Amac Productions

Does anyone else watching this think about the campaign this is based on and think – my goodness – they must need a long rest soon.

Please tell me it’s not just me.

Also, I’m not sure where to start with this episode. Honestly.

I mean Vax confessed his feelings for Keyleth just out of nowhere as they were about to die. I mean, it’s not really out of nowhere. They’ve been hinting at something between them since the show started so… not totally out of left field. But that was an odd choice of timing there Vax.

Gotta say.

Also Keyleth agrees with me since she was annoyed that he told her then.

I also was excited a review or two ago that Archie didn’t die. You know, Percy’s childhood friend who has been leading the rebellion. Yeah, that guy.

I thought for sure his premiere episode would also be his last and I pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

However, he still died.

In a horrible way as well. Geez, was that you Matt Mercer? Did you cleave him in half in the campaign as well?

And so, with that Percy loses yet another person he considered family. Or at least close enough to it. They fought well side by side against the hordes of zombies together.

Only for Percy to then bear witness to his gruesome death.

Percy informs the rebels that he is a De Rolo.

Which could have gone one of two ways. (Persuasion Roll??) The rebels could have been pissed he was alive the entire time or mistrust why he’s here now or they could have rejoiced around him in celebration that a rightful heir to Whitestone is here and helping to take it back.

And it’s the latter.

I expected the former, truth be told.

With everything that Whitestone has been through, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were a little jaded about their former leaders. Not to mention propaganda the Briarwoods have delivered to the public. And to the fact that they keep Cassandra as a figurehead of some kind.

Which also leads me to wonder why the people of Whitestone have never asked about her role in leadership.

Doesn’t she have a claim to the title as a living De Rolo?

Did they make her renounce it and give it to the Briarwoods instead? Was that mentioned and I missed it?

The public had a living De Rolo in their midst. Unlike Percy, who they all believed to be dead. Which fair. Also, he was scared and terrified and needed it to be the right time to go after the Briarwoods. Not when he was a little kid.

I suppose the same argument could be made for Cassandra being too young to lead.

I just wonder if there was an explanation for the events.

Either way.

Next on the list of things that occurred and I went ‘yep, that happened.’ Pike astral projected herself to join the group in time to save Scanlan who was going to lose a limb.

Which, I feel like is a good time to say ‘I told you so’ when it came to these people needing a healer around.

Yeesh.

So thank goodness Pike has rejoined the group, apparently fully committed to traveling with her friends as her holy path. I love that for her.

I also love how settled she feels since her arrival on screen in episode one.

Unlike the unsure and struggling Pike we met before, this version is entirely certain of herself. Her path, and her place with her friends and her relationship to her god. Pike is no longer full of doubts. She has decided on her path and committed to it.

Also, she looks badass!

On a different note, I think Scanlan truly has feelings for Pike.

It might be the only real thing he feels. Like I know he jokingly proposed, but I think there was a little part of him that was entirely serious. Perhaps, for the first time in his life.

And much like Vax, he’s been keeping it to himself.

Pike plays it off here, unlike Keyleth who took Vax quite seriously. Thus, Scanlan allows it to play like a joke as well.

But I think his heart may have broken just a bit when he did.

I could be entirely wrong, but I don’t think I am.

Sylas wants to join the zombie army in the fight, but Deliah tells him not to because he is too important.

But based on the opening scene, I wonder if he’s important to the plan, or simply too important to her to risk. After all, it appears that Deliah has given quite a lot to save her husband.

Once a powerful mage, she sought out darker forces to keep her Sylas alive when there was no chance anything else could. Thus, he ended up a vampire, and she pledged herself to The Whispered One.

Which as bad guy names go, is pretty awesome.

However, who is The Whispered One? What exactly is their plan? And does it truly involve Sylas? Or is Sylas involved because they saved his life and in trade, they get whatever they want. Something Deliah is trying to give to them that includes Whitestone.

Ah, I get it now. It’s a Lex Luthor real estate scheme.

“Laaannnnnddddd.” “It’s the one thing they’re not making any more of.”

I amuse myself and that’s all that matters some days.

It also brings me to another thing. She was supposed to be waiting for the solstice to complete her ritual. I’m not expert in or anything but considering how many fantasy things I’ve watched in my life, those types of things matter. You can’t just substitute one ingredient for another.

In fact, when you change items, you’re not supposed to in rituals like this, things tend to go horribly, horribly wrong.

So…. How wrong is it going to go for Deliah Briarwood?

Which could also be incredibly fun to watch. Vox Machina just wanders in, and she’s accidentally offed herself, her god type thing, and her husband in her haste. That would be hilarious.

What happened here?

Well, the bad guy was impatient, so she started the ritual early and the forces of nature hated that, so they ate her, and everyone around her.

Or it’ll swallow all of Whitestone whole kind of bad.

Maybe split the world in two.

Maybe it’ll be like Flashpoint in DC Comics.

Who knows?

Maybe Deliah and Sylas won’t even be the big bads we ended up fighting. They’re just the problem right now that unlock a bigger problem for Vox Machina to deal with.

I know vaguely how campaign one goes, but not in super fine detail. It’s really fun to see some of the things I never knew about play on screen. And even the stuff I did know was going to happen.

For example, I knew Vax confessed his feelings to Keyleth suddenly and unexpectedly.

The gifs are paired endlessly with Marisha’s other two romances with Yasha and Imogen.

However, what I did not know was her reaction. That she yelled at him that this was the worst time to tell her or that he blurted this out mid-fight. Even if it’s not the way it’s played in the campaign, it’s a fun little moment of chaos that suits them nicely.

I loved it.

And last but most certainly not least, the ending.

We meet someone else on Percy’s revenge list. They’re locked up tightly in a cell beneath Whitestone Castle where Vox Machina is attempting to sneak in. Apparently, the De Rolo children used these tunnels to sneak out sometimes before all hell broke loose in Whitestone.

Makes perfect sense.

There are always creepy and secret tunnels in big castle. I do very much enjoy that that is always a thing.

No matter where you are in fantasy or spooky, secret tunnels in large mansion homes or castles are a must have. Truth be told, they never get old or dull either.

I love it.

Vox Machina is stopped by this woman as they move about. She claims to be able to help them, though Percy disagrees. I think this is also the first moment I agree with Percy.

Regardless of her current status, she joined forces with the Briarwoods in the first place. I would not trust her in the slightest. She could be locked in there for any number of reasons.

The Briarwoods hosted a dinner for people and then just murdered them like it was nothing. Dressed them up and hung them in a tree as a warning. One of them was a child.

She could be in there because she tried to leave or kill one of them or said hello in a funny way. Not because she’s a good person. And if she was there while the De Rolos were killed or shortly after and knew of what happened. I doubt she’s to be trusted.

Even on the outs with the Briarwoods, no one who served in their high rankings could be considered good or an ally.

I think they should leave her right where they found her.

What do you guys think? Should they trust her?

I sure as hell don’t.

Welp, onto the next! See you next week!

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