Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby-Doo, Five Nights at Freddy’s) and Find Familiar Spirits are back with yet another limited-edition Dungeons and Dragons-inspired whiskey. But this time, they brought some friends along for the ride, partnering with Critical Role on Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide.
Ripped straight from the world of Exandria and Campaign One: Vox Machina, the latest drop brings to life the potent liquor produced in the deserts of Marquet. Every box comes with more than just a bottle of super-premium whiskey, featuring an exclusive coin medallion, a “found” journal from the Exandrian maker of Sandkheg’s Hide, written by Jasmine Bhullar with original art by Tyler Walpole, and a map created by fantasy cartographer Deven Rue.
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I got to talk with the creative team behind the narrative pieces of Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide. We spoke about inspirations outside of Exandria, some of which may surprise you.
Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide was a collaborative effort
Illustrator Tyler Walpole, whose work includes Magic: The Gathering and countless Critical Role prints, lent his stylus to Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide as the illustrator for the journal. Given the sandy focus of the project (and a well-written headline), you can probably guess which desert-themed blockbuster franchise inspired his work.
Since this was a desert setting for the story, and Dune was being promoted a lot at the time, I was thinking of Dune quite a bit, which I think manifested itself in the reverence for the sandkheg that is explained and demonstrated in Jasime‘s writing.
Tyler Walpole, Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide
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Outside of the latest installment of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic, Saturday morning cartoons influence Walpole’s work. He uses motion to bring the illusion of life in all of his still frames.
![Dune: Awakening Artwork](https://i0.wp.com/theilluminerdi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dune-Awakening-Featured-Image.jpeg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1)
Deven Rue is the official cartographer for Critical Role, so it’s no surprise her name was first on the list when the Quests End team decided they needed a map. Rue prides herself on taking something as seemingly simple as map-making and using cartography to tell a story.
For her inspiration on Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide, Rue looked no further than her fellow creative team members.
Most of my inspiration actually came from Jasmine’s amazing words and Tyler’s illustrations. I love actual collaborative storytelling and being able to work off of other people’s ideas and imaginations—also, my already vast knowledge of the landscape of Exandria. I love being able to flesh out any part of it because it’s just so neat. It has so much to it.
Deven Rue, Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide
![Quest's End Whiskey](https://i0.wp.com/theilluminerdi.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1_Hero_GroupShot_4-8.jpg?resize=640%2C515&ssl=1)
Jasmine Bhullar put pen to paper, writing the “found” journal that comes with each bottle of Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide. The story focuses on the Exandrian creator of the Critical Role liquor and details the in-world process of crafting the unique concoction.
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Bhullar, whose previous work includes DMing for Geek & Sundry and Dimension 20, wanted to write an epistolary story that would make fans feel like they just got a piece of Exandrian history when Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide arrives on their doorstep. While she’s an avid fan of Dracula, she leaned into a beloved Capcom franchise to craft her narrative.
The thing that inspired me for this story in particular, other than Exandria and the lore of Critical Role, was actually Resident Evil. I love those games, and I love the idea of discovering different things about these viruses in every game through these lab notes written by the researchers who have died since then… This one was definitely a love letter to Resident Evil and discovering the narrative through a journal.
Jasmine Bhullar, Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide
![Quests End bottle next to journal](https://i0.wp.com/theilluminerdi.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/image002-1-e1714756718930.png?resize=640%2C405&ssl=1)
Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide is available now through Find Familiar Spirits’ official website. The limited-time sale lasts only three weeks before it’s gone for good. Get yours before May 23.
What do you think about everyone’s inspirations for Quests End: Sandkheg’s Hide? Do you like that Find Familiar Spirits includes narrative goodies with each bottle? Will you be ordering a bottle? Let us know your thoughts on social media, and keep following The Illuminerdi for more content like this.
KEEP READING: QUEST’S END SANDKHEG’S HIDE: Matthew Lillard and Critical Role Collaborate for a New D&D-Inspired Whiskey