Ladies and gentlemen, meet our heroes. Gods help us all.
A dangerous threat looms over the realm of Tal'Dorei, and the Sovereign sends out a call to adventurers to aid the land in its time of need. Enter Vox Machina, a motley crew of misfits and general menaces to society who may be Tal'Dorei's best chance at salvation...if they can get their shit together first.
Tropes
- Bar Brawl: Our introduction to Vox Machina has them getting into a brawl against another mercenary group and destroying the tavern they were drinking in.
- Chekhov's Gun: Agar's hand that Grog chops off him and keeps as a souvenir afterwards winds up falling out in the rockslide that Brimscythe collapses atop Vox Machina's heads, sticking out of the rubble and looking like a Dead-Hand Shot which, along with the smell of expired flesh, is sufficient to convince Brimscythe that they're all dead without making certain of it, when actually Keyleth managed to shield them all with a shelter of vines underneath their temporary cover.
- Dead-Hand Shot: Subverted. It seems like this is the case for Grog and the rest of Vox Machina after Brimscythe collapses the cliff, but it's actually just Agar's severed hand sticking out of the rubble.
- Death of a Child: After failing to save a dying child from the destruction of the village, Vox Machina steel themselves to hunt down and slay Brimscythe.
- Decoy Protagonist: The band of mercenaries the narrator introduces at the show's opening.
- Double Subversion: When Vox Machina brace themselves for the great beast that's been destroying towns, they encounter a cute little lamb. Said lamb is then stomped into paste by the gargantuan blue dragon they've been hunting.
- Dragons Are Demonic: Brimscythe, the blue dragon, is treated as a mysterious horror terrorizing the countryside, and he definitely looks more malevolent than magnificent.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Despite claiming he's only on the dragon hunt for the money, Vax shows a fondness for kids.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Grog casually asks if his flesh wound is normal, revealing a gaping hole that's bleeding out and showing off his ribs.
- Make Sure He's Dead: Brimscythe attempts to do this after apparently crushing Vox Machina underneath the cliffside, sniffing around the carnage until he's satisfied seeing Grog's inert hand sticking out of the rocks and leaving... except that was actually Agar's severed hand and the party are protected under a shelter of vines beneath the rubble.
- Only in It for the Money: The initial motivation for Vox Machina to accept the quest from Sovereign Uriel. Vax even outright states this to Allura during their way to the town.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: After getting banned from the last bar willing to have Vox Machina, Keyleth wonders why they were all even together, going through each person's reason for being here. Vex and Vax only care about themselves (with both twins saying "Well, fuck you"), Percy doesn't even want to be seen in public with the group, Grog just wants to kill everything (which he says is a fair point) and Scanlan.... just wants to bed everyone in the realm.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After barely surviving their encounter with Brimscythe, Vox Machina elects to cut and run before any more destruction befalls them. That is until they see the town they just came from had been completely destroyed.
- Shell-Shock Silence: Keyleth experiences freezing terror as her companions are trying in vain to hold off the dragon. She must have failed her WIS save that time.
- Shock and Awe: Keyleth calls lightning to strike down Brimscythe. Unfortunately he's a blue dragon, who's powered by lightning.
- Take That!: The brave adventurers that face the great dragon Brimscythe at the start look suspiciously like five of the major members of the Fellowship of the Ring, especially their leader who tries to pull a You Shall Not Pass!. They're all wiped out within seconds.
- That Poor Cat: A non-lethal version is invoked in the bar fight when a mercenary stumbles backwards into them after having had his hand chopped off by Grog.
- Theme Tune Roll Call: Scanlan invokes this when Sovereign Uriel asks about the party. As a proper bard, he sings the praises of each member.
- The Worf Effect: Just to underscore how badly outmatched the party is, big and strong Grog is taken down by the dragon as soon as the fight starts. Scanlan even lampshades it.
- Wine Is Classy: While the others are getting sloshed on mugs of ale (Keyleth in particular), Percy is in the back drinking what appears to be a glass of wine.
