Groon

Earthbreaker Groon
Fan art of Earthbreaker Groon, by Kent Davis.
Type	NPC
Actor	Matthew Mercer (Critical Role) Ike Amadi (The Legend of Vox Machina)
Character Information
Name	Groon
Pronouns	he/him
Titles	Earthbreaker
Also known as	Earthbreaker Groot (by Grog)
Creature type	Humanoid
Race	Human
Class	Monk (Way of the Open Hand)
Age	Mid-to-late 60s (in 811 PD) Mid-to-late 90s (in 843 PD)
Place	The Trial Forge, Braving Grounds District, Vasselheim
Family	Desir (daughter)
Connections	Kord (deity)
Profession	Clergy
Status
Status	Alive (as of 843 PD)
Stats
Level	≥17
HP
AC	23
DC	20
Str
Dex	24 to 25
Con
Int
Wis	22 to 23
Cha
Appearances
First seen	"The Rematch" (1x23) (stream) "The Trials of Vasselheim" (LVM2x02) (animated)
Last seen	"A New Age Begins" (3x121) (stream) "Thordak (LoVM)" (LVM3x09) (animated)
Stream	Campaign One (6 episodes) Campaign Three (5 episodes)
Television	The Legend of Vox Machina (4 episodes)

Earthbreaker Groon is a human monk, the dawn marshal of the Braving Grounds District in Vasselheim, and the highest religious leader of the church of Kord. His place of worship is the Trial Forge, a temple to Kord that also serves as a meditation and physical training center. As an NPC, Groon was played by Matthew Mercer in Critical Role and by Ike Amadi in The Legend of Vox Machina, Season Two.

Description

Appearance

When Vox Machina first met Groon, he was an older human in his mid-to-late sixties with tough, reddish-tanned skin, a receding gray hairline, and a long, coarse, gray beard that extended to his beltline. He was short but stocky, and his stout body ripped with muscle from a lifetime of training in martial prowess and careful honing. He wore what appeared to be ceremonial robes of red and gold, simple wooden sandals, and a dark brown necklace of large, two-inch beads that adorned his neck and shoulders.

Fan art of Earthbreaker Groon, by Edgar Noriega.

Personality

At first sight in the Crucible, the Earthbreaker appeared to have pupils, but in a later meeting, when he emerged from meditation, his eyes glowed with a pupilless white light. In this meditative state, Groon referred to himself in the third person as "the Earthbreaker" and moved with effortless swiftness. He also demonstrated knowledge of events about which Groon was unlikely to know, such as Vox Machina's victory over Juurezel.

Biography

"The Rematch" (1x23)

Groon witnessed Grog's victory in the Crucible against Kern, and he nodded and smiled his approval from the edge of the arena. Grog and the rest of his party decided to meet Groon, so they entered the Trial Forge to seek an audience with him. At first, Groon was in a meditative trance as the Earthbreaker, instructing Grog to ask his questions, but Grog didn't really have any questions so instead offered Vox Machina's service. Groon emerged from his trance, smiled, and accepted Grog's piety—then revealed that dark times were ahead. The Earthbreaker intimidated the party, especially Grog, who was fixated on the fact that Groon's eyes glowed.

"Return to Vasselheim" (1x43)

Fan art of Earthbreaker Groon fighting Grog, by David Rodrigues.

Grog later returned to the Trial Forge after the Chroma Conclave attacked. Groon put him through a trial intended to show the goliath that he should trust his friends rather than the dark blade, the Craven Edge.

"Loose Ends" (1x84)

Vox Machina entered the Braving Grounds and found them surprisingly empty. In the center of the sand pit was Groon, who told Grog that he had seen visions of his battles and recognized that Grog had found his strength. He told Grog to show him what he'd learned and dropped into a fighting stance.

"A Bard's Lament" (1x85)

In the re-match against Grog, this time in a one versus one battle, Earthbreaker Groon showed to be impossible to hit. Instead of attacking Grog, he simply moved around and examined him, giving cryptic hints. Frustrated at his inability to hit him, Grog eventually just places a finger on his torso, confirming that Earthbreaker Groon is present. In doing so, Earthbreaker Groon attacks Grog with a Flurry of Blows, hitting three out of four times, getting an immediate lead over the barbarian.

The two of them continue to exchange blows until Earthbreaker Groon uses his Quivering Palm on Grog, making Grog lose a massive chunk of his health, but thanks to Grog's high constitution, it didn't drop him to 0 HP as it would have otherwise. Eventually, Groon manages to drop Grog down to 0 HP but Grog uses his Relentless Rage in order to stand back up. Groon, impressed by Grog's endurance, attacks him again but another Relentless Rage allows Grog to keep fighting, causing him to win.

In winning, Grog's Titanstone Knuckles also reached their Exalted state.

"The Endless Atheneum" (1x106)

Grog, Scanlan and Vex went to the Trial Forge seeking Groon's audience. They asked him if he knew a way to contact Kord or had a bead of divinity, but he could provide them with neither.

"The Ominous March" (1x109)

Groon was among the dignitaries gathered for the meeting at the Platinum Sanctuary to discuss the approach of Thar Amphala and Vecna's ascension. When Vecna revealed himself and began threatening the families of those present, Groon's daughter Desir was specifically called out.

Campaign Three: Bells Hells

After the apogee solstice of 843 PD Groon was sent to the Tishtan excavation site in Marquet representing the Dawn Marshalls of Vasselheim. By then he had become even more attuned with the Stormlord, being able to manifest some of his deity's power in his voice and gaze.

Fan art of Imogen's encounter with Earthbreaker Groon, by David Garcia.

He was in the meeting in which Allura Vysoren introduced Bells Hells, and the Earthbreaker immediately noticed that Imogen Temult and Fearne Calloway were Ruidusborn. Even though he mentioned in front of other allies, he also stated he wanted them as allies, despite previous disappointing experiences working with those marked by the Moon of Ill Omen. Later, while they were preparing to leave, Groon touched Imogen's shoulder, acting as a channel to show her a vision of Kord. After that, as planned, Groon and his men went to help with the assault on the front line.

Days later, after an assault by Ruidian forces in which the Exandrian armies were forced to withdraw to Vasselheim, he attended a meeting of the Exandrian Accord council there. In a smaller meeting the next morning to plan specific strategy, Groon pointed out that both the Weave Mind and Sunder King Ozo Cruth could be killed and was eager to do so. As the meeting broke up, Imogen Temult asked him how to contact the Stormlord, and was discouraged to be told, "You fight."

At the end of the Era of Reclamation the gods of the main pantheon agreed to use the Rites of Catatheosis to enter a cycle of rebirth and turn into mortals, thus avoiding the hunger of Predathos. After the deities disappeared to be reborn many in Vasselheim were distressed by this, but Groon, despite his own feelings, remained calm, dealing with Vord's anger towards Bells Hells, and promising the elf that there would be time to mourn. He remained with the adventurers for a bit, confirming that he wasn't angry at them, and even joked a bit, telling Laudna that if he was angry she would already be re-dead, and also summoning some lightning to show off, after the people around him mistakenly assumed he was the source of Dorian Storm's Thunderclap. Later he also participated in the debate that led to the development of an exchange program between Ruidians and Exandrians.

Character Information

Abilities

As a devout follower of the Stormlord he seems to be able to summon lighting magic at will.

Monk Abilities

• Unarmored Defense (AC = 10 + Dexterity modifier + Wisdom modifier)
• Ki points (≥ 17)
  • Flurry of Blows
  • Patient Defense
  • Step of the Wind
• Unarmored Movement (+25 ft)
• Monastic Tradition: Way of the Open Hand
  • Wholeness of Body
  • Tranquility
  • Quivering Palm
• Deflect Missiles (1d 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.)
• Slow Fall
• Extra Attack
• Stunning Strike
• Ki-Empowered Strikes
• Stillness of Mind
• Evasion
• Purity of Body
• Tongue of the Sun and Moon
• Diamond Soul

Legendary Actions

• Like the Wind - Earthbreaker Groon moves up to his movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity
• Whirlwind of Blows - Earthbreaker Groon strikes everyone within range of his fists

Appearances and mentions

• Campaign One
  • "The Rematch" (1x23) (first appearance)
  • "Return to Vasselheim" (1x43)
  • "Loose Ends" (1x84)
  • "A Bard's Lament" (1x85)
  • "The Endless Atheneum" (1x106)
  • "The Ominous March" (1x109)
• Campaign Three
  • "The Eve of the Red Moon" (3x81)
  • "Where The Red Fearne Glows" (3x94), mentioned only
  • "Cages" (3x103), non-speaking
  • "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104)
  • "Collecting Legends" (3x105)
  • "A New Age Begins" (3x121)
• The Legend of Vox Machina
  • "The Trials of Vasselheim" (LVM2x02)
  • "The Killbox" (LVM2x10)
  • "The Siege of Emon (LoVM)" (LVM3x08)
  • "Thordak (LoVM)" (LVM3x09)

Quotations

• "Grog. You are stronger than this thing that binds you. Where do you find your strength?"
• (In response to Vex's warning that Vecna will bring an army of undead as part of his attack against Vasselheim.) "That's all right... we'll bring the storm."

Trivia

Fan art of Earthbreaker Groon, by Callum Lyall.

• In the first fight against Grog and his friends, Groon held back part of his abilities since he only wanted get his message across. For instance, normally Quivering Palm reduces creatures' HP to 0 on a failed save, or deals 10d10 necrotic damage on a successful save. However, Vax managed to shrug it off on a successful save. Additionally, Groon deflected only 13 damage from Vax's dagger despite his capabilities to block 25+ (1d10 + Dexterity modifier (7) + monk level (17)).
• In 843 PD Quethir Droh, another worshiper of Kord and warrior of the Dawn Fist, is Dawn Marshal, though the Earthbreaker is still also called Dawn Marshal.

References

Art: