S3 Ep5

Full Episode

Dirty Twenty Recap

This is a shorter recap! Hope that’s okay!!! All the more reason to go watch the full episode!

### A Triumphant Return

The group, after the longest week of their lives, finally approaches the Flotilla. The Remus intercepts them, and the crew waves and cheers to the returned party. Medics and soldiers swarm the deck, prepared to give immediate medical attention to Baradad. The group gives a summary of their adventure to the present commanding officer before being ushered aboard the Remus. Carric and Dicentra stick close while Baradad stays behind with the medics. There’s much to tell Admiral Damask, and many reunions to be had.

Balthier and Valanthe go off in search of their fathers while Rory, Fin, and Snibbles head to the Thunder Bucket to cool off. They will need to meet with the Admiral before the day is over, but they’ve more than earned a moment to relax. Balthier returns home to find his father, Guiscard, carving into a roasted pig—an expensive delicacy aboard the Flotilla. His mother, Scarlet, dotes on Bal while he recounts the tale of the past week. Guiscard is very proud of Balthier, and praises him for bringing such honor and accomplishment to the Sinclaire house. After asking his mother to bring him new clothes from another room, Balthier discloses to his father that he almost died many times on the Trials. His combat training did him next to no good. He would appreciate learning more about warfare and battle strategy so that he can be of more use to his companions, and one day, his people. Guiscard obliges. The family enjoys the rest of their meal, smalltalking and relishing in each other’s company. Meanwhile, Val surprises his father in his workshop; Isaac hadn’t heard that Val’s group had returned, and they have an emotional reunion. Val reveals the drake egg and a bottle of sand from the island, and Isaac is absolutely ecstatic. Val reminds his father that they’ll need to report to the Admiral before sharing the good news with everyone, and Isaac promises to keep the information under wraps for the moment. Before parting, Isaac retrieves a package from his desk: a freshly baked pie made specially for Val. It’s far from perfect (more like an apple cut in quarters with pie filling jammed around it than an actual apple pie), but Val takes it to share with the group.

### Ruckus At The Bucket

Fin, Snibbles, Rory, Carric, and Dicentra all arrive at the Thunder Bucket to the sound of thunderous (no pun intended) applause. Fin wastes no time standing on a table and beginning to recount the Legend of the Trials. Snibbles takes a seat and manages to make some leeway in communicating with Dicentra. She communicates that she’d like to stay with them, in a quieter place, away from the excitement of the crowd gathered around Fin. After speaking briefly with Rory about whether or not to worry about the other parties that had embarked on the Trials of Agamen, Snibbles dives back into their notes, designing a new device to help them in future combat.  Rory runs to the gift shop and buys a sketchbook. She makes her way to the front of the crowd and begins to sketch her own comic as Fin recounts their story. Fin eventually finishes and the crowd happily disperses, resuming the party. He’s handed a particularly strong drink, and it hits him pretty hard. Only a few moments later, the blond boys make their entrance to more applause and cheering. Balthier follows Fin’s lead, hopping up on another table and telling his own version of the story, where Fin is recalled to be the most impressive swordsman he’s ever seen. The crowd eats it up.

Rory wraps up her comic and makes her way to the back of the room. She notices a hulking figure in a nice cloak, who appears to be looking at her. The figure approaches, and Rory asks if stories like Fin’s and Bal’s have ever been told through dance. The figure explains that stories can be told through the art of ballet. They then take their hood off, revealing themselves to be a warforged named Pewter. Rory is thrilled to meet another person like her, but Pewter explains the two of them are not the same; Rory is what other warforged call a “Skinwalker”. They speak about the Marcellan Empire, where Pewter and all other warforged were created centuries ago, and the anti-warforged sentiments that still endure aboard the Flotilla. He agrees to meet Rory back at the Thunder Bucket later for a dance, and Rory sets her intention to find a ballet company to dance with. She returns to the group’s table, buzzing with excitement.

The crowd appears to have grown substantially as the excitement over the first returned party from the Trials spreads among the ships. Balthier finishes his embellished story, and the group shares Isaac’s pie; Rory ends up taking care of most of it, as it is technically the best pie she’s ever had. They prepare to report to Admiral Damask, promising each other not to stretch the truth in any way. That will fly in a bar, but not with the Admiral. And after all, their story is wild enough as it is.

### Report To The Admiral

They leave the Thunder Bucket to another round of applause, the sound of quiet waves immediately striking a stark contrast to the party inside. Val, a little sullen, drags to the back of the group, while Carric stumbles to the front drunkenly. Outside of their meeting place with the Admiral, Bal casts Comprehend Languages and Enhance Ability on himself. He asks Dicentra if she can understand a single word of anything they’ve said; Dicentra, still unable to understand Bal, rambles more about how she can’t understand what they’re saying and wants to talk to someone who knows her language. Snibbles and Val commit to attempting to learn her language, and hope to find someone aboard the Flotilla who already speaks it. With that, the group goes up to the observation deck, where Admiral Damask is waiting for them. Fin, noticing that he’s way too drunk to have this conversation, finds a new power within himself; using his new Paladin powers (who knows where those came from!!!!), he uses Lay on Hands to sober himself up. The group notices this new development, but there isn’t time to address it before they come face to face with the Admiral herself.

She marvels that the group was able to return with a whole ship and three strangers. Bal takes the lead, explaining their story from start to finish, leaving nothing out. The island, the evil priest, the mind control, their narrow escape with Carric and Dicentra, their adventure aboard the Ariadne: everything. The Admiral reveals that Baradad unfortunately lost his leg after his infection, but was able to keep his life. She asks if the group trusts him, and they all vouch for his character. The Admiral praises the group for their discoveries, claiming that they will be properly rewarded at the official ceremony later. Carric is led away to give his account to other soldiers of the Lucane, hopefully so that the Flotilla can return and rescue the rest of his people. He’s uncharacteristically amenable to this; perhaps it’s because of the drinks.

Their report is interrupted by the arrival of two harpies: apparent members of The Drakes, the Flotilla’s task force. One is bright pink and red, and the other is black and purple. They introduce themselves as Jovita and Yakira, respectively. To the Admiral, they report sightings of a very small fleet of ships off in the distance, apparently on course to intercept them. As the group leaves the Admiral together, Fin mentions that Jovita resembles Ortusa, a character in his comic books. Jovita proclaims proudly that she looks like Ortusa because they are of the same species; Ortusa is the Uniter, and is solely responsible for the union between Harpies and other races. We all take a moment to be proud of Ortusa before the group makes their way to the ceremony, where they will be welcomed officially as citizens of the Flotilla.

### Citizens Of The Flotilla

A crowd awaits in a celebration hall. Admiral Damask takes the podium and calls each group member up, one by one, to be congratulated and given gifts.

Balthier is first. He is given a brand new cloak, as well as his grandfather’s ring, which contains a Luck Stone. To the crowd, Balthier proclaims, “For the Sinclaire House. For the Flotilla.”

Snibbles is given an all-purpose tool which will be tremendously useful to them in their workshop, as well as a long-lost flag of Kragheim. They call to the crowd, “For our continued prosperity.”

Valanthe receives his mother’s cloak, Nature’s Mantle, as well as a box of Sycamore seeds. He turns to the crowd and says, “For the hope of a new land.”

Fin is next; he pulls some theatrics, pretending to stumble towards the stage before tumbling into a forward handspring and finishing with a flourish, much to the crowd’s amusement. He is gifted a first-edition comic of the Thunder Knights, called “Journey for Jakora”, as well as an old pair of boots. The Admiral explains that these boots are believed to be the very same pair that Carinth wore in the Fight of the Inferi Valley: the Boots of Climbing. Fin calls out, “THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME!” Everyone agrees.

Rory is called up last. She is gifted a trunk of what is believed to be her things; they were found near her body at the bottom of the ocean. The trunk contains several lovely dresses, a hand mirror, a collection of makeup, and a magical ring. She turns shakily to the crowd and says, “To the memory of our names.”