Manithan Vaanam

After the party sleeps through a clammy night, the group heads to Thooli and Lasoo's cave after a hearty community breakfast in Lagaab. In the cave, Thooli releases the soul of a mirugham captured the night before into a campfire, and a mouth of embers forms above the fire, voicing the thoughts of the deceased mirugham. The party ask it questions about its purposes, next targets, and master. The mouth reveals that its master sent him and his companion to destroy Lagaab and a farming homestead in the Palani Hills, presumably that of Gambidevi and Maarya. The Dharma Villu was asked about, and the soul admitted to its master's want to destroy it, and harvest its manthiram. The fire also spoke on the pre-reincarnation identities of the Murugeshwara twins: Jaya and Vijaya. After six questions were asked, the campfire sparked, the flaming mouth melts, and the tin in the fire rattles, as the soul captured is released into the ether. Thooli begins to scratch questions on scraps of paper, handing them to Bhavannan to answer. She asks Bhavannan if he remembers a tattoo on the raatchi, and he begins to remember: a book supine with a dagger struck into its spine. As Bhavannan says this, Lasoo explains that the raatchi is Khootabha, the sworn enemy of Mun Mugham.

After sitting in silence, the party heads out of the cave, wanting to warn Gambidevi and Maarya but not sure how. Aadhi is asked to stay back for a few minutes, where Lasoo and Thooli gift Aadhi a Ring of Mind Shielding to help Aadhi regain a semblance of control over Bodhi. After Aadhi thanks the two, she rejoins the party and they walk towards the town square, running into Ilanka. The group asks Ilanka for help contacting Gambidevi and Maarya, and she explains that Palu, the Kadalon cleric, would be able to. She advises them to split up, though, for Palu is very shy. Taking Ilanka's advice, Aadhi and Haavani go to meet Palu, Bhavannan and Nila go to Raji (a blacksmith who has touched the Dharma Villu), and Shwari goes into the town hall with Ilanka, at Ilanka's request.

In the town hall, Ilanka apologizes to Shwari for her incapability during the fight and how, as the leader of Lagaab, she should have been able to do more. Shwari comforts her, explaining that she showed up minutes late to the fight and that Ilanka did good for her people. Ilanka accepts the compliments, and, to thank Shwari, Ilanka gifts Shwari a dagger made out of a giant crocodile's tooth. Shwari accepts it, and the two share a tender moment in the town hall. After, Ilanka excuses herself, and Shwari heads back to the hut, drawing a rangoli on the floor.

Bhavannan and Nila walk around the village and eventually find the forge, meeting the blacksmith named Raji. She welcomes them enthusiastically, pulling wooden stools as seats out. Bhavannan and Nila ask Raji about the Dharma Villu, and Raji narrates a splendid tale about Ashitham, the Dharma Villu, and the brand on her left hand, which she showed off to the two. Bhavannan and Nila try to ask more specifics about the Villu, but Raji does not know, stating that the moment she picked it up, it branded and burned her hand. Somehow, the conversation changed topics to Nila and Vash, which then derailed to Bhavannan and Nila trying a breathing exercise to help them connect emotionally. However, whilst the two are holding hands and breathing in joint, Vash walks in, interrupting the exercise. After fumbling, Bhavannan and Nila mention the mirugham battle from the previous night, which Raji and Vash did not know about. Vash and Raji leave, presumably to interrogate Ilanka, and Bhavannan and Nila head back to the hut whilst Shwari is finishing her rangoli.

It takes a few rounds of the village for Aadhi and Haavani to find Palu, but they eventually do find him at a massive hollowed-out palm tree with a statue of Kadalon in it. He is in the midst of a prayer ritual for Kadalon as they approach him, but he stops and regards them. Aadhi and Haavani first ask for him to help contact Gambidevi and Maarya, and, after two attempts with the spell Scrying, he contacts Maarya and delivers the message. Palu lets Aadhi and Haavani know that the couple is currently in Kaverinaadu and that Gambidevi is in a coma. Afterwards, Palu gifts Haavani the Necklace of Wind Walk to honor the love and friendship their patron deities have. Aadhi asks Palu about his time in the Neithal Kingdom, where he worked at the Suruli Koyil. He said that he appreciated the work, but it got dull and repetitive, which is why he left. He also lets Aadhi know that he has seen her and her family before, and that Venkataram is campaigning for raasa. Aadhi, in shock, thanks Palu for his information, and she and Haavani head back to the hut. As the party regathers, they think back to earlier in the day, pondering the embers that spoke