The episode begins, as per usual, at archivist Aaron Duscalla’s house as he shakes the package that was mysteriously left on his doorstep, but the package doesn’t reveal any hint to its contents.
As he searches for a knife to cut through the copious amounts of tape covering the box, the camera zooms back in time to the fireplace in the Nested Tiger, in front of which a currently unconscious Chonnnk is unceremoniously splayed out. Several deep lacerations mar his face and belly, and a withered-looking cat is napping on top of him.
The rest of the party is greeted by this sight as they emerge from their rooms at the inn. Rooney approaches the cat but pauses as it growls at him. Ultimately he does manage to reach past it to cast Cure Wounds on the barbarian, who slowly wakens. Kyuri asks is he’s all right, but Chonnnk doesn’t hear him. The sorcerer asks the others if he’s dead, to which Syr pipes up from the nearby bar that Chonnnk *was* dead but “no longer.” When asked if something had killed the Ursin last night, the tabaxi shrugs and responds “Stupidity…fate.” The others wisely choose to remain silent.
The group irons out the details for their trip to Gol Zenagi, and Syr again reiterates the necessity to act “properly” as they are essentially representing him. Rooney tries speaking with the cat and asks if it was the one who injured Chonnnk. The cat responds that he was already injured beforehand, and his face wasn’t comfortable enough to sleep on so it settled for its belly. Rooney understands it, though he finds its manner of speech unsettling; the others only hear a sound emanating from the cat that’s more akin to a demonic, guttural growl than a cat’s meowing.
While Chonnnk recuperates underneath the cat, the others visit a magic shop within Jewelspar. They come across a shop that appears abandoned, but Domus knocks on the door anyway. The proprietor of the shop, a yuan ti, cautiously opens the door, and Domus tries to barter with him. The shop owner reveals a tuning fork he’d been holding and promptly smacks each party member on the head with it, declaring each one to be “okay” until he comes to the maw demon Devon—who then tries to eat the fork. The shop owner prepares to attack Devon, but Domus tells his pet the fork isn’t food and Devon relents. The yuan ti admits he doesn’t sell to devils, and indeed has disguised his entire shop to look abandoned so devils will leave him alone.
He produces the items each adventurer has requested, and takes their gold before stepping back and slamming the door. Rooney laments not asking him for anything a cat might enjoy, but a fish comes out of seemingly nowhere and smacks him in the face.
With their treasures in hand, they return to the tavern. Rooney offers the fish to the cat, and it deems the treat acceptable in exchange for leaving Chonnnk’s belly—but not before saying a few things that no language can translate. Its jaw unhinges in a manner the party is fairly certain should be impossible for a “normal” cat, and steps off the barbarian.
The group prepares to leave for Gol Zenagi. Syr begins chanting and places their hand on a nearby table as the group’s collective vision darkens, before finding themselves in a tall cylindrical room, and surrounded by glowing runes. A humanoid insect greets them, and informs them they must first have a meeting with “Vol’ak” before being turned out upon the city.
As they follow behind the being, the walls becomes decidedly softer and malleable, to the point it looks like the party could put their arm through it. Rooney does so, and is promptly burned by acid. Their guide apologizes, explaining part of the castle is a literal living ooze, and that touching the walls may be detrimental. Rooney agrees not to punch the walls.
They enter the throne room with a dais in the center, atop which sits a pulsating red ooze. Rooney jokes he “won’t punch that either”, to which their guide responds seriously that the party would be executed if the ranger tried. He then asks the group’s individual names, to which introductions are officially—if awkwardly—made, and before retreating the guide presents them to the city’s ruler: Queen Vol'ak, the Mimicking Ooze.
She welcomes them to the “Shifting Palace of Gol Zenagi” and asks what brings them to her city. Domus presents the haft of karavox; she gingerly accepts the haft and examines it, declaring it a “nasty weapon” before returning it to the paladin.
She asks if the group knows karavox is sentient, saying he’ll be awakened when the haft is reunited with its head. She also asks what it is the group is seeking, and between Kyuri and Rooney they describe the poem they heard in Artagan’s tent. She responds there’s only one Horned Redeemer she’s aware of: Krampus of Breme. The others confirm that’s who they’re seeking, and she tells them they’re likely headed to a spire sealed by several doors that require passing a test to unseal. The spire lies on an island off the coast of Breme.
Before they leave the palace, she lays out the rules they’re expected to abide by—not the least of which is a command to leave the devils living in the city alone, without antagonizing them. They agree, at which point Chonnnk finally looks around to see the queen in front of the group and introduces himself. He shakes hands with the queen, who suddenly starts making comments about his life, remarking on his profession, his past, and his choice to carry several copies of the same book.
They break their connection, and she apologizes for the intrusion, explaining she’s an oblex. Chonnnk and Domus recall an oblex is a type of ooze that can absorb people’s memories, eventually growing old enough to physically embody the person whose memories are tapped. There are two oblex varieties: the first, like Vol'ak, won’t harm the target. The other, however, completely devours its victim in the process of absorbing the memories, leaving no one behind to object when they take the target’s form.
Intrigued by the encounter, Chonnnk asks if the queen could access repressed memories. She admits it’s possible, to which the Ursin laments he would write it down if he had his notebook. She promptly informs him he left it under the books in his bag two years ago, and he begins searching. Rooney asks when was the last time Syr had visited the city, to which she responds a few decades.
The group agrees to be put up in a boarding house run by “Madame Gritania”, and Domus asks where a good place would be to house Devon. Vol'ak briefly holds a conversation with the maw demon, and after a moment, the queen responds that Devon is welcome to stay with her, or in the city proper. Domus leaves the decision to Devon, but cannot understand him. Vol'ak approaches him and asks his permission to touch him; when he gives it, she bestows knowledge of the Abyssal language on him so he can understand Devon. The very second it happens, Devon greets his owner with “Feed me, you sonofabitch!” The two promptly enter negotiations as to what is considered “living”, and Devon leaves to consume every flower he can find—with Domus running behind him.
Right before the others leave the palace, the queen recommends the others visit a specific bakery after sundown. She then asks them to say hello to karavox from her—or rather, as she adds, “from Arethar.”
Chonnnk finds his notebook and requests to speak further with Vol'ak. She agrees, and the others leave. They meet yet another guide outside, a halfling dressed in a black coat with a wide-brimmed hat. Kyuri notices a series of stitches encircling the halfling’s arm, and several other body parts as well—as though the stitches were keeping their body together.
The guide introduces themselves as Exuus, and asks where they planned to visit, and the group asks to see the magic shop. Along the way, they catch a glimpse of the “walls” around Gol Zenagi, built mostly to protect its inhabitants from falling off the edge of the floating city. Rooney asks abut dragons, and Exuus responds there’s a recent addition of a red dragon skeleton that now sits in the city’s museum after its original owner thought to breach the walls.
Back at the palace, Chonnnk asks Vol’ak a variety of questions to understand more about oblexes. She responds to the questions, but the brain fog he’s experiencing from the previous day’s exhaustion and unfortunate encounter with the tavern cauldron leave him unable to fully process her answers.
Outside, the halfling brings the other party members to a shop called “Ariadne’s Arcane Oddities,” which is covered by cobwebs and silk. When they enter, they find a large counter that comes up almost to their shoulders, behind which stands Ariadne—a tall dark elf woman. She greets them warmly, and offers them water and healing potions.
Getting down to business almost immediately, Domus rattles off a list of items he’s looking for. As they discuss price, Ariadne steps behind the counter, and everyone notices the lower half of her body is that of a spider.
She and the paladin discuss prayer beads and an immovable rod, but as he speaks, Domus begins coughing uncontrollably and he reaches desperately for the pitcher of water Ariadne provided. Suddenly a gremlin emerges from his mouth, but Devon —smelling blood—bursts in from outside and chomps down on the creature. More gremlins try climbing their way through Domus’ mouth, but between the paladin and the maw demon the duo makea short work of them and Ariadne returns to collect items.
Rooney asks for Revivify scrolls, and takes interest in Ariadne’s magic “angry hornet” arrows among others. Kyuri’s eye is caught by her Death Ward scrolls and stronger healing potions.
When business concludes, Ariadne bids the group goodbye and asks Exuus if he’ll be home tonight. He responds he’ll be with the group but will return within the next day or so.
Back at the palace, Chonnnk relays a story of his childhood to Vol’ak, saying he has his powers because he was “kissed by a giant” at an early age. Vol’ak gently corrects him, saying it was a half lie: he had actually been challenged, not kissed by a giant, after Chonnnk’s father drunkenly boasted his child would grow to be stronger than any other creature. A giant who took offense to the boast prophesied they would meet you in battle one day, but to make the fight fair they gave the prideful father a gift—who promptly forgot it after falling asleep. Chonnnk’s mother then wisely gave it to him. He thanks her and rolls out of the palace.
Remembering the queen’s recommendation, the others meet Chonnnk on the street and the party heads to the bakery known as Doghnuts and Dondurma. Immediately upon entering, each member is struck with an inviting nostalgic scent that somehow reminds each of them of their own home—but only the good memories. To their shock, they find the earth genasi that Chonnnk and Domus fought back at the temple waiting for them at a nearby table.
Back at Aaron’s house, he’s found a knife and finally manages to open the box to reveal the contents within: a slightly dusty, slightly worn metal bucket.
