Chroma Conclave

Fan art of the Chroma Conclave attacking Emon in "Omens" (1x39), by Thomas Brin.

## Basic Information

### Goals

* Free Thordak from the Elemental Plane of Fire
* Conquer and rule various cities of Tal'Dorei Kingdom and Draconia

## History

### Disbanded

8 Misuthar, 811 PD (all members deceased)

## Membership

### Notable members

* Thordak
* Raishan
* Umbrasyl
* Vorugal
* Brimscythe

## Relationships

### Allies

* Herd of Storms
* Lizardfolk
* Wyverns
* Fire Giants

### Enemies

* Republic of Tal'Dorei
* Syngorn
* Vox Machina
* Fire and air Ashari tribes
* Dragonborn of Draconia

The **Chroma Conclave** was a faction of five chromatic dragons confronted by Vox Machina. The blue dragon, Brimscythe, was defeated pre-stream; the remaining red, green, white, and black dragons were major villains over the course of Arc 3 in Campaign One (episodes "Omens" (1x39) through "The Deceiver's Stand" (1x83)).

The dragons also appear in *The Legend of Vox Machina*. Brimscythe (voiced by David Tennant) was the primary antagonist of the first two episodes of Season 1, while Thordak (Lance Reddick), Raishan (Cree Summer)), Umbrasyl (Matthew Mercer) and Vorugal (Liam O'Brien) are the primary antagonists of Season 2 and 3.

## **History**

### **A union of convenience**

It was Raishan and Thordak (though mostly Raishan) who brokered the idea of the Chroma Conclave. During Thordak's imprisonment in the Elemental Plane of Fire, he was approached by Raishan, an ancient green dragon who was cursed with a horrific disease that was slowly disintegrating her. Thordak claimed to know of a cure, which he promised to share, but if only Raishan would release him and help conquer the city of Emon. Raishan proposed the idea of the Chroma Conclave — an alliance of powerful chromatic dragons including Brimscythe, Umbrasyl, and Vorugal.

The plan was for the five dragons to work together to wipe out the controlling society of Tal'Dorei. Of greater concern to the Conclave was the immediate threat of Draconia, as the dragonborn civilization had been keeping close tabs on many (if not all) of the Conclave's members. After Draconia and the Tal'Dorei government were dealt with, the continent of Tal'Dorei would be divided up among the members. Both Brimscythe and Thordak wanted Emon for themselves, but Brimscythe was killed before the claim could become an issue.

### **Brimscythe**

The young blue dragon Brimscythe had infiltrated the Tal'Dorei Council, taking the guise of a human named General Kreig and the position of Master of Law. As General Krieg, Brimscythe thwarted an assassination attempt against Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei II in early 810 PD, which was carried out as part of a demonic incursion. During their investigations into this incursion, the adventuring party called The S.H.I.T.s, later known as Vox Machina, investigated General Krieg's house and found a teleportation circle leading to Brimscythe's lair in the Cliffkeep Mountains.

Inside the lair, General Krieg appeared and revealed his true form as the blue dragon Brimscythe. The dragon fought Vox Machina and nearly devoured several members of the group, but was eventually slain by Vax'ildan. In his death throes, Brimscythe thrashed about the cavern, knocking down several support pillars and causing the roof to collapse. Vox Machina barely escaped back through the teleportation circle. However, the group noticed four obsidian orbs on a cavern wall that the Chroma Conclave seemingly used to communicate with each other. One of the orbs was touched and a massive, scaly eye appeared within it. As it appeared, a voice called out for "Brimscythe". The eye then noticed Vox Machina, and the voice said, "Intruders. I know your face now. He is a fool, and so are you, insect." All four orbs simultaneously cracked, and became inert.

Ultimately, Brimscythe's death was convenient for the Conclave, as the overly ambitious blue dragon was vying for control of Emon. Thordak would not have allowed that and was planning to kill the younger dragon himself.

### **Thordak's release**

In 806 PD, Raishan infiltrated the Fire Ashari village of Pyrah, built around a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire. There, she took the guise of a young humanoid girl and was accepted into the Ashari. She spent her time there researching the Fire Plane. In order to facilitate Thordak's escape, Raishan formed an alliance with a number of fire giants ousted from the City of Brass. With their help, she encased a bit of the Fire Plane, called the Ember Seed, into the soul anchor in Thordak's chest, allowing him to leave the Plane of Fire. She planned to wait until a celestial solstice to enact the plan for Thordak's escape, but seeing his deteriorating mental state due to the Ember Seed now embedded in his body, she went forward on 20 Duscar 810 PD, Winter's Crest. Raishan widened the rift to the Plane of Fire in Pyrah and Thordak tore through the rift, razing Pyrah as he went. Leaving devastation behind, he and Raishan rendezvoused with the other members of the Conclave and set their sights on Emon.

### **Chroma Crisis**

*Main article: Chroma Crisis Invasions*
The Chroma Conclave invaded Emon, destroying most of the city. The city was subsequently occupied by Thordak, who claimed the surrounding Bladeshimmer Shoreline as his domain and took the Cloudtop District in Emon as his lair, demanding abject obedience and tribute from its citizens.

Umbrasyl attacked Westruun and the Dividing Plains and allied with the Herd of Storms, but made his lair in Gatshadow, draining their valuables from the remaining residents. Raishan did not claim new territory during the Chroma Crisis, but her lair was within the Rifenmist Jungle and later on the Island of Viscan. Vorugal and the Conclave destroyed Draconia (considered to be a priority target because they were tracking the dragons' movements) and Vorugal then made his lair among its ruins.

### **Legacy**

Thordak's Crater in the Cloudtop district became a breeding ground for cinderslag elementals, and the expanse of farmland to the east of the city was torched by the dragon and corrupted by his elemental energy, unable to regrow. This land became known as the Scar of the Cinder King. In order to combat this, the Tal'Dorei Council reached out across the Ozmit Sea to the Fire Ashari. While they were still recovering from their own decimation at the hands of Thordak, the Fire Ashari obliged and set up a base, Flamereach Outpost led by the firetamer Lorkathar, to help contain and eventually heal the Scar. In 842 PD, over thirty years after the Chroma Conclave's attack, the Scar had yet to entirely heal.

In 15 Misuthar 812 PD, Scanlan began to write down his version of the epic adventures he witnessed with Vox Machina, from their first meeting to saving the world and everything in between. The book was called *In the Belly of Dragons*, referencing the group's battle with Umbrasyl.

As of 843 PD, there is a Chroma Dawn Cave in Kymal arranged to look like a dragon's lair, with five rooms each themed after a member of the Chroma Conclave, providing:

* The Iron Storm — a pressure point bed and a skin-firming mud mask.
* The Diseased Deceiver — an ivy and plant-based detoxifying wrap, produced from local vegetation gathered just outside of the town in the Ivyheart Thicket.
* The Frigid Doom — a cold mask and a cold dip pool, maintained by a dragonborn staff.
* The Hope Devourer — a full body massage by an old, massive and scarred full orc and an exfoliating acid mask.
* The Cinder King — a hot stone massage, a hot oil mask, and a hot pool managed by dragonborn.

## **Members**

* Raishan, the Diseased Deceiver (ancient green dragon; killed by Kerrek, Vox Machina, and their allies)
* Thordak, the Cinder King (ancient red dragon; killed by Vox Machina and their allies)
* Umbrasyl, the Hope Devourer (ancient black dragon, killed by Vox Machina and Shale)
* Vorugal, the Frigid Doom (ancient white dragon, killed by Vox Machina and Raishan)
* Brimscythe, the Iron Storm (young/adult blue dragon, killed by Vox Machina)

## **Trivia**

* Raishan is the only member of the Chroma Conclave to have been defeated by a guest character, Kerrek; her four colleagues were killed by members of Vox Machina: Vax'ildan (Brimscythe and Thordak), Vex'ahlia (Vorugal), and Grog (Umbrasyl).
* Raishan is also the only member who survived the episode that shares her name ("Raishan" (1x80)), whereas Umbrasyl, Vorugal, and Thordak were all killed in their respective episodes ("Umbrasyl" (1x55), "Vorugal" (1x71), and "Thordak" (1x79)).
* In Westruun, there is a statue named "The Black King" of its founder Palest Westruun, erected on an anniversary of the city's freedom from Umbrasyl. Both the city and the statue were blessed by a High Priest of the Lawbearer and when the city is threatened, the statue will legendarily animate into a stone golem to defend the people of Westruun..
* \* In *The Legend of Vox Machina* the five members of the Chroma Conclave had their own redesigns, having original looks different from the traditional appearances of the different chromatic dragons from Dungeons and Dragons. However, it is unclear if said redesigns are meant to represent each type of dragon in the animated series or if only those five individual dragons look like that.

## **References**

1. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 11-12. Raishan infiltrated Pyrah 5 years before the attack on Emon
2. ↑ See "Trust" (1x70) from 16:36 through 17:32.
3. ↑ See "Talks Machina Fireside Special: Q&A with the *Critical Role* Cast" (Sx33) at 1:40:45.  Matthew Mercer explains each member's motivation and the reason for the loose alliance.
4. ↑ See "The Story of Vox Machina" (Sx06) from 14:41 through 15:19.
5. ↑ See "The Story of Vox Machina" (Sx06) from 13:50 through 14:41.
6. ↑ See "The Family Business" (1x47) from 47:31 through 49:32.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 93.
8. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 58.
9. ↑ See "Trust" (1x70) at 13:49.
10. ↑ See "Talks Machina Fireside Special: Q&A with the *Critical Role* Cast" (Sx33) at 1:40:45.  Matthew Mercer explains each member's motivation and the reason for the loose alliance.
11. ↑ See "The Frigid Doom" (1x64) at 1:02:14.
12. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 95.
13. ↑ "Nearly 30 years after the attack of the Chroma Conclave" ... "The city has mostly recovered in the intervening years, but two areas still bear the brunt of his wrath" ... "the outskirts of town, where the Scar of the Cinder King still wounds the land outside Emon’s walls."What You Need to Know Before Watching Exandria Unlimited.
14. ↑ See "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) at 3:48:38.
15. ↑ See "Exandria Unlimited: Kymal, Part 2" (E2x02) at 34:08.
16. ↑ See "Exandria Unlimited: Kymal, Part 2" (E2x02) at 37:18.
17. ↑ See "Exandria Unlimited: Kymal, Part 2" (E2x02) at 38:28.
18. ↑ See "Exandria Unlimited: Kymal, Part 2" (E2x02) at 39:14.
19. ↑ See "The Deceiver's Stand" (1x83) at 2:49:13.
20. ↑ See "Thordak" (1x79) from 3:19:49 through 3:22:32.
21. ↑ See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:55:37.
22. ↑ See "Vorugal" (1x71) from 4:35:13 through 4:37:38.
23. ↑ See "The Story of Vox Machina" (Sx06) at 15:04.
24. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 61.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of the Chroma Conclave attacking Emon in "Omens" (1x39), by Thomas Brin (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Official art of Orbs in Brimscythe's Lair, by Wendy Sullivan Green from "The Story of Vox Machina" (Sx06). Used with permission.
3. ↑ Fan art of the Vox Machina crest, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.