S3 Ep11

Full Episode

Episode Recap

Dead Woman Walking
The session opens as the last ended: with immense panic. The group turns around and sees Josephine Marcellus, as terrifying and beautiful as we remember her from Season 2. Tapestries billow around her, almost ghost-like. She asks what the group is doing in her planetarium, and Balthier explains that they are surviving above the ocean, but looking for hope. Josephine laments that she never found a way to teleport herself to the planet labeled Del Pyros. Fin drops down from the ceiling to join the conversation, and Josephine remarks, “So. The fish flies.” In the background, Snibbles has wrapped the old notebook in various tapestries and blankets in an attempt to prepare it for the quick journey to the surface. Fin opens a comic book to show Josephine an image of herself, and she complains that the artists didn’t represent her beauty appropriately. Rory asks Josephine is like her: a dead woman at the bottom of the ocean who was revived somehow. Josephine explains that she is trapped in these ruins, for better or worse; she woke up here alone, and no matter how she wanders, feels driven always back to this place. One thing is certain, though; she cannot enter the borders of Gran Marcelia. Josephine explains her deal with Libidine, the fight that ensued, and the events leading to her death. She worked with the best minds of her Empire to find a way to extend her life. They placed her into a magical coma that would keep her alive until a more concrete solution was found. However, there was no solution, and the Empress died in her sleep. That is, until she woke up here, with little memory of her past life. Over time, her memories were slowly restored. She resents the citizens for not being able to do more for her; from her perspective, she made grand sacrifices and gave up everything for her people, and in her hour of need, they failed her. Rory is awestruck by this story; she senses a deep similarity between herself and the Empress. Fin casts Divine Sense, confirming that Josephine is undead in some way, but does not get a strong sense of her nature being good or evil. Snibbles asks Josephine to help them save the world; perhaps history might remember her more fondly if she contributes to the remnants of civilization, and perhaps those who remain could help her find a new body. However, Josephine, bitter and frustrated, explains that the common people will never understand or care enough to help her in return for her own sacrifices. She made hard choices for her kingdom, and was never repayed. Snibbles appeals to her, explaining that they are there, standing in her planetarium, because they have made the hard choice to care about others. Rather than being a scapegoat, Josephine could join them and let them make the hard choices, taking an advisory role along the way. They could certainly use the aid of a thousands-years-old lich. Josephine could be a part of the good fight again. Val holds out his pinecone, which serves as a vessel for countless spirits. There could be room for one more. “What use could you have for an echo,” asks the Empress. This, again, catches Rory’s attention. Crazy Eyes shunts out from Rory and steps to the side, as Rory makes her own case; isn’t it interesting? Isn’t coming with them more interesting than staying here, in this abandoned place? Balthier keeps it simple. They are just looking for information and would be willing to make a trade for it. At this thought, Josephine looks over at Rory. She stands and approaches her, getting right up in her face, and wonders aloud: What the fuck are you? With a failed Charisma save on Rory’s part, Josephine vanishes, and as the rest of the party watches, Rory takes a moment to regard herself. “I thought this was weird. Something about it seemed different.” It’s Rory’s voice, but Josephine is clearly the one speaking. She has possessed Rory’s body. She marvels at Rory’s design, wondering how an automaton like this came to be. Balthier, sensing that the situation has suddenly become very delicate, explains to Josephine that if she joins them, perhaps they can find her a new body like Rory’s. Josephine continues her exploration through Rory, and her form begins to shift, blurring through the various echoes that the party has seen, as well as forms that they haven’t seen before. As she finishes up her inspection, she remarks that there could be as many as four spirits in Rory’s body. She then, luckily for everyone, de-possesses Rory and appears before the party as herself again. As Rory takes a shuddering breath and recovers from the violation, Snibbles explains that they worked on Rory for a long period of time, and that they could offer their help finding a new, similar body for Josephine. Fin and Val help Rory re-orient herself, and Rory gets halfway through threatening Josephine. “If you ever do that again—” “What, you’ll kill me?” Josephine gets right up into Rory’s face again. There is no fate Josephine could suffer that would be worse than the one she’s in now. After a bit more back and forth, the group decides to leave without Josephine. The Empress has landed herself permanently on Rory’s bad side, and it seems the rest of the group isn’t thrilled at the idea of Josephine possessing their friend again. They turn to leave the planetarium, and with a gust of wind at their backs, the Empress vanishes.

A Silver Lining
On the plus side, the piano has been found!! It’s waterlogged and in rough shape, but it could be restored with a little TLC. Val, Rory, and Fin, empowered by a Hill Giant Strength potion, haul the instrument up to the surface while Snibbles and Bal book it with the book. Once aboard the ship, Rory apologizes to the group for shutting down the idea of bringing Josephine with them. They assure her that she was too dangerous to bring after all, and leaving her there was the right move. The mood lightens a little after Val and Rory initiate a conversation with Inialos’s accompanying guards about kissing, and the group enjoys some respite from the intensity of the day.

Wait Nevermind
However, it’s not to last. Balther sends his father a magical message, letting him know that the crew was successful in their mission and are now returning to the Flotilla. The message Bal gets in return is deeply troubling. The Flotilla was attacked by more of those metal serpents and sustained heavy losses. The government is in shambles. Guiscard ends the message saying “I love you.” For the rest of their 24-hour trip back to the Flotilla, Val paces and worries about his own father. To make it even worse, a massive storm hits that evening, making navigation much more difficult. The crew reaches the spot that they were expecting the Flotilla to be; the ships are nowhere to be found. More than a little panicked at this point, Balthier sends another message to Guiscard, who reveals that they are closer to Gran Marcellia than expected. Even more worrying, they don’t know whether or not Isaac is okay. They haven’t heard from him. The group adjusts their course and set off for Gran Marcellia proper, with Val pulling a nice Nat 20 on his Survival check to guide the ship home. His fireflies light the way through the storm and they do eventually see, off in the distance, the many ships of the Flotilla. The Lucane is smouldering and parts of it are exposed to the night. The Bulette is even worse off. It’s staying afloat by spit and prayers. People can be seen frantically running around, attempting to put out fires. Most notably, though; the New Marcellia and the Rising Dawn appear to be gone. The New Marcellia was the epicenter of the Drakes, and held most of their quarters and equipment. The Rising Dawn was the Flotilla’s political heart. Bal turns to Inialos, asking if he can help like he did before, after the explosion on the Lucane. Inialos, without hesitation, rushes off into the night towards the fleet, presumably by magical means. “Atta boy,” mutters Rory. Fin offers to take Val to find his father while the rest of the group takes their Sinclaire ship back to the Sinclaire fleet, an offer Val readily accepts.

Heroes Return
Fin and Val beeline back to The Harvester’s Hope, which appears to be among the least-damaged ships. The situation is promising, but nevertheless, the men sprint across the ship to Val’s home and burst through the door. The scene is a welcome one: Isaac is passed out on the couch, covered partially in a blanket, completely unharmed. Isaac wakes with the start, and the father and son share a brief reunion before the storytelling begins: more of those metal eels rose out of the water and tore through the Flotilla without mercy, until they just… stopped. Isaac is overcome with relief that Val is okay. He’d thought that the eels must have gotten their ship too. There are nearly 100 dead, and many more injured. This, combined with the earlier loss of The Ionia, has cast a grim shadow over the Flotilla’s chances at survival. Most of the Drakes are gone, and food is running low. Isaac wishes that Celeste was here; he’s been running around trying to help where he can, but he doesn’t have the powers she had. He doesn’t have the powers Val has. Isaac wishes that he had died instead of Celeste. Val argues that Isaac’s knowledge of herbs will be invaluable in the days to come, and not to underestimate himself. Isaac asserts again that Celeste would be so proud of Valanthe, and that he has faith that Val will help the Flotilla turn things around. He’s Celeste’s son, after all. Val asks Isaac to go help people at the White Lily, the Flotilla’s medical vessel, before heading back to the Sinclaire ships with Fin. In the meantime, Rory, Snibbles, and Balthier make their way across the Sinclaire fleet. It seems to be largely fine, with only a few ships giving off a few trails of white smoke. They enter Balthier’s home, and Scarlette is startled in the midst of her housework. She rushes to her son and embraces him tenderly, before slapping him angrily on his chest and demanding to know where the hell he’s been. Bal is mostly just happy to see his mother unharmed. He asks after Violet and Guiscard; his sister is completely okay, asleep in her room for the moment. Guiscard, however, was injured in the attacks and is bedridden. Balthier makes brief introductions for Rory and Snibbles before rushing off to speak with his father. Scarlette, appalled at the state of their clothes, goes to fetch new ones. Snibbles declines to wear Balthier’s childhood clothes, but Rory feels awkward refusing the uncomfortable black dress she’s offered from Violet’s wardrobe. As Rory takes a page from Fin’s book and strips in the Sinclaires living room, Bal knocks on his father’s bedroom door. Guiscard’s leg is bloody and bandaged, but he maintains his dignity. Bal reports that his mission was successful, and Guiscard impresses the importance that Balthier rise to the occasion during this trying time. Admiral Damask was knocked unconscious at some point during the attack, and Executive Officer Cedric Valorus has been placed in charge, temporarily, of The Lucane. Guiscard suspects that Cedric will prioritize the wellness of his own family over the entirety of the Flotilla. This cannot stand. Balthier must be prepared to make hard decisions and stand by them in the coming times. Balthier asserts that he is indeed ready to make hard choices. We all know how true that is! Intending to tell his father about the events in the Planetarium tomorrow after Guiscard has rested, Balthier asks what happened to his leg. He states that he was injured “Being a leader, doing what others would not.” Balthier leaves him with a subtle healing word and rejoins his friends, just in time to catch Rory struggling with the corset on her new death trap I mean dress. Scarlette begins to scold Balthier about changing his clothes, insisting that he’ll catch a cold; “You’re just like your father,” she huffs in exasperation. “All the more reason to love me, ay?” Bal rushes the group out the door, promising to be back within the hour. Around this time, Fin and Val are walking up the steps and the group is reunited once more. They head off together in search of Baradad, finding him safe in the lower decks of one of the Sinclaire ships. All the drakes are safe as well, greeting their respective parents with all the excitement of scaly, deadly puppies. They are almost full grown now, having grown to the size of an adult German Sheppard. Baradad lets the group know that he’s continued their training in the days that they’ve been gone; they are almost fully trained by now. They should only require a few more sessions. As the group reunites with their scaly friends, Balthier lets Val know that Isaac will always be welcome on the Sinclaire ships; next time there’s trouble, make sure he knows to go there for safety.

The group discusses their next move; they want to go check on Admiral Damask, but Balthier worries that her state is critical. Rory points out that she was brought back from a terrible state like that and was brought to life. If they can use their abilities to help the injured, they should go to the Lucane and try. And that’s precisely what they do.

The Dead And Dying
The Lucane’s medbay is full to bursting. It’s built to accommodate 10 comfortably, and there are between 15-20 people crammed in. They do immediately find the Admiral unconscious in a bed near the back of the room, but the party first burns many of their healing spells on as many patients as possible. In particular, Valanthe channels Lesser Restoration on one Captain Rosewood, curing him of blindness. As the injuries fade from the Captain’s face, his eyes open once more, revealing new pastel pink irises. The Captain thanks Val profusely: “You gave me back something I thought I would never have. Thank you.” As Val works, the scent of wildflowers billows throughout the sick bay. This scent triggers a familiar feeling of nostalgia in Rory that she can’t quite place. The party, after working their magic, approaches Damask. She regards the group with one good eye, thanking them for the work they’ve done in the sick bay. She explains that they’ve not had the privilege of employing many healers on the Flotilla; though, considering Val’s work, it seems they’ve found another. The group gives her their well wishes, and hopes she makes a speedy recovery. She asks how she can return the party’s favor, and they answer that they just want her to get well. Balthier states that he longs for the day when the Admiral can retire, hopefully when they find land to call home. Damask begins to drift off to sleep, and Bal suggests that the group should do the same. Before leaving, Fin leans over to Damask and whispers in her ear: “These boots were made for walking”, and casts Cure Wounds, completing a week’s worth of natural healing in seconds. Turns out, he’s never actually cast this spell before and, fascinated with this new ability, casts it again. Damask is looking comparably great now. It’s a little late to be giving proper reports to Tarkhal or XO Valorus, but Rory and Val head off to the White Lily just to check and make sure Tarkhal is okay while the rest of the party retires. Fin, meanwhile, asks to crash at Bal’s place, but has something to do first. Fin climbs the mast that he used to jump off to get Yovita’s attention, and sits there for a while. He waits for her for an hour, seemingly to no avail. After a while, he jumps from the mast towards the water, intending to swim to Bal’s ship. However, just before he hits the water, he feels the familiar tug on his clothes as Yovita hoists him aloft and flies him back up to the deck. He asks, “Are you gonna catch me every time I jump?” She answers, “Are you going to leave every time there’s trouble?” It turns out, Yovita is none too pleased with Fin’s absence throughout the eel attack. She gives him an ultimatum: next time there Flotilla is in trouble, he’d better be there to help, or else he can “Kiss all this GOODBYE, FISHBOY!” One kick in the shin later, she’s gone. On their walk to the White Lily, Rory can’t get over all the magical feats that Val performed in the med bay. Val downplays it, saying that they all contributed and he couldn’t really do that much. Especially not when compared to his mother, who was renowned for her healing abilities. Rory notes that many people on the Flotilla seem to compare Val to his mother, and she hopes that Val recognizes how profoundly special he is; not just in comparison to Celeste’s reputation, but on his own. Celeste was not here tonight, and Celeste did not teach Val his healing spells. The actions and magic that occurred tonight came from Val himself. Because of the person he is, and the abilities he possesses. “I hope you see yourself as YOU, and not someone else’s potential.” Rory would like very much to have a family, but doesn’t envy the way Bal and Val are expected to fulfill the roles of their parents. Val brings Rory in for a hug, saying that he and the others are her family. She doesn’t have to wish for one. Rory remembers that the Empress saw four different people inside of her when she possessed her body; she thinks Josephine saw the four people who live in her heart. Val, Bal, Fin, and Snibbles. They talk a little bit more about their encounter with the Empress; Rory notes how similar their origins were, and wonders if she might have found herself in a similar mindset as Josephine if she’d woken up without Fin and the others. Rory then asks Val about the place he tried to look at inside the Planetarium before it went dark: Shiverpine Grove. Val explains that the Grove is where his family comes from. They both hope to go and see it one day. As they get closer to the White Lily, Rory sees a masked figure in the water, mostly submerged. She pulls her bow and shoots at it, but misses. The figure disappears. Val and Rory look over the side, but it’s nowhere to be seen. There’s not much to do about it now, so they just proceed to the White Lily, slightly more on their guard than before.

They arrive at the White Lily and find her sick bay as full as the Lucane’s, but on a much larger scale. Nearly 200 people lie in beds along the walls and in rows. They spot Tarkhal quickly, rushing around and tending to the sick. He looks quite tired, as he’s probably been working all night to save lives. Val stays on the White Lily to help him while Rory, not wanting to bother him with a mission report, heads back to Snibbles’ workshop for the night. Val stays up the rest of the night, and given his expertise in even non-magical healing, absolutely no one died of their injuries. There are many who otherwise would have; five or six in particular would not have survived the night if not for Val. After a long, long night, he falls asleep in a pile of blankets right there in the med bay.

Much To Discuss
The next morning, Rory shares with Snibbles the encounter with the masked figure in the water. Snibbles recognizes the symbol that had been on the figures mask; it’s a symbol that appears on the orb they’ve been studying. At that moment, they remember the robot that they had kidnapped I mean brought with them from Josephine’s workshop; Rory grabs it from the Sinclaire ship and brings it back to Snibbles workshop. Meanwhile, Balthier and Fin join the rest of the Sinclaire family for breakfast. Bal and Scarlette spend a few minutes fussing over each other before Guiscard arrives, walking with a cane. As they eat, Balthier brings up the recent attack; two major flagships gone, not to mention one of their three biggest food sources. No one seems to know why these attacks are happening. One thing is clear, though: several houses believe that the recent losses can be blamed on irresponsible leadership. Dissent has been sown through the Flotilla’s community, and there is talk of House Ryker and House ViMorTuRus separating from the rest of the group. They would be taking a third of the Flotilla’s entire force with them, sailing southward. Balthier asks if the houses could be convinced to do otherwise, and Guiscard is unsure. There isn’t much hope, and people are desparate for a better chance. Guiscard has even considered taking the Sinclaire fleet and leaving as well. Certain crew members aboard the Remus seems to think that the Flotilla would have a better chance if it were under more capable leadership than that of Admiral Damask. If the crew of the Remus were to mutiny and leave with the Rykers and ViMorTuRuses, who’s to say how many other ships would merely follow them. The Flotilla could stand to lose half its membership. Balthier asserts that they cannot allow a schism to take place. He suggests they call a meeting among the House leaders to discuss what he and his team has found. At this point, Balthier reveals his discovery of the portal that could potentially lead to another unflooded world. It sits in the upper district of Gran Marcellia, right below the Flotilla. Guiscard is stunned by this information, and considers that this may be the news that the Flotilla needs to stay together. Houses would not damn themselves by sailing south when a portal to land already exists here. Still, if people still wish to leave, Guiscard impresses the importance of allowing them to go. They cannot bind other Flotilla members to servitude. If they decide to stay, it will have to be their own decision. In the meantime, before any portal can be pursued, it’s a game of resource management. People and supplies cannot be spared to investigate this lead; if anyone goes, it will have to be Balthier and his friends. Lastly, one thing remains uncertain. Guiscard explains that on the night of the attack, the eels had the Flotilla dead to rights. Their defenses were wiped out and the entire fleet would have been easy to pick off. However, at the last moment, the attack stopped, and the eels retreated. It’s unclear why. “It’s like they were attack dogs, being called off.” Perhaps whoever commands the eels wants something that the Flotilla has; something they can only get from living people. Time will tell. Guiscard suggests that his son go down into Gran Marcellia to see if that’s where the attacks are originating from. If anyone can figure out what’s going on down there and who is sending these attacks, Bal can.

At the mention of Gran Marcellia, Bal asks Fin about his friend. Silas is a possible connection, but the letter could also be a trap. Fin suspects as much. Bal and Fin resolve to take whatever lead they can follow into the city to find any and all answers. Balthier is certain that if they can provide a path forward, the Flotilla will walk the path together, united. Before leaving, Fin walks to Guiscard and bows, thanking him for breakfast and for the place to rest for the night. He offers a handshake, visibly catching Guiscard off guard. Master Sinclaire thanks him for his assistance and as he takes Fin’s hand, he immediately casts Cure Wounds. Our friendly fish boy is becoming more diplomatic by the second!!!

The Path Forward
The group reconvenes in Snibbles’ workshop. Snibbles has taken out all of their notes, books, and tools that they’ve ever used on the orb. Rory regurgitates the story about the masked figure to Bal and Fin immediately, but the two don’t seem to recognize the symbol on their mask. Bal lets the group know that a schism is becoming more likely by the day, and they all agree that with the information they have of possible salvation, they can’t let that happen. They ask Fin once more about Silas, and whether they think the letter is genuine; is it wise to pursue a person that Fin all but saw die? Fin explains that the coat and hat he wore once belonged to a person who killed Silas. The armor Fin wears is heavy, and all that time ago, when he and Silas came across Rory, he had to fight in it for the first time. He was slower and clumsier than usual in the heavy chainmail, and that ended up costing him Silas, though they were able to kill the people who attacked them. Silas’s dying advice to Fin was to put on the coat and hat to disguise himself as an attacker to get out of the area and to the Flotilla. Val asked if the attackers had been looking for Rory herself for some reason; Fin thinks they were just looting the place. He wants to believe that Silas is alive and in Gran Marcellia after all this time, but it could be dangerous to believe it. Either way, they have to investigate the area, and the Flotilla needs allies desperately. Fin states that if it really is Silas and his other friend Raf down there, the Flotilla will have two of the best Drakes they could ever ask for.

The group’s next moves are clear; they have several people to report to, and supplies to get. An expedition to Gran Marcellia is a priority. As an added bonus, after the story about the origins of Fin’s hat and coat, he finally sifts through Snibbles’ workshop and is reunited with his clothes. At that moment, there’s also a dull commotion outside. No rest for the wicked, it seems. The group rushes out to the side of the ship and sees a handful of Warforged, completely bare of any clothes, skin, or other markings. One steps forward, calling out: “The Lord of Blades seeks an accord.”

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