Loose Ends

is the eighty-fourth episode of the first campaign of Critical Role. In a rare moment of peace, Vox Machina checks on Emon, fulfills a promise, and meets up with an old acquaintance.

Pre-Show
A Critical Role fan art reel is played

Announcements

 * The show is sponsored by Loot Crate. Sam is absent tonight, but sent in a video ad from a ski trip. Ashley reads an ad.
 * Laura plugged the web store, where the Critical Role dice kits are back
 * Matt, Marisha, Laura, and Travis will be at Anime Milwaukee

Previously on Critical Role
"The party, Vox Machina, has been combating the horrible, terrible influence of the Chroma Conclave, a group of chromatic dragons that had been terrorizing the countryside of Tal'Dorei, occupying the city of Emon, Westruun, and places beyond. They've managed to kill off all the members of the Conclave leading up to Raishan, the orchestrator behind the scenes of most of the chaos that they've seen in recent months.

"Raishan managed to nearly destroy Vox Machina before absconding with the corpse of Thordak, apparently into the next portion of her plot. The party, upon running into an old friend—Kerrek from Westruun, who had helped in the attack on Emon—joined forces to give chase in hopes [...] to head her off at the pass and prevent Raishan from seeing to fruition whatever plan she had after this leg.

"Through a series of very well-placed scries, [they] discovered that she had absconded to the Island of Viscan, an old lair of Thordak's and before that an older lair of Opash, an ancient necromancer who was banished and made that his demesne. As [the party] made [their] way to the island, hopefully prepared for this, [they] fought through various traps and difficult challenges throughout this necromancer's sanctum, eventually coming into battle with Raishan herself.

"A long, hard-fought battle left Percy and Scanlan both lifeless [on] the ground. Percy was risen quickly, Scanlan unfortunately was not, and the final blow [to Raishan was] delivered [by] a combination of both Keyleth, tearing the intellect from Raishan through a well-placed Feeblemind spell, and Kerrek, with a well-placed warhammer blow to the head of the green dragon.

"The dragon destroyed, however their friend Scanlan still lifeless and still growing colder as the minutes passed. [They] picked up his body and [they] fled the cavern to the outside of the island after discovering that teleportation, or at least magic of transport, had some sort of an alteration or a...funkiness to it, if you will. [Vox Machina] watched as two of [their] allies, Kima and Allura, were—instead of teleporting away through a circle—sent deep out into the ocean. [Keyleth] managed to find them through a very lucky Perception roll.

"[Keyleth] was able to connect [her] Transport via Plants through one of the outside trees by the beach to get [them] all to Whitestone. There [they] took Scanlan's body to the recently-constructed temple to the Raven Queen, and in preparing for this ritual the gate stone was taken by Vex who, with the help of the Realmseer, Eskil Ryndarien, transported to Kymal, made [her] way through the riffraff to one of the darkened taverns there to find Kaylie, Scanlan's daughter; long-estranged, rambunctious daughter, but daughter nonetheless. [Vex] handed her the gate stone and she vanished in a puff of arcane smoke, leaving [Vex] and Eskil—Eskil more confused than her—within the tavern."

Part I
Kaylie rushes into the temple of The Raven Queen to see Scanlan's body, and she slaps him on the face and says "You made me a promise!" She storms out, and Pike follows her, telling her how much Scanlan loves her. She leaves to get a drink. Grog has a moment alone with Scanlan, telling him that this isn't over. Pike returns and continues preparing for the Resurrection ritual, and after an hour has passed Kaylie returns, visibly drunk.

Pike begins the ritual. Grog sings a song for Scanlan. Pike gives Scanlan a doll that he gave her and recites a poem. Kaylie jumps onto the altar and takes out her fiddle. Vax quickly uses Lay on Hands to rid her of the alcohol in her system, and she plays and dances. The ritual completes and the life returns to Scanlan's body, but he remains asleep. Kaylie slaps him again and leaves. Keyleth verifies that he's alright, and Grog picks him up to carry him to the castle. They pass Allura and Kima on the way, who are delighted to see that Scanlan is alive. They say they'll be headed back to Emon to help with rebuilding and to serve on the council. They say their goodbyes and Grog takes Scanlan to his room.

Meanwhile in Kymal, Vex sits down next to Doctor Dranzel briefly to talk about Scanlan before heading upstairs to her room, waiting for word from Vox Machina. Back in Whitestone, Vax gets his Ring of Invisibility back from Kerrek, and Keyleth thanks Kerrek for coming with them. Then she goes to find Allura to ask her to use Sending to tell Vex that Scanlan is okay.

Pike stays with Scanlan in his room, and Grog stays outside the door in the hallway. Kerrek brings Grog a bottle of booze from the castle's reserves, and they chat for a while. Kerrek brings up the Resurrection ritual and asked if they'd done it before. Grog says yes and that he didn't know that was possible before he met Vox Machina. He asks if Kerrek has done it and he says that he's looked into it, but never knew if the stories of such things happening were true. Grog is surprised to hear from Kerrek that resurrection is a rare thing. Kerrek asks Grog if it always works, and if the body is needed. Grog says he doesn't know how it would work without a body, but he really doesn't know how any of it works.

Pike overhears and comes out of the room, asking why there's no booze for her, and Kerrek goes to get more for them. Percy arrives at the room as well, as Kerrek returns with more alcohol. Pike asks what Kerrek was talking about, but he deflects and just says that the ritual was quite an experience. Percy wonders aloud why they sometimes get to choose who comes back from death. He and Pike decide to play a prank on Scanlan for when he wakes up. They dress him in one of Pike's nightgowns and smear pudding on him and all over the room, and Kerrek helps them tie his hands with a scarf.

In Kymal, Vex hears Allura's Sending message and is overjoyed. She removes Trinket from the Raven's Slumber necklace and rushes downstairs to find the only conscious person in the bar is the barkeep. She buys him an expensive bottle of liquor and a bowl full of ale for Trinket.

Back in Whitestone, Vax places all of his gear on the altar including the Deathwalker's Ward and asks aloud "What happens now?" He spends the night in the temple. The next morning, Eskil Ryndarien takes Vex back to Whitestone. She goes to the temple to find Vax. He asks her what happens now that the dragons are all dead. She says she could stay here, and Vax says that he might go home with Keyleth for a while.

They head back to the castle, where Allura is preparing for the trip to Emon. Kaylie comes downstairs, laughing at the state they've put Scanlan in, and says that she'll stay with him until he wakes up. Allura casts the Teleport spell and the next moment they are outside the gates to the Cloudtop district of Emon. They see several people from all walks of life beginning to rebuild. Kerrek is greeted by his associate Samantha, asking what he's been up to and saying that she and the rest of his people are ready to go home. Vax tells her to make sure that people know Kerrek landed the killing blow on the Chroma Conclave. He says his goodbyes to the group and walks away, headed home to Westruun.

Break

 * A short Loot Crate ad and a Critical Role fan art reel are played on a loop
 * The Wyrmwood giveaway winner is Kalagrace.

Part II
The party lists off their unfinished business. They are concerned about the power structure in Emon, but Allura assures them that she will gather the remaining members of the council and work on getting things in place. Vex has Allura check the box that Senokir gave them. Allura detects a faint protective magical aura on it, but nothing noteworthy. Keyleth has Vex and Vax ask Kima for the Boots of Elvenkind that they lent her. She reluctantly gives them up, and she thanks Vox Machina for all that they've done and for letting her come along.

Leaving Allura and Kima in the Cloudtop district, they make their way down through the city to Greyskull Keep. They can tell that people have been through it in the past two days, but no one is here currently. Vex has the idea to have the council open it up to refugees for a while. Grog raids Percy's workshop but there isn't much left there. Vax bumps into him there and thanks him for what he did for Scanlan in the ritual.

The party deliberates long and hard over whether they trust Senokir's box to contain what he said it does, and Pike is particularly skeptical. Eventually they decide to make good on their promise and bury it in Vasselheim. Keyleth uses Transport via Plants on the tree in the keep's temple and moments later they are in Vasseheim's wooded Abundant Terrace. The weather is cold and there should be frost and snow on the trees, but some enchantment is keeping the area green and fertile. Passersby point them to the Birthheart, a cluster of huge trees towering over the canopy. As they enter, they see that the trees form a giant ring around a central area lit by lanterns that surround one giant central tree. Many of the people here are dressed in the style of worshipers of Melora.

Keyleth approaches one of these, an older woman named Lamor, who says that they can spread the ashes here but they'd need a witness and she offers to do this for them. She leads them to a place with some small wildflowers. Vex buries the box in a patch of loose earth, saying a quick prayer of thanks to Melora for her help with the recent battle. Pike also apologizes to Melora if "anything bad happens" because they buried this box. With Lamor's permission, Keyleth uses Stone Shape to make a small stone marker in the shape of a wedding band.

Keyleth mentions that she has a staff with Melora's markings on it and shows Lamor the Spire of Conflux. She gasps and says that it is one of the great relics of Melora and asks Keyleth to return it to the Birthheart. Keyleth suggests that Melora's aid might be of more use with her than sitting idle here, and Percy quickly says that there will come a time to put the staff to rest, but it is not yet that time. Keyleth is visibly struggling and Lamor quiets her, saying that she doesn't mean to take it from her and that if it still has purpose with her then she should keep it for now and return it when the time is right. Keyleth promises this, and they make their way out of the Birthheart.

Vax suggests that Grog take Pike to the Crucible to blow off steam and Pike is interested. This reminds Grog of the Trial Forge, where he'd like to visit Earthbreaker Groon again. They make their way to the Braving Grounds, and on their way they note that everything seems normal and bustling here. All the destruction in Tal'Dorei doesn't seem to have touched them here at all. Grog enters the Trial Forge, which is strangely empty. In the sand pit in the center, he encounters Earthbreaker Groon. Groon says that he's had visions of Grog's battles and it seems he's found his strength. He tells Grog to show him what he's learned and turns and takes a fighting stance.

Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt (deceased, then comatose)
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Trinket
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Lamor

Returning

 * Dr. Dranzel
 * Earthbreaker Groon
 * Kaylie
 * Kerrek
 * Lady Kima of Vord
 * Eskil Ryndarien
 * Samantha
 * Allura Vysoren

Mentioned

 * Kord
 * Korrin
 * Melora
 * Mikael Daxio
 * Raishan
 * The Raven Queen
 * Sarenrae
 * Senokir
 * Salda Tal'Dorei
 * Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei II
 * Thordak
 * Highbearer Vord
 * Keeper Yennen
 * Zaafin

Quotations
Hail to Scanlan Shorthalt, Hail to victory! No one can make me laugh faster. Please bring him back to me. Percy: No. Grog: It's you. Keyleth: Hehe you said "girth."
 * Matt: (laughing) Hello everyone, and welcome to tonight’s episode of Critical– fuck you, Liam! Fuck you!
 * Grog: (to the tune of the Washington Redskins fight song)
 * Grog: Wait. Prove that you're you.
 * Percy: The girth of things you do not know could fill such a cavern.