The Fate-Touched

is the fourth episode of the eighth chapter of Critical Role.

Previously on Critical Role
"Vox Machina, after discovering that the various siphon orbs—the one beneath Whitestone was one of many—were apparently funneling magical energies from various arcane ley lines that exist across Exandria into some plane other than the Prime Material.

"Through research and discovery, they found that this plane was the Shadowfell, and upon traversing this barrier and dealing with some cultists of the Whispered One, they discovered that Delilah Briarwood was still alive and that there was a city in the Shadowfell beyond the boundary of these siphons known as Thar Amphala. It was an ancient city that had seen an ancient battle, but much had seemingly been rebuilt and constructed. And there in the center of the town was the dark tower called Entropis, where apparently the Whispered One, Vecna, or some ritual involving him was being completed.

"Vox Machina began to make their way through this city, averting any sort of attention from most of the denizens in the sky and below. They squashed the heads of a few cultists on the way, masqueraded as cultists, masqueraded as undead, and felt the city itself shift strangely. Using technology similar to the threshold crests that Syngorn uses, it transported itself out of the Shadowfell to somewhere else, where it apparently began to snow.

"Vox Machina then made their way towards the central tower and—deciding not to ascend it—just took it to the ground with some Earthquake spells. However, due to the magical defenses of the tower top where the rituals were being completed, the top of the tower was untouched by the spells and lowered itself to the rubble of where it once stood.

"The party mustered their forces, rode up to the top of the lip of the remains of the tower of Entropis, and joined in battle against Delilah Briarwood, a death knight, and the physical form of Vecna, the Whispered One himself.

"However, the battle did not turn in Vox Machina's favor. Whether through just bad luck or not fully understanding the scope of what they were up against, a number of the party fell in battle, with one of them not being able to be restored—Vax'ildan, who was reduced to dust by a Disintegration spell.

"Realizing that their fortunes were failing, with Grog Banished to another dimension and only barely returning in time, the remaining members of Vox Machina joined hands and Keyleth attempted to travel them out of the plane to safety, of which Vecna intended to stop with a Counterspell, and Scanlan] attempted to stop that Counterspell with his own Counterspell, like a bard is wont to do.

"They successfully transported, grabbing the corpse of Delilah Briarwood whom Percival managed to finish off with a shot to the head, and they found themselves emerging deep into a wooded forest in some unknown location withing the Feywild. Upon arriving, glancing about to see they're still mostly intact, clutching the no-longer-living corpse of Delilah behind them, Vax... not with them, and Vex, realizing, asked the question... 'Where's Vax?'"

Vox Machina

 * Taryon Darrington (absent; mentioned only)
 * Doty 2.0 (absent; not mentioned)
 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Trinket
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Vincent Clor
 * Sheila

Returning

 * Delilah Briarwood (corpse)
 * Cerkonos
 * Raven Queen
 * Sarenrae

Mentioned

 * Artagan
 * Doty
 * Erathis
 * Ioun
 * Kord
 * Korrin
 * Melora
 * Nahla
 * Pelor
 * Saundor
 * Sehanine, the Moonweaver
 * Senokir
 * Vecna