The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Episode 1 : Rise of the Chroma Conclave Reaction

[@bookwormwithwings]

So in DnD there are metallic dragons (gold, silver, brass etc) and chromatic (blue, red, black, white and green). The metallic are generally the good ones (at least not actively eating people) and the chromatic pretty much see humanity as a buffet but are usually too self-centered and mistrusting to work together which why this is basically worst case scenario for Emon.

[@violentmuse]

More to that, in the Exandrian pantheon, using the non WotC copyright names, exists the Platinum Dragon (Bahamet, lawful good) and the Mother of Dragons(Tiamat, Chaotic Evil). The platinum Dragon was on the same side as the Everlight and the Dawn Father when the gods fought.

[@Micaerys]

There's also the gem dragons (amethyst, sapphire, emerald, crystal and topaz) but they're so rare and isolationist that you can live and die without knowing about them XD How would they call their team? The Jewellery Conclave? 🤔😂

[@AlmostOtaku7]

@@Micaerys Gem dragons are not confirmed in the CR world yet.

[@Micaerys]

@@AlmostOtaku7 Not explicitly, but indirectly. In ExU: Calamity the draconic sorcerer uses a spell with the Gem Dragon option (sorry for sounding so vague, I don't want to specify more in case someone is reading, if you know you know XD)

[@tycol322]

@@AlmostOtaku7 and to be fair the OP did say in D&D not critical role.

[@suntiger745]

When Thordak destroyed the palace, he didn't turn his breath to ice, he increased the heat of his flame breath enough for it to turn blue, like an acetylene torch on steroids. This is not notmally something red dragons can do, which means that there are a)something going on here that enhances or amplifies him, or b)the animators took some artistic license to really drive home how powerful ancient dragons are in general, and Thordak in particular.

[@mr.stuffdoer8483]

Or C) they wanted to do a Shin Godzilla reference

[@jamescandalino3458]

Spoiler warning here, but it's actually the gem embedded in his chest that gives him the extra boost.

[@suntiger745]

@@jamescandalino3458 Nah, I'm sure the gem has nothing to do with that. It's just his king bling to show that he's the boss. :D

[@jamescandalino3458]

@@suntiger745 I'm pretty sure it is.

[@optimusprime7243]

​@@jamescandalino3458 R/Whoosh Jesus, talk about dense. Dude can't even tell it's funny sarcasm. *Rolls eyes*

[@OptionZero]

This is all because a fan gifted Matt Mercer four dragon miniatures and he wasn’t about to let them go to waste.

[@mayaenglish5424]

Well actually he had this plot in his brain since the home game, but those fans absolutely contributed in making the experience so much better by getting Matt those mini's and making him so happy. I don't think he could afford them at that point so they really did him a solid.

[@stingerjohnny9951]

@@mayaenglish5424 Critical Role was all just an elaborate scheme Matt came up with to get an unlimited supply of miniatures 🤣

[@mayaenglish5424]

@@stingerjohnny9951 You discovered his evil scheme!

[@stingerjohnny9951]

@@mayaenglish5424 Matt is actually a dragon in disguise and his treasure of choice is TTRPG miniatures! I mean come on, he’s WAY too handsome, it’s GOTTA be an illusion.

[@wyattwalker7589]

Last season you met Brimscythe the Iron Storm, this season we are pleased to introduce to you Umbrasyl the Hope Devourer, Raishan the Diseased Deceiver, Vorugal the Frigid Doom, and Thordak the Cinder King. The Chroma Conclave didn't come to play!

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

and Rimefang, hopefully.

[@JirkaKunst]

I really hope that they kept Sam's joke about Umbrasyl's name and title. His middle name is The Hope and his last name is Devourer. Married into it and hyphenated.

[@MasterfulPaladin]

I think it was Ion Storm, makes more sense with the Lightning

[@ethan-nerdva69]

@@MasterfulPaladin It's actually Iron Storm, Iron because of the metal-like durability of dragon scales and Storm because of his lightning abilities due to being a Blue Dragon

[@Hedcase71]

"You can't kill off a main love interest." This is D&D yes you can!! In fact it's expected.

[@Allantitan]

And in fact it’s disappointing if you don’t at least try

[@caffeinedelusions]

Yeah, Percy doesn't have the List anymore (his original gun). It got the acid dip thanks to Scanlan. We saw Percy assembling a new sidearm at the end of season 1, and it's definitely not just a rebuild of the List. It only has four barrels, for one.

[@tycol322]

I believe this one is named Animus?

[@emberise6613]

@@tycol322 I thought this one was Retort... I thought he got Animus later after... the thing... and before that other thing, because Animus was how that person... did the thing? No spoilers is so difficult.

[@ToxicSunrise132]

​@@emberise6613 Yeah, Animus is his endgame gun. This one is definitely Retort.

[@amisedai942]

@@emberise6613 by the gods, I felt that😂🥲

[@tycol322]

@@emberise6613 I forgot about retort. And I feel the no spoilers thing. That's why I only named the gun. I figured a name only was about as spoiler free as possible

[@notsomagicalmike7429]

Yeah this part of the campaign was fucking nuts. A lot of this arc was lol. Also Dragon Names for reference: Red/Fire: Thordak, The Cinder King Black/Acid: Umbrasyl, The Hope Devourer White/Ice: Vorugal, The Frigid Doom Green/Poison: Raishan, The Diseased Deceiver, the one that saw Keyleth through Brimscythe's weird communication rock last season.

[@gabthegreat01]

“I didn’t know dragons could speak,” Okay y’all are the third reaction I’ve watched who says something like that. You remember the blue dragon in S1 could talk too, right?

[@StarVFoe]

Dang 3rd one? My favorite to watch is yaboiroshi and I decided to check this channel out

[@BNOBNO14]

So glad you guys are stoked to see us join you for this journey again! We are excited with you! The critter hug is real. ❤

[@VegetaLF7]

Welcome to the Chroma Conclave arc. They are Vorugal the Frigid Doom (the white dragon with ice breath), Umbrasyl the Hope Devourer (the black dragon with acid breath), Raishan the Diseased Deceiver (the green dragon with poison breath), and Thordak the Cinder King (the giant red dragon with fire breath and a gem in his chest). Together with Brimscythe the Iron Storm (the blue dragon with lightning breath from the beginning of the show) they form the Chroma Conclave, an alliance of the 5 evil types of dragons in the world. Brimscythe was a young adult dragon, the other 4 are ancients. Dragons grow more and more powerful with age and these are among the most powerful beings in the entire world. Ordinarily Chromatic dragons such as these refuse to even associate with each other, much less team up. That these ones have is seriously bad news for the entire world. Keyleth is right, this legitimately is the stuff that can lead to the end of the world.

[@Starsaber222]

Brimscythe was the intern, which is why he got the boring job of infiltrating Emon.

[@suntiger745]

@@Starsaber222 Correct, but at the same time, infiltrating the ruling council in the capital of an empire and undermine them from within is not a small task. Goes to show how ambitious and far-reaching the Conclave's plans are if you have the intern running that kind of operation.

[@stingerjohnny9951]

@@Starsaber222 so these fuckers are the Board of Directors?

[@roboticd]

And Thordak, besides being ancient, has also been mutated by magic to be even bigger that your typical ancient dragon.

[@devoncelis9613]

I believe the voice of Rishan is Cree Summer.

[@jamesmyers1647]

The guy who was eaten (all but his feet) was the guy who scanlan sung to at the palace (beads of love)

[@toamszkozak8822]

I don't think that they remember this, they didn't even remembered that the dragons can talk

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

A libertine and a cad, he shall be missed.

[@TimeturnerJ]

Thordak (the red dragon) wasn't using fire and ice, he just superheated his flame to a devastating level. Fire turns blue when it's very very hot.

[@carlycchapman]

This

[@futureelement924]

People don't know this by now?

[@roboticd]

I love that your reaction was so similar to Laura's reaction in game..."Everything else was dragons, why wouldn't it be dragons?"

[@cryofpaine]

Yes, that was "Last one in is a troll dick." It's a reference to the fact that they kept a troll dick as a trophy in their home campaign. You also see a troll dick in Brimscythe's cave in episode 2 of last season.

[@HypnoticPanda]

Found you guys during season 1 and have been watching ever since! Super excited to go through season 2 with ya'll :D Also really loved your Last of Us react!

[@TenebrousFilms]

It's not a dragon spirit. The red's name is Thordak. His breath isn't fire and ice, he pulled an Azula; probably because of that crystal in his chest, cuz that shit ain't norrmal. The troll dick reference was from season one, Scanlan found it in Brimscythe's hoard.

[@queenannsrevenge100]

“Last one in is a Troll Dick” - callback to S1e2. 😃

[@flaminyawn]

This episode really conveyed the feeling that Vox Machina only BARELY survived by the skin of their teeth. Each member of the Conclave is way above their current weight class, and all together it's no surprise that they were able to demolish the city that quickly.

[@punkrockpearl84]

19 misses?

[@ethan-nerdva69]

@@punkrockpearl84 Travis: 19 Matt: 19 Misses Travis: *surprise pikachu face*

[@pemberliegh]

Haha you two are so fun! they are the chroma conclave bc they are all chromatic dragons (red, green, black, white).

[@bandi138138]

6:30 it's been a year, so you may have forgotten, but there were those seeing orbs in Brimscythe's cave

[@cryofpaine]

The "Fabled Lance of Dragon Slaying" is a reference to a famous D&D campaign setting, as well as series of novels based on it, Dragonlance. Both Matt (Silas Briarwood/Umbrasyl - the acid dragon) and Liam (Vax/Vorugal - the ice dragon) are old school D&D fans, and love the Dragonlance series, so they included that as an homage. And the voice of the poison dragon, Raishan, is Cree Summer. She's best known these days for her huge library of voice work, but she got started as a regular on the 90's series, A Perfect World, which was a spin-off of the Cosby Show.

[@elfbreath]

Yeeeaaaah we’re back baby!!! 🙌 I’m at work right now but here’s a prewatch like and comment for the algorithm

[@Syntell]

Thank you. LETS GO!!!!

[@chrishull6665]

Love the casual fun of your reactions. Cheers!

[@inuzrule]

Love how much fun y'all are having with this episode! Can't wait for episode two! 😊

[@PensandoRPG]

Here we go! Started watching the channel with the series. Let's go again!

[@FiveTen007]

Having watched the campaign, knowing that Uriel would die though originally off screen, this hit hard, man.

[@Syntell]

Messed me up a little bit.

[@AnxietyRat]

Yeah, it's cool to actually get to SEE how he died and not just the group hearing he didn't escape the attack after the fact.

[@TriXJester]

Note: Ancient Dragons have True Sight, meaning they can easily see through things like illusions or invisibility, that's why Scanlan's illusion didn't work.

[@xfoaxreaper2845]

Wrong. They have blindsight, not truesight. So they can moreso sense what is or isn't within 120ft. Different than true sight.

[@BearCobb]

Amazing reaction! This is an amazing rollercoaster I'm glad to be on! 😁

[@johna6352]

You're about to meet 2 fan favorite guest characters, and another fan favorite shopkeeper. There were already a couple of other important characters hinted in this episode. Look forward to some story focus on Grog, Scanlan, the twins and Keyleth during this story arc, which will stretch across seasons 2 and 3 (already confirmed)!

[@roboticd]

Not to mention a brief glimpse of a Pink haired Firbolg in Arizona green tea colored armor outside The Wildmother's temple in Vasselheim.

[@idgarobingoodfellow]

Aisling Franciosi is also playing a *certain* musician who is going to show up this season! (I love that character so much)

[@dinodude722]

so yeah, Chroma Conclave. 4 dragons, all really old and thus big, scary, and powerful. used to be 5 with the blue dragon from the start of last season, but that one was clearly the weakest of the bunch. i saw someone joke once that Brimscythe was essentially the intern of the group, sent ahead to scout and weaken the defenses of the area before the big boys show up and steal the show. if you're ever having trouble telling apart which dragon is which, they are each different colors(though that's harder to see cause all the dark dramatic lighting) with different horns and wing shapes and stuff, but you can always tell who's doing what by their powers. we also heard each of their names at least once this episode. Vorugal is white, does ice and stuff. Raishan is green, did all that poisonous smoke (and thus killed Sovereign Uriel.) Umbrasyl is black, all of the acid melting things. Thordak is the big leader one. Red, and very clearly; Fire. and just to round it out, there WAS Brimscythe, who was blue, used lightning and all that. cant wait to see your guys reaction to the rest of this stuff, cause uh... ohhhhh boy!

[@joeyfaircloth9308]

5:10 that’s the Raven Queen.

[@TresTrefusis]

Great reaction, this was... amazing. You should totally still cosplay Uriel, dead or not he was an awesome character and you have his look.

[@erikaiverson4122]

Yes! You would be spectacular in Uriel cosplay!

[@laurahart1337]

We’re back!!! And yeah, buckle in this is going to be an exciting season. Hey, we’d love to see you cosplay Uriel! This would be amazing to see and I think Khary would love to see it! Yeah, remember, this is from a DND game. Anyone can die at any time. Be it beloved NPC or super important PC. ❤ Nothing but love! Edit: OMG that freestyle!!!! ❤❤❤

[@johnobrien7562]

They must have been so excited to get Lance Reddick for Thordak - The Wire is one of their favorite shows, and Matt even named Lady Kima after the character from the show.

[@ShadowyFox_86]

I saw an interview and Matt was like a kid at Christmas.

[@TheDonmayo]

You forgot the weird humanoid that Vax saw.

[@CallistoTheWarriorQueen]

Loved your reaction. Here we go again :D

[@asianwanderer7243]

lol Doordak The Cedar King... it's an on going joke about how they can't get past a door....

[@MarkJoseph4]

I've been really enjoying watching you guys reacting to this show. The engagement and enthusiasm really shines through. One of my favourite moments is at 6:49 in this video where Grog's axe shatters. If you watch the original Critical Role session for this moment Travis attacks and rolls a 19. Matt then says "19 misses" Travis is completely stunned 😅

[@Mary13Vieira]

I love that you guys analyse scanlan's moods by his chest hair, it's so funny!

[@smashbrandiscootch719]

17:37 That kid's name is Larkin. That's right, Critters! We're on Larkin watch and I spotted them! #LarkinWatch2023

[@SpySkater1]

Season 2! We’re in for some madness, based on this first episode! Love the fact that Matthew Mercer just plays one of the main villains every season.

[@AVJHalonen]

In all of the chaos and destruction didn't even notice Umbrasyl was voiced by Matt!

[@Mazygolucky]

You two give the best reactions! I watched you react to the first season and came here looking to see what you thought of this one! It’s so fun watching people who don’t know what’s coming react to it! I love the perspective shift from my own as someone who has seen all of Critical Role. There’s a lot coming that I am so excited to see you two react to!

[@FLStyle]

9:10 Blue fire, hotter than normal fire, it's most definitely not ice.

[@Sanguinis666]

Thordak took that mouth game to Godzilla levels.

[@carlotacosta9193]

The dragons look so dope :''')

[@duskodair309]

Wahoo. I've been so excited to see how you guys like it

[@Dogheadpunch]

Tyrone when he saw da dragons, “Shieeeeeeeettt!”.

[@RuviGaPo]

awe man please do still cosplay uriel that'd be so cool !!

[@Phi1618033]

Korma Conclave is what my toilet looks like the morning after I eat Indian food.

[@waynewatts8736]

Some body cast leomunds tiny hut on the King! Zevo it's your moment!

[@MeghanWithAnX]

You mentioned you were happy the shop keep didn't get killed off. In the actual campaign, he almost died. If they'd gotten to him any later, he'd have actually died. I *think* Matt said he had a timer going and they had to get to him before it went off.

[@targetdreamer257]

Can we have a moment for the badass opening music!

[@shanajeangedeon9060]

The dragon last season could speak too

[@Unkiebara]

17:17 i heard no difference. that was 1 to 1 accurate imitation

[@frogwithhumanteeth7808]

Y’know what’s interesting, Scanlan’s voice actor/player was in New York, near the World Trade Centre on 9/11, so Scanlan saying “The tower’s coming down” has entirely new connotations with that context

[@Fsudryden]

I know Lance Reddick from Fringe I never watched The Wire.

[@waynewatts8736]

What about the dragon lance?

[@gravesa2]

Season 2 lets gooooo

[@adela76]

Hold on, I thought he breathed blue fire following the red fire blast.

[@carlycchapman]

He did

[@AlmostOtaku7]

I know you'll see this late, but the green poison dragon is she/her. The others are he/him. (The white one may be a he/it? Unconfirmed, but referenced that way.)

[@AnxietyRat]

Specifically, the green dragon with poison breath. Not the black one that spews acid. Their colours aren't super distinct from each other in the lighting of the scene. I've seen a few non critters not realize that they're two different dragons.

[@waynewatts8736]

Scanlon is so full of it!

[@bonkiatsu470]

🔥❤️🔥

[@josue-xj9hy]

Season 2

[@mayaenglish5424]

4:07 lol girl don't even, he died in the campaign and he was white. Man's time was up. They just hired Khary so made Uriel black, (I'm not complaining).

[@Stackr6699]

Never understand reactors who talk all the time, you are not watching if your always talking, they tend to miss a lot as well.

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

5:05 I hate to be the "it's better in the manga" guy, but that bit is handled better in the live series. that's the Raven Queen, Matron Of Death.... basically, the Grim Reaper. the party had heard of her as 'Vesh', Kashaw's mate, back in episode 20 of the live stream, during the Trial Of The Take. *because* of that mission, is that the party *by now* should know about the Slayer's Take, the hunters guild of Vasselheim, which sends them to find the Deathwalker's Ward in the Sunken Tomb. Vax eventually gets the Ward and becomes a paladin of the Raven Queen. they're condensing a third of an arc that took place intercut with the Briarwoods arc during season 1. by the time of the dinner at Uriel's during season 1, when we meet the Briarwoods, they've already met Zahra and Kashaw, as well as Lyra, Thorbir, Vanessa and Mertin, all members of the Take, and also Lilith, Zahra's cousin, who shows up during the fight at the palace gardens, where Percy shoots the Briarwoods' servant. we'll meet the Take down the line from here. also, AT that fight in season 1, they should have Tyberius with them, but they cut the character from the story... and, back in episode 20, it is the half-party of Tyberius, Vax, Thorbir, Kashaw and Keyleth that accidentally burns the party's flying carpet during a failed roll, which they had been relying on up to that point, for tactical displacement. *from that fail* and loss of mobility, is that Vexahlia ends up getting the flying broom from Gern (a Dragonborn merchant) and becomes the long-range scout of the group. we'll get that broom here from Gilmore's shop instead of Gern. the other half-party (Vex, Percy, Lyra, Grog and Zahra) go to the mountains to fight Rimefang, an ice dragon, so *by this point* Vex should have an armor with cold resistance and some armor piercing arrows, and Grog should have the belt, but being unable to make it work. *AND* parallel to all of that, Pike is on her 'spiritual journey' via Skype, on and off the series, during much of the Briarwoods arc. also, I don't remember if it was at this point or further down the line, but Gilmore being rescued in bad shape out of Emon should feature Sherry, his shop assistant, and it's at that point that we see both his and her magic powers in combat, and Gilmore is still badass enough as he is then, to take down three armed thugs. Up until that point both of them had been rather unassuming. all of this to put you in context of how they're cutting and splicing things together.

[@kathrynrowland5165]

Spoiler warnings, please

[@BionicDirector117]

Kashaw's mate Vesh was a different entity. A lesser dark deity but The Raven Queen was the one that appeared because they were in the tomb of her champion.

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

@@BionicDirector117 yes, but at the time they thought it was the same entity.

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

@@kathrynrowland5165 dude, the live stream has been uploaded for 5 years already.

[@shadycactus6146]

but it’s still spoilers for people who are new to the story and experiencing it via the animated series

[@throwaway_nerd]

Just a note to you guys: Pay attention to the little girl with the vibrant green eyes Grog was talking to. Let’s just say she’s gonna be key in later events in season 2.

[@Zarsla]

So Spoiler: The family of Uriel survives in the game. I hope they survive in the series. As did Alaura(The blonde elf mage) and Lady Kima(Red Headed Drawf woman with a hammer)

[@carlycchapman]

Kima is a Halfling

[@boiledcrap]

We started with 4 dragons, but only 3 took off at the end. Where's the 4th? SPOILER I know...shhh

[@xfoaxreaper2845]

As someone who watched the live play version of this episode live... the voice direction is just bad. Matt somehow created 4 unique dragons with distinct voices that read as dragons in game. Half of the conclave sounds like just regular people. And they got top-notch VAs to fill those shoes, so it's gotta be a direction thing, but there is no belieable scale to the size of em. Think Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug the voice fit the size and scope of the creature... the Conclave just.... falls flat (I also really don't like the animation they're using for the dragons and bigger creatures, but that's just a taste thing so it's not a real issue with the show, just adds to it being meh for me). And a good portion of VMs dialog just sounds like they're reading lines in a booth. It's better than S1, but still. ... at least they're starting to show Grog, Scanlan, and Vax as being more than just cardboard characters of their original personalities.

[@AnxietyRat]

Yeah, I agree they should have made the dragons voices a little bit deeper and slower to emphasize their size. They talked completely normally like every other character in the show , except for Vorugal who does have a very deep voice, and so it doesn't hit the same how MASSIVE they are.