It's Vox Machina versus Umbrasyl the black dragon! Our heroes may have the Vestiges of Divergence on their side, but against the ancient wyrm, it will take a lot more than these ancient god-felling weapons to come out on top: they will need to seize fate by its balls!
Tropes:
- Antagonist Title: The name of this episode refers to Umbrasyl's title of The Hope Devourer.
- Big "NO!": Umbrasyl's reaction when Scanlan reclaims Mythcarver from right under his nose.
- Chekhov's Gun: Mythcarver was previously shown to synchronize with musical tones. Scanlan uses this and an eye stab to set up a Gale-Force Sound inside Umbrasyl's skull.
- Cliffhanger: The season ends with Raishan proposing an alliance with Vox Machina to bring down the rest of the Chroma Conclave. The final scene reveals that Thordak has been tending to a nest of dragon eggs that are already starting to hatch into an army for him.
- Colossus Climb: After snatching Mythcarver, Scanlan runs up Umbrasyl's body to plunge the sword into his eye.
- Cool Key: Scanlan finds a magic floating key among the many treasures in Umbrasyl's hoard.
- Creepy Souvenir: While scouting Umbrasyl's lair, Vax discovers, to his horror and disgust, Kamaljiori's head impaled on a stalagmite.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Unlike with the fight against Brimscythe, Umbrasyl completely overwhelms our heroes, with their possession of the Vestiges barely making a difference. It isn't until Scanlan manages to take back Mythcarver without Umbrasyl noticing until it was too late that the fight actually swings into Vox Machina's favor, and even then, if his surprise attack hadn't killed him, he stood a decent chance of ultimately winning through sheer endurance. It underscores Raishan's proposal to Vox Machina afterwards, as they not only have to deal with another dragon even tougher than Umbrasyll, they'll eventually have to contend with Thordak himself, whom is implicitly powerful enough with the soul anchor at present to keep the entire conclave working together through sheer might.
- Didn't See That Coming: Vox Machina's decision to pursue Umbrasyl was based on the notion that hurt and tired as they are, Umbrasyl was much more badly injured in the previous fight. But while they knew he had magic, they didn't consider it might be healing magic.
- Die or Fly: Vax awakens his raven wings while he and Scanlan are in free fall. He is able to save the latter just in time.
- The Dog Bites Back: Downplayed, in that no actual biting occurs. When Thordak magically contacts Umbrasyl and impatiently demands to know where his gold is for the umpteenth time, an annoyed Umbrasyl abruptly terminates the transmission and sarcastically apologizes, implying that he's done taking orders from the Cinder King.
- Enemy Mine: Raishan tells Vox Machina that she wants Thordak dead as much as they do. They reluctantly agree to hear her out.
- The Fatalist: Downplayed. Vax doesn't feel that they have to face Umbrasyl, but after their journey to fight the Chroma Conclave has kept leading them to overcome past struggles (Keyleth's people, Grog's herd, his and Vex's father), he believes that they are destined to and thus the best people who can.Scanlan: Screw your Matron! She doesn't control my destiny!Vax: No, Scanlan. You do. And you can run from it, or you can rise to meet it.
- Geo Effects: The fight in Umbrasyl's lair is made all the more perilous by the pools of acid he's left everywhere.
- Go for the Eye: Scalan slays Umbrasyl by stabbing him in the eye with Mythcarver and using the wound to fire off a huge magical burst inside his head.
- Handicapped Badass: Grog breaks his leg when he's thrown from Umbrasyl, and later has to fight with it barely splinted. He still manages to do better than almost anyone else until it breaks again.
- Healing Hands: Umbrasyl heals himself before the second fight.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Subverted. Vox Machina briefly thinks that Scanlan died taking down Umbrasyl. Pike even tells Scanlan that his daughter would be proud of him. Much to her relief and annoyance, Scanlan reveals himself to still be alive moments later.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Umbrasyl keeping Mythcarver bound to his foreleg to keep it close by him during the fighting just allows Scanlan to steal a powerful weapon from his enemy when he's distracted and use it against him at too close a range for him to adequately defend himself.
- Near-Villain Victory: In the final battle, Umbrasyl has Vox Machina cornered, exhausted, and all but beaten. It's only because of Scanlan's last minute intervention that he's unable to finish them off and is killed.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Grog's reaction when he sees that Umbrasyl is about to slam him into the side of a mountain.
- Umbrasyl has this reaction when he sees Scanlan about to stab Mythcarver into his left eye.
- The Reveal: Thordak has been melting down the plundered gold into molten slag to fuel an incubation chamber containing dozens of dragon eggs that are almost ready to hatch.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Dr. Ripley wants to do this when she learns that Vox Machina is on their way to Umbrasyl's lair. She does this for real once Umbrasyl is dead.
- Ship Tease:
- Keyleth is absolutely awestruck at seeing Vax with wings, telling him he's "so beautiful" in an almost dazed tone of voice.
- Pike kisses Scanlan when she thinks he died taking down Umbrasyl.
- Slipping a Mickey: Raishan, in the guise of Keeper Yennen, spikes the drinks of Cassandra, Gilmore, Allura, and Kima with a sleeping potion, so that she can have a "private" conversation with Vox Machina.
- Super-Toughness: Not even two Vestiges can get through Umbrasyl's hide, and in the second fight they're unable to make any significant wounds at all. In the end, he's only defeated when Scanlan decides to Go for the Eye.
- What You Are in the Dark: With the party all but certainly doomed, Scanlan very nearly makes good on his constant threats to leave and runs for it. In the end, he can't bring himself to do it, and ends up saving the day with a final gambit.
