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For the episode of the same name, see "Umbrasyl" (1x55).

You dare soil my home after what you've done below?! I will watch you dissolve before I suck down your liquid forms!
– 
Umbrasyl, upon being confronted by Vox Machina in his lair[10]
[!h]

Umbrasyl,[11] the Hope Devourer, was an ancient black dragon and a member of the Chroma Conclave. As an NPC, Umbrasyl was portrayed by Matthew Mercer. Umbrasyl also appears in The Legend of Vox Machina, where he is once again portrayed by Matthew Mercer.[12]

Description[]

Umbrasyl - Jet

Fan art of Grog Strongjaw versus Umbrasyl, by Jet.[art 3]

Appearance[]

Umbrasyl was an ancient dragon with black scales.[13]

Personality[]

Umbrasyl had been hunted enough from lair to lair that he wanted an environment where he could rule without worry of being bothered or assaulted by people who wanted to be rid of this black dragon scourge.[14]

Biography[]

Background[]

Little is known about Umbrasyl's history prior to the events of Campaign One.

"Omens" (1x39)[]

Umbrasyl was first seen by Vex, Vax, and Grog as a black blur flying past Emon high above. Soon after, while the party was retreating from the green dragon, Raishan, Umbrasyl swooped down, following the party across the rooftops of the Cloudtop District.

"The Family Business" (1x47)[]

After the Chroma Conclave conquered Emon, Umbrasyl attacked Westruun and roosted at the peak of the enormous Gatshadow Mountain.[15]

"In the Belly of the Beast" (1x54)[]

Vox Machina managed to trap Umbrasyl in Percy's mechanism. With the help of the goliaths, the battle against the beast began as Vax and Scanlan teleported into the belly of the dragon, which after a few rounds fled toward his lair.

"Umbrasyl" (1x55)[]

Viktor Engholm - Umbrasyl - Grog

Fan art of Grog killing Umbrasyl, by Viktor Engholm.[art 4]

The battle against the dragon resumed, this time within the beast's lair. Vox Machina and Shale managed to finally kill Umbrasyl, with Grog's Bloodaxe dealing the final blow.

After Campaign One[]

Umbrasyl's corpse by Clara

Fan art of Umbrasyl's corpse, by Clara.[art 5]

After the death of the Hope Devourer, his spilled blood, combined with the strange magic of the Gatshadow Mountain, caused the corpses of goliaths spattered by it to rise again as undead black dragonborn with skeletal wings;[16] this Black Snow tribe would fly to the Ashen Gorge, attracted to a gemstone called "the Ruby of Oblivion".[17] Moreover, in the following years the mix of the dragon's acid and his magical blood seeped through the ground, forming maze-like caverns inhabited by black half-dragons, oozes and the ghosts of the goliaths defeated by the ancient black dragon.[18] Due to those dangers, by 836 PD not many people try to approach the area, despite the valuable materials that could be taken from Umbrasyl's body.[19]

Character information[]

Umbrasyl - Kaitlyn Leeds

Fan art of Umbrasyl, by Kaitlyn Leeds.[art 6]

Notable items[]

Abilities[]

Spells[]

Lair abilities[]

  • Cloud of Swarming Insects[36]
  • Acid pool surge[37]
  • Darkness[38]

Appearances and mentions[]

Quotations[]

  • "Bravery means nothing. Survival and victory mean everything!"[41]
  • "Foolish Bard. Get back into my stomach!"[42]

Trivia[]

  • The umbra is the darkest part of a shadow, where the light source is completely blocked.
  • In The Legend of Vox Machina Umbrasyl had his own redesign, having an original look different from the traditional appearance of the black dragons from Dungeons and Dragons. Matthew Mercer (who is from Florida) described him as "the Florida dragon", like a swamp-dwelling weasel.

References[]

  1. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:37:50.
  2. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 95. See also p. 109.
  3. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 1:46:56.
  4. Umbrasyl is mistakenly referred to as "her", but every other reference to this dragon uses "its" or "his". See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 89.
  5. See "In the Belly of the Beast" (1x54) at 3:26:45.
  6. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:55:37.
  7. See "The Hope Devourer" (LVM2x12).
  8. See D&D: Monster Manual, 5th ed., p. 87. Standard ancient black dragon stat block
  9. Confirmed by Matt
  10. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 2:39:32.
  11. Spelling of "Umbrasyl" confirmed by Matthew Mercer on Twitter.
  12. Prime Video's photo release.
  13. See "Desperate Measures" (1x40) at 2:43:46.
  14. See "Talks Machina Fireside Special: Q&A with the Critical Role Cast" (Sx33) at 1:39:52.
  15. See "The Family Business" (1x47).
  16. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 73.
  17. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 109.
  18. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 64.
  19. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 95.
  20. See "Hope" (1x56) at 25:23.
  21. See "Hope" (1x56) at 29:21.
  22. See "Dark Dealings" (1x112) from 2:34:19 through 3:00:18.
  23. See "Hope" (1x56) at 30:03.
  24. See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 26:01.
  25. See "Hope" (1x56) at 30:53.
  26. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 4:15:46.
  27. See "In the Belly of the Beast" (1x54) at 3:23:37.
  28. See "In the Belly of the Beast" (1x54) at 3:25:07.
  29. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:42:08.
  30. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 2:27:55.
  31. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 2:52:30.
  32. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 2:57:32.
  33. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:04:01.
  34. Umbrasyl casts an invisibility spell.  See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 52:51.
  35. Umbrasyl attacks Vax repeatedly while remaining invisible.  See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 2:26:47.
  36. A cloud of insects seems to emerge from the acid pools.  See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 2:36:54.
  37. The acid pools rumble, expand, and reach out, forcing Strength saving throws.  See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:04:52.
  38. A 15-foot sphere of magical darkness appears at the top of the round.  See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:36:29.
  39. See "The Kill Box" (1x52) at 2:54:17.
  40. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:55:37.
  41. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 2:46:42.
  42. See "Umbrasyl" (1x55) at 3:11:43.

Art:

  1. Screenshot of Umbrasyl, by Titmouse from "Pass Through Fire" (LVM2x05). 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.
  2. Fan art of Umbrasyl, by Sylvanidae (source). Used with permission.
  3. Fan art of Grog Strongjaw versus Umbrasyl, by Jet (source). Used with permission.
  4. Fan art of Grog killing Umbrasyl, by Viktor Engholm (source). Used with permission.
  5. Fan art of Umbrasyl's corpse, by Clara (source). Used with permission.
  6. Fan art of Umbrasyl, by Kaitlyn Leeds (source). Used with permission.
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