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De Rolo family

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The de Rolo family is a noble line whose most famous branch rules over the city-state of Whitestone. They reside in the castle of the same name.

History[]

Founding of Whitestone[]

DeRolo Crest

Official art of the original De Rolo family crest, by Taliesin Jaffe.[art 2]

Not long after 612 PD, the de Rolo family wrecked their ship in the Shearing Channel during an expedition from Port Damali that brought people from other parts of Wildemount, such as Deastok.[3] Survivors braved the wilderness of Alabaster Sierras for weeks before finding a glowing tree; although initially they considered using it for timber in order to repair their boats, after a priest of the Dawnfather confirmed its divine origins they decided to stay. At first those survivors focused on staying alive, but eventually their leader, Lord Darius de Rolo, started a years-long project to build an actual city around their sacred Sun Tree; when his own wife, Lady Frida de Rolo, discovered the properties of whitestone, the settlement gained both a name and a resource.[3] In time, the city-state grew robust and prosperous thanks to their mineral wealth and the residuum that came from it.[4]

The Third House of Whitestone[]

Melanie de Rolo's wedding by Micaerys

Fan art of Lady Melanie von Musel and Lord Wolfe de Rolo's wedding, by Micaerys.[art 3]

A member of the third generation of de Rolos to be born in Whitestone,[5] Wolfe,[6] had an arranged marriage with his cousin, Lady Melanie von Musel, and they became the lord and lady of Whitestone.[7] However, due to their loveless marriage she started in the back of Whitestone Castle a garden of poisonous plants in around the 730s PD,[8] causing with them the early demise of her husband (due to a combination of his weakened health and the injuries caused by the Great Whitestone Fire),[5][9][10] and taking over the city herself.[7]

Her first project was to expand Whitestone through the Parchwood Timberlands, but several problems started to appear, and when she sought the help of her cousin, Ivan von Musel, he explained that Erathis the Lawbearer, as the goddess of civilization, was displeased by Melanie doing such a project without showing her due respect. The Lawbearer would end up testing Ivan himself beyond the walls of the city-state, summoning fog in which a grey dire wolf attacked the cleric. The von Musel managed to kill the beast, and explained that, according to a vision sent by Erathis, Whitestone would be able to expand until it reached the point where the cleric had bested the dire wolf. Lady Melanie, who wanted his cousin to stay in the city (instead of returning to Wildemount), created the Third House of Whitestone and gave him the title of Grand Master of the Grey Hunt (with the responsibility of managing the city's relationship with the world beyond its walls).[11] and taking over the city herself.[7]

The Third House and its functions survived despite Melanie's eventual removal from power (due to suspected witchcraft and raising of the undead),[5] and at some point before 805 PD the de Rolo family regained control over the Third House and its title.

Briarwood Coup[]

Around 805 PD, the Briarwoods slaughtered almost the entire de Rolo family and seized control of Whitestone.[12][13][14] Two members of the de Rolo family survived: Cassandra was badly wounded and captured while helping Percival escape. The bodies of the other members of the family were left hanging on the Sun Tree.[15]

The de Rolo Restoration[]

Percival de Rolo returned with the other members of Vox Machina and removed the Briarwood regime. Percival and Cassandra then picked up the mantle of leadership in Whitestone—Percival as sovereign, and Cassandra as head of the Chamber of Whitestone. Percival secretly married Vex'ahlia in 811 PD and they had five children,[16] starting with Vesper Elaina in 812 or 813 PD[17] and then the twins Wolfe Kristoff and Leona Pike (in an undetermined order), Vax'ildan Frederick, and the youngest Gwendolyn Zahra Melanie von Musel.[18][19]

In 843 PD the family was going through a generally happy time, although after the apogee solstice and the growing threat of the Ruby Vanguard Percival de Rolo had become wary of any threat or element that would attract the attention of enemies to his home and his family.[20] Both he and Lady Vex'ahlia joined the Exandrian Accord in their efforts against Ludinus Da'leth's plans, leaving their eldest daughter, Vesper, in charge of her siblings for the time being.[21] The following day, after a brief but intense battle in which Lady Vex'ahlia was killed and resurrected, she, her husband, and the rest of Vox Machina returned to Whitestone triumphant, and accompanied by none other than the rescued Champion of Ravens.[22]

After the end of the Era of Reclamation Lord and Lady de Rolo started focusing more actively on preparing their children to take care of their home, so that they could step away a bit to enjoy their life in Percival's old age.[23] After his death, at some point before 911 PD, the dowager Lady Vex'ahlia resumed her former duties as Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone (her title before marriage) for a time.[24]

Known members[]

Joma Cueto De Rolo Family

Fan art of the de Rolo family before 805 PD, by Joma Cueto.[art 4]

De Rolo children in 843 PD - Zhellers

Fan art of (L to R) Vax'ildan, Wolfe Kristoff, Vesper Elaina, Leona Pike, and Gwendolyn Zahra Melanie von Musel de Rolo in 843 PD, by @zhellers.[art 5]

Family tree[]

Names in italics and bordered with red are deceased as of 836 PD.

Darius de RoloFrida
GretaDaneIsabella
two generations
WolfeMelanie von Musel
multiple generations
FrederickJohanna von Musel
Vessar family
JuliusVesperPercival IIIVex'ahliaWhitneyLudwigOliverCassandra
Vesper ElainaWolfe KristoffLeonaVax'ildan FrederickGwendolyn

Trivia[]

Whitestone Crest

Fan art of the De Rolo family crest before Percival's marriage, by Joma Cueto.[art 6]

  • The de Rolo surname is made up of two elements: de is a French or Spanish preposition meaning "of"; Rolo, on the other hand, is a variant of the Norwegian name Rollo, which in turn derives from the Old Norse name Hrodwulf (hrod meaning "renown" and wulf meaning "wolf").[44]
    • The family's lupine motif does not end with the surname, as the oldest member of the family is called Wolfe, one of the younger members is his namesake, and the legendary wolf Galdric protects the woods near the family settlement.[45] Moreover, the Sun Tree described Percy as a "lone wolf cub" when it sensed him escaping Whitestone and the Briarwoods.[3]
  • The family crest used to have five stars, but when Vex'ahlia became a champion of Pelor, Percy decided to add one more star in her honor.
  • The names of the entire de Rolo family are based on real people, as Taliesin stole the names from friends; only a couple of them have any idea he did it.[46]
  • Originally Laura and Taliesin considered naming one of Vex and Percy's children after the latter, in order to have a Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo IV in the family.[47] However, this name was not present among the couple's children,[48] although it is unknown if it is a discarded idea or if a hypothetical sixth child or grandson will bear the name.[49]
  • Since its founding, the de Rolos of Whitestone have been predisposed to need glasses or spectacles of some kind.[3]
  • The de Rolo family is originally from Wildemount.[50]
    • Percy explained that as of 810 PD the de Rolo family still had more branches other than the one in Whitestone, with their own standings elsewhere.[51]
  • According to Percy, his ancestry dates back thousands of years.[52]
  • The birth order of Percy's younger siblings has never been explicitly defined, beyond Cassandra being the youngest of that generation.[53] Although Taliesin Jaffe did praise a fan-made family tree of House de Rolo (in which Oliver and Whitney were depicted as twins and Ludwig was the youngest brother before Cassandra),[54][55] this tree also includes more puzzling elements, such as three different marriages with the Briarwood family. Based on this, this wiki uses as birth order for Percy's siblings the character's own dialogue in "Crimson Diplomacy" (1x25) (released after the publication of the tree), in which Percy lists all his family members, apparently in order from his parents to his youngest siblings.[56] It also uses as additional support Whitney's mention in "Deals in the Dark" (1x92), when Percy mentioned his younger sister's warnings about him ending up dealing with devils,[57] hinting that she was close in age to him, and old enough to joke about fiends with her older brother.
    • In Campaign Three, in the chambers that once belonged to Lord Frederick and Lady Johanna there is a family portrait that shows the couple with five children. When describing this portrait Matt mentioned that Percy was the second-youngest child,[58] although other sources consistently point to him being the thirdborn of seven children.[59][60] Even in The Legend of Vox Machina, which portrayed fewer de Rolo siblings and made Cassandra closer in age to her brother, Percy would still be the third of six children.
  • There are four types of liquor that are brewed in Whitestone: two different distilled liqueurs (Dire Heart and Green Tear), one type of mead (snow mead), and one type of infused liqueur (Courage). The latter, Courage, is made every year, so it is the most abundant.[61][62][63]
    • Every time Percy referred to the process of making these drinks, he said "we", ambiguously. In April 2025, Quest's End Whiskey announced a limited production run of a real-life "Courage" whiskey, similar to the Sandkheg's Hide whiskey the same company produced in 2024. When talking about it, Sam Riegel announced it mentioning the "De Rolo Family Distillery", confirming the noble house is in charge of making those drinks.[64]
  • At some point between 812 and 843 PD the Ventral family presented Percy and Vex with a set of enchanted silverware that cleaned itself. Neither Lord nor Lady de Rolo liked the silverware, so they neither used it nor had any qualms about doing without any of the pieces.[65]
  • Given Keyleth's extraordinary lifespan, Percy expects the archdruid to be an advisor and protector for many generations of the de Rolo family, long after he and Vex'ahlia are gone.[66]
  • Dani Carr has expressed interest in doing a one-shot starring the younger generation of the family.[67]
    • Both she and Taliesin are very interested in exploring the history of Whitestone and its inhabitants, with Percy's player being particularly drawn to Melanie de Rolo's era.[68]
  • The marriage policy of House de Rolo throughout its history has not been too successful, and on the occasions when other families (such as the von Musels) have been linked with them there have been tensions and in-fighting.[69]
Frida de Rolo by Micaerys

Fan art of Frida de Rolo experimenting on a piece of whitestone, by Micaerys.[art 7]

  • This family has a remarkable tradition of influential spouses, as all known members in that position were more than a simple consort: Frida de Rolo was a doctor and wizard, Melanie von Musel was an astute politician that took control of Whitestone for herself, Johanna von Musel was a warrior in her prime, and Vex'ahlia is a legendary adventurer and acted as champion of the Dawnfather during historical events.
  • In The Legend of Vox Machina, which is a separate continuity from Campaign One,[70] an "Uncle Nathaniel" is mentioned by Cassandra.[71] However, it is never mentioned if Frederick de Rolo and/or Johanna von Musel had siblings.
  • During a ball in Jrusar in Campaign Three, Laudna (who was once chosen as the look-alike of the current Lady de Rolo) presents herself to Mistress Orlana Seshadri as "Lorelei de Rolo", claiming to be a cousin of the family in Whitestone.[72]
    • Many weeks later, during a rescue mission in Lake Umamu, the shadow sorcerer cast Animate Objects for the first time, giving life to a rotten boat and naming it the Queen de Rolo.[73] The branch of the family that rules Whitestone has never used the title of king/queen/monarch, but they do have some sailing history, having arrived to Tal'Dorei by ship.
  • Per Taliesin Jaffe, Percival de Rolo is less formal with his children than his parents were with him and his siblings. He likes spending time with a couple of the kids at the time and he's making sure they get what they need, treating them as individuals rather than a large group. Gwendolyn de Rolo is Percy's favourite because she reminds him the most of all of his worst aspects and wants her to become extraordinary.[74]

References[]

  1. ↑ See "The Feast" (1x24) at 0:21:41.
  2. ↑ Dani Carr confirmed Vesper is an aasimar in a comment on the Beacon Discord channel, as shown in this tweet, stating "yes Vesper is an aasimar".
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Critical Role: Vox Machina - Stories Untold, Under the Golden Boughs.
  4. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 48.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 See "Family Matters" (1x96) at 0:41:02.
  6. ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II, p. 92.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 See The Legend of Vox Machina Episodes 10-12 Q&A at 47:49.
  8. ↑ This assumes 80 years ago from Campaign One, set in the 810s PD.
  9. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 77.
  10. ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II, p. 92.
  11. ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II, p. 92.
  12. ↑ In 810 PD, Percy said it was four or five years ago.  See "The Feast" (1x24) at 0:23:36.
  13. ↑ In 810 PD, Matt narrates that the Briarwoods have ruled Whitestone for five years.  See "Race to the Ziggurat" (1x34) at 0:08:24.
  14. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 32. This, strangely, indicates the Briarwoods' reign lasted six years. See also pp. 48 and 50.
  15. ↑ See "Talks Machina: Campaign Wrap-up" (Sx31) at 0:58:41.
  16. ↑ See "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) at 4:00:12.
  17. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 1:59:17.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 264.
  19. ↑ Jessica Scates (@jessmightwork) on Twitter: "That tweet IS ordered eldest to youngest (I'm not sure which twin is older) but I rendered them in a different order with some jumping around in between." (2022-01-19). This refers to an earlier Tweet where she named Vesper, Wolfe, Leona, Vax'ildan, and Gwendolyn in order.
  20. ↑ See "A Gathering of Heroes" (3x76) at 1:34:35.
  21. ↑ See "The Assembling of Legends" (3x112).
  22. ↑ See "Fight for the Bloody Bridge" (3x114).
  23. ↑ See "A New Age Begins" (3x121) from 8:14:40 through 8:18:08.
  24. ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II, p. 216.
  25. ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II, p. 92.
  26. ↑ See "Family Matters" (1x96) at 0:41:48.
  27. ↑ See "The Path to Whitestone" (1x27) at 0:17:05.
  28. ↑ See "The Path to Whitestone" (1x27) at 0:17:05.
  29. ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II, p. 28.
  30. ↑ See "The Path to Whitestone" (1x27) at 0:17:05.
  31. ↑ See "The Path to Whitestone" (1x27) at 0:17:05.
  32. ↑ See "The Fear of Isolation" (1x105) at 3:51:01.
  33. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 0:04:53.
  34. ↑ Dani Carr confirmed Vesper is an aasimar in a comment on the Beacon Discord channel, as shown in this tweet, stating "yes Vesper is an aasimar".
  35. ↑ See Tweet from artist Jessica Scates pointing out that the children wearing furred collars are twins.
  36. ↑ See "Vox Machina Go to Hell" (1x91) at 2:35:44.  Ipkesh has red skin, and his hair is black with gray tips.
  37. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 163. Art of Gwendolyn depicts her with red skin and black hair with gray tips.
  38. ↑ See "Crimson Diplomacy" (1x25) at 1:56:47.
  39. ↑ See "Deals in the Dark" (1x92) at 1:39:10.
  40. ↑ See "Crimson Diplomacy" (1x25) at 1:56:47.
  41. ↑ See "Crimson Diplomacy" (1x25) at 1:56:47.
  42. ↑ See "The Path to Whitestone" (1x27) at 0:17:05.
  43. ↑ From de Rolo genealogy with clarifications from Taliesin Jaffe.
  44. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolf
  45. ↑ See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) from 1:56:06 through 2:05:30.
  46. ↑ See "Talks Machina #3" (TMx03) at 44:38.
  47. ↑ See "Talks Machina #43: 'The Chapter Closes'" (TMx43) from 1:13:00 through 1:13:33.
  48. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 163.
  49. ↑ See "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) at 4:00:15.
  50. ↑ See "Taryon, My Wayward Son" (1x97) at 3:25:31.
  51. ↑ See "The Feast" (1x24) at 0:21:41.
  52. ↑ See "Hope" (1x56) at 3:08:05.
  53. ↑ Critical Role: Vox Machina - Stories Untold, Under the Golden Boughs. From the Sun Tree's point of view, Percy is one of the middle children and Cassandra is the youngest.
  54. ↑ Taliesin Jaffe (@executivegoth) on Twitter: "Damn impressive!!!!" (2015-11-07) — in reply to @pauljohnl: "Percy's Tree" (backup link)
  55. ↑ Taliesin Jaffe (@executivegoth) on Twitter: "Von / de. If I had known 3 years ago..." (2015-11-22) — in reply to @VeganCritter: "For #CriticalRole wiki and fandom consistency, does Percy's name use standard lowercase "von" & "de" prefixes, or "Von"/"De"?" (backup link)
  56. ↑ See "Crimson Diplomacy" (1x25) at 1:56:23.
  57. ↑ See "Deals in the Dark" (1x92) at 1:39:10.
  58. ↑ See "The Promise and the Price" (3x77) at 0:43:43.
  59. ↑ See "Arrival at Kraghammer" (1x01) from 4:41 through 5:55.
  60. ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria Volume One: The Tale of Vox Machina, p. 28.
  61. ↑ See "The Siege of Emon" (1x78) at 1:58:20.
  62. ↑ See "One Year Later..." (1x95) at 3:24:40.
  63. ↑ Taliesin talks about the four spiritous drinks.
  64. ↑ See "Welcome, Campers!" (WWx01) at 0:05:38.
  65. ↑ See "A Gathering of Heroes" (3x76) at 0:58:50.
  66. ↑ See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 0:25:50.
  67. ↑ See "4-Sided Dive: Anxiety Game Gauntlet" (4SDx18) at 1:20:06.
  68. ↑ See "4-Sided Dive: Anxiety Game Gauntlet" (4SDx18) at 1:20:32.
  69. ↑ See "4-Sided Dive: Shard Candy" (4SDx19) at 0:52:20.
  70. ↑ Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) on Twitter: "The Animated Series is it's own "adaptation" with its own canon, though we include as much of the OG canon as we can. :) However, the actual campaign/stream still remains and is the original, core canon." (2022-01-28). (backup link)
  71. ↑ See "Depths of Deceit" (LVM1x10) at 11:14.
  72. ↑ See "In Too Deep" (3x14) at 1:25:52.
  73. ↑ See "Doorways to Darker Depths" (3x86) at 2:27:38.
  74. ↑ See Fireside Chat LIVE with Taliesin Jaffe on Beacon at 18:21 (subscription required).

Images:

  1. ↑ Official art of de Rolo Family of Whitestone in 832 PD. Top: Vesper, Gwendolyn, Percival, Vex'ahlia, Wolfe, and Leona. Bottom: Vax'ildan de Rolo, Charlie, and Trinket, by Jessica Scates (source). Used with permission.
  2. ↑ Official art of the original De Rolo family crest, by Taliesin Jaffe (source). 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.
  3. ↑ Fan art of Lady Melanie von Musel and Lord Wolfe de Rolo's wedding, by Micaerys. Work contributed to the Critical Role Wiki by the artist.
  4. ↑ Fan art of the de Rolo family before 805 PD, by Joma Cueto (source). Used with permission.
  5. ↑ Fan art of (L to R) Vax'ildan, Wolfe Kristoff, Vesper Elaina, Leona Pike, and Gwendolyn Zahra Melanie von Musel de Rolo in 843 PD, by @zhellers (source). Used with permission.
  6. ↑ Fan art of the De Rolo family crest before Percival's marriage, by Joma Cueto (source). Used with permission.
  7. ↑ Fan art of Frida de Rolo experimenting on a piece of whitestone, by Micaerys. Work contributed to the Critical Role Wiki by the artist.
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