Vox Machina Origins II 5

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #5 is the eleventh issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins and the fifth issue of Vox Machina Origins Series II. It was written by Jody Houser, illustrated by Olivia Samson, lettered by Ariana Maher, and the cover illustrated by CoupleOfKooks. The issue was published by Dark Horse Comics on February 19, 2020.

Plot summary
Having split off from "Team Nymph Heart" per Eskil Ryndarien's suggestion, "Team Nightmare", comprised of Keyleth, Pike, and Scanlan rides through the Umbra Hills towards Jorenn Village. Scanlan attempts to be light-hearted, and is immediately scolded by his companions. He tells them that he's worried that his best friend might die and is trying to make jokes to bring up his own mood.

The group arrives in Jorenn Village. They notice that it seems unfriendly, but Scanlan originally credits this to Keyleth's awkwardness. He attempts to strike up a conversation with an older woman and asks about possible cult activity. She tells him that she's not aware of any cults, but there was someone recently arrested for attempted murder who is a suspected cult leader and who is being held in the jail. Scanlan asks her for directions to the jail, and Team Nightmare rides towards it. Pike accuses Scanlan of mocking the older woman, but Scanlan tells her that he was being genuine in his flattery.

At the jail, Scanlan dons his Burt Reynolds persona again, this time claiming to be a member of the church of Erathis looking into suspected cult activity; Pike backs him up by claiming she had been led here by Sarenrae. The jailer tells them that they had locked up a cult leader a few weeks ago for attempting to kill a traveling physician as a human sacrifice. The guard warned him that the man had a "demonic weapon", but that it was broken. He shows them a pepperbox pistol with names etched into the barrels. Scanlan asks for more information, and the jailer tells him that they're welcome to question the prisoner, as he's the only one currently locked up.

The group continues in, where they meet the prisoner. The prisoner tells them that he has no cult. When Scanlan accuses him of lying, the prisoner clarifies that there is a cult, and the jailer is one of the members. The prisoner then tells him that he had been following the doctor in question for "...unrelated reasons" and tracked the doctor to a meeting with a mining guild in the town. When he arrived, he discovered that the "mining guild" was in fact the cult, planning a human sacrifice. He still attempted to attack, but his weapon malfunctioned and he was unsuccessful. The cult threw him in jail, not believing him to be worth killing.

Scanlan asks the prisoner if the weapon was the strange device they'd seen in the antechamber, and the prisoner immediately tells the group to free him and show him where it is. Team Nightmare is skeptical. As Keyleth and Scanlan quibble over details, Pike admits to the prisoner that they actually are only after the skull of the nightmare. The prisoner somewhat condescendingly tells her that the doctor had arrived to provide an item for a ritual to be carried out on the night of the full moon, which Pike tells him is that night. The prisoner tells her he can lead them to the location, but repeats that, in order to do that, he needs to be freed and he needs his weapon. Pike tells the others that they will need to free the prisoner to save Grog.

Pike distracts the jailer and Keyleth hits him to knock him out, and Scanlan steals the keys. They free the prisoner, locking the jailer in a cell in the process. Pike brings the man his weapon, which he repairs. As he does so, she asks him if he'll keep his word, and he tells her "my word is as good as my name," and then introduces himself as Percival Frederickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, or Percy for short. He finishes reparing his gun and the group sets out. On the way, he asks the others what they know of the nightmare, and Keyleth admits they know relatively little. Percy seems unbothered by this, though he is curious as to why Pike, as a cleric of Sarenrae, is on this quest. She tells him that it's in order to save her best friend.

The party sneaks up on the cult, who are waiting for Jasper, the jailer. The cult decides to start without him. They stand around a strange magic circle and begin their ritual, pouring blood into the circle while chanting. Percy starts as if to begin attacking, but Pike tells him to wait until the nightmare is summoned. The ritual continues, and a huge black horse with a mane and tail made of fire, with a large armored creature wielding a massive sword upon it, appears. The party is somewhat taken aback, but prepare themselves with Pike reminding the group not to destroy the skull. Pike then levitates the sword, causing a distraction as the rider turns to look at one of the cult members. The group then attacks. The cultists largely flee. Percy shoots the horse through the neck, and the rider vanishes through the portal from which he was summoned. The party then takes the still-intact skull of the nightmare. Pike thanks Percy for his help. Keyleth asks Percy where he's going next, and he tells her that the trail he was tracking has likely since gone cold, so he would like to join them for the time being, if they don't mind. Keyleth welcomes him as a new friend, and the party begins walking back to the village to get new mounts to return to Westruun.

Returning

 * Keyleth
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Percival de Rolo

Mentioned

 * Doctor Anna Ripley (unnamed)

Creative team

 * Story — Matthew Mercer
 * Script — Jody Houser
 * Art — Olivia Samson
 * Colors — MSASSYK
 * Lettering — Ariana Maher
 * Cover art — CoupleOfKooks

Collections

 * Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins: Series I & II Collection