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Critical Role Wiki

Grand Master/Mistress/Champion/Purveyor of the Grey Hunt is a title given to the leader of the Grey Hunt. As of 843 PD, the current title holder is Lady Vex'ahlia.[1]

History[]

The current title of the leader of the Grey Hunt was created by Lady Melanie de Rolo sometime in or after the 730s PD. When Lady Melanie de Rolo ruled the city-state (after the death of her husband, Lord Wolf de Rolo, in or after the 730s PD)[2] she decided that, taking advantage of the fact that a third of the city had been destroyed by the Great Whitestone Fire, it was a good opportunity to expand its limits, so they began to occupy land in the Parchwood Timberlands to cover a sacred place that the first settlers of the city used to use as a makeshift temple of Pelor. However, problems started to appear including supernatural activity and wild animal attacks.[3]

Ivan von Musel by Micaerys

Fan art of Ivan von Musel, first Grand Master of the Grey Hunt, by Micaerys.[art 1]

The dowager Lady de Rolo consulted Ivan von Musel, a cousin of hers who had been studying for a year in the city as a cleric of Erathis, and he told her that she must have offended the Lawbearer by expanding Whitestone without showing her due respect as the goddess of civilization. After Ivan resolved the conflict with the Prime Deity (killing a grey dire wolf sent by Erathis to test him and mark how far the city-state should expand) Lady Melanie created the Third House of Whitestone as a thank you,[2] and gave Ivan the title of Grand Master of the Grey Hunt, as an incentive for him to stay in the city.[4] At least from that moment on, the functions of the Grey Hunt and its leader as they are now known were established.

Decades later, in around 802 PD, the title of Grand Purveyor of the Grey Hunt ended up in the hands of Regae Anders, a member of one of the local noble families. He wasn't very respected,[5] and eventually died, before or around 805 PD, when the Briarwoods occupied Whitestone (which brought shame to House Anders).

After the de Rolo family was restored and this dark period ended, Vex'ahlia was granted the leadership of the Grey Hunt by Percival de Rolo.[6] Not long after, Cassandra de Rolo (Percy's sister and the member of the family who was staying in Whitestone and sitting in its council) confirmed the appointment and tasked Vex with rebuilding the ranks.[7]

Brandon Chang Vex'ahlia Grey Render

Fan art of Vex'ahlia and the gray render she had to slay to officially become the leader of the Grey Hunt, by Brandon Chang.[art 2]

The role of the Grand Mistress[8] is to "oversee local diplomacy and root out mundane and supernatural dangers throughout the surrounding Parchwood Timberlands."[9] In order to become consecrated as the leader of the Grey Hunt, the person appointed must meditate at the base of the Sun Tree and ask for a vision from Pelor, after which they must slay the quarry shown to them in that vision.[8] This ritual may be connected to or a variation of the tests that are still performed today to appease the Lawbearer when someone offends her, just as Ivan von Musel, the first Grand Master, did in his time.[10]

The leader of the Grey Hunt has an estate to live, the Grey Hunt Manor, but as of 836 PD the place was rarely used, since Lady Vex'ahlia prefers to be with her family in Whitestone Castle, so only formal (usually less important) meetings take place in the manor,[11] and the grey hunters have their own secret headquarters in the ruins in the forest, east of Whitestone.[12]

As of 843 PD and since the retaking of Whitestone by the de Rolos and their allies, the holder of the title has a position on the Chamber of Whitestone.[13]

Known Title Holders[]

Trivia[]

  • While watching The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Two Taliesin Jaffe said that, during "Heredity and Hats" (1x60), he decided that since Syldor Vessar was so rude to his daughter Percy was going to give her an actual title, so he spent part of the episode writing possible titles and their functions (defining in the process the role of each of the three houses of Whitestone) until he found the right one for Vex.[17]
  • According to The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II the person who bears this title can be styled "Grand Master", "Grand Mistress" or "Grand Champion". It is unknown why Regae was styled "Grand Purveyor".
  • When Vox Machina left the Fey Realm after visiting Syngorn, some of the plane's magic affected Percival de Rolo's mind, making him forget giving Vex'ahlia a noble title.[18] As a way of "helping" Scanlan cast "Modify Memory" on the gunslinger, creating a new memory for Percy: that Vex saw him while some nymphs and fey creatures were giving him a massage, and, embarrassed, the noble decided to bribe her by naming her Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, after which the ranger agreed to keep his secret.[19]
  • There is a Teleportation Circle connected to Syngorn in the estate of the Grand Mistress before she became Lady de Rolo, since by then she acted as an ambassador between both cities.[20]

References[]

Art:

  1. Fan art of Ivan von Musel, first Grand Master of the Grey Hunt, by Micaerys. Work contributed to the Critical Role Wiki by the artist.
  2. Fan art of Vex'ahlia and the gray render she had to slay to officially become the leader of the Grey Hunt, by Brandon Chang (source). Used with permission.