The Pixie and the Palimpsest, also known as The Pixie and the Mosh Pit,[1] is the fifth episode of season 1, Fantasy High.
The Bad Kids get ice cream, enlist Biz Glitterdew for help with a palimpsest, and spend an evening at the Black Pit.
Recap[]
"Last we left our heroes, they flipped a car doing 85 on the highway. And now we find ourselves at Basrar's Soda Fountain, a wonderful little white and silver soda fountain shop... you guys are all seated in a corner booth, some of you are having your second milkshake of the day. You are all covered in insane road rash and, like, blood and other things like that, but you're mostly okay."
Synopsis[]
The group arrives at Basrar's Soda Fountain. There, they meet Basrar, an ice cream djinn. Battle damaged and enjoying milkshakes, they review their spoils of victory from the last battle. Johnny Spells's little black book has a crystal number for his newly-missing girlfriend, Sam Nightingale, along with the other missing Aguefort girls: Penny Luckstone, Katya Cleaver, Danielle Barkstock and Antiope Jones. The black book also has a day planner with the last Friday of the month marked as "Tea Time", along with multiple dance rehearsals.
There is also a list of new, unlabeled crystal numbers with PINs and activation codes. All of the sets of numbers and codes are crossed out except for one set on the last page. They also have Johnny's warlock switchblade, a brand-new burner crystal, and a palimpsest with someone trapped inside. Adaine shares what she learned from her Identify Spell about the palimpsest and the girl trapped inside of it.
The group talks to Basrar and Fig detects a deep sadness within him. Kristen and Fig ask him about it, getting no information until he grows upset when Riz asks him about his family life. Kristen invites Basrar to join her Prayer Chain; he politely declines and leaves.
Adaine suggests talking to the A.V. Club about the palimpsest. Kristen casts Detect Good and Evil on the palimpsest but detects neither alignment, meaning that the being trapped inside is either obscured from the spell or has no celestial or infernal magic. Riz investigates it and learns that it is a powerful piece of arcano-tech that has been banged up by powerful magic. The scratches and fractures on the crystal help to keep the trapped soul inside of it; they act like funhouse mirrors that expand the holding capacity of the crystal and destroy the safety precautions originally placed on the crystal.
Fabian suggests they call the police but is swiftly vetoed by the rest of the party. Bud Cubby, the dad of the halfling family they met in Rumble Road, speaks up. The group suddenly remembers that they have been sitting with the Cubbys this entire time. Bud and his wife, Daisy, express anti-institutional sentiments and remind the group of the police corruption and bias that is especially felt by minority groups. They also reveal that Daisy is a waitress at Krom's Diner and that Bud is a postal worker. Despite their surprise at the couple's anarcho-socialism, the group implicitly trusts them and thanks them for the ride and the ice cream. The Cubbys promise to keep the group's secrets. Fig says they might one day need connections with people like The Cubbys.
Gorgug reminds the group of the palimpsest and suggests they take it to the A.V. Club. The group agrees to keep it instead of giving it to the police. Adaine casts her Identify spell on the switchblade and discovers that it's actually a switchblade comb, not a knife. It is also a phylactery, also known as a pact boon, that serves as a symbol of Johnny Spells's warlock bond to his patron, Gorthalax the Insatiable. Johnny got his spellcasting power from Gorthalax, a fallen angel of Sol who fell during the reign of Kalvaxus, emperor of The Red Waste. Riz remembers that the page of runes from Episode 2 was created by a fallen angel.
Johnny Spells would have had to perform certain obligations and abstain from certain behaviors in order to maintain the use of his magic; the group realizes that this is probably why Johnny Spells didn't fuck. They also hypothesize that Johnny may have been kidnapping the missing girls and giving them to Gorthalax as offerings.
Fig wonders if Gorthalax could be her unknown father, but the group dismisses the possibility. She tells the group that, although she's difficult to read - a claim that the rest of the party immediately rejects - she was honored to fight with them. She then runs away from embarrassment at her own emotional vulnerability.
Basrar checks on the group and offers them an ice-cream-related wish. Adaine wishes for the whole group to get ice cream later at an undetermined time. The members of the party agree to meet at the A.V. Club the next day, and they return to their homes for the night.
They arrive at school the next day. Fig gives Gorgug a set of drum sticks, telling him that music is the right way to express his rage but that singing might be the wrong medium. At his locker, Gorgug meets Zelda Donovan, a satyr who shyly compliments him on his drumsticks. He can tell that she thinks he's cool and that she likes him. They flirt awkwardly until Ragh slams Gorgug's head into a locker. Ragh calls him a freak and Gorgug begins to sing to himself in an attempt to calm down. This both enrages and delights Ragh, who throws Gorgug into a wall of lockers. Gorgug goes into a rage, spins Ragh around, and hurls him down the hallway. Ragh, bloody and crying, runs away. Zelda looks terrified as Gorgug comes out of his rage. He apologizes to her, but she says goodbye and quickly walks away.
The group heads to the A.V. Club as Fig and Fabian pretend to bully Riz to maintain their status as cool kids. Fig yanks on the locks of the lockers in case any of them open. She opens a locker and discovers that it belongs to Penelope Everpetal. Riz investigates the locker and finds several pictures of Penelope and a picture of her kissing Dayne. There is one photo on the back wall of the locker that doesn't fit in with the rest; it's a low-quality, middle-school era photo of Penelope in braces with her arm around Sam Nightingale.
Penelope approaches her locker while The Bad Kids are still investigating it. Fig and Fabian tell her that they saw Johnny Spells outside in an attempt to get her to leave. She believes them and rushes outside, allowing the party to continue going to the A.V. Club.
They enter the A.V. Club and find Shellford, Skrank, and Biz, who is eager to see Riz. Biz pulls Riz aside and asks him not to bring Gorgug to the club again because of his low social status. Biz cites the need to preserve the "bad boy mystique" of the A.V. club, but Riz insists that Gorgug would fit in with them. Riz tells Biz that Gorgug has "something cool" that only the three of them can look at. They go into a corner of the room while Kristen and Fig guard the front door.
Gorgug pulls out the palimpsest and he and Riz explain that they believe a person is trapped inside of it. Biz takes Riz and Gorgug into a darkroom; Adaine follows because she doesn't want Gorgug to take all of the credit for her work. As she enters the darkroom, Biz notices Adaine and attempts to flirt with her, but she immediately shuts him down. The four go into the darkroom to examine the palimpsest, leaving Fabian to make awkward conversation with the remaining two A.V. Club members.
In the darkroom, Biz sets the palimpsest in a clamp and turns on an engine. Blue energy fills the crystal, revealing the spectral form of Sam Nightingale trapped inside of the crystal. Biz, horrified, asking them what they did. He explains that every crystal is logged with a special bureau dedicated to arcano-tech safety. A palimpsest, however, has had all of its safety mechanisms scrubbed out. A normal crystal is limited in its function and storage space, but a dream crystal in its natural state can potentially hold anything; Biz claims that, although untested, he believes that this particular palimpsest is holding a soul. He tells them that he thinks he could help Sam get out of the crystal, but that he would need better equipment than what the school has. He also tells them it might not be safe to work on it at school and that whoever did this is incredibly dangerous.
Riz wins Biz's trust by nicknaming him "The Hacker" of their group. Biz says he needs a strong power source and suggests asking Gorgug's parents for help. Adaine offers Biz Johnny Spells's switchblade comb, which he says is strong enough to help him get started. Biz recognizes that the switchblade belongs to Johnny and makes a comment about how girls always go for "guys like Johnny" when there are "nice guys who, honestly, have a lot to offer." Adaine firmly puts Biz in his place, telling him that he needs to actually improve himself instead of waiting for women to lower their standards for him. The group, wary about leaving the gear with Biz during the school day, agrees to give Biz the palimpsest and switchblade after school.
As Kristen and Fig guard the door, Vice Principal Goldenhoard approaches. He attempts to question them, but Fig scares him away with her fake flirting. Kristen reads her library book, A People's History of Fallinel, which depicts crusaders of Sol committing atrocities against the elves of Fallinel. Fig tries to practice forging Goldenhoard's handwriting but is largely unsuccessful.
The Bad Kids go to meet Biz after school. Fig insists on keeping the switchblade comb, claiming that it might be a connection to her dad. Biz approaches the group in a trenchcoat and trilby hat and, once again, flirts with Adaine. She suppresses the urge to attack him and instead uses Message to ask Fig and Kristen to not leave her alone with Biz. Biz says that he'll work at his house, but the group discusses where they should go first in order to get a power source. After some discussion, The Bad Kids decide to hold onto the palimpsest, stop by Gorgug's house, and meet Biz at his house once they have the power source they need.
Before they leave, they open the new burner crystal they took from Johnny Spells. They activate the phone with the only set of codes from Johnny's book that wasn't crossed out. They immediately get a message from an unknown number that says:
Page didn't work. We need another one. Can we organize a meetup?
Fig responds and says:
Sure thing, daddy-o. What time jives for you?
The unknown number responds immediately:
...Aren't you dead?
The group panics, but tries to come up with a believable response:
Things got weird. Laying low for now.
The response back:
Okay...so the person they buried at Cravencroft, that’s not you?
Fig responds:
Daddy-o, too much for text. We have a problem with Sam.
The unknown number responds:
No shit. Meetup at the Pit instead of tea time.
Fig's final message:
🎷 Sweet.
The group discovers that Fabian drove Johnny Spells's bike to school and berates him for driving such a distinctive vehicle in public after they literally just murdered its previous owner. Fabian takes the bike home and dramatically tells his father the story of how he killed Johnny Spells. Fabian asks him to help re-customize the bike so it won't be recognized as Johnny's bike. Fabian suggests putting a pair of crossbones under the skull of the bike and naming it after his father's ship, "The Hangman". Bill, utterly proud of his son, gladly agrees to help.
Fabian meets the rest of the group at the Thistlespring Tree. Gorgug's parents, happy to see their son has friends, eagerly bring out snacks and talk to the other Bad Kids. Fabian interrupts them by saying that they need help on a school project and Gorgug asks for a large power source. The Thistlesprings give them an elemental engine used for powering dream crystals and a giant, spinning crystal. The group thanks them for their help and heads off to Biz's house.
The Bad Kids arrive at Biz's suburban house and are greeted by Biz's mom, Bubble. Fig investigates the area for anything strange but finds nothing. Biz asks Gorgug to hide so that no one will see him at Biz's house. Gorgug doesn't realize that Biz is being mean, but Adaine criticizes Biz for his rude behavior and explains to Gorgug that he deserves to be treated better. Biz apologizes and asks the group to bring the crystal around to the back of the house to hook it up to his tech gear. Fig paces around the house "like a German Shepherd" to guard it.
Biz hooks the engine up to a wire and attaches the palimpsest to his gear. As he starts to work on it, energy surges inside of the crystal and a wisp of smoke comes out. He assures the party that he just made messed something up, but Gorgug can tell that Biz is mortified because making another mistake could put Sam in danger. Adaine uses a divination roll to help Biz. Biz tells the group that he can either work faster, which might put Sam at risk, or he can take more time but be certain of Sam's safety. The group tells Biz to take his time and offers to get him out of school the next day so he can work on the palimpsest. Fig gives him Bardic Inspiration.
The group enters a bit of downtime. They forge hall passes for Biz and get him out of class to work on getting Sam out of the crystal. They continue going to school and taking classes. Riz goes to Cravencroft Cemetery with his mom to visit his dad on the five-year anniversary of his death. While at Cravencroft, Riz investigates the grave of Johnny Spells, finds a set of fresh footprints, and makes a sketch of them. The shoeprint was made by big, chunky combat boots worn by a lightweight person.
On the last Friday of the month, the group goes to meet the person they were texting on Johnny Spells's burner crystal. They go to The Black Pit, a seedy dive bar with multiple stages in Downtown Elmville. Fig and Kristen reveal that they've actually been to The Black Pit before; Fig has seen several concerts there and Kristen has gone with her church to try and help victims of sex trafficking. Fig suggests that they hide in the club, text the person they're meeting to "go out back", and meet them in the back with Fig disguised as Johnny Spells. The group agrees on this plan, but Riz investigates the building and finds that there is no "out back"; it's essentially one massive block of warehouses and the front doors are the only entrance and exit.
Instead of waiting in line, Fabian approaches the bouncer and offers him a bribe. The bouncer gets angry and asks his age. Fabian bluffs and successfully convinces the bouncer that he's 23 years old. Fig persuades the bouncer to let them in by convincing him that she is also a bouncer and that she just wants to help get him some money from her rich, idiotic friend. The bouncer bonds with Fig and lets the group inside. As they enter, Fabian gives the bouncer some money; the bouncer tells the group that he'll use the money to take his dog, Rover, to the vet. Fig gives Rover some Bardic Inspiration.
Inside the venue they see posters and a merch table for that night's headliner, DJ Brainzz. Other bands from a range of genres play on multiple stages. Fig joins a mosh pit and gets hit by a guy who immediately offers to buy her a drink. They enter another room with a long bar and pulsing, electronic music. Even though Fig watches the bartender pour her a shot, she still tosses it over her shoulder to be safe.
Kristen orders a non-alcoholic drink and meets Tracker, a strong-looking, punk girl. Tracker pokes fun at Kristen's choice of drink and points out the contradictions in the Helioic bible. She can't tell what Tracker thinks of her, but she tells Tracker that she's been researching the atrocities committed by followers of Helio. She also tells Tracker that she met Helio, asked him why bad things happen to good people, and was sent away before she could get a response. Tracker reveals that asking her parents the very same question got her kicked out of her house. Tracker asks her if she wants to get a drink and keep talking; Kristen agrees.
The group spreads out to investigate the club. Riz, Fig, and Gorgug go into the back room. Adaine goes to the front with Fabian to try and find somewhere quieter. Kristen stays with Tracker in the middle room with the bar.
In the back room, DJ Brainzz is performing, but the group doesn't notice anything strange. Riz, sneaking through the crowd, sees Zayn Darkshadow, wearing giant combat boots, dancing to the music. Fig texts the unknown number with Johnny's burner crystal and Zayn's pocket lights up. She signals this to Riz and Gorgug. As Riz begins to sneak back over to Fig and Gorgug, DJ Brainzz changes the track to a new song. As the beat of the new song drops, something begins to happen in the club.
In the middle room, Kristen and Tracker talk more about religion. Tracker kisses a surprised Kristen and immediately apologizes. As Kristen and Tracker both apologize profusely to each other, Tracker starts howling and transforming into a werewolf. Throughout the club, people begin to uncontrollably turn into vampires, werewolves, and zombies. The beat drops and the Bad Kids draw their weapons.
Locations[]
- Basrar's Soda Fountain
- Aguefort Adventuring Academy
- Thistlespring Tree
- Biz Glitterdew's house
- The Black Pit
Featured Characters[]
The Bad Kids[]
New[]
Returning[]
Mentioned[]
References[]