The opening track of Hamilton is an expository introduction to the eponymous Alexander, detailing where he came from with narration by each of the major characters with an interlude by Hamilton, and ending in rapid fire glimpses of those he would interact with and his eventual end.
Appropriately also the opening track of the Exandrian musical, we start things off with Shaun Gilmore, the magnificent and beloved human Runechild sorcerer and proprietor of a magic shop called Gilmore's Glorious Goods. He and the other major party NPCs then introduce each party member and their origins.
Allura Vysoren, a human wizard with a tower in the city of Emon, introduces the half-elven twins Vex'ahlia and Vax'ildan. Their father was an elven diplomat of Syngorn, and their mother a humble seamstress. They were taken in by their father but, due to his detached demeanor, struck off on their own as a rogue and ranger team. The tough critter they raise is Vex's Beastmaster ranger companion, a bear named Trinket.
Kima, a fierce halfling paladin who the party previously rescued from the Underdark at the behest of Allura, details the origins of Grog Strongjaw the simple-minded goliath barbarian. He became disillusioned with his family and tribe, the Herd of Storms, due to their merciless destruction, but couldn't leave without invoking their wrath.
Allura introduces Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, or Percy for short, a human gunslinger and child of a noble family in Whitestone. His family and home city were destroyed by Lord and Lady Briarwood, an event which led to a deal with a demon and the invention of firearms. With the help of Vox Machina he would later return and defeat the Briarwoods to reclaim the castle and town of Whitestone, and find his sister Cassandra still alive. He would defeat the demon Orthax after refusing to kill his sister for betraying the party. Dr. Anna Ripley was found trying to replicate his work in firearms, and Percy would take her first pistol (Retort) as she fled.
Kima introduces Pike Trickfoot, a gnome cleric of Sarenrae, the Everlight, a goddess of redemption, healing, and temperance. Gilmore gives a lead-in to Scanlan Shortholt, a gnome bard, who introduces himself with a verbatim reference to Episode 62 when Scanlan's player Sam Riegel inspired himself with Hamilton (volume warning).
Allura narrates how Grog defended Pike's great-great-grandfather Wilhand from his Herd's slaughter in Westruun, resulting in the Herd turning on him and leaving him for dead, but Pike nurses him back to health, beginning their long friendship.
Kima introduces Keyleth the half-elven druid of the Air Ashari, one of four druidic tribes guarding rifts into the elemental planes. Keyleth's mother left on the Aramente, a journey to seek out the other tribes and venture to their planes, to ultimately take up the mantle to become the leader of their tribe. When Keyleth's mother didn't return, Keyleth set off to take the journey herself. Keyleth had visited and completed the task for the Earth Ashari in Terrah already, and with Vox Machina then visited the Fire Ashari in Pyrah, traveling to the Fire Plane to complete their task.
Gilmore refers to their original name, the S.H.I.T.S. (Super High-Intensity Team). Through their exploits they would earn a home base in Greyskull Keep from the city of Emon, and take on the more marketable name Vox Machina.
Allura, Kima, and Gilmore all would fight with the party and become their close friends. Gilmore sponsored the party, providing them discounts at his shop in exchange for advertisement.
Jumping ahead in the first act, with a refrain of the opening verse, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton reflect on their shared love for women, as they attend a ball where they meet the Schuyler sisters, of which Eliza would be Hamilton's eventual wife.
In a similar vein, Emon's Fall starts with Scanlan and Grog reflecting on their shared affinity for houses of lady favors. Of special note, the line "there are so many to deflower!" comes verbatim from the Hamilton track. It then takes a turn, as the party and particularly Vax are unsure of their purpose as they seem to be aimlessly causing trouble.
As if on cue, the resignation speech of Uriel Tal'Dorei III, the sovereign of the continent of Tal'Dorei and its capitol Emon, is interrupted when the Chroma Conclave attacks Emon, also taking the sovereign's life. The Chroma Conclave was an abnormal cooperation between five evil chromatic dragons-- four after Brimscythe, the blue dragon, was killed by the party earlier in the campaign as he infiltrated and corrupted the council of Emon.
Following A Winter's Ball, Helpless tells the tale of Eliza Schuyler being enraptured by Alexander Hamilton and subsequently his asking for her hand in marriage.
Similarly following Emon's Fall but with a much darker tone, in the Exandrian musical Helpless tells the tale of the city of Emon being powerless against the invading Chroma Conclave of four ancient evil chromatic dragons.
Vorugal, AKA the Frigid Doom, the white dragon, first takes down Allura's wizard tower, as Raishan, the green dragon, demolishes the crowd and the council of Emon with poison breath. Vox Machina narrowly escapes with Keyleth's Transport via Plants spell to Greyskull Keep just outside of Emon, as Thordak, the Cinder King, the massive red dragon and leader of the conclave, arrives smashing into the central palace of Emon, and sends the other dragons off to the east. The party had encountered Thordak before in the Fire Plane, avoiding his distant gaze as they completed the Fire Ashari's task for Keyleth's Aramente.
Vorugal lays siege to Greyskull Keep despite Thordak's orders until Thordak tackles him and sends him away so he can have Emon to himself. The party searches out and finds Gilmore in hiding with Sovereign Uriel's family, though the sovereign is presumed lost. The party saves Gilmore from near death, and sends Gilmore, the sovereign's family, and the remaining refugees at the keep to Whitestone for safety, as they consider who they can go to for help.
Jumping ahead to the second act, in Cabinet Battle #1 Thomas Jefferson debates with Alexander Hamilton over Hamilton's idea of establishing a national bank.
In the desperation resulting from the attack on Emon, Grog and Percy turn to an evil Githyanki skull that was found in the house of General Krieg (Brimscythe, the already slain fifth member of the Chroma Conclave). An entity inside the green gem in its eye socket promises a wish in return for its freedom.
After having seen firsthand the power of the Conclave in Vorugal's attack on the keep, Grog believes such a wish is their best hope of defeating them. Percy and Vax caution that they do not know enough about the deal they are considering, and that the entity could even be worse than the Conclave. Percy hides the skull with a minor illusion and passes it to Vex, and a scuffle ensues as the rest of the party arrives. Grog easily wrests the skull from Vex and attempts to smash it, but fails, rolling a natural 1 as he loses his will to defy the party. Vex quickly picks up the skull again to keep it away from Grog as the party convinces Grog the risk is too great.
Back at the end of the first act, George Washington tells Alexander Hamilton of the mistakes of his past and advises him that his actions will be noticed by history.
As the skull debate winds down, Allura arrives and is told of the attacking Conclave. She reveals that she adventured with Kima and others long ago and fought Thordak the Cinder King, finally trapping him in the Fire Plane 15 years ago, but at the cost of three of their party; only Allura, Kima, and Drake Thunderbrand survived.
It is also revealed that Thordak was the dragon that destroyed the town of Byroden and killed the mother of Vex and Vax while they were staying with their father; and that Pyrah, where the Fire Ashari guarded a portal to the Fire Plane, has been destroyed in Thordak's apparent escape from the plane.
Earlier in the first act, John Laurens challenges Charles Lee to a duel after he disparages George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr act as their seconds.
The party goes to Vasselheim to find allies, and Grog discovers the Trial Forge, a temple to Kord, the Stormlord, led by Earthbreaker Groon. He seeks training from Groon, and Groon challenges him to prove himself in a fight. During the fight, Groon recognizes the evil in the sentient greatsword Craven Edge wielded by Grog.
Vax and Scanlan are picked to help as requested by Groon, but Groon remains defensive and protects himself with the Sanctuary spell effect of Tranquility. He then uses a high level Monk ability called Quivering Palm on Vax, but the Dungeon Master Matt Mercer ruled that he held back from its full power so it only did 10d10 damage instead of reducing Vax to zero hit points.