Anna Ripley

Dr. Anna Ripley was a follower of the Briarwoods. After the Briarwoods seized control of Whitestone, Percy attempted to kill Dr. Ripley in Stilben, but he was captured by her guards, tortured, and interrogated. Dr. Ripley began gathering intelligence about Percy's weapons and experimenting with firearm construction, losing a hand during one of her experiments. As an NPC, Dr. Ripley was played by Matthew Mercer.

Appearance
When Vox Machina first met Ripley in the dungeon beneath Whitestone Castle, she was disguised as an old woman, looking to be in her seventies with very deep, sunken wrinkles, weathered skin, mostly whitish-gray hair with a bit of remaining red and brown, and wearing ragged clothing. She introduced herself as "Gloria Cyn".

Personality
Without a doubt, Dr. Anna Ripley was one of the deadliest enemies that Vox Machina has ever faced. In many ways, she was both identical to and opposite from Percy. Both were loyal to their allies and vicious to their perceived enemies. One of their biggest differences was that Percy sees firearms and other such technology as a tool for revenge, a means to an end. Ripley viewed Percy's inventions almost as an end in of itself.

Ripley was obsessively fascinated with Percy and his inventions. She was simultaneously admiring and envious of Percy's genius. She showed the capability to read and comprehend complex mechanical designs, as she was able to create her own firearm based on Percy's notes, left behind in his workshop after he fled the Briarwoods and Whitestone. Ripley continued to see Percy as not just a rival, but a source of inspiration, as seen by how she would send agents to acquire Percy's latest blueprints. In addition to being able to construct Percy's concepts, she showed the ability to improve upon those designs as well. For example, she was able to use her knowledge of "The List" to create the far more advanced "Animus".

Ripley was also an amoral opportunist. Siding with the Briarwoods and their Vecna-worshipping cult not out of faith in the god, but because she simply saw an opportunity to continue her research with more resources. Her reasoning was that the technological achievements that result from a decision are what determine whether or not something should be done (rather than a more humanistic "right vs. wrong"). Ripley believed in the advancement of technology to counter the power of magic, seeing the gods as "irrelevant".

Ripley proved herself to be quite charismatic, as she was able to assemble her own group of followers (including Kynan Leore) as her own twisted version of Vox Machina. Unlike the real Vox Machina (whom Percy regards as family), Ripley treated her group more like tools: useful, and not to be carelessly discarded...but tools, nonetheless.

Background
Dr. Ripley had been working for the Briarwoods to create an acidic compound that would dissolve the white stone—for which Whitestone was named—in order to distill the stone into pure residuum, a powerful magical essence used in constructions like the Ziggurat. When her work was completed, Ripley tried to leave, but the Briarwoods threw her into a dungeon under Whitestone Castle.

Vox Machina found Ripley in the dungeons of Whitestone Castle..

Vox Machina begrudgingly let Ripley out of her cell.

Ripley had a fascination with Percy's construction of his pepperbox firearm, "The List". While investigating her room at Whitestone Castle, Percy found many sketches of it drawn from eye-witness accounts.

She had designed her own firearm, a pistol similar to Percy's pepperbox, but more technically refined and less aesthetically styled. It had only one barrel and a small, rotating, four-cylinder chamber.

Anna Ripley escaped the castle while Vox Machina fought Professor Anders.

Returning to Vasselheim after liberating Whitestone, Percy learned that Victor, the black powder merchant, had done business with a nicely dressed lady several weeks prior, most likely Ripley.



Ripley fled from Vasselheim to Ank'Harel, as Vox Machina later discovered the body of Mistress Asharru at a crime scene in which a firearm was used. Keyleth investigated her pistol, now in Percy's possession, and discovered a magical enchantment, which they learned Ripley was using to listen to them. Scrying on her, Keyleth discovered that Ripley did have Cabal's Ruin and was on a ship in the Ozmit Sea, most likely looking for Whisper, another Vestige of the Divergence.

Vox Machina caught up with Ripley in the jungle of Glintshore, after she had already procured Whisper, where they learned she had allied with Orthax, in a similar deal as it had with Percy.

Ripley told Percy that after leaving Whitestone, she had continued her design and construction of firearms, and even gave the plans to other tinkerers as well as selling some firearms.

Ripley was able to take the killing shot on Percy before Vox Machina took her out.

Notable Items

 * Animus (taken from her corpse, given to Percy)
 * Cabal's Ruin (taken from her corpse, given to Percy)
 * Retort

Trivia

 * Dr. Ripley was the first character featured in Critical Role missing a hand, followed by Cerkonos, Tyriok Gadsworth, Shale, and Victor.
 * Marisha Ray was dressed as Anna Ripley during, which aired the week before Halloween 2016.