The Fenthras Bow, also known as the Wrath of the Fey Warden or simply just Fenthras, is a longbow and one of the Vestiges of the Divergence. The elven name "Fenthras" has its roots in two ancient Elvish words meaning "protector" and "growth".[3]
Description[]
Fan art of Fenthras, by Ana Paula Alvarez.[art 2]
Fenthras is made of everbark taken from the Feywild.[4] Its handle is wrapped in a very tight, dark brown-black leather. At the cusp where nocked arrows rest against the handle, there is a golden-bronze metallic inlay. The rest of the bow is a curved, verdant green, jungle vine texture as if building on itself as a series of natural leaf scales.[5]
As it curves to the ends of the recurve bow, it flexes and shifts on its own, tightening and loosening like a living entity.[4] As an arrow is nocked, the bow tightens immediately; when the string is pulled back, it takes no strength to do so, as if the bow pulls the string back itself. When fired, the arrows shoot off at an incredible speed and the bow flexes forward with such intensity that it makes a roaring "woosh" sound.[6]
Features[]
Dormant State[]
- The wielder gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
- When firing an arrow from this weapon, the wielder can declare an oracle shot, allowing them to project their sight through the arrow they fire for up to 10 minutes. The ability cannot be used again until the next short rest.[7][8]
- When a creature is killed by an arrow from this weapon, a single six-foot tree rapidly grows out of their corpse over the next minute.[9]
Awakened State[]
- The bonus to attack and damage rolls increases to a +2. Additionally when the wielder hits with an attack using this weapon, the target takes an additional 1d4 lightning damage.[10]
- When the wielder hits with an attack, they can declare a bramble shot. The target takes an additional 3d8 piercing damage and must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or become restrained by the suddenly sprouting steel-hard thorn brambles that immediately grow from the arrow. The restrained target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. This ability cannot be used again until the wielder finishes a short or long rest.[11]
Exalted State[]
- The bonus to attack and damage rolls increases to a +3.
- The lightning damage dealt by attacks with this weapon increases to 1d6.
- The wielder can use the bramble shot ability twice between rests, and the saving throw DC increases to 17.[4]
History[]
Critical Role[]
Fan art of Fenthras in Saundor's lair, by David Rodrigues.[art 3]
Kamaljiori told Vox Machina that Fenthras had felled titans but was lost in the Feywild during the Calamity.[12][13][14] Here an archfey named Saundor became its wielder. Eventually, he was betrayed thousands of years ago by the woman he loved. His heart became corrupted, destroying the land around with the bow as the center of corruption.[15] After his defeat, Vex'ahlia claimed ownership of Fenthras.[16]
During a private moment, Vex carved the Elvish word "sinaeth" into Fenthras, later showing it to Percival and explaining that it means "forgive", and that she was inspired to do so after seeing Percival using his final words to Dr. Ripley to forgive her. Vex then conjectured that forgiveness is the key to real growth. Percival replied that indeed his forgiving of Dr. Ripley wasn't really for her sake, but for his own.[17] It was implied that Vex's carving was both a token of forgiveness of Saundor for his wrongdoings[18], and a reminder to herself to be more forgiving.
As Vex went to sleep following the exertions of the Nine Hells and the Grey Hunt, Fenthras seemed to grow and become more refined in its definition of shape, later revealed to have entered its exalted state.[19]
The Legend of Vox Machina[]
In "Into Rimecleft" (LVM2x06), when Scanlan Shorthalt held Mythcarver, he received a vision of Fenthras in the Fey Realm which was cut short when Umbrasyl attacked.
In "Echo Tree" (LVM2x08), Percy told the twins' father Syldor that they were looking for the bow but Syldor called it only a "fleeting rumor". After Vex killed Saundor with the arrowhead Percy gave her before entering the tree, he turned into goo and Vex claimed the bow, which glowed in her hands.
References[]
- ↑ See "Echo Tree" (LVM2x08)}}
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 205.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 1:15:12.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 113.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 3:47:42.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 3:47:42.
- ↑ Vex declares an Oracle Arrow but does not actually let loose one. See "The Frigid Doom" (1x64) at 1:00:54.
- ↑ See "Taryon, My Wayward Son" (1x97) at 1:10:31. Vex fires an oracle arrow into a different plane after the bow is in its Exalted State.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 4:07:57.
- ↑ The additional 1d4 lightning damage to Grog from Saundor See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 2:23:02.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 2:22:38. Saundor uses the Bramble Shot feature.
- ↑ See "A Name Is Earned" (1x49) at 4:44:47.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 1:29:43.
- ↑ See Matthew Mercer's list of Vestiges shared on Dropbox.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 1:28:34.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 3:54:58.
- ↑ See "The Elephant in the Room" (1x72) at 3:00:20.
- ↑ See "The Elephant in the Room" (1x72) at 2:58:40.
- ↑ See "Jugs and Rods" (1x94) at 4:12:57.
Art:
- ↑ Official art of Fenthras, Wrath of the Fey Warden, by Jessica Nguyen from Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 205. Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Fenthras, by Ana Paula Alvarez (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Fenthras in Saundor's lair, by David Rodrigues (source). Used with permission.