After the Rain ep32 : Houses of the Blooded

3/22/2015
After the Rain

Episode Thirty Two
"Dragon"

Houses of the Blooded

Gil and Rio are at the estate.  Gil crosses the courtyard and sees Dalvinosh Steele walking and talking to... shadows.  Gil has seen one of these mirror masks before, but it was broken and pieced together in her Mom's house during the War of the Dukes.  Seran had come one rainy night...

Rio is looking at Dalvinosh' military structure.  She goes to the farms, and sees a fellow former Vashna.  She follows him in a gathering of around ten ven, gathered around a crate with a wolf symbol on it.  They hold out their Bloodswords... but it becomes clear they are not wolves as they hesitate on using the blades.  Rio slides in and asks her nondescript questions in an attempt to learn more about what the gathering is about.  The woman leading the group has both a seven-foot long centipede in her service, as well as a blade.  Rio realizes it is her mother behind this gathering.  Some mistake her to be Dranna Ru, but Rio reminds them Dranna Ru is a legend.  Rio speaks with Nia and and the two exchange stories on what had transpired. Nia is particularly angered when Rio speaks of her eyes having glowed red.  Nia is still in communication with Janine, through a pearl earring, and both turn out to have tricked Dalvinosh Steele into building an army they hope to manipulate to fight what they believe is the last remaining Sorcerer King.  Both had made plans for the army of Dalvinosh to clash with that of the Sorcerer King - and were to pounch in and defeat whoever won between the two.   Rio learns the larger part of their scheme: all whom had been announced or found dead were in truth replaced with a Tulpa in the last ten years.  And these have all joined them in preparation to fight the Sorcerer King.

Galeo poses in her gown which is the stage.  Jalani whispers to Cass to follow as she shows respect to the "Dragon's" presence.   Cass cannot shake the familiarity she feels with Galeo's presence.  Galeo however dismisses Cass, talking about being the one who addresses and is not addressed.   The condescending attitude is thick and palpable.  Nolwen attempts to guide Cass in how to relate and address Galeo.

Jalani talks to Ash about the situation, surprised that Jarik had never oriented them on what to expect up here.  She takes him to a hidden room where they can speak unnoticed and slowly she turns a gear to close the doorway behind them.   The place clearly is prepared for Sorcery, however, with the rosebushes along the walls.  She admits the Totem Rex can see through the room, but the Dragon can not.  Jalani admits the Dragon is an old friend whom they thought was dead.  She proposes to grant Ash access back to his memories, mentioning him not recalling how he lost his arm.  She admits they made him forget for his own safety, but the fact they both are here now, hiding clearly was a pointless decision.  Ash asks her to visit them in the Citadel, but she starts explaining her role here is more than just politics.  She talks about adoration of the Totem Rex - a Cunning move which Ash picks up on as she covers their intentions with misleading worlds.  On the table, engravings of letters and numbers are present.  Jalani continues a conversation verbally of the Totem Rex' triumphs, while using her finger to point out a different communication.  They communicate through the board, and soon conclude it might be best to find Jesse.

What began as Galeo chiding and maltreating Cass' presence in the Golden City transforms into a moment when the former Artist realizes who the young lady is.  The realization brings her to scream.  At the same time, Gil remembers Janine once making demands upon Seran to explain why she is with Madelyn Yvarai.  Seran had come to visit her in the past.  As before, Madelyn had used her clamshell artifact to cause others to forget.  Gil recalls seeing the Mirror Mask that Seran once wore.  Presently, Gil listens to Dalvinosh as he complains about many things, including Nia's withdrawal to the lands beneath.  Using Sorcery, the old man calls out to Nia but the spell instead locates Gillian, which ruins his plans.

Galeo's screams lead to her retelling of her lost history.  Of how she was plunged into water when the demon's wishes were revoked.  Of how she was stranded on an island with Seran, the island being one of the ruins of Old Shanri.  Of how Galeo was close to death from her injuries, and how none of them had a means to save her.  Of how Seran used her True Name to craft an Airship and find Lukas.  And eventually how she saw the sun approaching her, and discovered the Totem Rex at her side.    Galeo is back thanks to the power of the Totem Rex.  And her desire for revenge is to be by pruning Shanri of the unwanted elements that keep it from becoming better.

Ash's memories return as that of James, who was barely rescued by his sister, Jessie, and their cousin, Rio.  James had stayed alive for weeks by drinking Quan Wei's blood, after the treachery of the Foxes.  But they had to hide his identity to protect the whereabouts of the Quill.  Rio insists its whereabouts be concealed.  A secret he keeps even from her mother.

Dalvinosh's tale is revealed as well, as he shares how he was once just a Tulpa from a city where the Senate had fallen.  In his past, Madelyn loved a Serpent named Jano Mwrr and despite her creating the Mistweir to block the Storm, she was punished with the removal of any memory of her husband and child.  Galeo Silja, it is revealed, was the child Madelyn Yvarai had never remembered.  But now, Dalvinosh is in Solace, and only remains active by possessing the Ruks that serve him.  Madelyn had been murdering her bodies, forcing him into this final one.  Dalvinosh wishes to leave his legacy with Gillian.  But Gil declines, and to force her hand, he admits he has had Haroun Q'n imprisoned for the last ten years.

Galeo confesses the voices in Cass' head were her, a connection they shared for barely a few weeks since the wish was very quickly revoked by the Demon's imprisonment.  Cass ignores how this means the voice she still hears might be just madness growing inside of her.  Cass chooses to stay with Galeo, and to her surprise realizes Galeo does not remember her Secret Name.

Rio now realizes everything was part of their plans.  The Garden mirrors the city above.  The tunnels are both to prepare others for escape.  So many things planned in preparation for the invasion.  Nia admits they suspect the Sorcerer King was drawn by the immense powers unleashed at the Opera House.  Nia needs the armies present in the current Senate Hall by the next Summer.  Eventually Gil is reunited with them, and after sharing all the information about the current events, both choose to stay to assuage Dalvinosh' suspicions.  Rio beats Nia up, takes her hood, and returns to report back about the Bloodsword transaction she had witnessed.  The act gains Dalvinosh's trust, who rewards her with command over the Army.

Elsewhere, Rio's loyal Blackhand dig where they had been directed to do so, and uncover Rio's spear which had long been hidden there.  Keen eyes might have noticed that of the many feathers around the spearhead is actually the Quill.