Episode 27

Episode 27: Dare To Return.

It’s time to escape the depths of Ker Jarra. They find the shrew that belongs to Rasmesus, seeing that its claws are dull and broken, so tunneling out would be tough. However, Dae creates makeshift claws of ice that it can keep reusing as it goes. It creates a whole new tunnel that the party travels through that eventually leads them above ground and outside, just next to the entrance. With both Dae and the shrew with them, the group makes their way to the nearby town of Zada, where they are supposed to meet back up with the boat once again.

On the way back, Callisto and Gemevieve finally get to formally apologize to one another, and decide to make up and be friends this time, much to the dismay of Taylansta in particular.

The party heads forth after a few days of travelling, and enters the city of Zada. Upon entering, it’s clear to everyone that something isn’t quite right here. The streets are empty and eerily quiet; no civilians or life can be seen as far as they could tell. The center of town featured a haunting set of gallows, but no people to be seen. Despite the unnerving atmosphere, everyone reconvenes on the Shepherd, the first time where every champion has gotten to meet one another. With everyone together, there is much to discuss.

Callisto goes to get some rest while everyone gets caught up. Baird and Taylansta get caught up quickly, Baird in awe of Taylansta’s newfound height. Wood and Toraleth talk briefly, Wood detailing the coterie they had visited on their mission, and Toraleth answers his questions about Teraidran history, becoming good friends quite quickly. Baird takes a stab at talking to Scrungus, getting to know him a bit better, but is unsuccessful in his attempts. Scrungus clearly doesn’t want to talk to Baird, even despite Baird’s idea of starting over with one another. Baird also meets Andrew properly as well, who tells him that Scrungus will eventually come around, and has a good heart deep down.

Meanwhile, Cici and Wood get a chance to properly meet, the two sizing each other up as notable, skilled heroes. They make a professional heroes alliance with each other, promising to always train to be better, work on special attacks, and spar with one another someday.

On a meaner note, Dae pushes their way through the crowd and immediately finds Scrungus. Dae and Scrungus also promise to fight one another, but this one more violent and spur of the moment than Wood and Cici’s spar. Dae immediately goes to punch Scrungus in the face, making their rivalry very clear in a short interaction.

During this, Taylansta has some choice words for Callisto and his behavior with Gemevieve. Xey kick his door down and confront him by apologizing to her. The two have a heated argument, Taylansta calling him weak and Callisto calling xem self-absorbed.

Back on the deck, Rasmesus meets with his lost shrew and Gemevieve again, finally seeing each other after years of her being gone. The two were once good friends, and Gemevieve is eccastic to help Ras with his findings from Abbadon’s scriptures about extinct creatures.

In the meantime, Baird gets to meet Onyx, bonding over being transmasculine together. Xavier also tries to get Toraleth to swim with him, going off about something called Excelassa, a giant coral rock he saw floating in the ocean years ago.

After everyone gets caught up, Ganymede gets everyone playing a game of truth or dare for some team building fun. The game starts pretty innocently and lighthearted until Onyx is dared to perform a spell he learned from The Royal Enclave. They cause a scene by lifting a huge slab of rock from the ocean from underneath the boat, shocking everyone. Within seconds, there are strangers from Zada approaching the boat. A group of officials, led by an Etheral, storm onto the boat and demand to know who caused the issue. They claim that the rulers and guards of Zada have outlawed magic completely, under a group order called The Venom Wraiths. The Venom Wraiths take Onyx away from questioning and place him under arrest. Panicked and confused, the Shepherd crew scrabbles together to devise a plan to free Onyx and get out of here, fearing that the Venom Wraiths will kill them.