Vecna

Vecna, known by many names, was a powerful, mortal-born archlich. Upon cheating death he began searching for ways to turn himself into a god, but his ritual was thwarted and he himself was slain six hundred years before the time of Vox Machina. Vecna was later considered a lesser deity or "patron saint" of dark, coveted secrets, and this belief and worship lent him new power, which may explain how he returned Sylas Briarwood to Delilah Briarwood as a vampire. Chapter 3's plot arc was based around the Briarwoods' ritual for Vecna in the Ziggurat beneath Whitestone.

Known Followers

 * Lady Delilah Briarwood
 * Lord Sylas Briarwood
 * Lord Riskel Daxio
 * Professor Anders

Ominous Warning
When Vox Machina interrogated Riskel Daxio after disrupting the Briarwoods' ritual, Riskel revealed that he would be reborn, that he is the blood of Vecna, and that other parts of Vecna are "everywhere". Although he did not know the purpose of the Sphere of Annihilation beneath Whitestone, Riskel explained that his deal with Vecna would provide him "power through not knowing", and the fact that Vecna kept his followers in the dark meant that he trusted them.

Riskel also explained that the Briarwoods' ritual was part of the same effort that had been attempted before, implying that this was another attempt to turn Vecna into a god. Since Riskel wasn't present for the Briarwoods' attempt, he wasn't sure if it was successful or not.

Keeping an Eye Out
While searching the former house of General Krieg, Vox Machina kept a cautious eye out for any references to Vecna. Pike took the time to look for religious iconography that might be related to Vecna, and when they found a series of busts depicting J'mon Sa Ord, Vex suspected they might be related to the "god of secrets" since Riskel Daxio was planning to flee to Ank'Harel. Suspicions were further aroused when they found a humanoid skull with a gem in one of the sockets, but their worries subsided slightly when it was seen that the gem was in the right eye socket.

Vex, still on the look out for signs after the Chroma Conclave attacked, asked Osysa if she knew anything about Vecna. Osysa reacted violently at the mention of his name, stating that he was one of the few forces capable of limiting her sight. After Percy told her of the attempted ritual beneath Whitestone she scried to the location and revealed that the Ziggurats were originally built as temples for Ioun, but were taken and corrupted by Vecna and his followers.

The Return of the Necromancer
After receiving information from Scanlan and Lionel of a second Ziggurat within the Smolder Crown Mountain, in the deserts of Marquet, Vox Machina set out to investigate and defeat the cult that had taken residence there.

Upon reaching the heart of the Ziggurat, where the pyramid's Orb of Annihilation was located, Vox Machina found the cult and its leader...who turned out to be the supposedly deceased Lady Delilah Briarwood. After a fierce battle with the aid of her cultists, Delilah retreated by traveling through the Orb to the Shadowfell beyond.

Pike cast "Speak with Dead" on one of the deceased cultists. The cultist revealed that one can only pass safely through the Orb using specially crafted stones, one of which Delilah carried. The cultist revealed that his group was one of the Remnants, who serve "the Undying King": Vecna. When asked how Delilah was able to return, the cultist simply replied, "I know not the means, but she is a powerful necromancer." Vox Machina speculated that she was able to avert her death with some kind of preventative spell that she had prepared before the fight in Whitestone. As the spell faded, the party was left to contemplate the cultist's last words: "His return is nigh. The Whispered One will come."