Critical Role has created ten years of stunning content, but certain moments in Exandrian history will always stand out. One of these moments is the Briarwoods taking over Whitestone by wiping out the de Rolo family. It has been portrayed both in the actual play and the animated series. The brutality demonstrates just how dangerous and vicious the Briarwoods are. “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” shows a new perspective on this tragedy.
The Sun Tree stands tall and sure as a witness to Whitestone’s history. Planted long before the city was established, it saw the birth of Whitestone and countless generations thereafter. Author Martin Cahill explains, “Part of the joy and part of the tragedy is that the Sun Tree can’t do anything.” However, one of the cruelest things it witnesses is the Briarwoods systematically wiping out the de Rolo family.
The Sun Tree Stands as Witness to Whitestone
The Sun Tree has loved Whitestone and its inhabitants since before it was built. It has witnessed families grow and lose vital members. The de Rolo family established the city, leading survivors to this oasis. In an exclusive interview with Temple of Geek, Cahill shared how the Sun Tree felt watching those it protected fall.
Martin Cahill:
There is this real bittersweet horror that comes of like, “Hey, I love these people. I love this city, and I will do everything I can.” But when it came down to it, there was nothing tangible that the Sun Tree could do. The darker side of that coin when it comes to knowledge is being so rooted into this earth and being so aware of the city itself and the people inside of it. It is that flip side, knowledge can bring pain, knowledge can bring darkness.
The very fact that the Sun Tree was able to know and love these people is also what caused the Sun Tree to be able to watch them die and to feel them one by one returned back to the earth. That’s part of the tragedy too. If there’s any joy in that, it’s that the Sun Tree eventually cannot feel where Percy is anymore. That Percival is so far from them that the Sun Tree can only hope that he made it out alive.
The Briarwoods Continue to be Iconic Critical Role Villains
“Critical Role” has introduced some truly iconic villains in the last ten years. Vox Machina’s enemies are infamous with a conclave of dragons, a God, and many others. The Briarwoods have always held a special place both in fans’ and Percy’s hearts. It is an odd combination of manipulative cruelty and violence mixed with utter devotion motivated by love. The Briarwoods are contradictory on a level that in “Under Golden Boughs,” the Sun Tree struggles to truly comprehend.
Martin Cahill:
I love writing the Briarwoods. They’re so awful. The story mirrors a lot of how the Sun Tree has grown. You’ve got moments of light and darkness and knowledge. I think what was most interesting in those moments was, it’s probably one of the first moments, The Sun Tree is just baffled. Totally confused. In their life up until now, when you love, you don’t harm people. When you are bad, you don’t love people or you don’t have love for people.
So, to see the Briarwoods as this sort of walking contradiction. These people who are so objectively devoted to each other. Which objectively is perhaps heartwarming, but to have so little regard and in fact disregard for so much around them. For the Sun Tree to experience that and to feel the city around it dying or going into hiding much like itself, I think the only thing that it takes any comfort from is that Cassandra is alive. They can vaguely tell that for whatever reason they didn’t kill her, which is some relief.
And then the fact that the Dawnfather priest and various people come by and leave things in the roots for them, it’s a period of mourning and a period of this very cold grief. Again, this question of powerlessness, if you can’t do anything, is there value to you? I think the one thing over and over that the Sun Tree has to rely on is, as long as I’m still here in some capacity, I get to try to be that. For whatever I can choose to do anything in this world.
Whitestone has a particularly bloody history due in large part to the Briarwoods. The Sun Tree’s exposition of this tragedy adds another layer of sorrow. As it stands unable to help and forced into hiding. The confusion it has surrounding the Briarwoods’ love and ruthlessness is a cornerstone of what makes them such great antagonists.
Could the Sun Tree’s Story Continue Beyond Vox Machina?
The Sun Tree has witnessed countless beauty and tragedy standing where it does. Its first moment of life balances between the beauty of life as a gift from the Dawnfather and the sorrow of being his final gift. It perfectly encapsulates the lives it will witness. “Under Golden Boughs,” explores its time before and during Vox Machina.
Critters know there is more story for the Sun Tree to tell. Bells Hells, the adventuring party of Campaign 3, are intimately tied to it as well. Laudna has her own history with the Sun Tree interwoven with the Briarwoods and Vox Machina. When asked Cahill revealed an interest in exploring that story from the Sun Tree’s perspective. Cahill, “So I’d love to dive into it and see what I can see. And it was actually really cool when describing the bodies on the Sun Tree.”
Hopefully Critical Role is able to follow “Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” with similar short story anthologies. The Mighty Nein, Bells Hells, and even groups like the Ring of Brass have many NPCs with stories to tell. If there were to be a Bells Hells installment sharing the Sun Tree’s story surrounding Laudna, it could shed new light on her tragedies and triumphs.
“Critical Role: Vox Machina – Stories Untold” is available for purchase now. Martin Cahill’s debut novella, “Audition For The Fox,” will hit shelves on September 16, 2025.
