Episode 24 Recap Here

Another ramp up episode to the Final Confrontation of this arc. The Despicable Six[1] continued their quest to bring Ethren to the site of the Summoning Ritual[2] , and things started off where we left off - storming the Northern Redwood District[3].

To start, the party made quick work of the remaining Tarinous[4] scattered throughout the buildings and barricades in the area. After dispersing and dispatching most the remaining adversaries, moved into The Wet Markets in the Northern Redwood District, which had also been barricaded - with members of a Tarinous shank [5] along with two Lyric Guard[6] mages standing between them and the ritual circle.

They fought bravely - despite being outnumbered and occupying the low ground, the party managed to make their way into the center of the markets and route the Tarinous. Rhea got in some solid punches, Ymitri scared many of the soldiers with visions of creepy tentacles, Milo continued to set the world ablaze, Pyotr made some spleen-kabob, and Lysta gave a shocking performance[7] (clip)

After they got into the Wet Markets, it was time to stop and prepare for the final confrontation. They had entered the eye of the storm - and could take a beat to prepare and reflect.

Lysta thought back to a moment she had with Sasha, teaching her how to shoot lighting. While Sasha show some proclivity for magic, she wanted to see what Lysta could do - to which Lysta obliged, showing the result of hard training and diligence with a fantastic display of lightning and definitely gaining some points with Sasha in the process (clip). After that, though, things turned worrying as Sasha confided in Lysta about some troubling dreams she had about being trapped in a room with some mysterious figures smelling of burning hair, which were prompting her to cast necromancy. This suggested some parallels to the dream sequence from the end of Episode 22.

From there, we moved on to Ymitri - who thought back on her time with Sarah[8], and demonstrated a “find hidden object” spell by retrieving some liquor they stole when they were Kids. After he got back, he had a brief conversation with Satina about the past.

After that, Rhea thought back to her childhood friend Rellis - who had been a strong young woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Satina interrupted, however, questioning what Rhea was thinking about. They had a conversation about family and what Rhea had lost, and decided they would be Sisters to each other from now on - replacing the family Rhea lost and Satina never had to begin with.

Milo thought back to a pregnant woman that he had treated for plague early in his career. During a time of extreme hardship and overwhelming demand, she had been his only patient to show consideration for him - a fact which stuck with him even so many years later.

Finally, Pyotr had a somber, silent conversation with his late brother in-law. It was a deep, heartfelt moment - I suggest you watch (clip) because a text description just won’t have the same impact .

From there, we returned to the present. After some preparation, Ethren began the counter ritual.

Rather than explain what happened, I’ll just quote some of lyrics:

You see Ethren's face go dark, a twisted smile spreading across an otherwise blank expression
Light streams from the sky into his core, and his green skin curdles and churns, appearing to blacken
You see his eyes blaze with blackened fury - his inner flame exploding with power beyond any you knew
Soon it becomes clear what's happened - his song become true, one soul became two, and into his flew
The dark side of the blood mother's[9] soul. With a clatter, his instrument drops, shattering with a loud crack, and he raises clawed hands
His soul is set. The cards have been played. From the start, it was a trap, and now - she's ready to attack.

I’d quote the party’s reaction, but it was mostly stunned silence 😉

[1] The Despicable Six: The name given to the party by the Tarinous via wanted posters posted throughout the city. They’re accused of crimes against Towans, among other things.

[2] The Summoning Ritual: The focus of this arc. The Twisted Fang [10] has finished putting together enough pieces of The Blood Mother’s soul to draw the rest of her from her inter-dimensional prison. The party, however, aims to counter the ritual, and turn her good using the information Ethren had gained by consulting with Ga’el - a Towan god of nature and self-improvement.

[3] Northern Redwood District (map): A district in the center of the city of Aquilla (map). It’s a working-class district that’s been evacuated by the Tarinous (at the behest of the Twisted Fang) for the ritual.

[4] Tarinous: The privatized police force of Aquilla. Split into several factions - in particular, the Buckle and Slosh and Clipped Wing are carrying out the bulk of the work in securing the Redwood District

[5] Shank: The basic unit of Tarinous. Composed of about 10-50 men, although they generally appear in smaller numbers as their duties require.

[6] Lyric Guard: The elite units in the Tarinous. Generally reserved for important clients and special occasions - they’re known for their versitility and extreme competence.

[7]: Don’t worry, you’re not alone - I hate myself for that too.

[8] Sarah: An old childhood friend of Ymitri’s, and the focus of much of the early episodes. The party took her in after she underwent the Malleficum Ichthys[11], only to find out she had been spying on the party for much of her stay. She ended up dead during an encounter that went south back in episode 16 - a somber moment that stuck with Ymitri as well as the rest of the party due to their complicated history and conflicted feelings.

[9] The Blood Mother: Aka Vallast the Bloodtide Soverign, The Blood Mother is an ancient Ash’kin deity that got locked away at the end of the Wild Wars. She inflicted such terror on the Towan forces that many Towan deities still refuse to speak of her centuries after her defeat.

[10] The Twisted Fang: Ash’kin sympathizers and allies which work toward bringing the Eternal Night by transfering ownership of this plane from Ur’Goth - Dragon god of light - to Achnikor, the Dragon Tyrant. They believe that Ur’Goth no longer has the strength to sustain this world, so they want to transfer stewardship to someone they view as capable of taking up the heavy burden of Unatowa.

[11] The Malleficum Ichthys Ritual: The ritual that brings a small shard of Vallast’s soul and embeds it in a person. With enough of these shards, the Twisted Fang will be able to pull the rest of Vallast’s soul through the narrow channel between Unatowa and her dimensional prison.