What Lies Beneath the Surface

is the twelfth episode of the sixth chapter of Critical Role. After reuniting with an old friend, Vox Machina loots Thordak's treasure hoard before returning to Whitestone to decide what to do about Raishan.

Previously on Critical Role
"Vox Machina, our band of adventurers, have been traveling across Tal'Dorei, continents, and planes of existence beyond in search of the Vestiges of Divergence, magical artifacts that can help outfit them for their coming struggle against the Chroma Conclave, a group of chromatic dragons that had terrorized and conquered the Tal'Dorei countryside for quite some time now.

''At the end of this venture, you've all—acquiring your relative power, your levels of experience, and the allies you've amassed through this journey—converged upon the central capital city of Emon in hopes of finally defeating and destroying Thordak, the Cinder King. You made a tenuous relationship with a member of the Conclave, Raishan, the Diseased Deceiver, a green dragon. And after killing the other three members of the Conclave, you went in with armies at your back, Ashari in the sky who laid siege to the city as you snuck beneath the streets of Emon, emerging on the outskirts of the Cloudtop District.''

Through the help of your two allies, Zahra and Kashaw, you managed to bypass two waiting fire giants, push straight into the center of the mostly ruined Cloudtop District where you confronted Thordak, the Cinder King, in his large, swollen, powerful, primordial red dragon form.

''You came prepared with allies at your side. In full power you tore into Thordak and while many blows were sustained on both sides of the fray, Thordak fell in the battlefield. In those moments, as Thordak attempted to retreat into his lair, you, Vax, gave chase and slew the dragon using Whisper in your grasp. ''

''As a few of you came up behind, Raishan, as well, asked—as part of the accord you made—to be given some time with the corpse of Thordak. It was decided that this was not to be allowed, she was not to be trusted and attack was made on Raishan—though Raishan also had made a few unique choices of her own leading up to it—[and this] has led to a confrontation—in Thordak's lair beneath the city—where you all nearly got your asses handed to you by a well-prepared Raishan.''

However, in the midst of this battle you did summon your ally J'mon Sa Ord there—the leader of Ank'Harel, the distant city on the continent of Marquet, and a brass dragon—who upon arriving in this fray, [with] full health and ready to fight, was enough of a threat to drive Raishan off, in her damaged form, before she could finish you off in the state you were in.

However, you were then kept at bay by a Wall of Force as Raishan took two of Thordak's strangely existing eggs and flew into a tunnel towards the corpse of Thordak and then disappeared in a flash of purple energy before the wall dropped and you all just arrived, halfway through the tunnel where the corpse of Thordak once lay, to find it missing along with Raishan and the eggs that she had gathered."

Vox Machina

 * Keyleth
 * Percival de Rolo
 * Scanlan Shorthalt
 * Grog Strongjaw
 * Pike Trickfoot (DM-controlled)
 * Trinket (unconscious within Raven's Slumber; not mentioned)
 * Vax'ildan
 * Vex'ahlia

Appeared

 * Samantha

Mentioned

 * Opash

Appeared

 * Tofor Brotoras
 * Mikael Daxio
 * Cassandra de Rolo
 * Lady Kima of Vord
 * Shaun Gilmore
 * Jarett Howarth
 * Zahra Hydris
 * J'mon Sa Ord / Devo'ssa
 * Kerrek
 * Raishan
 * Thordak (corpse)
 * Kashaw Vesh
 * Allura Vysoren

Mentioned

 * The Briarwoods
 * Assum Emring
 * Ghurrix
 * Hotis
 * Hunin
 * Kyor
 * The Raven Queen
 * Vecna

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first time the Deck of Many Things has been used. Grog pulled out the Key card and received a scimitar. Due to a mix-up with Matt, Travis actually had pulled the Euryale card.  This was reversed in the following episode.