The Legend of Vox Machina Episode 7 and 8 Reaction

[@LeeCarlson]

If you have ever watched Critical Role, that ending is classic Matt Mercer, where something like Cassandra having her throat cut and Matt looks up and says "and that's where we will end for today."

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Man knows how to cliff hang 😛

[@LeeCarlson]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2and he still does at least once every week.

[@davidbergfors6820]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2 Matthew Mercer is a brilliant story teller and Game master. I'd really suggest watching an episode of the Show. As the GM you are not only telling the story of the world your players are in, but you also play all the other characters that your players meet. Mercer has some range acting out all the so called NPCs!

[@filthycasual8187]

I'm only eight episodes into Campaign One and already I can see Matt doing EXACTLY that and the inevitable protests of the rest of the gang. XD

[@Jed_Rowahnn]

The symbol Keyleth created was the De Rolo crest, Percy's family crest, that the resistance had been using as their symbol. It was meant to rally the resistance members.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Makes sense 🙂 We had been shown it before but for some reason had forgotten about it 🤗

[@Tzimisce_Joe]

His pepperbox is the first gun ever in the world. It's why alot of the characters don't react unless they saw it in action.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍😀

[@firecat4529]

2:44 When Scanlan asks "Who is the 6th barrel for?" it gets answered by Percy's shadow in this scene.

[@paweslazak1736]

I've just come to say that xd

[@nuru666]

@@paweslazak1736 I was looking for this too

[@gamerbear84]

It isn't that though, maybe an idea they played with, but Matt ended up with it meaning that there IS no final name on the list, once you clear out the existing list there's always more to kill, forever and ever.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Nice detail 😀🧐

[@AnxietyRat]

@@gamerbear84 It's what the cast thought. Scanlan even asks Percy about it being for him. But yeah, it's not what Matt and Taliesin knew to be the purpose of the list.

[@elbruces]

"Delilah, what are you doing?" Like Sylas isn't upset or anything, he's just inquiring about her latest arts & crafts project.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😆 exactly. That’s why I found it funny. It was so damn casual

[@rogue7723]

That guy most likely _wasn’t_ the first steward Delilah killed for a ritual.

[@ticozayas6430]

The Everlight wasn't telling her to pick either or, she basically told her that it doesn't matter the path you take (giving the examples of temple life or life with vox machina) as long you are honest with yourself you can have my light... which is super cool considering most deities of lore require utter devotion

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍😇😀

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Everlight is cooler than we gave her credit for 🙂

[@elbruces]

Well, she's devoted, it's just that the Everlight is telling her those things you thought were sinful don't have to be. That's you putting that on yourself, not any rules that I made. There are many ways to try to be or do good. Just be honest with yourself and accept who you are; that's the holiest thing of all. It's a really good message for people struggling with their religion, and for religious people in general.

[@ticozayas6430]

@@elbruces i meant the kind of devotion that pike had thought she needed before cutting her own self off from the everlight....

[@jessicafoster1196]

In the stream, Pike lost her powers because she committed murder. This makes no sense. All clerics have a code they must follow, or risk pissing off their deity and losing their powers. It varies but said code includes how the cleric must behave, how they are expected to handle problems, and who they're allowed to associate with. They can't do, say, and hang out with whomever they please. Sarenrae is a goddess of mercy and redemption, but only for those who truly repent and atone for their sins. A few lines from the paladin code, which usually applies to clerics as well: I will redeem the ignorant with my words and my actions. If they will not turn toward the light, I will redeem them by the sword. I will not abide evil, and will combat it with steel when words are not enough. I do not flinch from my faith, and do not fear embarrassment. My soul cannot be bought for all the stars in the sky.

[@dragonforce627]

I love episode 8 because it shows off how smart Percy is. As long as he has time to think, he can usually come up with a plan. Being able to calculate the proper angles to pull off the right shot was pretty awesome.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Yup. Great scene for Percy 🤩

[@wildbronco038]

This is something that I see a lot of newcomers miss about the Everlight's "ultimatum" Remember what Everlight said. '"Any path can be a holy one so long as one walks it with truth," and what the priestess said when they first met "Whatever has happened to you. The Everlight accepts you as you are." The "choice" is more meant to symbolize whether Pike chooses to temple life like the priestess character, or adventuring life and doing good through/with her friends. As long as she's true to herself, and follows the tenets of her faith, that's a holy path as far as Everlight is concerned. Just like in Christianity, God doesn't require all Christians to be priests and nuns. You can still live a Christian life without living a cloistered one. And, I think that is the ultimate message I think Everlight is trying to tell her. Pike thinks she needs to be the perfect paragon of virtue. But, that isn't the only way to be a steward of the Everlight.

[@kingofrunes5291]

Yeah, it is weird. I always thought that the message was relatively clear, but I see a lot of people interpret the scene as a choice between her friends and her faith. I don't know.

[@SleepySlann]

Considering the lore behind the goddess, the Everlight is based on, it would be a bit hypocritical. Sererae have been known to have a bit of a temper problem.

[@nuru666]

@@SleepySlann Well, she's a fire god too, so... lol

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for clearing that up. I think the mixup comes in the visuals. They are set as doorways on two opposite sides making it seem like she had to choose which one to walk through. But just listening to her words makes it more clear🤗 I mean, I guess she does have to make a choice but it’s just a different choice than we had thought 🧐 Also for some reason Pykes representation looks demonic in this 😂

[@LeeCarlson]

The Everlight (Saranae) tells Pike "any Path can be the correct one if it is walked in Truth." Pike just had to recognize her Truth, which is that she is a War Cleric, not just a Healer.

[@brettcoon9773]

Right, came to say this. She can still be a good person and follow her friends and curse and drink, as long as she also tries to do the right thing in the end.

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

Excellent point on War Cleric. I'd add that the Everlight's vibe isn't really piety per se. They're a god of forgiveness, compassion, and fellowship... and meting out justice to unremorseful evil. Pike enjoying "mixing it up" with her friends is more in line than she thought. She can walk a faithful path while adventuring with her friends.

[@SleepySlann]

@@arandomnamegoeshere exactly, simply speaking, she is a CHAOTIC good goddess, so she would not be above "having fun" And having redemption as one of her primary domains, gives her followers a pretty long leash.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎🤟 dig it

[@chrisd7047]

In Pathfinder, which is where Sarenrae is from (the campaign started under Pathfinder rules but was switched to DnD 5e), Sarenrae is a bit different. For Sarenrae, the Dawnflower, compassion, peace, and patience are all key attributes, but she is primarily focused on redemption. She believes nearly every evil-doer can be redeemed, and the primary function of her clergy is to try to turn those creatures to the Light. However, Sarenrae isn't naive. That she wields a scimitar isn't an accident. She recognizes that some beings are irredeemable, and those should be destroyed with great prejudice. ANd she's not afraid of a fight; it was Sarenrae that defeated Rovagug, the god of destruction, and cast him down. She views Asmodeus in the same light after many attempts to redeem him. She gets along with all the non-evil deities, and even a couple of the evil ones. Sarenrae is known to be in a polyam relationship with Desna, the goddess of dreams, and Shelyn, the goddess of beauty, art, and music (I only mention this because I find deific romance somewhat odd and think it shines its own light on what Sarenrae expects from her worshippers). Now, all of that said, I like what Matt and Ashley did with Sarenrae for the conversion to 5e. Narrowing the focus to "truth" was a good simplification. Had Ashley been around for more of the campaign, they may have delved a little deeper into the specifics of her goddess, especially since Vax was supposed to become a paladin of Sarenrae (that was Liam's original plan, apparently) and Pike was teaching him the tenets of the faith.

[@decayeddivinity9916]

One thing to remember with D&D clerics is that they aren't all "priests", they are servants of their god. The Everlight is a goddess of redemption, hence her focus on a chosen path, rather than one path, everyone is walking their own path.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍😇

[@LeeCarlson]

The symbol that Keyleth used Skywriting to put in Whitestone's sky is the Suntree crest of the DeRollo family (just like on Percival's buttons).

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Ah, should’ve spotted that as they had mentioned it a few times 🧐🤗

[@leonielson7138]

The Everlight was asking Pike who she was: the traveling cleric with a band of adventurers who share her passions, or the local priestess within the temple of her faith. Pike's problem was that she was ashamed of being herself.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Actually a very good commentary on religion in general 🙂

[@Moricant]

Yes, this is very much a Percy-focused arc; all the characters have their own backstory though and the original campaign gave them all their time to shine.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂

[@davidbergfors6820]

Part of the Charm of Vox is a you say, they are already a tight group of friends by the time we meet them, and that was how it was when they started streaming their DnD sessions on twitch as well, the origin of Vox Machina (or the S.H.I.Ts as they were called back then) is now avaliable to read in comic form, "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins" tells the story of how they all met. (Shits stood for "Super High Intensity Team" but wasn't really a very good name for online streaming)

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Might have to pick up those comics. Thanks! 🙂

[@suntiger745]

One thing that Matt did quite well in the game, and that the animation echoes, is that while the story has more focus on one character when it ties in their backstory, there are important moments for the other characters too, and the world at large does not stop turning. Because the Briarwoods are in Percy’s town, there is a lot of focus on him, but we also have Keyleth finding her confidence more, and her and Vax’s growing connection and in turn how that affects Vex and Vax. And of course Pike’s crisis of faith. Also Scanlan coming into his own, while also foreshadowing things in how he and the rest of the group relate to each other. But also the events in Emon that led to this. Things are happening there, and elsewhere, that will affect Vox Machina sooner than they realize. Sylas isn’t stupid by any means, and he is a very formidable fighter, but yes, Delilah is definitely the one in charge. She has the stronger drive and vision of the two of them. Not surprising for someone who was part of the Cerberus Assembly, an organization of Archmages with close ties to the ruler of the Dwendalian Empire in Wildemount. There was just that little inconvenience of necromancy being illegal in the empire… ;)

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Yes, we definitely don’t lose the other characters in this story even if Percy has most invested and we get most info on him. Very well done 🙂

[@Stefan-xt5sk]

One comment I've seen over and over again is that Sylas Briarwood's motto is "Happy wife, happy life". xD Delilah is definitely the driving force in this couple.

[@devinwhite5064]

it does make sense for the necromancer to be in charge.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂 even vampires know this truth 😛

[@oldwolflogan4224]

So, that entire episode where Scanlan went solo ('Scanbo') actually happened in the live stream, even the part were Scanlan turned into a triceratops. Additionally, while it was all going down, Sam Riegel, Scanlan's player, was wearing his tie as a bandana cuz that's just how he do.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂 fantastic 😁

[@PaulGuy]

They actually have a series of comics about how they all got together called the Vox Machina Origins.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂

[@johnwoodworth9127]

Speaking as a DM. Telling the players... "And that's where we'll call it for the night" and getting that look on the players face. It's better than drugs. The stronger the reaction the better. :)

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

haha, evil genius 😁

[@tomesofawesome8041]

The "Scanbo" event is actually the moment in Campaign One where Sam Regiel realized that he could actually kick ass. Up until then, he was just along for the ride with the other actors for fun. THAT MOMENT, is what forged the path for Scanlan to become so powerful & self confident, that in the campaign end, he would be openly fighting multiple Gods, all while uttering his classic catchphrase, "You leave when Burt Reynolds says you can FUCKING LEAVE !!!!"

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂 hope they give him that line eventually

[@tomesofawesome8041]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2 They probably will. If you're interested, just do a search on YT for the words, "Sam Riegal invades a vampire" and the actual 20 + odd minute clip should come up. SOMEHOW, in reality, it was even more chaotic than in the animated series! I would LOVE, to see you react to that.

[@tomesofawesome8041]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5alqaVmaausj9k Here you go if you're interested.

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

14:22 "Any chance for a private lesson?" _SSSHNK!_ "You fail." _THUMP!"_ "Class adjourned." such a missed opportunity for a badass delivery

[@DougCoughler]

The shot of the De Rolo crest in the clouds while the zombie hordes attacked the city is one of my favorite of the whole season.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

We missed that it was the crest even though they had shown it previously in episodes. Very cool moment indeed 🤩

[@Dannydarko27]

I love how invested you guys are by the reaction to the cliff hanger lol Classic Matt Mercer

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

The show does a good job of keeping you invested 😀 can’t believe this was all a D&D campaign

[@viperblitz11]

"You can't end it on a cliffhanger!" *Wait till they see how the season ends*

[@DaDunge]

24:15 I don't think thta's what Pike crying meant. I think it was tears of relief, the everlight would not force her to chose. She can continue to serve the way that works for her.

[@Stella_Sebarron]

This season corresponds with the point in the original campaign where a lot of people really started paying attention. They probably skipped the first part of the campaign (nearly 27 episodes) due to it both 1) being less liked and 2) a problematic player that had to be removed. He was too intertwined into the first part to reasonably remove him and they are not likely to ask to use his character owing to personal and professional issues. They did delve into each characters back story in some form or fashion, but Percy's is where many people got hooked. Taliesin Jaffe (Percy's player and voice actor) got intensely into character to the point where he yelled, "Sylas!" at one point and scared a couple of them. On a side note, I would recommend watching this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp6koqOvjZKMjLM It's a comparison between Scanlan's attack on the house in the actual campaign and what was shown on the show.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for sharing the link and giving some background info on critical role and the campaign 🙂

[@LeeCarlson]

In D&D certain potions (in this case Blink, Dimunition, and Flame Breath) only last for a minute (10 combat rounds). However, that is still time to do some serious mischief in the hands of a mischief-maker.

[@leonielson7138]

Polymorph lasts an hour ... unless you take enough damage to knock yourself out of the assumed form, which I think is what happened to Scanlan: the fire damage made him drop the form just before he hits the door.

[@nuru666]

Bards gonna Bard bro

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎🤟😁

[@suntiger745]

@@leonielson7138 Yes. It isn't explicit in the animation because it keeps the mechanics of spells a bit vague/below the table, but in the game that was exactly what happened - he got to 0 HP as a triceratops and reverted to his gnome form. :)

[@MasterZeus94]

08:35 and at this moment, per Scanlan's own words, you've been granted Cock Lightning! Also, Anders's "we're all sons of bitches, de Rolo!" has to be one of my favourite deliveries of a line in the series :D

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂

[@Kayta-Linda]

Bards doing Bard things, always great to see/hear.

[@Jdn33315]

The symbol at the end is the crest of the De Rollos, the Sun Tree surrounded by 5 stars (the 5 champions of the dawnfather)

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks! 😀

[@MrPingn]

4:55 Even though it cuts away before he stands up. Your mind can still see what follows, if you've seen it before. 😂

[@brettcoon9773]

Really happy for this series and can't wait for you guys to watch the rest! This season is definitely Percy heavy backstory. There are different sections later on where we should get some good spotlight for the others.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍😀 looking forward to having more spotlight on rest of Vox Machina. Not that we don’t love No Mercy Percy 😁

[@BraveSpy]

The fun thing was that in the actual campaign Sam (Scanlan) went on that mission to set that villa on fire without a plan how to catually do it and without any idea if he even has any items to do that.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😊

[@AnxietyRat]

Yeah...while he was breaking in he realised he had a potion of fire breathing. Lmao

[@Knightlight-kw9sh]

Professor Anders was my favourite villain from this season and his death was OH SO SWEET!

[@devinwhite5064]

i dont recall enjoying a death as much as I did enjoy that one.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

He was for sure the creepiest with that tongue and really satisfying when he gets it finally 😝😁

[@richardhealy]

"And we will!" I felt that intensity.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😁

[@willcline5918]

I can't wait to see your reactions on the rest of the season. They just keep getting better and better

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Indeed 🤩😁

[@Antonath]

I think the choice Pike has with the church isn't one or the other it is more HOW she wants to follow her faith. I can't wait for you guys to continue watching the series!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for clearing that up 🙂

[@dagonofthedepths]

Fun fact vox machina was charged by the FCC under article 756 paragraph 51 of broadcast law: Illegal cliffhanger abuse. They hired famous attorney Phoenix Wright, but after a lengthy court case, they were found guilty and were forced to put out a new episode immediately, charged 10d6 platinum pieces, and where band from eating Cheetos for a month. Harsh but deserved.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂🤣😆

[@AAAndrew]

Missed y'all and your reactions. Some of my favorite reactions, and analysis. The Everlight said that "we do not choose...any path can be a righteous one if we walk it with truth." She's challenging Pike to be honest with herself, and "walk with truth" about herself as much as with the Everlight. The Everlight can be a rather harsh goddess who burns away lies. She exposes truth in her light. She's asking Pike to find her own truth.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Glad you are enjoying the reactions! And thanks for clearing that up about the Everlight 🙂

[@twohorsesinamancostume7606]

Scanlan going all Rambo really did happen. Just a crazy series of rolls only in the game it was mostly his magic. Fun thing about shape-shifting into something else, your stats change to reflect whatever you changed into but if you run out of hit points in your changed form you just revert back to your normal form with whatever hit points you had when you changed.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Which would make sense why the spears didn’t transfer over then 🙂 Transformation seems pretty op 😯

[@twohorsesinamancostume7606]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2 Well it does limit what you can do in that form to whatever you transformed into. Say you shape-shift into a bear. The only thing you can do in that form is stuff bears can do. No spells, no skills, not even talking. Just bear stuff. And there's a limit on what level of thing you can change into. Unless you're a powerful magic user, then you can change into something extremely powerful if you're high enough level. Like a dragon.

[@Corosar]

Mercer's Depiction of Serenrae is amazing. They had to rename her though to the Everlight due to copyright reasons. Small little bit of lore but Critical role pre-stream was in Pathfinder. where Serenrae was one of the deities. When they streamed they switched to DnD but kept Serenrae to keep Pike's backstory. Sarenrae is Neutral good of a deity and among other things is a deity of honesty.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for the critical role lore 🙂

[@carlotaperes1031]

Great reaction guys! I'd love to hear, once you finish an episode, what your favorite moment was, just because it's interesting to see what stands out to people the most in the show. Also, don't worry about your predictions! It's a lot of fun hearing predictions from people who know nothing of the show, whether they are wrong or right Also, a few things I think you missed/misunderstood: - the symbol in the sky that Keyleth made was the de Rolo family crest. - Pike doesn't have to pick between being faithful to the Everlight or be with VM. The godess said something like "we dont have to choose, we walk down a path, and every path can be a holy one as long as one walks it with truth" which is an interesting take on religion imo. Like, maybe you'd think (like Pike first assumed) that because you swear and get into fights you can't be faithful, but the Everlight tells her that these are not the things that matter, that what matters is to be true to one's self. Sorry for the long comment, I just love this show a lot

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

No need to apologize! We appreciate you clearing up things for us 🙂😀

[@Mordring]

If you want to know the origins of Vox Machina, there are three graphic novel series titled, appropriately, Vox Machina Origins. They are based on the cast's home game before they even started streaming (with some changes necessary for the adaptation). Those graphic novels show the first formation of the party: initially the Twins, Keyleth, Grog, Scanlan and Tiberius (another character, played by Orion Acaba who left the show due to IRL problems between him an the others) for part 1, with Pike and Percy joining at some points of part 2. Part 3, which still has one more issue left for completion (coming out May the 18th), details some of their first adventures as the full party we know and love. It's possible we'll get part 4 as there are still stories left to tell. However, since some of them are covered in the show by now (introduction to Uriel and Allura, Brimscythe arc, the Keep, befriending Jarret, etc.), they may be cut/altered in the graphic novel. Furthermore, if you're interested specifically in Vex and Vax backstory, there is a full novel about them titled Kith and Kin. It explains their half-elven origin, their time in Syngorn that they vaguely mention in the show (their father's city) and them honing their respective skills throughout the years (and more but I don't want to spoil anything). As for the show being focused on Percy in this season, that's how Matt leads his campaign, after a brief introduction and some neutral early adventures each "chapter" (as in a longer stretch of 10-15 sessions or 40-60 hours) is focused mainly on 1 (or 2 if they are pre-established as being close pre-game, e.g. Twins) player character(s). Eventually everyone will get their spotlight so be on the lookout for future seasons.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for all this info and answering some of our questions we had 😀

[@pemberliegh]

I see a lot of people clarifying that the choice from The Everlight wasn't between faith and friends. It's actually the opposite. Pike is the one that cut herself off because she was judging herself unworthy of divine gifts for how she was living. But The Everlight is telling her, whether she chooses to live as a priestess or a warrior, she can be a person of faith so long as she walks her path with truth and embraces that truth. Now all she has to do is choose what that path is going to be and walk it, connection to faith intact.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂

[@winter3492]

It was never about Pike needing to choose, but more it being up to her as to what she would like to do

[@stevencavanagh7990]

Basically she has to stop lying to herself, she thinks she must be ether devout to her religion or a faith less thug with her friends, the Everlight is telling her, 'Why not Both' as long as its who you want to be

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂

[@firecat4529]

I can really recommend watching the KZbin video called "Vox Machina Original Character Descriptions" by Sadknight. In that video the voice actors of these characters (in this show), which they were playing in their own DnD campaign, talk about all of their character backstories which I think is pretty interesting. It's a 12 minute video btw.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for the vid rec for more Vox Machina 🙂

[@philkovach948]

Yall are coming up on my favorite scene of the series next episode. Can't wait!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎🤟😀

[@clownzzz4837]

Critical Role's home game was played with Pathfinder rules, where gunslingers were a class. When they began to stream, they switched over to DnD rules, mostly because those would be easier for an audience to follow. Since there is no gunslinger class in Dnd, Matt and Taliesin decided to make Percy the inventor of the pepperbox.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for sharing that fun fact 😀

[@michaelkemmet834]

Sorry, but while your first two sentences are correct, the last one is not. Percy was always Exandria's inventor of the firearm. Taliesin first created what would become Percy way back(possibly as far back as high school) as a character in an uncompleted novel/novella. The concept was: Any person smart enough to invent the first firearm would also be smart enough to understand the horrendous amounts of death and destruction that would result down the ages from the proliferation of weapon. What type of person would still go forward with it? While Taliesin never finished the story, he dusted off the concept when he decided to dump his original dragonborn paladin and try out the newish gunslinger class for Pathfinder. Matt wasn't thrilled with the general idea of mixing firearms into a fantasy setting, but he liked Tal's idea of this being the very beginning of the gun, and the only one in the world(to start).

[@clownzzz4837]

@@michaelkemmet834 Per CR wiki, "Matthew Mercer created the subclass [of gunslingers] for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition when the group converted from Pathfinder." I had heard Percy became the inventor when they switched. I will assume you are right that it happened before. 👍

[@taserface780]

Professor Anders kill was probably my favorite out of the whole show

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Very satisfying indeed 😁

[@Kayta-Linda]

More like very terrifying... like, holy fuck, talk about overkill.

[@NewInkFoHalo]

9:45 “Wait, that’s illegal.”

[@hawkname1234]

You guys are so fun to watch!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Glad you are enjoying the videos 🥳🥳

[@madhavmandava]

that dumb grom may have walked into a trap but he fought like a berserker and that was AWESOME!!!!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎🤟💪😁

[@thunderspear2251]

19:31 Ken: "Could I by chance offer you a nice, refreshing glass of... water?" -raises eyebrow- Way late to the party, but loving the reaction. Just finished the season, so I wanted to double back and see what you guys thought.

[@bandi138138]

For the question of why isn’t Percy going after Anders after he slit Cass’s throat, if it was my sister who had her throat slit, I’d be more concerned over her life than his. He can get vengeance as long as Ander’s is alive (and he WILL get his vengeance), but if his sister dies now, that can be it for her (remember, resurrection magic has a chance to fail in CR homebrew rules) Once Keyleth has her magic going and there’s nothing more he could do to help, then he went after him.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Yeah I wasn’t aware she could be saved. If it was on of my siblings and that happened I probably would’ve reacted the same even if I couldn’t save them. But there is another part of me that thinks as soon as he cuts her throat I fucking shoot the guy and then go to her because the throat being slit would mean she’s dead anyways 😢

[@davidbergfors6820]

In DnD, you create your own Character to play, and create a backstory to flesh out the character. that backstory is also an invitation to your Game Master to pick and choose what you bring in to the game. Critical Roles Game Master Matthew Mercer (Whose likeness the animators threw in at least once an episode and is also the voice actor for Lord Silas Briarwood) is great at working in the players backstories in different ways. the Briarwood arc as the events that inspired this series first season is exceptionally heavy on Percivalds backstory, but is not necessarily the norm.

[@firecat4529]

23:18 She doesn't have to pick, I think. That's only what Pike thought. The Everlight said that each path you walk is a holy one as long as you don't lie to yourself. Pike thought the way she acted around her friends upset the Everlight, which she thought is why the Everlight severed the connection with Pike. But as the Everlight explains, that isn't true and only a fabrication of Pike, which resulted in Pike unconsciously severing the connection to the Everlight herself. Now that Pike is conscious of that, she should have full access to the Everlight's power again. I would say the message at the end of episode 8 was that no matter what she chooses, she will be able to be a "Warrior of the Everlight" regardless of that choice.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍😊

[@Hawk_of_Battle]

Fun facts; Scanlan burning down the Dukes house actually occurred on-stream (which all the other players thought was a crazy plan (you don't split the party)), but unlike here, it actually went *much* better. It was basically about 40 minutes straight back and forth between Sam and the DM Matt as Scanlan smashed through the front door in triceratops form, took a bunch of arrows, trampled a bunch of dudes, dropped form, teleported to the roof, drank a potion of Fire Breathing (from fucking forever ago) and spewed it all down the front and back entrances of the building, before using his Hand to punt the Duke off the roof and dousing the interior with one last blast of fire. Due to being a higher level and having far more spells than in this show he overall came across as far more in control of the situation the entire way through. Cassandra and Percy's reunion originally happened later on, and her having her throat cut was actually an illusion. It was precipitated by Vax rushing in un-prepared and nearly getting killed. Percy was not pleased with him. The symbol Keyleth writes in the sky is the De Rolo crest. Also, the reason most of this season has been focused so heavily on Percy is just because this was the story arc as it played out from the campaign that the group decided to animate. The first 2 episodes were originally from the pre-stream days and were going to be all they animated, until the kickstarter ended up earning way more money than they'd asked for and the season got expanded to this, the first major character centric storyline. There were about 20 episodes on the stream prior to the Briarwood arc that we've skipped over. And yes, Percy is the inventor of the gun in this world. Gunslingers don't typically exist in D&D, but they do in Pathfinder, which is where the campaign first began.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for all the fun facts! Good choice in their part to not have Scanlan so in control for this episode. Made it more satisfying when he succeeded and then got to do his happy dance 😀

[@LordNomad28592]

The story of how they got together is told in the "Vox Machina Origins" comic book series.

[@suntiger745]

Correct, though it should be noted that the comics tells the story of the stream Vox Machina, not the animation Vox Machina. It’s overall the same story beats, but details differ. For one thing, in the animation, defeating Brimscythe is the first big thing they do as a group. When they did that in the home game, they had already saved Uriel and Salda from the later being possessed by a demon who mind controlled Uriel (because why would he suspect his wife?). That was also when Pike died and was resurrected, turning her hair white, while in the animation her hair is naturally ash blonde and she has not gone through a death and resurrection.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂

[@hour707funny]

Thanks for this video thanks 🙏 for your content I’m glad to be part of this community

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Glad to have you in the community as well 🥳🥳😀☺️

[@jarjaxle]

CLiffhanger on Streroids....Oh boy yoy are going to love rest of the Season then....and As that Symbol Keyleth made? Remember Dragon's Throat

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Can’t believe we didn’t recognize it at first 😯

[@davidbergfors6820]

"You can't end it like that!" "It's true, it's not allowed by law"! Don't think I've loved a reactor faster!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂🤗 glad you’re enjoying the reactions. This show was right up our alley 😁

[@purplelikefire]

There are comics about their origin story as a group and a novel about Vex and Vax's journey to becoming adventurers if you really wan tot know more about that!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks! 😀

[@battlemercy5153]

It's so interesting watching people experience Critical Role for the first time with the legend of vox machina 😂 I can't wait for the next video

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😊😀🥳🥳

[@madhavmandava]

Pike's light is so much similar to inner healings or real world

[@TriXJester]

Keyleth utilizes the spell Skywrite, available to Bards, Druids, Wizards and Artificers. It is a 2nd level spell from the Transmutation School of magic and can last for 1 hour. "You cause up to ten words to form in a part of the sky you can see. The words appear to be made of cloud and remain in place for the spell’s duration. The words dissipate when the spell ends. A strong wind can disperse the clouds and end the spell early." Using this spell allowed Keyleth to draw the de Rolo family crest in the sky, signaling the rebellion that they had rescued Cassandra, give hope to the townspeople, and send a warning to the Briarwoods. The de Rolo crest is a stylized symbol of the Sun Tree with five stars underneath symbolizing the 5 Champions of the Dawnfather. The Dawnfather basically being the Patron Deity of the city, kind of like Athena and Athens. If the Dawnfather ever chooses another Champion then the de Rolos would add another star to the crest.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for fully explaining that part better to us 😀🤩

[@blueroninstudios]

With the Briarwoods, it's more of a partnership/marriage. It's kind of a twisted romance, but they respect and love eachother enough that one is willing to do the MOST evil to either keep the other alive, it's not a submissive or dominant thing. They both want to dominate over everybody. In their backstory they came from another land called Wildemount and they were driven from it because the rulers of Wildemount didnt like that they practiced dark, outlawed forms of magic, so they fled Wildemount and came upon Whitestone, and basically took it over by killing the ruling family....the De Rolo's. Percy and Cassandra were the only survivors, and they had quite a few brothers and sisters, if i remember correctly.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂😈

[@cyberdragoon1432]

Though granted next episode’s opener does cover their relationship.

[@golanperez6337]

Just to give you some information so you'll understand the characters abilities: Pike is a cleric who warships the everlight Kylith is a druid that why she uses a lot of natural magic and she knows a lot about nature Vax is an assassin Rogue Vex is a ranger specifically a beast master which is way she has trinket Percy is a fighter specifically a gunslinger Grog is a barbarian berserker And Scanlan is a bard which is why all his magic is flashy

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks! 😀

[@RomnilWater]

If you want to know more about how everyone got together as a group look up The Legend of Vox Machina Origins comics. I haven't read them myself but I belive they do explain how each member joined up.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks! 🙂

[@leonielson7138]

8:30 'Cock Lightning' goes back to the first streamed episode of Critical Role, where Sam Reigel got the 'How Do You Wanna Do This?' where he could describe his character's killing blow on an abyssal abomination. It became so iconic that it was used in the first opening credits, where all the players cosplayed their characters.

[@johnobrien7562]

while he'd cast lightning bolt before, Scanlan's first use of it from the groinal area wasn't until the Briarwood arc - in Against the Tide of Bone.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for sharing that fun fact with us 😀

[@Myrrath991]

The Everlight told Pike that any path can follow the light, you just have to choose. Basically Pike has to stop doubting herself and putting up her own mental road blocks. The Everlight will be there for her no matter what path she chooses to follow. I also don't know if this is supposed to represent Pike's respec from a life domain cleric to a war domain cleric on the tabletop. I heard that was something she did with her character. This would be a good way to show that.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍😀 we are glad she didn’t have to choose her faith or her friends ☺️

[@simonvilleneuve6077]

They covered the formation of Vox Machina in their comic book.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks! 🙂

[@hhylobates4098]

In season 1 Percy obviously has the spotlight, with Pike getting the B plot and Keyleth also having significant character progression. The twins and the comic relief duo don't do much at all. Season 2, and this is mostly guessing since I'm not finished the campaign and the show writers could change a lot, but Vax and Vex will have the main plot, Grog the B plot and Scanlan gets some much needed character development. Keyleth will also continue her personal journey, while Percy and Pike take a big step back. Then by the time season 3 and 4 roll around, everyone and the group itself is developed enough that they all get a share of screen time across the season.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Sounds good to us 🙂

[@r0b3rt_lta13]

It's not a choice between her friends or her faith. But rather a choice on how she will show her faith, with her friends or as a priestess like the others at the temple.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks for clearing that up 🙂

[@jessicascoullar3737]

One of the things missing from the animated series is how chaotic the story process is and how it turns so much on the dice rolls. This link is to the original series of Scanlon in the Duke’s house and it is so much more chaotic, stressful and very much unplanned. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5alqaVmaausj9k

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Always crazy when we get reminded this was based on the luck of the dice 🤯

[@asgerkrogh5671]

I think Pikes choice was more about who she was than between her faith and VM, as the everlight said "Every path can be a holy one, as long as one is true to who they are" or something along those lines. So the everlight would be happy either way as long as Pike chose what was right for her

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Pike just needs to stop doubting herself 😊

[@schwarzertee7586]

The everlight pretty openly said that pyke doesn't have to chose between her faith and her friends. She said "each path can be a holy one" meaning: She will, however she decides, as long as she lives up to the everlight's standards, be a holy person and a cleric of the everlight. Pyke has to chose between the ideals she views/viewed as those of her religion and adhering to them (what the priests do in the temples of the everlight, there she can be the version of pyke that follows the everlight's ideals for priests and her every word) or she can chose to go with vox machina, and spread the virtues of the everlight in that way. as long as she stays true to herself and her faith she doesn't have to be "perfect". In comparison with christianity: You can become a monk and even a saint by joinging a cloister . But you can still be a good christian even if you're not perfect as long as you spread the ideals of christianity and live up to them as good as you can.

[@davidbergfors6820]

"Scanbo" the name of episode 7, is a play on words. (Scanlan + Rambo) The events are a little different in the show compared to the DnD Campaign 1 from where it is based, but the epic moment of Scanlan bursting through the door transformed into a Triceratops is there. an epic event! Watch the full Episode from the playing here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYe2mHdnnqdkfZI

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Can’t believe we didn’t connect Scanbo with Rambo haha, 🤗

[@anivijudi]

What the Everlight told Pike is that she "can be whoever (she) wants in the light", to the Everlight it doesn't matter who Pike is, only that she is true to herself and not hide in the shadows. What made Pike's connection weaken was that she thought that to serve the Everlight she had to be and act a certain way, a way that doesn't fit with the life she leads with her friends. But the Everlight was telling Pike she can pick either path and still be in the light, it's not a question of who the Everlight wants Pike to be, it's a question of who Pike wants to be. She can follow a traditional priest's path and guide and help many people that way, which is what she expected her life to be once she chose to follow the Everlight, or she can choose Vox Machina and be a less conventional priest but still find ways to do good. It's not a question of forsaking her faith for her friends or vice-versa. It's a question of coming to terms with who she is and has become vs who she thought she would be and thinks she should become. Ultimately it's not a hard choice to make for Pike, but Pike thought she couldn't have one without giving up the other, and that made her wallow in darkness rather than shine in the light.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Makes sense 😊

[@LuckDragonLair]

That's not a ciffhanger it's a full on old school Adam West Batman style Cliffhanger where it shows them going over the cliff and the next episode they it jump out before going over the cliff. LOL Well, ok not quite that extreme but pretty close ;-)

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂 extreme cliffhanger. Like extreme closeup from Wayne’s World 😜

[@MrKaelas]

So, as far as story arcs, it depends? Based on the DnD show, they have a lot of content. In the show, this was the first "main" story arc. But after that there was a central plot, and Keyleth's background came up a lot as a kind of B plot. Then the others got an arc here or there that fleshed out their back story kind of as it came up while they chased the A and B plot lines. Like Grog had a short few "episode" run where they dealt with his backstory. I know the twins had their own arc where Vox Machina went back to their home. Scalan later on you learn more about him and his past. I think the only one who didn't really get that was Pike, but then the player was working in real life and couldn't make the sessions so since she was come and go, she never really got an arc devoted to her. I'm hoping if they do a season two, they will kind of do that. They will follow the "A" plot, I don't want to spoil it, but still have individual story arcs to learn more about each character like they did, rather than a single season arc that is all encompassing per character. Percy's arc has a lot of characterization and was a fan favorite which I think is why they used it for a whole season, but I mean I think Grog's for instance, would be 2 to 4 episodes, and even 4 might be a stretch. It was just a lot more straight forward. But hey, this is their show, they can do what they want of course. That's just my thinking. I just really really want to see the main arc from the DND show animated like this. :D

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂 We look forward to whatever they choose next but it does seem like Keylith will be an A or B storyline next season 😀

[@MrKaelas]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2 It does. And the reason hers is a good B plot is that it requires them to travel all over the world as part of proving her worth to her community back home. So naturally they can generally do that and incorporate other things. :) Love your reactions! :D

[@PristineTX]

When The Everlight was telling Pike to choose a path, that was symbolizing what Clerics have to do when they reach a certain level in D&D; you have to choose something called a “DOMAIN.” The domain you choose gives you certain special abilities/spells. The purpose of this path-choosing mechanic in-game is that it lets you somewhat customize the character AFTER you’ve played the character for a bit and learned what how you like to play it. Every class makes choices like this later as the character develops.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

That’s a very clever way to showcase this in game mechanic 😀

[@elbruces]

Technically in 5E, Clerics pick their Divine Domain at 1st level, from the very start. But I believe Matt allowed Pike to change hers later on (from Life to War), and this "crisis of faith" reflects that.

[@James-bw4np]

Vox Machina is sooooo good! I am hoping for another season soon! Watching critical role is ok but seeing the action minus the rules lawyering and committee discussions is amazing!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Not sure when season 2 is coming but at least we know we are getting one 😀

[@wildbronco038]

If you really want to know more about how they got together, there are comic books that cover it.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍😀 Thanks!

[@Kabuki986]

Okay, okay -- an update to the 'potential' Cosplay/Halloween costumes --- PIKE x SCANLAN; keep all spoilers to a hush --> Looking at you Critters out there!!

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😊

[@bandi138138]

And Percy’s “muzzle flash” is not the same imagery as Pike’s Everlight. There’s nothing there, so you don’t have to chase that thread.

[@darrenrichardson6146]

The thing with Pike is in the campaign she outrightly slit the throat of a bad guy the team was fighting, which caused an alignment shift which can alter how a cleric or paladin receives their gifts from their god, even outrightly losing them entirely if it's an alignment step too far from the god's chosen moral pathline. Here it's turned into a confidence of faith crisis caused by her failing to protect her friends from dark magics.

[@Zubarus]

aaaah i waitet so long for this.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

🥳🥳

[@systemcrash7605]

Everytime I watch a reaction on this channel you two somehow give me this young Ed and lorraine warren vibe idk

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Have gotten that once or twice before 🤗

[@GiftsTrix]

I really enjoy the Pike Trickfoot story they explore, and the dilemma she is in. Bethany is 100% right that the decision between being a priest, or having a different career and attending church is completely different than having to pick between your faith and your friends. Even in this fantasy world, you don't have to pick between faith and friends normally. Faith, though, is incredibly personal. Pike grew up in a family dedicated to Sarenrae (their goddess) so she internalized not just that faith is important, but the way of life of her Grandfather and others of her family is what it means to follow Sarenrae. That internalized assumption is why the more she has stepped away from living like she thinks her family wants her to the more she also hides herself from her faith. She FEELS like she's choosing to abandon Sarenrae so she subconsciously is cutting herself off. She prays less, she listens less, she hides herself. Sarenrae's not trying to get Pike to pick a path, but instead to define her own path, what does a faithful Pike look like to Pike? The problem still is, Pike believes that being a woman of faith requires specific sacrifices (no drinking, not condoning whoring, etc etc) when in reality, those things are only tied to her faith because SHE is incorporating them to her faith. It's a really fantastic animated depiction of what is a difficult internal struggle of perception and projection. Pike is the bomb.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Well said ☺️😀

[@AllGamerOfficialChannel]

Awesome keep up the good work 😎👍😊 your channel is awesome 👍😊 also everyone here is awesome aswell 😊👍😊

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Thanks so much! 😊🤗🥳🥳

[@emmanuelguerrero2152]

Y'all should react to the confinement series by lord bung. if you do, watch scp confinement special-only us after ep.3 and before ep.4 to avoid confusion

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😎👍🙂

[@gamerbear84]

More Vox Machina when?

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Saturday 9 and 10 🥳

[@youngprince7820]

💯

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

🥳🥳

[@harshr9470]

Guys it would be great if you saw the pilot chapter of hazbin hotel and please see the credits since the names of the voice actors appear along with an image of their character and so you can see who gives the voice to your favorite character and There is also a post-credits scene.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

We plan to check it out after we watch Helluva Boss. Thanks for letting us know to stay through the credits 😀

[@murtaintergalactica2847]

hi guys, not meant to bother i wanted to ask if we will ever get a reaction from you to internet historian, max0r, dunkiereviews or ssethtzentach videos :)

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Yup. Not sure when but plan to check out some vids from all of those at some point 🤗

[@Vitalabyss]

You mention the writters teeing up the cliffhanger... But that's not what happened... That moment happened live. Completely improvised. And based on nothing more than the roll of a dice and fate.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😯🤩😀

[@hhylobates4098]

But the way that moment happened live and improvised *didn't* end as a cliffhanger there, they immediately fought Anders. Of course there are writers for this animated show version, and they wrote a cliffhanger here where there wasn't one before.

[@ashmaildaddy]

Do a tekken video

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

We will do more Tekken 😇

[@harshr9470]

Guys it would be great if you saw the pilot chapter of hazbin hotel and please see the credits since the names of the voice actors appear along with an image of their character and so you can see who gives the voice to your favorite character and There is also a post-credits scene.