"The Broken Beacon" (RT2x19) is the thirty-first episode of The Re-Slayer's Take. The Re-Slayer's Take and Grimm Heldwell face off in the cold tundra.
Synopsis[]
As Heldwell's body transforms due to his new spiritual power, Poogs struggles, tortured by pain, and Heera, hidden in her cloak, carefully analyzes her enemy. Timpani casts Mass Cure Wounds on his companions, reviving Frog (who asks about Devexian) and then approaches Poogs, being attacked by Heldwell's magic. Farah, who doesn't know how to help the goblin, focuses on vomiting lava at the wizard, but he dodges much of the attack, and sends a puppet to grab Poogs. Frog, noticing that Grimm is now standing where the Apex Eidolon was, detonates her motes of light, causing massive radiant damage; in response, he creates a protective shroud to weaken similar attacks. He then moves towards Farah, and although she tries to stop him with a shadowy veil, he hits her three times, knowing her unconscious. Poogs tries to use his sling, but misses, still overwhelmed by the pain. Heldwell uses his powers to summon wraiths from the Ethereal Plane to surround Timpani (who refuses to leave Poogs). Heera combines her Sneak Attack with a Booming Blade directed at Heldwell's lantern, damaging it, but when she teleports away, she is unable to bring Farah with her, so the flames she leaves behind end up hurting both their enemy and the old woman. Timpani casts Healing Spirit with his own appearance, and then for the first time uses a perfect Wild Shape, turning into a tiger and trying to bite Heldwell's throat, without success. Farah dies because of her injuries, as her spirit visualizes a beautiful coastal scene as she gets on a boat; Frog runs towards her body and tries to use a healing potion on her, but it doesn't work, and when she tells their enemy that he can't take her, he responds that he already has. The wizard focuses on Timpani, expressing how he has always hated him, and casts Finger of Death; the spell forces Timpani to turn back into a barely living firbolg. Poogs manages to say that they will stop Grimm, but he answers by asking the goblin who is he.
In that moment, the dome above the battlefield shakes and cracks, and when Heldwell looks up, he is hit by a blast of divine light (which destroys the wraiths), as a figure appears: Pike Trickfoot. The champion declares she has been looking for him, and casts Flame Strike without waiting for his answer; after a moment of confusion, the wizard realizes she's a member of Vox Machina, and although he tries to attack her with Toll the Dead, she is unaffected by it. Taking advantage of that distraction, Heera strikes the lantern once more and then teleports away, burning the enemy as she goes to Farah's body. Heldwell shrinks a bit and considers leaving the fight for another day, but Timpani blocks his way with a Wall of Stone; when the wizards tries to avoid it, the effect of Heera's Booming Blade leaves the lantern almost broken, so Frog can destroy it with a single punch. Spiritual energy is immediately released (with some of it being absorbed by the weapons of the Spectral Hand), and so are the two Apex Eidolons that Heldwell had captured; he, deprived of their power, turns back into a normal man, as the Timberblight complains about mortal weakness, and how he will have to try again (even though Heldwell begs him not to abandon him, demanding he honors their pact). Frog holds the enemy with her arms, and although he asks for mercy, she notices he is preparing to stab her, so she disarms him; he then boasts that even if his journey has ended, so has Farah's. Heera kneels next to her fallen friend, telling her she doesn't want to go on without her, and she has a brief vision of the Strife Emperor, who reminds her that she had to learn a lesson; then the vision ends. While that is happening, Heldwell's body starts to decompose into spores, and he claims they won't get rid of him because he will be part of the rot, but Frog replies that he won't be part of anything and he will be alone forever; the wind then takes away the wizard's remains.
After approaching Farahs's body, Poogs asks what can they do, and Pike, after apologizing for not arriving sooner, prays t the Everlight to help the Re-Slayer's Take, and casts True Resurrection. Farah's soul is peaceful, watching the sunset still on a boat, when suddenly sounds around her stop, and the sun starts rising; she feels the impulse of getting out of there, but also of staying. In the living world, Pike explains to the group that they must encourage their friend to return, but Heera isn't sure if she can do it, feeling that it is her fault that the blood hunter is dead, and that she is cursed to ruined things; the cleric assures her that she's neither cursed not to blame for what happened, and asks for the dead woman's name. When Heera pronounces Farah's name, the latter hears it through the sun of her vision, and she remembers Osysa's prophecy; encouraged by it, she smiles and abandons the boat, coming back to life as the band of diamonds Shai gave her loses some of the jewels, consumed by the resurrection magic. Timpani thanks the gods, Poogs admits Farah had scared them, and Frog assures her she knew she would return, while Heera asks her in a whisper not to let her alone with those people (making her smile, although she scowls almost immediately when she hears Dr. Fitzwaggle saying how close that was). The elk spirit greets each humanoid present with its snout before leaving, but the bear stays, and Pike realizes it wants help returning to the Demithore Valley; she tells it that they will go in a bit, and she and the Re-Slayers formally introduce themselves to each other. The gnome explains that she had received news that the Demithore Valley was rapidly rotting due to a strange necrotic mycelium, and that the local Apex Eidolon was absent; Timpani confirms that the nature spirits are the ones stopping the influence of the Timberblight, and takes the opportunity to explain what he and his group have been doing about it. Pike declares they need to rest, and casts Temple of the Gods to give them shelter for 24 hours. When Heera, impressed, asks if she is a goddess, the cleric explains she is a follower of the Everlight, although admitting she had had bad moments and bad decisions in the past; she tells the tiefling that she has felt like she was cursed too, but that they both have long lives to fix things. When Timpani asks if she truly is a member of Vox Machina (mispronouncing the name) Pike confirms it, and asks about his origins, since his accent reminds her of her friend Pumat Sol; he reveals that he came from Wildemount and that Pumat is, in fact, his cousin, leaving her really impressed. Frog uses that chance to show off her screwdriver, and lets Pike play with it for a bit. Poogs, very excited to interact with the cleric, asks her how did she bring Farah back, and she explains that she channeled the power of her deity; the goblin then asks Farah how she was, and the old woman confirms she was ok. Farah herself wonders why did Pike help complete strangers, and the gnome answers that it's what she would want other people to do for her or her friends, if the situation was reversed; she also says that she understands how weird it is to be in the other side and then come back to life. Everyone is happy to have the blood hunter back, but Timpani is very emotional so he walks away for a bit, and Poogs follows him to comfort him. Very evasively, Heera asks Pike if "a friend" connected to bad influences could get rid of them through Sarenrae; the cleric, noticing the dark aura coming from the tiefling's hunting horn, declares that there is always hope and the possibility of choice and redemption. When Timpani cries very loudly, Heera suggests Frog to sketch his tiger transformation to cheer him up. The symbol of the Everlight shines in the temple, and Pike, understanding that her goddess wants to grant a boon, channels her light to improve the health of the adventurers. Then, after reminding them that her spell will last for 24 hours, leaves with the Apex Eidolon to bring it back to the Demithore Valley.
As the Re-Slayer's Take recover, a raven flies to the altar, and Faran notices; she is curious and confused until the bird's eyes turn white and everything vanishes. It flies away, and the old half-elf starts following it, until she notices that something is watching her in the dark; she then uses her powers to light up her sword, and keeps moving through the snow.
Featured characters[]
Re-Slayers[]
Returning[]
- Dr. Fitzwaggle
- Grimm Heldwell
- Putridius Festerkin (voice only)
- Pike Trickfoot
- Apex Eidolon of the Demithore Valley, a bear-like spirit
- Apex Eidolon of the Thorain Tundra, an elk-like spirit
- Bane, the Strife Emperor (as a vision of Poogs)
New[]
Mentioned[]
Quotations[]
- Frog: (to Heldwell, her enemy) We'll never stop!
- Heera: (to her fallen friend) I've made pacts with dark deities for your life, sister. Don't think I won't do it again. I don't know what our path is, but I won't walk it without you.
Trivia[]
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Re-Slayer's Take S2 promotional art, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.