Vox Machina Origins III 3

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins III #3 is the fifteenth issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins and the third issue of Vox Machina Origins Series III, written by Jody Houser and Matthew Mercer, with art by Olivia Samson. It was published by Dark Horse Comics and released on August 18, 2021.

Plot summary
Vox Machina celebrates Winter's Crest in Westruun by participating in a festival. During a speech to the festival-goers, Margrave Atrix announces that there is a gift to the city from Realmseer Eskil Ryndarien to mark the holiday. As the gift is revealed to be a massive icy egg, Eskil pushes through the crowd in an attempt to stop Atrix. The egg releases a blast of magical energy and instantly freezes everyone in the crowd. The rest of Vox Machina, except for Vax'ildan, is protected through a warding spell cast by Noja before he froze.

A strange white-skinned woman steps out of the remains of the egg and asks Vox Machina where she is. However, Vox Machina refuses to answer her question and resolves to defeat her. She attempts to freeze them with her magic, but she finds she is not powerful enough to do so because it is "too soon". Using the jewel she wears on her forehead, she cuts open a portal to the Frostfell and escapes. Leaving Trinket to look after Vax'ildan, the rest of Vox Machina chases her through the portal before it closes.

They catch up to the woman in an ice cavern. She screams, causing the cavern to collapse, and runs. Vox Machina narrowly escapes as well. Vex'ahlia tracks her across a windy, snow-covered plain. She observes that the woman is strange in that she does not seem used to physically running. Vex'ahlia leads them to the woman, who stands on a precipice over a steep drop.

The woman asks them about Exandria and reveals that she visited there long ago as a scout for Errevon before she was defeated by mortals. She says that she has slept for centuries but still woke too soon, causing her to be weakened. She believes she will regain her strength if she returns to Errevon's palace. She invites Vox Machina to join her and serve Errevon. They reject the offer and intend to kill her. Keyleth cautiously says that they may not have to kill her if she agrees to unfreeze everyone in Westruun.

Amused, the woman says that she and Errevon will bring an eternal winter to Exandria and intentionally falls backward off the precipice. Flying back up as a white dragon, she names herself as Skysunder, the Herald of the Rimelord.

Returning

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

New

 * Atrix
 * Skysunder

Mentioned

 * Errevon

Development
The comic was originally scheduled for publication by Dark Horse Comics on June 16, 2021. Due to the 2021–2022 global supply chain crisis and unidentified circumstances with creative teams, all Critical Role titles were delayed multiple times. The issue was delayed to August 18, 2021.

Trivia

 * This is the second comic adapting the events of the Winter's Crest festival in Westruun and the release of Skysunder. The first was Critical Role: Winter's Crest Festival.