The Sunken Tomb (The Legend of Vox Machina)

is the third episode of the second season of The Legend of Vox Machina. Vox Machina explores an ancient temple to search for their first Vestige of Divergence, a legendary weapon they hope will aid them against the dragons of the Chroma Conclave. As they overcome a series of dangerous encounters to reach the sunken tomb, one of the team makes a terrible mistake.

This episode was screened with episodes one and two at Cinemark theaters on January 19, 2023, the day before their Prime Video release.

Plot summary
In Emon, which remains a fiery wasteland, people line up with gifts for Thordak. Pike is there but does not seem to have gifts. Thordak berates them for bringing much smaller gifts than before, and meets with the other members of the Conclave. Raishan confirms Emon has been thoroughly plundered, and Umbrasyl says he has conquered Westruun. Thordak is pleased and says that soon, they shall have control over the entire realm. Thordak tells the people their gifts are no longer needed, and breathes fire at them as Pike yells at them to run. As the flames consume her, she comes back to herself, sitting in the wilderness outside Vasselheim. She tells Vox Machina she had a vision from the Everlight that the dragons are taking over the whole continent of Tal'Dorei, and cries, comforted by Grog, that she could not save the people of Emon. Keyleth remarks that Emon is the party's home. Vax then returns from scouting ahead and reports back that he found the lake that Osysa had mentioned, but the tomb does not appear to be there. Vex wants to go ahead to search for it, but Vax hold her back, telling her it will likely be extremely dangerous.

Scanlan uses his magic to skate around the lake, and while doing so, notices something beneath the ice. The ice then cracks, and he is pulled under by a creature. Grog and Percy begin to run out but the ice is too thin for them to continue. Suddenly, the creature is injured by magic, and Scanlan lifted from the water by a different spell, and Kashaw and Zahra reveal that they had been sent by Osysa to assist.

The group camps for the night. Kashaw recounts that the tomb was built for a champion of the Matron of Ravens, Purvan Suul. The party all laughs at his name, but Zahra cautions them that the tomb will not be easy to traverse. She and Vex exchange somewhat competitive barbs. As Vox Machina goes through what they had taken from Gilmore's Glorious Goods, Grog puts on the belt he found, and immediately grows a beard, which he greatly enjoys.

On watch that night, the twins discuss that they don't trust Kash and Zahra. Vax worriedly tells Vex not to go far from him, and she reassures him that she will be okay. There is a flashback to the much-younger twins. Vax picks open the lock of a jewelry box to reveal a circlet, which Vex puts on. While she admires herself in the mirror, their father interrupts them and scolds them, getting even angrier when Vex breaks the circlet by accident in her surprise. After he berates them for not being fully elven, Vax angrily tells Vex to get her things and leave, even though she is reluctant to go.

The next morning, Kash looks at the map he brought from the Slayer's Take and confirms the tomb is within the lake. After some bickering, he and Zahra reveal the tomb appears to be beneath the water, and Zahra coaches Keyleth to push away the water with her magical powers, telling her that she can use wind rather than water. Working together, the two clear the path to the tomb, and they all rush in, the waters closing back over the tomb as they shut the door.

The interior is dark and lit by crystals, and smells like fish. Vax warns the party that the tomb is likely heavily trapped, and Grog deliberately triggers a trap as a prank, demonstrating it is. They continue through, Kashaw occasionally flirting with Keyleth, until another trap splits them, Vax, Percy, and Scanlan from the rest of the group. Vax tells Vex to stay where she is, but Zahra tells them to continue on.

In another flashback, the twins travel through the rain, and Vex suggests they return. Vax angrily says he'd rather starve, and when Vex asks him to try to please their father and return, Vax tells her that their father will never care for them because they aren't elves. When he tells her that she still has him, she angrily tells him that she doesn't need his help, and walks off, leaving him alone.

Vex's group continues, wading through water, with Grog helping Pike through. Pike then notices a strange smell, and Trinket roars as an adaro bursts from the water and attacks Pike. A fight ensues, with Vex and Zahra competing throughout. Craven Edge whispers to Grog that it needs more blood, and Pike notices that Grog appears especially brutal. Zahra and Vex become trapped in a waterspout by an adaro mage just as the other half of the party meets up with them. The mage releases the waterspout, pushing Vex and Zahra beneath the water, then conjures a wave. Scanlan uses his magical hand to carry the rest of the party over it, though Kash falls off. Keyleth, again struggling with water, pushes back the mage with wind, but he overcomes it and she and the others are then caught in the water until Vex shoots the mage in the head with an arrow. Vax rushes to her and asks her if she's hurt, and she tells him she doesn't need any help. Pike also tries to bring up her concerns with Grog, but he does not listen, and the group continues. Vox Machina notices that Zahra and Kash are nowhere to be found.

Kash indicates he feels badly about leaving Vox Machina behind, but the two of them approach the tomb and find which of the six tombs is the correct one. They enter it.

Vox Machina enters shortly after, and as Vex goes ahead to look, Vax holds her back and says he will scout first. They find a hole in the floor, and he lowers himself down on a rope and finds a shrine to the Knowing Mistress, along with imagery of Osysa's mate, the other sphinx.

Above, Vox Machina wait. Trinket sniffs at an out-of-place tile, which Percy pushes back into place, and a sarcophagus rises from the floor. Vex excitedly joins him. Percy proposes looking at it, and while Vex is hesitant at first, quickly agrees when Percy is persistent. She quickly inspects it, and upon her go-ahead, she and Percy push the lid from the coffin, revealing the skeleton of Purvan, still wearing the Deathwalker's Ward. Percy leans to touch it.

In another flashback, Vex shoots a stag and makes camp, eating the meat by a fire. She hears the sound of crying, and goes out with her arrow ready only to find Vax sobbing by the river alone. She says his name.

Back in the present, she tells Percy to stop and wait for Vax, but it is too late. Runes activate around Purvan's body, and a dark energy flies towards Vex, who flies backwards into the air and collapses, dead. The rest of Vox Machina run over, but Pike cannot heal her. Scanlan yells for Vax to come back up, which he does, and he immediately sees Vex's dead body and begins to cry.

In the flashback, young Vax runs to Vex and hugs her. She asks him what's wrong, to which he replies that she left him and he got lost in the woods. She begins to speak, but he tells her that the problem is that she doesn't need him, but he needs her. He tells her to not go far from him, which she promises to do.

In the present, he continues to weep over Vex's body.

Cast
End credits list main cast, then guest cast in alphabetical order.

Crew

 * Written by - Todd Casey
 * Directed by - Eugene Lee

Vox Machina
These characters are Vox Machina and their adventuring companions.
 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia
 * Trinket

Returning
These characters previously appeared in an episode of The Legend of Vox Machina.
 * Craven Edge
 * Kashaw
 * Raishan
 * Thordak
 * Umbrasyl
 * Zahra

New
These characters have not previously appeared in The Legend of Vox Machina, though they may have been previously mentioned.
 * Syldor

Behind the scenes
Director Eugene Lee pitched the episode as using no music to create a sense that something was "off" and to build tension and unease. Sam Riegel initially did not believe this would work but in the end found the decision effective. The final cut of the episode uses a sparse amount of music, generally during flashbacks and other light uses for "tone", until the music returns at Vex'ahlia's death.