In episodes 7,8, and 9, Vox Machina is split off in 2 directions as they chase after two different Vestiges of Divergence. The episodes are streaming on Prime Video.
Episode 7 recap: The Fey Realm
Keyleth, Vex, Vax, and Percy are in the Fey realm as Keyleth tries to figure out what happened to her spell. She believes that since Umbrasyl interrupted the spell, the others were separated from them.
Percy says he has read about the Fey realm in books and knows all about it so he can guide them to the Fenthras bow. The realm continues to play tricks on the party’s minds.
Scanlan wakes up near Grog who is still holding a bleeding Pike. They find themselves in Tal’Dorei as Grog sets the Craven Edge aside and tends to Pike.
She isn’t able to heal herself as her blood is absorbed by the sword and Scanlan and Pike insist that Grog get rid of it. Grog is momentarily overcome by the sword’s wishes and walks toward Pike, ready to kill.
Before he swings the final blow, he brushes off the enchantment and begins destroying the blade. The sword cries out in anguish as Grog repeatedly strikes the nearby rocks and says that if it is going to go down, it will take Grog with it.
When the blade is finally split apart, a sea of blood engulfs all three of them. Grog gets up to see Pike and Scanlan before him but he’s undergone a significant change. The sword has drained him of all his strength and his muscles have grown smaller, making him slim and weak.
The party in the Fey realm finds themselves lost until Vex notices that they’re being followed. The creature calls himself Garmelie and says that he’s been observing them for entertainment purposes but he knows that area and can take them where they need.
Grog has trouble moving so Pike and Scanlan help him along as they travel across the land. Percy says they shouldn’t trust creatures of the Fey realm and insists he can help them find the bog where the bow is.
A gelatinous creature appears and attacks Vax specifically as the others try to fight back but Vex and Keyleth are struck with some vapors that send them on a psychedelic trip.
Vax leads the creature away and Percy follows with a plan to defeat it. They lead it toward the water and Percy shocks it using electricity.
Garmelie is thrilled by what he has seen and once again offers to take them to Shademurk, the bog with the Fenthras bow, and this time Percy and the others accept.
Pike, Grog, and Scanlan finally reach a small cottage. Umbrasyl has a conversation with Thordak who says that he doesn’t care about the vestiges but allows Umbrasyl to look for them if they will aid their quest for power.
Garmelie leads the party to a city that he claims just appeared out of nowhere recently but Vex and Vax recognize it as Syngorn, the city they grew up in.
Episode 8 recap: The Echo Tree
The party tries to sneak through the city but is eventually surrounded by soldiers. They ask for an audience with AMbassador Syldor Vessar, their father.
Vex and Vax meet their half-sister, Velora before getting a cold welcome from Syldor. He explains how Syngorn retreated to the Fey realm after Emon fell so that they could regroup and prepare to fight back.
Pike knocks on the cottage door and reveals that it belongs to her great-great-grandfather, Wilhand Trickfoot. He is so happy to see her and he recognizes Grog as well, despite his weakened state.
Vox Machina says that they’re in the Fey realm searching for the Fenthras bow but Syldor is dismissive of their efforts or accomplishment and generally just rude toward them.
He still offers to provide them with any assistance they might need within the city and gives them a letter granting safe passage. Wilhand makes a pill to administer to Grog that will help get his strength back.
They head back out of Syngorn where Garmelie makes himself visible again. They eventually arrive at Shademruk which is a very dark and troubling place.
As they walk on, they hear a voice whispering and Garmelie tells them not to succumb to it. He explains that the bog is home to a cursed Archfey named Saundor and who tries to feed on other people’s sadness.
Grog doesn’t show any improvement after taking the pill and Wilhand says that his body needs a jumpstart to reactivate his muscles and strength.
The party reaches the Echo tree which is supposed to contain the bow and Vex hears Saundor’s voice and is enchanted by it. Saundor takes advantage of Vex’s feelings of abandonment by her father and how she wishes to gain his acceptance.
Keyleth, Percy, and Vax have to fight off other wood creatures on the outside and Vex gives into Saundor’s voice. However, when he tells her that he needs her heart, the spell wears off on Vex and she says that her heart belongs to another.
She fights Saundor and eventually kills him with an arrowhead that Percy had made for her. Saundor’s body dissolves and the Fenthras bow emerges in its place.
They walk out of the Echo Tree where Garmelie is waiting for them once again and he opens up a portal for them to return to Tal’Dorei. Pike says that they must head to Westruun to find the other vestige.
Grog says that it is in the position of his uncle Kevdak, who killed him with it.
Episode 9 recap: Test of Pride
Grog was part of a herd of marauders who would murder and pillage to their heart’s content when he was younger. He has kept that part of his life a secret from the rest of his friends.
Pike, Grog, and Scanlan do some recon on Westruun as Grog explains that his uncle, Kevdak has the Titanstone Knuckles and they’d have to face hundreds of half-giants like Grog to get to them.
Scanlan offers to go in on his own and scope the place out and Pike says she’ll be happy with that. She then comforts Grog who is nervous and ashamed about meeting his old family.
He tells her how one time during a raid, Grog came across a gnome and when he looked into his eyes, he felt pity for the creature. He stopped his cousin from striking the gnome down and helped him escape. That gnome was Pike’s great-great-grandfather, Wilhand.
Kevdak confronted Grog for his betrayal and beat him close to death. They left him to die but Wilhand returned later with a younger PIke who healed him as they took him in.
Scanlan sneaks into the city and runs into other survivors, including a group of musicians called Dr. Dranzel’s traveling troupe. The troupe is aware of Scanlan’s exploits and they ask him for help escaping the city.
Kevdak’s son, Zanror, feels aggrieved that his father is working with Umbrasyl as a servant and he wants to fight back after taking charge of the Herd of Storms.
Umbrasyl arrives and is disappointed by the meager riches that the herd is providing so he tells Kevdak that he must bring in more within three days or he’ll take the gauntlets as payment. Anna Ripley rides with Umbrasyl and Scanlan vaguely recognizes her.
Zanror tries to stand up to his father but his rebelling is quashed. Scanlan agrees to help the survivors escape, just as Pike and Grog look for a way to sneak in and save Scanlan.
They run into each other on the streets and help everyone escape but Grog stays behind. He says that he must face Kevdak and end their tyranny.
Kevdak calls in the herd and announces that he will not stand for insubordination and anyone who questions his leadership. He urges anyone wishing to challenge him to come forth and that is when Grog bellows out his Kevdak’s name, ready to face his destiny.
Review
- There have been some heavy hitters brought in to voice the NPCs and Henry Winkler and Billy Boyd are brilliant additions to the cast. They lend an air of splendor to an already wonderful series.
- The subtle ways the story has been adapted from the actual campaign are very clever. The job of a GM is to translate dice rolls into story elements and this series accomplishes that magnificently.
- There are several inside jokes that will only be noticed by people who have seen the original and that does feel a little disappointing for general audiences. It could lead to a rise in people going back and checking out the campaign which is an overall positive.
The Legend of Vox Machina
Director: Young Heller, Alicia Chan, Eugene Lee
Date Created: 2023-02-03 00:00
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Also Read: The Legend of Vox Machina season 2 episodes 4, 5, and 6 recaps & review
