The Mighty Nein know of Vox Machina, but they donât understand The SHITS.
In an old, nearly forgotten book, Caleb reads about Vaxâildan, Champion of the Raven Queen, Slayer of Vecna, Member of Vox Machina, and all he sees is a young man in shining paladin armor, fearless and powerful like Caleb knows he will never be. He doesnât see the scrappy young boy who struggled to survive in the streets with his sister, who loved his little found family more than his own life, and sacrificed everything he had for them.
Through a hole in her wall, Jester hears noble men from all over the world praise the beauty and wit of Lady Vexâhalia De Rolo, Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, and she draws in her sketchbook this gorgeous elegant woman, just like her mother. She doesnât draw the broken girl who grew up ostracized from the world around her and was so eager to be loved and accepted.
From merchants in the docks, Fjord hears tales of Grog Strongjaw, great powerful goliath, member of Vox Machina, slayer of Vecna, and he is in awe by this manâs almost mythological strength and power that he knows heâll never reach. No one tells him about the gentle giant who always chose his family over everything else and whose biggest dream was being able to learn and acquire more knowledge.
Yasha reads about Serenraeâs favorite cleric while sheâs doing research on her own Lord. She marvels at her gentle relationship with her deity, at her bright healing power that so clearly contrasts with whatever darkness if flowing through Yashaâs veins. Nowhere do this books talk about the gnomeâs fearlessness, her rage and love for fighting, how powerful and terrifying she could be in battle.
As far as Beauregard is concerned, the Voice of the Tempest is only a legend that old men like to talk about in bars or around the campfire. She has a hard time believing that someone could really be that powerful and all mighty, and still kind and loving and good. It sounds false to her, maybe because no one tells her of Keylethâs other side, of her doubts, her stubbornness, her fierce temper and even fiercer compassion.
The story of the Terrible Tinkerer of TalâDorei is one thatâs always fascinated Molly, not because he likes the man but because he despises him. He has a hard time being sympathetic with someone who would be so stuck in his past, so consumed by it, that heâd choose to bring such terrible weapons into the world just to get his revenge. There are no tales of Percy of Vox Machina, the broken boy who chose forgiveness and strived to make himself a new and better man every day of his life.
The tales of Scanlan the Bard are common knowledge across every land, everyone has heard of them, but goblins are usually not considered part of that âeveryoneâ and so, the first time Nott hears about Scanlan Shorthalt is until Caleb tells her about him. She immediately dislikes the womanizer bard, no matter how impressed she might be by his power and charisma. The tales donât talk about the lonely gnome desperate to find love, they seldom tell about the man who became a father overnight and devoted his life to it, nor do they really speak about the brave man who would have given everything to save the family he loved so much.Â