Long May He Reign | Critical Role | Campaign 2, Episode 140

This episode is sponsored by our friends Fandom Gaming and D&D Beyond. Enter for a chance to win a Legendary Bundle from D&D Beyond on Twitter at dndbeyond.link...
This episode is also sponsored by Bethesda and ZeniMax Online Studios.Check out Elder Scroll Online: Blackwood at elderscrollsonl...
Deep in the heart of Cognouza, the Mighty Nein face the second form of the Neo-Somnovem in hopes of bringing an end to his nightmarish dominion.
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[@flandomaltrizian4603]

HEY, there might be some SPOILERS under the thing 0:15 Nathaniel 20 phishes for data 5:15 Uk’otoa’s Merch Corner 7:35 Intro cinematic 9:10 Episode Starts 11:45 Recap Ends, high stress tactical planning 17:35 Liam commits to the Caleb accent 19:05 Lucien’s new mini 22:05 Battle Begins 25:25 Sam relates to Travis’s football story 28:20 William Aether 32:15 Yasha’s nightmare 35:55 Minus eyes 40:05 Eyes anywhere 44:20 Caleb pulls an Ashley Burch 49:05 Everyone is overheating 53:55 Marine layer 1:03:55 I forgive you 1:08:50 We want to see the tiny dice 1:12:35 Imagining dragons 1:13:50 Slipping around 1:20:20 Fleeing the final boss 1:24:35 Single cheeseburger 1:26:15 HEYY…. heyy 1:27:10 Jester serves up some breakfast 1:38:25 Beau gives an eyeball update 1:39:45 Essek has weak arches 1:40:25 Shake weights 1:45:10 Cad’s nightmare 2:01:10 Rocket boots 2:05:50 Healing Word jingle 2:07:50 Divine Intervention 2:11:25 Fruit salad 2:15:35 Work that ring of fire resistance 2:16:20 Beau also remembers the fruit salad 2:19:00 Just two wizards who need each other 2:22:50 Jester’s last words 2:25:55 Buy our socks, use them as tissues 2:27:25 Sam learns how evasion works during the final boss fight 2:36:50 Caleb is made of clutch plays today 2:40:15 Travis calms it down 2:41:10 Cad destroys the whole city 2:42:10 Jester’s revivify 2:51:50 Beau breaks her grapple 2:54:00 Double crit 2:54:35 When your boss sends off-hour work messages 2:59:30 A lot of good things start to happen consecutively 3:03:15 Making my way to Lucien 3:11:15 (Liam and Marisha) Get that Culpassy 3:16:10 Marine layer has been surprisingly helpful 3:24:10 HDYWTDT 3:25:45 Break Starts 3:37:00 Art Montage 3:49:40 Break Ends 3:50:25 At this point, the live chat started all saying “Thank You” 3:52:15 Caleb’s revivify 3:58:30 The final challenge 4:01:05 First things first, the Bag of Holding 4:05:55 Raise Dead 4:09:00 Yasha’s contribution 4:11:10 Jester’s contribution 4:12:45 Beau’s contribution 4:15:20 The roll 4:19:10 Fjord and Essek 4:25:25 Cad casually casts divine intervention 4:28:10 Eyes open 4:29:00 True Names 4:33:05 Caduceus the MVP 4:35:45 Taliesin has a conversation 4:37:10 Testing explosive arrows 4:38:15 Sprinkle is more than an accessory 4:38:55 Jester leaves her biggest art installation yet 4:42:05 Weird that it worked 4:43:20 Ashley Burch is officially vindicated 4:45:25 Episode Ends The in-game start date for the episode was the 3rd of Syndestar 836 (maybe?). Sam’s flask says “Think happy thoughts” with a picture of Nott and a thought bubble which had various things over the course of the episode. Thank You Any moments I missed? Feel free to post them here. Is it Thursday yet?

[@AkutomiNamikaze]

Hey, Flando!

[@undermuh]

Fuck me man well done

[@lunahelgesen1689]

Thank you!!!

[@sovereign9529]

Dood it was 15 secs how!!!!

[@littlemoon8081]

That was fast!

[@MishaMinion327]

Spoilers. I love how both the Ring of Fire Resistance and the Marine layer got their redemptions in the end

[@MadeinHell2]

Someone clearly explained to them how to use marine layer properly, even if travis kept forgetting that he gets advantage against targets that can't see him. At least Veth, got some "free" sneak attacks thans to it. Really works nicely with the campaign long "jabbing" at each other, that in the end they're probably the most effective teammates together.

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

++

[@superspazzninja5297]

two for two for Fjord

[@coledibiase1777]

Spoilers. I wasn't even reading the comments, on mobile you can see the top comment the moment you click the video!

[@pretentiousname01]

Marine layer is the real mvp

[@discoelysia]

Found this perfect interaction on reddit: "Maybe the real final boss was the friends we made along the way" "It literally was"

[@vernonhampton5863]

... You know what, yeah.

[@invinoveritas9691]

ok just for the recorde, im cuting onions thats why im crying

[@grumdiddlydoo3559]

Loosely unrelated, but was watching a Campaign 1 talks, and Tal was joking about making a character that would be a final boss for the group. Sadly comments were disabled on the video, so I can't recall the episode number or time stamp. But dang, was crazy how his joke became reality.

[@bouncycreepy]

After Marisha's crazy deciphering of the Aeor plot, Matt says "Maybe Aeor was the friends we made along the way" and then looks around at the room, then back at the camera for a second and I have to wonder if that's because he knew it was kinda true

[@ruthchugayov6357]

@@bouncycreepy what episode was it when marisha figured it all out?

[@samowen8433]

PSA: DO NOT read the comments until you’ve watched the whole episode. This one’s a ride y’all.

[@calebdouglas2512]

I'm glad this was the second comment. Thanks for the heads up, see you in a few hours

[@coledibiase1777]

Thank you very much, stay perfect.

[@Soulindex]

Tbf, there's no way in hell I'll be able to catch up before animatics pop up in the subscription feed to spoil whatever happened here. I'll take the risk lol

[@HeatherHerbert_]

Caugth the end of it live on Thur (well my Friday AM) here to have the wind knocked out of me a second time this week.

[@mattireson866]

@@calebdouglas2512 get back to us once you're done man

[@maddieengel3601]

Matt: “Sprinkle is considered an accessory” Sprinkle: “Accessory To MURDER”

[@DarkAlice]

Sprinkler is just a scarf at this point.

[@morrisl123]

"How did you do that?" "I asked politely." Matt's utter bewilderment is such a joy to watch.

[@TakeWalker]

Casual and polite, that is how Caduceus Clay gets things done. :D

[@lvlHive]

@@TakeWalker The Cleric's have such unique and disarming personalities.

[@sleepinghermit7778]

Truly, unique clerics.

[@devinspencer1678]

@@TakeWalker unless you hurt his friends and disciple. Then he'll turn you into a mushroom farm.

[@mantis_shrimp_055]

4:33:17 for anyone who wanted to see it again.

[@hannahpierson6352]

Travis is so amazing. When Tal mentioned he was having a panic attack he jumped on that so fast. Told Tal to slow down and got Sam to do his Dwarven Forge bit. There is a reason he is the CEO

[@andrewbrowning1931]

Timestamp for that moment?

[@pretentiousname01]

Travis and Fjord are the true mvps. The mvps that will never get full recognition for the things that they lowkey did.

[@JulsieTheRandom]

@@andrewbrowning1931 2:40:14

[@andrewbrowning1931]

@@JulsieTheRandom incredible, ty

[@matthiasBdot]

"eldritch blast"

[@tuseroni6085]

caduceus' divine intervention: works regularly jester's divine intervention: never works wild mother: actual god.

[@damonskyheart9097]

I mean that's the actual fact of it. Artagen is just playing make believe while Wild Mother out here is dealing the real shit.

[@136jab]

@@damonskyheart9097 or Tal is just a GOOlock calling on his patron IRL

[@buzznat20]

Hotel: Trivago

[@alexmartet6238]

Nor did Caleb's revive spell worked fully....

[@Noobuh]

@@136jab everyone knows Taliesin IS the GOOlock Patron.

[@TaRatTinCan]

In episode 28 Mighty Nein entered the Blooming Groove to find a cleric who could resurrect Molly, and 112 episodes later the man they found that day was able to do that. Lucien asked everyone what they want to achieve longterm and Caduceus answered looking at him - “To save a soul” , he did just that. He longed to return to home, but not before seeing everyone in Mighty Nein to find their way. This episode he saw Fjord, his “pet project”, in a moment of personal loss graduate in understanding of Wildmother teachings and then returned the last member of Mighty Nein back to them completing his quest and returning back home. That character arc is insane and beautiful and everything I hoped for.

[@kultkayleigh]

this is everything

[@flowerpetal20]

[@CSNCSNCSN]

Chills. I won't even make the joke about the Blooming Onion... 😋

[@tauronmitronion377]

Taliesin's luck: when a natural 20 won't do the job, he rolls a natural 02 instead.

[@mightymouse654]

Taliesin: "I've been rolling so low all night!" Also Taliesin: When life give you lemons...

[@Grounders10]

@@mightymouse654 turns out it was trying to tell him something.

[@paulgibbon5991]

@@mightymouse654 That is PERFECT!

[@SweetLitzLM]

thats not luck, he used his elder powers to do this

[@lukemalizzo1685]

002*

[@rogermarks1110]

Remember how they found Caduceus? They were hunting down a lead on someone who could bring their friend Molly back.

[@Pointlesschan]

Wow... this comment should have sooo much more attention! I had forgotten...

[@MrTheMighty]

Oh my god, that's true. Oh man. I love D&D.

[@belist2]

Mother of God! They were!

[@Darklord-uo3re]

Very poetic

[@vjeranjanes5783]

THE LONG GAME

[@myrmidonmamori]

Fjord: "Caduceus would say death is part of life and this is how things were meant to be so we should move on." Caduceus: "Yeah, but no."

[@hensonsf2701]

Based on Tal’s face, 100% yes.

[@Dizzyflamz]

The epitome of "Do as I say, not as I do"

[@xleplayVA]

Yea I feel like molly's revival shouldn't have happened. Especially since the first roll was a nat 1. I feel that should've overridden divine intervention, especially since all the themes up till that point was hinting molly to be unrecoverable up to the final battle and it feels very asspullly.

[@13mungoman13]

@@xleplayVA They've been building up to Mollymauk still existing and wanting to break out of Lucien for ages now. You may think that it's a bit contrived, but it's not an asspull.

[@davidfritz7688]

@@xleplayVA I don't think it's that bad. The ressurection ritual was correct and enough, the final magic just couldn't grasp the bit of soul that was left that was Molly. The wild mother just made sure the magic they laid down would connect with the soul they wanted and drag it back into the body

[@shaylin6948]

I’d love the idea that in a future campaign, many years in the future, someone will stumble across this city in the astral sea and find a lush grove of beautiful plants thanks to Cad. A city once full of torture souls given to the warm embrace of the Wild Mother; it just feels kind of poetic.

[@mcmann2243]

Imagine in C3 if they have to adventure to the astral sea and it’s really hectic and they can’t find a rest, until they stumble on the Cognouza district where they can relax for a little bit

[@Drekromancer]

@@mcmann2243 I was actually thinking about this!! At this point, the city of Cognouza is a bunch of stone structures set into a giant, rotting corpse. When Cad cast Decompose, I started to think about the possibility that Cognouza could become something, rather than just fading into peaceful oblivion. But when the warm wind of the Wildmother came billowing through to return Mollymauk Tealeaf to the world, I couldn't help but think it would make a mark on the city. Just think about it: In the span of a few hours, Cognouza went through several huge transformations. First, it was a thousand-year-long nightmare trapping thousands of people in hell. Then, it was the peaceful grave of those thousands, finally laid to rest. After Caduceus cast Decompose, it became the place for new life to begin. And finally, after the resurrection, it became the site of a genuine miracle. I'm not just talking about the kind of miracle clerics perform all the time. I'm talking about a true miracle: one that delivered justice that shouldn't have even been possible. So I think all of that action HAS to leave a mark on this place. That's why I want to see the ruins of Cognouza become a lush, beautiful planetoid in the Astral Sea - a refuge for wayward travellers, and a temple to the Wildmother. I think it would be poetic justice for the consequences of the Mighty Nein's heroism. It'd be living proof that they took Molly's advice to heart - because they left the world better than they found it. If there was ever a place to show that lesson paying off, it'd be here: in the place where they finally got him back.

[@OxygenMafiaMgO]

@@Drekromancer A very beautiful idea.

[@margowinterlake]

@@Drekromancer i love that so so much. the imagery that evokes..... Yes.

[@Lorech93]

And a huge dick thanks to Jester

[@ObsidianOx-GM]

Spoiler: Would you look at that, they left the city better than they found it.

[@sadiemcc9363]

Stop, I’ve been crying too much already! 🥺

[@ObsidianOx-GM]

@@sadiemcc9363 Apologies about that.

[@zoddmark5873]

I was hoping one of them would say it when they were holding hands for plane shift :D Ah well

[@ObsidianOx-GM]

@@zoddmark5873 Given how emotionally tapped out the party was by the end, I pretty sure it just slipped there minds. But what's done is done, only direction to head is forward.

[@lemnlyme]

I WILL CRY.

[@KristenWood317]

"Whatever it was, put it back. I feel they've earned it. Put it back." And this is where I lost it.

[@blue_caduceus592]

Same: it's not often that I cry for D&D games, but this one did it for me. The chance of having Molly back, coupled with the defeat of that Natural 1 from earlier... It was too much for me.

[@zoddmark5873]

The tinniest of nitpicks, but he says "Whoever", not "Whatever". In most of the comments and fanart even I've been seeing "Whatever" and it's been bothering me XD. And unrelated to the post I'm replying to, people have been quoting "Your eyes open for the first time" but without the added "in a long time". I think everyone's shocked gasps drowned it out so they didn't hear it ;)

[@taylorforsyth4278]

I thought it would kind of be poetic if caduceus killed Talesin's old character but this was so much better

[@BumNanner451]

It was like an antithesis of Grog's "FIX HIM".

[@xenocide1307]

Turned me into a sobbing mess

[@0rvak]

I just want to mention how incredibly poetic it is that the limit for planeshift is 9 people, and for the first time since the beginning of the campaign, the Mighty Nein is truly nine members.

[@cimy4330]

whenever i look back and remember the lines of "but there's only seven of you?" I cry everytime 😭🤌

[@0rvak]

@@cimy4330 Oh man, I hadn't even remembered that. Thinking about the beginning is making me emotional lol

[@mikafizz1022]

@@0rvak OMG GUYS IT WAS SELF PROPHESISING!!!!!

[@yubyubcommander]

I love how Nein/Nine was such a joke in the beginning, then Matt turned it into a Thing with the eyes and the Somnovum, and then it became prophecy.

[@MishaMinion327]

@@yubyubcommander I think Matt said that the nine eyes thing was a coincidence, he planned it to be Nine eyes before that. So even cooler

[@josephherbert1955]

Talesin: "I've been rolling like shit all night." Talesin's Eldritch energy deciding that was a good thing: "does a 2 work?"

[@belindaluna2067]

It was the same with his first Divine Intervention, too. It was on that damn island where he was rolling low for just about as long as they were there. Moral of the story: if you're playing a Cleric and you're rolling low a lot, try Divine Intervention.

[@stingerjohnny9951]

@@belindaluna2067 consistently rolling low is just your Goddess’ way of saying “hold my purse honey” before taking off her earrings to tear a bitch up.

[@brady3319]

**Ritual fails** Twitch Chat: "Long may he rest" **5 minutes later** Twitch Chat: "LONG MAY HE REIGN"

[@Marabcd315]

Watching the live reaction of the chat was hilarious, the whiplash was tangible

[@sunbabybull]

I was watching live, and my video cut just before the Devine intervention. But the chat was still live.

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

@@sunbabybull That must have been fucking Wild

[@TheAciddragon069]

@@sunbabybull ,,my feed cut right before the first roll and came back on when Cad started talking about planting him in his garden

[@deepseafish257]

@@Marabcd315 I couldn't even watch the chat anymore, I was shacking so much I didn't even notice the divine intervention "only" made Matt reroll the ritual roll and didn't auto-suceed it. I swear I was squealing and barely processing it for at least 5 minutes, and I'm not even sure if I havw processed it *now*.

[@hadows6936]

Taliesin Jaffe, The man who brought himself back from the dead.

[@RPCauldron]

only adds to his legend

[@EmbryW]

How else do we think he's lived all these years?

[@ashleyhoughton8592]

Yeah, he's been practising that for millennia.

[@skoltrollkallamik4450]

He's used to it. ;-)

[@smiledogjgp]

Talesin the meta-lich

[@Pbi123]

Episode 96: “I owe these people such a debt... what I’ve given just doesn’t seem equal yet.” Consider the debt squared away, Caduceus.

[@danieltaber4924]

(to Lucien) "I wish to save a soul"

[@davidscribner1841]

I think Talisan always knew that he was going to do that, in his uncanny Talison/Caduceus way

[@yarrkaplarr]

@@davidscribner1841Well, he has been around since the dawn of human-kind, so I suppose if anyone should know would be him. :)

[@jcbass2u]

Indeed Good Sir, indeed. Long may He reign....Welcome back circus man, welcome back.

[@madjax6613]

Payed in fucking full, Mr Clay

[@LeRodz]

I love the massive difference between these two groups: VM are world renowed heroes, who saved Exandria in bright daylight in front of everyone. The Nein averted a massive catastrophe, but very few people will ever know what they pulled off. It's kinda poetic that, despite them not becoming legends in the public eye, everybody who ever interacted with them (for better or worse) will never forget these assholes.

[@liongus]

Vox Machina finished their campaign without being able to save the life of their friend Mighty Nein finished theirs by bringing their friend back Parallels, poetry.

[@20KadamsMaclay00]

travis making sure everyone is okay every so often, “no rush, take it slow, it’s okay”, really speaks volumes about who he is. Respect.

[@reinborcheld7210]

Yes! I noticed that too this episode. It realy shows his kindness and i was so happy to pick up on it!

[@JohnSmith-dz2dc]

@@reinborcheld7210 same

[@RoughGalaxyYT]

Travis = Group dad confirmed

[@latayantheazran]

I imagine yall being sarcastic lol

[@BlueStreakStudio]

@@latayantheazran How's this being sarcastic? That's genuinely wholesome of him

[@lucasm.3864]

One of the most underrated things throughout the episode was how much Travis was stepping out of character and calming everyone down. That’s really good of him to continually check up on his friends and remind them to breathe in stressful situations like these.

[@Harrofett]

Every table needs a Travis.

[@Kay_Sea251]

He's the CEO for a reason

[@maxinesenior596]

@@Harrofett Tbh everyone could do with a big helpful guy who makes sure everyone's alright

[@bigjedimullet]

Also his in-character(?) proud nod at “sea” is just beautiful.

[@lucy3107]

Yes. As an anxious person it was so wonderful to see him taking care of everyone like that.

[@notjelo]

molly in the first 26 episodes of campaign 2: *does or says anything* the m9: it's a surprise tool that will help us later

[@actor765]

Yikes I mean, you're right... But Yikes.

[@theworm2105]

I laughed at this and accidentally hit like,,,, I'm keeping.

[@Nixahma]

HAHAHAHAHA THAT’S SO FUCKING ACCURATE WHY

[@XoIoRouge]

Fjord is like, "Ah yea, the fruit bowl!" and then, "Ah wait, it's literally the only thing Molly and I had together... FRUITBOWL!?"

[@themurc6391]

Lmfao. I instantly read this in Mickey’s voice.

[@chrisw2307]

I'm all for having character death mean something. But after weeks of hearing Lucien talk about Molly like he was nothing, and Matt suggest the resurrection might not have worked because Molly was only a fragment of a soul, hearing Cad say, "Whatever it was, just put it back" and have it work? Broke me. Vindication of a life.

[@katybechnikova2821]

I mean, Molly's death Meant Something, you know...

[@cFull_Rtrd]

Character death didn't mean much in the first campaign and I admit it lowered the stakes and had a negative effect on the campaign. Like Keyleth just suiciding as a fish but no big deal because they carry a diamond mine on them. I liked that Matt introduced the dice rolls for that spell. It should never be easy to bring people back from the dead. It should be a low probability thing always. I would argue it should use the same mechanics as divine intervention. Roll a percentile under your level.

[@RoninXDarknight]

@@cFull_Rtrd I disagree. Revival shouldn't always be a low probability thing, it should be dependent on the campaign being run. Campaign 1, while having its more weighted moments, was definitely a lot more light hearted and leaned much more into the power fantasy aspect of D&D than Campaign 2 so death not being as a big of a concern for Vox Machina made sense. But if you want to argue that bringing a character back from the dead without fail is overpowered then there's an entire list of magic spells and abilities you could make the same argument for. And at that point why are we playing a game with magic? There are ways to make it more interesting for sure but you don't want low level abilities tied to the same chance mechanics as mid-high level abilities (unless you're playing a wild magic style character) because then your characters can end up feeling like they can't do anything. That aside, there are plenty of ways to increase the stakes that don't involve death and any DM can easily create scenarios where revival isn't possible anyway so there really isn't any need to modify the way abilities function just to achieve that goal. Going back to your example though, there is a huge gulf in power between being able to bring someone back from the dead and being able to ask a god for pretty much anything. Revival spells have very narrow and specific usage. This is why they're reliable. Divine Intervention on the other hand, can be used for, well, anything you can imagine (at the DM's discretion of course), which is why it is tied to a low chance style mechanic prior to level 20.

[@Starrider.]

@@katybechnikova2821 Also the first campaign created sinsere moments while ressurecting characters, that created a twist for the whole story, like with Scanlan. And wouldn't say they overused it. I believe each character dies once. They weren't constantly ressurecting everyone like its no biggie. In C2 they didn't have as many truly deadly encounters. The first one being just way too early for this kind of powerful magic. I think Matt narrated and justified every attempt very well

[@katybechnikova2821]

@@Starrider. I did not say anything about C1...

[@catatemyname7801]

I watched this on twitch. When the ghosts of the city began to disperse with quietly whispered "Thank you"s, the chat suddenly turned into a "thank you" flood, there were hundreds, maybe thousands of "thank you" comments from the people watching. It was beautifully echoing the ghosts, but actually saying thank you to the cast who took us on this amazing adventure.

[@starlingwarrior]

Oh I'm so glad you shared that. That is beautiful.

[@moxom26]

Casually making me cry while scrolling through KZbin comments

[@catatemyname7801]

@@moxom26 I just love this community so much

[@jakobschoning7355]

So sometimes the twitch-chat is actually good for something :P

[@catatemyname7801]

@@jakobschoning7355 it often is pretty wholesome. you just have to ignore all the backseat players who love spamming "Veth, you reroll Nat1s!!!!" :D

[@belindaluna2067]

Mollymauk Tealeaf, Episode 23: "There's nothing better than waking up with no pants and flowers in your hair."

[@femboygaming64]

just wow..

[@VinellAngel_111]

MOLLY KNEW THINGS MOLLY KNEW THINGS

[@dargosian]

I think about this comment often. Doubled with Travis' "Hey look, there's nein of us here" observation, it makes me want to watch the whole damn thing again.

[@confinedcabinet919]

suddenly i began the long trek of rewatching the entire series

[@joshhaworth2155]

Scanlan waking up covered in pudding in C1E84:"I beg to differ."

[@TVMAN1997]

That’s so fitting that Jester gets the HDYWTDT, cause she did the tarot reading for Lucian and pulled the Death Card

[@TheGoldenJay637]

yes

[@MrsLAnderson24]

She also got payback. He killed her so she kills him.

[@audreyb3517]

@@MrsLAnderson24 FR!!! Everything about this episode was so poetic!

[@ryanatkins5736]

The ONE tarot card she actually got correct, the death card signifies the end of a cycle. She even said the best part "sometimes something has to die to be reborn"

[@MrsLAnderson24]

@@ryanatkins5736 I actually drew and submitted the art that I made of the Tarot scene between Lucian and Jester. It was such great foreshadowing, and was amazing to watch him squirm for once that it just stuck with me.

[@quinnlee-newbury9003]

Most of Exandria will never know what the Mighty Nein saved them from, so I'm glad the city's residents thanked them

[@HaveaBiscuitt]

Aaaaand now I’m crying again

[@aquament]

Jester: the cleric who hates to heal; kills the big bad. Cad: the the group protector; revives the party's first character death after 100 episodes

[@teflontono8755]

And she end it with a guiding bolt, Up the butt.

[@blackalucard3947]

@@teflontono8755 *up the GUT.

[@lulzalfest]

@@blackalucard3947 same area, technically. going up the butt will wind up in the gut.

[@patrickrogers9689]

All I want is for, seeing this episode titled "Long May He Reign," the last episode to be titled, now that they really have the numbers, "The Mighty Nine."

[@LadyLier17]

It has to be!!!! I am sobbing thinking that!!!!

[@guidetoanything]

THISSSSSSS

[@chrismjkelly]

Love it

[@alexc1]

Awww, that's literally perfect!

[@davidscribner1841]

Yes! I feel like the “Nein” has always been sort of self-depreciation, especially since the group has always called themselves assholes. Now, they can’t pretend like they all aren’t incredibly selfless and compassionate individuals

[@nathancarter8239]

Raise Dead spell: *fails* Taliesin: "Fine, I'll do it myself."

[@alexjackson4779]

You couldn't live with your own failure and where did that bring you back to me

[@slayeroffurries1115]

Taliesin used his Great Old One powers to bring Molly back

[@akayukilucifel]

I want to like this - but there are 666 likes and I find just too fitting.

[@nathancarter8239]

@@akayukilucifel I'm sorry, little one.

[@akayukilucifel]

@@nathancarter8239 Welp. now that it's at 669 (nice) have an upvote.

[@deus313]

Taliesin: *his character dies* Alaso Taliesin: No I don't think so.

[@ShardReaper]

Travis, sarcastically: Marine layer’s gonna save us all, ha Me, 4 hours later: OUR LORD AND SAVIOR

[@MrKalasznikov]

(In Loki's voice) YOUR SAVIOUR IS HERE!

[@doxy2461]

I used the Taliesin to revive the Taliesin

[@beanzul9585]

Essek's little "it's not fair" kills me. He's grown so much. He cares about someone he never knew, because of the friends he has made. It's not fair that Molly remained dead while he still lives. He seems himself as a man that doesn't deserve redemption, and my guess is he would have given his life to see Molly make it out alive.

[@jummysea463]

really feels almost like matt talking out of character. its devastating.

[@Marabcd315]

@@jummysea463 it absolutely felt like Matt finding a way to grieve with the players without breaking his DM demeanor, but the fact that it still worked perfectly as the culmination of Essek's character arc anyway? Chef's kiss

[@sadiemcc9363]

“Neutral Evil” my foot!

[@trapfethen]

It felt like Essek wanted to go "screw this", reach into the fabric of space & time, and peel back those few seconds no matter what it took. (but Matt definitely looks down on that kind of deus ex machina DM shenanigans)

[@MrSHADOWANGEL999]

The true power of the nein, to bring broken people together, make them part of this found family, and leave anywhere they go better

[@samuelstensgaard4828]

I just feel like pointing out that Beau never died in this campaign, between this campaign and Vox Machina...only Marisha can kill Marisha.

[@MrSHADOWANGEL999]

Gravity is the only thing that can kill her, so she made a character that pop pops gravity

[@logangraham3689]

I think Beau and Yasha never died, unless you count the dream in which she died.

[@charlesyung5049]

Still one more session left...

[@hakulives2613]

She is Too Powerful™️

[@vegetaprinceofallsuperchat7870]

@@charlesyung5049 Possibly more than one depending on how things play out. They still have to deal with Trent.

[@digitalk1llraymon448]

"Your eyes open for the first time" This line right here... THIS is what broke me. After all we have been through on this show... Holy Fuck....

[@zaza_ink]

Those words literally took my breath away and crying ensued. It was so fucking magical :''''''')

[@SergioSarcagion]

The first attack of the campaign was a Guiding bolt from Jester, and the last Attack on the final boss was a guiding bolt from Jester.

[@BlueFox571]

Huh. Neat.

[@LadyLier17]

Waaaaa beautiful

[@Adanu191]

She wanted to make a warlock, so it makes sense.

[@cmrobbins88]

@@Adanu191 In her heart. she is the perfect warlock.

[@Magdalena-qv3mc]

all these parallels are blowing my mind

[@AquilesAwK1]

I love how, as Essek, Matt can let himself react like the players... and let the tears flow. Cuz, you know, he takes his DMing poker face very serious. It can be challenging sometimes.

[@SeerOfTime577]

Preeeach.

[@thomassmart4088]

absolutely

[@franziska1007]

Yes, i loved this moment because all the players could react and play this out, and through Essek Matt could as well. Made me cry even more

[@yarrkaplarr]

Man, Matt takes DM'ing very seriously, so to see him pore out as Essek in player-form is heart-wrenching. He's really there amongst the other players.

[@hypergreedgaming9590]

He's the 1st DM I've seen that plays DM NPCs perfectly

[@Leelectric]

*Ritual fails* Caduceus: put that thing back where it came from or so help me

[@Galimod]

Grog: You’ve all got magic spells, Fix Him! Yasha: There’s nothing else to do..? Two great rps of two different barbarians in desperate grief

[@MK-11111]

When did Grog say this? Just curious to see it

[@lostalbrand]

@@MK-11111 T_T Omfg that Grog comment kills me to this day... I totally agree

[@Melik565]

Fix him….FIX HIM!

[@paramitch]

Ashley's face in that moment absolutely destroyed me. She is always so pure at roleplaying her emotional responses to these kinds of moments and Yasha's sadness was so moving here.

[@picachufan2000]

@@MK-11111 it was when they found Scanlan's body after defeating Raishan and Pike couldn't revive him. I can't remember which episode it was exactly but it was the episode right before the one called Bard's Lament I believe.

[@VBane]

The look on Taliesin's face when Fjord was giving his talk to Essik. Priceless.

[@TheRealBot001]

Proud dad vibes.

[@fourleaves6877]

I will forever believe that the reason Caduceus "Cleric of the Wildmother, keeper of the natural order, respect the dead" Clay tried a Divine Intervention was how Fjord spoke to Essek.

[@cristiansantarelli2368]

THIS MOMENT! Taliesin broke down after fjord finally understood.

[@welshkorgi]

@Jermaine Carty That little smirk is the chaos gremlin

[@Slipgatex]

That's when he decided to do some of his Taliesin magic

[@benjaminwormsley2275]

"The following accents I will not be responsible for" is something need in front of every new NPC voice that I try.

[@ettinakitten5047]

I had my first time actually trying character voices while playing two PCs at once a couple days ago, so I feel that. We're two players playing Storm King's Thunder and the DM wanted us to have a party of four, so I made linked backstory characters - a kobold and goblin with an unlikely friendship. Both small characters with big personalities, both arcane casters, a couple minutes into the session I started feeling them blend together, so to make them distinct I gave them different voices. It's tough to switch back and forth like that.

[@nonuvurbeeznus795]

But then he pulled it off pretty damn perfectly

[@timd4524]

Lol. I do monsters pretty good. With NPC's I lean more on describing their voice and mannerisms and go from there. For specific NPC's I just use different pitches and cadence. My voice has one mode. James Earl Jones.

[@flimpeenflarmpoon1353]

when was that? is it timestamped?

[@ocsartobi6844]

That'd make for a great wall hanging to give GMs.

[@ZakEmber]

"...and with a mighty roll, a radiant flash, and a 'HDYWTDT', all that was wrong was made right: Laura Bailey got her wish, and Jester finally became the DPS cleric she'd always dreamed she could be. The End."

[@griffinbryant5016]

Resurrects the other cleric so she can get the killing blow, pulls off the third divine intervention I've literally ever seen in a game (he did the other 2 as well,) and saved a slot to get home but didn't count how many people he would need to take. That's 20 Wisdom 9 Int baby!

[@mattvancamp764]

You and up to eight willing creatures

[@police-gato9604]

@@mattvancamp764 and one accessory

[@dsoul1305]

Sprinkle is dead, bodies are considered objects in 5e. Haha

[@RoninXDarknight]

He didn't just resurrect Jester to get the killing blow, he also doubled the damage of that blow. Absolutely one of the MVPs of this encounter (especially including Lucien's first form). There was a reason Lucien devoted a lot of resources towards keeping him pinned down.

[@stingerjohnny9951]

@@RoninXDarknight Any idiot can go after the damage dealers, but a smart enemy keeps an eye on the support.

[@hello_beeeez]

I imagine Ashly Burch waking up in the middle of the night last Thursday and blurting out: “a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

[@featherflame1962]

or "I'm needed again"

[@B3RyL]

@@featherflame1962 Keg: "Molly! You're back! You wanna go on another advent..." The Mighty Nein: *Piles up on Keg to get her to shut up*

[@featherflame1962]

@@B3RyL tm9: NOOOOO

[@talleywa5772]

Taliesin took a gamble with the dice and it got Molly killed. Taliesin took a second, bigger gamble with the dice and it brought Molly back.

[@adrinalinekid2320]

Take a chance, role the dice.

[@jorgel.quiroz8862]

Taliesin's arc from homebrew player to clutch cleric is one of my favorite things about this campaign.

[@lordwolfdelux]

(Almost) the entire party: I guess we couldn't save Mollymauk. Caduceus: Hold My Tea.

[@trista31]

The way you said it like the legendary blueberry cupcakes LOL

[@cfents8660]

Hold my tea 🤣🤣 love it

[@t.r.l.9818]

You mean, "Hold my Tea leaf"?

[@raphvaldes9368]

me from the beginning of the campaign: "It's funny that molly is such a nice guys since he looks like the last boss of a jrpg"

[@dementia3499]

Matthew Mercer. My guy took a throwaway quote Tal crapped out for a joke and made a whole BBEG and arc around it. Fucking legendary.

[@entenkuchen8357]

Which quote exactly do you mean?

[@badkarma368]

@@entenkuchen8357 'I am your god, long may I reign''

[@entenkuchen8357]

@@badkarma368 I see how that makes sense, thanks.

[@MatthewStMarie]

It's more how much after his death the fandom kept saying that after his death every time he was mentioned. Long may he reign was the fandom meme for all his stuff, especially his art. So it was only fitting. I feel like matt really saw the fandom's reverence for molly and it really made him push the power level for lucien to 9

[@magonus195]

I'm pretty sure Tal's original pitch to Matt before the game began was to have an evil guy who had been revived with a fraction of his soul. Something like that, he alluded to it on a Talks Machina.

[@ThorVonElig]

When jester says hellish rebuke right before dying and matt says "respect" was the same word he said right before Molly was killed...

[@leonw5956]

Oof

[@tybronx2446]

It's a tiefling thing 😂

[@ThorVonElig]

@@tybronx2446 its a mercer thing. I'm pretty sure he would say this to any player who would decide that while facing certain death they would look death in the eye and flip it the bird.

[@joshhaworth2155]

I think the same thing happened when Grog (or Phillip at the time) lost in The Crucible during his first match.

[@Medaumplay3]

There's no way taliesin's new character beats percy's dice luck, that shit was ridiculous! Caduceus: *Hold my tea. Careful, it's hot.*

[@jakobschoning7355]

@@kamillionaireapps5889 Lol, thats great. I love it, normally you hold your breath for the 20 but Tal casualy drops the craziest 02

[@Jugg215]

That shit was absolutely incredible.

[@Asbajgus]

Thats because he gave matt the golden snitch which was his best die in campaign 1

[@XoIoRouge]

Lol at this point I think we can agree it's a Taliesin thing.

[@RoninXDarknight]

The funny thing is, he doesn't actually role any better than anyone else...he just has amazing luck at clutch moments.

[@biancahebert2426]

I just looove how Travis laughs every time Matt adds another trick to Lucien’s sleeve. It does sound like more and more like “I love this game so much, but we are so dead. “ hahaha

[@ladyhella7560]

Classic laugh to not cry

[@Ixidora]

My favorite thing to be stumbling through as a player. That "wait, I thought this was over?" moment and the adrenaline is just fantastic! I wish I had never DM'd that first time, havent been a player since but this show gives me that feeling again and I'm so thankful.

[@colemason4535]

I love how Marine Layer was unironically VERY helpful in this fight, as much as they made fun of it before

[@whatsitsbucket]

That and the ring of fire resistance got it's redemption.

[@colemason4535]

@@whatsitsbucket Fjord really came in clutch this fight

[@tjredreppinpcp]

My mans Travis/fjord been playing 5d chess while everybody else been playing dungeons and dragons!!! Fucking vindication

[@pretentiousname01]

It was super mvp.

[@JohnSmith-dz2dc]

@@tjredreppinpcp I got a good chuckle outa that

[@HenriqueErzinger]

Fjord's joke about Marine Lair being "the mother of all bombs, the one that will save us all" ended up being pretty much right on the money, huh.

[@Pyre]

Crit roll stats is going to have a count of how many horrible eyeball attacks that move spared them and we should constantly remind Travis of it. But in like, a supportive way.

[@SneakySolidSnake]

just a heads up, it's layer. lair sounds cooler though.

[@batuhanmutlay2641]

He should thank Matt's mercy for not giving Somnovum truesight

[@devinspencer1678]

@@batuhanmutlay2641 Truesight wouldn't have helped. It's a physical barrier, not an illusion.

[@Raoul9753]

To be honest, it is a insanely powerfull ability. Its basically the Darkness/Devil Sight combo on steroids, because while there are many boss monsters with a way to see through magical Darkness, there are barely any creatures that can look through fog. (Truesight helps against magical Darkness, it does not help against fog.) On top of that, he doesnt even need Devil sight, because he can naturally see in there, same with everyone around him. That is a very very VERY powerfull channel divinity, especially in combination with Warlock and Eldritch Blast. My Warlocks normaly all takte the Devil Sight/Darkness combo until the end, even though Darkness has no upcast, because the combo is just so strong. Alot of people underestimate how strong being hevily obscured actually is, since it basically means every creature that tries to see you has the same effects as being blinded. If they attack you, its with Disadvantage. If you attack them its with advantage. They cant target you with anything that requires line of sight, which not only includes alot of strong spells but also AoOs. And Marine Layer gives you all that for a channel divinity, no concentration and you can share it with your teammates...

[@HapticNoise]

So SO much poetic justice in this episode. Jester being the one to finish Lucian after she pulled the Death card for him on their original trip north. Tal being the one to bring back his own character with a Divine Intervention. Cad being introduced to the group because they were tracking down a lead on someone being able to bring back Molly. Everything full circle. Just incredible

[@BelegaerTheGreat]

Scripted?

[@christiandavis4502]

And they finished with 9 Edit: my comment has 9 likes, no one else is allowed to like it

[@Chemclskinz]

And it was ALL CHANCE. This game is insane!!!

[@michaelford6261]

I REALLY shouldn’t have looked at comments while still watching… 😂😭😂

[@paramitch]

That's beautifully said. But while it's a nice idea (and keeps getting repeated in comments here) they weren't tracking down a way to bring back Molly. The stated goal was to get help to bring down the Iron Shepherds. The transcript here includes their detailed discussion of deciding to seek out the guy in the woods because they need the help against the Iron Shepherds: CALEB: I like the idea of someone with a little bit of muscle and then another person who is adept at healing injuries. NOTT: Well, we did hear about that weird - someone said that there’s some priest or something, or cleric? CALEB: In the woods. BEAU: Ophelia mentioned that, yeah. NOTT: Yeah, so we could go see if they could give us - BEAU: Aid. NOTT: Or come along? Molly is dead and buried here. There is no discussion here about this cleric going back and saving him.

[@Mr_Boyer]

Waking up for the first time, running away for a moment before locking eyes with Yasha and instinctually saying the word "Love." That is most emotionally poignant moment in Critical Role history for me. Taliesin, you beautiful bastard.

[@RamDragon32]

"You wonder why it failed..." FFFFFUUUUUUUU- "Until you hear her inhale." GORAM IT MATT! You can't pull shit like that!

[@ivantukaric701]

MERCER!!

[@davidbodor1762]

"GORAM" - Heh, I liked that show a lot.

[@Zombiewithabowtie]

That part took 5 years off my life and added them to my face.

[@DMingThoughts]

I remember how whole twitch chat at this moment was like "F*CKING MERCER". :D

[@InLiquidColor]

Always happy to see my favorite TV show referenced in my favorite D&D show comments.

[@Sam-on5jf]

"a rollercoaster can't be four hours, forty five minutes and forty six seconds" boy do I have some news for you about critical role campaign two episode one hundred and forty, "long may he reign"

[@WardNightstone]

accurate comment is accurate

[@verfuncht]

I was anticipating the title being “Thank You”, but this makes much more sense

[@lulu6468]

@@verfuncht I could see that being the title of the final episode

[@SplitGoose]

Which episode is that?

[@Tijnob]

@@verfuncht This title would als have worked if they had lost but that would have been really dark

[@janeweber8654]

Ashley for the last 50 episodes: "I DON'T WANNA STOP" Ashley before starting this episode: "I DON'T WANT IT"

[@katyusika]

3:02:23 Travis: Can we animate that? Me, shaking with excitement days after hearing the M9 animated news: Oh boy, if only you knew

[@thelocaldork]

i am so excited to see all of this animated, but also terrified

[@brett6221]

I just now finished this episode. By far the most I’ve cried so far, and yeah, that moment made me chuckle.

[@littlefirefox1880]

“It’s tough being Mom’s favorite” Caduceus apparently

[@strings1586]

"You were never mother's favorite. She told me!" Is one of my all time fav Tal quotes

[@zoddmark5873]

@@strings1586 I remember that, and I agree XD. His rp sibling interactions are always amazing. Would love in the future for him to do a family rp duo like Vex and Vax. Brothers with Liam, Father and Daughter with Marisha. It would be gold.

[@aidancox5481]

@@zoddmark5873 an entire mini-campaign where they're all family

[@zoddmark5873]

@@aidancox5481 XD That would be a trip. Hmm... Maybe Travis and Laura to be the parents, Sam, Liam and Ashley the kids, Taliesin the weird uncle and Marisha the crazy granny :D

[@connorbingham-davis2091]

@@aidancox5481 The Gail-Family one-shot

[@Featherbow]

When Essek started saying it wasn't fair, and I realized that MATT was crying too...it just broke me all over again. So glad I could catch this one live

[@aduiel]

As someone who's not prone to tears, that was the moment that got me out of the whole episode. It was like he embodied and expressed the anguish of them all, characters and players. Matt has such a good heart.

[@peoswriter1]

4:19:05. I also love the proud expression on Taliesan’s face around 4:20:30, as Fjord describes what he’s learned from Mr. Clay.

[@KickyFut]

I know this was Matt releasing his emotions in character, but did Essek and Molly have any meaningful interaction? It's been a very long time, and I just don't remember anything...😅

[@aegis9374]

@@KickyFut not that I know of but he loves the Nien and he knows how much Molly meant to them

[@hammeroftyr]

I thought he was just emulating tears/a cracked voice to make Essek sound like he was crying, like voice actors do. Couldn't tell if he was actually crying as well or not.

[@BoelingLig1576]

Fun facts: The very first and very last attack of the campaign is a Guiding Bolt

[@Now_Its_Orange]

Campaign two is officially a guiding bolt sandwich

[@Rellyks]

Man, this campaign is full of things like this, my god...

[@morgan.williams76]

Last spell of campaign was dispell magic, last attack was holy avenger on eodwulf right?

[@malikwest8367]

@@morgan.williams76 was posted before the last episode so they might have jumped the gun there

[@AM-hf9kk]

Whether or not that's true, I was happy to see it. Was literally yelling at Laura to burn the bastard with Guiding Bolt.

[@BuckmeisterSupremeWithCheese]

Two years later and still the moment from this episode that always comes to mind is Travis jumping in when Taliesin starts panicking.

[@Shiije]

I picked up on too They love each other and are a family and it is SOOOO evident

[@TheNoMoreGamer]

Moment of silence for their Xorhaussian house keeper's paycheck

[@Unbid581]

oh man X)

[@pallasproserpina4118]

Considering how they overpaid her, I’m sure she’s still there waiting for them to get back and hoping that she can get paid again.

[@jothamfunclara6583]

Did they actually choose a housekeeper? I must've forgotten that bit, so in my head they just left Dairon there and never looked back, lol.

[@kaitlynwickham6237]

@@jothamfunclara6583 There was a drow girl that Veth gave a small fortune to.

[@AmusinglySaunters]

@@kaitlynwickham6237 what do you mean a small fortune. They gave her 40 something gold?

[@davidscribner1841]

So many things needed to work out perfectly this whole game. If Caleb hadn’t done Mind Blank, they die. If Jester hadn’t done Hero’s Feast, they die. If Fjord hadn’t done Marine Layer, they die. If Caduceus hadn’t done Death Ward, they die. Even the things that went bad, if they hadn’t gone bad, would it have worked out the same?

[@jameshitchcock1486]

Even more than that Caleb's Mirror Image, caduceus is Holy Magic on boe it might not have lasted long but she use it effectively and even the tether from esic like so many things that were cast beforehand or even during the battle if it wouldn't have happened when it did would have been it

[@jasonreed7522]

This is the perfect example of why "utility" and "status" magic is so important.

[@InexplicableInside]

And near the end, when they all had to make saves against the Eyes, and everyone passed it; it could have suddenly gone REAL bad if, say, three of them had failed. Hero's Feast was definitely clutch, but even with it that was a lot of good rolls considering just about everything in this fight required a 20+.

[@flaminyawn]

@@TCCHClips7 Okay edgelord.

[@elecampane]

If they didn't kill Ira _just_ before Caduceus had revivified Jester and they hid in the Marine Layer, Ira would've just fireballed them in the fog, downing both clerics and damaging Fjord. They would probably all died after that.

[@lukaskubik4698]

The embodiment of "If you want something done, do it yourself."

[@g3mkn1ght60]

For real

[@Mateo_Romero]

@@g3mkn1ght60 hahaha I can imagine him screaming from the inside "FUCK NO, I'M GONNA LIVE WEATHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT"

[@HessenUK]

Taliesin to himself “you saved a Wish for me?”

[@obsidiannightwolfe13]

@@HessenUK please cast revivify on me cuz I'm dead

[@shinybugg9156]

@@HessenUK ultimate self care :)

[@c.m.9369]

SPOILER Just watching Matt's facial expression after Molly came back is priceless. He really, really, REALLY can't believe that Taliesin pulled this off... It's insane how they managed to have this kind of emotional, wonderful ending to BOTH campaigns. These are the kind of story that only DnD can tell :-)

[@0heck]

It's fun to see that the dice provide surprises for not only the player, but the DM as well. Pretty emotional battle this one.

[@zelamorre1126]

"I mean that's what you get for trusting a weasel" - Travis's comment isn't mentioned anywhere, but it's so true. lol.

[@toph7938]

4:25:50 in case anyone is wondering

[@namespara6669]

i mean... jester still did kinda get the killing blow and do a lotta cool shit

[@SomeKindaSpy]

@@namespara6669 not the point. it was all her. Arty didn't do crap

[@Samven-r6b]

@@SomeKindaSpy People keep ignoring the fact that clerics get their powers FROM THEIR GODS. Sure, she still chose and casted, but they all are Artagan's gift.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

@@Samven-r6b Whether clerics derive their power actually from their gods is debateable within the D&D system. Most ingame religions would explain it that way, but there is the possibility of atheist clerics who believe in superior abstract principles within the rules, principles who would not act to "grant" anyone powers. Also there is the point that clerics can go astray from their god's codex at least to some extent before losing their powers over it. Thus it could be possible that a cleric's powers are manifested more due to the cleric's firm believe than due to the divine entity choosing to grant them powers. This is all the more likely in Jester's case, since Artagan wasn't even an actual divine being at least in the beginning, just a powerful archfey, who possessed magic beyond the humanly possible level, but didn't usually grant powers to others and apparently didn't even know that he could do that until Jester started believing in him as her god.

[@jothamfunclara6583]

Underrated gem: Sam cast his first disguise self to turn into a halfling so Nott wouldn't be recognized. He cast his last to turn into a goblin so Molly will recognize him (her? Wow, that premise really messed up my pronouns).

[@imhulki463]

Damn, the writers really went hard this campaign.

[@jamescanjuggle]

@@imhulki463 i wonder if they had a babysitter for them or did they just let cabbage face tend to their cages every fortnight

[@jochemloeve7604]

@@louisplays175 the confusion is that in OP is talking about Sam/veth at the same time, I think they know Veth is a her

[@sammarino7357]

@@louisplays175 well in the context it would be him as it’s talking about sam not Nott/ Veth but it could be interpreted the other way and I’m just writing this so you’ll waste some time

[@oliviercantas2575]

@@louisplays175 respectfully, an unneeded correction that made OP edit comment to now not read as nicely.

[@charlesyung5049]

In my headcanon, buried amongst the vines and flowers that encase Molly’s body is a single, perfect, four leaf clover ❤️

[@sabel9841]

Right above the heart ❤️

[@sheilah6930]

A red tattoo clover

[@foxtoxic9722]

Nope. That’s just canon now. Thank you for that.

[@TheJerbol]

It's in his butt

[@zacharyferguson1139]

I was thinking a green tea flower

[@SassySimian]

Jester to Caduceus: "Did you succeed?? Did you just succeed again?! Wow, the Wild Mother really loves you... 😬" Travis: "That's what you get for trusting a weasel..." OMFG, lost it 🤣🤣🤣 And then later: Jester: "How did you do that??" Caduceus: "I asked politely." Just brilliant 🥰

[@Klespyrian]

Straight up: That scroll Caleb used in the first section of the fight is the MVP. It ate double digit enemy actions and kept Caleb safe from turning or dying.

[@dtczyk8976]

Well safe from turning at least

[@simonkingi01]

Mage tank

[@CalebUlrich]

How did he get it?

[@Reinkjaky]

@@CalebUlrich episode 112, found in some ship crush site, while traveling with Vess Derogna on icebreaker.

[@iain_nakada]

@@Reinkjaky Wow, I was wondering that. That is an obscure boon indeed.

[@necropunk0]

"Whoever it was, just put it back. I think they've earned it, put it back." With that tone from Caduceus, it sounded almost like a threat.

[@JJJJJJJJJAAAAAA]

It's the tone I take when I'm begging my computer/internet/printer to work

[@starbuchanan88]

I thought so too. That may be the most stern and demanding iv ever seen Cad

[@paulgibbon5991]

"Don't make me come up there!"

[@actor765]

"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"

[@adamaris1760]

@@actor765 yesyesyesyes brilliance!!!

[@panpirate8]

Taliesin really said “I brought you into this world I’ll take you right back in”

[@gabrielarchangel2658]

When? I must have missed it! :o

[@samuelleijerstam9575]

@@gabrielarchangel2658 He didn't literally say it

[@anothercub6958]

"I brought you into this world, Matt took you out of it, and I'm putting you back in it"

[@dagmarbrovnbresson1466]

@@anothercub6958 Well, technically he took himself out of it!

[@UncleBlerd]

NICE

[@ardieburns]

Seeing Travis slow everything down and stall for Taliesin after he said he was having a mild panic attack really touched my heart. As someone with panic disorder, we really need those people in our lives ❤

[@danitini14]

Can you give a time stamp or a section of Flando's stamps that that falls under? edit: Nevermind, looking through Flando's stamps and seeing "Travis slows it down" made it pretty clear. Thank you anyway

[@redsydevil]

Right? I loved zhis. It was just so nice of him and caring

[@steveeagle4934]

Absolutely, I caught that as well. Slow it down, its all good, this combat is brought by dwarven forge, etc. Take the focus off of Tal while he collects his thoughts. It was great awareness on Travis' part. I love this group.

[@georgemakhonin1295]

I mean he kinda had to. He’s the CEO of crit role. He wouldn’t want someone having a mental meltdown on set mid-stream. That would reflect badly

[@ardieburns]

@@georgemakhonin1295 Or it's genuine kindness without an agenda

[@declanfoster7720]

Essek clearly having a POETIC character development really amazes me. The fact that he only loses the Slow after helping caleb, his first Nat 20 being the GigaLong rest, him unable to help Molly even though he's a CHRONURGY WIZARD... and then respecting where power truly lies as he acknowledges Cadeucus... christ, either the dice gods smile upon essek or this the greatest series of coincidences ever

[@alleycat2297]

everything in this campaign of fractals and names and statistical anomalies is the greatest series of coincidences ever

[@pavelZhd]

Yeah... I really think that by the end of this adventure he is no longer a LE he is listed as in the source book. I mean his atonement probably started for him with Caleb talking to him on the ship. But this adventure really should've hammered this in. ((Srill the only option for treason in Dynasty is execution, so if the Bright Queen finds out, he is smoked...))

[@miguelsuarez-solis5027]

Or the gm did what he wanted for a good story lol

[@declanfoster7720]

@@miguelsuarez-solis5027 shhhhhhhhh

[@tiril6681]

I can't help but think that 8th lvl slot he was saving was meant to wind back time on a failed resurrection roll... At least that's how I read his storming away, frustrated that he wasn't able to do anything, but that might all be my imagination.

[@Sam-on5jf]

vauge spoilers - - the little "I love this game" from matt right before it happens kills me every time

[@sapphirekatty8730]

He's gone through all stages of grief at this point so it was a big relief for him, I guess)

[@emzedragon9277]

that was the moment I knew it was going to be okay

[@jesnoggle13]

Just wow

[@andrewdoidge5370]

I honestly couldn’t see the dice roll on my TV so I was just so concerned. Until he said “I love this game”. Then I think I was jumping up and down on

[@SeerOfTime577]

“Hunger for control is insatiable. It will never be enough.” - Caleb “Life continues on. It changes, it evolves, and it grows. I don’t think there’s an end. You just might not be able to see the next trip.” - Fjord “If I can’t beat you out of him, I will beat you WITH him.” - Beau

[@blinkin304]

turned out that the next trip was just a few minutes away, and NOBODY saw it.

[@grnteabug]

I love how it is a mirror of what he said near the beginning of the campaign. "Anyone can make lights, anybody can send a message through a wire. I want to bend reality to my will"

[@TheGIJew.]

"facing you is death. It's not necessarily a bad thing, Lucien. Some people think that death means a rebirth. Something must end for something new to begin." -Jester

[@SeerOfTime577]

I just want to say, I am loving these additions. Caleb has come SO far since the beginning, and I think Laura MUST be a God because of that flipping tarot card reading for Lucien. Because??? IT IS CRAZY ACCURATE. I’m so glad everyone’s saying the same thing. This whole campaign has been a series of ridiculously phenomenal coincidences, I swear.

[@StratovariusFTW]

@@TheGIJew. "Facing you is death," she says, looking right into his eyes before even she knows she will be the one to deal the killing blow.

[@transmatized]

ashley crying after jester went down and marisha being the one to snap her back into the game felt very on brand for beau and yasha

[@musstakrakish]

I like how into it all of them are but it does get really annoying when Ashley forgets literally everything about the game and her character all the time.

[@cFull_Rtrd]

@@musstakrakish so what, she does her best and makes the group better when she is around. Not everyone can be a matt mercer, roleplay/improv, even for an actress, is hard.

[@thespankmyfrank]

@@musstakrakish That's because she literally hasn't played as much as the rest of them... plus she seems to just be a nervous person and that could make it even harder to remember. The others, who are more experienced by just playing more hours, will know the rules a bit more. And yet they always forget stuff or fumble too. Basically, it's a game and anyone can forget rules. It's fine.

[@vanyelwolfshadow8276]

@@musstakrakish fearne is a bit better :)

[@samuelstensgaard4828]

Also I love how Matt "Poker Face" Mercer can't contain his bewilderment with the dice gods as he's describing the resurrection.

[@zoddmark5873]

We found his limit. And was it the dice gods or was Taliesin just flexing his immortal eldritch powers? We may never know.

[@DarthRioBarbossa]

Watching it live, I was yelling at my screen when he rolled a twelve: "What does that MEAN, Matthew?!" and then when he cracked that first itty bitty little smile is when I screamed "YES!" and threw my arms up in the air.

[@ceramicholiness]

I watched this live, and the Jester fakeout literally gave everyone a heart attack. All of the cursing and screaming the cast gave Matt was x1000 in the chat.

[@madjax6613]

That honestly gave me the mother of all heart attacks

[@sohaibadnan9639]

I just watched it in the video because I can't watch the live stream because of time zone differences but I had a heart attack as well

[@ThatsSpace_]

@Callie Johnson 2:42:10 * from sir Flandos timestamps

[@apharys8921]

A 14 was rolled though, doesn't it just need to be above 10 to succeed?

[@circularrobert]

@@apharys8921 it starts at 10, but Matt increases the DC depending on the situation, and if they've died before. And he likes to taunt his players :P

[@Nicole-iv1lx]

These people are amazing they are crying over a pretend character that died years ago. I love it. Me ten minutes later: Now I'm crying over a pretend character that died years ago.

[@jarmuzz]

Again*

[@rossblackblood9554]

i had morned his death more than i had any living person back when i went

[@dirkboch128]

This.

[@chadbrochill19]

"MT" (Empty) = initials of Mollymauk Tealeaves. Mollymauk or "Mollymawk" is a species of Albatross. Albatross is both a sign of good and bad luck. The main belief is that it carries the souls of lost mariners. The famous albatross poem is "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", as in the poem which has metaphors and meanings, a popular one is that an albatross was a ship's good luck charm until someone killed it. Tealeaves is cockney for 'thief'. Tailiesin really went out of his way to come up with the character.

[@aSailorFromArgos]

And then Matt and the cast tied a lot of people into the theme. Fjord with the obvious naval pats and Ukotoa, Jester being from a coastal city and having a father “lost at sea,” and Beau spending time on a ship for the Cobalt Soul. Along with Yasha knowing Molly in the circus and Veth/Nott being a thief, everyone had a connection except Caleb.

[@stingerjohnny9951]

@@aSailorFromArgos Unless you count the sea of regret Caleb wallows in lol.

[@Amorcea]

"Another etymology suggests that it comes from the German Mallemugge, a term used originally for midges or flies that whirled about lights." Considering Molly only lived for 2 years and spent most of that brief time in the Circus- a whirl of colour and lights- I don't think the name could've been more fitting.

[@VikingMale]

Caleb started out with an empty soul, doing con jobs (thievery) and escaping from jail.

[@stefand.5932]

Oh. My. God. You gave me chills all over

[@4LorEVD]

Caleb this whole fight is a prime example on how to tank as a wizard.

[@featherflame1962]

What, you don't sit out in the open and tank everything? (seriously though, my campaign, my player's wizard is the hardest hitting and the tank of the group, not the barbarian)

[@zacharyp15]

I've got to say that possibly my favorite part from this entire crazy session was when Fjord went and spoke to Essek about how it isn't the end and how things evolve. It was great seeing Taliesin listen to that and just start beaming with pride, seeing how much Fjord has grown, it was such a good moment.

[@pvpphelan]

I was hoping that someone else caught that. The look of pride on Tal's face when he said that to Essek warmed my heart.

[@Serrassi]

i noticed that as well and it was so wholesome

[@alleycat2297]

FJORD LITERALLY CAME FULL CIRCLE FROM THAT CONVERSATION CAD AND HE HAD ABOUT BEING THE WILDMOTHER'S CHAMPION

[@jothamfunclara6583]

Travis taking charge to calm things down after Taliesin had a panic attack is so underrated, but what a wholesome moment.

[@vomitfountain]

Travis is the kind of player I aspire to be.

[@luuucius]

SPOILERS That bit where Molly came through to *physically* claw and harm Lucien after the downed Jester REALLY tugged at my heartstrings, man. Matt is such a good actor...

[@abbigail_victoria_]

One thing is consistent in this battle: Fjord trying to seduce Molly for the Persuasion checks

[@urquimedes4459]

"you wanna.... Toss salads?"

[@scj2232]

Fjord offering to have sex to get Molly back will never stop making me laugh.

[@jothamfunclara6583]

Taliesin's "and I'm on the cusp of agreeing" as Molly went by unnoticed.

[@icannotchoose]

@@jothamfunclara6583 I caught it the second time and laughed my ass off. Tal has the best quiet one-linears

[@maqattack4077]

@@jothamfunclara6583 :O timestamp?

[@xenwraithtealix1075]

Of the many payoffs in this episode (Jester's tarot reading, Caduceus being Taliesen's character), we need to talk about Fjord's Marine Layer. He may have single-handedly saved Veth and both clerics since the eyes would've certainly targeted them

[@ludwigvannormayenn8657]

the use of the Marine Layer Feature from the Oath of the Sea Paladin came in very handy and was super awesome :D

[@thelastcube.]

we know why Veth was so insistent on it

[@RealMiniLink]

Fjord also shot mostly at the eyes instead of Lucien, removing pivotal pieces from the board, Caduceus may be the best support in the M9 but Fjord certainly lives up to his teacher

[@michaelburns4414]

i like how when things got intense Ashley turned into a caterpillar.

[@rodrigocampos1302]

Emotional support blanket

[@SirDoober]

She was trying to do a Lucien and become a butterfly

[@beanofglory1051]

Ashley is the very sweetest bug

[@econe921x]

What an amazing group of friends, Matt the caring creator, Travis the selfless shield, Laura the smart sweetheart, Liam the silent and deadly, Sam the supportive smile, Ashley the vulnerable but strong, Taliesin the charismatic keeper and Marisha the growing power. You all are so dynamic. It is a pleasure to watch you provide such an amazing experience together!

[@ZakEmber]

Fjord uses "Marine Layer" for the first time - Everyone Laughs Fjord overpays for a magic ring of Fire Resistance - Everyone Laughs Marine Layer and the Ring of Fire Resistance save the game - "Who's laughin' now, B#$%^!?"

[@jothamfunclara6583]

The vindication was strong on that one.

[@genuinejoe2103]

I was so happy for Travis/Fjord that he finally got these moments of absolute validation for his choices.

[@jasonreed7522]

Fire resistance is a good item to have, fire is a very common damage type, its just the very next place they went to was the Arctic, and they just left the jungle where the ring would have been more helpful. And this is the first fight the Marine Layer was helpful, it blocks line if sight except for those adjacent to himself. This is great for the eyes which "cast" save roll effects (except fireball don't care), or if Veth stayed next to him she would always be hidden and always have sneak attack & advantage. Otherwise it mostly caused problems with metagaming being required to best acheive their goals, ie when Avantica and Fjord were trying to pick up the cloven crystal and then nobody could see that they needed to help him. (It controls information, this isn't always beneficial for the team) But both were very helpful this fight.

[@brandonpower9564]

Isnt jester a teifling who already has fire resistance?

[@jasonreed7522]

@@brandonpower9564 i think she reflavored all of the teifling fire/hell stuff for ice/cold damage instead because her dad is the gentleman, a water gensai (probably wrong, but definitely water something). Basically due to parentage all her fire abilities are now cold abilities (like hellish rebuke).

[@Kiokoyasu]

I love the look on Tal's face when Fjord was talking to Essek at the end. He looked so proud!

[@nunodias3791]

Fjord is definitely my favorite character so that dialogue and the look of pride in Cad's face was the one thing that made me actually cry throughout the whole episode

[@alexisprojects]

I was looking for this comment to upvote it. I knew I wasn't the only one to be warmed by that.

[@gabrielsmourning]

Absolute pride by Talesin not only from his character's point of view, but pride and surprise from his own point of view in just how good an rpg'er Travis is. Just a bunch of best friends being amazing. Gorram onions...

[@Missespeach]

I was holding my shit together until that very point. But that...that sent me man...

[@chrisjordan6432]

Fjord looking for the cloven crystal in the bag had some strong Jack Sparrow/ jar of dirt vibes.

[@mollyk8069]

IT DOES WTF

[@maximaalverliezen9260]

"Got a bag of holding, and guess what's insiiiiiiiiide it"

[@francisdoherty5580]

Well Fjord is a ship captain that pissed off some big baddies from the ocean. He was making sure that the eye was safe. 🤓🤔🐶🐕

[@lynallott3404]

@@francisdoherty5580 Yeah, it's either that or they have another massive problem waiting for them. The plane of water was very nearby recently soooooooooooooooooo........... "Fuck".

[@Anya-xy8qt]

It was so powerful to hear Veth say there were 8 members in the Mighty Nein. If there is ever an all M9 battle royal I hope Aabria can DM so Matt can participate as Essek!

[@ryangervais76]

My favorite thing about mighty nein is that matt actually got to play with his friends as a member of the group instead of an outlier

[@justjoey3801]

@@ryangervais76 and still managed to not feel like a DMPC at all. He is amazing (and Essek is great)

[@upsidedownpyramid7617]

Technically it finally puts them at 9, with Caleb, Veth, Beau, Yasha, Molly/Kingsley, Cad, Fjord, Jester, and Essek.

[@julieness5820]

Some part of me now wants this campaing to end with it being Molly telling the story of the Mighty Nein to some kids at a fair or carnival and at the end one of them goes "Is it all true?" and Molly smiles secretively and nods, "Every word." EDIT: Thank you so much for all the likes!! I've never had so many!

[@mollyk8069]

This. Yes. Major vibes from The fellowship of the ring at bilbo's birthday when bilbo was telling a bunch of kids the story of when he met trolls in The hobbit :')

[@zachschwanck349]

This will defiantly be my own head cannon. Fantastic

[@letitburn3327]

Ah yes, a ~500 hour story

[@julieness5820]

@@zachschwanck349 Aw, thank you. I might have to write a small fic where this is what happens.

[@wirm3271]

i would like but 420

[@loser108108]

There is something about being there live that cannot describe how it felt to watch the most important dice rolls in the game.

[@starswhogame]

Seriously..I was sobbing and then that dice roll happened and I started laughing and crying out of disbelief

[@terrysuessen723]

I Clearly remember being absolutely exhausted physically and emotionally. Divine intervention felt like a slap to the face. I remember laughing and then yelling Long may he fuckin rein

[@zacharyford3549]

I stayed up till 3 on a work night to sob and emotionally exhaust myself

[@DredgenStorm]

I know right???

[@MrSHADOWANGEL999]

The emotional roller coaster that is critical role

[@tbugmurphy]

“Empty?” “No.” “Love? Love. Magician… Tinkerer… Joy. Sea..? Rumor. …Empty.”

[@LizardOnAMushroom2358]

Tarot Cards

[@tbugmurphy]

@@LizardOnAMushroom2358 Yes.

[@tbugmurphy]

I think that Caduceus’s Tarot name should be Prophet/Hierophant.

[@philkovach948]

@@tbugmurphy Molly didnt know Cad or Essek. He never met them

[@tbugmurphy]

@@philkovach948 *Obviously.* However he can meet them *NOW* and assign a name accordingly.