Vox Machina Origins III 4

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins III #4 is the sixteenth issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins and the fourth issue of Vox Machina Origins Series III, written by Jody Houser and Matthew Mercer, with art by Olivia Samson. It was published by Dark Horse Comics and released on November 03, 2021.

Plot summary
Scanlan Shorthalt says that "Skysunder, the Herald of the Rimelord" sounds pretentious, and Keyleth advises him to stop antagonizing a dragon. He points out that Skysunder antagonized them first by threatening to eat Vox Machina. Vex'ahlia corrects him: it started when Skysunder froze Vax'ildan. Percival de Rolo adds she also froze the rest of Westruun. Skysunder is only amused.

Skysunder kicks up an ice storm with her wings, and Vox Machina loses sight of her. Unseen, Skysunder attacks and taunts them. As Grog Strongjaw and Scanlan Shorthalt fail to entice Skysunder into revealing herself, Pike Trickfoot asks the Everlight for aid in finding Skysunder. She illuminates Skysunder's location in the sky, allowing Vex'ahlia and Percival to shoot her. Grog jumps to hit her with his axe, but he comes short and falls back onto the ice. Skysunder angrily denounces them as an insignificant meal. Vex'ahlia taunts her, prompting Skysunder to attack them with her frost breath. Keyleth deflects the attack with her magic and slams Skysunder into a glacier wall. With Skysunder grounded, Vox Machina kills her and she explodes into ice shards.

Among the dragon's icy remains, Vex'ahlia finds the jewel she used to open a portal between Exandria and the Frostfell. Vex'ahlia opens a portal herself, but the group is unsure if it leads back to Westruun. As the group debates how to proceed, Percival examines Skysunder's heart. Grog grabs his shoulder to inform him the group is leaving. Percival drops his gun The List on top of the heart, enchanting it. He decides this is a problem for later and follows the group home.

In Westruun, everyone is unfrozen and confused. Vex'ahlia reunites with Vax'ildan and Trinket. Margrave Atrix accuses Realmseer Eskil Ryndarien of causing the mass freezing, citing that he was told the egg was a gift from Eskil. Eskil accuses Atrix of causing that magic that triggered this. Atrix has Eskil arrested. Vox Machina speculates that Eskil was framed and worries that whoever did so will continue to cause trouble.

When Percival stops Atrix to tell him they suspect agents of Errevon are to blame, the people of Westruun laugh and dismiss Errevon as children's stories. Vex'ahlia tells the crowd that Vox Machina will find proof that Errevon is involved and out a stop to this.

Returning

 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Skysunder
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia
 * Trinket
 * Atrix
 * Realmseer Eskil Ryndarien

Mentioned

 * Errevon

Development
The comic was originally scheduled for publication by Dark Horse Comics on August 11, 2021. Due to the 2021–2022 global supply chain crisis and unidentified circumstances with creative teams, all Critical Role titles were delayed multiple times. The issue was delayed to November 3, 2021.