EP38: Roots

Titus furthers his burgeoning understanding of Concord, the sentient weapon of myth that has been wielded by the two champions of the Goddess of Justice before him.

Roots the Fellowship makes camp, grappling with the knowledge that their ship has been stolen by Caepio Secundus and the men that crewed it murdered by the same. A man named Khalid comes upon their camp, successfully sneaking up on Titus and Marcus before declaring himself. Although a vague feeling of unease settles onto Titus about this newcomer, Marcus is unable to pinpoint anything amiss. Titus furthers his burgeoning understanding of Concord, the sentient weapon of myth that has been wielded by the two champions of the Goddess of Justice before him. She underscores that each relationship with the three champions is different and must be studiously worked toward, partially motivated by a dream Marcus had, and also the grim fact they have no way of preserving Merick's body for what will now be an uncertain trip home. The Fellowship returns to the cathedral they fought so hard inside just the day before and bury their fallen comrade beside a kaolin fruit bush that has sprung up miraculously overnight. During their farewells, a seemingly revived Uriah comes stumbling from the cathedral doors, his memory hazy other than a woman's voice told him he had work yet to do and to rise. Khalid, the man that found the party's camp, is part of GRIP's former crew. Khalid leads them back to the half dozen survivors of that ship, the Zephyr, whom they find in the midst of a heated argument. Titus promptly chokes the captain, lifting him from the ground with one hand for attempting to interfere with Marcus's healing of another crew member. Ultimately, Grip reveals he's been trained as a shipwright, and the path of salvaging enough material to construct a vessel in time to return home seems at least possible.