All of this transcription was done by Critical Role Transcripts. I’ve merely
reformatted it from closed captions to paragraphs, and added the timestamps and
links. The longer Critical Role has run, and characters have developed, the
clearer it is that the telling of their backstories shows some very core
personality traits, beyond the mere history they tell. I hope this serves as a
useful reference document for further analysis. Note: Pike’s video wasn’t
introduced until Ep5, making it the first episode to have all of them.
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Transcript method notes: http://otdderamin.tumblr.com/post/153539301510/a-note-on-my-transcription-method
Scenes:
Full episode: http://geekandsundry.com/critical-role-episode-5/
Full set runs: 0:1:50 to 0:15:12 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=110
1. Pike – 0:1:50 to 0:03:52 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=110
2. Grog – 0:03:53 to 0:05:40 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=233
3. Keyleth – 0:05:41 to 0:07:43 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=341
4. Percy – 0:07:45 to 0:08:58 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=465
5. Scanlan – 0:08:59 to 0:10:20 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=539
6. Tiberius – 0:10:20 to 0:12:18 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=620
7. Vax – 0:12:20 to 0:13:48 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=740
8. Vex – 0:13:49 to 0:15:12 https://youtu.be/u6QpXDL7E8Y?t=829
9. Trinket – The
Saga of Trinket – The surprising first meeting between Vex and her companion
1. Pike
0:1:50 Ashley: “Pike
grew up in the outskirts of town, near the Bramblewood. Her ancestors were a
family of deep gnomes with quite an unfavorable reputation. Thievery,
destruction, and trickery left them with the curse of the last name Trickfoot. Sarenrae,
the goddess of healing and redemption, had other plans for Pike’s
great-great-grandfather, Wilhand, who left his family at a young age after a
dream; a dream that changed the course of the Trickfoot family. Wilhand devoted
his life to Sarenrae and pledged from then on that him and his family would
live a life of service and devotion.
0:02:27 Ashley: “As
a child, Pike seemed to have an affinity to heal. Whether it was animals,
people, or even flowers, she felt she had a purpose in making things whole that
had once been broken. She studied and learned the ways to heal though divine
magic.
0:02:43 Ashley: “She
lived a peaceful life, quiet and simple, until one day, Wilhand was captured, and
almost killed, by a group of goliath barbarians. One of the goliaths took a
stand against the murder of the innocent gnome, and he himself was beaten,
bloodied, and left for dead, abandoned by his herd. Wilhand went to Pike for
help. She prayed and healed this barbarian as best she could, bringing him back
to life. When he awoke, she discovered his name was Grog Strongjaw. After that,
they were best of friends, a rather unlikely pair. Little did she know that in
a few years’ time, Grog would soon return the favor and bring her back from the
clutches of death.
0:03:31 Ashley: “After
being killed in battle, Pike felt angry. She wanted to be stronger so that it
would never happen again. She spent four months at sea training with the men
and women aboard a ship called the Broken Howl. Gripping her holy symbol in one
hand, and her morningstar in the other, this time, Pike is ready.”
0:03:52
2. Grog
0:03:53 Travis: “Right,
Listen up! If you have ale, then you have a friend in Grog Strongjaw! A goliath
of towering height and size, this barbarian has an appetite for the two great loves
in his life: combat, women, and ale!” Chuckle, “Wait. Easily the
brains of the group, Grog is often consulted for his vast knowledge of shapes,
colors, and,” chuckle, “shiny things! …Also, ale.
0:04:27 Travis: “In
his early years, armed with his two-handed great axe, Grog often enjoyed
proving his might amongst the ranks of his family’s wandering herd. But after
coming upon an unsuspecting elderly gnome in the woods, he objected to the
killing such an innocent life. A
creature of impulse, Grog felt only pity for this… well, this terrified
little thing, and his disobedience cost him dearly. Beaten bloody, and banished
by the herd leader, his uncle Kevdak, Grog was abandoned and left to die.
0:05:05 Travis: “Exiled
from his herd, it was then that the relative of the very gnome he fought to
save, saved him. It was the kindness of a gnome cleric named Pike, that healed
Grog, bringing him back from death’s edge. And they have remained close friends
ever since.
0:5:26 Travis: “Most
nights, Grog can be found challenging entire taverns to wrestling matches! Ha! …or
accompanying Scanlan to the nearest house, where you pay for… lady favors. Also,
ale!”
0:05:40
3. Keyleth
0:05:41 Marisha: “A
first Impression of Keyleth would leave you with little information on the
half-elven druid. You might even think that her social awkwardness due to her sheltered
upbringing is kind of sweet.” Chuckle, “Of course, it would be unwise
underestimate her based on first impressions. Under that unintimidating, petite
frame is a vicious beast waiting to be unleashed, whose natural powers have
made even the fiercest of champions pee their pants, literally!” Soft chuckle.
0:06:10 Marisha: “Born
to the Air Tribe of the Ashari people, Keyleth was raised with a deep love of
nature and the elemental magics. It is her people’s inherent duty to protect
the delicate areas in Tal’Dorei where the four elemental planes begin to bleed
with this realm. Since she was a little girl, she had quite a knack for air
manipulation and beast shaping abilities. Well, if you consider Kittens and flying
squirrels to be little beasts. Which, I do, “clears throat.
0:06:39 Marisha: “Anyways,
it wasn’t long before the headmaster of the tribe, her father, Kohren, realized
her true prodigious abilities and she was inveterated to succeed him as the
next headmaster. Just like that, her jovial childhood was stripped and replaced
with endless spell memorization, teachings from ancient traditions, and
exceedingly high expectations.
0:07:00 Marisha: “Every
druid leader-to-be must embark on journey to seek out the sister tribes, in
order to introduce and establish respect amongst the fellow headmasters. They
call this the Aramente, or Noble Odyssey. When her father felt she was ready,
he set her on the path to truly discovering herself. Not knowing when, or if
she will ever return. As she hiked down the mountain towards Stillben, she
meditated on the task ahead. Part of the Aramente is proving yourself a strong
warrior, a valiant protector, and a wise and compassionate leader. With this
knowledge, one thought plays in repeat in her mind: Is she even worthy?”
0:07:43
4. Percy
0:07:45 Taliesin:
“Percy was the third child of 7 children, born to a noble family who lived
far to the north in the ancient castle of Whitestone. With so many siblings to
share the burdens of lordship, Percy turned his attentions to the sciences,
engineering, and naturalism.
0:08:01 Taliesin:
“One day, a mysterious couple, named Lord and Lady Briarwood, came to
court. During a feast held in their honour, the Briarwoods violently took
control of the castle, killing or imprisoning everyone who would stand in their
way. Percy awoke chained in the dungeon, only to be freed by his younger
sister. Together they fled, chased by the Briarwoods’ men. As they ran, Percy’s
sister took several arrows to the chest and fell. Percy kept running,
eventually jumping into a freezing river and floating unconscious to freedom.
0:08:34 Taliesin:
“He did not remember waking up on a fishing boat. He barely remembered the
next two years, as he slowly made his way as far south as possible. Then one
night, Percy had a dream. A roaring cloud of smoke offered him vengeance
against those who destroyed his family. When he awoke, Percy began to design
his first gun.”
0:08:58
5. Scanlan
0:08:59 Sam: “Oh,
you haven’t heard of Scanlan Shorthalt? Well, gird your loins, ladies, because
he has his eye on you. A talented musician, master of disguise, and dashingly handsome
in his own mind, Scanlan sings songs almost as much as he sings his own
praises.
0:09:15 Sam: “Born
a poor Gnome, Scanlan used his endless charm and soaring tenor voice to croon
for coin and support his single mother. One day he was discovered by a half-orc
promoter, and joined Dr. Dranzel’s Spectacular Traveling Troupe where he
learned the ways of the world, and honed his skills as a bard extraordinaire.
0:09:35 Sam: “A
loner much of his life, Scanlan has never quite come to terms with the violent death
of his mother at the hands of a Goblin invasion. While his years on the road
provided many, shall we say, educational experiences with the opposite sex, deep
down Scanlan yearns for the one thing he’s never known: the true love of a
fellow Gnome.
0:09:57 Sam: ” Still, Scanlan considers himself a lover
first, performer second, and fighter distant third. On the battlefield, he’ll
support his allies, but rarely draws blood unless it’s to protect fellow Gnome,
Pike. Count on Scanlan for a hearty laugh, a rollicking song, and a twinkle in
his eye that melts hearts and makes the females swoon.
0:10:20
6. Tiberius
0:10:20 Orion: “Greetings
and salutations. I am Tiberius Stormwind. I hail from a town called Ty’rex, located
in the heart of Draconia, born from a politically respected family. At the age
of 15, I succeeded in passing the Sorcerer’s Rite, showing prodigy-like control
of my magic. The judges and the Draconian high council were amazed at how
powerful my spells were for how long I had been training. At 20 years-old, I
was the youngest appointed member of the magic guild in Draconian history.
0:10:49 Orion: “For
the next few years, I almost went mad from the malaise of being a guild member, as it’s rather boring. However,
one day I happened upon a chamber, unused for quite some time. In the room were
stacks of books and maps of the surrounding cities and areas around the known
world. For months, I would frequent the chamber, and learned of artifacts from
legend. After a long period of research, I made a list of artifacts that caught
my eye. I brought these findings to the high council and was told that all of
the information in the chamber I had stumbled upon was either believed to be
fiction or unsolvable mysteries, and hence were lost forever. I found those
answers to be unacceptable.
0:11:28 Orion: “A
year later I devised a ruse and managed to convince the city council to lend
support in me leaving Draconia on a mission of peace and diplomacy for the
surrounding kingdoms. Going from town to town and making friends and allies, in
and for the name of Draconia. Being a red dragonborn, I had quite the task on
my hands in that respect, but it was exactly what I needed so I could explore the
world and find these artifacts, as I felt the truth was out there.
0:11:54 Orion: “Some
may describe me as buffoonish, but I say poppycock to all that. I am much
sharper than most give me credit for. I just don’t pay attention to things
sometimes. I’ve also been known to be rather cunning, loyal, happy-go-lucky,
and well, dangerous. I can’t help but show my true scales every now and then. But
overall, I think I’m quite friendly for a Dragonborn.”
0:12:18
7. Vax
0:12:20 Liam: “Never
entirely welcome in the company of elves or men, Vax’ildan learned at a young
age to skip past formality, preferring instead to invite himself in your door. Along
with twin sister Vex’ahlia, Vax was born by a chance encounter between elven royalty
and human peasantry. Raised by their mother in their early years, the twins were
eventually sent off to their father in the Elven capital of Singorn. But their
cool reception among the Elves there never warmed, and their time in the
capital didn’t last.
0:12:50 Liam: “The
siblings stole away one autumn night and set out on the open road. After a few
years of wandering, they eventually decided to return to their mother, and
journeyed back to the lands of their youth. But instead of finding their
childhood home, they returned to a pile of rubble. Their mother was gone, their
home burned to ash. Pressing the townspeople for answers, they learned of the
day the dragon came. With their ties all severed, Vax’ildan and his sister set
out to find their fortune together in Tal’Dorei.
0:13:28 Liam: “An
outsider since birth, Vax quickly learned to solve life’s challenges in his own
particular way, often by sidestepping them entirely. And when his knack for
circumventing adversity isn’t enough, the way of blades the elves schooled him
in more than makes up the difference.”
0:13:48
8. Vex
0:13:49 Laura: “Like
so many Half-Elves, Vex’ahlia has spent most of her life suffering the cool
reception of a people who don’t fully accept her. Born of a human mother, and
an elven father who only later in life took an interest in their existence, Vex’ahlia and her twin brother
Vax’ildan quickly realized the only people they could truly rely on in this
world were each other.
0:14:14 Laura: “It
was at the age of 10 when the two were taken from their mother, and brought to
live in Singorn, the isolated Elven city for which their father was an
ambassador. He quietly took them in, but always kept an icy distance, and after
too many years of disdainful looks, the pair decided to leave his indifference
behind, and set out on their own.
0:14:36 Laura: “Vax
took to the cities, stealing small trinkets and learning the ways of the thief,
while Vex kept to the woods. She preferred the isolation. Always the keen
observer, she learned to hunt and to track, to spy and to shoot. And through a
series of fateful events, earned herself a companion in the form of a bear – her
own stolen Trinket – to fight alongside her and protect her fiercely. Also, he
is adorable, and gives expert massages.
0:15:12
9. Trinket
The Saga of Trinket – The surprising first meeting between
Vex and her companion
Critical Analysis 