Embers of Progress

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  • After the cleanup in Honos, Sylas Thorne and Dadaka decide they don’t want to help look for Meowfi’s mom.

  • Tucker joins, and they take the larger ship to Steelrun. Before they take off, the group decides to wager all their money into a pool for who can kill the most beasts.

  • On the way, Sylas spots what he thinks is Roin on a ship below. After asking Rusty Ruddleson and Dadaka, they concur and decide to head down.

  • Dadaka decides to jump down and take Sylas with, but Sylas slips out before he can grab him.

    • Dadaka goes THROUGH the ship, hurdling to the ground.
    • He managed to save himself last second with his sandstorm in a bottle, and landing in a lake.
    • The captain of the ship he destroyed landed in a lake as well.

  • They both swim to shore. The captain, who introduces himself as Sheen, is upset that his ship was destroyed.

  • Rusty and Sylas meet them on land, and Sheen claims he was heading to Steelrun to slay beasts as well.

    • He claims that one day, he will become an “Ultralord”.
    • Sylas gives him some supergrass as a test to see if he’s chill and just listens to people. Says it’ll make him strong.

  • Sylas tells Sheen to collect his scattered gold before being allowed on the ship. It’s another test.

  • Sylas and Dadaka sit outside the ship for an entire day because neither one wants to be the first one on the ship.

    • Dadaka gets so hungry he decides to eat Sylas.
    • Sylas puts some rotten owlbear meat in front of him, and Dadaka eats all of it.
    • He gets so sick that this freak comes out.
      • Claims to have “made” Dadaka, and is sick of his antics. He walks away and Dadaka starts to wither.
      • Sylas gets the pickle to head back into Dadaka’s mouth. All is well.

  • It’s been so long. Sylas is exhausted and begs Dadaka to bring him back on the ship. He refuses.

  • Sylas yells for Sheen, who comes out and tries to drag Sylas but utterly fails.

    • Sylas begins to crush Sheen.
    • Sheen is blue.
    • They BEG Dadaka to help, but it’s a test so he can’t.
    • Sylas rolls off. Sheen failed.

  • They leave without Sheen, telling him his new test is to get to Steelrun without the ship.

  • They sleep for two days on the way to Steelrun.

  • In Steelrun, they meet up with a little man who claims everyone has gone off to fight in The Ashen Maw.

    • Luckily, there’s one creature left to fight. It’s a cyclops.

    • He says we don’t have to do the challenge since there’s only one beast. We want to do it anyway.

    • Sylas utterly fails and gets hit by a cannon. Dadaka and Tucker do well and will get paid for the venture but Sylas won’t.

    • Sylas tells him to get the manager.

  • This guy, who introduces himself as Keno, comes back.

    • Sylas and Dadaka argue with him to get paid, but Keno stabs Sylas who is now downed.
    • Dadaka heals Sylas and they leave without Tucker.

  • They try to leave without him, but Rusty refuses and goes to get Tucker.

  • When Tucker comes back, they all argue for a while about what to do next. Tucker insists on going to the Steelrun ship to continue the quest. Sylas and Dadaka want to take up a mission in Midvault.

  • Sylas and Dadaka take a huddle away from the ship.

    • They agree to kill Tucker in his sleep.
      • Dadaka will eat him. He feels warm in his belly.
    • As they discuss the plan, Sheen arrives, having walked the whole way. Test passed!
    • His next test… KILL TUCKER GLINDLEY.
    • But Tucker is his hero. Luckily the little weasel listens to his masters. He agrees.

  • They all return to the ship, and head off, following the Steelrun ship.

  • They fuel up in Honos, when Rusty notices that the ship they were following is heading towards them.

  • On the ship comes Bombshell, he’s glad to see us and lets us follow. We all head to Albia.

  • Once in Albia, we meet the Steelrun crew.

  • Before we can discuss much, we spot the Cyclops running at us from afar.

    • Dadaka gets an arrow in him.

  • Gavrey, making up for his sins, valiently marches forth to slay the beast himself.

    • Gavrey is stepped on and is now sludge.

  • The Cyclops, who seems to be confused and scared, is unsure of what he stepped on. He claims that he’s been chased from Valconia across the ocean by a Froghemoth.

  • We look around for it, and GULP! It’s above us!

    • We all get out of the way before it lands.

  • Combat begins.

  • During the fight:

    • Dukey left in cowardice.
    • Eights became mush.
      • Before dying, told Sylas to “find Nines”.
    • Johnny became mush.
    • Sylas died from his wounds.

  • After Dadaka killed the Froghemoth, and the dust had settled, Sheen ran to save his master.

    • He remembers from his good friend Jimmy that a Cyclops’ tears have healing properties.
    • He gets the Cyclops to cry, reviving Sylas in the process.
    • Sylas awakes to feel a good amount more evil.

  • Sylas pulls Sheen in close,

    • Finish the job.

  • Sheen charges at a downed Tucker, killing him.

    • Immediately after, the Cyclops gets sad and cries on Tucker as well, reviving him.

  • Sylas and Dadaka turn on Sheen, and Dadaka beats him to death.

  • Dadaka asked for Cyclops tears too, and the Cyclops says to make him cry.

    • Dadaka pokes him in the eye, enraging the Cyclops.
    • Dadaka runs.
    • Tucker tries to crawl away, but gets stuck in quicksand.
    • Bombshell shoots the Cyclops.
    • The Cyclops charges towards Dadaka, but a crawling Tucker is in the way.
    • The Cyclops steps on Tucker, presumably killing him.
    • Sylas casts an aura of darkness around the Cyclops, blinding him.

  • Dadaka runs back to pick Sylas up.

  • When they get back to the ship, they tell Rusty what happened.

  • Upset and confused, he decides we should circle back.

    • We take off, heading back with cannons ready.
    • Sylas, on the brink of death, takes a backseat while Dadaka and Rusty fire off.

  • Sylas’ wild magic surges again, and he enters the void.

    • Chains connected to my allies.
    • Thraine “puckers up” in the distance.
    • More chains emerge.
    • He sees the silhouette of Thomas, Tucker, and the Cyclops. Chains attached to them.
    • Tucker must still be alive.

  • Meanwhile, the Cyclops chucks a rock at the ship and misses.

  • Rusty fires again, killing the Cyclops.

    • He turns into this black goop, which shoots into the ship and goes into Sylas.
    • Sylas feels GREAT. A little more evil.