Whitestone rebellion

The Whitestone Rebellion was an uprising started by Percival de Rolo and the rest of Vox Machina in Whitestone in an attempt to overthrow the Briarwoods.

2 Duscar 810 PD


On 2 Duscar 810 PD, Vox Machina scoped out the town before heading for the castle. Keyleth, in the form of a giant eagle, and Scanlan flew over the city while invisible. They saw the people in town were destitute, with many abandoned buildings, and six undead stone giants patrolling through the city. In the center of the town, they saw the Sun Tree, bare of leaves with twisted and gnarled branches, and eight humanoid bodies of varying ages swinging from the branches. They made a plan to sneak in to the town, revive the tree, and form a rebellion.

3 Duscar 810 PD
On this day, Vox Machina entered the city magically disguised as a group of peasants, with Trinket as a donkey. They approached the Sun Tree with eight effigies of Vox Machina swinging from the branches. They found an abandoned tavern to stay in and fortified the windows, dug a tunnel towards the Sun Tree and attempted to revive the tree.



Percy, Vax and Scanlan explored The Zenith in search of Father Reynal, but found him long dead, and were briefly waylaid by a banshee. Percy dragged Father Reynal's body out in front of the altar while Vax carved the de Rolo family crest into the stone of the altar. and the words "Pelor lives in Whitestone" the door of the temple. Returning to the tavern, Keyleth’s rituals on the Sun Tree were completed and she determined that something beneath the tree was sucking the life out of the land. Percy decided that they should kill Kerrion Stonefell, one of the New Nobles, first.

4 Duscar 810 PD
Disguised as peasants, Percy led Vox Machina to The Lady's Chamber, the temple of Erathis, meeting Keeper Yennen there. Percy told him to look for signs of salvation and handed him a piece of parchment which had a portion of the de Rolo family crest drawn on it. Percy told him, "What appears dead may not necessarily be death. And that with the shadow of death over the city, perhaps there is life deep underground. Perhaps things that appeared ended and gone are perhaps continuing to this day. And may rise again."

Vox Machina infiltrated Kerrion's mansion, killing Stonefell and two guards, and incapacitated Master Vouk. During the fight, smoke began billowing from Percy's body, and as Stonefell died, his name disappeared from The List.

They interrogated Vouk, learning that the Briarwoods knew that Vox Machina was in Whitestone. He confirmed that Lord Briarwood was a vampire, and revealed that the Briarwoods had a secret project room under the castle. Vouk was ordered to mark the secret entrance on the map of Whitestone. Vouk also revealed that Lady Briarwood raised and was controlling the zombie giants. His tongue was cut out, the de Rolo crest was burned into his forehead, and he was turned loose, on Percy's orders. The mansion was set on fire by burning the de Rolo family crest onto its roof. Vox Machina ran back to the tavern, disappearing into the rain as guards searched for them. Citizens began to emerge from buildings as a warning bell rang out. The first steps of the rebellion had been put into motion.



Vox Machina went to the tavern's cellar and began discussing plans for their rebellion. They decided to rest for the night in the root cave dug beneath the Sun Tree and planned to visit a magic shop known as The Alcove in the morning. The party was ambushed in their sleep by three vampire spawn. After slaying the vampires, they continued their rest in the cellar.

5 Duscar 810 PD
In the morning, Vox Machina disguised themselves as peasants and split up: two going to the townsfolk while the rest searched for a new hideout.

Percy, Vex, Grog, Keyleth, and Trinket (disguised as a donkey) went to The Alcove and talked to the current shopkeeper, Jordana Whisk, drawing the de Rolo family crest into the dust. Jordana allowed them to stay in her shop, but was cautious of raising suspicions.

Jordana recommended that they talk to Keeper Yennen, as he could help spread information. Percy told everyone to meet at The Lady's Chamber when they'd finished their business.

Meanwhile, Vax and Scanlan went to The Journey's End tavern, where they gathered information of what had happened in Whitestone. They found that the barkeep and the bar patrons present supported an uprising. When they left, they the patrons, "Pelor has returned."

When Vox Machina gathered at The Lady's Chamber, there was a larger group gathered for Keeper Yennen's sermon, where he informed the congregation that the time for mounting a rebellion was soon, finishing with a prayer. The people began to scatter and walk away in silence, looking around warily and being careful not to exit in a large group.

Keeper Yennen spoke with Vox Machina privately to inform them he had spoken with community leaders, but they hadn't yet been convinced to help. Archibald Desnay, the former chancellor of Whitestone, joined them mid conversation and Vox Machina dropped their disguises. Recognizing Percy, Archibald revealed that Cassandra de Rolo was still alive and captive in Whitestone Castle, and had been feeding information to Archibald and others. She helped guide the last two rebellions that were attempted, and according to her the Briarwoods were nearing their goal. He also told the party that Professor Anders was working for the Briarwoods and living in the castle, and that Lady Ripley had packed her stuff and moved out of her mansion. Vox Machina decided to split up, Scanlan creating a distraction at the Vedmeyer estate, while the rest attacked Count Tylieri's mansion.

  Scanlan, polymorphed as a triceratops, rampaged through the Vedmeyer mansion and stumbled on an ambush of eight guards and Duke Goran Vedmeyer. Dropping the dinosaur form, he Dimension Doored onto the roof, setting the mansion ablaze with a Potion of Fire Breathing. Duke Goran Vedmeyer joined him there, but was quickly shoved of the roof with Bigby's Hand. Absconding form the mansion, a zombie giant stomped towards Scanlan but was swarmed by a number of Whitestone residents that had armed themselves with makeshift weapons and armor. As Scanlan watched the undead giant, he decided to wait and watch the citizens' fight rather than rejoining his comrades.

The rest of Vox Machina began their assault on Count Tylieri's mansion, discovering that Tylieri was a vampire, and had also planned an ambush backed by ten guards. After a long battle, Tylieri was slain by Trinket, biting his head off, his mist form destroyed by Keyleth's Sunbeam.

Following the battle, the group saw a dark plume of smoke in the distance, and people stepping out of their homes to form bands and gather weapons. Keyleth used Skywrite to draw the de Rolo family crest in the smoke. The party ignited the mansion and snuck off towards The Alcove, meeting back up with Scanlan.

The rebellion was in full force. taking a short rest to tend to their wounds at The Alcove, Vox Machina joined the rebels in taking out the zombie giants, finding that two had already been slain. The group headed for the Sun Tree, searching for giants on their way there. They made their way to the town square where the Sun Tree, finding that the corpses had been removed. Across the square, a zombie giant riddled with spears and struggling with a group of civilians. An army of around hundred armored skeletons, exhumed from the graveyard, marched in from the north of town.

 Meeting with a group of rebels led by Keeper Yennen, Vox Machina faced the skeleton horde, raising a Wall of Stone across the street to hold the line. At that moment, Pike appeared, her radiant form projected to Whitestone, leaping from the top of the wall and landed deep into the horde. She channeled Sarenrae's power to use Destroy Undead, obliterating a third of the of the skeletons, leaving only about twenty remaining which were picked off by the rest of Vox Machina. The party then split up to continue the fight against the remaining zombie giants.

Grog and the gnomes engaged a giant, joined by three member of the resistance. After a battle, Pike destroyed the undead with her Mace of Disruption. The group told the rebels that they are with de Rolos, to prepare, wait for their signal, and spread the word.

Meanwhile Percy, Keyleth, and the twins encountered the other giant at the graveyard. They did battle with the giant, felling it with the aid of a number of rebels. They discussed and decided to take the castle the next day. As the group of citizens left, Keyleth told them to keep watch for the sign of Pelor in the sky. The party headed west to meet up with their companions.

Vox Machina reunited at the west wall, confirming the giants were slain. Percy led the party to the secret entrance near the west side of the castle. The party entered the tunnel before Grog closed it again. Once in the tunnel, Grog closed the entrance and Pike cast Greater Restoration on Percy, having sensed a seed of darkness within him. While the rest of Vox Machina was distracted by this, Vax slipped away and began scouting ahead down the tunnel. When he returned they went to sleep, with Vax keeping watch.

6 Duscar 810 PD
Waking at dawn, Keyleth used Skywrite form the de Rolo crest in the clouds. In response, members of the rebellion lit beacons with lanterns and torches, signaling they were preparing to attack. After eating a Heroes' Feast prepared by Pike, Vox Machina went further down the tunnel, entering in the dungeon of Whitestone Castle. There they found a prisoner, who was revealed to be a magically disguised Anna Ripley.

 Ripley revealed that she was imprisoned by the Briarwoods for attempting to flee Whitestone before Vox Machina's arrival. Percy revealed himself to her, and agreed to release her on the grounds that she helps them find Cassandra. Vox Machina, lead by Ripley, entered the central hall of Whitestone Castle. Pike's projected form then vanished, for the time overwhelmed by the evil that permeates the castle.

Ripley lead them upstairs to her room, where Vox Machina confiscated her belongings, including a revolver that Ripley built, and a Potion of Flying. She then took them to Cassandra's room, but she isn't inside. When pressed, Ripley explained that she was hired by the Briarwoods to create an acid to distil residuum from the whitestone mined from the nearby mountains, and that this residuum is being used to reconstruct a ziggurat underneath the city, directly beneath the Sun Tree. Ripley then goaded Percy into pursuing Professor Anders, noting that Cassandra is probably with him.

Vax scouted ahead to Anders' study, where he found Anders holding Cassandra hostage. Vax engaged a fight, whereupon Anders appeared to slit Cassandra's throat and activated a pair of helmed horrors. Vox Machina arrived and joined the battle. During the fight, Ripley slipped away and escaped the castle. Percy, smoke billowing from his body, killed Anders.

After reuniting with his Cassandra, Percy explained that they're going to face the Briarwoods that day. Cassandra went back to her room to don her mother's armor. While tending to their wounds, Vox Machina found notes and letters in Anders' office concerning the Briarwood's plans written by Riskel Daxio of the Tal'Dorei Council. Cassandra then led Vox Machina down to the de Rolo family crypt, explaining to them her experience as the Briarwoods' prisoner as they went. While