"Mundane for Life"

"Mundane for Life" is the seventh episode of The Shrouded Isles (arc). The group meet a fire spiritfolk who refuses to help them until they prove they mean no harm to the spirit residents of the Isles. She sends them off to the island of Azhel to bring back three unjustly imprisoned spiritfolk.
== Plot Synopsis ==
While on the lantern, the group notices the sea monster chasing after them. They manage to outspeed it, but subsequently crash into their destination; the island of Kinir. Everyone is, miraculously, unharmed. 
Kier points out that the sea monster is waiting right next to the island in the sea. Markus gets closer to it and it lashes out. However, something seems to be repelling it, as it recoils back. 
Having noticed the cloud-like creatures around their landing site, Ashe asks Kier about what they are. He responds they're wisps, but says he doesn't know what they do, except that they're not harmful.
Markus inquires about Kinir and Kier explains he wanted them to get here because its only resident, a fire spiritfolk, should know why the sea monster appeared. He reluctantly says the two of them have not parted on good terms, so he'll need the trio to talk to her.
They approach her house and Markus tries to catch a wisp. Ashe, meanwhile, asks Kier if it's possible that the wisps are protecting the island, to which he says that while it may be so, it's probably the spiritfolk herself who tends to the island. He goes towards the door afterwards, offering to introduce the group. They eventually talk him out of it and knock on the door. The spiritfolk invites them in, after they assure her they're not Kier.
The interior of the house contains many (actual) lanterns and, of course, the spiritfolk herself, who appears to be literally on fire. She asks them who they are, since she can recognise they're not spiritfolk. Markus says they're just humble adventurers looking to help the spiritfolk of the Shrouded Isles. The spiritfolk doubts this, accusing him of being what she calls a 'godslayer'. The group asks her to clarify, which she does: a godslayer is, by definition, a human that can use magic.
Ashe attempts to remedy the situation and offers her name, asking for the spiritfolk's in return. She looks at Ashe and states she isn't sure what Ashe is, therefore she won't do so. Gregor also introduces himself; the spiritfolk states he's just an ordinary human upon being asked. Ashe then says that they really are just adventurers and pose no harm to the spiritfolk on the Isles. Markus says they've just come to kill the sea monster, Gregor confirming this. The spiritfolk asks them to elaborate. Markus stops and thinks (he does, really), asking Ashe if she wants to explain instead because of the whole 'godslayer' business. 
Gregor takes the cue, telling the spiritfolk that the monster's been terrorizing the Isles and it's their job to kill it. She restates that she doubts they have come to help the spiritfolk specifically, Ashe telling her about their crash landing at the beach back on Ishir and how they met Dont and the other spiritfolk in the village and imploring them to help find the nest of the creature, which is supposed to be in a shrine dedicated to it. 
The fire spiritfolk still doubts them, naming the sea monster 'Charoth' and saying he could also be there to protect the Isles from some invading humans. She demands proof the three are 'friends to the spiritfolk' and tells them of the island of Azhel, where the spiritfolk who do not deserve to be reincarnated are imprisoned. Over a thousand years ago, a godslayer unjustly imprisoned three honorable spiritfolk there as well. She wants the trio to go retrieve them. They can simply walk there, as there is a bridge between Kinir and Azhel.
She also tells them that the only way to get to the shrine of Charoth is through the Prison of Lights, and while they can try to pass through it without her help, they will most likely not succeed. Ashe asks whether she's sure she can protect them from whatever is lurking within the Prison, which the spiritfolk confirms, summoning a solid ball of light and saying this will scare the monster inside the Prison off; she will only gift it to them after they've proven themselves. She also promises Ashe she'll give her her name after that.
They go outside, meeting up with Kier. He informs them he could hear everything from outside the window, so he knows where they're supposed to go. Shenanigans ensue afterwards and Markus ends up with a wisp in a bottle. He names it Frederick. The four set out to Azhel.
== Trivia ==
* Kier mentions Kyl'il 'caught him chopping up her library', which is one of the many reasons the two don't see eye to eye.
* Kier can speak the language of the spiritfolk, Ishtolen.
* Kyl'il says that godslayer magic can only be undone by godslayer magic again.
* She also explains that Charoth's appearance as a shrimp is because he has been feeding on humans for too long and therefore became a bottomfeeder.
* Ashe mentions giving out one's name is a symbol of trust in Meathe.
* This is the first episode in which Ashe loosened her bindings. She did so to summon a skeletal hand that would soften her fall after the crash landing on Kinir.
== Quotes ==
* Gregor: "The ground can't beat me into a pulp if I beat it into a pulp."
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* Gregor: "The glaive is fists of the soul."
* Markus: to Kier "Know who told him that?"
* Gregor: "Quoted; me."
* Markus: "Yeah. Himself."
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* Ashe: "Probably because you were setting the town on fire."
*Kier: "Only a little bit.."
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* Markus: "Kier-"
* Ashe: to Kier "I don't think you understand human relationships."
* Markus: "Uh, that's..actually exactly what I was going to say, Ashe."
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* Kyl'il: "So. Spiritfolk, human or Kier, which is it?"
* Ashe, Gregor, Markus: at the same time "Not Kier."
* Kyl'il: "Come in!"
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* Markus: I motion wildly at Kier, sweeping my hands back and forth.
* GM: He slowly, slowly dips down beneath the windowsill, his eyes locked on Ashe's.
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* Gregor: "Markus, it's not an octopus. You can't just stick it in a bottle and carry it with you for when you get hungry!"
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* Markus: "Gregor, sometimes things like gender don't matter. Sometimes, it only matters their head is on fire - in a strange and magical way."
* Gregor: "It's the horns, isn't it."
* Ashe: "It's probably the horns."
Category:The Shrouded Isles episodes