Isle Imperium: Episode 1.19 -- Mission Season Part 3

The Ninth Number commences its second mission, with CATALINA, as Unconquered Warder, having to convince the Iridescent Warder GEVERA of their capability to do so despite the presence of the Renegade Warder (MANTIUS) and a blue-infested party member (ALINA), as well as the absence of a hazard among their number. Notwithstanding these perceived obstacles, they are able to accomplish the first three of the required seven steps on schedule.

• Prior to their departure on the mission, they discover that the Blue Mage has ‘birthed’ a new shard, the Cerulean Envoy. Spotting a ship approaching theirs, Cat (who was visited during the night by the Prodigious Scholar) makes contact and a truce of sorts with the neophyte number on board—led by the STONEBOUND WARDER—promising to explain certain matters to them after the mission. 
• Gevera clarifies their primary mission: 
• to recover the pieces of the shattered midnight mask 
• to create a prominence at a certain time on a certain day 
•  to rescue the shard of midnight 
• Through Cat’s woodscape authority and ALECTO’S labyrinthine ability, they make their way through the wilderness of fifteen foot high tall grass to a bell tower made of bone, which VARIAN, as Saint of Shadows, successfully negotiates in order to recover the first piece of the midnight mask. Cat discovers the usefulness of her briar complex. 
• Entering the forested area beyond the grass, they eradicate several huge bone snakes and face down an earth wielding guardian, in order for Aly to recover the second piece. She does this by reanimating the remains of a warder that failed to recover the midnight mask, as a result of which they gain his shard, the DIAMOND AZURE CLOAK WARDER. 
• ARCTURUS attempts to negotiate with the bluetongue leader NES’SHRIK’SH for the piece of the mask which the latter acquired from the bluetongue youngling SHIRITAK’S PUP. Nes’shrik’sh opts to eat the pup rather than cooperate, so that DUMAS eventually challenges him and wins the shard in that manner. 
• The remaining great bluetongues swear vengeance upon the party, giving them until the wind changes before the entire tribe of bluetongues come after them. The Ninth flees; and before long they are surrounded by a horde of angry small bluetongues, the larger and more powerful of the species no doubt soon to follow. 
• The party has accomplished at least two of their secondary missions—The Pristine Tower and Death or Undeath—with the latter two yet to be achieved or confirmed.