The Sun Tree moment - From the original campaign to Legend of Vox Machina

[@cuppa6319]

I love how in the campaign Marisha is the first person to verbalize the fact that the bodies are made to look like them and in the series Keyleth says "It's us"

[@MayTheOddsBeInYourFavor]

I like how this slowly dawned on everyone else that it was them

[@NerdOManyThings]

I agree, I also like how Percy was the first one to see them in the series, considering that in the campaign he was the first to go get a closer look. (Ik that Keyleth and Scanlan technically saw the bodies first in the campaign by flying overhead, but they didn't get close enough to realise what had happened)

[@30noir]

High wisdom character ;-)

[@Slothgreedenvy]

I agree and crazy, these little Easter eggs, or big call outs it's a great little factor that gets you hooked.

[@chubby_deity3143]

But Percy was the first to realize it, the cupping of the mouth at the 2nd description and the walking away by the third.

[@lucariothegodboi]

It gets even more fucking twisted as the credits roll. There is no music. All you can hear are the ropes... creaking.

[@hawkthetraveler6344]

I can't figure out how to get amazon to let me watch the whole credit roll!

[@troythacker4924]

@@hawkthetraveler6344 Just click the hide button on top left of the next episode preview button

[@Amikas117]

Oh my god, you’re right. That is *disturbing.*

[@arithedotanewb9126]

Thank you for pointing that out. That's creepy af

[@thefirstofthelastones8952]

When there's no music in the credits of a tv series, that's a sign shit's gonna get real!

[@shawnbrenneman3388]

It amazes me how Matt is able to give the exact right amount of details in his description of each body that most people don’t pick up on what he’s doing until he is nearly done. Then when the realization hits, those same vague details become crystal clear on who they represent. Amazing story telling.

[@Jaaaak]

When matt narrates dark, horror scenes, he does so well

[@auluadenbartolli6755]

I remember watching this live... really loved the whole briarwood arc.

[@dragonfreakinlord]

You can also see that whenever he says "hangs" he also tilts his head to mimic being in a noose.

[@mixofreak]

The moment he described the first child dressed in purple... I knew what he was doing, but couldn't believe it for a moment. I had done similar before in past campaigns, and so it stood out to me. The second Marisha realized it and said it aloud, and then the hung bear was described as well, that cemented it. That was, above all else, when I knew this wasn't the 'quirky group fights monsters' arc, even more than anything else described before in the arc.

[@MetFreak42]

@@auluadenbartolli6755 Yup, me too. Dammit I'm still crying...

[@djsndifn]

Matt is absolutely insane. The show had such a good build up to this moment, with the Briarwoods inviting that family. Zero remorse. You can also tell the moment, after Marisha, when the party realized. Evil.

[@TheSantifive]

What gets me is how everyone involved is so into the story they immediately chalk it up to the Briarwoods. That's some suspension of disbelief, commitement and superb story telling to make sure your party doesn't go "Our DM is an actual psycho".

[@0Winkleson0]

I had chills when Lady Briarwood put the faux holy symbol necklace on the girl's throat.

[@djsndifn]

@@0Winkleson0 I was so confused initially when the girl got the pendant, then when I saw her on the tree… I audibly gasped and had to pause it for a minute.

[@corndog4848]

That was an amazing moment, those who knew what was about to happen, just horrifying. Also a perfect cliff hanger.

[@kack1991]

@@0Winkleson0 I was confused when that happened then remembered this scene. Only down side to knowing the whole story already. But amazing adaptation!

[@rwolfheart6580]

love how they kept Keyleth as the first one to realize what it meant

[@hyogako]

I am actually wondering whether Talisien was the first to realize in the orginial version (look at his face before he says Percy walks away). If so, they did also a great job on visualizing this in the series now.

[@critter8132]

@@hyogako makes sense then for him to be the first to notice but Keyleth still being the first one to audibly realize the situation, but yeah I totally feel like Percy knew immediately but internalized it

[@dayart5498]

@@hyogako I agree, I think he suspects after the first one and If you look at his face when Matt describes the "red painted hair" I think that's when he confirms his suspicion, but he, as Percy would, doesn`t say it out-loud. I think maybe because, even if its surprising, Percy was aware of the cruelty of the Briarwoods, he is hurt that it came to this, but is not the shock that the rest of the party has, they probably would never imagine someone ever doing something like this, specially Keyleth, the most innocent of them.

[@fiyero51]

​@hyogako nope it was marisha who put it together first

[@piercewise1]

This was the moment in C1 that Critical Role became more than just a D&D game. Like I was excited during the escape from the Underdark, I loved the Trial of the Take. I cheered for Grog vs Kern (pts 1 & 2) but this...this was something else. And macabre as it is, I was thrilled at the idea of seeing it animated. But the moment Delilah put the necklace on that little girl for her "special mission" I started crying. Such an intense scene. And the "it's us..." after the cut to black - wow.

[@trueRocc]

Agreed, I thought that was before this arc, but it's been so long, don't like that they made lady Kema be rude to this group, considering they saved her.

[@TheAsmodha]

When I saw Delilah put the necklace on that little innocent girl I realize what was going to happen. First I thought they were meant to feed Sylas, but then, after the necklace... I just start saying "Fuck" for a whole minute straight.

[@SkrymNV]

I did not realize at first since it's been a while since i've seen this episode on CR.

[@luthienmpl]

@@trueRocc Technically speaking if the show went 100% by CR canon, the battle against Krieg happened before the Underdark arc, and seeing as Kima met them in the Underdark for the first time she shouldn't have been at that council meeting at all. They played around with the early timeline a little bit to make it less confusing for new viewers it seems.

[@patricklogan2556]

@@TheAsmodha The little girl was voiced by one of Sam's kids.

[@peter_parkour]

This is so good. You can actually see exactly when the penny dropped on Marisha and Sam's faces.

[@tycol322]

I think you can see the moment for everyone save Liam who sends to have kept a pretty good poker face

[@jasonhale8836]

Marisha is so sharp. Every time Matt starts dropping breadcrumbs she just picks them up.

[@bessieburnet9816]

Lover's intuition.

[@ShapezPuller64]

Why you gotta make it like that.

[@_snowylil]

@@bessieburnet9816 Nah, this is genuinely just a Marisha thing, she's apparently known for delving deep and unravelling clues in things and it's part of why Matt proposed to her using a whole fancy mystery thing (there's a video on his channel I think)

[@dayart5498]

Yeah, she is also an amazing note-taker, like conversations and all, in campaign 2, her character's "job" its partly to investigate, and she nails it! writing down clues and scenes, connecting them together... she even has one of those TV detective moments of connecting the dots and almost crazily explaining her theories, and she gets quite close to the truth!

[@AnnabelleSpender]

@@dayart5498 This is why I love her characters and her as a DM in the Honey Heists, she has such a great mind but because she played KiKi everyone didn't take her seriously especially early on. Marisha was able to pull off that looks like her head is in the clouds but reality is that she is thinking differently and piecing things together. Marisha shows that with all her characters (though only just starting C3 so will see what she brings there) in that they look very one note at first glance but have a really complex background, personality or mind

[@Sophieisprettycool]

Also, something to note is the sound effects of the end credits. The sounds of the rope that holds these bodies being pushed in the desolate wind were truly the nail in the coffin `no pun intended`, cementing the impact of the Briarwood's wrath.

[@ramblinentertainment1922]

That’s exactly what I thought. Glad others noticed it

[@lucasxfiuza]

That was so brutal.

[@bessieburnet9816]

That was the scariest shit to end an episode on. It's no longer than the romp it was in the first two episodes. We're in some dark crap.

[@2049571]

Onore, Briarwoods!

[@Zapporah85]

When they showed those people first, I immediately said "Oh no... No that's not fair...." We didn't have to see them alive in the campaign. It definitely hit harder.

[@RichardGadsden]

We've seen them alive in Campaign Three now, though.

[@Plague-speaker]

@@RichardGadsden alive is a bit stretching it

[@sdagoth3037]

In a sense it hit harder, but there's nothing like that moment of initial realization after that build-up.

[@MrSamTealeaf]

To me the scene with the Sun Tree set the entire tone for this entire arc. I mean we knew Lord Sylas was dangerous with him being a vampire and Lady Delilah was an incredibly power necromancer but the scene with the Sun Tree just broke me as you got to see the lengths the Briarwoods would go to just to instil fear upon Vox Machina, the populace of Whitestone as well as the audience. This is why the Legend of Vox Machina is amazing because we as Critters know what's going to happen, we knew the scene with the Sun Tree was inevitable (even if you didn't watch campaign 1) but when Delilah told the child she had won a special prize (or something along those lines) we knew what was going to happen and just knowing the end result just made the scene that much more impactful.

[@lilysong1321]

I had to pause and curse I was so dang angry. My husband asked if I was ok.

[@crasyperson123]

It's been a long time since i've seen C1, but the second Delilah broght out the holy symbol, I remembered. I look forward to both of her deaths, as well as Silas'.

[@maqattack4077]

As someone who didn't watch C1, I had no idea this was coming. Shook me to my core.

[@lilysong1321]

@@maqattack4077 what a fun thing to experience. I’m a new Critter and I started to listen from the beginning. I had just finished the Briarwood arc when the show premiered.

[@andrewwebb3248]

@@crasyperson123 As soon as I saw the symbol I was horrified as to what was coming and excited because this is where everything gets turned to 11 and doesnt stop.

[@twebible]

Because I didn't watch campaign one and probably won't, because I don't think I'll have the time to catch up, I truly appreciate these kinds of videos that focus on the portions of campaign one that are being utilized for the animated series. I love to see how they translated the gameplay into animation.

[@Relixification]

you missing out. It's far more elaborate in climax in comparison to C2.

[@CorvusIII_]

C1 was in my opinion better than C2. You should take some time to listen to all of scanlans songs. They were a huge part of C1 and made shit extremely funny. I miss scanlans singing the most.

[@KahosSaint]

The sessions are too long. Not everyone can dedicate the time to a series that has a longer run time than the whole of the Simpson's franchise.

[@OmegaJr]

If you can listen to it they have all the episodes on podcast. That's how I have been keeping up.

[@kuroneko1813]

@@KahosSaint for the longer episodes I did speed up the video a bit. But I’m happy my friends recommended to watch C1 first

[@Ubermensch9240]

"I am walking the fuck away." Wiser works have never been said.

[@DemoBytom]

It's like that moment in Event Horizon. They see what happened to previous crew -> "WE'RE LEAVING!"

[@Ubermensch9240]

@@DemoBytom kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3fNiJhpZriSZsk

[@AcePlaysTCGs]

And it came from the same guy who said "Life needs things to live".

[@Hawk_of_Battle]

@@DemoBytom "I have no intention of leaving her, Doctor. I will take the Lewis and Clark to a safe distance and then I'll launch TAC missiles at the Event Horizon until I'm satisfied she's vaporized. Fuck this ship!"

[@glenthygesen62]

He realized what it was and just noped out.

[@mathsalot8099]

I appreciate that Matt is sensitive to his players. He pushes them hard, but when Marisha tells him to stop because she's had too much, he backs off and lets them process. He could have kept going with his descriptions (he hadn't finished the party), but he respected her limits. Well done, sir.

[@bmalloy0]

That's something they've talked about a lot. Matt is VERY sensitive to his player's emotions and often will check in them during break/after episodes just to make sure everyone is okay

[@bessieburnet9816]

Especially sweet given Marisha is his wife.

[@Klausbro]

@@bessieburnet9816 well she was just his girlfriend at the time but yeah

[@PlayerZeroStart]

Yeah, this is good DMing. A professional DM I know has a "safe word" of sorts, umbrella. If at any point you get too uncomfortable, you can say "umbrella" and while that won't stop the scene from happening, he will stop describing the scene and quickly move along. He even makes sure every single session that all his players knows about it, even if every player has been in one of his games before.

[@lightup6751]

I dont mean that in a disrespectful way and I truly enjoy DnD and especially Critical Role and the Vox Machina crew. Such lovely people. That being said they are just playing an imaginary game. Its role-play. They are acting at the end of the day. Nothing about Matt’s descriptions or stories is remotely as dark and brutal as so many other immersive media as r-rated movies and tv shows. I played DnD myself but I dont think anyone would ever not be okay after a session of DnD.

[@arlyssstewart3040]

It took me a second to figure out why trinkets body double wasn't there. But in the show the Briarwood's never saw trinket bc he wasn't taken to the party and bc when they sent the wraiths, if they did choose to scry on vox machina during the attack, trinket was chained outside the keep

[@Logan_Baron]

Ah Thanks. I was wondering myself why they didn't include the bear body.

[@negativeview]

What you said is probably the in-universe explanation. But what also probably contributed was just how much political trouble you can get into showing animal cruelty, even in animated form, even in a show that is dark as can be otherwise. I am pretty sure that played a part.

[@Companion92]

@@negativeview What about the lamb in Ep. 1? They we're not holding back there

[@negativeview]

@@Companion92 Yeah, they have hurt animals, but it's been pretty quick scenes. I think having a bear hanging by its neck would have been a touch too far. Maybe I'm wrong and that didn't play into the calculations at all, it's just a theory.

[@hawkmore]

@@negativeview Haha I'm pretty sure it's just because hanging a bear looks goofy. It makes it kind of obvious and I don't think it lands as well They impaled a horse earlier in that episode. They didn't need to IMPALE A HORSE, but they did. I don't think they care about hanging a bear

[@lary6420]

It almost doesn't feel real that, after years of this being described for the 1st time by Matt, is actually being portrayed. Now we live in a world where a pivotal moment in Critical Role is visually depicted and it's just as terrifyingly morbid as you could imagine. And I love the fact that we as a community made this happen.

[@Jdwg72]

Love that Marisha is the first to point it out, and Kieleth gets the black screen line, “It’s us.” Shows how much effort they put in to keeping the show as authentic as possible.

[@kmb3056]

The feeling of knowing what the small child “won” was brimming with both dread and anticipation for all critters

[@I-VisiBomb-I]

the ending of this episode was amazing. no voice, almost no music, only the sound of ropes. this is what good sound design sounds like.

[@zippomage]

i loved that it was basically like, even the music was shocked into silence.

[@sc3961]

I actually despise that I just now realized that the pendant the grotesque woman that is Delilah Briarwood gives the small child (after the little girl asks if they won something) is meant to foreshadow that she will be hung as Pike on the tree...

[@eternasapphiremoon81]

I honestly forgot about this moment, wondering why a necromancer would give a child a symbol of the Everlight...a wooden one but still...

[@techfoolcasey4348]

Op: don't beat yourself up. Most of us live our lives, and we don't unlock the doors of the houses where monsters live. So the shock is painful. Just remember the old phrase " we need stories with monsters in them, because they inspire us to fight our monsters, and teach us how to do it." I don't know you. But I wish you joy , strength , and skill. And eventually, a monster-free house.

[@xavierstrain6158]

@@techfoolcasey4348 these words are spoken by someone with a 22 Wis

[@patginty]

@@techfoolcasey4348 “Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.” - G.K. Chesterton

[@techfoolcasey4348]

@@patginty Chesterton is a hundred times or more the wordsmith that I will ever be. Thank you for the quote!

[@tompotter8703]

I love the mirrored short of the bodies and the people they were meant to represent. The video itself also contrasts the slow buildup and a stark realisation.

[@theodorehsu5023]

And the horror that Vox Machina was expected, and that they should count on dying if they continued. For in Percy's town there was Death on the Sun Tree.

[@lukesandadordoceu4835]

Matt is a fucking genius, he built the perfect atmosphere for this arc (well, he does it for every arc)

[@nogitsune4452]

Matt really does seem to like his dark twisted horror genre. I recall his descriptions of many-a-fiend and how vividly he portrayed them.

[@thenecrodancer4833]

@Nogitune Well he does certainly seem to enjoy dark fantasy setting like the Witcher, no wonder he’s proficient in such macabre themes! Something to look up to for dark fantasy campaigns imo ^^

[@tabiibat]

This is the moment Keyleths heart really broke and she decided she was going to save as many of these people as she could. That’s why she fought back so hard when the others wanted to rest, she was grieving Percy’s entire town, not just Percy’s family.

[@dcdids2011]

The poor Keyleth double. She had those antlers of her nailed on her head. I assume it was done while she was still alive.

[@UncontainablePickle-_420]

I like how in the animated show, Keyleth, like Marisha herself, was the first to note the bodies looking like them. I mean honestly, I think it means less to Percy that they look like them, and more that he's furious that his people were hung in his home.

[@samminicksm]

Actually Percy (in both) understands it first. In the stream, he walks away because he’s figured it out and it makes him sick. In the show, he stops stunned the moment he sees it, looking horrified. Keyleth is just the first to verbalize it each time.

[@snarglblargn4986]

Defiling a sacred tree no less

[@matc1995]

? it was Sam that first said "Is that us?" then few seconds later Marisha says "It's us"

[@UncontainablePickle-_420]

@@matc1995 yeah but look at her reaction, she knew first

[@snarglblargn4986]

@@matc1995 barely heard it but he did

[@Dragoflare]

Thumbs up if your here to rewatch this after Laudna’s revelation in campaign 3 episode 17.

[@croatiancowboy]

I'm really glad the animated series came out BEFORE the big lore bomb from laudna because i've never seen a single second of campaign 1 but now im clued in and that shit blew my mind watching it last night!

[@Amaleigh2024]

I xame here after campaign 3 ep 6 when I just heard the words: whitestone, 2 days dead, briarwood, and necromancy. I just had to see it again

[@Rye_Toast]

Me, this explains so much. I haven't seen the animated series yet or watched C1 so I was clueless, I kind of pieced together what I thought happened but I think this was a spoiler that was very much needed to fully understand what's happening in C3.

[@OberonFirestorm]

I love how much focus is put on the little girl dressed as Pike. Makes me wonder how long Marisha had Laudna cooked up and ready to go...

[@artemisz9247]

🥲🥲🥲

[@zero3045]

As soon as i saw those villagers appear in the episode I was like: Oh shit. I know what's gonna happen to them.

[@redtg2gaming119]

WAIT, I didn’t even realise that…. THATS SO DARK

[@johnobrien7562]

@@redtg2gaming119 and the little girl was voiced by Sam's daughter!

[@hotcrossbuns6585]

Critical Role fans when they see a family of 7: *fear*

[@CrownofMischief]

It didn't click for me until Delilah gave the girl the necklace. At first I thought they were being brought in as food for Silas or something, and then that scene happened and I suddenly remembered everything. They're doing a really fun job showing the Briarwoods' perspective

[@scooty4743]

@@CrownofMischief no same I was like “oh she’s feeding Sylas” then put the necklace on the child and I paused and said “oh fuck the sun tree”

[@draycen7242]

God the "its us" gives me chills.

[@itachi112059]

I never realized the sun tree was that big

[@MajorSkrewup]

vids only an hour old and you're already fat shaming sun tree?

[@moonlight2870]

They trimmed the bushes

[@iamcactus9506]

I said the same thing!

[@hhylobates4098]

Yeah when it showed up in the concept art looking like that i wondered how they were actually going to hang anything from it. Like are those the fancy enchanted infinite ropes? What are they actually tied to, the branches are so far up and wide around? But notice the ropes just disappear out of frame 😅 design team dosent have an answer, they're even hanging at the wrong angle to be from a branch.

[@rosasunsprite8901]

@Kristopher Chavez I think they were just joking

[@themetallicmoon]

The show did a beautiful job of showing this gruesome moment but nothing will beat Matt slowly describing each person until Marisha finally gets it along with the rest of the group, truly horrifying.

[@yiklongtay6029]

One of the few times where the inefficient nature of describing things (compared to a visual medium) really works to the story's benefit

[@pattmahiney]

Someone in chat really said "percy's family tree" that's cold af 😂😂

[@mb2001]

Unfortunately, the reality of it was much worse.

[@R3dB0t1]

Looking back at this during campaign 3, Hi Laudna

[@chrisperry4014]

Not me analyzing frame-by-frame and listening intently to Matt’s descriptions after watching C3x16 and learning about someone’s backstory.

[@searaph]

This is the moment when things felt like they were getting really serious in the campaign. Before it felt more light hearted, people having a good time, but then this scene, this scene just gets right to your core. Both in the campaign and in the animated version

[@cobaltcerezo]

coming back here after tonight's episode of campaign 3... wow, just wow

[@lilysong1321]

This moment made me cry when I heard it the first time. The second time when I saw it in the show… when I watched Delilah invite the “guests” I paused walked off and cursed. I called Delilah all sorts of names and I was soooo dang angry.

[@Aetheria60]

My mother came into the room to see who I was calling a bitch over and over. lol I'd never reacted that way to the game, but that scene of the lambs being led to slaughter just made it so much more personal.

[@lilysong1321]

@@Aetheria60 that’s what I called her as well. My husband kept asking “who’s a bitch??”

[@snarglblargn4986]

Same..

[@yuui9183]

Note how at 1:32, Marisha immediately starts to work on Laudna's backstory.

[@ktartyk]

correct me if I'm wrong the girl who's made to "represent" vex, on the tree, is laudna, right ( well, I mean, will become laudna by campaign three) ?

[@usxxgrant]

You are correct.

[@benh2339]

This scene is so fucking good and so fucking chilling that I almost forget Matt had to actually think of it. What a diabolical madman.

[@PrinceIMC]

When they realize. There are a few moments where I think they are scared that they’re friends with Matt.

[@carolsz.1989]

I appreciate the original C1 scene with the animated clip. So awful. So good. So intense. I was dreading/waiting for this scene. And now that I look at it up close, it's even more horrifying. It looks like they nailed "Keyleth's" antlers right to her head.

[@eternasapphiremoon81]

My concern is: did they do that before, or after they killed these people? Or was the murder of that particular one during the 'nailing' of the antlers? From the looks of them though, they were tortured/killed before being strung up, since the corpses were fresh...

[@beeta137]

@@eternasapphiremoon81 I’m convinced they were tortured and then executed by hanging. The wounds on their heads and faces look like cuts/incisions. All of them have their mouths open and some with their tongues protruding - a hallmark of hanging. I blame reading too much Detective Conan as a child.

[@snarglblargn4986]

At best they were charmed and prepared before being hung and hopefully didnt realize what was happening to them But knowing Delilahs sadistic mind...

[@anonymousfellow8879]

Stupid question but: Is Tiberius part of the Briarwoods Arch? (I’m currently working through the Underdark arch and Orion’s already…Orion. I’d rather not watch more of his bad etiquette than I’d have to; but I don’t want to miss out on Key VM Character Exploration, either)

[@snarglblargn4986]

@@anonymousfellow8879 he was removed before this arc

[@edh9999]

Hearing Matt describe it all that time ago made it a moment none of us who watched it live during the stream forget. To actually see it...wow. I can't believe (and am immensely impressed) that they were given the green light for this.

[@salamiraccoon]

I think, it's such an iconic moment of the show that there's no way they could have NOT shown it

[@danielmcgillis270]

The moment when your DM takes the game into a very dark and horrible place. And in the back of your mind, you are thinking "Man o' man this going to be good!"

[@FCFAraneta]

I've been watching Campaign 1 during the pandemic. I'm on the last episode. Watching The Legend of Vox Machina is such an experience.

[@GrndAdmiralThrawn]

Me too

[@MCracknell]

I love these comparison videos, but I wasn't expecting for that scene to be so damn confronting.

[@Indioprophecy81]

When they showed the little kid asking Delilah if she won a prize and me knowing what will happen to them broke me. Holy crap TLoVM are going for it. Moments like that is why I love watching CR and now to see it animated w/ added scenes gives it a whole new level.

[@pebbellz]

Watching this again after campaign 3 episode 17... Gives it a whole new darkness.

[@johnny--guitar]

I really love that if you put "sun tree" in the KZbin search bar, you either get horrifically traumatic hanged bodies, or stoner tree friend.

[@rantdmc]

horrific, evil, magnificent - one of the truly great impactful moments!

[@roguishowl3915]

When Dahlila gave the young girl a copy of pikes neckless I was horrified, for the simple reason as I was going to see this sinister and morbid scene that was played out in words back in C1 become both visually and audibly represented.

[@bessieburnet9816]

That was literally the most scariest shit to end an episode on. And the fact that there is no music in the credits and you just hearing the ropes creaking throughout it all. Ugh. You thought from the first two episodes it would be a fun romp with immature adult humor? Nah, we're in deep with the dark shit.

[@ElizaShakiraMassani]

The moment in the campaign you could tell who has the faster imagination / comprehension of what was happening and during the series it gives the same “oh f*ck vibes” they did so well.

[@BossDragon3000]

To me it was far worse in the to see animated. The hope in their eyes that they would get a proper meal and small break from what their lives had become for at least one night. It broke my heart knowing what was to come and how unfair life can be sometimes.

[@Aetheria60]

Oh yeah. I mean it was always bad, but seeing the people being brought in that way just made it so much more personal and cruel than if they'd just sent their lackeys out to kill some random villagers. I was actually calling Delilah a bitch out loud, which never happened in any of the times I've watched C1. lol

[@bessieburnet9816]

That little girl... So happy that she won a "prize" and Delilah's faux "kindness"...

[@favlilnap]

Campaign 1 had some pretty dark moments.. What an epic campaign

[@youtubestaffaretrash9258]

Please do more of these so people see what spawned it, they deserve the recognition, and they might end up with an even larger fan base from it, this is the best show ever because I got to see it written before me. So much adlib so much talent, anyway thanks for this. Been watching on an off since campaign 1. Best moments, grog talking to his sword, and every attempt fluffernutter and everything involving Scanlin and grog.

[@TheDjdjakko]

Man its lovely of them to do a full campaign and animated show so we can see Laudnas backstory!

[@legacylightsaber]

Thank you for the upload! I never caught the first campaign (joined for the second) so TLOVM is the first time I'm really watching the Briarwood arc and I immediately wondered what this was like in the game. To be fair, I only realised what was up when she said "it's us", so I did have to rewind to check because it happened rather quickly. Figured something might be up when Delilah gave the kid that Everlight necklace though

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

I agree with you. I was familiar with the moment but that was definately not so well exectuted with the blocking and cutting of the scene. You could miss it if you weren't paying attention.

[@codex_jinora]

I replied to this comment but for some reason it was deleted. All I was saying was that I watched campaign 1 and I was also caught off-guard, so youre not alone there! It was an amazing scene. Let's see if this comment gets through.

[@legacylightsaber]

@@codex_jinora I saw your comment when it was still up! Not sure why it was deleted :l but yes, would've been more impactful if they lingered on the shot a little longer maybe. I did love the shot with the line up, followed by the VM line up! Clever cinematography there :D

[@LordRaven222]

I was sort of in the same boast but I mostly watch Critical Role from season 2 onwards and never found time to watch the early vids so when I was watching the episode and I was OMG. I was wondering if this scene was in there.

[@zerokenyon]

I'd like to say thank you, there are all these references I cant go back and find from CR, but your hard work allows me to re experience them, when the new animated series touches on them.

[@elizabethkblanco4620]

There is a difference between hearing it being described and actually seeing it animated. That difference is huge.

[@TheReadingCowgirl]

Came back to watch this after episode 17 of campaign 3. It hurts even more now….

[@alittleantidote5852]

I'm back here after C3 E17. I really got to hand it to Marisha. Even with it being guessed by some critters, it was still haunting to get it confirmed. Absolutely twisted stroke of genius

[@Rezinstance]

I really don't know how she managed to get a hattrick with me. All 3 of her campaign characters have been my number 1 favs for different reasons..... How the fuck did she do that?

[@ramblinentertainment1922]

It’s crazy to think some people are going to be experiencing this epic moment for the first time, in animation

[@myshestephenson778]

It was pretty horrifying. When the family showed up, I just assumed it was fantasy Door Dash for Sylas.

[@Missespeach]

When I tell you about the shock I had while watching the show... Because I did not know what would happen. I was not prepared. I did not know how unbelievably cruel the Briarwoods were and what they were capable of. I'm at episode 26 of C1 now and I know damn well that this scene won't propably hit the same (especially now that I've seen it). But I have never experienced something similar when I was watching any other show. This is completely insane and I can't put into words how much I respect Matt's storytelling and way of describing.

[@Ill-informedart]

Welp after watching the latest episode of Campaign 3 this whole moment has a whole new level of sadness now

[@ridiculousboots9368]

Laudna's first official appearance in VoxMacina verse

[@BromoProductions]

Black haired woman is Laudna from their current campaign, god my mind is blown.

[@Lv20Bard]

Wow. Imagine going back in time and telling them who one of those bodies would be....

[@Sp3llmen]

Its nice that keyleth/marisha is the first to realize who they are dressed up to be, and also that her campaign 3 character is one of them hanging from the tree. Thats some wild world building I try to achieve haha

[@elfbreath]

What makes this moment even worse: during the credits you can hear the sound of ropes creaking.

[@littlemisspsych1218]

It’s been a while since I watched campaign one so at first I didn’t realise what was happening but when Delilah told that child she’s won a special prize and gave her the necklace, I swear my blood ran cold as I remembered!

[@davidbergfors6820]

A very impressive story beat that is seared into my brain. took me a while to remember Tiberious.

[@Crit_Role_Is_Awesome]

Watching this scene again after learning about Laudna makes it hurt even more.

[@jurekovacic1739]

I love it that it has now bevome cannon tha Laudna is one of the 2 girls hung here (Laudna is from campaign 3). Like the extend that they go into to make this world feel alive, connected and truly immersive is astounding. Truly, the Critical Role cas is the goat.

[@chiefbigsad7995]

laudna was the stand in for Keyleth, ironically. "they cut my ears, to make them pointy"

[@BruddaJakka]

@@chiefbigsad7995 Nope. Marisha confirmed she was Vex's.

[@chiefbigsad7995]

@@BruddaJakka well that makes literally no sense. She said they cut her ears into points. And keyless was half elf, and the only party member with pointy ears.

[@tobiisagoodboy8510]

@ChiefBigSad Please go see a doctor. Your brain seems to have caught a few bugs.

[@jurekovacic1739]

@@chiefbigsad7995you would be mistaken in thst regard. Vex and Vax were half-elves too.

[@testfire3000]

Thank you for the side by side comparisons of the scenes. I remember that moment in C1, but lets be honest it was a very long time ago.

[@grey8288]

To note for those who haven't seen C1, the red painted person stood for the dragonborn Tiberius, who was a member of VM in the home game and through the first arc of the streaming game, but the player Orien departed from the game for a variety of reasons and due to a mix of his attachment to Tiberius and due to Orien's behavior in that early phase, the character Tiberius has been cut from almost all of CR official content production.

[@SomeYouTubeTraveler]

From a legal standpoint he decided to copyright Tiberius as well. Makes sense, since he'd have to get paid royalties for the show. Which means it also makes sense they cut him completely. Worth a shot for a minor income stream, and I don't blame him. But it's still kinda sad we can't even see him get a cameo unless some stars align.

[@l3ftie578]

the show just doesn't feel the same with no wizard in the party, i wish things turned out differently

[@VinceValentine]

@@l3ftie578 Tiberius was a sorcerer, not a wizard... but yeah, most spellcasters were nerfed in the animated show. Keyleth can barely heal, Scanlan uses barely anything beyond Bigby's (Scanlan's) hand... whereas Pike can suddenly Turn Undead several hundred creatures at 500 feet radius.

[@angeryfluuf6514]

@@VinceValentine well I mean, Clerics, you know.

[@VinceValentine]

@@angeryfluuf6514 The power level is still wildly different from scene to scene. [Spoiler for Ep 8] In the C1 stream, Prof. Anders dominated Grog... in the LOVM episode, Anders managed to dominate four characters at once. The animated series clearly does not run on D&D rules, and they avoid all D&D-specific names like Vecna.

[@JesJackson210]

When the scene showed up on my screen I had to stop, I wasn't ready. That poor little girl. I cried watching Delilah putting the necklace on her. I knew the scene was going to be in the show but I wasn't ready. And then when Keyleth goes "it's us" I instantly flashed back to the actual campaign to when she figured it out... I died a little more inside.

[@cryam6428]

I love moments like this where they start taking notes about what Matt is describing and slowly realize what's going putting pencils down.

[@rwolfheart6580]

The scene before this where the Briarwoods summon the people was such good foreshadowing too. I had to rewind, I was so stunned that I missed it at first.

[@Xantar]

First appearance of Laudna!!

[@danijay6410]

its so weird rewatching knowing that the vex on that tree is laudna and that she will wake up soon to a bitch in her head 😭😭

[@Kavik_tv]

Please do more of these as they come up in the show!

[@BeinIan]

Marisha fucking nailed it with that last line. The delivery gave me chills.

[@Eszra]

I remember watching this live! Also im nearly in tears but if you look at the woman dressed as Kiki they nailed the horns to her head and they did it likely when still alive because the dead dont bleed.

[@wishstruck]

saw this moment live all those years ago and i woke my house up (east coast) was not ready for the reveal and the animated show twists that knife with the child looking at delilah with an innocent hope

[@evalynn1863]

It's so wild to see myself comment in the chat from all those years ago. It seems like I was just seeing this for the first time like a few months ago. I can't believe how far they've come and how bone-chilling this still is both in the campaign video and in the animated series.

[@DoctorMcHerp]

What I really love about the animated version is that Keyleth pointing out who the bodies are meant to represent is a reflection of Marisha being the first one to understand what Matt was describing, which makes sense even down to the mechanics of the game because Keyleth has the highest WIS score in the party (sans Pike), so it would make sense, despite her naivete, to understand it right away.

[@timberwolfo5]

Just here from the episode 17 of campaign three :-)

[@nickthedreamer4434]

Without saying spoilers... ...SOMETHING JUST HAPPENED IN C3 THAT MAKES THIS SCENE HIT SO MUCH HARDER.

[@thehauler4990]

ARE WE TALKIN BOUT LAUDNA? SPOILERS? SHES SUPPOSEDLY ONE OF THEM RIGHT?

[@stugod5000]

Matt's detail is insane, watching all their faces as they realise what is going on. I love the fan theory that this is where we also see laudna (From C3) for the first time as well who is the vex stand-in.

[@VeteranVandal]

Hey, look, its Laudna in the tree!

[@Odisher7]

Congrats on laudna for being the first of the bells hells to appear in a show xd

[@stormcloudsabound]

I'm gonna be honest, I didn't connect with C1 as much as I did C2 (I found the characters in C2 more likeable and compelling), but this moment in the original show ALWAYS hits me--I have to stop what I'm doing and take it in. The slow horror is soul-wrenching, and when Matt started describing the clothing and appearance of the bodies, I figured out pretty quickly that it was meant to look like Vox Machina, and these poor people (and the bear) were collateral damage because of VM's decisions. Fucked up. Really well presented. It actually made me sick the first time I saw it. I'm a bit worried that I consider it to be my favorite C1 moment. It didn't hit as hard in the TV show because you just kinda SEE the bodies, and the scene is not described one-by-one with the bodies, so it's not a slow burn. It's more of a few shots of shock that make you go, "Oh SHIT." That being said, there is still that same sense of realization and horror, because you can actually look from the bodies to the party and make the same connection, perhaps more quickly than when Matt was simply describing it. And the shot where you see all of them, you could only really do that in a show or movie. THAT was new, and that gave me a new sense of terror. Overall, I did prefer the original, but I do think that may be because I saw the live play show first.

[@BeinIan]

Yeah, C1 was definitely a different vibe from 2 and 3. The characters were made for a private game, so they were much more like avatars of the players than characters on a show. They each took their individual canon more seriously, because their character was originally made in a more intimate setting. And the show got way more attention than they expected, so they suddenly felt a lot of pressure to keep people interested. So Matt stuck with classic DnD stuff like dragons, vampires, and liches. He kept the story serious and let the players provide the comedy. It led to some deep romances and intense emotional scenes that had a lot of weight, but it also had occasional moments that felt like a soap opera. Improv drama is way harder than improv comedy. Once they started fresh with the knowledge that they'd be streaming, they made characters tailored to an entertainment setting. No "Stonejaw Strongjaw." No "What's the worst character? A gnome bard sounds shitty, I'll be that." Just thoughtful backstories and compelling personalities. They loosened up with what they were willing to joke about (mainly because of Jester), but they were still very serious about not referencing C1 too much. Then C3 rolled around and it's a full-on clusterfuck. They know the critters are here to stay no matter what they do. They know that playing how they want is what we want. They don't try to force combat into every episode. They just play pretend and joke about each other's old characters and talk about Pussy. It's glorious.

[@travisharris5282]

For me I too really like the characters in C2, but Vax in C1, after jumping out the window, and the improv thoughts he had about the team...I teared up. Chills. I think that's why I kept watching if im being honest. I was a touch sad it did not make it to the show, but translating an internal monologue would be very hard. The whole briarwood arc was SO GOOD

[@thadofalltrades]

Adding the scene where the victims are brought to the Briarwoods and the little girl was given the wooden holy symbol added a lot to that slow burn.

[@stormcloudsabound]

@@BeinIan Definitely agree with all of this, and WOW c3 really is off the rails in the best way! I’ve been enjoying it so far.

[@BeinIan]

@@stormcloudsabound i didn't mean to write a whole-ass essay, it just kinda kept coming out 🤣 and yeah C3 just keeps getting better

[@GeassEnabler]

Have y'all seen C3E17? Got some juicy stuff there too... Man this series just keeps giving

[@mrtoast244]

I never knew Critical Role was this intense sometimes.. I've just started watching Campaign 3 and so far it's felt like a regular (high quality af) DND campaign that I've played in. I really like the show because I never would have made it to this point of the story through the days of content leading up to it.

[@Mrs.Happy-Go-Lucky]

I felt that......watching during the campaign was a wow moment. But seeing it play out is another.

[@Taizen001]

Me, coming back here after watching episode 17 of Campaign 3 🤯

[@mach2922]

This is already fucked up. But... (C3 Spoilers) This means so much more after that Laudna lore drop. Guessing she the one dressed like Vex

[@TekilaCocktailSuRi]

Considering Keyleths lookalike actually has red paint smeared through her hair and Laudna having a white strand of hair it could also be her? Maybe she bleached out the red paint or something. Though I admit both are very possible at this point.

[@flamingbull3438]

@@TekilaCocktailSuRi I thought Laudna mentioned having her ears cut to a point, like those of a half-elf

[@anonymousfellow8879]

@@flamingbull3438 I’m currently working through the S1 Underdark campaign (and Orion’s starting to REALLY be…Orion…) and I gotta know: Is Tiberius part of this arc? I know Orion is kicked out around episode 30 or so (I’m on episode 11 currently.) I watched Legend of Vox Machima, but I *really* want to listen to This Arch’s original dnd episodes…but only if Orion’s not part of the show during it. (I’m flatout going to skip whatever’s after the Underdark Arch unless there’s significant Character Exploration like there is for Percy…in which case I’ll try my best to tolerate…)

[@friendlynhvamp3400]

@@anonymousfellow8879 Tiberius is, Orion isn't for half of it. Orion got kicked out pretty much in the middle of it, and Matt had Tiberius as an NPC for a while, and at the end of the arc gave the character a send off

[@Nolzhan]

CAN I PLEASE GUSH ABOUT HOW GOOD MARISHA IS??? I was introduced to crit roll by campaign 2 and seeing the contrast between beau and keyleth is INSANE

[@lozm4835]

Oh, this particular comment ages SO well.

[@LadyRamkinFP]

Hey look, its Laudna.

[@danielstephens1185]

4:39 And here we see Laudna, apparently. And also Whitestone Andy? Maybe? Yeah no. Just Laudna. Sam actually catches it almost as fast as Marisha. The horror dawns on her face first, but she waves at Matt, saying "no." *Then* Sam realizes it too.

[@lucariothegodboi]

Who's here from the latest episode of Critical Role Campaign 3?

[@annafantasia]

For those who don't know, the first figure described -- red painted skin and a green robe -- represents Tiberius Stormwind, a dragonborn sorcerer played by a cast member who was no longer on the show as of this episode. God, this scene caught me upside the head when I first saw it.

[@infiniteaaron]

I literally just watched this episode yesterday. It's amazing hearing stories after watching the series, recognizing them because of Vox Machina. They're doing spectacular with the series.