The Legend of Vox Machina season 2 has begun, with the first three episodes released by Prime Video on January 20. Our beloved band of crude antiheroes begins the season at full speed, picking up right where season 1 left off — with four dragons bearing down on the city of Emon. How will Vox Machina fare against four of the most ferocious beasts in Exandria? Read on to find out!
Emon Shall Fall
Sovereign Uriel Tal’Dorei, the leader of the Council, stands at a podium in Emon. He confesses to his own poor actions in season 1 while praising Vox Machina for saving the Republic of Tal’Dorei from multiple horrors. Owning his mistakes, Uriel announces that he is stepping down as leader, and leaving ruling to the capable hands of the Council of Tal’Dorei as a whole.
As he speaks, he pauses, shielding his eyes to look at the horizon. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, four huge, winged beasts can be seen zeroing in on the city. The creatures approach and fly above the Cloudtop District, shading entire streets. Alarm bells are sounded. All seven of Vox Machina are in the crowd (along with fan favorite character Gilmore), and they gaze up in horror. Back in season 1, they just barely defeated Brimscythe, a single dragon. What are they supposed to do with four?!
The dragons attack, spitting ice and acid at the tower building where the council are all standing. Scanlan barely has time to say, “Sh*t, the tower is gonna—” before Grog picks him up by the head and Vox Machina make a run for it.
After a quick discussion about getting the Sovereign to safety — “He’s not a Sovereign anymore! We need to get to safety!” — the gang dodge through the besieged city. Above, one of the dragons mocks Uriel: “Emon shall fall!” before renewing their attack. Sending his wife and children with his guards, Uriel brings up the rear as they flee. The dragons fight on, spewing acid and toxic fumes. Allura manages to throw up a shield to protect Salda and the children, but Uriel doesn’t make it within the bubble in time. As the green, acidic fumes billow around, he coughs and begins to bleed from his nose and eyes. He falls.
“Death has come for you,” the dragon growls, before launching itself off the battlements.
Fleeing the City
Allura is still fighting back, wrapping the scaly beast in magic. The creature shrugs it off, like nothing. With a spray of acid, the dragon brings down chunks of the building, knocking down Vox Machina and Gilmore. As Vax pulls himself to his feet, he sees a strange, dark figure ahead of him. His attention is pulled away by his twin as she rushes to him, and when he looks back, the figure is gone.
There’s no time to dwell on it, as the attacking beasts blast an ice wall through the streets, splitting the team in two. Gilmore yells for them to meet at his shop, and the sundered crew fight onwards.
Vex’halia, Keyleth, Scanlan, and Grog dash through the body-strewn streets, but are cut off by one of the massive, ancient dragons. “Raishan enjoys the taste of fear,” it crows at them. The dragon — Raishan — recognizes Keyleth, reminding her of the dragon eye she saw when entering the lair back in season 1.
“F*ck all this,” Grog announces, before growling out his iconic line: “Time…to…rage!”
The rage is short lived and achieves Grog nothing but a broken axe and a dragon who is even more pissed. Scanlan strums his lute and summons…a giant pink foot, which he shoves in Raishan’s mouth. It’s just as ineffective, so Vox Machina execute their next best plan: run.
The rest of the group aren’t faring much better. Vax’ildan, Percy, Pike, and Gilmore are racing to get to the shelter of Gilmore’s shop, but are being just as besieged by the dragons. We see Percy knocking Vax out of the way of a flare of acid, and falling to the ground, bloodied.
“People of Emon! Thordak demands capitulation. Submit to the Cinder King!” the largest dragon roars.
Pike is trying to use her very recently restored connection to the Everlight to heal Percy. She manages to get him upright — or upright enough for Vax to drag — and they push on while the local militia distracts Thordak.
On the other side of town, Grog shields the group with a partially destroyed door — “First door that f*cking helped us,” Vex notes dryly — as the self-proclaimed Cinder King releases a blast of flame, causing an explosion. It’s all too much for the tower and the Cloudtop District buildings of Emon. They crack and crumble, the city falling. The Chroma Conclave, as the dragons announce themselves, rule now.
Gilmore to the Rescue
Vox Machina reunite as they approach Gilmore’s shop, but they find it destroyed by the blast. Vax tears inside, yelling for his longtime friend — but there’s no answer. Percy quickly discovers Gilmore under a pile of rubble, and the team manage to get him out and healed. (Healed enough to flirt with Vax, anyway.)
Gilmore tells the team to take whatever they need from the ruins of his store. The fabled lance of dragon slaying seems like it would have been a good pick, but it ends up crushed by a large rock. Of course.
Using a magical crystal, Gilmore teleports Vox Machina out of the crumbling city to the keep they inherited in season 1. After only the briefest of arguments about it, Vox Machina agree with Percy’s suggestion to fall back to Whitestone and regroup. Keyleth voices her concern that the dragons seem to be working together, calling themselves the Chroma Conclave — a sentiment echoed by Gilmore. Their alliance could mean the end of Tal’Dorei.
Is this their fault, they wonder? Payback for killing the blue dragon, Brimscythe? It’s a sobering thought, but the party are interrupted by a knock at the gates. Beyond, they find a sea of refugees and orphans from Emon.
Vox Machina bring the city residents inside, but they are followed by one of the dragons. As the keep is attacked, falling back to Whitestone quickly becomes their only option. Scanlan attempts a fake out to distract the dragon while Keyleth opens a portal, but the beast isn’t fooled. Luckily, Keyleth manages the spell.
To Whitestone, and Away Again
In Whitestone, Cassandra de Rolo and Keeper Yennen are discussing how the repairs are coming along, after the events of season 1. They’re interrupted by a rift in the Sun Tree. Out pour a bunch of Emon’s refugees, Vox Machina, and Gilmore. As explanations are made, Cassandra is quick to order shelter and medical attention for the refugees. Vax hesitates to let keeper Yennen take Gilmore to be healed, wanting to carry him himself, but she reassures him. “If he’s important to you, he’s important to me.”
Grog tries to talk to a green-eyed little girl, telling her that she’s tough, but she merely stares at him and leaves.
Regrouping, Vox Machina debate where to go for help. Keyleth suggests reaching out the Ashari tribes for help, but Yennen suggests Vasselheim, the oldest and most defensible city in the world. If they’re looking for armies, she says, that’s where they should go. Pike is keen — Vasselheim is run by religious orders, and she’s always wanted to go. Vex is less keen on the place. Scanlan, on the other hand, doesn’t think they should be the ones to deal with the dragons at all.
“Let someone else deal with the dragons, okay? Someone more qualified. We’re just a bunch of assholes lucky enough to get out alive.”
While Scanlan admits his doubts, the sun begins to rise, illuminating the northern ward of Whitestone. Vax voices some surprise that they already rebuilt it. Grog notes that the town looked awful until they saved it.
“We didn’t save a town, we saved them,” Vex points out. “They were hopeless once. All they needed was someone to stand up and fight for them. Then they stood up, too.”
Not bad for a bunch of assholes who got lucky. After Vex’s pep talk (and the awe of a couple of peeping children), Scanlan is convinced. To Vasselheim it is.
Keyleth has never been to Vasselheim, and her teleport only works if she is familiar. Keeper Yennen attempts to describe the tree in Vasselheim to her, hoping that will be enough. A portal does open, and Vox Machina step through one by one. (“Last one is a troll d*ck!” Pike cries.) Percy is the final one through, exchanging a look and a smile with his sister before he steps into the tree.
“Let’s hope they made it,” Cassandra says. “For all our sakes.”
The Wrath of the Chroma Conclave
The dragons convene in the burning remains of Emon. Thordak questions whether “they” — the citizens of the city — were dispatched. “Most,” another dragon named Vorugal says. “A group escaped with magic. They could gather forces against us.” The fourth dragon, Umbrasyl, is given the job of hunting down the “vermin” and showing them the wrath of the Chroma Conclave.
Don’t forget to check back soon for a detailed recap of episode 2, “The Trials of Vasselheim.”
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