At a family ceremony, an old Smith kneels before a young woman claiming to be the Moon Goddess reincarnate. Relatives erupt, call her a fraud, insult her merchant-born mother and refuse to acknowledge her. Accusations escalate when the old man is struck down and people shout, "Grandfather!" Rushing over, one family member seizes the grandfather's prized oath token and vows to tear it to expose her. The threat becomes explicit: "If you destroy the oath token, Qevar will fall within seven days." The episode ends with the token at risk and the city's future in doubt.