Road to Credence

**Road to Credence** is the eighth episode of *Violent Hearts: A Western Epic* season two, the second part of the El Camino Chapter, and the eighteenth episode overall.

## Summary

### Cold Opening

Sometime after the Battle of Blackwood, the Templeton Agents are shown to be in control of the town. The burned wreckage of the machine gun stagecoach is shown being removed by Templetons while Special Agent Mark Burgess oversees. A Templeton agent then salutes Burgess, and shows him something a while away. The scene shows that it was indeed Saru pirates who had initiated a shootout with the Templetons, as numerous Saru are led in handcuffs past the two. Upon turning the corner, Burgess sees a severely wounded Damien Smith, though it is unknown how he appeared to the Templetons.

### Present

Terminus XI, 881 AE. The group had set up camp the night before after fleeing from the Templetons into the Kanave Desert. Now packing up, Gwen and Kinta push to revisit the Honovi ritual site they had seen while searching for Mary and Jenny. The group agrees and heads west.

After several hours of searching, the group finds the ritual site again. Gwen, Kinta, Dorian, and later Frankie go to investigate the site, while Adam and Koda stay with the stagecoach. Gwen and Kinta investigate and explore the site, finding a strange Elvish bead and a dreamcatcher. The curiosity of their ancestries lead Gwen and Kinta to discuss their Elvish bloodlines and pasts. Meanwhile, Dorian feels a mystical energy surrounding the site, prompting him to use the chanunpa he had accrued back in Delta Crossing. Breathing in the smoke from the pipe, Dorian's eyes blur and he sees things in a new way while he has a spiritual experience. During the experience, he is visited by the spirit Philemon. Gwen, Kinta, and Frankie eventually notice Dorian's meditative state, and begin to worry about him. Gwen finds Dorian's stillness *particularly interesting*. Dorian eventually exits the trance, and the group returns to Adam and Koda.

A day later, Frankie Mitchels spots a rabbit from afar while journeying to Credence. As the group nears the rabbit, he realizes it is a jackalope, and alerts the group. Gwen's interest is piqued, and the group attempts to befriend the cryptid. With the help of Dorian's shaman abilities, Gwen successfully tames the jackalope and names him Diego. Afterwards, the group continues on their journey southward.

Five days pass before the group's journey is interrupted by a sudden explosion from the far distance. Not wanting to derail their journey for possible danger, the group continues onward, ignoring the strange incident.

Four days later, the group sees the city of Credence in the distance. Knowing that they do not have much time in the city, the group hurries to restock items and buy whatever is necessary. Before entering Credence, the group comes up with and exchanges fake names.

## Characters

### Protagonists

* **Adam Andrews**
* **Gwendolyn S. Blackwood**
* **Amaru Dorian**
* **Kinta Gardner**
* **Frankie Mitchels**

### Antagonists

* **Special Agent Mark Burgess** (Cold opening)

### Major Characters

* **Koda**
* **Damien Smith** (Cold opening)
* **Philemon** (Spirit, first appearance)

### Minor Characters

* **Diego the Jackalope** (First appearance)

## Insert Songs

Two insert songs played in this episode. The first played when the group arrived at the Honovi ritual site. The second played during Amaru Dorian's approach of the Jackalope.

* "Navajo Healing Chant" by Jana Runnalls
* "Jackalope" by Okee Dokee Brothers

## Trivia

* This is the first episode to feature a cryptid, specifically the jackalope.
* It is implied that Koda is suffering from a physical ailment, taking into consideration why a Saru would be wearing a thick winter coat in the desert, and why he sleeps for long periods of time.
	+ These two signs point to Koda possibly having anemia.