51 (B-SIDE): The Seahorse Incident

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## Summary

### Not How I Thought this Would Go

The gang goes to the Powder Keg’s mezzanine level to continue spying on Eton and Pombo. Mujie pretends to drink, but pours his beer into a houseplant. Noticing Mahi isn’t annoyingly chipper for the first time since they’ve been traveling together, Mujie asks him what’s wrong. After some hedging, Mahi admits he’s mad at Eton for invading his mind without so much as a warning.

From afar, Eton reads their lips and learns that they’re arguing about him. He excuses himself from the private table Pombo got them and heads over for a showdown of social skills with Mahi. They argue, and eventually get broken up by Mujie and Palani, who take turns parenting a grown ass man and a royal heir. Mujie tells Mahi that Eton doesn’t like any of them, really, so don’t take it personally; Palani shares with Eton a metaphor about a pair of boots she never wore. Luca, Bran, and Tira share updates on their adventures with Pombo, who is being a shockingly good sport about it all, and Tira orders Mahi some loaded nachos. Luca wishes Pombo luck and leaves to listen to the band downstairs. In the end, Eton makes it about 70% of the way to a sincere apology, and Mahi lets bygones be bygones.

### Royal Pain in the Ass

The rest of the gang finally gives Eton and Pombo some space, but just when things are getting fun on the dance floor, Mujie spies two merfolk emerging from the docks entrance below the main floor. Mahi recognizes two of his older brothers and promptly makes himself invisible and Tira, Bran, and Luca whisk him away to the bathroom. Eton, who has also noticed from upstairs, tells Pombo to spread the word to the staff that something big might be going down.

Back downstairs, Mujie attempts some mindgames of his own: first, he bumps into Tako and tries to use Modify Memory, but all he gets from the interaction is being poisoned by Tako’s venomous skin. He then doubles down on deception, unsuccessfully pretending to vomit, before dancing away. Tako, utterly confounded, merely resumes scanning the floor for a sign of his little brother.

Mujie and Cat reconvene at the bar, where they talk to Mandy again. She says her staff has begun to clear out the bar with Pombo’s help, when Tako warns her about something nasty in the canal.

As Cat and Mujie discuss what to do, a beastly Sea Dragon emerges from the dock, and panicked patrons scatter for the exits. Uni drops his search for his brother and moves to attack the creature instead. Sensing the danger outside, Mahi leaves the safe haven of a cramped bathroom stall and joins the fray, but is immediately recognized by his brothers. The party chips away at the Sea Dragon while Uni hurls insults at Mahi.

### Tiny Beast Comma Evil

In a stroke of genius, Mujie polymorphs the creature into a tiny seahorse, and everyone stands around deciding what to do while Mandy watches on from the bar with a mixing bowl on her head. The gang concocts a plan of epic proportions: Mandy will put the seahorse into a tankard of ale, fly it up to the ceiling, and drop it, and the rest of the party and Mahi’s brothers will stand at the ready to dish out their most potent manoeuvers. After some fall damage, sorcerer shenanigans, Luca’s moonbeam, an upcast fireball, and finally, a Guiding Bolt, Tira obliterates what’s left of the Wastrilith (and Prince Uni’s cold, dead heart).

In the aftermath, two little Fey frogs—the guardians of the Twin Rivers (and likely two of Mitro's Saints)—hop out of the sea monster and bestow their Blessings unto the party. Uni accuses Mahi of stealing the Kaneohe Pearl, and Mahi’s memory is finally jogged. He remembers having a dream that the Pearl was being taken to the Lagoon, and hearing a voice telling him to protect it. But when he got to the Lagoon, he encountered a fearsome sea monster, and died trying to save the Pearl.

### The Heartfinder

Tako explains that the Kaneohe Pearl is a sacred artifact of the Lanikai Kingdom, and an essential piece of a device called the “Heartfinder.” The Heartfinder, as legend goes, is a navigational device blessed by the Goddess Taariyah herself, so that the Goddess Uli could always find her maiden fair in the sea of stars that is the Astral Plane, where Taariyah has resided since the Folly of Mitro. As for where the Heartfinder is now, Tako tells the party it is traditionally under the protection of the sprites of Sola Island. Or, it was, until Sola Island was sacked and raided by pirates, rendering the Heartfinder lost. Lucky for the party, it turns out they’ve met someone from the Island—Ben, the mechanic from Lhoam.

## Quotes

#### *CUTTING WORDS:*

> “You’re not my friend. I get it, you know, it’s cool. Bet I looked like a real idiot for trusting you.”
>
>

*—Mahi, to Cat*

#### *FIRST DATE DISASTER PROTOCOL:*

> “Hey, listen. I’ll level with you. The other surprise I had planned—I’ve got a collection of antique books at my apartment. Rare tomes, first editions, you name it—you’re welcome to have a look any time you like. Doesn’t have to be tonight, thought it can be if that’s what you want. No strings attached, no fine print—really. I know tonight didn’t exactly go as I planned, and hey, no hard feelings. But I just wanted you to know that this city is more than wheeling and dealing and smooth talking and empty promises. Sure, it's got grit, and its fair share of rough edges. But you and your crew made me see that isn’t all there is to it. Or to me. So if you want, just consider tonight a thank you, and call us even.”
>
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*—Pombo, to Cat*

#### *TURNS OUT IT'S NOT JUST A MAHI THING:*

> "You're *hideous*!"
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*—Uni and Tako, to Mahi*

#### *DOWN, BOY:*

> "Tell me, from what royal bloodline do you hail?"
>
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*—Uni, to Tira*