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Keyleth

Tal'Dorei

Keyleth (pronounced /ˈkiːlɪθ/) is a half-elf druid member of Vox Machina. She is played by Marisha Ray.

Keyleth (pronounced /ˈkiːlɪθ/) is a half-elf druid member of Vox Machina. She is played by Marisha Ray.

Keyleth was raised in Zephrah as a member of the Air Ashari tribe. When she was a child, her mother Vilya left on a journey to earn the title of headmaster of the tribe, but never came back. After reaching adulthood, Keyleth left her home to attempt the Aramenté herself.

During her adventures with Vox Machina, she became the wielder of a legendary staff, the Spire of Conflux, to fight against the Chroma Conclave. She completed her Aramenté and became the headmaster of the Air Ashari, a position that grants her the title Voice of the Tempest, adding several thousand years to her lifespan.

Intro

"A first impression of Keyleth would leave you with little information on the half-elven druid. You might even think that her social awkwardness, due to her sheltered upbringing, is... kind of sweet. Of course, it would be unwise to underestimate her based on first impressions. Under that unintimidating petite frame is a vicious beast waiting to be unleashed, whose natural powers have made even the fiercest of champions pee their pants. Literally.

Born to the air tribe of the Ashari people, Keyleth was raised with a deep love of nature and the elemental magics. It is her people's inherent duty to protect the delicate areas in Tal'Dorei, where the four elemental planes begin to bleed with this realm. Since she was a little girl, she had quite a knack for air manipulation and beast shaping abilities; well, if you consider kittens and flying squirrels to be little beasts, which I do. Anyways, it wasn't long before the headmaster of the tribe, her father, Korrin, realized her true prodigious abilities and she was inveterated to succeed him as the next headmaster. Just like that, her jovial childhood was stripped and replaced with endless spell memorization, teachings from ancient traditions, and exceedingly high expectations.

Every druid leader-to-be must embark on a journey to seek out the sister tribes in order to introduce and establish respect amongst the fellow headmasters. They call this the Aramenté, or Noble Odyssey. When her father felt she was ready, he set her on the path to truly discovering herself. Not knowing when, or if, she will ever return. As she hikes down the mountain towards Stilben, she meditated on the task ahead. Part of the Aramenté is proving yourself a strong warrior, a valiant protector, and a wise and compassionate leader. With this knowledge, one thought plays in repeat in her mind: is she even worthy?"

Appearance

During Campaign One, Keyleth is a twenty-three-year-old young half-elven woman standing about 6' tall, with fair skin, green eyes and long red hair, which was later cut short. She is depicted with freckles on her nose and cheeks in some official material. She's almost never seen without her signature "antlers", a druidic circlet. She would later wear the Mantle of the Tempest, a long cloak made of dark green leathers that unfurl into autumn-colored leaves.

After joining the Slayer's Take, Keyleth has the brand of the guild on her right arm. In the year that passed between Vex'ahlia's first successful Grey Hunt and the party's vacation to Marquet, Keyleth received tattoos along her chest, shoulders, and back to symbolize the Mantle of the Tempest when she's not wearing it, as a reminder of her position as the Voice of the Tempest.

In 836 PD (at the time of her appearance in Campaign Two), Keyleth's description seemed to match her previous appearance. Because of the druid ability Timeless Body, even though Keyleth is 47 years old at the time, she should appear to be around 25 years old.

In 843 PD, as a member of the Exandrian Accord ready for war, she used red armor-like elements, sharper antlers that extend to her cheekbones, and a shorter mantle of leaves, some of them being grey to evoke the idea of autumn giving way to winter.

Personality

Keyleth is shy and very socially inept. This makes it difficult for her to persuade others to help her and her friends out in many situations. However, she also has a strong moral compass, which leads her to question at times some of the rather extreme choices that Vox Machina tends to make. Although she has slowly been overcoming her own social flaws, at times her anger gets the better of her. She has been gaining more confidence in herself, and becoming more pragmatic, without compromising her morals. At times, Keyleth is prone to acting impulsively, which has led to unfavorable outcomes. However, she's also very tenacious and stubborn, refusing to give up even in the bleakest of circumstances and always wanting to go the extra mile to help others. Another thing that defines Keyleth is her tendency to feel guilty. She tends to focus more on her mistakes than her successes.

Whereas many of her people, the Ashari, are worshipers of the nature goddess Melora, following her as a deity and example, Keyleth herself is much less devout. In fact, she has a very strong distrust towards any religious establishment. This is due to several unpleasant experiences in the past where she had witnessed corruption within those of the faith. It is after the attack of the Chroma Conclave, or the Chroma Crisis, begins that she starts to overcome her distrust of the gods, most notably taking an interest in Melora herself.

Despite her peoples' exceedingly high expectations of her, deep down Keyleth never wanted the responsibility she was given. But she felt as if she couldn't escape from it, that she had no control over her future since birth. She yearned to return to the normal life she once had, to be blissful and ignorant again. However, over time, she has learned to accept her responsibilities. After many struggles, she took up the mantle of the Voice of the Tempest and became a leader for her people.

Keyleth also believed for the longest time that she did not deserve happiness. She has a strong fear of death and of losing those close to her. She worries that even if she lives to fulfill her Aramenté, she will still watch those close to her die. This has caused her great pain and for some time made her unable to allow herself to love others, such as Vax'ildan, who would become her first boyfriend. She eventually fought that same fear and confessed her feelings to him. It was also Vax who taught her how to love and take chances.

Keyleth feels attraction towards confident and self-assured people because those are qualities that don't come easy to her. She is still questioning her own sexuality as she not only returned Vax's affections when she confessed her love for him, but she's also had a fascination with his twin sister. As she mentions to Percy during Grog's rematch with Earthbreaker Groon, when Vex thinks of flashing Grog to "inspire" him and Keyleth responds in the affirmative, drawing an odd look from Percy, she says, "I have a thing for twins." But she herself is new at relationships in general and trying to figure things out about herself.

Keyleth is one of the party's main spellcasters. She often uses her Wild Shape abilities to turn into various creatures for battle, scouting, transportation, stealth, and many other purposes. She can control the elements, and at times she uses these abilities to slow down enemies or buy time but is also capable of using said powers to defend herself and others. Keyleth also possesses some knowledge of healing, as she can heal the wounds of her friends and she once managed to bring Grog out of a catatonic state.

Keyleth's alignment is "neutral good", like Percy and, originally, Vex'ahlia.

Background

Keyleth was born in the Air Ashari village of Zephrah to two other half-elven druids, Korrin and Vilya. Ever since she was a little girl, she had a natural talent for transforming into beasts and for using magic.

At some point during her childhood she found a male baby griffin that got separated from his mom. The half-elf captured the creature and tucked him up under her shirt.

Prior to the start of the campaign, when Keyleth was only five or six years old, Vilya had gone on the Aramenté to succeed Korrin as headmaster, but she never returned. Due to that, Keyleth became next in line. As such, she found herself groomed to become Korrin's successor, having to undergo endless training in the ways of her people, her people having very high expectations of her. Due to her sheltered life and homeschooling, Keyleth never really had any friends growing up.

When she came of age at age 20, Korrin sent Keyleth out into the world to follow in her parents' footsteps, to seek out the sister-tribes of the Ashari, establish respect and communication between the fellow headmasters, and become a strong leader for her people. Early in her journey, she found herself in the swamp town of Stilben where she met members of the group that would—herself included—eventually form the adventuring party that would become Vox Machina.

Vox Machina: Origins

Series I

Keyleth ran into Vax'ildan and Vex'ahlia for the first time in the K'tawl Swamp, near Stilben. She healed a wound on Vax's chest and was very friendly towards the twins, but was only met with distrust from them, especially Vex. Keyleth stated that the swamp water might be poisoned, and drank some to find out, much to the dismay of the twins. They parted way shortly after, and Keyleth returned to the town, where she met up with Tiberius and the rest of her group: Stitch, Brul, and Helicax. The party had been hired by The Clasp to find out who was poisoning the peasants they rely on for their prostitution supply and narcotics sales. When Stitch asked for compensation for a job well done but got poisoned, they got 12 hours to get to the bottom of the killings, or else Stitch would die.

Keyleth and Tiberius split off from the rest of their group, and headed for an alchemical laboratory where they ran into Vex and Vax, as well as Scanlan and Grog, who Tiberius had met previously. The pairs didn't trust each other but banded together to fight a common enemy, Iselda. After Iselda retreated into a mirror, Keyleth suggested that they all work together since they ultimately had the same goal, but the pairs all turned her down and went their own separate ways.

Vex'ahlia later called on the help of the others to help her rescue Vax, who had been kidnapped and pulled inside a magic mirror. Keyleth was the only one to accept. She followed Vex to the outskirts of town and was introduced to Trinket. The trio headed for the docks in search of Vax and ran again into the others. They all witnessed an explosion as Vax'ildan jumped out of a hole in the side of a ship, where he was being held captive.

The group decided to work together this time, and boarded the Mockingbird. They fought their way to Iselda as well as the source of the poison that has been plaguing the inhabitants of Stilben. They managed to kill her, stop a strange ritual, and escape through the previously made hole in the side of the ship. Afterward, they all headed to a tavern together.

Series II
When tracking the whereabouts of their friend Grog, the party that would one day become Vox Machina was directed to the Trickfoot household, where they met Pike. Later, the party had to split to find ingredients for a ritual to save Grog from a lich attempting to possess his body. Keyleth went with Pike and Scanlan to the Umbra Hills to find the skull of a nightmare.

While looking for a cult rumored to possess the item, the trio interrogated Percival de Rolo, a prisoner accused of being one of the cultists. He explained to them that he was actually put in jail by the cult, and Keyleth and the others busted him out in exchange for his help. After their mission was complete, Percival decided to tag along with them.

" The Story of Vox Machina " (Sx06) & other pre-stream events

Keyleth and several other members of Vox Machina fell into a subterranean river system below Emon, where they encountered an aboleth. Keyleth almost died after turning into a shark to fight it in the water, as the aboleth created a slime that tainted the water and pulled the oxygen out of it, causing her to suffocate.

At some point, Keyleth was thrown in jail and the party had to figure out a way to get her out. Scanlan managed to convince the guards that she had pubic lice. She played along by foaming at the mouth and acting insane. Percy acted as her lawyer.

Vox Machina was forced to fight the Dread Emperor after they discovered he was abducting children and had abducted Uriel Tal'Dorei's son. While the group was in an alternate plane of existence controlled by the being known as the Dread Emperor, Keyleth was able to stop a fight against a corrupted treant using her ability Dominate Plants (seen here). While fighting the Dread Emperor, one of his defenses was using children chained by their necks to him as living shields to share the damage he took from the group's attacks. When Keyleth attempted to rescue one of the children with her Grasping Vine spell, she got into a tug-of-war fight with the Dread Emperor over the child. The child accidentally died when his neck broke from too much pressure around the collar.

During the six-month period of time where Vox Machina decided to split to pursue their own separate goals, Keyleth traveled to Terrah alone to complete her Earth Ashari trial. However, she experienced great difficulty due to the trauma of the child's death still fresh in her mind.

CelebriD&D with Joe Manganiello

Also during the party's six-month hiatus, a paladin of Tiamat, Arkhan, hired a small group of mercenaries, including Keyleth and Percival, to investigate the Vault of Shumas in the Aggrad Mountains of Marquet, where they discovered the Wreath of the Prism.

Epilogues

" Dalen's Closet " (Sx47)
Keyleth brought Derrig, her bodyguard, as her plus one to Vex and Percy's wedding. Keyleth was asked to be Percy's best woman. She was very nervous and inquired with the wedding planner to make sure that everything was going to be perfect. After waking up with the others who had been knocked unconscious, she managed to lift the heavy fog that made it difficult for people to see each other with Control Weather, allowing the party to realize Vex and Percy were missing. Keyleth, in water elemental form, later retrieved Vex'ahlia's body from the ocean, not in time to save her from drowning, but brought her back to Pike so she could be revived with a Revivify spell.

After Sylas Briarwood was finally defeated, Vex'ahlia and Percy decided to get married then and there on the cliff. Keyleth stood behind Percy as they exchanged vows. Right before the rings were brought out, Scanlan interrupted the ceremony to cast Wish, and Vax'ildan appeared briefly. After he congratulated his sister and her husband, he turned to Keyleth and wrapped her in his arms. Keyleth told him her life was not the same without him and jokingly asked how he expected her to get over him if he kept sending her ravens. He assured her that he was far, but not gone.

Between Campaign One and Campaign Three
As revealed in " The Chapter Closes " (1x115), Keyleth lent her wisdom to the councils of Tal'Dorei and Whitestone. She eventually considered dating again, though not for a long time after Vax's loss; in fact, at some point she visited Slival as part of a research on the gods and the limits of their power, but she ended up meeting there a local woman, Jirana (was an expert in mourning and loss), who helped the archdruid deal with her pain after losing the love of her life.

In 836 PD, while in Zephrah, Keyleth reunited with her mother Vilya, who emerged from a tree via Transport via Plants from Rumblecusp.

At some point between 812 and 843 PD, Keyleth returned to the Hells, and visited a layer other than Dis.

Campaign Three: Bells Hells

In about 837 PD, Keyleth was attacked by mysterious dark leather-clad assassins who appeared out of nowhere and melted away when killed; some Ashari (including Derrig and Will) died defending the Voice of the Tempest, and she made sure to find an antidote for the wounds of such an attack, to help those that had been wounded but not killed, finding the Blue Perennem flowers in the Grey Valley. in the In 843 PD, having heard from Jarett Howarth about a remarkably similar attack on the Lumas twins of Jrusar, Keyleth sent her former guard Orym on a mission to Marquet to find Oshad Breshio, a survivor of the attack. Keyleth advised him to invite his friends Fearne Calloway and Dorian Storm, who could help him with this task. She used Transport via Plants to sneak them to the skyship port in Emon, from which they traveled to Jrusar. From Bassuras, Orym contacted Keyleth via Sending to report that he had uncovered dark fey influences, and that members of the Cerberus Assembly were involved along with power players in Marquet. Trouble was coming in one month. While disconcerted, Keyleth advised him to "stay the course carefully". Orym's best guess was that Keyleth had been attacked because she had theories about the leylines crisscrossing Exandria.

Keyleth was contacted by Imogen Temult through Sending telling her that they had found the assassins and a lead, but one of them with strong ties to Whitestone was dead, and asking if they could meet. Keyleth responded that she was currently on business in Vasselheim but could meet "shortly". The next day, Imogen Sent again to ask where she was, and Keyleth appeared in a flash of green light as a tree pushed apart. Orym hailed her, thanked her, and apologized for pulling her away. He explained the situation, mentioning that Keyleth had crossed paths with Laudna once before, in Whitestone. Fresh Cut Grass introduced the group as Bells Hells, an adventuring party trying to do good, which Keyleth noted sounded familiar. She recognized Laudna as one of the townsfolk hanged on the Sun Tree by the Briarwoods, and re-opened the rift in the tree to take the party to Whitestone seeking help.

While leading the group to Whitestone Castle, Keyleth was able to determine that the blade that killed Laudna did not contain the toxin that had prevented the resurrection of Derrig and Will. She then received a Sending calling her away, so the party quickly told her what they'd learned about Ruidus and the danger to those investigating it. However, Keyleth had many irons in the fire with the coming of the apogee solstice, and asked them to prepare a written report since her current main focus, with the other Ashari leaders, was a rogue faction in Issylra. Keyleth briefly introduced the party to Percival de Rolo and asked him to treat their requests as coming from Zephrah before taking her leave.

Days later, Keyleth was contacted by Orym (via Imogen's Sending) to briefly explain that Bells Hells had successfully destroyed a Malleus Key in the Fey Realm, and that they had returned to Exandria. Keyleth told them that she was dealing with a problem in Terrah and its rift to the Elemental Plane of Earth, stating that she thought her problem and that of the adventuring party could be connected. Later, Orym received a message from her via a Message Bloom saying that the leader of the sect she was helping to fight against in Terrah had escaped shouting about the Ruby Vanguard, and she needed to know where the Vanguard was so the Ashari could help the party's stand against them. Imogen immediately Sent to Keyleth telling her they should arrive in two more days and that their destination was the point where the ley lines were converging northeast of Bassuras. Imogen later updated Keyleth with their exact location and asked her plans, and Keyleth responded that she would be looking for a tree and Imogen should let her know when they "need the cavalry". Orym eventually found a suitable tree for Transport Via Plants and carved the Ashari symbol into it.

During the climactic events at the beginning of the Apogee Solstice, Keyleth arrived in the form of a meteorite crashing to the ground during Ludinus Da'leth's speech, which then unfolded into the form of an earth elemental and cast Mass Cure Wounds around her. Ludinus looked down on her and smiled, saying, "Right on time" as he successfully cast Power Word Stun. Otohan Thull and her three echoes surrounded Keyleth, unloading their attacks into her, knocking her out of elemental form and into her own body before any of Bells Hells could do anything. Finally, Otohan stood over her prone body, poised for a final heart strike, when in a whirl of black feathers the masked figure of Vax'ildan, Champion of the Matron of Ravens, interposed himself, standing over and protecting Keyleth's body, daggers in each hand, saying, "Don't you even dare." However, Ludinus was able to compress Vax'ildan's form into a dark sphere which he inserted into the Malleus Key and activated. Bells Hells were divided and transported far away, and had no way to determine if Keyleth had survived.

More than a week later, Orym had Deanna Leimert Scry on Keyleth, discovering she was alive but badly injured. She was in her chambers in Zephrah, looking out a window, leaning heavily on her staff, and almost fell before the others in the room caught her and led her back to bed. She still bore the wounds she received in the battle with Ludinus, and they were not healing. She stood again, moving to a thin tapestry and stroking the single long black feather tied at its end.

Two days later Bells Hells traveled to Zephrah and met with the Voice of the Tempest. Although weak, she spoke to them, learning about their recent experiences during the solstice and sharing her own. She explained how, in her current state, she was unable to travel (she wanted to visit the Birthheart in Vasselheim) or fight, and had sent a team to the Grey Valley to retrieve the blue perennem flowers that could potentially be used to heal her wounds. Orym told her about their current plans and agreed to travel with his team to the valley to look for the flowers and for the Ashari that had previously been sent there. Keyleth was concerned about the pressure on Orym's shoulders, but also encouraged him to use the rage he was currently feeling in a productive way. She told him she'd been angry for thirty years, asking him to help her find a place to use that anger.

When Bells Hells returned with the flowers, they were used by the local herbalists to heal Keyleth, and although she was still weak, she made sure to appear in front of her people to praise the deeds of the adventurers that had helped her. Afterwards, she met with Bells Hells in private, exchanging information and giving them advice about what they should do next regarding Ludinus and Predathos. During that conversation she met a Reilora for the first time when Imogen summoned it, being wary of it the whole time. She also used her magic to sense Ashton Greymoore's power after they asked about the Hishari, revealing the genasi had some primordial power within them, and calling them a " titan of blood ". The archdruid talked to the adventurers about the places where they could find more power, and helped them figure out how Ludinus had prolonged his life by creating a twisted version of the archdruids' methods. She also took the opportunity to personally thank Orym for all he had done for her, downplaying the oddities of his friends (even mentioning her own goldfish anecdote as an example of the chaos of adventurers), calling him her friend, and granting him a title: "Savior Blade of the Tempest". Despite still recovering from her injuries, Keyleth told Bells Hells that she intended to travel to gather allies to assist them in their mission.

The next morning, a fully recovered Keyleth gave Bells Hells some of the antidote used to heal her wounds (they requested it in case they needed it in the future). She volunteered to go with the group to Yios so that she could transport them to their next location after they spoke to Dancer there, and even offered to restore the inventor's lost arm if she wanted that. She disguised herself as a normal human woman, and later as a small dormouse to avoid being seen. When the party decided to go to Bassuras next, Keyleth used Transport via Plants to get them all there, saying how much fun the chaos was and that she'd missed it.

When they arrived at the Hellcatch Valley, Keyleth let the group go on their own while she, in animal shape, explored the city. She eventually found Quethir Droh, an acquaintance from Vasselheim who had been sent to Bassuras with several skyships on their way to the Red Center (although one of them had been attacked); he informed her about the current situation in the city and she gave him some information about Ruidus and its strange inhabitants, although keeping the source of the information to herself. When Keyleth returned to Bells Hells she informed them about her meeting and agreed to bring Dancer and the two newly rescued tinkerers, Imahara Joe and Verna the Viper (who thought the archdruid was beautiful and wanted to speak with her), to Whitestone, so they would have a good working place with access to residuum and the potential assistance of Lord de Rolo (she excused his famed grumpiness, explaining he was quite nice with his friends). Before traveling to Tal'Dorei, however, Keyleth used a tree to open a portal to Slival, giving Bells Hells some advice for their new mission in the Shattered Teeth.

A few days later the archdruid met Bells Hells again at Whitestone Castle, in a war meeting in which several allies participated (including Vilya, her own mother), and in which Keyleth supported the plan to send the group of adventurers in a scouting mission to Ruidus. After this meeting, Keyleth took the opportunity to give Orym greetings from Alma and to remind him to be careful with Imogen and her mother, although Orym assured her that he trusted his friend. Keyleth and Percy then traveled to the Red Center, going to an encampment near the excavation site itself, with other members of the alliance against the Ruby Vanguard. It was there where Bells Hells and Allura (after a quick trip to the Feywild) met them, and the Voice of the Tempest spoke in favor of the adventurers. Later, when she was dealing with her own Ashari warriors, she spoke with Laudna for a bit; the warlock complimented her and inquired if she was still worried about the Champion of Ravens, to which the archdruid admitted that she wanted to rescue him, but she knew they needed the Bloody Bridge active until Bells Hells' mission was over (something the Hollow One promised they would do successfully). Keyleth also apologized for everything that was happening, which unsettled Laudna a little.

After that, the leader of the Air Ashari used Wind Walk to bring Bells Hells as close to the excavation site as possible, and then focused her efforts on summoning a thunderstorm above the enemy forces to keep them distracted. Hours later she was contacted by Imogen via Sending, learning that the adventurers had found a portal back to Exandria and appeared in a place Keyleth identified as Lake Umamu in the Caramarin Reach of Issylra. After the adventurers gave her information about their plans and the location of the portal, Keyleth told them that time was starting to run short, and that she would send a team to inspect the place.

Two days later, Keyleth was returning to Zephrah through one of the local trees when she sensed the presence of the Invisible Dorian Storm waiting for her. They started talking, and he explained his most recent and disastrous adventure, asking for the druid's hospitality, as well as the help of her people to retrieve his brother's corpse. Keyleth agreed to both things, and allowed him to stay in her own home; she also told him about Bells Hells most recent adventures gathering intel about Ruidus, assuring him that Orym was probably alright. Later that same day Imogen contacted Keyleth via Sending, letting her now that they were back in Exandria, and the Air Ashari told her to go to the camp near the Red Center, promising to meet them there as soon as possible. After she told Dorian, they both traveled there using Transport via Plants, and in a few minutes, they were warmly greeted by the adventuring party. Keyleth, allowing herself to relax for a few seconds, expressed her pride in the great work they had done and the stress she had gone through thinking about them (she accepted Fearne's hand when she offered it for comfort); she also confirmed that her people had found the portal to Ruidus in Issylra. She led Bells Hells to a tent and then left as a large hawk, but returned later to have a chat with Evoroa, the Ruidian scientist the adventurers had brought with them.

The next morning Keyleth, was in a meeting with Tofor Brotoras and Qi Mandozi when Bells Hells arrived to share with them all they had learned in Ruidus. They talked for a bit, and when it became clear that the Aeorian ruins in Eiselcross were their next point of interest, the Ashari leader and her allies started thinking about what resources and/or agents Bells Hells could take with them; she contacted Caleb Widogast, who sent Archivist Seth Domade to their camp. Chetney briefly opposed the plan to check the leaders' reactions, and although Tofor got angry, Keyleth did understand the concerns of the old gnome about going on a new mission so soon, and apologized for not being more in touch with people working for her after so many years as a leader; she also told the group she intended to bring Imahara Joe to the encampment soon, so he would be able to examine FCG's remains.

As Bells Hells were preparing to leave in a very chaotic manner, Dorian Messaged the Voice of the Tempest asking if she thought they were prepared, and the archdruid told him that she did. Noticing Fearne was extremely exhausted after using the spark of Rau'shan twice, Keyleth cast Greater Restoration on her, making her feel much better. As Keyleth was about to leave with the mission of meeting with several old friends, acquaintances, and even rivals, Orym joined her for a bit to say goodbye and assure her that despite their rough attitude as of late, he trusted all members of Bells Hells; the Voice of the Tempest told him that she knew, but also mentioned that she expected him to act if any of the adventurers strayed from the right path.

At some point after Bells Hells left, the Ruby Vanguard attacked and destroyed the camp but Keyleth and many others survived and retired to Vasselheim. The archdruid revealed to Imogen via Sending that she was attending a meeting in the Platinum Sanctuary along with many influential political figures of Exandria. When Bells Hells arrived, Keyleth introduced them, pointed out that they had actually been to Ruidus, and angrily castigated the rest of the assembly for wasting time in argument. She projected an image of the occupied Hellcatch Valley into the room, showing masses of rock imploding upward to form a fortress, the last thing the Accord forces saw as they fled, and urged immediate action. She then revealed Evoroa as her guest, who spoke movingly of the bormodo's plight. When the meeting broke up for the night, Keyleth led the party to the Birthheart in the Abundant Terrace and expressed her concern that anything causing even minor losses of faith in the gods was a distraction they couldn't afford right now. She discouraged Braius Doomseed from seeking aid from the Betrayer Gods and shared that she and Vox Machina had spoken to a few gods in person, but wasn't encouraging about trying to do so, recommending to try prayer first and that the Birthheart would be a good place to try it. She told them a bit about Vox Machina's battle against Vecna. The next morning in a smaller planning meeting, Keyleth shared that she knew of a few old legends who might be happy to take part in an assault on the Malleus Key.

After gathering her friends and getting the additional assistance of Flamespeaker Cerkonos, Keyleth was the one who encouraged the troops last, wanting to inspire them without relying on religion (although her own speech would be divinely inspired to reach more people). When they arrived at the Hellcatch Valley their skyship crashed but thanks to Keyleth and other Ashari transformed into air elementals they managed to minimize the damage. As the Voice of the Tempest and her friends got closer to the Malleus Key, Keyleth damaged all the structures in the Red Center at once by casting Earthquake (although unintentionally this threw some debris on her friends); when the Malleus Key was damaged enough and its power source had been extracted, Keyleth, in the form of an air elemental, took the cracked black orb that contained Vax'ildan and it broke, releasing him from his prison. At the battle's end, they faced him: the celestial once known as Vax'ildan confirmed that he was still connected to the Matron of Death, but the goddess herself let him know that he had one night of freedom to be with his loved ones. Keyleth was very cautious around him, feeling resigned to continue mourning his absence, but Vex encouraged her to pretend that everything was fine, at least for that night; when the champion made an attempt to approach her and extend his hand, she accepted it. They all Traveled via Plants back to Whitestone.

During an evening of reunion and catching up with one another, Keyleth slipped quietly away to her room, spending the night alone. Vax was gone when she awakened, although she looked for him within the castle, and both Vex and Pike gave her emotional support. Keyleth received a Sending from Allura summoning the group to Vasselheim, where they saw the gods' enactment of the Rites of Catatheosis and the breaking of the Divine Gate. During the meeting to discuss the Ruidian refugees, Keyleth suggested that the Ashari were well-versed in guarding portals, and could remain in Ria'Doin near the portal within Lake Umamu leading to the red moon. Later, back in Zephrah, Orym visited her (with Dorian, Opal, and Fearne). They all drank wine together, and Orym thanked her for her faith in him. He still wanted to serve her, but more as a traveling emissary for Zephrah's new global interests. She agreed, saying he deserved it, and they hugged, before they all got gently tipsy together and she made the others honorary Ashari. When Keyleth learned of Percy's machinations to find the reborn gods before anyone else could, she tried to talk him out of it. She also agreed, should Percival pass away, to look after his daughter Gwendolyn de Rolo and continue to support Vex'ahlia. At some point, Keyleth used her connection with the primordial trees to locate one of the reborn gods, but did not share this with Percy.

About a week later, Keyleth opened her door to a knock, and found Vax'ildan waiting there. She'd been waiting for him, and invited him in to talk. He explained that while it was still his duty to carry out the Matron's will, that duty now brought him home, to Exandria, forever. Saying she could work with that, Keyleth welcomed him inside and they agreed to begin again. Through the following years, although Vax'ildan's duty took him away much of the time, every now and then Keyleth's Champion came to visit.

Months after the end of the Era of Reclamation Keyleth attended Jester and Fjord's wedding with Vilya, who reminded her that she should be careful with her creations as she crafted an entirely new kind of pink tree just for the ceremony. Keyleth, somewhat stressed, accepted her mother's advice (believing the new plants could be left in pots so they wouldn't become invasive species), although remarking that she needed to make her creations perfect, since the bride and groom deserved some appreciation on their special day. Jester came to say hi shortly after and thanked the druid, very happy with the trees; when Keyleth told her she had the glow of a woman in love, Jester answered telling her that she did too. Before the ceremony started Kima and Allura arrived and went to greet Keyleth and Vilya. The archdruid got anxious again later, when Artagan made a lot of fey vegetation appear all of the sudden, altering her own decoration plans.

The Tales of Exandria: Artagan

At some point around 846 PD, during the trial against Artagan, Lady Elmenore and Potentate Sammanar summoned multiple people to testify, and among them were Keyleth and some of her friends and family.

However, after one of those people (an elven actor who had played Artagan in a theatre) finished talking, an argument began over who should speak next, and Artagan tried to run away using the distraction. Keyleth stopped him, but when he reminded her that his crime against her (choking Vax'ildan) had led to them returning to Exandria in time to save the world, the archdruid then brought him to the Shademurk to speak. Artagan tried to convince her that the other archfey were not seeking justice, but rather making him an example, and they were jealous of him; Keyleth wasn't convinced and asked him if he had even listened to the people that had testified against him, but he admitted that he didn't really know. Pleased by that moment of sincerity, Keyleth decided to give him some help (although still not completely trusting the archfey), and at his request she sent him to the Material Plane with the person who knew him best: Jester Lavorre.

After a while Artagan returned to the trial, accompanied by Jester, who was ready to defend her friend, so Keyleth stepped up too, surprising everyone. The cleric and the druid convinced the judges to give them one last chance to present the rebel archfey's good deeds, promising not to waste more time. With the permission granted, Keyleth narrated how, as Garmelie, Artagan helped her and her friends in the Feywild, and how later, as Artagan, he used his power to give them time to fight the Whispered One; after Jester narrated her own part of the defense, Artagan was grateful to both. Soon after, Elmenore and Sammanar returned, and the latter sentenced that Artagan would be what he claimed to be (a changed man), sending him to Zephrah as a mortal.

Long-term future

As a half-elf archdruid, Keyleth could live to be over a thousand years old. When her time comes, she will someday retreat into the Raven Tree to become a part of the realm.

Season One

In the animated adaptation, Keyleth was initially very hesitant in using her powers and often froze in panic during battle. However, she fought past her fears to save her friends: when Brimscythe collapsed rocks on top of them, Keyleth created a sphere of vines to protect them. She later conjured sunlight for the first time while the group was under attack by undead creatures, pushing the enemies back and allowing Vox Machina to defeat them. Keyleth mentioned her Aramenté to Percy, telling him that she might never see her family again should she fail. She later expressed more doubt about her future role as leader to Vax'ildan.

During the battle against the undead surrounding Whitestone Castle, Vax'ildan confessed his love for her, but she after a moment where it seemed they might kiss, she responded, "This is like the worst time!" and pulled away.

Season Two

Keyleth increasingly began believing in herself and her abilities, culminating in the battle to close the rift to the Elemental Plane of Fire opened by Thordak when he tore through in his escape. She was able to overcome her fear of the flames and embrace her power to close the rift, earning the respect of her father Korrin and completing that part of her Aramenté.

She also increasingly began showing interest and attraction to Vax, although his preoccupation with the Raven Queen and his obligations to her got in the way of his either noticing or having any opportunity to reciprocate.

Grog

Keyleth and Grog have worked together on occasion, such as creating a special combo attack referred to as the "Fastball Special", where Keyleth turns into a brawny creature, like an earth elemental, in order to have enough strength to throw Grog at a large opponent.

Grog was present when Keyleth was on the brink of attacking Raishan when the dragon revealed herself in the guise of Seeker Assum and explained to her the value of patience. When Keyleth, struggling with her anger at Raishan, asked Grog how he manages to keep his rage in check, he answered: "Family."

Kashaw

Keyleth became interested with the cleric Kashaw Vesh while completing a trial for the Slayer's Take guild in Vasselheim, even receiving her first kiss from him before he departed. During their reunion when the party visited Vasselheim once more, after the attack of the Chroma Conclave, the two of them cleared the air as Kashaw apologized for stealing her first kiss, saying that while it felt good, it was ultimately wrong of him. Keyleth herself said that he didn't have to, that she never meant to hurt anyone physically or emotionally.

When Vex'ahlia was killed due to a trap within Purvan Suul's tomb, Kashaw revived her because he knew Keyleth would have wanted him to. After Vex's resurrection, Kashaw told her that he believes not in Vesh, but in life itself. He later told Keyleth that he noticed the interest that Vax'ildan, Vex's twin brother, had in her and told her to stay near him, that the rogue would look after her in his stead. Since then, the two have had a rather awkward friendship.

Kerrek

Keyleth first met Kerrek after Vox Machina defeated Umbrasyl the Hope Devourer. When Keyleth was having a breakdown over the fact that she hated being called a hero, thinking that she was not due to her actions, it was Kerrek whom she confided in, telling him that she never wanted the burden and responsibility of the Aramenté. The former paladin served as an inspiration and mentor to her, being the very first person who completely understood Keyleth's constant struggles with herself, telling her that she needed to look at the big picture even if it was unpleasant, that things were not as hopeless as she believed. It was this advice that started to motivate her to turn her life and way of thinking around, which would later lead to her further development as a person. He later sent a letter to Keyleth after Percy's resurrection, giving her additional wisdom along with a ring with the engraved words, " I Have Passed Through Fire ".

Keyleth and Kerrek crossed paths once more in the wake of the death of Thordak and the escape of Raishan, as he comforted her after her failure to achieve revenge for her people. He later accompanied her to the Island of Viscan in order to find and defeat Raishan for good, being given her Cloak of Displacement just in case. When the battle was won thanks to their combined efforts, and after Allura Vysoren and Lady Kima vanished due to a freak teleportation accident, Keyleth had managed to spot the two of them in the ocean despite the odds. Kerrek, being doubtful of Keyleth, tried giving her "the talk", saying that sometimes you lose people and you never get them back. However, his words only served to make Keyleth feel worse. After Scanlan Shorthalt's resurrection in Whitestone, the two later parted ways in Emon.

Kima of Vord

Keyleth and Lady Kima did not initially see eye to eye. After Vox Machina's assault on the Emberhold, they had gotten into a very heated argument about how the paladin's blind faith in her god's protection in addition to her vengeful desires put their party in grave peril and caused Grog to get captured. Keyleth also told Kima that she hoped, in her efforts to rid the world of K'Varn, she would not end up becoming the very thing she was trying to destroy.

Keyleth later expressed concern to the rest of her group that she did not want Kima or the people of Emon to gain control of the Horn of Orcus, as she did not completely trust them. After being comforted by Vax, Percy, and Tiberius about the situation they had found themselves in, Keyleth later apologized to Kima, who forgave her earlier outburst, and the tension between them lessened greatly with Keyleth giving Kima her patience while the paladin gave the party the respect they deserved.

In the days since, Kima earned Keyleth's trust and even her friendship as well, a prime example being when the paladin was reunited with Vox Machina after the attack of the Chroma Conclave. Keyleth, in particular, had defended Kima when High Bearer Vord ridiculed the halfling's "foolish impulses" by saying that said impulses were exactly what Vox Machina needed.

Korrin

Keyleth loves her father very much. The interim headmaster himself has expressed his praise and fondness for his daughter and her accomplishments. The night before the battle to reclaim Emon, he decided to aid Keyleth and Vox Machina by having his tribe provide air support, with him taking part in the battle himself. Upon Keyleth's return to Zephrah after the completion of the Aramenté, Korrin personally passed on the mantle of leadership to his daughter, appointing her as the new headmaster of the tribe and once again expressing how proud he is and how proud her mother would have been if she had lived.

Percy

Keyleth and Percy share a deep bond of friendship, despite their differing views on leadership and moral choices.

Pike

Despite having a huge distrust of the gods, Keyleth has great respect for Pike and the two are good friends.

Before Keyleth departed for the Feywild, Pike told her about how despite being a cleric of Sarenrae, she still has control over her own life. She then gave Keyleth some advice about finding happiness and getting comfortable with Vax. That advice eventually gave Keyleth the courage to confess to him.

Raishan

Keyleth discovered from Cerkonos, headmaster of the Fire Ashari, that a young girl that they took in had been the one responsible for freeing Thordak of the Chroma Conclave from the Plane of Fire. Her actions had led to Pyrah's destruction and the devastation of his tribe. Keyleth later learned that the girl who set Thordak free and one of the dragons of the Conclave, Raishan, were one and the same.

Since then, Keyleth developed an immense hatred for the Diseased Deceiver which was brought to the fore when the dragon revealed herself to Vox Machina under the guise of Assum Emring. She lashed out at the dragon, the party having to calm her down and convince her to not give in to her desire to kill Raishan out of fear of destroying Whitestone. Eventually, Raishan and Vox Machina made a mutual yet temporary alliance to defeat Thordak due to the Cinder King having lied to her. Keyleth begrudgingly agreed to the alliance, but still yearned to kill the dragon to avenge her sister-tribe.

Despite failing to kill her in the moments after Thordak's death due to Raishan escaping, in their last encounter Keyleth spoke up against the dragon, the druid keeping her anger in check and mentioning her hope that during her very long lifetime she does not become like her, and she even gave Raishan a chance to surrender and be brought to justice, a far outcry from their first proper encounter in Whitestone weeks before. A long and bloody battle ensued, with Keyleth effectively neutralizing Raishan's spellcasting with Feeblemind, destroying her very identity and intellect, and Kerrek delivering the final blow on her.

Tiberius

During their adventures together, Keyleth and Tiberius shared a strong, respectful friendship. When Tiberius was discovered to have died defending Draconia, it was Keyleth who personally buried him.

Vax'ildan

Vax is Keyleth's first love. Beginning as simply mutual acquaintances and later friends alongside the rest of Vox Machina, the two of them eventually became romantic partners after a series of harrowing events. After over a year of traveling alongside him, she first developed feelings for the rogue when he began standing up for her, becoming the first to ever do so. Vax has also shown his full support in regards to the Aramenté, encouraging Keyleth to pursue her goals and that she deserves to live the life she is destined to have.

Keyleth was initially hesitant to admit her feelings for Vax, however, and for a time she was afraid of losing him be it through himself dying in battle or just outliving him, a fear that kept her from allowing herself to love him. She eventually did admit her feelings, much to her relief and his. The two of them have been together since, and Vax has continued to support her and encourage her, telling her that despite her doubts, she must mix in the faith that he and the rest of their companions have in her.

After Vax was brought back as a revenant, the two of them came to terms that their time together would end far sooner than they hoped. But Keyleth remarked that despite all the hardship that was thrown at them, she would never take it back as it was Vax who taught her to take chances, including falling in love.

Vilya

Vilya went off on her own Aramenté twenty years prior to the campaign's start, and due to her not returning home, Keyleth had to be next in line. While venturing on her own quest, Keyleth learned more about Vilya's whereabouts, such as hearing that Vilya had visited Pyrah ten years prior.

It was not until arriving at Vesrah that Keyleth discovered the truth: Vilya had disappeared five years before Keyleth arrived while facing a kraken in the Elemental Plane of Water and was presumed dead, with only her left leg being found. In fact, Keyleth later discovered that the challenge she herself faced had been changed only recently due to the kraken's arrival, with Vilya and her party being the first to undergo the trial in its current state. During the celebration of Keyleth's completion of the trial, Uvenda told her that her mother's memory now lives on in her.

Keyleth learned that her mother was still alive when Vilya appeared in front of her in Zephrah with a Transport via plants portal, over twenty years after learning she had disappeared.

In 843 PD, Vilya and Keyleth were both present at a meeting in Whitestone to discuss the threats presented by Ludinus Da'leth's activation of the Malleus Key, and Vilya had apparently been aiding members of the Grim Verity to communicate. Keyleth also entrusted her with the task of rallying those forces involved in opposing the plot and the two left the meeting together.

Quests

Keyleth's quest was to complete her Aramenté; this required her to seek out the sister-tribes of the Air Ashari in order to introduce and establish respect amongst the fellow headmasters. She has met with the Earth Ashari in Terrah during her absence from Vox Machina, visited the Fire Ashari in Pyrah during her stay in Vasselheim, completed the trial of the Water Ashari in Vesrah, and has succeeded in returning to Zephrah where she was formally given the title of "Voice of the Tempest" as the new headmaster of the Air Ashari.

Keyleth revealed to the party that the last person to attempt the Aramenté, her mother Vilya, had never been heard from again. Keyleth wanted to discover what happened to her mother, and eventually discovered that she disappeared while trying to complete the Water Ashari trial and was presumed dead. Over twenty years later, Keyleth was reunited with her mother, who returned from Rumblecusp after the Mighty Nein helped save her and the other denizens of the island from a memory altering being.

Keyleth also had a personal stake in Vox Machina's dealings with the Chroma Conclave, specifically with Raishan due to her role in freeing Thordak and causing the decimation of the Fire Ashari. She wished to personally kill her to avenge them, a goal that was fulfilled twofold with Keyleth destroying her intelligent and cunning persona with Feeblemind, and Kerrek landing the final blow on the then-feral Diseased Deceiver.

Proficiencies

  • Skills: Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, Stealth, Survival
  • Tools: Alchemist's Supplies

Current items

Former items

  • Cloak of Displacement (given to her by Vax'ildan, loaned to Kerrek indefinitely)
  • Magic Choker (+1 to damage with beast/elemental forms, traded to Whaska for information)
  • Ring of protection +1 (traded to Whaska for information)
  • Spark stone (granted when she passed the Fire Ashari trial; expended; granted Keyleth a permanent boon of +1d6 fire damage with hands, claws, or talons when activated)

Half-elf abilities

  • Darkvision
  • Fey Ancestry
  • Skill Versatility

Feats

  • Inspiring Leader (from completing the Aramenté)
  • Mystic Conflux (4 attuned items at a time)
  • Skilled (Alchemist's Supplies, Intimidation, Persuasion)
  • War Caster

Druid abilities

  • Archdruid
    • Unlimited Wild Shapes
    • Ability to ignore verbal, somatic, and no cost material components of spells
  • Beast Spells
  • Druid Circle: Circle of the Moon
    • Circle Forms
    • Combat Wild Shape
    • Elemental Wild Shape (Circle of the Moon)
    • Primal Strike (Circle of the Moon) (Beast attacks count as magical)
    • Thousand Forms (Circle of the Moon) (Alter Self at will)
  • Flaming Hands (from the spark stone)
  • Ritual Casting
  • Spellcasting (Wisdom-based ability)
  • Timeless Body

Druid spells

Keyleth has access to all druid class spells. As a 20th-level druid, she can prepare up to 26 spells per day.

Spire of Conflux spells
  • Burning Hands (1 charge)
  • Chain Lightning (6 charges)
  • Conjure Elemental (5 charges)
  • Fireball (3 charges)
  • Fire Storm (7 charges)
  • Ice Storm (4 charges)

Special abilities

  • Touch of Nature: As an archdruid who wielded a Vestige of Divergence, Keyleth is a force of nature able to magically influence her surroundings just with her presence. A sign of this is that, wherever she walks, she strengthens the growth of plants for a few seconds before she walks away. She is also surrounded by a constant, soft breeze,

Appearances and mentions

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