The heroes continued east toward the gardens of Nangalore. During their trek, a treacherous rainstorm began. As the group made its way toward a river, a landslide carrying multiple zombies trapped in the mud came crashing down upon them. Kornelijus was unable to escape in time and was buried beneath the mud alongside several undead. The heroes quickly dispatched the zombies and managed to pull Kornelijus free. They then continued onward and finally discovered the beautiful yet abandoned gardens of Nangalore.
The gardens lay across the river, and Tuna noticed several crocodiles lurking in the water. The party used a rope to cross safely, but Žvirblis accidentally fell into the river and was seized by a giant crocodile. Kornelijus wrestled the beast and managed to pull Žvirblis free after the party killed the crocodile, taking a few steaks from it for a future dinner.
Within the gardens, they uncovered fragments of a tragic love story between Zalkore, the queen of Omu, and her husband, Thiru-Taya, the general of the Omuan army. Signs throughout the gardens suggested that Thiru-Taya had betrayed Zalkore, and many depictions of him had been vandalized in rage. Deeper inside, the heroes encountered several statues and eventually realized they were petrified explorers who had once come to Nangalore. Kornelijus managed to earn the favor of several chwingas and received a blessing of restoration. Finally, at one of the pagodas, the party encountered Zalkore herself with a few giant cranes that eyed the party.
She welcomed them and Kornelijus offered a regal crocodile meat dinner as honored guests of the crown and questioned them about Omu and their reasons for coming there. During the conversation, she got into an argument with Ezra and banished her from the gathering. Outside, Ezra wandered into the gardens, where hallucinogenic herbs caused her to collapse unconscious.
The heroes soon realized that Zalkore herself was deeply unwell. She frequently spoke to someone standing behind her, though nobody was actually there. Deciding to help her, the party attempted to cure her madness. With the aid of a special tea and the cleansing abilities of Tuna and Kornelijus, they managed to rid the queen of her visions.
Yet instead of gratitude, they found only hatred and fury in her eyes. How dare they tear her away from the happy world she had built for herself? How dare they remind her of the dead general? How dare they force her to remember that she was nothing more than an exile living in a ruined garden?
Enraged, Zalkore drew her bow and fired upon the party.
