Loose Ends

is the fifteenth episode of the sixth chapter of Critical Role. In a rare moment of peace, Vox Machina checks on Emon, fulfills a promise, and meets up with an old acquaintance.

Pre-Show
A Critical Role fan art reel is played

Announcements

 * The show is sponsored by Loot Crate. Sam is absent tonight, but sent in a video ad from a ski trip. Ashley reads an ad.
 * Laura plugged the web store, where the Critical Role dice kits are back
 * Matt, Marisha, Laura, and Travis will be at Anime Milwaukee

Previously on Critical Role
"The party, Vox Machina, has been combating the horrible, terrible influence of the Chroma Conclave, a group of chromatic dragons that had been terrorizing the countryside of Tal'Dorei, occupying the city of Emon, Westruun, and places beyond. They've managed to kill off all the members of the Conclave leading up to Raishan, the orchestrator behind the scenes of most of the chaos that they've seen in recent months.

"Raishan managed to nearly destroy Vox Machina before absconding with the corpse of Thordak, apparently into the next portion of her plot. The party, upon running into an old friend—Kerrek from Westruun, who had helped in the attack on Emon—joined forces to give chase in hopes [...] to head her off at the pass and prevent Raishan from seeing to fruition whatever plan she had after this leg.

"Through a series of very well-placed scries, [they] discovered that she had absconded to the Island of Viscan, an old lair of Thordak's and before that an older lair of Opash, an ancient necromancer who was banished and made that his demesne. As [the party] made [their] way to the island, hopefully prepared for this, [they] fought through various traps and difficult challenges throughout this necromancer's sanctum, eventually coming into battle with Raishan herself.

"A long, hard-fought battle left Percy and Scanlan both lifeless [on] the ground. Percy was risen quickly, Scanlan unfortunately was not, and the final blow [to Raishan was] delivered [by] a combination of both Keyleth, tearing the intellect from Raishan through a well-placed Feeblemind spell, and Kerrek, with a well-placed warhammer blow to the head of the green dragon.

"The dragon destroyed, however their friend Scanlan still lifeless and still growing colder as the minutes passed. [They] picked up his body and [they] fled the cavern to the outside of the island after discovering that teleportation, or at least magic of transport, had some sort of an alteration or a...funkiness to it, if you will. [Vox Machina] watched as two of [their] allies, Kima and Allura, were—instead of teleporting away through a circle—sent deep out into the ocean. [Keyleth] managed to find them through a very lucky Perception roll.

"[Keyleth] was able to connect [her] Transport via Plants through one of the outside trees by the beach to get [them] all to Whitestone. There [they] took Scanlan's body to the recently-constructed temple to the Raven Queen, and in preparing for this ritual the Gate Stone was taken by Vex who, with the help of the Realmseer, Eskil Ryndarien, transported to Kymal, made [her] way through the riffraff to one of the darkened taverns there to find Kaylie, Scanlan's daughter; long-estranged, rambunctious daughter, but daughter nonetheless. [Vex] handed her the Gate Stone and she vanished in a puff of arcane smoke, leaving [Vex] and Eskil—Eskil more confused than her—within the tavern."

Part I
Kaylie rushes into the temple of The Raven Queen to see Scanlan's body, and she slaps him on the face and says "You made me a promise!" She storms out, and Pike follows her, telling her how much Scanlan loves her. She leaves to get a drink. Grog has a moment alone with Scanlan, telling him that this isn't over. Pike returns and continues preparing for the Resurrection ritual, and after an hour has passed Kaylie returns, visibly drunk.

Pike begins the ritual. Grog sings a song for Scanlan. Pike gives Scanlan a doll that he gave her and recites a poem. Kaylie jumps onto the altar and takes out her fiddle. Vax quickly uses Lay on Hands to rid her of the alcohol in her system, and she plays and dances. The ritual completes and the life returns to Scanlan's body, but he remains asleep. Kaylie slaps him again and leaves. Keyleth verifies that he's alright, and Grog picks him up to carry him to the castle. They pass Allura and Kima on the way, who are delighted to see that Scanlan is alive. They say they'll be headed back to Emon to help with rebuilding and to serve on the council. They say their goodbyes and Grog takes Scanlan to his room.

Meanwhile in Kymal, Vex sits down next to Doctor Dranzel briefly to talk about Scanlan before heading upstairs to her room, waiting for word from Vox Machina. Back in Whitestone, Vax gets his Ring of Invisibility back from Kerrek, and Keyleth thanks Kerrek for coming with them. Then she goes to find Allura to ask her to use Sending to tell Vex that Scanlan is okay.

Pike stays with Scanlan in his room, and Grog stays outside the door in the hallway. Kerrek brings Grog a bottle of booze from the castle's reserves, and they chat for a while. Kerrek brings up the Resurrection ritual and asked if they'd done it before. Grog says yes and that he didn't know that was possible before he met Vox Machina. He asks if Kerrek has done it and he says that he's looked into it, but never knew if the stories of such things happening were true. Grog is surprised to hear from Kerrek that resurrection is a rare thing. Kerrek asks Grog if it always works, and if the body is needed. Grog says he doesn't know how it would work without a body, but he really doesn't know how any of it works.

Pike overhears and comes out of the room, asking why there's no booze for her, and Kerrek goes to get more for them. Percy arrives at the room as well, as Kerrek returns with more alcohol. Pike asks what Kerrek was talking about, but he deflects and just says that the ritual was quite an experience. Percy wonders aloud why they sometimes get to choose who comes back from death. He and Pike decide to play a prank on Scanlan for when he wakes up. They dress him in one of Pike's nightgowns and smear pudding on him and all over the room, and Kerrek helps them tie his hands with a scarf.

In Kymal, Vex hears Allura's Sending message and is overjoyed. She removes Trinket from the Raven's Slumber necklace and rushes downstairs to find the only conscious person in the bar is the barkeep. She buys him an expensive bottle of liquor and a bowl full of ale for Trinket.

Back in Whitestone, Vax places all of his gear on the altar including the Deathwalker's Ward and asks aloud "What happens now?" He spends the night in the temple. The next morning, Eskil Ryndarien takes Vex back to Whitestone. She goes to the temple to find Vax. He asks her what happens now that the dragons are all dead. She says she could stay here, and Vax says that he might go home with Keyleth for a while.

They head back to the castle, where Allura is preparing for the trip to Emon. Kaylie comes downstairs, laughing at the state they've put Scanlan in, and says that she'll stay with him until he wakes up. Allura casts the Teleport spell and the next moment they are outside the gates to the Cloudtop district of Emon. They see several people from all walks of life beginning to rebuild. Kerrek is greeted by his associate Samantha, asking what he's been up to and saying that she and the rest of his people are ready to go home. Vax tells her to make sure that people know Kerrek landed the killing blow on the Chroma Conclave. He says his goodbyes to the group and walks away, headed home to Westruun.

Break

 * A short Loot Crate ad and a Critical Role fan art reel are played on a loop
 * The Wyrmwood giveaway winner is Kalagrace.

Part II
The party lists off their unfinished business. They are concerned about the power structure in Emon, but Allura assures them that she will gather the remaining members of the council and work on getting things in place. Vex has Allura check the box that Senokir gave them. Allura detects a faint protective magical aura on it, but nothing noteworthy. Keyleth has Vex and Vax ask Kima for the Boots of Elevenkind that they lent her. She reluctantly gives them up, and she thanks Vox Machina for all that they've done and for letting her come along.

Leaving Allura and Kima in the Cloudtop district, they make their way down through the city to Greyskull Keep. They can tell that people have been through it in the past two days, but no one is here currently. Vex has the idea to have the council open it up to refugees for a while. Grog raids Percy's workshop but there isn't much left there. Vax bumps into him there and thanks him for what he did for Scanlan in the ritual.

They party deliberates whether or not they trust Senokir's box to contain what he said it does, and Pike is particularly skeptical. Eventually they decide to make good on their promise and bury it in Vasselheim. Keyleth uses Transport via Plants on the tree in the keep's temple and moments later they are in Vasseheim's wooded Abundant Terrace. Passersby point them to the Birth Heart, a cluster of huge trees towering over the canopy.

Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt (dead, then comatose)
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot
 * Trinket
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Lamor

Appeared

 * Dr. Dranzel
 * Earthbreaker Groon
 * Kaylie
 * Kerrek
 * Lady Kima of Vord
 * Eskil Ryndarien
 * Samantha
 * Allura Vysoren

Mentioned

 * Kord
 * Korrin
 * Melora
 * Mikael Daxio
 * Raishan
 * The Raven Queen
 * Sarenrae
 * Senokir
 * Salda Tal'Dorei
 * Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei III
 * Thordak
 * Highbearer Vord
 * Keeper Yennen
 * Zaafin

Quotations
Percy: No. Grog: It's you. Keyleth: Hehe you said "girth."
 * Matt: (laughing) Hello everyone, and welcome to tonight’s episode of Critical– fuck you, Liam! Fuck you!
 * Grog: Wait. Prove that you're you.
 * Percy: The girth of things you do not know could fill such a cavern.