The Sea Face

Youtube video thumbnail for Chapter 3 Episode 6

**The Sea Face** is the 35th episode in the series.

## **Plot Synopsis**

With the loss of Gulfur still fresh and the looming challenge of the stone face blocking their path back to the mainland, Ave Lo allows our heroes a night of rest. During the night Wake had a nightmare. He had visions of bloody figures that he had hurt. He had a vision of a blood and wounded Redd. He saw his master staring down at him changing to Nedra with every strike of lighting. He found himself face to face with a ghoulish version of himself. His master’s voice warning him of his ways.

Wake awoke to the sound of Poliffi calling out in the distance. He felt terrible as he got out of bed to go to eat. The navy had removed Yeldin from the sandbank, but he hasn’t said anything yet.

The crew gathered around the table to eat. Wake just staring at the food. Ezra attempted to talk to Wake about his disposition, but Wake wouldn’t say anything. It was noticed that Skrung and Risf were missing from the table. Pliskin mention Risf wouldn’t leave his room and seems in a bad way since the island. Wake and Pliskin took some food to try and speak to Risf.

Pliskin and Wake knocked on the door telling him he needs to eat. When Wake spoke the sound of a thud could be heard. Risf told them to leave the food. They started to leave when the door opened and grabbed the food. Risf asked if they wanted something else.

Pliskin and Wake entered as Risf was hiding his mace under a pillow. Wake wanted to know if everything was okay. He could see fear in Risf’s eyes. Risf was afraid of Wake’s temper and what he had done to the frog creature. Wake admits that he wanted to talk to him about his problem. Risf spoke a soft prayer. His hand started to glow a clear color and started to turn red. After Wake got some stuff off his chest about his past the color started to turn clear again.

Ezra went to go see Skrung. He was locked into his room drinking. He yelled at Ezra demanding to be left to his own form of grief. Ezra left Skung be and went to the rest of the crew. Seeing the downed spirits Ezra tried to make a stirring speech of the challenges they came from and the lives they lived.

The group went up to the deck to see the large stone face that was blocking their way. It was a large volcanic rock that resembles a crude depiction of a merfolk with a pointed nose. Wake tried to call out to it in Aquan. He got Aquan back, but it was actually a merfolk naval officer on the other side of the rock. Ava Lo told them they could hang back if they wish as the Navy tries to figure out how to proceed. The crew heard something calling down. The look over the rail and sees a large sunfish in the water. It was a merfolk from Rite’s magic academy.

Wake jumps down into the water to speak with him. His name was Couloaf. The night before he found out his then fiance was cheating on him. He went out into the ocean to practice his enchantments and blow off some steam. He was making crude figures of the man his ex was with and destroying them. He accidentally used too much of one his comments and made a giant figure. To his despair the man was the naval officer that Wake was speaking too. He was afraid that if the Navy seems him they’ll arrest and kill him. He need a cannon ball sized amount more of the ore. He tells Wake that if they do this for him he can enchant anything the crew wants.

Wake returned to the Yeldin and told them about Couloaf. The crew told the Ave that they were going off to a nearby island for some R&R. Ave told them to stick close incase they need to destroy the face through more aggressive means.

Wake, Ezra, Eloy, and Onslow headed off into the forest. Couloaf warned Wake of the threat of Snake creatures, but Onslow saw tracks of Lizardfolk. They tried to move through the dense wooded area, but Eloy got stuck in a sinkhole and a viper approached. After a few bit of battle they managed free Elow and kill the Viper.

Our heroes found themselves in the presence of a tribe of komodo dragon Lizard folks. They were dressed as miners, but carried swords and pistols. Onslow spoke to the leader. They offered tried for the resource that the seek, but the lizards didn’t want to trade. The tribe was contracted by the humans of Rite to mine the needed ore, but dangers prevent them from going deeper in. They wanted to party to travel into the wook and clear out a path for them.

Agreeing to the Lizardfolk’s request they traveled into the bushes. They found two dire tigers on their path. One Awake, and one asleep. The group took cover as Wake took out some of his goblin squid meat and poured the Hyt infused blood and poured it over the meat. He threw the meat to the Dire Tigers, stirring one to investigate. While the group of heroes were able to hide successfully, one of the Dire tigers began to eat and start it's hallucination. While happening, Eloy had an idea and attempted to make a noise similar to a cat growling, coming from the sleeping tiger. The one awake but drugged believed it and initiated combat with it's ally.

Most of the crew ready to defend themselves if the Dire Tigers make their way to them, but Onslow being the huntsman that he is, readies a shot, despite Wake's pretty bad pantomime skills. Onslow went to fire his first shot, but his Blunderbuss jammed. While Onslow gets his weapon fixed, the Dire Tigers continued to fight, showing they were able to breath fire. The Dire Tigers continue to fight each other until Onslow fires his Blunderbuss and hits both in one shot.

The tigers, now aware of the crew's presence now begin to make their way to the crew. As this happens Wake uses his "Shatter" ability. While dealing some damage but not full strength. Ezra tries to fire an explosive bolt, but detonates before being shot. Ezra losing his invisibility. Eloy starts to use "Dissonant Whispers" Sending one of the Dire Tigers to run away from combat.

The Tiger seeing Ezra jumps onto him and knocked him prone. Ezra managed to use his reflexes to avoid some damage, but while pinned by tiger could see the tiger have a second mouth inside the first one, then swept a claw at Ezra, but misses. Ezra afterwards manages to slip out from under the tiger, and tried to jam an explosive arrow into the throat, but doesn't stick into him. Onslow seeing this happen is so excited he dives into the Dire Tiger and begins to grapple the monster, biting the opponent while tied together. Wake goes in to help was well, but the Dire Tiger managed to slip out dexterously.

However failing to attack, Wake then decides to heal Ezra using a healing Scroll, Eloy helped with healing. The Dire tiger opens it's mouth as it gets itself back up, shooting fire at Eloy and Ezra, then using it's bone spine's it attack Wake and Onslow. The Dire Tiger was not able to shake off Wake and Onslow yet. Ezra attempted to hide behind bush, and asked his alchemy jug to create Skunk spray, to which it did create 2 liters of the fluid.

Onslow flips the Dire tiger and himself up into the air and pile drives the tiger down into the ground. Wake losing his grip as he falls into a burning bush. After which Onslow picks himself back up. Wake channels some of his Ki to Flurry of Blows the Dire Tiger. Knocking the opponent out. Wake and Onslow High-fives over their teamwork.

## **Appearances**

* Ave Lo Eshtali
* Couloaf Hibbleson
* Eloy
* Ezra
* Grammy
* Onslow Green
* Pliskin Hark
* Poliffi
* Redd
* Risf
* Skrung
* Wake
* Yeldin

## **Notes & Trivia**

* Despite being a dream sequence, this is the first time we see and hear Wake's Sensei's name: Defalos
* As an alternate encounter to the dire tigers, the Wonders could have run into a T-rex.