In the wake of an unexpected tragedy, Vox Machina must brave the traps of the Matron of Ravens' temple to secure the first vestige, even as their sorrow threatens to tear the group asunder...
Contains the following tropes:
- Back from the Dead: The Matron of Ravens almost claims Vex's soul, before Vax interferes and screams at her to take him instead. The Matron accepts his offer and allows Kashaw to resurrect Vex.
- Captain Ersatz:
- The aberration that attacks Vox Machina is a clear stand-in for the beholder that fought the party in the original stream, down to its single eyed appearance and its ability to petrify its foes. The name of this creature, per the Twitch Watch Party? The 'Onlooker'.
- Likewise, the Matron of Ravens is one to the Raven Queen, using one of her other names.
- Didn't See That Coming: Vax expected the Matron to kill him when he asked her to take him instead of Vex. Instead, she took him as her Champion.Vax: The Matron....what did I just do?
- Didn't Think This Through: Zahra gets the idea to summon an aberration to distract Vox Machina so she can snatch the Vestige while they're all paralyzed. It proves far too powerful and nearly kills them all, including her and Kash.
- Easily Forgiven:
- Zahra and Kashaw's treachery nearly gets all of Vox Machina killed (along with themselves), all because Zahra was jealous of Vax having acquired the Vestige. However, after everything's said and done, the group doesn't dwell on it any further and they part on amicable terms, with Keyleth even watching Kashaw leave.
- Averted with Vax, who punches Percy out when the latter attempts an apology.
- It's All My Fault: Percy feels incredibly guilty for having caused Vex's death. When an enraged Vax asks who was with Vex at the time of her death, Percy can only avert his eyes in shame.
- Jump Scare: The Matron shows Vax a vision of her reaping a sickly man. Vax then turns around and a zombified version of himself flashes into view with a Scare Chord, jolting him out of the vision.
- Mercy Kill: As seen in a flashback, Vex and Vax found Trinket and his mother captured by poachers. The mother bear was filled with arrows, bleeding out, and clearly suffering a slow death. The only thing the twins could do for her was put her down quickly and cleanly.
- No-Sell: In his vision, Vax can't hurt Purvan Suul even when he manages to fight back. None of his blows can even budge Purvan and judging by the sounds and his bruised knuckles he's hurting himself more than his target.
- Rejected Apology: When Percy apologizes to Vax for killing his sister via negligence, he's met with a fist to the face.
- Sheathe Your Sword: As a goddess of death, the Matron of Ravens requires her Champion to accept their own mortality. Vax enters a vision where he is beaten repeatedly by Purvan Suul no matter what he does, until he finally allows Purvan to hit him with a killing blow. The Matron then accepts him as hers and awakens the Deathwalker's Ward.
- Stealth Pun: Zahra gives Vex her amulet at the end of the episode, which Vex uses to keep Trinket in for his protection. One might say that she's keeping Trinket inside a trinketnote .
- Super-Speed: With the Deathwalker's Ward, Vax's agility is increased severalfold, giving him the edge he needs to slay the monster Zahra summoned.
- Take Me Instead: When the Matron of Ravens comes to claim Vex's soul, Vax is quick to intercede.Vax: TAKE ME INSTEAD, YOU RAVEN BITCH!
- Trailers Always Spoil: A teaser
of the upcoming episodes shows the group sleeping in the woods, revealing an apparently sleeping Vex'ahlia amongst them, showing that her death didn't stick. - Twins Are Special: When the Matron is about to reap Vex, it's shown that there's a magical connection between her and Vax. When Vax pleads for her life, she severs it and binds him to herself instead.
- Wham Episode: Vax offers himself up to the Matron of Ravens to his sister's life, an offer that she silently accepts, making him her new champion.
Matt Mercer himself referred to this moment in the campaign as arguably the story's single most important and world-shaking moment, and one that even he never saw coming. - Your Magic's No Good Here: Since they're in her temple, the Matron of Ravens has the ultimate authority on divine magic and easily shatters Pike and Kashaw's spell. She only allows Vex's revival when Vax promises himself to her.
