The Charter

"" is episode 3 in The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One, released on March 28, 2023.

"Masks off. The world blooms anew with purpose, as our trio take the first few proper steps of their quest. The band is back together, the open road of blue water calls, but what else lies in wait between here and there? Only everything.   — Official episode description."

Part 1
Backstage at the festival, Eursulon packs his things at his untidy pile of hay. Suvi and Ame observe that he has a taste for liquor and souvenirs. Oscar returns, and Eursulon explains that he is leaving the production. He reveals to Oscar that he is a spirit, showing his true form, and Oscar is awed, saying he had always wanted to meet a spirit. Eursulon explains a bit of his history, including the origins of his pauldron, and his wish to become a knight. With that, the group part ways with the production. Ame gives Oscar a witch's charm in thanks for his care of Eursulon, and he is very honored. He is last seen trying to corral the other actors into chasing down J.B. Adelaide.

The Fox introduces himself to Eursulon, and the group discusses why the fox should (or should not) have a name. The fox becomes argumentative, and Eursulon intimidates him into being civil. The fox rolls over to show his belly, and they seem to understand one another.

Eursulon takes a sword from the production's stage props and explains that their quest for Wavebreaker will take them to Port Talon. The group decides to travel by boat. The fox realizes he understands what a boat is, and Suvi is fascinated by the magic that imbues him with this understanding.

It's late in the day, so Ame finds a home willing to offer shelter to a witch (using her Rustic Hospitality feature). A farmer offers them a place to stay, and Ame is able to calm the farmer's teething baby with herbalism. Suvi is a little ill at ease in the plain and simple surroundings, and suggests an inn, but it falls on deaf ears. Eursulon, sleeping on the ground behind the house, reflects on the shame and failure he's carried with him in the years since he left the cottage.

Part 2
In the morning, Suvi wakes up early, magically does the laundry, and leaves a gold coin on the counter -- a princely sum for a person of these means. The group heads through bustling streets to the docks. Ame is wowed by the new and different sensations here, while Suvi and Eursulon try to find a ship to take them to Port Talon. Suvi chooses the ship that looks the most imperial, which in this town means a non-military ship pressed into wartime service.

The ship she finds is called the Capria. It has spell caps covering its cannons, decorated with a silver drake on a blue field. Its captain, Karkoth, greets Suvi with deference and says the ship is headed for the city of Carrow, in the empire. Port Talon is considerably out of their way, and he requests 2500 imperial marks to do the job anyway. This is far too much for Suvi, but before she can slip away gracefully, her companions begin to make themselves at home on board the Capria. Suvi scrambles to salvage some gentility, and the group leaves -- with the fox dragging a huge fish behind him.

The ship they find is not imperial at all. An Akhami merchant vessel called the Roan, this ship carries simple supplies around the island, and is captained by a woman named Emliss. Her fee is much lighter, but she's short-staffed, and the group barters Eursulon's assistance in loading the ship for a discount. Eursulon and the Fox continue to banter, and Suvi laments the lack of creature comforts.

As the ship sets sail, the group settles in to rest on bags of potatos. Eursulon says their first step in locating Wavebreaker will be to find a hedge mage named Finley, who he warns is stronger than J.B. Adelaide was. Eursulon gave Wavebreaker to this man, and expects him to be found in Port Talon. As they talk about Wavebreaker, Eursulon and the Fox are caught up on Ame's curse, and what it's concealing. Suvi also tells the group tales of the Citadel. They fall asleep that way, together, as they did when they were children. In the middle of the night, as Suvi is having trouble sleeping, Ame makes her a pillow out of some blue fabric that was once a part of a cloak for Suvi's mother.

The next day passes without incident, the ship sailing along the eastern coast. In the early evening, Ame crafts some tokens and banters with the fox. She finds the fox frustrates her and can't put her finger on why. Suvi catches Eursulon practicing with his sword and offers to assist -- she's trained in swords as well. They spar for a bit, and both agree that this play is more fun than other times they've used swords -- Eursulon fighting for his life, and Suvi training for war. Suvi reminisces about watching Eursulon train with a local baker during their summer together, and how she often thought of it while they were apart.

As the moon goes behind a cloud, the running light on the bowsprit goes out. Captain Emliss appears to re-light it, needing to get past Ame to do so. On her way, she notices Ame's tokens and pauses to ask about them. Ame proudly explains that she is a witch, and that she gives these tokens to folk as needed. Captain Emliss says she's known plenty of witches that weren't so kind. Ame is taken aback that this sailor should know many witches, but before Emliss answers, the moon appears again. As it lights the captain's face, her shadow seems to stretch to the shore, and darkness comes out of her mouth.

Main player characters

 * Suvi
 * Ame
 * Eursulon

Returning

 * The Fox
 * Oscar

New

 * Captain Karkoth, a wealthy imperial merchant
 * Captain Emliss, a Rhuvian agent posing as an Akhami sailor

Mentioned

 * J.B. Adelaide
 * Agnes
 * Lohan (first mentioned)
 * Finley (first mentioned)

Trivia

 * Although this episode contains the first reference to the Dominion of Rhuv, it's mentioned outside of the main storyline, as a contrast to hedge mages.
 * The first content released by Worlds Beyond Number were four previews to the campaign titled "Then & Now". The Fox: Then & Now is the only preview that was exclusive to Patreon subscribers, and contained content not featured anywhere else in the campaign.  Some of that preview falls within the timeline of this episode.