A Bard's Lament

is the twenty-ninth episode of the fifth chapter of Critical Role. Grog has a one-on-one rematch with Earthbreaker Groon. Vox Machina says farewell to a dear friend, but they meet someone new the very next day.

Previously on Critical Role
"Vox Machina—having just completed the destruction of the Chroma Conclave, a scourge of ancient chromatic dragons that had terrorized the countryside—they are victorious, yet in the process lost a couple of lives. Percy returned, and Scanlan, his lifeless body brought back to Whitestone, they completed the ritual correctly, and he came to life, however he remains unconscious in a pseudo-coma. They left him in Whitestone, hopefully to recover, while beginning to finish up some of their last business that they've been unable to with the rush of this current arc.

"They made a journey to Vasselheim where they walked through the Abundant Terrace and into the Birthheart itself, the temple of Melora within Vasselheim, spoke with one of the various worshippers there, and buried a box of ashes, apparently, of Senokir's wife as a thank you for when [they] journeyed and met him in the City of Brass on the Fire Elemental Plane.

"Upon doing so, [they] then began to scatter about the city to do some business, one of the elements of which Grog Strongjaw, along with Pike, made their way to [ the Quadroads ], which is the Kord section of the city. Returning to the Trial Forge, the temple to Kord, and upon walking to the center of the strangely empty temple structure [they] saw, down in a once-previously-traversed sandpit, there stood Earthbreaker Groon, the high priest of Kord, who then turned to [Grog] and asked [him] to "show [him] what [he] had learned." After slamming his feet into the sand and preparing himself for conflict, he beckons [Grog] towards him."

Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot (DM-controlled)
 * Trinket (within Raven's Slumber; indirectly mentioned by Taryon)
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

New

 * Taryon Darrington

Appeared

 * Cydric Gillsman
 * Shaun Gilmore
 * Earthbreaker Groon
 * Kaylie
 * The Sun Tree (used as transportation; did not speak)

Mentioned

 * Treev Bonebreaker
 * Cassandra de Rolo
 * Kord
 * Raishan
 * The Raven Queen
 * Anna Ripley
 * Eskil Ryndarien
 * Thordak
 * Allura Vysoren