S3 Ep 1

**Full Episode**

**Dirty Twenty Recap**

### A New Chapter

Welcome to a new dawn on Ios. Nearly 700 years have passed since the Battle of the Infiri Valley, where the infamous Thunder Knights faced off against a god, and triumphed in the face of impossible odds. Ios entered its 4th Age, and enjoyed centuries of peace, prosperity, and growth. The Thunder Knights themselves were heralded as champions of justice. They grew from a ragtag group of friends into an idea that rallied hundreds; The Thunder Knights became a continental task force comprised of the nation's most capable warriors, mages, and diplomats, called upon to usher in resolution wherever it was lacking. In the meantime, the warforged population was granted the rights they fought for in Gran Marcellia, and they were able to work with the city towards an unprecedented boom in technology. And so Ios prospered. However, when the waters are calm and all is peaceful, fate finds a way to create waves. And the waves did come. Survivors speak of crackling lights arcing across the sky and landing in the sea, where a catastrophic flood rose up to swallow the world. In mere moments, entire cities disappeared. Only a few lucky souls were able to make it to boats in time, and even fewer of them survived the raging waters. People were scattered, lonely and adrift, and all hope seemed lost; life was nearly snuffed from Ios, the last 600 years of prosperity seemingly squandered.

But the people of this land can't make it that easy, now can they? Various boats, which carried various intelligent and capable people, began to find each other. These people began to multiply and build, spitting in the face of the gods who had deprived them of a port or plot of land to call home. Using their ingenuity and their will to endure, the people pooled their resources and began the monumental effort of rebuilding their civilization.

### The Flotilla

It is 54 years A.F. (After Flood). The people who struggled with all their might have found their efforts rewarded; relative security in the form of a moving, floating city. Led by the determined Admiral Alaya Damask, the Flotilla is home to all manner of races, all with varying pasts. Some poor souls were hauled up after long months alone at sea. Others were born on the Flotilla itself, knowing nothing of the feeling of solid ground. Some populations were encountered on other ships, and were persuaded to join forces with the Flotilla. Regardless, the Flotilla's very existence has served as a beacon of hope for its inhabitants. Its leaders know better than to waste that hope on inaction. Few have given up on the possibility of finding solid ground to call home once more.

The endless sea is rife with danger; pirates patrol the waters, hungry for resources and eager to cut down their competition in the search for land. Vicious beasts are hardly a rare sight, either. However, one must be willing and able to fight in the face of such dangers if they are to be of use to the Flotilla. One question is on everyone's lips when each Spring begins: how many apprentices will survive the Trials of Agamen?

### The Trials of Agamen

All youths growing up on the Flotilla receive training from the various experts around them. Craftsmen, warriors, medics, farmers, and folks of all other trades know the importance of passing on their knowledge. But in receiving this special training from their mentors, the ships' many apprentices must prove their worth by surviving the Trials of Agamen. They are paired with four others and sent out on a small ship of their own. They are given a course to chart for one week and enough rations to survive a few days. The objective is to follow their paths, work together to survive the many perils of the sea, and, *just maybe*, encounter land or other valuable resources on their way. Those who embark on the Trials of Agamen and survive are hailed as true, initiated members of the Flotilla.

Our story opens on the night before the Trials, where a massive yearly celebration is brewing. Everyone is preparing to party like it's their last day alive.

### Let Our Journey Unfold

It begins, as most great stories do, with a group of somewhat unlikely friends. Valanthe and Balthier, friends since childhood. Snibbles, a trusted gnomish scholar and inventor who still remembers an Ios dotted with trees and hills. The Triton Infinis and the bizarre Rory, two strangers from the bottom of the sea. Here's the gist: Infinis encountered Rory, inactive but untouched by time, in the ruins of an old city. An elf girl is a rare sight on the ocean floor, so Infinis brought her body with him in his pursuit of adventure. He followed a map given to him by his friend, which led him to the Flotilla. When it was decided by the Flotilla's leadership that the man was not a threat, he was directed to Snibbles, who promptly began tinkering away at Rory. It was revealed that she was not an elf, but a warforged; an ancient relic that predated even the 4th Age of Ios. Valanthe, often curious and eager to be of help to his friends, frequented Snibble's workshop often and was there to pass a wrench anytime the gnome needed one. The more ambitious Balthier was tutored by Snibbles, and by spending more time in the workshop, was able to bond with Infinis and Snibbles both. By the time Snibbles got Rory up and running, the four of them together were hardly a rare sight. And of course, when Rory awoke with no memory of her past, she found it easy to bond with the group as well. It was a bit of a surprise when all five friends were selected to embark on the Trials of Agamen together, as the grouping process was supposed to be mostly random. It is with this discovery that our story truly begins. And our heroes embark in the same general direction as most Dungeons and Dragons characters do: towards the tavern for a drink.

### The Thunder Bucket

On their way to the Thunder Bucket, the Flotilla's designated recreational ship, Valanthe and Snibbles express their apprehension about the upcoming Trials. Val comforts Snibbles, as they tend to have a hard time on the water. They express that they'll need to stop at their workshop before joining the others for the celebration in order to finish up some last minute projects, including some failsafes incase they fall into the water. Rory remarks that if anyone becomes seasick on the water, it could attract sharks, and that she would like to see what they look like. And therefore, the very first roll of Season 3 is Rory trying to vomit on command (she rolled a 6). Balthier encourages Val to relax for now, as worrying won't do them much good; not to mention, today is Val's birthday, and he ought to make the best of it at the celebration that evening. As Snibbles departs, Val offers some comforting words, and Snibbles remarks that Val's mother, Celeste, would be proud of the man that Val has become. They all make their way to the Thunder Bucket, intending to save a seat for Snibbles.

The Thunder Bucket is crowded, as usual. While Infinis looks around for a present to ~~steal~~ *procure* for Val, the two blond boys head to the bar. Balthier tries to persuade the barkeep to give the group some drinks for free, and does manage to get away with negotiating a serious discount after raising the point that it's Val's brithday, and very likely his last, given that he'll be embarking on the Trials of Agamen the next morning. In the meantime, Rory asks Infinis why Val and Snibbles are so nervous for the upcoming trials. Fin explains that many people supposedly die out on the water. Rory has some trouble comprehending why that would matter; she was powered up after being found underwater, so why couldn't anyone else? Fin, hesitant to explain the permanence of death to Rory on a night that's supposed to be fun, does not elaborate, and sets his sights on a deck of cards to steal while Rory and Val find a table.

Eventually, Snibbles finds the group and joins them at the table. Fin ends up buying a deck of cards from a Blackjack dealer rather than stealing them, sits down with his friends, and promptly begins stripping off his heavy chainmail armor, much to the chagrin of the security guards and staff of the Thunder Bucket. Rory grabs drinks for everyone else, and finally, at long last, the five friends relax, reunited and settled. Snibbles, always eager to work on new projects, pulls out an orb with strange markings on it, and begins jotting down notes at the table. After some prodding from the party, they reveal that after getting Rory up and running, they volunteered to take the orb from the other scholars in the Flotilla and try to figure out its nature. Fin suggests breaking the orb open with a hammer, and Snibbles jokes that they would sooner use the hammer on Fin's kneecaps than break the orb. The group then speculates a bit on the upcoming Trials, wondering if it was coincidence that the five of them were paired together, or perhaps if Balthier's father, a prominent figure aboard the Flotilla, perhaps had something to do with it.

### The Calm Before The Storm

Time passes, and the group makes their way to the deck of the Lucane, where all the participants of the Trials are gathering. Dusk settles on the sea, and the sunlight fades into the cool evening. Many colored lights flicker on all over the Flotilla, reflecting off the water and creating the illusion of a massive carnival. It's customary for Admiral Damask to give a speech to christen the night's celebrations, and to bolster the spirits of the many apprentices who will be risking their lives. As we all probably saw coming, a solid 99% of live Twitch viewers immediately found themselves simping for the Admiral. She gives a rousing speech, lauding the bravery of all Flotilla members, young and old. "Your party is your strength," she says. "You *will* endure." She punctuates her speech with fireworks, the music picks up, and the celebration begins.

Balthier tells Val that after he has a quick word with his father, they'll both be finding some fine young women to dance with. Val balks at the prospect before Snibbles pulls him aside. They pull out a metal flower resembling one that Celeste often wore; it appears to be a beautiful pin constructed of scrap metal. Snibbles confessed that they made it a few years ago and stumbled across it in their workshop tonight, and gives it to Val as a birthday present. Val is touched by the gift, and Snibbles says that although they are nervous about tomorrow, they trust in Val's ability and are confident that with his help, the whole group will make it through alright. We all wipe our collective tears as Val moves off into the crowd in search of his own father, and Snibbles heads for a higher perch to get an aerial view of the celebration while continuing their study of the orb.

Meanwhile, Rory and Infinis head off to dance together. Or at least, they begin dancing together. However, Rory soon becomes lost in the music and breaks off, moving in a way that no one has quite seen her move before. The crowd falls silent and still as her dancing becomes more fluid, resembling that of an experienced, maybe even professional, dancer. As Rory finishes her dance with a flourish and comes back to herself, the crowd is silent for another moment before erupting into applause, and for the rest of the night, Rory is occupied with people wanting to share a dance with her.

Balthier finds his father with the rest of the Council at the front of the deck, greeting him formally. The Duke de Sommet inquires on Balthier's opinion of his teammates for the Trials, and Bal remarks on the coincidence that he was placed with people he already knows. The Duke asks about Infinis in particular, commenting on his strange behavior. Bal states his confidence in Fin's abilities, however, and receives a stern blessing from his father before venturing back out into the party. Around this same time, Val has found his own father, Isaac, watching the party from afar at the family herbalist shop. He shows him the pin that Snibbles made, and the two speak about Celeste. Isaac echoes that she would be proud of Val today; Celeste brought a great deal of happiness to many people, and Val shows an aptitude for kindness as well. Isaac knows that Val will live up to his mother's legacy. Val pins the flower to his father's shirt, and claims that he'll take it back once he returns. The two share a loving hug before Val heads back to the party in search of his friends.

Val and Bal reunite, and they share a tender moment as Val rests a worried head on Bal's shoulder. Balthier encourages his friend, wiping the tears from his face, and the Twitch chat is absolutely overcome with how much sense they would make as a couple, and #valthier is born. However, since everyone appreciates a slow burn, the two go off in search of ladies to dance with.

Infinis, with the best of intentions, tries to create a fog machine effect on the deck. He makes an Arcana check to cast Fog Cloud carefully, but rolls a Dirty One and creates a solid bar of fog from the average human's neck to their waist. He then casts Gust of Wind to dissipate the fog, wipes his hands of the situation, and smoothly moonwalks away.

After a few dances with various women, Val finds Rory and dances with her since she "technically qualifies as a girl, right?" He again voices his worry about their upcoming time at sea, but Rory comments that it's okay if they struggle; if one of them falls, they will come back, just like she did. And after all, a week is short, relatively. Rory looks forward to experiencing many more weeks (having only lived through literally three so far). The two manage to share some actual excitement at the prospect of finding land on their journey, and their safe return.

As the party peters out, Balthier sneaks off with a fine lady to "spend some time", and Val watches him go (the pained screams of #valthier shippers can be heard in the distance). Fin finds Val and goes rummaging in his armor for the cards he bought. He explains his love of the Thunder Knights and pulls out one of his many comic books on the group. Fin's favorite character is Carinth Isenthiir, and he shows Val some pictures before procuring the deck of cards, which feature the various Thunder Knights. We all enjoy some Season 2 nostalgia before Fin congratulates his friend on his birthday, handing over the cards. They talk a bit about the Thunder Knights for a bit as the party continues to wind down.

The evening closes as Rory, not particularly needing to sleep, makes some rounds. She stops by the various places her friends call home; not coming in or intruding, just watching from a distance and taking in the sight of the many different shapes and sizes of her friends' rooms or ships. It's funny that everyone stumbled into each other's lives from such different homes.

### The Trials Begin

The group is given enough rations for a few days, a map to chart their course, and a small boat. All of the apprentices in their various parties set off at once, scattering like a swarm of flies away from the ship, soon to return. As the last apprentice ship disappears into the horizon, the group commits to their path, with the Keen Minded Rory at the helm. Snibbles gives Rory a pair of goggles, which provide her with darkvision. Having nothing to give Snibbles in return, Rory thinks back to what Admiral Damask said in her speech, and promises to be Snibble's strength, and to keep the water outside the boat. Fin ties a rope to himself and canonballs into the water, where he finds a school of tuna to catch for food. Balthier remarks that Fin and Rory could both live their lives at the bottom of the sea, and asks why Fin bothered coming up to the surface at all. Fin reveals that he wishes to join the Drakes, a task force aboard the Flotilla who are responsible for finding treasures and resources in the ocean depths. He seeks purpose. The group agrees that this is a noble aspiration, and that Fin would be well suited to join the Drakes. The daylight provides some difficulty for their navigation, as the group is used to following the stars, but night soon falls and their first day on the water passes seemingly without incident.

### Night Falls

The group divides the night into guard shifts, with various friends awake in cycles to keep Rory company. In the darkness, Val hears the distant rush of water closing in on their location. It's a rhythmic sound that sets Val and Rory on edge. They pull out their weapons and begin to wake up their sleeping friends, until the rushing gets close enough for the group to see the source: a pod of whales cresting and splashing through the waves. Their wake rocks the boat, much to Snibbles' displeasure. Rory is still on high alert, worried that the whales will eat them, until Infinis and Val explain that they're friendly. The whales flip their tales and continue their trek as Rory and Val wave goodbye, and Fin puts his head underwater to call out *Have a great day!* via his Emissary of the Sea ability, just in time to see a massive, slithering eel shoot directly for his face.

**This peace and quiet has gone on long enough. It's time for our very first combat encounter of Season 3!**

*(editor's note: we won't always do elaborate play-by-plays like this, but our first combat is always special <3 )*

The eel (of which there end up being two) has a surprise round, and uses it to take a nasty bite out of Infinis and manages to drag him underwater. It's okay though, because Fin, being a Triton, can't exactly drown. Bal attempts to throw some healing at the freshly-moistened Infinis, and Snibbles throws out some offensive magic in the second eel's direction. Another eel flops up onto the deck of the ship and lunges in Val's direction, taking an equally brutal bite out of his shoulder. The eel attempts to drag Val towards the water, but can't quite get there before Rory lurches into motion. She runs a short distance away from the eel clamped onto Val, but her shadow curiously stays behind, quickly beginning to melt upward until a shadow spectre of a Rory-shaped being stands. The colorless figure appears to wear a flowing skirt and a headdress in the shape of butterfly wings. Rory and her shadow take out their bows, and sink one arrow each into both eels. Val, not too eager to join Fin in the water, slashes the creature with his qatars before employing the gathering swarm of his fireflies to yank him from the eel's grasp. Fin continues to put up a fight below the surface, stabbing at the creature. Snibbles begins putting down their Eldritch Canon, which stands on spindly spider legs. One eel, frustrated at losing its grip on Val so quickly, rushes back up onto the deck in search of another target. It lunges for Rory and critically misses, allowing her and Val to make attacks of opportunity on it. The other eel continues its descent with Fin, but unable to sink its teeth into him again. Balthier, in a badass bard move, jumps 10 feet from the mast to the deck, casting Thunderwave and sending the eel flying back into the water. Rory and her Echo put their bows away, and the Echo promptly dives into the water and moves 30 feet towards Infinis and the eel carrying him. Rory makes it to the rail of the ship, wavers in place for a moment, and suddenly appears to glitch in space before switching positions with the Echo, which melts into nothing as Rory swims an additional 10 ft before coming within range of the eel. *(Did we momentarily forget that swimming speed is different from movement speed? Yes. Ah well, it made for a cool moment.)* She stabs it with her pike in an attempt to free Fin.

Combat continues until the group emerges victorious, slaying both massive beasts. Bal ends the fight sinking down onto the ground exhausted, sighing, "My father would've killed me if I died."

### Mirage or Miracle?

The next day passes uneventfully. The group has plenty of food and keeps each other company throughout the day's journey until the sun sets once more, and the group is interrupted by a thump at the front of the boat. Rory and Val go to investigate and find, seemingly out of nowhere, a dead body. Rory backs away, horrified at the sight, and Val, Bal, and Snibbles go to investigate. The body is odd, to see the least. It's certainly no one they've seen on the Flotilla. It appears to be an elf, but with round, large features that appear to echo a partly dwarven lineage. Val finds that the creature has been stabbed through the chest, and Snibbles manages to identify it. They find that the creature is a Darkling, or "Dark Ones"; a misleading name for an inherently magical race with Fae origins. They were known to live in mountainous regions before the 5th Age began. The group continues to speculate on where this creature may have come from and who might be responsible for killing it. Infinis, from his perch in the crow's nest, sees a twinkling light in the distance. As the fog moves aside, more lights become visible, until a mass is revealed; **an island.**

*Thank you so much to everyone who tuned into the Season 3 premiere of Dirty Twenty! Follow Kanoadaddy on Youtube and Twitch so you never miss an episode!*