The Blooming Court – Recap episodes 190-195

We find Galahad at an establishment called The Old Pickaxe, where he meets the owner, Ron, and they bond over Dwarven whisky and rare steak. Galahad is given some behind-the-scenes information about the city and how things truly operate, and is even asked whether he and the party would be up for another job to overthrow a corrupt figurehead, given their resume, but has to mull it over, given their tight schedule at the moment. The party sans the tea crew meets up with Galahad to discuss how things were after he left, explain the peculiar game they played and the smell, and think about whether there is even enough time for a new quest, given their ever-growing to-do list. 

Later on in the week, while the group makes their preparations for Uscana, Zechs goes out to find information about his bow, Jack of All Trades. Zechs meets a man named Hollis Breckthane, the owner of the Hollow String shop, who informs him that his bow is made of a special and extremely rare metal called ghost silver. He had come across it once before at the Silver Static Drift in the Astral Sea, a place where gods go to die, and he acquired it from a dead god’s tooth to make arrows that were confiscated. Zechs gets an in-depth lesson on how his bow truly works and is appreciative of the insight, realizing he has a long way to go but a clear path to fully grasping the bow’s capabilities. He buys an elven saber for Argo and heads out. 

At the same time, Galahad picks up his newly reforged sword, Kanna’s Blazing Fury, and purchases the thunderstrike mace as he’s grown attached to the weapon. He’s informed that the rest of the crew’s orders will be ready later that week, and thanks him for the time and excellent work, getting to see just how the newly forged blade works and feels. He’s impressed and excited to test out this improved beast of a weapon.

The time has finally arrived to head to Uscana for Glad’s boon. Arguile suggests that, since it would take quite a long time by land or sea, and even by airship, the group uses the Strauss company jet piloted by Baf, who retires after this final ride. The group has many questions about how the aircraft works and emergency plans in the event the plane goes down. Arguile does his best to quell nerves, even pointing out that he doesn’t like flying but feels safe in there. 

The group discusses how to approach their destination as the Feywild partially inhabits Uscana, and several courts, including but not limited to the Blooming Court, have control. Zechs tells the party what he can of his time in the Feywild, and cosigns Glad’s warnings of using real names and their traps because, as we know, the Fey are assholes.

Their journey isn’t all smooth sailing: the group is under attack by flying fey creatures, Shanks is momentarily blinded, and their pilot doesn’t make it. The group gets ready for a fight while Glad and Turk do their best to land the jet safely. Galahad takes flight and makes quick work of the main assailant as the group does their best against fey magic and a now-descending jet. The fight is won, but the crew makes a bumpy crash landing at their destination. 

The group, minus Arguile and Galahad, recovers from the crash and takes stock of what they lost and what they can recover. Before Duo heads out with Shanks to scout, Zechs urges Duo to be vigilant, as the last time they were in the Feywild, he nearly lost Duo to the Feywild, and Duo assures him that he’ll be careful. With that, Shanks and Duo conduct a quick scout of the area and confirm that the forest is dense and that the denizens are abundant. With a quick ping of Zechs’ primeval awareness, he confirms the overwhelming amount of fey in the area. Given the recon, they discuss ways to keep themselves safe if the need arises, using their kits, such as protection from Evil and Good or Galahad’s aura. 

Glad takes a moment to make an offering to the land, asking for safe passage. With that, the group sets off and encounters a pixie with a taste for booze. The more Glad engages with them, the more apparent Zechs’ disapproval becomes. While Glad gets herself into a sticky situation with the fey, she’s able to relieve herself of the pixie after giving it some booze from the minibar, guiding it into a fey trap. To which Zechs further stresses that the group does their best to follow his lead and instructions, as he is the only one of the group who has actually lived in the Feywild, which gets some jokes about him being no fun, but the group obliges.

Zechs eventually finds the group a good spot to camp for the evening, and they break into watches, with Arguile and Shanks taking first watch, joined by Duo. They discuss how Duo wants to do more than sit on the sidelines and scout, and the rogues encourage him to tell his dad how he feels. They also tell him that they’ll back him up and help teach him things if that makes things easier, which he’s grateful for. 

The second watch is Turk and Galahad, where Turk reveals why the crash left him so shaken and reveals more about his time before meeting the group. After which, they discuss Paladin oaths, and Galahad speaks about his training with Antonius, the markings on his arm symbolizing each year committed to each tenet, and eventually running into the party. He assures Turk that the group will be there to aid him if he ever asks, whether for training or to take down Kaz, to which Turk is grateful.

During the final watch of the party’s long rest, Glad and Zechs share a quiet conversation about faith, the gods, and the found-family bond that holds their group together until they are interrupted by a mysterious figure calling itself the Briar Envoy. The Envoy chastises them for failing to present themselves properly before the Queen and Court or offering an acceptable tribute. At Zechs’s warning through the Spies Murmur, the others wake and join the tense exchange, which ends only when the Envoy vanishes after giving them a single day to appear before the Court with a more fitting offering.

Not long after, a weary and familiar presence emerges: Hoshino, returned from his mission with The Journeyman and visibly drained. Zechs, too exhausted to question the timing, embraces him outright, and the rest of the group welcomes him with a mix of warmth and caution. Hoshino provides only brief details about his journey as the party updates him on their aliases for Uscana and their recent crash landing. With some quick planning, illusions, and camp breakdown, they set off toward their unavoidable detour.

At the Court, they’re informed that they must board a lift to get where they need to go, in two separate trips, and Zechs, speaking Sylvan, takes the lead in coordinating. Brought before Queen Senestra, he and the group offer apologies and ask what tribute would satisfy her. She provides two equally grim options: retrieve a once-in-a-century Songbloom from the treants’ territory, or recover the mask of her former consort. After weighing both dangerous paths, the group chooses the option less likely to spark immediate war and sets off in search of the elusive Songbloom.

Upon the group’s decision and departure, a rough semblance of a plan begins to form. Utilizing the knowledge that Shanks possesses of the Songbloom in combination with Zechs’ ranger abilities to find its location. Throughout their detour to obtain Glad’s boon, Galahad expresses his frustration with their situation and his disdain for the area. 

Eventually, the group breaks for the evening, and we see Turk getting another lesson in Thieves’ Cant and informing Shanks that he has quite the singing voice. Hoshino joins the two, and Turk informs Hoshino about how he got his nickname, Big T, and Hoshino regales them with the famed tale of Arguile and Shanks fighting the Gathakanathi warriors. On this watch, Shanks gets the feeling, which is later confirmed, that they’re being watched. 

The second watch is Arguile and Hoshino, in which Hoshino learns about what transpired after his departure, particularly with his family and Arioch. Hoshino apologizes for not being there for him, but Arguile stops him and lets him know there’s nothing to forgive. Quickly changing the subject, Arguile asks his opinion on his fellow bard and who would be the better of the two. Hoshino deflects with a humble answer, and Arguile laughs. They go get Galahad and Zechs for the final watch. The conversation is light, with Zechs poking fun at Galahad’s frustrations. 

Eventually, they wake the others and make preparations for the day, organizing spells and getting their daily goodberry. Duo confirms that their destination is about 2 days away. Shanks and Zechs continue to get the sense that they’re being watched. With that, Shanks decides to go into stealth mode to see if he can get eyes on their pursuers. Activating his gem of seeing, Shanks sees an armor-clad Loxodon that’s all too familiar to the group.

Shanks informs Zechs who their unexpected company is. Zechs, reluctant, proceeds to tell Galahad the news. Zechs then proceeds to group the party and, in hushed tones, make the situation known to them. Turk and Hoshino get a very abbreviated version of why everyone’s suddenly so tense. Plans are made and instructions given as they continue to move with business as usual. 

To make matters worse, someone who might be Shanks’ alternate or an impersonator is messing with the group. First with Hoshino, then with Zechs, who confirms it’s his alternate Shankise. Shankise manages to ruffle the feathers and get under the skin of Turk, crossing a line that comes with anger and threats. They press on, under the added stress on their minds, and eventually make camp.

Duo takes first watch with Zechs, who gives him the rundown on the situation. On the second watch, Salix & Turk discuss their past and speak to their patrons, current and former. The final watch consists of Galahad and Hoshino discussing the alternates, Hoshino’s conversation that he’s yet to bring up to the group, and some of what Hoshino missed while the party helped Arguile.

Zechs gets a wake-up call from Shanks, who tells him, “The Loxodon is casting some shit.” As information is relayed back and forth and the group starts waking up, Shanks realizes his hunter’s mark spell has dropped.  With that, Shanks is snuck up on by his alternate, who tells him to bring him to the party for a chat. Shanks relays this to Zechs, who then relays it to Galahad and Hoshino, telling them this is supposedly just a conversation, and they’ll know if it goes south if he says BARRAGE. 

Shankise, having been charmed by Shanks, approaches the group and states plainly that they should stop what they’re doing. To which they have some distrust, but find no reason for him to lie. He informs them that they don’t know what chain of events their actions will set in motion, and that they should consider the factors at play. Some more exchange is had, and “pleasantries” are given before, in a veil of shadows, Shankise disappears.