Project Responsibilities:

• Concept Development: Because the campaign was still ongoing, we focused the book on the first half of the story while making sure it could stand on its own. I proposed a chronological structure that begins with portraits and short biographies of the main characters, then introduces guest characters, NPCs, locations, and events as they appear in the campaign. The unfolding narrative became the framework that connected the different styles of artwork and gave the book its visual and emotional continuity.

• Art Direction: I served as one of three art directors alongside Liam and Taliesin. Together, we established the visual tone and narrative structure for the book and the larger Chronicles of Exandria series.

• Narrative Curation and Art Organization: I listened to the full first half of the campaign so the book could accurately follow its chronology and character arcs. Liam and I developed a classification system for organizing thousands of community-submitted artworks. Each piece was labeled by:

  • Structure type: Character portrait, paired portrait, group portrait, event, or place/item

  • Keywords: Subjects, characters, and themes

  • Chapter assignment: Placement within the campaign narrative

  This system made the archive searchable, supported the chapter structure, and helped us identify important story moments that were missing from the submission pool. We commissioned additional illustrations to fill those gaps.

• Art Curation: Liam, Taliesin, and I selected the final artwork for each chapter. We chose pieces that clearly represented important characters, events, and emotional moments while making the story understandable to new readers and still meaningful to existing fans.

• Spread Composition and Visual Pacing: I composed every interior spread, considering color, style, scale, visual weight, and how artwork from different artists worked together across facing pages. I used the chapter structure and artwork metadata to guide transitions, pacing, and visual hierarchy throughout the book.

• Interior Design and Layout: I designed the full interior using a system inspired by illuminated manuscripts. Parchment backgrounds, decorative borders, drop caps, and blackletter-inspired typography support the idea that the campaign has been preserved as a historical record while keeping the pages readable.

• Cover Design: I designed both the standard and deluxe edition covers, including the title treatments.

  • Deluxe Edition: I designed the cover to resemble a medieval tome or an artifact from within Exandria, using ornamental framing inspired by illuminated manuscripts.

  • Standard Edition: I created the frame layout and title treatments around artwork by Joe Madureira and Grace Liu. The design establishes the fantasy setting while keeping the characters central and accessible to readers unfamiliar with Critical Role.

• Cover Art: I developed the concept and illustration for the deluxe cover, featuring Thordak the Cinder King, a central antagonist in the campaign. Thordak represents the point when Vox Machina’s story expands from a series of adventures into a conflict with much larger consequences. I illustrated him using motifs drawn from illuminated manuscripts, establishing the antagonist-focused approach later continued on the deluxe cover for Volume II.

• Material Palette and Emotional Tone: The two editions present the same story from different perspectives.

  • Deluxe Edition: I used deep crimson, gold foil, textured material, and ornamental details to give the book the weight and formality of an illuminated manuscript. The design presents Vox Machina as heroes in the process of becoming legends.

  • Standard Edition: I used spot gloss to highlight the cover illustration and title treatments without overpowering the artwork. This edition was designed as a more direct introduction to the characters and world.

• Original Artwork: I contributed two original paintings to the interior.
  

Originally published by Hunters Books, both the deluxe and standard editions sold out and became sought-after collector’s items. Due to continued demand, the book was later republished by Darrington Press; the reprint was managed independently by the publisher.