Battle of Whitestone
Percy's home, taken by the Briarwoods and won back by Vox Machina.
The fight for Whitestone is the heart of the Briarwood story arc (episodes 24–38) of Critical Role's first campaign. Whitestone is Percy's ancestral home, once ruled by his family, the de Rolos; Lord and Lady Briarwood killed most of the family in a coup and took the city as their own. Vox Machina travels there to break their hold and to stop a ritual being prepared beneath the castle.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Whitestone, Tal'Dorei
- Antagonist force
- The Briarwoods and Undead Forces (Servants of Vecna)
Lore & Background
After the coup the other nobles of Whitestone were replaced by mercenaries and killed, as was anyone who objected to the new rule. When Vox Machina scouts the city, most buildings are shut, crops are failing, undead giants patrol the streets and the Sun Tree, a representation of the sun god Pelor, is dead. Lady Briarwood uses necrotic magic and Lord Briarwood is a vampire. Percy's surviving sister Cassandra, forced to serve the Briarwoods, is the informant of a resistance that includes Keeper Yennen and Archibald Desnay.
Reader's Guide
The uprising starts as Vox Machina kills the Briarwoods' lieutenants, among them Sir Kerrion and the vampire Count Tylieri, and civilians begin to fight the undead giants. Pike appears through divine magic as an apparition and helps the party hold off waves of undead. The party enters the castle through a secret tunnel and climbs a ziggurat beneath it, where Lord Briarwood is killed and Lady Briarwood tries to set off her ritual early. The citizens of Whitestone celebrate their freedom, and Percy proposes that a five-person council including Cassandra and Keeper Yennen lead the city.
Did You Know?
- The ritual the Briarwoods prepared beneath Whitestone was tied to a being called Vecna.
- In the two weeks before the holiday of Winter's Crest, Vox Machina secured the ziggurat and helped rebuild Whitestone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly was the Battle of Whitestone?
It covers the Briarwoods' coup against the de Rolo family and Vox Machina's later fight to free the city from their rule.
Who led the forces that attacked Whitestone?
Lord Sylas and Lady Delilah Briarwood led the coup; Percy counts Dr. Anna Ripley, Sir Stonefell and Professor Anders among its conspirators.
How did Vox Machina impact the outcome?
The adventuring group returned years later to overthrow the Briarwood regime and free the citizens from necromantic oppression.
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