Heartwarming / Critical Role Eyes Of Eiselcross Arc

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

Episode 109: Frigid Propositions

• Brian makes a quick appearance during the announcements to promote the return of Talks Machina. Once he's done he gives Ashley a kiss on the cheek before leaving.
  Brian: Pardon me, you beautiful yet dangerous woman, as I make a quick announcement.
• Yasha wants to get one of Orly's magical tattoos. They don't quite have enough emerald dust for the tattoo, so they use residuum to make up the rest. Yasha is unsure about that, but the Nein are firm that she should get it.
• Marion is happy to see Jester, as always, and is also happy to see Veth.
  • Jester and Marion talk about Jester's adventures since last they spoke. Jester admits that she had a heavy weight on her shoulders when she left, but it is lighter now.
• Veth reunites with her family. She surprises Yeza with a kiss, and Luc surprises her with a crossbow bolt by her head. Crosses over with Funny.
  • Yeza and Luc have settled in well to Nicodranas. Luc has even made friends, though some of the other local kids are dicks.
  • Yeza and Luc are enthralled by Veth's stories.
    Luc: You. Are. The. Coolest!
• Marion gives an unplanned performance at the Lavish Chateau. It's a public performance, but directed at the Nein.
  • Veth stays with Yeza and Luc at their new house, but they are still close enough to hear the music. Yeza says that the exposure to culture has been good for Luc.
• Before the Nein heads out, Marion thanks them for keeping Jester safe, and thanks Jester for keeping them safe.
  • She would like to meet the Gentleman again, but she wants Jester to pass it off as if she was relatively disinterested.
• Caleb gets Jester and Veth to get him little items from their homes, which is necessary to make sure they can go back with a Teleport spell. He gets a little turtle carving from Jester. From Veth... see Funny.
  • With the Teleport spell, the Nein are able to let Veth stay an extra day in Nicodranas.
• The Nein buys some of the gag magical items as gifts for Luc and Kiri.
• The Nein stop by the Chantry of the Dawnfather, the location of their last battle with Obann. It is still under repair. Yasha takes comfort in that.
  Yasha: I feel like I'm being repaired, just like this place.
• Caleb takes them on a brief sightseeing trip around the Shimmer Ward. He still has a great fondness for the Soltryce Academy, despite everything that happened to him there. He then takes them to the dance hall he frequented as a student. He nudges Fjord toward Jester and then dances with Beau.
  • Caleb's dance with Beau is both heartwarming and funny as they claim they were always great, then saying how much they hated each other, before going back to being soft and caring.
    Caleb: Thank you.
    Beau: For what?
    Caleb: For making a difference. For being my friend. For being patient. For walking into the lion's den with me, Expositor Lionett.
    Beau: It's where I belong. I'm glad we're friends. I know it was a rocky start.
    Caleb: I don't know what you're talking about.
    Beau: Yeah, we were always great. It was all in good fun.
    [[Beat]]
    Caleb: You drove me insane.
    Beau: I hated you. You sucked. But I tend to appreciate that.
• During their dance, Fjord gives Jester a little porcelain unicorn he bought while she was distracted in Thaydeen's shop. Jester is delighted by the gift and kisses Fjord on the cheek in thanks.
  • During their dance, Jester and Beau have a girl talk session about Fjord and Yasha. Jester gives Beau advice about wooing Yasha.
• Caduceus and Yasha have a talk about Yasha's wings and her general status. He tells her that her chains are broken, and that she should think about what she wants now that she's free.
  • He notices that the roots of her hair have changed colour, and turns into her to show her. It's another sign of her transformation into a Protector Aasimar.
• In return, she asks him about how he's doing. He wants to check in with his family, and he both does and doesn't want to return to the Blooming Grove.
  Caduceus: I miss home, but I'm afraid I'll miss this too.
• As the Nein leaves the dance hall, Caleb takes a moment to look back and remember before leading them onwards.

Episode 110: Dinner with the Devil

• Caleb finally comes clean to the rest of the Nein about killing his family. Caduceus immediately reassures him, and Jester hugs him. Caleb is shocked to the point of almost crying.
  Jester: You must have been so sad for so long, Caleb.
  • Beau reminds him of what she said when he first told her and Veth, and that he has come a long way.
• Caleb knows that Astrid and Eodwulf are probably too far gone to save, but he feels the need to try. They were his best friends, once.
• Beau is very clear on where the blame for the Vollstruckers should lie.
  Beau: It's not your fault. It's the empire's fault.
• Jester reunites with Nugget when the Nein teleports back to the Lavish Chateau.
• On arriving at the Brenatto house Yasha picks Luc up and lets him ride on her shoulders.
• When the Nein tell the Brenatto's about what happened on Rumblecusp, they tell them that Veth was the one to finish off Vokodo. Luc enjoys every second of it and loves hearing about how cool his mom is.
• Jester shows the Nein her room at the Chateau.
• Caleb offers to bring the Brenatto's along with them before they head to Eiselcross. They'll leave them in Nicodranas until after the dinner with Trent, but will bring them to Zadash with them afterwards.
• While buying cold-weather clothes Veth asks for a set of custom earmuffs with little antlers on them based on the glimpse she got of Keyleth when Vilya left Rumblecusp. Marisha is so happy about the nod to her previous character that she starts Squeeing.
• At dinner, Trent asks what drives the Nein.
  Caleb: Mostly just to leave the world better than we found it.
• As they leave the dinner, Jester privately apologizes to Astrid for some of her conduct during the dinner.
• One good thing came about through going to the dinner: Caleb feared that Astrid and Eodwulf were too far gone to save, but he has just learned that they aren't. There is hope.
• The Nein ask Astrid and Eodwulf to accompany them. Veth even offers to make it look like a kidnapping. They both decline, but it's clear that the thought was appreciated.
• Jester points out that she and Caduceus could resurrect Caleb's parents. It probably wouldn't work, as they need bodies, but he appreciated the offer.
• Caleb uses Calianna's wand as a focus for the Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower spell.

Episode 111: New Homes and Old Friends

• Caleb has finished developing a new spell: Widogast's Nascent Nine-Sided Tower (a modified version of Mordekainen's Magnificent Mansion). In said tower he has given each of his friends their own personalized quarters, each member of the Nein getting a living room with a fireplace and stained glass window above it, a bedroom with a massive four-poster bed and brass bathtub, and a side room that caters to their personal interests. It goes to show how well he pays attention to what his friends like, want, and need, and how much effort he's willing to put into caring for them.
  • Caduceus's room has a stained glass window depicting the story of Clay, Stone and Dust. His side room is a tea station with a pot that serves endless boiling water. His bedroom hardly looks like a room at all, as it is completely covered in crystals, fungi and plantlife, and even has a small colony of bioluminescent beetles. The furniture is similar to the furniture in Caduceus's home in the Blooming Grove, and all of it is firbolg-sized, since Caleb noticed Caduceus consistently struggling to fit into chairs and beds made for smaller races.
  • Yasha's room has a stained glass window with a symbol of the Storm Lord, with lilacs at the bottom. The entire room is absolutely covered in flowers, pressed and living. Her side room is a meditation space, decorated with a recreation of the flower mural Jester painted for Yasha in the Xhorhaus, with a minor illusion over it to make it look like the flowers are swaying in the wind. Her bedroom is equally flower-covered, and has a terrarium with bugs in it ("for viewing or possibly snacks").
  • Fjord's room has a stained glass window depicting a sailboat at sea, and the walls are designed to look like the inside of a ship. A side table with books that all rooms share has been made to look like the altar top in Dashilla's lair, where Fjord and Caleb made a blood pact. His side room is also a meditation space, with an old map of the Menagerie Coast and a statue of the Wild Mother. The bedroom has the four-post bed as well, but there is also a hammock bolted into the ceiling that, upon Fjord's request the next morning, gently rocks back and forth to imitate the rocking of a ship.
  • Beau's room has a stained glass window depicting the Mighty Nein, standing with their backs to the viewer, looking out over the Empire. Her side room is a training dojo and writing room in one, decorated with blue sashes and bo staffs. Her bedroom is somewhat plain, but laying down on the bed reveals a giant mirror mounted into the roof of it.
  • Jester's room has a stained glass window depicting the cityscape of Nicodranas, with a small, red figure standing on the balcony of the Lavish Chateau. The doors leading into the rooms are decorated with gems to make them look like the symbol of the Traveler, and the furniture and decor of the room are designed to look like the inside of the Lavish Chateau. Her side room is a very well-stocked art studio with supplies for nearly every kind of art, walls that are completely blank so Jester herself can decorate them how she wants them, and a side table with a bowl of blueberries and a plate of pastries. Her bedroom is a near-exact replica of her room in the Lavish Chateau, with stained glass windows recreating the view of Nicodranas, framed art pieces mirroring the drawings Jester made as a child, and a large portrait of her mother. The top of the four-poster bed has the same painting Jester made of Nicodranas in her actual bedroom, but again with a minor illusion over it that recreates the sounds of the city when she lays down.
  • Veth's room has a stained glass window depicting the Brennato family walking along a country road. The room is full of bowls of knicknacks, mostly buttons, though there are gemstones and other trinkets as well. The furniture is all halfling-sized, with one or two chairs made for larger folk. Her side room is a large laboratory and study, designed for Veth, Yeza and Caleb to be able to do their work. Veth's bedroom has the four-poster bed again (though this one is smaller), with a secondary bed that can slide out from underneath it so Luc can sleep there if he gets scared at night or wants to be by his mother's side. However, if Veth and Yeza want some quiet time, there is a second bedroom clearly designed for a child, absolutely filled to the brim with toys, games, and archery targets.
  • Caleb made sure not to forget about Mollymauk either. The library level has a massive stained glass window designed to look like the patterns on Molly's old coat.
• The Nein thank Caleb profusely for the new digs. Caleb sincerely says that he wouldn't have been able to do it without them.
• Pumat, as nice as ever, takes Nott's transformation into Veth in stride.
• The Gentleman reluctantly gives Jester a hug when she asks for one. He also tells the party that if she's hurt during their trip to Eiselcross he will destroy them all. Yasha replies that they'll destroy anyone who tries.
• Before the party teleports to Mollymauk's grave, Jester pulls Caleb aside to let him know that Molly's death is still a sore spot for the rest of the party including or perhaps especially Beauregard and Yasha.
  • And speaking of, when the party arrives at the grave, the first thing Beau does is hold Yasha's hand, who in turn squeezes it back. Compared to the last time they were there, when Yasha brushed her hand aside and refused to be comforted, this time around she reciprocates.

Episode 112: The Chase Begins

• Jester talks to the crabgrass around Molly's grave. Jester takes to him immediately, and gives him a name. He is now Henry Crabgrass.
  • Jester asks Henry if he minds when people walk on him. He only kind of feels it. It's not exactly uncomfortable, but Jester is still upset.
• After their talk with Vess, Jester takes a moment to check in with Yasha about how she's handling everything.
  • After, Jester not-too-subtly tries to get Yasha to share a bed with Beau. Doubles as Funny, because, well, Jester.
  • Yasha admits that she is into Beau, but is still afraid to make the first move (and feels a bit guilty). Jester is immediately supportive, encouraging Yasha to go for it because she deserves to be happy.
• The Nein talked about Caduceus' armour in front of Vess, who uses her authority to make him work double-time to finish it. Caduceus practically falls over himself apologizing, and Pumat takes it graciously.
  • Beau tips Pumat an extra 500 gold for his trouble. He eventually accepts, thanking her and calling her kind.
• Caleb reassures Luc before he and Yeza return to Nicodranas.
  Caleb: Don't worry. You know us, what we can do. Individually we are tough, but together, the nine of us are mighty.
• Yasha offers to buy the food for all of the Nein on their journey to Eiselcross.

Episode 113: A Heart Grown Cold

• As they get back to the ship, Caleb in orca form nudges Jester and gives her a smile. She pets his tongue. Doubles as Funny.
• Caleb giving up his anti-scrying necklace to Fjord, acknowledging that it become superfluous long ago when he joined the Nein. Fjord is touched and acknowledges Caleb's Character Development.
• The Nein encounter a hungry mother Cetus and her two calves. They give them all of their rations. In gratitude, the Cetus guides their ship through an iceflow, cutting a day off of their journey and allowing them to arrive at their destination the next day.

Episode 114: An Open Window

• Caduceus reveals that he is asexual. Veth and Yasha are immediately accepting. This is especially heartwarming from a viewer perspective, as this episode aired during Asexual Awareness Week.
• Caleb gently puts his foot down with Veth. It was different when they were still basically strangers, but they have all bonded now. He doesn't want her to keep going on about how he's the leader. In return, Veth points out the ways in which she thinks he really is the leader. Doubles as Awesome.
  • Even so, Caleb is firm on that point. He needed the confidence boost then, but he doesn't now, thanks to her, so he'd like her to stop.
• Beau checks in with Yasha, realizing how horrible her enslavement by Obann must have been. Yasha opens up to her about it.
  • This leads Yasha to tell Beau about the poem she wrote her. Beau is thrilled, because nobody had ever written a poem about her before.
    Yasha: Well they should have.

Episode 115: Fetching Fables and Frosty Friends

• Fjord suggests Yasha attempt to dispel magic on a necrotic gem that has already done substantial damage to the party. By pure D&D game rules it's not a bad idea as Yasha is both strong and resistant to necrotic damage. Nevertheless Beau refuses out of obvious concern for Yasha's safety.
  Beau: I am not having Yasha walk up and hit it with her sword!
• In the mansion, Beau takes a hot bath and reads the poem Yasha wrote for her. It turns out that Yasha decided to scrap the poem, and just be honest with her feelings. Beau is deeply touched.
• Jester takes Caleb up on his offer to read Der Katzenprinz to her. It is a sweet fairy tale about an isolated, sickly boy and a talking cat (implied to be fey in nature) who teaches him to dance and helps him grow strong again, but allows him to return home to his mother and maintain his new health. The cat tells the boy he can always dance if he wills it. Jester is reminded of the Traveler and is touched by the story, hugging the book to her chest.
• Caduceus draws one of the Yeti's attention during the fight so that he doesn't attack Caleb. He ends up frozen and badly beaten. Caleb in change saves Caduceus by turning him into a mammoth.
• Caleb invites the yeti warriors into the mansion to eat and spend the night.
  • The yeti are touched, and offer to repay the favour if the Nein are ever in the area.

Episode 117: The Tortoise and The Dare

• Lucien is openly contemptuous of Molly, referring to him as a "fragment of (him)self." The Nein are very unhappy with his comments but Lucien tells them he is sorry for the loss of Molly and appreciates how much it must hurt.
• Yasha gives Lucien back the 4 leaf clover Molly gave her. He accepts it graciously, if a bit bemused.
• Fjord expresses concern about Lucien or Cree scrying on Jester and insists she take the anti-scrying amulet, which originally belonged to Caleb, to keep her safe from them. Jester then asks how he feels about the encounter with Avantika. Fjord replies that his history keeps trying to come back and he thinks he needs to deal with it before pursuing anything new.
• The Nein try to figure out what to do now. Jester says that she's happy with anything so long as they stay together. After some teasing, Veth agrees.
• Jester decides to consult the tarot cards. She draws the Magician/Tinker by the side of the Magician. It was one of the cards created by Mollymauk and dedicated to the Mighty Nein, with Caleb representing the Magician and Nott representing the Tinker.

Episode 118: Solace Between the Secrets

• Caduceus, ever the Nice Guy, calls out to apologize to the wolves for evading them by polymorphing into giant eagles.
• Jester Sends a message to Yeza, asking after him and Luc.
  • Shortly afterwards, Essek Send a message to Jester via a colleague, asking after their status. Immediately after that, Caduceus has her Send a message to Calliope Clay asking after the Clays and the Grove. All is well, and they can't wait for Caduceus to see his home.
• Then Jester Sends a message to Kiri, who is overjoyed to hear from them and wants them to visit. Her vocabulary has also expanded massively, with her seemingly having picked up a lot of phrases from different people.
• Caleb sends a cat to massage Dagen's shoulders after the storm. Dagen is appreciative.
  Dagen: You are my favourite weird wizard friend.
• Fjord and Jester have a talk about what happened in the circle and everything with the living city. Fjord wants to protect her, and Jester doesn't want to die but wants to stop the city more, and they kiss. This is hinted as being a full Relationship Upgrade, finally!
  Jester: But if it comes down to it, if it means stopping that thing — I want to stop that thing.
  Fjord: I told your mother I would look after you.
  Jester: I'll be fine, Fjord. We always are.
  Fjord: (Beat) I care very much for you.
  Jester: Really? Is it because I have chiseled cheekbones now?
  Fjord: It's the longer horns.
  Jester: Yeah, that really does it, doesn’t it?
  Fjord: It gives you an intimidating look.
  Travis: And I pull her in.
  Fjord: Can I kiss you?
  (Laura nods)
  Travis: And I kiss her.
  Fjord: I don't know how this will go, but I can't promise that I will just let you throw yourself at this thing. I don't think I can do that.
  Jester: I don't have an argument.
  • Once Fjord has left, Jester pulls out the unicorn figurine he gave her in episode 109 and falls asleep looking at it.
  • After Matt calls for the break the rest of the cast playfully tease Travis for being the one to initate the kiss despite his previous insistance that he'd never do an in-game romance. Matt tells Travis that he's proud of him for this growth.
    Marisha: (giggles) Love is real!
  • A number of viewers are especially touched by this development, saying that it was nice to watch Travis fall in love with his wife all over again.

Episode 120: Contentious Company

• At the very start of the episode, Beau takes Yasha aside. She reveals that she read the note, but wasn't able to talk to her about it because of their houseguests and the general situation. Beau asks Yasha out on a date, and she accepts!
  Beau: It's a weird question but: we might die soon.
  Yasha: Yeah.
  Beau: Do you want to like, go on a date or something?
  Yahsa: Yes, of course.
  Beau: Yeah? Okay. I never like do anything the right way, and so I figured that maybe with this, I should just go like start from the beginning, and we haven't really had a beg- We had like a beginning and then we had like, like a, "You stabbed me" thing, and then, and then now we need like a second beginning.
  Yasha: I would love that more than anything.
• While the rest of the party sleep in the dome, Fjord and Jester take first watch together and she rests her head on his shoulder.
• Jester adds a new card of Caduceus to her Tarot deck and tells Fjord she wants to help Caduceus save the Savalirwood once they're done with Eiselcross.

Episode 121: Ice and Fire

• Zoran, one of the Tomb Takers, gives the Nein some jerky to supplement their rations.
• After the talk with Lucien, Beau and Yasha step aside. They agree to push back their date until some time as things aren't really weird.
  • They then talk about Lucien. They both agree that they hate him, but they really hate the fact that they can see some of Molly in him.
• After Beau and Yasha return, Veth takes Yasha aside. She wrote Yasha a poem to show her what she means to the Nein. It is actually pretty sweet, and Yasha is deeply touched and scoops Veth into a hug. Doubles as Funny, because Sam deliberately echoes as much as Beau's earlier words as he can.
  Veth: Big, bold, brave Yasha.
  Hair so long like yummy pasta.
  Sturdy as the cauldron of Tasha.
  If you're dirty, we will wash ya.
  If you cross her, it will cost ya.
  We'd be sad if we ever lost ya.
• During their watch, Caleb apologizes to Veth. He meant the Tower as a place for Veth to stay with her family, but that has not manifested. Veth reassures him, as she has a lot of guilt as well. She feels that she can't be with her family fully and with the Nein fully.
• Veth feels some sympathy for Lucien, being split apart and then reunited. She feels that it's like the Nein; they didn't feel complete until they found each other.
• On their watch, Yasha reveals to Jester that Beau had asked her out on a date. Jester was thrilled, and crushed when Yasha said they'd push it back. In return, Jester reveals that Fjord kissed her, and it was wonderful. She also revealed that it was her first kiss. Travis had a very smug look on his face throughout the whole thing. They are very excited for each other.
• Beau and Fjord take the last watch, and after some banter about Lucien, Fjord reveals that he had the talk with Jester, and that they kissed. Beau is excited. In return, she reveals that she asked Yasha on a date. Fjord is also excited.
• Zoran really has no reason to do so, but he saves Jester from getting hurt after failing a Dexterity check.

Episode 122: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

• Lucien talks to the Nein about their individual goals. This leads to a talk with Yasha, who is initially a little reticent (she's had this talk with Molly, but not with Lucien) but eventually opens up. She has imagination in regards to the things she wants, partially involving her missing time, but no current goals as to how she gets there.
• The Nein discuss their options. They decide to keep travelling with the Tomb Takers, in part to try and save Lucien.
  Yasha: I feel like we can save him. I hope that's not naïve of me.
• Jester remembers Dagen, and sends him a message to make sure he's all right.
• After some badgering, Caleb gives the Nein a brief tour of the top floors of the tower. He allows them to choose three of the doors on the eighth floor. Those doors reveal glimpses of his past: 4 (Astrid's room at the Soltryce Academy), 9 (the Nestled Nook Inn, where the Nein first met), and 1 (Caleb's original home).
  • The ninth floor is a starry void, representing the endless possibility of the future. It's where he goes to think, and he gives the Nein the code words to come here whenever they want.

Episode 123: Fair-weather Faith

• During the battle with Gelidon, Jester uses one of her highest spellslots (which she's normally reluctant to use) to heal Fjord during combat. Afterwards, he gives her a kiss right in front of everybody.
  Fjord: Hey, thank you.
  Jester: Oh. Well, you know, anything for my Fjord.
  (Veth reacts in shock)
  Fjord: What? I'm mad for her.
• That night in the tower, Veth gives Jester the last vial of aphrodisiac she got from the merchant in Rosohna so Jester's first time will be special. Crosses over with Funny, because she isn't quite sure how it works.

Episode 124: A Walk to Warmer Welcomes

• As they're fleeing the Tomb Takers, Yasha reaches over and uses Healing Hands on Beau to give her back some health so she can run on her own. Later, when they rest, Beau instinctively leans her head against Yasha's shoulder. Yasha responds by patting her on the head.
• When they reunite with Essek, Jester immediately gives him a hug. He is taken aback by the public display of affection. Doubles as Funny.
• Caduceus apologizes for putting this on Essek. Essek cuts him off, talking about his former selfishness.
  Essek: When you gave me trust, you gave me a perspective that was so agonizingly striking that I refused to acknowledge it at first. I would be lying if I said that our paths crossing hasn't shaken me to the core. And I'm thankful for this perspective, but I don't deserve this trust.
  • Essek goes on to admit that he wants to do what he can to help his people and save the world.
• Jester says that afterwards, they could maybe transform Essek like they transformed Veth back into her real body. Essek kind of smiles at that, but Matt reveals something: Essek has a hard time meeting any of their gazes, but he won't meet Caleb's at all. The chat speculated that he perhaps feels something different for Caleb.
• While it comes attached to a joking threat of future pranking, Caduceus tells Fjord that "I love you like family". This happens to be the first time any of the characters have told Fjord they love him.
• Essek reaffirms his desire to help the Nein face the Tomb Takers. Veth sincerely thanks him. As they take their leave of Essek, Caleb takes a moment to lay a hand on Essek's arm and tell him to just breathe.
  Caleb: It will come in time.