Shadows at the Gates

is the fourth episode of the first season of The Legend of Vox Machina. After ruining Sovereign Uriel’s diplomatic dinner, Vox Machina is confined to their Keep under house arrest. While they stave off boredom, Keyleth convinces Percy to open up about his dark history and Pike fears she has lost her connection to her deity. Meanwhile, a looming new threat is on its way to confront Vox Machina.

Plot summary
Sovereign Uriel chastises Vox Machina for disrupting the feast and potentially ruining diplomatic relations with the Briarwoods. He orders his guards to arrest them, but Allura diffuses the situation and tells Uriel she will deal with them. Vex'ahlia tells Allura that the Briarwoods have affected Uriel's mind. Allura is skeptical but acknowledges that Uriel's behavior is a little impulsive. Vex tells her that she can get proof, but Allura puts Vox Machina under house arrest in their keep.

Meanwhile, in the carriage back to Whitestone, Delilah Briarwood panics as she realizes her book has been stolen. Sylas reassures her that she can easily get it back.

Captain Jarett and his soldiers of the Arms of Emon confiscate Vox Machina's weapons and lock them inside the keep. Pike is preoccupied with her dimmed holy symbol and sits in the corner as Grog exercises, Keyleth creates flowers, Percy plans, and Scanlan attempts to read Delilah's book. Vax'ildan worries aloud if he might be a vampire but is assuaged when he sees his reflection in the window.

Vex confronts Percy about his outburst, and Vax and Keyleth echo her concerns. Percy tells them that the Briarwoods originally came as allies, but killed his parents, turned their tutor against him and his siblings, and tortured them for weeks. Percy and his sister Cassandra attempted to escape, but Cassandra was killed in the attempt. Percy swears revenge. Vex asks what his plan is.

The Briarwoods stop in a graveyard, where Delilah casts a necromantic spell to create undead servants.

Percy finds a secret passage so that Vox Machina can escape and go to Whitestone. Pike is unable to light the way, and Keyleth struggles as well. They find Jarett guarding the hidden exit. He splits them up and locks them in different rooms. The twins, in a room with Scanlan, discuss running away as they had in Syngorn and abandoning the group, but they decide not to do so. Pike attempts to reach the Everlight through prayer and meditation in the shrine in the room she is sharing with Grog. She finds herself in an empty dark space with light at the horizon, but she does not receive an answer. Grog inadvertently interrupts her, and Pike becomes frustrated, then begins crying. Grog comforts her and earnestly suggests apologizing to the Everlight.

Two guards outside notice a shadow, but before they can investigate, they are killed by undead wraiths. Inside, Keyleth tries to talk to a reticent Percy, who builds a gun. She tells him that she may never see her family again as she can't return home until she has proven herself in her Aramenté. She is unsure she ever can. Percy says she at least still has living family, and he does believe her worthy.

Jarett and his guards investigate the courtyard and are atttacked.

Hearing the sounds of the combat, Grog breaks down the doors to release the party, and Vox Machina encounters the surviving guards fleeing back into the main hall. The wraiths extinguish the lights and attacks the group. Unable to physically harm the wraiths, Vox Machina and Jarett flee into another room, and Jarett arms some of the group. Keyleth, however, is attacked by a wraiths phasing through the wall. They attack the party inside, again extinguishing all the lights and draining the life from everyone. Jarett lights a torch, revealing that light weakens the wraiths, but the wraiths douse the fire. After some panicking and Percy shouting it's time to prove herself, Keyleth finds the strength to create bright sunlight. Vex successfully hits a wraith with a crossbow bolt, and the group defeats the remaining wraiths.

Assured that Vox Machina intends to go after those responsible for killing his guards, Jarett releases them from the keep. The next morning, Percy tries to leave, but Vox Machina tells him that they will help him retake Whitestone. However, Pike says she needs to visit a temple to regain her lost connection to the Everlight. She hugs a disheartened Grog and encourages Keyleth as the group's new light. She stays behind as the rest start the journey to Whitestone.

Cast
End credits list main cast, then guest cast in alphabetical order.

Crew

 * Written by - Ashly Burch
 * Directed by - Young Heller
 * Producer - Tony Salama
 * Co-Producers - Jennifer Muro, Eugene Son
 * Art Director - Arthur Loftis
 * Editor - Todd Raleigh
 * Storyboard artists - Morgan Hillebrand, Cassey Kuo, Sheldon Vella

Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Trinket
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Jarett Howarth
 * Duke Vedmire (in a flashback, non-speaking appearance, not named)
 * Anna Ripley (in a flashback, non-speaking appearance, not named)
 * Byron Anders (in a flashback, non-speaking appearance, not named)

Returning

 * Sovereign Uriel
 * Allura Vysoren
 * Delilah Briarwood
 * Sylas Briarwood
 * Kerrion Stonefell (in a flashback, non-speaking appearance, not named, first seen)
 * Cassandra de Rolo (in a flashback, non-speaking appearance, first identified)

Mentioned

 * The Everlight

Quotations

 * Vax'ildan: I know we have a lot to talk about, but I'm not turning into a vampire, am I? (notices his reflection) I withdraw the question.
 * Keyleth: Didn't know about your past. But I guess none of us ever share that kind of stuff, huh? I may never see my family again. Percy: What? Keyleth: Yeah. My Aramenté. I don't get to go home until I complete it and prove myself worthy. Which might not happen, so... Percy: I didn't know that. Keyleth: I'm just saying, I know you think you're alone. That we don't know what you're going through. But you don't have to be. Percy: I appreciate that, Keyleth, truly. And for the record, I think you're damn worthy. But there's a world of difference between your struggle and mine. Whether you succeed or fail, your family is still alive.

Trivia

 * This episode was written by Ashly Burch, who appeared as Keg in Campaign Two: The Mighty Nein and played in other Critical Role productions.
 * The episode adapts as well as elements of  and.
 * During Campaign One, Ashley Johnson (and therefore her character Pike) was frequently absent due to her starring role in Blindspot. Pike's absence during the original narrative arc in Whitestone was due to her decision to remain in Vasselheim to aid in the restoration of the temple of the Everlight there.
 * The room Vox Machina and Jarett escape to is furnished with the table played on throughout Campaign Two.
 * Jarett, who primarily uses a sword in this adaptation, provides Vex'ahlia with a crossbow as a nod to his heavy preference for crossbows in his original Campaign One incarnation.