A woman named Bryn strides in to report that the Briarwoods have moved the Kestrel to be with Professor Anders. Archibald says they will want to extract her. Just then, the room quakes around them. One of the aforementioned giants smashes into the ceiling. A grotesque-looking, gray-skinned man (we later learn his name is Stonewell) enters to capture Archibald. As Vox Machina observes the horrible sight hanging from the Sun Tree, a woman tells them to get off the streets and hide. They conceal themselves just as a giant lumbers by. The woman notices the de Rolo crest on Percy and asks if they are part of the Resistance. They deny it, but convince the woman to bring them to Yennen, the holy woman. Percy is certain she can help. When they find her, Yennen is giving a pacifist speech. Percy approaches her, and she immediately remarks that he has changed. Yennen takes them to an old Resistance hideout. She tells them the only way they can win against the Briarwoods is if the Resistance is strong enough. But the Briarwoods have taken their leader, Archibald Desnay, whom Percy grew up with. During this discussion, Keyleth sees roots of the Sun Tree growing into the hideout. She asks if it can hear her and introduces herself as Keyleth of the Ashari. Meanwhile, Pike meditates to seek the Everlight. When she calls for her, a fire bursts up and consumes her in her meditative state. She jolts awake and informs the clerics at the temple that her curse is preventing contact. One of the clerics assures her that no curse could do such a thing. Whatever is severing her connection to the Everlight is inside of Pike. Back at Whitestone, Stonewell brings in a towering man called Duke Vedmire to torture Archie. He says they know about his spy, the Kestrel. They want him to tell them where to find other confidants, including Vox Machina. All the while, Vox Machina breaks into the manor where Archie is being kept, and they pick up prisoners along the way. Just as they find Archie, Stonewell initiates a fight. He very nearly kills Scanlan. Vox Machina fights well, and they believe they can escape with Archie. However, they realize that Percy has gone missing. Percy chased after Stonewell. We see him with his mask on. Shadows rise from his gun; they cover his body. He points the gun at Stonewell, exclaiming that he will take vengeance for the de Rolos. He then shoots Stonewell, then takes off his mask to show his face. “Percy?” Stonewell recognizes him–just before he is shot several times. Vax rushes onto the scene, and Percy turns to point his weapon at his friend. Vax scolds him for compromising their mission, but Percy just yells at him that on one will stand in his way as the last living member of the de Rolo family. Archie then gently corrects him. He is not the last of the de Rolos. His sister Cassandra lives. While the rest of the party finishes up the fight, the scene cuts to the Briarwoods’ manor. Delilah stands behind Cassandra. She acknowledges that the young woman must have heard about her brother. However, she says, “this changes nothing.”
The Episode Review
The plot thickens! A fascinating storyline unfolds, uncovering several more significant players in the battle for Whitestone. We get another gory, well-executed battle and various hilarious one-liners throughout this instalment. But most interestingly, this episode drops many nuggets of relevant information. Who is the Kestrel? It could be code to refer to Cassandra, although we last saw her with the Briarwoods, not Professor Anders. Added to that, she wasn’t detained–which makes that cliffhanger even more intriguing. At the very least, we know the Kestrel is a captured spy. That little aside between Keyleth and the Sun Tree will also likely be important in the episodes to come. I have a feeling some of the Dawnfather’s magic could come in clutch against the Briarwoods’ dark sorcery.
