This week on Shockwaves, Jess and Arthur return to the village of Tuitoma to unpack the quiet devastation and simmering tension of Chapter Four. As Ser Sarrafin ventures into Afirit to trade for rope, what should be a routine errand reveals the social rot under the surface—strikes, resentments, and unspoken hierarchies tightening like the heat around Ser’s throat.

Arthur dives into the tonal shift: the jungle air is stifling, yes—but so is the social atmosphere. Conversations bristle with coded language and exhausted courtesy, especially with characters like Alrek, whose passive barbs cut deeper than they seem. Jess calls out the subtle power dynamics on display: who trades, who defers, who bites their tongue. Every smile in this chapter is double-edged.

The hosts reflect on the political undertow that drives the chapter forward. Tuitoma isn’t just poor—it’s precarious. The supply runs and bartering rituals are survival tactics, yes, but they’re also about navigating who gets to be heard, and who doesn’t. Arthur admits this chapter is a slow burn, but one that matters. “You need to feel how frayed the system is before the collapse means anything.”

There’s also discussion of how Ser’s internal world is shifting—how the bruises from the festival haven’t faded, and neither have the questions. The rope isn’t just a tool—it’s a metaphor. And when Ser returns home empty-handed, the unraveling begins.

This episode of Shockwaves is all about quiet desperation, unresolved tension, and the small decisions that fracture everything later.