Second Citadel - The Ocean Oracle (Part 1) is an episode of the Penumbra Podcast in the Tales of the Second Citadel series. It is the tenth Second Citadel episode of season 4, and the twenty-first overall.
Overview[]
Sir Lamorak of the Piercing Eye, so named for his ability to see through any situation, is not used to house calls. He moved to Silvershore, in part, to get away from house calls -- and yet today his home is full of enemies, new and old, and none of them are willing to leave until they get what they want from him.
Trigger Warnings[]
- Violence and threats of violence
- Deception
- Deep water and drowning
- Enclosed spaces
- Depictions of being hunted or chased
- Depictions of xenophobia
- Death and discussion of death
Episode Summary[]
Caroline and Lam duel in Lam's hideout, directly following the events of The Silvered Secrets (Part 2). Lam hits her ulnar nerve, demanding Caroline return his pearl. Olala shapeshifts to grab them both and hold them apart. She demands that they stop trying to kill each other and explain. Lam says that it's a mermaid's pearl, left behind when a mermaid dies. This one is all that's left of his wife. Caroline accuses him of killing her. While they argue about Lam's credibility, Sir Tristan knocks on the door.
Lamorak urges Olala and "mama bear" Caroline to leave or hide. They run upstairs and climb into a wardrobe. Olala shushes Caroline mid-lecture to listen in. Lam tries to convince Tristan it's a bad time to visit, but Tristan's falcon, Chivalry, flies in through the partly open door, so Tristan enters to retrieve him. Tristan makes pointed small talk about Tristan's possessions and obvious ongoing research. Tristan can't read Lam's coded shorthand notes, but he reads out a poem fragment:
Life lingers in a shining cage
One sanded smooth by suffering.
It may be born again one day —
Beware...
Chivalry alights on the wardrobe and pecks pointedly at the door, but Tristan calls him away, and Caroline and Olala sigh in relief. Tristan tempts Lamorak with access to forbidden knowledge and the opportunity to save lives by returning to knightly service. Lam rejects his offer and argument, and tells Tristan to leave. Tristan instead seats himself at Lam's desk and calls in Damien. Caroline and Olala are astonished.
Tristan tells Damien to read out a letter he wrote earlier. Damien, sounding weary and disturbed, reads out a message to Sir Absolon asking him to send 200 knights to attack the city of Silvershore, where they currently are. Lam is skeptical that 200 knights is enough to impact the metropolis, but Caroline and Olala think it's an enormous number. Tristan and Damien leave. While Lam's guests discuss their next move, Lam runs upstairs and asks where they put the pearl. Olala swears she left it on the desk, meaning that...Tristan took it with him. Lam runs out in pursuit. Olala wants to help Silvershore, and believes Damien is acting under duress. Caroline is unwilling to take those odds, when she needs to protect Olala. They agree to find Angelo.
Angelo and Ale sit on a beach, talking. Angelo, who loves geology, observes that it's unusual to see silver sand. He wonders what metal is present in the sand's composition. Ale teases him about his interest in rocks, flustering them both. Angelo starts to say something important, but Ale has to run off to fight in the arena. Angelo, left alone, kicks himself for not being more articulate, and wishes Damien were there.
Of course, Damien and Tristan approach at this point, arguing. Angelo, excited, begins to run in their direction, but Lord Arum and Rilla tackle him to the ground. Rilla claps a hand over his mouth and begs him to be quiet and still. When the two are out of earshot of Angelo's speaking volume, Rilla suggests they tail Damien while filling each other in. The three walk together, periodically shushing Angelo when his account becomes too loud.
Cast and Crew[]
Cast[]
- Marge Dunn as Olala
- Leslie Drescher as Caroline
- Stewart Evan Smith as Lamorak
- Joshua Ilon as Sir Tristan the Cold
- Matthew Zahnzinger as Damien
- M. Sutherland as Angelo
- Anjimile as Ale
- Melissa Ennulat as Rilla
- Noah Simes as Lord Arum
Crew[]
- Alice Chuang as Head of Design
- Ginny D'Angelo as Head of Merchandise and Outreach
- Melissa DeJesus as Script editing team
- Harley Takagi Kaner as Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer
- Joelle Kross as Transcriptionist
- Noah Simes as Production manager
- Grahame Turner as Script editing team
- Kevin Vibert as Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer
- Ryan Vibert as Composer and performer of original music
- Recorded by Mertz at The Bridge Sound & Stage