In the distant city of Vasselheim, Vox Machina seeks help. When the city's rulers turn them away, however, their only hope lies in some old "friends" with a grudge against Vex and Vax.
Tropes
- Alien Blood: The Snail-like creature Zahra stabs in her introductory scene bleeds blue blood.
- Cool Old Guy: Earthbreaker Groon, natch. He not only handily kicks Grog's ass repeatedly despite being unarmed, barely getting scratched at all until he does a Bare-Handed Blade Block, he also uses this as a learning experience for Grog, emphasizing how his weak mindset will allow his weapon to overtake him eventually until he masters himself and learns where he draws his strength from. Pointedly, he's presented as a counterpart to Osysa giving the more intelligent members of Vox Machina a dose of Break Them by Talking that is combined with Dare to Be Badass, dumbing down his lesson to one Grog can understand through the beating.
- Flipping the Bird: The "Wanted!" Poster of Vex and Vax shows her giving the finger. Since it's
a hand drawn poster, one has to conclude she did the gesture often. - Foreshadowing: The episode ends with Percy visiting a black powder shop, and the vendor noting that only one other recent customer had come by, a woman with only one hand: Dr. Ripley...
- Handicapped Badass: One of the Slayer's Take members is in a wheelchair, but has his mobility aid modified to sprout knives at a moment's notice and is shown engaging in an arm-wrestling contest shortly before Kashaw declares open season on Vox Machina.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: At the end of the episode Grog, who had the tar beaten out of him by Groon, proposes to the rest of the group they all get a drink. The rest of Vox Machina agrees.
- Mythology Gag: During the establishing shot of the different temples, two members of the Mighty Nein can be seen briefly in the background — Caduceus giving a sermon in front of the Wildmother's temple, and Yasha talking to two other NPCs in front of the Storm Lord's domain.
- Perspective Magic: The opening apparently has Keyleth's exit portal being on a tree in the middle of nowhere in a rocky terrain, before Scanlan fully exits the portal and is abruptly dragged sideways, with the camera rotating 90 degrees to reveal that the tree is actually growing horizontally on a steep cliff, the portal pointing straight towards the far-away ground, which Scanlan apparently didn't realize what he was looking at. A similar thing happens when Osysa gives Vox Machina a Break Them by Talking session, the various members getting grabbed or tossed away into the shifting darkness of the chamber, with the camera rotating wildly to indicate there's also an element of Gravity Screw going on as they're flung against or off the pillars and floor of the room depending on the camera angle.
- Revenge Before Reason: Vex offers up the entire collective hoard of all four dragons if The Slayer's Take helps kill them, an amount that makes the 12,000 gold she owes look like pocket change. They still refuse to help and pick a fight instead. That said, an additional reason was also the fact that they'd be taking on a large gamble against four dangerous legendary beasts working together in tandem, which would have been a uncertain and potentially too risky venture to undertake, compared to taking the smaller, but safer, reward owed them.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Grog correctly guesses that Groon's Armor-Piercing Question is a trick one, but misjudges the answer as coming from his heart. Once the answer is revealed, it's shown that he wasn't exactly wrong per se, just incorrect in his phrasing.
- Shout-Out: Red Monika and Garrison from Battle Chasers can be seen amongst the membership of the Slayer's Take
. - Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Vex attempts to bribe Slayer's Take into helping to fight the Chroma Conclave, which Pike takes offense to, stating that it's not about money but about saving innocents. This is met with roaring laughter from all the Slayer's Take members present.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Grog does correctly guess that the question of strength is a trick question, he's just wrong that his strength comes from his heart.
- You Owe Me: Zahra still holds a grudge against Vex for running off with one of Slayer's Take's bounties and demands payment in either 12,000 gold pieces or a hydra's head. Which unfortunately, neither of which Vex has on hand.
