Dimension 20: The Ravening War - Episode 6 Recap and Review

Author's note: This episode will contain spoilers for episode 6 of The Ravening War.

The finale of the ravening war was massive! So many things happened. I literally almost wanted to cry.

Episode 6 of The Ravening War resolves many loose ends we saw during the season. It also features one of the most brutal D&D battles of all time.

Let's get straight into it.

It Had to Be a Battle

The episode began as a theatre of the mind segment until Raphaniel used Shatter again, and Matt decided to bring the battle set out.

Very dark setting. Figuratively and literally. The moment that set came out, I knew the Archbishop would be much more than a frail old lady. I wasn't prepared for what came next.

Before we talk about it, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on how this season brought us here. The season felt very "House of The Dragon," in a way. Each episode brought a different part of the story and highlighted a moment in Candian history that was brought from the text to live action.

And now, after everything we've been through, it's time to get back to our roots with a fully-fledged D&D battle to the end.

Have We Been Deceived All Along?

Deus-Pa'Zuul - such a great wordplay on the word Disposal.

What was So surprising is that even the Sanctus Putris were deceived by the Archbishop. The FDA, the Sanctus Putris, and even the rot people were all pawns in a game far more complicated than anyone could have anticipated.

Those Disposal Bins Were Outrageous

This was probably one of the most brutal fights in Dimension 20 history. So many things have gone wrong for our group in their dice rolls, and that shredding ability was outrageous.

I wanted to cry when Karna and Raphaniel died horrifyingly from those metal teeth. Even in such a short adventure, we still learned to love these characters, and it was hard to watch.

In a way, it felt a little unfair. Killing the Archbishop was way harder than expected. She could move those bins around every round that passed and kill you when your turn arrived.

However, there were many ways this battle could go. If Karna had Blink or some other transportation spell, she probably could have used it as a reaction, blinked away from the archbishop, and survived one more round. When Provolone would have started attacking the archbishop, Karna could have supported him from afar.

Deli Just Barely Survived

That sequence at the end, when the surviving players needed to run away from the heart of the mycelium, was gut-wrenching. And Deli has always been at the edge of that spore cloud hanging between life and death.

It didn't need to be this way if only their dice rolls were high enough to convince the heart to let them leave peacefully. That entire sequence could have been replaced with some aftermath scenes, but it is what it is. That final running sequence is a staple of the harshness of playing in Calorum.

This fight felt much more brutal than anything our group has faced. What do you think? Could the players have done anything differently?

No Slamming Down Big Style For Anybody

Deli was in love with Ariana, and Karna was in love with Deli.

Ariana died while telling Deli she never lied to him. It was Basha Myaso who united the meat clans.

Then Karna died. At the end of the battle, Deli finds a letter she left before the battle started on his bed, confessing her love to him.

So much potential, yet no dice.

Thoughts About Going Forward

Strangely enough, Brennan's prologue fits my previous assumption that he would be involved with the church's expansion even though he did not survive.

As Brennan describes it, Belisabeth Brassica finds all his notes and uses them. The Sanctus Putris are not annihilated, but they are fragmented across Calorum.

Amangeaux takes up Karna's mantle and becomes Uvano's spymaster.

Poor Deli follows in his mom's footsteps, so we never see any changes from him in the world.

Colin Provolone becomes a Sanctus Putris hunter and hunts them down for years. That's an excellent open-ended character arc which means we might see him in a future sequel or Calorum side quest.

Conclusion

I loved this season. It was tough to watch the characters struggle and die, but the brutality of Calorum is what makes it so unique.

Episode 6 of The Ravening War closes off all or most of those loose ends between our characters and the world they inhabit while providing us with a challenging battle that the players barely survive.

What did you think about the finale? Let me know in the comments!

Read the season review here.