Season 7, Episode 2: "The Shoot Key" Report

Shunted onto the Rambling Road by TRAVIS, the Dream Team struggled to get ahold of their situation, only to be interrupted by the Spirit of the Well, and her extremely-wounded visitor — Hush.   Seeking to question him, Lockette stabilized the Gnome while Mist filtered through his pockets. After Hush recovered, the group learned that Mandarb had finally paid the crime lord a visit, taking back the imprisoned Angels in his holdings, and burning the Hamisfore Theatorium to the ground. Hush barely escaped via a Road Key he'd purchased from an adventurer some years past, but started to bleed out before he could use the newly-obtained First Avenue Key. During his explanation, Tesin used the Mantle of the Caliginous Soul to learn Hush's real name is Desmond Quicksieve.   While they floated the idea of killing Hush outright, the Dream Team ultimately decided to set him free, after he revealed he had kidnapped the Lotterbees and would bargain for their release. After signing a magical contract scripted by the Golden League, Hush fled via a door to Absalom Station, and the crew used the opportunity to resupply before returning to the privacy of the Road. Because Ezorod had become unreachable after TRAVIS' tirade, the Dream Team figured they would do well to seek advantage — and a little stress relief via beatdown — before returning, and decided to follow one of their quests to receive Unari's Spectacles from the Shoot Key trial.   Employing a keyhole in the Well itself — embossed with the icon of a sparrow — Flay led the group into a room covered in crystalline shoots, where a nexus of screaming flames manifested, and began its legendary assault. The Howl That Reaches The Heavens offered no quarter, invoking powerful sonic blasts mixed with an array of elemental barrages, quickly whittling down the party's vitality as they struggled to identify its weaknesses. Eventually, Isra decided that they would have to meet overwhelming power in kind, and employed both a mote of good fortune and the Blessing of the Roaring Justice to shatter the Howl, while offering her allies a semblance of protection. Although most were able to withstand the blow, Lockette was forced to use the Blessing of the Shield of Light to protect Mist, thus ensuring their total victory.   After some brief medical checks, Flay approached the far side of the room, where a pair of golden spectacles rested on a plinth, and then placed the glasses on her face. Although the rest of the Dream Team only saw her stationary figure, Flay found herself in an office laden with books, where the spirit of Unari Dama parsed through his many tomes. While he didn't initially recognize Flay, a wisp of light left her chest — the very same that joined with her at the gala — and restored Unari's mind to the current year. While clearly traumatized by the experience, he became extremely alarmed as he realized the fallout of his death, and then noticed something sinister hanging around the Ysoki's soul.   The Blessing of the Jester.   Picked up at some point after River's betrayal and Unari's death, as Flay's thoughts grew increasingly dark, Flay had kept the Blessing hidden from her friends, but her bonded deity saw the truth. But rather than blame her, he apologized profusely, believing that he put too much pressure on Flay, and that this was an understandable result. He offered to remove the Blessing, if she still believed in him, and offered her hope instead.   Flay agreed, banishing the Jester's influence, and removing further some of the ill fate hovering about her spirit. When asked about their next steps, Unari seemed to think he had done Flay a disservice, believing she wasn't ready for some of his secrets. But now that she had risen above the Infinite Line, he offered to introduce her to the original owner of the spectacles, and opened a secret door in his bookshelves, leading to another office.   Behind the desk, a manifestation of Kesil looked up from his tome...