Elaina

Fan art of Elaina, by Joma Cueto.

**Elaina** was a seamstress from Byroden and the human mother of Vax'ildan and Vex'ahlia. As an NPC, she was played by Matthew Mercer.

## **Description**

### **Appearance**

Elaina was described as "a slender human woman with thick dark hair, kind eyes, and gentle hands."

## **Biography**

### **Background**

Elaina lived the humble life of a seamstress in the village of Byroden. At some point she encountered an elven diplomat named Syldor Vessar. The details and length of their relationship are unknown, but Syldor eventually left her to return to Syngorn. Elaina later gave birth to half-elven twins and named them Vax'ildan and Vex'ahlia.

Elaina and her children lived in a small house, where the twins' room doubled as Elaina's atelier. In Vax'ildan's memories, the house smelled of fabric, chalk, and candles, and his mother often worked late at night by candlelight.

### ***Kith & Kin***

Around 795 PD, Elaina was living in Byroden with her children. Syldor Vessar visited Byroden's Bliss and met Elaina for the first time since the twins were born, nine years earliers. After his visit, Syldor sent Elaina a letter, inviting the twins to come live with him in Syngorn; they traveled there accompanied by members of the Verdant Guard six months after his visit to Byroden.

Elaina was a victim of Thordak's attack on Byroden. Word was sent to her children in Syngorn by Old Wenric, but the message never arrived. Elaina was buried next to Mistress Fara in the new cemetery that had formerly been a courtyard, with a wooden plaque as a marker.

Around 802 PD, Vax'ildan and Vex'ahlia left Syngorn to return to Byroden. When they arrived, they found that their childhood home was completely gone, and Duncan informed the twins of what had happened to their mother. Vax'ildan visited Elaina's grave the next morning and was shortly joined by his sister.

### **"Thordak" (1x79)**

Years later on 7 Misuthar, 811 PD, Elaina's death would be avenged when her children marched with their comrades, Vox Machina, and the armed forces they amassed to take down the Cinder King in the Siege of Emon. Her daughter, Vex'ahlia, struck the shattering blow to the soul anchor that magnified Thordak's power and fed his insanity, and her son, Vax'ildan, struck the killing blow to the monstrous dragon.

### **"The Chapter Closes" (1x115)**

When the Raven Queen claimed Vax's soul, it was Elaina who greeted her son in the afterlife, hugging him and telling him how proud she was.

## **Appearances and mentions**

### **Appearances**

* Campaign One: Vox Machina
	+ "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) (first appearance)
* *Kith & Kin*

### **Mentions**

* Campaign One: Vox Machina
	+ "Arrival at Kraghammer" (1x01) (first mentioned)
	+ "Attack on the Duergar Warcamp" (1x04)
	+ "The Throne Room" (1x07)
	+ "Trial of the Take: Part 1" (1x18)
	+ "Crimson Diplomacy" (1x25)
	+ "A Musician's Nostalgia" (1x37)
	+ "Desperate Measures" (1x40)
	+ "Umbrasyl" (1x55)
	+ "Hope" (1x56), first named as Elaina
	+ "Heredity and Hats" (1x60)
	+ "Denizens of the Moonbrush" (1x61)
	+ "Trust" (1x70)
	+ "Vorugal" (1x71)
	+ "Thordak" (1x79)
	+ "A Bard's Lament" (1x85)
	+ "Jugs and Rods" (1x94)
	+ "The Fear of Isolation" (1x105)
* Specials
	+ "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47)

## **Trivia**

* Her name derives from the Ancient Greek term *helénē*, that can be translated as "torch", "bright" or "beautiful".
	+ Elaina's former name was Margaret.

## **References**

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 8.
2. ↑ Liam O'Brien stated that Elaina was a seamstress. (source)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, pp. 8–9.
4. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 101.
5. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, pp. 276–277.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1  Critical Role (@CriticalRole) on Twitter: "Check out our updated timeline featuring ALL of our epic adventures throughout Exandria -- including Campaign 3! ⚔️" (2021-10-28).
7. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 3.
8. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 68.
9. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 70.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 279.
11. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 278.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, pp. 279–280.
13. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 256.
14. ↑ See *Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin*, p. 277.
15. ↑ See "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) at 1:41:20.
16. ↑ See Liam's e-mail wrongly addressed to Matt Colville on his personal blog.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of Elaina, by Joma Cueto (source). Used with permission.