In a flashback, Professor Anders requests funding from the de Rolos to help triple their residuum production. Percy’s father declines, and Anders stews in bitter hatred toward the entire family.
In the present day, Vox Machina escapes with Archie to the safehouse. They pressure Percy to explain what came over him.
He tells of how he came to possess a pepper-box pistol, which he used to kill his family. After the Briarwoods slaughtered his family, he fled. Struggling for survival, he was constantly plagued with visions of his family’s deaths. The desire for vengeance kept eating at him.
He dreamed up a weapon and then invented it. On it are the names of those he swore to kill: Anders, The Briarwoods, Anna Ripley, and Stonefell. He doesn’t mention to whom he promised this mission. ..
As he explains this, Keyleth experiences her own vision. She places her hands back onto the Sun Tree. She sees the tree degenerating–a dark magic working at its roots. No magic she attempts helps its recovery.
Percy tries to convince Archie to help him reclaim Whitestone, but Archie can only think of reuniting with his sister Cassandra. Luckily, the Resistance leader believes they can accomplish both. He also makes reference to Cassandra as the aforementioned “Kestrel.”
The Vox Machina needs a distraction for all the guards placed in Anders’ house. Scanlan immediately volunteers. Though everyone is skeptical of his abilities, Vex uncharacteristically gives him the benefit of the doubt.
Although the bard struggles–in that he has no idea what he’s doing–he pulls off his task in typical Scanlan fashion: with exceedingly dramatic flair. After a sequence of drinking several mysterious potions, Scanlan manages to set fire to much of the place and cause guards to run outside. He narrowly escapes death himself.
Percy finds Anders holding his sister captive. He raises his pepperbox, but he’s too late. Anders slits Cassandra’s throat right in front of him.
The episode ends with a close-up of Percy’s face, quivering and horrified. He must watch his last remaining relative die in front of him, again. ..
The Episode Review
In the last episode, Delilah mentioned needing residuum for her ritual, so I imagine her interests align with Anders’ all too well. Anders may have been involved in Delilah’s ritual in some way and he may have knowledge about what she needs.
This episode shines on its own, however, accomplishing its characteristic task of spotlighting a couple of the Vox Machina members in particular. And it was a dark turn one of those character arcs took; that cliffhanger was criminal! The absence of Pike in this episode just confirms to me that her side quest isn’t so necessary to the overarching plot. This episode shines on its own, however, accomplishing its primary goal of highlighting two specific Vox Machina members. It was a dark turn one of those character arcs took; that cliffhanger was shocking! ..
The mystery surrounding Percy just becomes more and more intriguing. What do you think grants him his power and creates such darkness in him? And who is this Anna Ripley?
