Derrig

Fan art of Derrig, by Nikki Dawes.

**Derrig** was a half-elf fighter and the Master of Defense of Zephrah. He was played by Liam O'Brien.

## **Description**

### **Appearance**

Derrig is older in age than those in Vox Machina, though due to his half-elf heritage, he appears younger. He has two old scars next to his mouth running up his cheeks. He is grizzled looking and 'tired around the eyes'. Derrig has a tattoo sleeve of clouds with a sun shining through all over one arm (the sun is positioned on the shoulder). He carries a gladius style sword, and a shield on his back, with leather straps coming across his chest to hold them in place. At the wedding he wore a fine linen shirt covering the arm without the tattoos.

### **Personality**

Derrig is very loyal to Keyleth, whom he consistently refers to as "The Voice of the Tempest", and is very respectful to all of Vox Machina and views them with awe. He sees himself as not diplomatic in social encounters, and views Keyleth as the expert in that area. He wins over the other party members in the lead-up to the rehearsal dinner: Grog admires his very sharp weapon and his fighting skills, Scanlan basks in his obvious admiration of Scanlan's singing and excitement at the prospect of hearing him sing at the wedding, and after Pike grills him about his relationship with Keyleth (and discovers he has been happily married for 47 years), she accepts him as Keyleth's protector.

## **Biography**

Derrig was Keyleth's plus-one for the wedding of Percival de Rolo and Vex'ahlia, at the insistence of the Zephrah Council acting as her bodyguard although they both recognized she didn't really need one. He participated in the battle against the invading vampires and Sylas Briarwood.

As of the wedding, Derrig had been married for forty-seven years to a woman named Nel, an herbalist. He had four children, a group of identical female triplets (Baernie, Leeta, and Maeve) and one younger son (Will). When Grog asked him what the most amazing thing he had ever slain was, Derrig answered that he had slain a behir. At least one other person was with him at the time, but Derrig led the charge.

Derrig acted as the Master of Defense in Zephrah organizing the Tempest Blades until he died during the attack there on Keyleth by shadow assassins in about 837 PD. His son Will was killed in the same attack. Both were unable to be resurrected due to a toxin used on the blades of the assassins specifically designed to thwart any attempt at revivification.

Derrig and Will were buried next to each other in one of the memorial platforms of Zephrah, and Derrig's tomb was marked with his old breastplate.

## **Relationships**

### **Nel**

Derrig has been married to Nel for 47 years, and they loved each other very much. They had together four children: triplet girls named Baernie, Leeta, and Maeve, and a son named Will. Nel is an herbalist, and Baernie followed her into that profession while Maeve, also interested in the subject, decided to become a druid. Leeta followed her father into the Tempest Blades guarding Keyleth.

### **Keyleth**

Derrig was very respectful and professional around the Voice of the Tempest. At some point they ended up being closer, presumably having a friendship instead of just a boss-bodyguard relationship, and traveling together to different destinations, including Whitestone.

### **Orym**

Derrig trained Orym; as Orym puts it, the half-elf taught him to "write on the air". Orym is Derrig's son-in-law through marriage to Will. Derrig was a father figure for Orym, in the absence of the halfling's biological father.

## **Character Information**

### **Notable Items**

* Ring of Free Action
* Vorpal sword

### **Abilities**

#### **Half-Elf abilities**

* Darkvision
* Fey Ancestry

#### **Fighter abilities**

* Fighting Style: Dueling
* Second Wind
* Action Surge (twice per rest)
* Martial Archetype: Battle Master
	+ Combat Superiority
	+ Student of War
	+ Know Your Enemy
	+ Improved Combat Superiority
	+ Relentless
* Extra attack (3 attacks)
* Indomitable (three uses per day)

#### **Maneuvers**

As a 17th-level Battle Master, Derrig knows nine combat maneuvers and has six Superiority Dice, which are d10s.

* Goading Attack
* Maneuvering Attack
* Lunging Attack

## **Appearances and mentions**

* Specials
	+ "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) (first appearance)
* Campaign Three
	+ "A Taste of Tal'Dorei" (3x25), mentioned only
	+ "Blood and Dust" (3x33), mentioned only
	+ "What Dreams May Come" (3x34), mentioned only
	+ "Pyrrhic Return" (3x35), mentioned only
	+ "A Desperate Call" (3x36), mentioned only
	+ "A Dark Balance" (3x38), mentioned only
	+ "The Momentum of Murder" (3x39), mentioned only (unnamed)
	+ "The Aurora Grows" (3x49), mentioned only
	+ "Crisis of Faith" (3x61), mentioned only (unnamed)
	+ "Aid of the Tempest" (3x66), mentioned only
	+ "Bloody Flowers" (3x67), mentioned only (indirectly)
	+ "For The Tempest" (3x68), mentioned only
	+ "Nice" (3x69), mentioned only

## **Quotations**

* "I've got one skill, one application. Keep the chief alive."
* **Scanlan**: Derrig, do you track, are you a tracker, can you track?
**Derrig**: I can cut things open.
* **Nel**: The wonderful thing about Derrig, and one of the reasons I fell in love with him, was he didn't always get it right, but he was always willing to admit when he was wrong and learn from it. He didn't always know the right thing to do, he didn't always know the right choice to make, but he still made a choice.

## **Trivia**

* His name could come from the Old Irish *dergos* (red/crimson), and according to its Proto-Indo-European etymology it could also mean "to dim" or "darken".
* Derrig's favorite type of weapon is a Roman-style gladius sword, which he carries on his back and keeps razor sharp.
* Brian W. Foster asked if Derrig's son Will is named "after TV's Wilfred Ale?" and Liam agreed.
* He shares his fighter subclass with his son-in-law, Orym.
* Derrig is the first character played by a main cast member to die between campaigns.
* One of his daughters, Leeta, followed in his footsteps and became one of Keyleth's bodyguard, placing herself in her father's position in the formation after he died.
* The shield Orym carries once belonged to Derrig. Orym had Gilmore's Glorious Goods transfer the enchantment of a Sentinel Shield to it in lieu of replacing it.
* In an interview, Liam hinted that Derrig and Orym's family in Zephrah could be larger than what was mentioned in the stream.
* Derrig is Proficient in Survival, this can be ascertained from the mention of his +7 in Survival, which means he has the +6 from being level 17 and the +1 from his Wisdom modifier.

## **References**

1. ↑ Knowing that in 813 PD he's older than other Half-elves in Vox Machina and he has been married for 47 years, and assuming he was at least 18 when he got married.
2. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 0:56:06.  Although the caption spelled her name "Mel", Liam says "Nel" in Talks Machina #125 and confirmed the spelling in a Tweet.
3. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:25.
4. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:48.
5. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:48.
6. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:48.
7. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:48.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 See "Pyrrhic Return" (3x35) at 2:51:33.  Orym explains that Will and Derrig both died in the attack on Keyleth in Zephrah.
9. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 1:24:30.  Derrig's save on his *Goading Attack* is 18.
10. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 0:10:43.  Derrig's stats are shown on-stream.
11. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) from 11:44 through 12:25.  Liam describes Derrig.
12. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47).
13. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 56:06.  Derrig tells Pike he's been married 47 years.
14. ↑ See "*4-Sided Dive*: Wrong Distance Relationships" (4SDx13) at 0:51:56.  Liam states that Nel and her daughter Maeve are both herbalists.
15. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 40:58.  Derrig mentions his children to Percy and Vex.
16. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:48.
17. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) from 50:53 through 51:25.
18. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) from 51:38 through 51:25.
19. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) from 10:32 through 11:26.  Keyleth refers to Derrig as Zephrah's Master of Defense tasked with assembling a national guard.
20. ↑ See "*4-Sided Dive*: Wrong Distance Relationships" (4SDx13) at 0:52:21.  Liam uses the name "Tempest Blades" referring to the guards.
21. ↑ See "A Desperate Call" (3x36) at 0:24:27.
22. ↑ See "Nice" (3x69) at 0:45:12.
23. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 0:56:06.  Although the caption spelled her name "Mel", Liam says "Nel" in Talks Machina #125 and confirmed the spelling in a Tweet.
24. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:25.
25. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:48.
26. ↑ See "The Hellcatch Valley" (3x24) at 3:25:56.
27. ↑ See "Bloody Flowers" (3x67) at 4:41:23.  Baernie explains she isn't just a druid and didn't train as much as her sisters in a single area.
28. ↑ See "*4-Sided Dive*: Wrong Distance Relationships" (4SDx13) at 0:52:21.  Liam states that Leeta is a Tempest Blade.
29. ↑ See "*4-Sided Dive*: Liam Laudna-Hands" (4SDx06) at 1:01:45.
30. ↑ See "A Desperate Call" (3x36) at 0:14:40.
31. ↑ See "A Taste of Tal'Dorei" (3x25) at 4:19:15.
32. ↑ See "Heart-to-Heartmoor" (3x17) at 3:40:19.
33. ↑ See "To The Skies" (3x23) at 2:06:56.
34. ↑ See "Breaking Point" (3x31) at 3:49:55.
35. ↑ See "The Gift Among the Green" (E1x06) at 1:22:02.
36. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 1:39:25.  Derrig uses a bonus action to shove a target prone with his shield.
37. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 1:38:54.  Liam rolled a two on his 1d8 die + 3 from Vorpal sword + 4 from strength/dex + 2 from dueling fighting style. That makes eleven points of damage
38. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 3:13:35.  Liam rolled a six on his 1d8 die + 3 from Vorpal sword + 4 from strength/dex + 2 from dueling fighting style. That makes fifteen points of damage
39. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 1:25:23.  Derrig attacks three times in one attack action.
40. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 1:24:30.  Derrig uses *Goading Attack*.
41. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 3:33:47.  Derrig uses *Maneuvering Attack*.
42. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 53:28.  Referring to his role as Keyleth's bodyguard.
43. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 1:53:13.
44. ↑ See "Nice" (3x69) at 0:41:14.
45. ↑ See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 53:02.  When asked by Grog what his favorite weapon is, Derrig unsheathes a razor-sharp gladius sword and sends it whizzing in the air.
46. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #125: 'Refjorged', 'Dalen's Closet' & 'A Tangled Web'" (TMx125) at 1:09:54.
47. ↑ See "A Desperate Call" (3x36) at 0:17:08.
48. ↑ See "The City of Flowing Light" (3x42) at 0:30:25.
49. ↑ See "A Glorious Return" (E1x03) at 2:27:04.
50. ↑ See Liam O'Brien Teases Legend of Vox Machina Season 3 & Mighty Nein at 24:03.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of Derrig, by Nikki Dawes (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Official art of Derrig, by Kit Buss from "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
3. ↑ Fan art of the attack on the Voice of the Tempest, by Jenny Dolfen (source). Used with permission.
4. ↑ Will, Orym, and Derrig, by Kamille Areopagita and Kevin Areopagita from "A Gathering of Heroes" (3x76). Used with permission.