Ep. 68: Story and Song - Finale, Part Two

"Did you see them? Did you see the lights above? It’s time to play your part in The Adventure Zone!"

Synopsis
Full transcript available here.

''Two lights shine down from the sky. Their story passes through reality. His song fills their hearts.''

The world fights back.

The episode begins with a montage of every city and settlement on Faerûn being attacked by an enemy they can't see, or even comprehend. Suddenly the world is bathed in the light of the voidfishes, and every sentient mind is filled with knowledge of the events of The Stolen Century. Able to perceive their enemy, and knowing the whole story of the crew of the Starblaster, the world begins to fight back against the apocalypse.

Magnus returns to the surface of the Bureau of Balance moonbase (the voidfishes having both vanished when their lights flashed), where he and Team Sweet Flips fight Hunger-ized versions of the Royal Beasts from the Animal Planet. While fighting the Royal Bear, Magnus experiences a series of flashbacks to when the Bear taught him "the true meaning of strength". Magnus defeats the Bear but is unable to defeat the Royal Wolf by himself, so (remembering the Bear's lessons) he asks for help; his prayers are answered by Avi, who shoots the Royal Wolf with a BoB transport sphere and knocks it off the moonbase. The BoB regroups but notices that one of the Four Judges is wading across the Still-Water Sea towards Rockport. In an effort to save the city from destruction, NO-3113 willingly gives up her (second) life to pilot Lucas' lab into the Judge, annihilating it instantly.

Meanwhile, on the surface of Faerûn, Lup tells Taako and Barry her plan: to use the glass circle which used to be Phandalin as an interdimensional portal to call for aid, by transmuting it into a sapphire mirror like the ones Lucas used in his lab to observe the planes. Lup and Barry hold off The Hunger while Taako tries (unsuccessfully) to transmute the circle. Lucas appears in an Upsy mech and buys Taako more time. Taako reaches into the Bag of Necessity which Istus gave him and removes the only object inside: a small mirror which opens a communication portal to Earth Prime (i.e., the listeners' world, the "real" world), where he makes contact with Joaquin, a human teenager and employee of the South Beach Tacos food truck. Taako recognizes Joaquin as "the man wreathed in flames" (from Paloma's prophecy) and asks him to help him fulfill his destiny by "teach[ing] Taako how to make a taco". Joaquin agrees and does so, and at the moment the two of them each take bites of their respective tacos, the mystical force of their connection floods them both with arcane powers. Joaquin sets off to save his own world while Taako effortlessly transmutes the circle. He opens a portal to the Astral Plane and summons Kravitz, who in turn summons Legion, who destroys the second Judge.

Meanwhile, Merle finds himself in a Parley space with John, whose appearance has deteriorated badly since the last time they met. John confesses that he can no longer control The Hunger, and asks Merle to play chess with him, but appears to be losing on purpose. When it becomes apparent that John is using the chess match to tell Merle how to defeat The Hunger, it becomes enraged and consumes John. As the Hunger attempts to consume Merle, Pan appears and rescues Merle. Pan apologizes for not coming to his aid earlier, saying that he was trapped on the Astral Plane until Taako opened it back up. Pan restores Merle's lost powers, and promises to never abandon Merle again. The light fades out, and Merle wakes up on the side of a dirt road where he is picked up by a battle wagon piloted by Cassidy and containing most of the citizens of Refuge. They run into the second Judge, but Roswell (in bird-form) speaks to the earth and summons the Purple Worm, which eliminates the third Judge in spectacular fashion.

The BoB regroups on the moonbase and Davenport congratulates them all on their hard work, but he points out that the facts haven't changed: The Hunger will continue attacking until this entire world is destroyed. He suggests they flee in the Starblaster and try again in the next reality. Lucas takes them to the secret hangar where Lucretia has been keeping the Starblaster all these years, but Lucretia reappears and begs them not to leave; she insists that she can still cast her spell and stop The Hunger once and for all, she just needs a little more time. Taako has an idea, and asks whether it would be possible for her to cast the spell on The Hunger itself, to seal it off from the rest of existence. Lucretia considers for a moment and says she thinks it might be possible, but she would have to cast it from within The Hunger itself; it would be a guaranteed suicide mission. Davenport offers to pilot the Starblaster on one last time, and Tres Horny Boys immediately volunteer to accompany them on their final mission. On the verge of tears, Lucretia begs forgiveness from the rest of the IPRE for her hubris, for thinking she could reclaim the Grand Relics and defeat The Hunger entirely on her own. Magnus instantly and unconditionally forgives her (as do the rest of the IPRE), and Lucretia breaks down in tears. Lup and Barry opt to stay behind and lead the resistance against The Hunger, "to to make sure there’s still a world for you to come back to". After a long series of goodbyes to various NPCs (including Carey, Killian, Angus), Tres Horny Boys board the Starblaster for one final time.

The story cuts away to a battlefield just before the gates of Neverwinter, where Lup, Barry, Carey, Killian, Angus, and Lucas stand at the head of an army of survivors (including Sloane and Hurley, Ren, Cassidy, The Hogsbottom Three, and many more), preparing to make one last desperate stand against The Hunger. Lup gives a rousing speech to the assembled survivors as they brace for The Hunger's final charge, while the Starblaster streaks across the sky overhead, "up and away from the moon base, flying for the first time into, not away from, the storm".

Featured NPCs

 * Angus McDonald
 * Avi
 * Barry Bluejeans
 * Carey Fangbattle
 * Cassidy
 * Davenport
 * The Hunger
 * Hurley
 * Joaquin Terrero
 * John
 * June
 * Killian
 * Kravitz
 * Legion
 * Luca
 * Lucas Miller
 * Lucretia
 * Lup
 * Mavis
 * Mr. Upsy
 * NO-3113
 * Paloma
 * Pan
 * Power Bear (a.k.a. Royal Bear)
 * The Purple Worm
 * Redmond
 * Ren
 * Roswell
 * Sloane

Featured Music

 * Besieged
 * "Voidfish (Plural)" by Rachel Rose Mitchell
 * The Meaning of Strength
 * The Elevator of Tomorrow
 * The Cosmoscope
 * Parley
 * The Temple of Istus
 * Wonderland: Round Three
 * The First Church of Fungston
 * Discovery and Recovery
 * A Far Friendlier Robot
 * Legion (Or: A Pile of Ghosts)
 * The Purple Worm
 * "Wind Dance" by Mort Garson
 * Reunion Tour