In case you haven’t joined the Critter community yet, Critical Role is our Dungeons & Dragons RPG show where a group of geeky voice actors roleplay fantastic and memorable stories. Though they’ve wrapped up their current adventure, the world lives on in the Critical Role sourcebook, our upcoming art book, the Vox Machina comic book, and in song through character playlists, like this one.

Percy’s life may have began in luxury, but it quickly turned to tragedy when Lord and Lady Briarwood slaughtered his family and wrested control of his noble home in Whitestone. Percy first encountered Vox Machina while he was in chains, imprisoned in Stilben. They set him free, and they traveled to the Frostweald in their first adventure together. Percy faced inner demons both literal and figurative on his journey with Vox Machina. He was also reunited with his sister, and was able to avenge the death of the others in his family with the defeat of the villainous Briarwoods.

Taliesin Jaffe, who played Percy over that entire journey, compiled this playlist to encapsulate and reflect that story.

The Life and Times of Percival de Rolo

“The House Is Haunted”

(Mel Torme, Torme)

I refuse to take suggestions for these playlists, except this once. Yes Lauryn, it’s perfect. It’s officially the unofficial Whitestone anthem.

“Phantom’s Theme (Beauty And the Beast)”

(Paul Williams, Phantom of the Paradise)

Most of these songs we’re either way too on the nose or way too obscure to make the previous list. The Faust parallels are pretty obvious, and this is my favorite retelling of that parable.

“Maintenance Hall, 4 AM”

(Stars, Sad Robots)

I love Stars and I really wanted at least one instrumental piece to prove i’m not totally lyric driven. The sound of Percy’s craft in my head, by one of my favorite bands.

“I Fought in a War”

(Belle and Sebastian, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk like a Peasant)

WOW, there is a lot of PTSD hiding in this playlist. Percy spent quite a bit of time between the Whitestone massacre and meeting Vox Machina just reassembling himself into someone who could function like a human.

“Wig In A Box”

(Hedwig & The Angry Inch, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

I love this play/film, and if you haven’t seen it you should. Among its many well cultivated themes is the joy of the perfect nervous breakdown. Percy worked in a stable for a time before an encounter with Dr. Ripley gave him the impetus to create his “Man in Blue” persona.

“Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)”

(Handsome Boy Modeling School, So… How’s Your Girl)

He is so fucking full of himself.

“We the Common (For Valerie Bolden)”

(Thao, We the Common)

We are shaped by our company. And Percy threw himself full tilt into this new family. It was a wonderful escape from the demons of his past until it wasn’t.

“Violet!”

(Jeremy Messersmith, The Reluctant Graveyard)

I could not be more pleased with Cassandra de Rolo.

“Sound of Silence”

(Covered by Kinna Grannis, Stairwells)

It was kind of inevitable. i tried to get through a whole game without using this song but it is too perfect for the quiet shadow inspiration that led him to build the list. So on the nose that it has an attached mustache and glasses.

“Englishman in New York”

(Sting, …Nothing like the Sun)

Percy was acutely aware of his position as an ambassador of Whitestone, and made every effort to reflect the best of his family when abroad. I am going to deeply miss his awkward attempts at blue blooded diplomacy.

“Red Right Hand”

(Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Let Love In)

Nick Cave has written too many perfect songs for this character. I’d like to think that Percy and Ripley exist as some sort of preternatural boogymen across Tal’dorei. In their honor here’s an ode to Paradise lost’s original murderer.

“It Is You”

(Natalie Prass, Natalie Prass)

I never intended a storybook ending, but here we are. Happy despite our best intentions. At least I can let the curtain fall the way nature intended: with an unbearably Tchaikovsky-esque waltz. All it needs is a Mary Blaire stained glass window to be complete. Cheers to a happy ending for a character intended by his creator to be karmically irredeemable. May we all be so fortunate.

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