Cassandra convinces him not to shoot; Dr. Ripley may just be able to help them find the Briarwoods. Percy’s reactions stokes some of Vox Machina’s lingering concerns about the darkness that has been taking over him. Pike (still an astral projection) lays her hands on him to sense what could be causing this change. A vision shows Percy on fire, with dark claws that slash at Pike. She tells him he must go to a temple as soon as possible. But Percy’s immediate concern is stopping the Briarwoods. He grudgingly agrees to hold off on killing Dr. Ripley so she can show them the way forward. While the people of Whitestone fight against the Pale Guard, Dr. Ripley leads Vox Machina through the dungeons, and they fend off a few undead on the way. Eventually, they come across a residuum factory. The Briarwoods are producing tons of the substance, but Dr. Ripley says she doesn’t know why. Everyone is distracted by the room, so it’s a shock to Percy when his gun suddenly glows with the name Cassandra de Rolo. They all look up to find that Cassandra is across the room, just about to close a door and leave them all behind. Vax rushes forward and is just able to make it to the other side. Percy screams for his sister to no avail. The Briarwoods then appear behind Cassandra to tell her she has done well. Sylas casts a spell over Vax to control him. As Percy sinks to his knees, Cassandra tells him he has brought this on himself by abandoning her. The Briarwoods are her family now. They leave with Vax in tow. But first, they trigger a trap. The doors close all around Vox Machina and Ripley, and the room begins filing with acid. Scanlan gathers everyone onto his magic hand so they can rise up to the ceiling. Percy remains frozen, so Vex slaps him into waking up. She says that Cass may be gone, but she and the rest of his friends will never abandon him, and they need his help. This rouses Percy out of his trance to help the others. He and Dr. Ripley figure out that there are two switches that will reverse the trap if pulled. The problem is that one of the switches is sitting at the bottom of the acid pool. Grog doesn’t ask any questions. He simply strips down and dives for it. He’s in excruciating pain, but with Pike healing him throughout the whole endeavour, he manages to pull the switch just as Percy and Dr. Ripley take care of the other one. As the acid recedes, Vox Machina is able to press forward. The episode ends with the Briarwoods approaching the ziggurat. Delilah says the ritual will require a blood sacrifice. She then turns to look back at Vax.
The Episode Review
Though utilizing only one setting–a passageway leading to the ziggurat–this instalment still manages to deliver a full and suspenseful arc brimming with twists and turns. Although the big reveal in the episode was well-executed, it’s the little details I found most intriguing, such as Pike’s vision of Percy’s darkness and the glow of a new name on his pepperbox. So much more is in store for Percy’s character, and things will only get worse before they can get better. What did you think about the episode? Do you think Vox Machina can trust Dr. Ripley? On the other hand, can the Briarwoods truly count on Cassandra?
