The Legend of Vox Machina: When Is Critical Role’s Amazon Prime Show Set?

Critical Role‘s upcoming Amazon Prime show The Legend of Vox Machina is quickly approaching its release date. While the showrunners have taken care not to reveal too much about its production, they have stated that the show is set during the “Briarwood Arc,” a storyline from the web series’ original first season that depicts an irreverent band of mercenaries collectively known as Vox Machina.  The primary mission of Vox Machina is to battle the Briarwoods, an enigmatic husband and wife who rule the town of Whitestone with an iron fist. With a timeline fairly early in the web series’ first season, the show promises to introduce viewers to the world of Critical Role while also delivering a rousing story in the process.

The tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons has seen a massive rise in popularity over the years, primarily due to shows such as Critical Role, a web series in which a group of voice actors meet together and act out an intricate story by playing the Dungeons &Dragons game. Each game is live-streamed so that viewers can watch the story unfold in real-time. The showrunners are experienced with taking on massive projects, considering Critical Role‘s two major campaigns span hundreds of episodes that each typically run anywhere from about three to six hours in length. However, The Legend of Vox Machina is wholly unique compared to any production that the showrunners have presented in the past.

The Legend of Vox Machina adapts events from Critical Role‘s first campaign. It takes place in Exandria, a fantastical medieval world that has become the recurring setting for each of the web series’ main campaigns. The most striking detail about the Amazon Prime series is that it will follow a scripted storyline rather than the live television format that most D&D shows use. However, multiple behind-the-scenes glimpses at Vox Machina’s production indicate that the creators are striving to incorporate the general tone and atmosphere of their live streams into the show. In adapting the Briarwood Arc, the animated series will depict Vox Machina’s efforts to liberate Whitestone from the cruel reign of the Briarwoods. The amount of lore behind Critical Role‘s universe can seem intimidating for those who are new to the series, but the most exciting aspect of the Briarwood storyline is that it gives the showrunners the opportunity to introduce the protagonists to a new audience while also showcasing many iconic moments from the original web series.

Since the Briarwood Arc takes place shortly after Vox Machina’s impromptu formation, the storyline functions as a test of their friendships, tenuous because many of the team’s members are known to be keeping their pasts secret. Moral alignments, a staple of Dungeons & Dragons, become a source of drama as the heroes are forced to make choices that conflict with their ideals, especially in the case of Percival the gunslinger, whose character becomes progressively darker and more violent over time. Besides fighting monsters and villains, Vox Machina is also forced to overcome their differences and learn to trust each other.

The Legend of Vox Machina, while closely following events from Critical Role, may yet contain surprises for both fans as well as newcomers. The Amazon Prime show’s release marks the first time that a storyline from one of the series’ campaigns has been depicted in animation, giving the showrunners a chance to depict the story as they originally envisioned it. Soon, audiences will get to see Critical Role’s imaginative team of storytellers bring to life the massive world that they have invented.

The Legend of Vox Machina will premiere on Amazon Prime on February 4, 2022.

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