Voyage of the Ruthless
Callum is trying to connect with the sky arcanum in order to
use magic again, something that is very ineffective as he doesn’t even notice
their descent as Fifi is worn out. At the border, Amaya is watching an outpost,
it sends an all-clear signal but after the events of the first episode, she
doesn’t trust it and wants a party to investigate.
Fifi’s tiredness is explained by Ezran as born of her
connection to the moon nexus, the further away they get from the nexus, the
harder it is for her to fly, so they have to go the rest of the way on foot,
which would be easier if there wasn’t a huge body of water in the way. With
going around it too large a time sink, they decide they need to cross it by
boat. But since none of them can sail, they need to find someone in the nearby
village to take them across, time for everyone’s favourite thing, human Rayla.
In fairness her critiques of humanity are stunningly accurate, even here.
The figure in the mirror gets out a chest, with a rock, a
cloth, some thread, a wine glass, and a knife, Soren assesses that the figure
wants him to find the same items. Callum and Ezran have found, “they perfect
captain” who is blind… ok… he’s willing to take them across but warns a storm
is brewing and may hit them whilst they’re en-route.
Whilst they sail, the captain talks about feeling a
connection to the winds and the tide, explaining, I think, how he can sail
whilst being blind. Callum believes it may be a similar connection to an
arcanum that he’s seeking. Unsurprisingly, the storm hits and they’re caught in
it.
Viren procures the items and follows the figures’ example.
However when the final act is to cut his hand with a knife, Viren hesitates,
not even sure he can trust this figure. Amaya’s party enter the outpost but
find it abandoned, Amaya noticing a steaming cup, implying this happened
recently. One of the soldiers comes out, saying he missed his cue by accident
but Amaya notices his discomfort as he sneakily hints to the elvan warrior
behind him.
The group are surrounded on all sides as we cut back to our
protagonists. They’ve settled on an island until the storm blows over but
Callum is feeling a connection to the primal energies of the storm and thinks
facing it might help him establish a full connection to the arcanum. Zym also
feels the connection and wants to accompany him.
Viren is alerted to 4 messages that have come whilst he was
indisposed, the other 4 kingdoms have agreed to a summit, where Viren hopes to
unite them against Xadia. Amaya’s team fight valiantly against the elves, but
the Queen’s sunblade proves an issue, Amaya manages to disarm her, allowing
them to escape but the sun elf shows a new form making all the more dangerous.
Callum reaches an old house with a lightning rod attached to
it, Callum grasps it to experience a lightning strike, but soon realises that
it’s crazy, Zym gets a lightning strike instead but seems to be ok. Viren
covers the mirror for now.
This show handles political intrigue quite well, there are
factions of humans and elves that we root for and against.
Rating 8/10
Breaking the Seal
Viren arrives at the meeting and is told to disarm and come
alone. King Ahling of Neolandia, King Florian of Del Bar and Queen Fareeda of
Evenere are already on the scene, followed by the young Queen Aanya of Duren,
who has forgone the need of a regent. Viren explains the situation with Xadia,
in the most fear-mongering way possible, of course.
The storm has passed as the group are en-route again. Callum
looks at the note again but decides not top open it just yet. King Ahling,
Queen Fareeda and King Florian all agree to back Viren’s play, on the condition
that it’s a unanimous verdict, but Queen Aanya is not convinced. She’s not a
fool, she’s survived various attempts on her kingdom over the years, most who
underestimate her for her youth.
Viren tries another tactic to convince her, telling her the
story, starting with the Coronation of King Harrow. His commitment was to make
a real difference. King Harrow asks Viren to stand with him for the official
portrait, knowing her will stand by him through anything. The next scene
features baby Ezran eating a jelly tart and how does Viren know about this,
he’s not in the room? At least I hope he isn’t.
Harrow regails us about a dream where Lady Justice came to
him at knife, and asked him to choose the best tool of justice, the sword, the
scales or the blindfold. He chose the blindfold, if only certain real world
judges would too… Harrow was a servant of the people and listened to all their
worries and concerns. Until the day came that queens of Duren came to beg for
his help. Famine had plagued their kingdom, they will soon run out of food,
leading to the deaths of 100,000 people.
Harrow is more than happy to help, but Viren remarks that
they barely have the food themselves to last the winter. Harrow believes that
it’s the right thing to do and decides to press ahead. But Viren comes up with
an alternative solution. There’s a magma-monster on the border with Xadia who’s
heart could be used in a powerful spell to grow more food. His wife, Sorai,
begs him not to do it, it’s wrong, it’s too easy, but 100,000 lives is a lot to
lose, King Harrow proceeds and Sorai, despite her misgivings is with him to the
end.
Since the dragons patrol the skies during the day, they make
their move at night. Having brought ballistas to bring the beast down. But the
monster itself may well be dead. Callum is struggling with opening the letter,
feeling that he wants to savour the last words his father has for him. As the
episode ends the monster awakens and Callum breaks the seal.
This is a world-building episode, establishing some history
to propel the overall arc, and it’s a two-parter. Once again, my issues are
down to pacing. Our heroes have been on the boat for 2 episodes, and it will be
at least 3 before they get off.
Rating 7.5/10
Heart of a Titan
Ezran begins reading and unsurprisingly, it’s telling a
perspective on the same story Viren is describing. This probably should have
started earlier, it would’ve justified the scenes where Viren isn’t present.
The monster is unrelenting and easily blocks some of the
initial attacks. It’s in this battle that Amaya attained her scar, but with a
weak spot hit, Sorai is able to land the fatal blow, exposing the heart and
allowing them to claim it, but the sun is rising and with the dragons rising with
it, Soren is telling Harrow to leave the wounded behind, including Amaya. Sorai
offers to stay with her and work their way back together, but Harrow is having
none of it.
Callum’s letter tells Callum to reject history as a
narrative of strength, something I feel is all too familiar to our history. Too
many people aggrandise history as an idea to aspire to, when in fact history is
full of mistakes, ideas that are horrifying and people who are even worse.
History should be learned from, not admired.
The group are too late to escape retribution which comes in
the form of the storm-dragon. After a fairly adorable scene with Rayla we cut
to the battle as the Queens decide to fight the dragon to hold it off whilst
they escaped with the heart. Viren comes to help, but is too late, he uses the
primal stone to slow it down, but it’s not enough and two queens are killed.
Sorai has to come back to save Viren, as he’s the only one able to perform the
spell. Unfortunately she is blasted off the her horse and is killed.
The heart’s magic did what it was supposed to do and 100,000
lives were saved, plus many more over time I’m sure. Still, that doesn’t make
what happened any easier and he’s forced to tell Callum about his mother’s
death.
Aanya thanks Viren for the story but ultimately rejects his
propose to send her people to war against Xadia. As for Callum, the final
surprise is the cube belonging to an Elf named Aaravos, a master of all 6
primal energies. It’s supposedly to key to something or another. Our protagonists
approach land, but see a shadow overhead.
The worldbuilding is easily the strongest part of the show,
I just wish it had the wiggle room to stretch its legs narratively, because the
writers hear are clearly talented.
Rating 7/10
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