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There's a lot that had to happen for the Critical Role cosplay community to be as robust as it is now. Long before even the first piece of Critical Role fan art envisaged what the characters of the world's most popular TTRPG liveplay would look like, those characters existed within the minds of the players. And as is the case with most long-running fictional characters, the idea that the creators had originally could be quite different than the representations of those characters that walk the halls of comic cons everywhere. Such was the case with Liam O'Brien's Vax'ildan.

Or at least, with one particular piece of the Vox Machina character's signature getup - the Deathwalker's Ward armor. Let us explain.

Recently, Popverse got the chance to ask OG Roler O'Brien questions regarding Critical Role: The Armory of Heroes, a brand new art book that details the look, lore, and loot of some of CR's most memorable characters. Written by Martin Cahill with art by Ana Fedina (AKA Anafi), The Armory of Heroes spans the Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, and ExU Calamity campaigns, so naturally, we had to ask O'Brien about what stood out to him across all those different eras.

In particular, we asked which of his characters seen in the book is most different from the idea he had in his head?

"The one that comes to mind is the Deathwalker’s Ward armor," O'Brien says, "Caleb [Widogast, of The Mighty Nein]’s gear and his clothing procured in the Dynasty match up pretty well with what I have imagined. Same for all of Vax’s gear."

For those not in the know, the Deathwalker's Ward armor is a leather set of armor that Vax acquires after becoming the Champion of the Raven Queen, one of the many deific entities that walk the realm of Exandria. While powerful, the artifact comes with a heavy cost, the specifics of which we won't spoil here.

"I did always think of the Deathwalker’s Ward being very snug and form-fitting," O'Brien says of the outfit, "Leaning into the aerodynamics of the Matron [the entity in question]'s chosen Champion. With the wings sprouting into existence when needed."

"But I love Ana Fedina’s elaborate, feathered design," he concludes, "With all its sharp edges and intricately interlocking folds of leather. It accentuates his corvid metamorphosis beautifully. Her designs are so incredible."

Longtime Critical Role fans have heard it said many times that TTRPG liveplay is a form of 'collaborative storytelling,' and this is a great example of that collaboration extending even beyond the table. From O'Brien's mind to Fedina's pen to the workshops of cosplayers across the world, Vax's character creation was a process that incorporated an entire fandom and, in some ways, is still ongoing.

Critical Role: The Armory of Heroes is available now. 

From the lands of Exandria to your very own smartscreens, Popverse has everything you need to know about the TTRPG phenomenon that is Critical Role. Here you'll find:

• Popverse's Critical Role watch order
• An interview with GM Brennan Lee Mulligan
• The cast's appearance at C2E2 '25

...and more. Roll initiative, player. Adventure awaits.