"A Deadly Bargain" (LVM3x01) is the first episode of The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Three. In disguise, Raishan visits Vox Machina with a promise of aid. She tells them of a Vestige capable of defeating Thordak: the Plate of the Dawnmartyr. The team is divided on trusting the duplicitous dragon, but journeys to the continent of Marquet to test if she speaks true.
Plot summary[]
Screenshot of Vax'ildan facing Thordak, by Titmouse from "A Deadly Bargain" (LVM3x01).[art 2]
Vax'ildan and Vex'ahlia are flying on Vex's broom when Vax drops from it, bamfing out his wings as he plummets toward a fiery landscape. He wings above, hiding as he spies on Thordak speaking with Vorugal. Suddenly, Vorugal notices they are not alone, and both dragons pursue the now-fleeing Vax'ildan, who catches a glimpse of Thordak's hoard of eggs as he runs, barely escaping into the outside air when he is hit by Vorugal's ice breath and falls.
A day earlier, Vox Machina are in the meeting where Keeper Yennen revealed herself to be the dragon Raishan in disguise. She urges them to join her in combating Thordak's plans, but Vex and Vax angrily remind her that dragons razed their home of Byroden and killed their mother. Telling them that not all dragons are alike, Raishan reveals a human form with a growing diseased mark growing up from her neck. She is angry at Thordak for refusing to help cure her and save her life after she helped him escape from the Elemental Plane of Fire by fusing him with the Soul Anchor binding him there. However, while it made him more powerful, the anchor contaminated his mind and in his rage he destroyed the Ashari settlement of Pyrah before forming the Chroma Conclave and setting out to conquer the rest of the world. He plots to create a new race of elemental dragons to bathe Exandria in flame. Raishan tells them that in order to defeat Thordak, they need another Vestige: the Plate of the Dawnmartyr which can be found in the city of Ank'Harel, but another treasure seeker also pursues it. Keyleth furiously refuses to work with Raishan in any way and is supported by the others, and Raishan seemingly accepts this and Teleports away.
The other meeting attendees, who had been put to sleep by Raishan, begin stirring, and they find the real Keeper Yennen safely locked in a dungeon. They debate whether they should listen to Raishan, but Keyleth remains adamant and in frustration changes into eagle form and flies away. Vax goes after her. He finds her on a branch of the Sun Tree and listens to her concerns. When she tells him he's been different lately, he confesses his preoccupation with understanding his bargain with the Matron of Ravens. He tells her he can be the person to support her, if she wants, and they kiss. Suddenly, Vax sees a horrifying vision of Keyleth weeping at a grave and pulls away. Keyleth is mortified and he tells her he was simply overwhelmed, and she offers to leave first so no one will know they were together, which he accepts.
Meanwhile, Percival is tinkering when Vex comes to bring him coffee. He blames himself for endangering Whitestone again, and she urges him to forgive himself. Trinket is suspicious and angry of their closeness.
Later, after Gilmore gives Vax a magic item he requested, Keyleth transports the group back to the devastated Emon and they go over their plan for Vax to scout Thordak's lair. Picking up from the introductory sequence, Vax is discovered and half-frozen by Vorugal, plummeting to the ground as the dragons approach. Percy uses Gilmore's magical beacon to create a distraction and Vox Machina attacks the dragons while Percival gets Vax free of the ice encasing him and they all flee into a nearby ruined building, but find themselves trapped there. Raishan appears and offers aid, Teleporting them to safety but being seriously injured by Thordak's flame breath in the process. As Pike heals her, she tells them to hasten to Ank'Harel.
Gilmore Teleports them to the city, his former home, and Scanlan asks about where musicians might be performing, then borrows Vex's broom and flies off. As the others stealthily approah the palace where the Vestige is, they hear gunshots from within. As they run inside they see multiple dead bodies of guards and hear a scream from the floor above. Upstairs, they find the dying Mistress Asharru, who tells them "she" is still here. They look up to see a hooded dark figure shoot and kill Asharru, snatch the Plate, and leap out a window. Percy is horrified she has a gun and pursues her, followed by the others. As the pursuit continues, Percy accidentally shoots a bystander but Pike heals them, and the others also accidentally cause damage to the citizens of the city.
Screenshot of Scanlan and the spice dealer, by Titmouse from "A Deadly Bargain" (LVM3x01).[art 3]
Meanwhile, Scanlan encounters a seller of spice but explains he is trying to find his daughter. He enters a building advertising Dr. Dranzel's Spectacular Traveling Troupe.
The hooded dark figure is accosted by Percy and reveals herself to be Anna Ripley while refusing to hand over the plate mail. As she approaches, hooding herself again, smoke drifts from her and she tells him she is never alone, as the voice of Orthax tells Percy he intends to collect on his bargain.
Credits[]
Cast[]
- Laura Bailey as Vex'ahlia
- Taliesin Jaffe as Percy
- Ashley Johnson as Pike
- Matthew Mercer as Orthax, Trinket, Vagrant
- Liam O'Brien as Vax'ildan, Vorugal
- Marisha Ray as Keyleth
- Sam Riegel as Scanlan
- Travis Willingham as Grog
- Iké Amadi as additional voices
- Esmé Creed-Miles as Cassandra de Rolo
- Kelly Hu as Anna Ripley
- Jennifer Karraz as Mistress Asharru
- Sunil Malhotra as Shaun Gilmore
- Hero Pullen as the young girl
- Lance Reddick as Thordak
- Cree Summer as Raishan
- Gina Torres as Keeper Yennen
Crew[]
- Written by - Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham
- Directed by - Eugene Lee
- Producer - Tony Salama
- Co-Producer - Eugene Son
- Art Director - Arthur Loftis
- Editor - Felipe Salazar
- Storyboard Artists - Angela Kim, Eugene Lee, Veronica Liu, Brian Pak, Will Rowe, Erin Won
Featured characters[]
Vox Machina
- Keyleth
- Percival de Rolo
- Scanlan Shorthalt
- Grog Strongjaw
- Pike Trickfoot
- Trinket
- Vax'ildan
- Vex'ahlia
New
Returning
- Anna Ripley
- Allura Vysoren
- Cassandra de Rolo
- Kima of Vord
- Orthax
- Raishan
- Shaun Gilmore
- Thordak
- Vorugal
- Keeper Yennen
Mentioned
Quotations[]
Trivia[]
- The episode was dedicated to Lance Reddick.
- Grog's title "Grand Poobah de Doink of All of This and That"[1] has been changed to "Grand Poo-bah de Mayonnaise" for the animated series, probably in reference to Grog's love of the mayonnaise produced by his Alchemy Jug.[2]
- In Ank'Harel, Gilmore tells the party he'll be sipping Stassman family wine while they search for the Plate of the Dawnmartyr.[3]
- The vagrant spice seller encountered by Scanlan is a dead ringer for Matthew Mercer, and is voiced by him.[4]
- This episode was available for free on Youtube from 3-10 October 2024.
- Percy's use of the phrase "It's high noon" could be reference to Matthew Mercer's catchphrase in his role as Cassidy/McCree in Overwatch.
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Screenshot of Vox Machina, by Titmouse from "A Deadly Bargain" (LVM3x01). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Screenshot of Vax'ildan facing Thordak, by Titmouse from "A Deadly Bargain" (LVM3x01). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Screenshot of Scanlan and the spice dealer, by Titmouse from "A Deadly Bargain" (LVM3x01). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.