With the 20 million gold bounty on Caleb “Longshot” Mourn looming, the crew sets sail for the lawless frontier of Baflidal. Bones insists on taking this one. He won’t say why, but something in his hollow eyes says it’s personal. Before they go, Undred hosts a job fair to rebuild the Crow’s Nest’s crew. It’s chaotic, but successful. Meanwhile, Varin shops for supplies, eventually wandering into the Bazaar of the Bizarre, where he acquires a new pet and an ancient sword once wielded by an important historical figure.

The Black Mass Tavern turned into a battlefield of booze as the crew continued the drinking contest to determine the next Crimson Cove council member. Tankards slammed, stomachs turned, and the air reeked of shame and fermented fish. One by one, contenders dropped like flies, but not before Varin stole the show—charming a goblin lady of the night and somehow having a full emotional arc mid-contest. Meanwhile, Kaine and Salvadore found themselves the last two standing. With grudges set aside and liquor in hand, they took one final shot. Salvadore emerged victorious… until he failed to hold the cursed brew down for the required two minutes. That opened the floor for one last, chaotic round — and in a surprise finish, Undred claimed victory, winning back his council seat and clearing his name. The Crimson Cove cheered. The morning after was less triumphant. A strange man named Matt, clearly not mentally alone, arrived to deliver awkward energy — and a warning. Turns out he was possessed by none other than Evul Sam, the ghost of the former owner of diabolical cocktails . As a joke, Sam hopped into Varin’s body mid-convo, causing a minor crisis before promising (under duress) to never possess another Cinder Crest member again. Now, with drinks down and ghosts sorted, the crew looks ahead. Do they recruit and ready the Crow’s Nest, or take off toward Baflidal — and the 20 million gold bounty on Caleb “Longshot” Mourn?

Fallout burns like gunpowder. Kaine and Salvadore vanish into the storm. The crew must escape, regroup, and decide where to go next—with the Crow’s Nest in hand and the eyes of the Crimson Cove watching. While Varin returns home a changed man, will the Cinder Crest Crew reconcile their differences? Or will love and hate cloud their minds?