Establishing themselves as the protectors of Emon, Vox Machina has been asked to attend the kingdom's royal banquet where rulers from all over the land will gather to discuss the incoming threat to Tal'Dorei. It is here where the demons of Percy's past come to haunt him and a darker side to him will be pulled from the shadows.
Tropes
- Death Glare: Percy stares daggers towards the Briarwoods, and nothing the rest of the party does can snap him out of it.
- Hungry Weapon: Craven Edge, the blood sucking sword that grows larger and more twisted the more blood it consumes.
- Fingore: Poor, poor Desmond. Just like in the stream, his fingers are graphically blown off as Percy demands to know what the Briarwoods are planning.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: When the Briarwoods walk past a mirror while returning to their room, only Delilah has a reflection. In the very next scene, Sylas is revealed to be a vampire when he bites Vax's neck.
- Foreshadowing: A page from the Briarwood's book makes mention of the Whispered One.
- Lessons in Sophistication: Percy assures Allura that he will train his party members in proper etiquette before the dinner. He does his best in the time he has.
- Mood Whiplash: The episode ends with Percy brutally shooting Desmond's hand before nearly executing him, an act that gets Vox Machina arrested. The end credits are set to a raunchy song by Scanlan inviting the listener to "pull on my beads of love".
- Scary Shiny Glasses: When Percy starts explaining what the Briarwoods did to his family, his glasses flash this way while saying "The Briarwoods" at the start.
- Tranquil Fury: Percy can barely keep his rage contained as he has to sit in close proximity to the Briarwoods.
- Trauma Button: The Briarwoods are this to Percy. Their presence immediately triggers his PTSD of his family's massacre.
- Visual Pun: Vax uses a belt that changes into a snake with an eyepatch to distract the guards. Essentially, he's using a one-eyed trouser snake as a distraction. Let that sink in for a second.
