blue flames engulfed her arms. Thunder crashed above her, and the scene changed. She was surrounded by corpses, and the flames on her arms had transformed into rivers of blood. Another thunderclap. She saw the statue once more, in ruins. She gazed upon the icon of the Stormlord at the base of the ruined statue, and fury swelled in her chest. Another flash.

This time, Yasha was moving. She strode alone, aching, across the land, towards a monolithic peak. She saw before her the lands of her birth, the realm of Xhorhas. But this land was crawling with worms. The grubs must have been massive, to be visible from so far away. They devoured the land, leaving nothing in their wake.

Yasha climbed towards the mountain, and upon reaching it was engulfed by darkness. Thoughts and panic surged through her mind. Then the final peal of thunder gave her one singular vision: a figure in the inky eye of a swirling storm cloud. Yasha stood within the wrath of a tempest. The Stormlord gazed upon her, and he lowered his titanic body onto the earth near her. And yet despite his size and power, she felt comforted. He lowered his hand and rested it upon the ground before her.

His voice entered her head. “You walk the right path. Be strong. Don’t forget who you were—and decide who you will become. And the vision receded into darkness, and thunder awoke her to the constant sound of the pouring rain.

Nott joined her during the next watch. Yasha went to the thunderstruck tree and collected a piece of its bark, and carved the symbol of the Stormlord into it. She and Nott shared stories about their collections. Yasha collects flowers for someone back home, Nott collects buttons and shinies and the soles of shoes.

Screenshot taken by Jim Moreno (@JimMoreno)

Skirmish in the Labenda Swamp

The next day, they found themselves in the dead center of the Dwendalian Empire, wet, cold, and miserable. They soon reached the fetid Labenda Swamp. Within the marshy landscape, they heard a strange, strangled birdcall. Caleb reflexively cast mage armor. They heard it again… now more intense. Almost frantic.

Jester climbed a tree and saw a scene of panic in the near distance: a humanoid creature with jet-black feathers was fighting to escape the viscous muck of the swamp—and it was being stalked by a hungry crocodile of massive proportions. Jester leapt into action and attacked the reptile. The rest of the Mighty Nein tentatively followed her lead, and combat began! Two giant crocodiles emerged from the swamp and made a beeline towards the trapped kenku. One of the hungry reptiles crunched its jaws upon the kenku, and the blackbird fell limp in the water, unconscious.

Fjord questioned if they should really stick their necks out for the bird… but just sighed and shot an eldritch blast at the beasts. Jester cast healing word to revive the unconscious kenku, and Yasha cracked the jaws of the crocodile assailing it, then landed a brutal finishing blow.

“Welcome to the Mighty Nein!”

Art by Joma Cueto (@ForgingMeanings)

After the fight, they fished the kenku—named Kiri—out of the swamp. She was just 4 years old and only able to talk in mimicry, but she was eventually able to communicate that she was separated from her family. She was able to scribble on a piece of paper and communicate in text. They were supposed to hide in the swamp, but fled from the swampfolk—but Kiri was caught in the swamp and her family had to abandon her.

Jester realized, upon performing an autopsy of the crocodiles, that their guts contained bones and black feathers—the remains of the young kenku’s family. Jester was absolutely crestfallen, and most of her companions instant fell in love with their poor kenku child. The parents may be alive, but the young kenku’s sisters were definitely devoured. Nevertheless, they welcomed the eager young bird-person into their group with open arms. She mimicked their welcome, and gleefully exclaimed “Welcome to the Mighty Nein!” They disguised her in a cloak, just to make sure she wouldn’t attract any undue attention.

Slummin’ it in Barrelben

That evening, the Mighty Nein arrived at Barrelben, and made their way to travel to the Puddles, a slummy district that is currently sinking into the swamp, towards the Keystone Pub in search of Febron Keyes. The only way into the pub was an eight-foot climb up a knotted rope! The Keystone Pub itself was damp and woody, but Fjord felt right at home—it was like being below decks on a ship at sea. They met with Dent Bonswallow, the pub’s proprietor.

Dent pointed them towards Febron Keyes, sleeping by the bar’s stage. Febron only had a single tooth in his mouth, black and angled. His left eye lazily drifted in one direction, and his face has been beaten in over and over. The poor man has had a rough life, but he’s somehow clawed his way through it. He was distressed by the mention of the Gentleman and his task—there was something fearsome out in the swamp, and he had no desire to go back and deal with it. The Nein assured the bleary man that they just needed information from him.

The safehouse he was hired to escort some of the Gentleman’s associates to the safe house, connected to the underground river. After they went down, however… a frightful howl echoed from the depths, and all within were killed. He checked himself. The Nein haggled with Febron for some time, and eventually came to an accord. He would only accompany them through the swamp for 100 gold.

“But you also have to sing us a song!” Jester shouted.

“…Fine. A short one,” Febron grumbled. He crawled onto the stage and wailed a gruesome, atonal song, much to the Nein (and their players’) delight. For the morbidly curious, the song he slurred was:

At the end of the day, the party rested up in their dank and mildewy accommodations, and prepared for the sinister challenge ahead of them.  

Something evil dwells in the depths of the Labenda Swamp. What is this fearsome creature? Find out next time... on Critical Role! Is it Thursday yet?

Unless otherwise credited, all photos in this article are courtesy of Geek & Sundry.

James Haeck is the lead writer for D&D Beyond, the co-author of the Critical Role Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, and a freelance writer for Wizards of the Coast, the D&D Adventurers League, and Kobold Press. He loves watching Critical Role and wants everyone he knows to get into it, too. He lives in Seattle, Washington with his partner Hannah and his very own Frumpkins, Mei and Marzipan. You can usually find him wasting time on Twitter at @jamesjhaeck.