Chapter 20

During a Celestial Thorn Room encounter in the temple, Carl's party faces a critical choice: which of seven broken divine shrines to repair. Anton becomes charmed by the goddess Oshun and sabotages repairs to Ogun's shrine, forcing the party to fight the city boss Asojano instead. Carl chooses to repair Yemaya's shrine based on a cryptic message from Katia, successfully defeating Asojano but becoming infected with SlugPox in the process.

The party enters a Celestial Thorn Room where they must choose which of seven broken Orisha shrines to repair, learning each option carries distinct benefits and consequences. Asojano demands betrayal accusations as Anton becomes magically charmed by Oshun, the seductive goddess. Katia sends Carl an urgent, fragmented message revealing she wears the Crown of the Sepsis Whore and that repairing Yemaya's shrine is their only path to survival on this floor. When unfrozen, Anton throws the piece of Ogun's shrine outside, eliminating that option and triggering Asojano as the boss encounter. Carl and Donut execute a coordinated strategy: Donut casts Laundry Day to detach armor pieces from Bomo, then animates them with Legionnaires of the Damned to swarm Asojano. While Paz and Anton attempt to repair Legba's shrine, Carl instructs Bomo to assemble Yemaya's blue obelisk. Asojano infects Paz and Anton with a debuff inflicting a flaming anvil mark and unending bleed. Carl defeats Asojano by capturing him with a flag, but contracts SlugPox, which causes progressively higher-level slugs to burst from boils on his body. The reanimated daggers deliver the Sun of Reawakening to Yemaya's obelisk, triggering victory. The temple transforms, the ghommids are cured, and the settlement is liberated. However, Carl is now infected and cannot enter Club Vanquisher alone to seek healing, while Paz and Anton face imminent divine smiting from Ogun.