Key Role: The Legend of Vox Machina: What to See Before the Animated Series

Legend of Vox Machina, the highly anticipated adult animated series, will premiere on January 28. The Prime video series is based on Critical Role, a group of voice actors who used to play Dungeons & Dragons together since 2014. Their weekly broadcasts on Twitch include one of the most popular.realistic play“Experience in the world – ie performance for actually playing D&D in real time. The first part is based on the events of first campaign, and is designed to be the perfect starting point for those new to the sprawling multimedia adventure and the starting point for Unseen adventures.

For those looking to dig in, know that the series has been specially tailored to attract new viewers, starting on this new medium with a relatively compelling story. But, like building a character for D&D, sometimes you have to take some time to dig into the details and dig into the plot. We’re here to answer your most basic questions about the series, including what’s to be introduced in the opening episodes and what, if anything, you should know about joining.

Where does the story take place?

Legend of Vox Machina refers to the group of adventurers known as the Vox Machina. It takes place on a planet called Exandria, specifically on the continent of Tal’Dorei. Exandria – home of gods, monsters and The entrance is very difficult – belongs to Matthew Mercer campaign settingsand represents a common universe where all the Crucial Role campaigns take place. If you want to learn more about Exandria’s history, there’s even a videotapes that explains its origin story.

Elements of Exandria will feel familiar to D&D veterans who have organized campaigns in The Forgotten Realm – including the presence of gods similar to those of Faerûn, and the presence of races such as elves, dwarves, gnomes and hybrids, in addition to humans. Similarly, Exandria is connected to various existence dimensions that can resonate with longtime players, including Feywild, Shadowfell, Astral Plane, Elemental Planes, and more.

The animated series begins in the city of Emon, the capital of Tal’Dorei. Emon is an industrial hub, located on the east coast of Tal’Dorei – the first campaign to highlight Tal’Dorei at the pinnacle of technological innovation. Skyscrapers are available for overseas travel from Emon to other Exandrian continents such as Issylra and Marquet, as magic and technology combine to work wonders. Emon is also home to landmarks such as the Glorious Cargo of Gilmore, the Alabaster Lyceum, the Ivory Tower and the Sovereign’s Palace, which is the seat of Uriel Tal’Dorei and the Tal’Dorei Council, the ruling parties of the Communists Peace Tal’ Dorei.

What should I know about the characters that will be participating?

The heart of Critical Role has always been the bond between its characters. Vox Machina has seven core members – eight, if you include the armored bear Trinket. Trinket is the companion of Vex’ahlia “Vex” Vessar (Laura Bailey), a serious, frugal ranger who is the twin brother of Vax’ildan “Vax” Vessar (Liam O’Brien), a crook. crafty, cunning. Vex and Vax are inseparable, having been pulled from their mother by their haughty elf father as children. If you want to learn more specifically about the origin story of the twins, you can also check out Key Roles: Vox Machina – Kith and Kin, the new version of their story by Marieke Nijkamp. Polygons even have an exclusive excerpt, which includes, of course, the audio narration of the original cast.

While not twins, or even siblings, Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson) and Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham) have a close bond, raised together by Pike’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. , Wilhand Trickfoot. Pike is a whimsical cleric of Everlight, the Exandrian god of redemption and healing, while Grog is a rabid savage who loves alcohol above all else. Pike was absent from some episodes of the live-streamed campaign, as Ashley Johnson was having conflicts during filming at the time – which is part of the reason why Pike often falls into the crucial moments. important in the story by means of an intermediate projection.

Keyleth of the Air Ashari (Marisha Ray), Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel) and Percival “Percy” Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III (Taliesin Jaffe) outshine the rest of the group. Keyleth, a shape-shifting drug, is perhaps the most powerful member of the group, although her awkwardness and uncertainty often keep her unaware of it. Scanlan is the polar opposite of Keyleth, where confidence is involved – as a troubadour, he spends a lot of time performing, singing songs and generally trying to seduce anyone. who looks his way. Percy is the cherished aristocrat gunman in the group, with a mysterious past that will be unraveled as the film progresses.

Matthew Mercer dotted in various Critical Role episodes as the voice of many NPCs. He cultivates everywhere, from bar owners to hitters, making up the story’s backdrop.

Vox Machina is, in many ways, unlikely to be a hero. The group initially came together as mercenaries and spent most of their time together Origin of Vox Machina job hunting manga. They were crude, disorganized, and quite conspicuously unwelcome in polite society during the first campaign. You can enjoy their unique brand of heroism in directly read a scene from the series at New York Comic Con, where they got drunk, rioted and ended up in a bar brawl.

What episodes of the campaign or podcast should I watch before the series, if any?

Legend of Vox Machina will start with Unseen adventures, as we all mentioned. After the first two episodes, the cast has indicated that the animated series will dive into the Briarwood portion of the first campaign, which puts Percy’s backstory at the forefront and explores his ties to the past. concealed so far in Whitestone.

The Briarwood arc deals with the pair of the same name: Silas and Delilah Briarwood (Matthew Mercer as Silas). In a virtual dashboard for New York Comic Con 2021, Marisha Ray described the Briarwood installment as an “obvious starting point” for the series, with Sam Riegel adding that it was “the first time it felt like a work of art.” The Briarwood arc has ripples that persist throughout the first campaign – also repeated in the events of current campaign of the group, one placed many, many years after the first one.

If you’re planning on giving yourself an edge ahead of the series, we recommend starting with the following episodes of Critical Role, most of which correspond to the Briarwood portion of the live-streamed campaign. Note that all episodes after episode 24 of first campaign tracks live alongside the Briarwood arc and may contain spoilers for the Briarwood-focused events of the first season of Legend of Vox Machina. We’ve also included a few extra episodes that will establish a lasting dynamic between NPCs and the party.

• Campaign 1, episode 14: “Shopping and Delivery” – YouTube and Spotify
• Operation 1, episode 16: “Entering Vasselheim” – YouTube and Spotify
• Campaign 1, episode 17: “Hubris” – YouTube and Spotify
• Campaign 1, episode 23: “The Rematch” – YouTube and Spotify
• Campaign 1, episode 24: “The Feast” – YouTube and Spotify
• Campaign 1, episode 25: “Crimson Diplomacy” – YouTube and Spotify
• Campaign 1, episode 26: “Consequences and Cows” – YouTube and Spotify
• Campaign 1, episode 27: “The Path to Whitestone” – YouTube and Spotify

If you want to know more about the making of the series and the voice cast for the central characters, you can also check out “The Legend of Legend of Vox Machina” series of videos.

Legend of Vox Machina, like Critical Role itself, is and will be somewhat unconventional in its relationship with viewers. Whether you’re starting out without using any of the Critical Roles before, or you’ve been hanging around since that point Vox Machina became the bulls, there’s a good chance you’ll find something new.