Episode 24 - Wetsuit Warriors

## Episode Synopsis

### Recap

The team were grieving the loss of Zippy as a result of Norman's loss of control but, they had hope to bring him back. They ventured to Whimsy World, a land full of wonder and magic. They came across Alexandre Dumas in a fighting rink and asked for his help. Alexandre took him to Smiles, an arachne person necromancer. After deciding to trust this extremely suspicious individual, they struck a deal to get Zippy out for the crystal. Zippy continued his conversation with the Dibs family and a crack appeared in the crystal sky. He rode Jeremy all the way out of the crystal as Smiles did a ritual on the crystal to get him out.

### Episode Summary

Dariun and Norman see Zippy is back. Dariun runs over and looks at him in shock, grabbing his shoulders making sure he's back and he's okay. Zippy feels some aches and pain and he notices a scorch mark in the center of his chest. Dariun starts to cry and laugh and his skin transforms into an autumn orange as he embraces his friend. Zippy asks how long he was gone and Dariun tells him only for a few hours but enforces the fact that Zippy was actually dead. Zippy looks around the creepy room, asking where he is and what they needed to do to get him back. Dariun tells him he got the help of their new friend Smiles and Alexandre. Norman stays back, wanting to go over but is afraid of what Zippy will say.

Smiles holds the crystal and looks at it with his wide grin. He turns to Zippy and Dariun and laughs. Alexandre welcomes Zippy back to the land of the living and Zippy doesn't believe he has met him so Dariun introduces them. Norman thinks about the spirits that came out of the crystal, reflecting that souls cannot exist in the prime material plane and always get pulled to the Deep. There are some special circumstances when they don't like when they are in the ethereal plane. Norman realises that the souls were being dragged to the Deep by Chartabis' call hence them screaming.

Zippy speaks to Norman, thankful he is okay considering he was being taken over back in the throne room. Norman goes over and tells Zippy he was Royce but he is gone. Norman sings a little song and a cool breeze exits his lungs and goes to Smiles as he casts modify memory on him. Norman aims to make it so Smiles believes they got Zippy out but the crystal was destroyed. Norman goes over and puts his hand on Smiles' shoulder, takes the crystal to hide away as he starts to speak about how sorry they are for his loss and how grateful they should be they are alive. Smiles' demeanor changes as he becomes hysterical. Alexandre is confused and Norman asks if he can lead them out of here. Purple tears start to flow out from under his mask as Smiles is devastated.

Zippy hops down and his knees buckle under him a little. He asks Dariun to help him stay on his feet as they start to follow Dumas out of the room. They can hear smiles starting to shrilly scream and the dead bodies around them start to animate and rise. They start running out of there and Dariun draws his sword and cuts the hands of any reaching for them. Alexandre stumbles for the pellets as Dariun slashes at another zombie. The hands that are cut off stand on the fingers and crawl when all of a sudden the room starts to become shrouded in darkness. They look at Smiles and under the mask, colours flash and the mask starts to lift. Purple crab legs crawl out from underneath, revealing the mask was its own creature on Smiles' face.

The crab creature tells them their vessel has been tampered with and they are now awake. They advise the team to not be afraid and that he can smell an answer in the air. Norman allows him to ask his question and they say that the aura of the answer pertains to the almighty quiz. The crab asks where he found the dachshund that he has. Norman tells him he got it from his friend a while ago. Norman feels a deep wave of insight. Dariun asks who he is and the crab tells them he is a seeker of truth and answers and the greater machinations of it all. Dariun asks if Smiles is the tether or the crab. Norman correctly presumes that the tether is the crab and the crab is then connecting to Smiles like a parasite. Norman offers more information about the dachshund, telling him he got it in a shop full of cursed items.

Dariun asks more about who he is and the crab tells them he is Sidgewick, god of the quiz and is a third division. He believes honesty is the best way to seek for truth, within yourself or the world around. They says the dachshund cannot lie, only honest answers can be tracked with that scent and that scent may lead to a piece of a puzzle more grand than even he may understand. Norman recalls the way it works, summoning a song for a band from the iron core bard collection myasma band when they feel sad. Dariun thanks Sidgewick. The crabs sinks down and sinks back into Smiles' face. Dariun turns to Alexandre who does not seem to have been present in that conversation. They use the pellets and exit the pipe.

As soon as they get out Dariun gets his bag and puts it to Norman, telling him to put the crystal in immediately. Norman puts it in before he sinks to his knees and hugs Zippy. He holds Zippy in front of him and apologises. Zippy asks what he has to be sorry for and Norman tells him they didn't know for sure if they could get him out and it would've been his fault as he lost control in the castle. He tells Zippy he got the crystal back considering how he put his life on the line to save it. Zippy tells them he never gave up on them and was sure they would finish what they started. He knows now for sure he needs to see this journey through to the end.

Dariun turns to Alexandre and tells him to come with them. Alexandre is so confused why they took the crystal and Dariun tells him they will talk back on the ship. They decide to fly back using their wings they got from the blerries. Zippy summons his carpet, which he half expected to see come out of Dariun's bag, and it swoops him up. Norman notices some wizard guards flying in the Whimsy world towards where they had their crystal out briefly but they continue unnoticed. The team, now with Alexandre reach the Sparrow.

Team 8 is back together again, landing on the deck of the ship and immediately James and Robin come out. James is shocked, shakily welcomes master Westborrough back through some intense feelings. Robin waves her hand before she hides behind James' leg. Norman tells them they need to get back on task to get the piano key and Dariun informs Zippy about them having an invitation to get into the castle tomorrow. Zippy wonders what they'll do when they get in, trying to remember what happened with Veroulias and the black bunny. They head down below deck and Dariun speaks to Randy, Apophis and Bradley via rockie walkie to formulate a plan.

While they wait for Randy, Bradley and Apophis, Dariun takes Alexandre, Norman and Zippy to another room. Dariun is concerned about how Alexandre is feeling about the crystal considering the many changes to the plan. He asks Alexandre what questions he has to which he asks why they took it away from Smiles. Norman says that Veroulias asked them to keep the crystal safe. Norman tells him that Veroulias passed out when they took it and Alexandre becomes very concerned and begins to leave. Norman tells him he didn't want to leave all the lives within the crystal to Smiles hence taking it, maybe he or the team could take the crystal to find a safe haven. Alexandre asks them to keep it safe and he will keep it a secret before he leaves to go and check on his father.

Randy, Apophis and Bradley come on the ship, all still upset about Zippy. Bradley and Apophis are the first to spot Zippy and the both are very shocked. They jump on Zippy in an embrace and Randy also expresses his joy that Zippy is back. James brings out a quickly made rice cake that says '*congrats on not dead*' as they all celebrate Zippy's return.

Randy gathers them all up, saying they need a plan to find the piano key but also need to leave Jadu soon. Dariun presumes they have around 24 hours. Randy pulls out a map of the castle that has 3D holograms of the castle that can be moved and zoomed in on. Randy tells them he did some scouting during his investigation and he knows they can't search the entire castle to find one room in their time constraints. Dariun asks Norman and Zippy if they have any idea where in the castle it could be. Norman recalls the key was in a vault and with some very heavy hinting, Zippy sees a symbol on his hand but he doesn't remember what it does. They all try to get Zippy to remember and after some more very heavy hinting, he recalls the vault that Veroulias told him about.

Zippy tells them there is a statue he needs to put his hand on and Randy points out a central area of the castle with Veroulias' statue. He asks how they would get into the castle and Randy tells them some information to help make a plan. Firstly, they need to get in and they've got that checked with them getting in with the pyre pitch team. Once they're in, they have three options. One; they stay with the team until they can slip away. May be hard to slip away from the guards that have arcane eyes around. Two; there were some wizard guards that came out of a pond out the back of the castle however, there is no way of knowing anything about this route. Or finally, they can go through the top which will be the fastest way however may be the most dangerous path with guards and patrols.

Norman analyses the options, thinking the pond may be the most discreet way. Dariun feels this is risky, however the top way would be very rash and may reduce their time in the vault. Zippy is just glad they're back planning things together again. Dariun asks if they are going to be meeting Veroulias, where would they meet to which Randy guesses the oracle station. They see this is around 2 floors above. Dariun suggests they send Bradley and Apophis in with the team for them to create some sort of subtle distraction.

Randy suggests everyone has roles, Norman, Dariun and Zippy are the keys but they need some extra help. The muscle just in case there is a fight, coordinator to give updates, a lookout for them when they go into the vault and finally the driver to get the airship to get them out of there once their done. The team decide on Apophis for the muscle, Randy for the coordinator, Robin for the lookout and James for the driver. Additionally, Apophis and Bradley are the distraction. Dariun asks for any objections and Bradley immediately raises his hand. Bradley wants to trade with James but Zippy immediately denies him. After a couple more objections from Bradley, they decide on their plans. Randy tells them that they should be all wearing wetsuits to fit in with the team. Bradley runs into his bedroom and he brings out a sack which is filled to the brim with a whole bunch of wetsuits, telling them he took some souvenirs. They all head off to get some sleep, getting ready for the next day.

As they disperse, Dariun approaches Norman and they head into his room to chat. Dariun apologises to Norman. When what happened to Zippy happened, he let his emotions take the better of him and he took those emotions out on him. He says that he feels he has failed the team before and they have forgiven him. He apologises again to Norman as to how he acted, knowing that Norman didn't do it, it was Royce. He blamed Norman for his lack of control in the reflection of his own inability to control things. Norman tells Dariun that he knows what he has done for this team and for himself, telling Dariun he has never doubted his ability to pull through in the most dire of times. Dariun asks Norman for he and Zippy to come as he gets his eyes replaced, knowing that they will likely need to flee Jadu after the heist so they need to do the procedure before the venture to the vault.

Everyone is finishing up their meeting, Zippy sits on his bed. He stares at the burn mark on his chest before he lays down and goes to sleep. As he sleeps, he appears in the black see but this time, he can't see the dream tree through a thick mist. It seems to be the same mist he traveled through to get Norman out. He stands there alone before he hears a rumbling of thunder and lighting. An image of a giant lapine outline in the mist is illuminated. They are looming overhead and he suddenly wakes up to Randy's call to wetsuit up and they put their hands in and they yell 'TEAM 8'!

## Quotations

* Seth "*You did it! You defied death and the Deep!*"

* Alexandre "*I don’t do well under pressure! Not a great dragon slayer's trait…*"

* Adam "*How the heck do you think of this imagery Seth?! This is freaking disgusting and amazing at the same time!*"

* Sidgewick "*Honesty is the best way to seek for the truth. Not only in oneself but in the world around them. You see, us gods may appear to claim to know everything but there are so many unanswered questions.*"

* Seth "*We have to all suffer together.*"

* Norman "*As a bard the magic that I do, it's not really the role of the hero in the starlight but it's to help people with abilities like yours to truly shine and that’s what I want to do so that together, we can pull through."*

* Dariun "*It feels as if my weaknesses are mounting and I need to start overcoming them and not allowing them to sit in front*."

## Featured Characters

### Main Cast

* Norman D
* Dariun Branch
* Zippy Westborrough

### Returning Characters

* Smiles
* Alexandre
* James
* Robin
* Bradley
* Apophis
* Pepper

## Locations

* Jadu
* The Sparrow

## Trivia

### Dice Rolls

Norman D

Dariun Branch

Zippy Westborrough