The Terror of Tal'Dorei - Part 1

is the series premiere of The Legend of Vox Machina. The ragtag group of adventurers known as Vox Machina are commissioned by Sovereign Uriel to find out who (or what) is decimating villages in the outskirts of Emon.

Plot summary
The Tal'Dorei Council, including Uriel Tal'Dorei, Allura Vysoren, Kima of Vord, Gregory Fince, and General Krieg are discussing an ongoing, unknown threat in the nearby Shalesteps that is threatening the crops that feed Emon. They are frustrated that all the previous mercenary groups they had hired had failed, and decide to expand their search for mercenaries.

Meanwhile, Vox Machina is at a tavern, having a drinking contest. After Grog wins, another tavern patron starts to pick a fight with Keyleth. Vox Machina warn him off, and Vax goes up to try and diffuse the situation, but it fails and Vox Machina begins a bar fight. All join in, except for Scanlan, who is upstairs seducing Bryn, the innkeeper's daughter, until Percy interrupts him and calls for him to join. The innkeeper finally yells at everyone to stop and throws Vox Machina out for their brawling and failure to pay. Keyleth remarks that they've now been kicked out of every tavern in Emon, and Vex notes that they only have three silver. A drunk Keyleth wonders why they're even sticking together, at this point, given how much they've been struggling. Scanlan walks over to a jobs board to, as he puts it, "drain the basilisk", and sees the posting for mercenaries. The party, having no other prospects, agrees to try.

The next day, the dirty and visibly hungover party are nearly turned away from the palace until they show the posting to the guards. They are brought before the council, who seem highly skeptical of Vox Machina's ability. However, Scanlan sings a compelling introduction song. General Krieg argues in favor of giving them a chance, and Sovereign Uriel in particular is impressed that they have a bear. While in front of the council, Vex gets a strange twinge in her head.

The party take a skyship with Allura to the Shalesteps, during which she briefly explains their mission, and Vex pulls Vax aside to speak with him about her experience in the council chambers. Allura unceremoniously drops them off. Once she leaves, the party expresses some frustration with the council and discuss abandoning the mission, but Pike convinces them to try doing good. However, they are still mostly skeptical.

In the village, Keyleth attempts to speak with the local plant life, and the rest of the party wander around the village and talk to the villagers. One woman notices Pike's holy symbol and asks Pike to bless and protect her house. Pike awkwardly does so; the woman seems slightly unconvinced, but grateful nonetheless. One of her children notices Vax doing some tricks with a silver piece, and asks Vax if he's a wizard. Vax tells him it's simple sleight of hand, and gives the child the silver piece. Meanwhile, the other child tells the party that they'd seen the creature who had been attacking fly overhead.

Vex tries to track the creature. Initially, the party merely comes upon a goat, but while they are laughing, a massive blue dragon approaches. The party attempts to fight, but are barely able to damage it as it spews electricity towards them, and they only survive by Keyleth using her magic to hide them until the dragon leaves.

After the fight, Pike heals Grog, and Keyleth nearly breaks down with fear over the dragon. The party contemplates abandoning the mission and heads back towards the village, injured but alive, only to find it destroyed. Vax finds the family he'd spoken to. All are dead, except the boy to whom he gave a silver, who is dying. Pike is too exhausted from healing Grog to be able to save him, and he dies. Vax sadly pockets the bloodied coin. The disheartened party decide that they need to fight back on behalf of the village, even though it scares them.

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

Crew

 * Written by - Brandon Auman
 * Directed by - Young Heller
 * Producer - Tony Salama
 * Co-Producers - Jennifer Muro, Eugene Son
 * Art Director - Arthur Loftis
 * Editor - Todd Raleigh
 * Storyboard Artists - Karen Guo, Sunae Jung, Erin Won

Vox Machina

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

New

 * Uriel Tal'Dorei II
 * Allura Vysoren
 * Kima of Vord
 * Gregory Fince
 * General Krieg
 * Bryn

Trivia

 * In this episode, Sam Riegel's son Maximus Riegel voices the boy and Liam O'Brien's daughter Zoe O'Brien voices the girl.
 * Though the episode was announced to be releasing at midnight PST on January 28, 2022, it released eight hours early at midnight UTC (or GMT) instead.