Critical Role‘s campaign one had a lot of memorable moments, and not all of them revolved around the sketchy antics of their Bard Scanlan Shorthalt. The heroes known to the world of Tal’Dorei as Vox Machina left their mark, saving Emon from Thordak and the Chroma Conclave, exacting vengeance on the Briarwoods to take back Whitestone for Percy’s family and defeating Vecna on his ascendance to godhood for the greater good of all.
However, not all of their actions are remembered as honorable. There were plenty of times when Vox Machina lied, cheated, manipulated and even stole. Though occasionally their reasons were justifiable, that wasn’t always the case — just take the story of how Laura Bailey’s Vex’ahlia got her broom as an example.
In Episode 46, “Cindergrove Revisited”, the party’s visit to the Fire Ashari revealed the devastation of Thordak‘s escape from the Elemental Plane of Fire. In an effort to stem the flow of devastation still pouring from the tear between planes, Vox Machina lent their aid to the Fire Ashari. While trying to stealth past a pack of undead looming near the portal, Scanlan’s clumsiness alerted the undead, prompting Vax and Vex to try and do away with them quickly.
After disposing of one of them, a blue Dragonborn Wizard named Gern Blanston (portrayed by guest player Chris Hardwick) emerged to stop them. To replace the undead thrall they killed, the party allowed Gern to accompany them on their journey, at which point Vex’ahlia noticed a unique and intriguing item he had on his person: a flying broom. Throughout the campaign, Vex was often been teased by the other members of the party for her greed, especially during shrewd negotiations with merchants, so it came as no surprise when she stole Gern’s broom, transferred it into the Bag of Holding, then lied, telling him she accidentally dropped it into the lava around the portal.
She confided in Scanlan later in his mansion about what she’d done and asked for his help in figuring out how to attune to it. When the rest of the party found out what she’d done, they were astonished by the true depths of her greed, but in reality no one was actually all that surprised. Originally falling into the neutral good alignment, Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer changed Vex’s alignment after what fans began calling “Broomgate” to chaotic good.
The broom, which Vex named Death from Above, became an incredibly useful part of the Ranger’s repertoire in both reconnaissance and battle. Over time, Percy’s skills as a tinkerer added a number of modifications that allowed Vex to aim more steadily with her bow while flying and keep her from falling off.
Though the other party members often teased her about Death from Above and how she came to acquire it, Vex’s mastery of it played an essential role in Vox Machina’s battle against Kevdak and the Herd of Storms in Westruun. With Grog close to death, Vex was able to swoop in and collect his body, storing him in her necklace, the Raven’s Slumber. When the time was right, she flew back over and dropped Grog on top of Kevdak, allowing him to finish off the enemy.
This strategy, though reckless, gave Vox Machina the upper-hand they desperately needed to win the fight and avoid the total-party-kill they were on the brink of. While Vex’s way of acquiring Death from Above may not have been honest or conventional, her choice to steal it prove that, though she may have been heavily motivated by greed, her resourcefulness saved Vox Machina, allowing them to save Exandria from total devastation not once, but twice.
About The Author
