“Critical Role” has introduced numerous iconic antagonists and Vox Machina has some of the most infamous. “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” gives audiences new insight into two of Vox Machina’s dangerous enemies. “Bend the Knee” sheds light on Kevdak’s perspective and origin like never before. Many times stories told from the villain’s perspective turns them into the hero of their own story, but that isn’t the case with Kevdak.
In an exclusive interview with Temple of Geek, author Nibedita Sen explained, “It’s not that [Kevdak] thinks he’s heroic, but he does think he is in the right. He thinks he is justified.” Kevdak has an air of self-importance believing that he is meant for bigger and better things. He is a leader that controls his herd through pride and fear. Sen broke down how she found Kevdak’s voice in order to write from his perspective.
Nibedita Sen:
“I think rewatching [the Kevdak] episodes was key. There’s a few key lines Kevdak has, which I took and put in the story that for me were key to understanding his mindset. One was, this dragon is my stage, this dragon is a stage. He actually said that in the stream. And I was like, okay, this tells me what kind of person this is, how he views this.
He sees this as his stepping stone to glory. And there was a line where he said something about history or life is about more than the next bit of meat to be chewed. I was like, okay, so here’s a man who has ambitions beyond just a life of banditry and brigand.”
Kevdak Sees The Titanstone Knuckles As His Destiny
Kevdak believes he has a greater destiny than simply leading the Herd of Storms. This belief is strengthened when he finds the Titanstone Knuckles. Not much is known about these vestiges beyond the fact that The Stormlord created them. “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” reveals how they came into Kevdak’s possession. Sen explained how reading the Tal’Dorei campaign setting book was an integral part of her research.
The book revealed that Kevdak killed the previous wielder of the Titanstone Knuckles on the Dividing Plains. However, Sen had the freedom to dig into who that was. She took inspiration from one of the most iconic followers of The Stormlord from Campaign One, Earthbreaker Groon. Sen also shared why wielding the Titanstone Knuckles was so important to Kevdak.
Nibedita Sen:
“How did he get to, I deserve this? Going through the Tal’Dorei campaign setting, there’s this thing called stormborn. This doesn’t show up in the actual campaign. It’s just in the book that some Goliaths, some stormborn as they’re called in the Critical Role world, are born with these lightning abilities, to call lightning in battle. It says in the book that Kevdak’s herd, is called the Herd of Storms because they had an abnormally high percentage of stormborn in their ranks. And I was like, stormborn, Thunder Lord, but he’s not stormborn.
I actually asked them, can you confirm Kevdak is not stormborn? We never saw him use any of those abilities on stream. So, no, he’s from a herd and the people are sometimes born with this blessing of lightning and storm in their veins, but he’s not one of them. For me, it was like, okay, so let’s go from there. This is what he fastens onto. This is a man who felt he was denied being special in that way, as his birthright. He feels, here’s why I wasn’t born stormborn. I was meant for something greater. Here it is. This is what makes me special. Here’s what’s been waiting all along.”
Grog Had To Play A Part In Kevdak’s Story
Part of what stands out about Kevdak’s story in “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” is the level of distain he has for his herd. This is not a man who leads through respect or familial bonds. Kevdak holds his control over the herd through fear and anger. The resentment and disgust he feels for his son is palpable. This is in part due to the fact that he sees Zanror as a threat to his status and pride. Sen explained her approach to Kevdak’s perspective of his family including his nephew Grog.
Nibedita Sen:
“I really wanted have a little nod to Grog somewhere. It all followed really naturally from Kevdak’s feeling about his son because it was like, well, his son is disappointing. His nephew, he thinks he killed his nephew for betraying the herd. His brother died. From this man’s point of view, all his family has ever done is disappoint him. And so, if I’m going through the list of how family has disappointed him, which is the foundation for how he now views Zanror, Grog was part of that disappointment. So, I have to mention that. It’s a good place to mention that. Let us know how he got to where he is now with Zanror.
That was a really important part to me. Not just setting him up as being caught between these two opposing forces of Greenbeard and Zanror, but I wanted to convey the fact that fatherhood means something to him. Even though there’s no love lost among them, at least not the way you and I would understand the word love. They don’t love each other. It’s not sentimental, but the fact that they share blood and that he is his father does still mean something. There’s a weight to it, even if the weight is one of expectation and harshness and disappointment. I wanted to show that meant something even if it wasn’t good things.”
Sen also explored Greenbeard’s mindset briefly in order to examine which suggestions he makes to Kevdak. She revealed that Greenbeard “is a man who will choose the path towards comfort for himself.” This is shown in his desire to take Westruun after Umbrasyl’s attack and his immediate understanding that they can’t fight Umbrassyl when he returns.
Taking Westruun
Kevdak taking Westruun is something that confused Grog when Vox Machina arrived at Pike’s home town. The herd is nomadic fighting and conquering before moving on. When the heroes of Tal’Dorei find them, they are acting as muscle for a dragon. Sen needed to show why that changed. It wasn’t just Umbrasyl wiping out the city and leaving it weak. She revealed that there were other factors that came into play once again inspired by the Tal’Dorei campaign setting book.
Nibedita Sen:
“It was tricky because the herd doesn’t really see [Umbrasyl’s attack] up close either. They see it from a distance, and they only show up there in the aftermath. Which I sort of played into them being like, okay, here’s a chance to strike. This is an opportunity that we have to take. I was like, what would spur them on to do something that is quite risky, a herd of a hundred powerful warriors, but still a hundred against an entire city. It’s a city that’s been attacked and is in chaos, but it’s still a strange and risky move for a herd of nomads to take. So, what could be something that would spur them on?
Obviously, the answer partially was Kevdak’s ambition, but the other was the Ravagers. The Ravagers, again, I think, they don’t show up in the stream, but are in the Tal’Dorei campaign setting. And I said, okay, so there are these death cults of The Ruiner who also roam these plains and will murder anybody they find. So that has to be a really clear and present constant threat to the herd. I did a bunch of reading the primary sources for this. I wanted to incorporate as much as I could from the existing world as well as make up my own bits on top of that. Because there’s such a richness of lore.”
Kevdak Is Forced To Bend The Knee
Kevdak’s pride and ambition are insidious. They have poisoned his bonds with his family and his leadership of the herd. This is never more clear than when he is forced to bend the knee to Umbrasyl. After the dragon returns to the city he has claimed the Herd of Storms attempts to fight back, but it proves to be an impossible battle. This inevitable defeat left Sen with important questions, “How is he justifying this to himself? What is the story he’s telling himself? And a really powerful, prideful man would be telling himself a powerful story. Figuring that out was fun.”
This is not a man who sees his surrender as a failure. Instead he views this as part of a longer game. Kevdak refuses to believe that he has lost as he faces an enemy impossibly powerful. Sen broke down how she approached Kevdak’s justification tying it to the man Vox Machina first meets in Westruun still full of brash pride and power.
Nibedita Sen:
“He would keep lying to himself. This guy is so caught up in this myth, he has built for himself, of himself, that he cannot acknowledge that he’s f*cked, because to acknowledge that would be just collapse at that point. When you’ve been moving forward on the strength of your own delusions and you’re hunger and ambition. Mythologizing yourself as this, oh, I have the weapons of the God. This is my destiny. I’m meant for more. You can’t admit you’re wrong.
And then again, I went back to that line, he says, where he’s like, this dragon is just my stage. Even when Vox Machina faces off against him in Campaign One, even then he was still telling himself, this is just temporary. Somehow, I’m going to turn this to my advantage and use this as a stepping stone. So, I say, okay, that’s what you’re telling yourself. That’s what you believe. And so, when he is bending the knee, he’s like panic justifying it to himself in his head.”
Kevdak is a terribly dangerous enemy. He is a key part of Grog’s past and their battle is an important part of the barbarian’s story. He is the monster that Grog has been running from since he was young. “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” humanizes him in a unique way. This is not a story crafted to make him more sympathetic.
Instead the humanization comes in the form of the sin of pride and selfishness. Kevdak like many failed leaders is someone who cares only for himself. “Bend the Knee” makes him an even greater foil for Grog especially when watching their climactic battle. Grog’s strength and power comes from his love for his friends. Kevdak’s comes from selfishness which is exactly why he falls to his nephew.
“Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” is available for purchase now.
