The party collectively reevaluates Bromsby’s black arm situation. Bromsby confidently asserts the condition resulted from his attempt to simultaneously wield two opposing elemental artifacts, the earth hammer Iron Oath and the bamboo flute. The cure, already administered with some success, is to simply not do that anymore.
Haerelben, on the merits of his initial medicine check, offers to divine Sehanine’s recommendation if Bromsby thinks that’s worth 25 gp. Bromsby quickly fishes out 25 gp with his good hand, and Sehanine confirms Bromsby’s diagnosis:
Purification
Remove the antagonist
Earth and Air don’t mix
While recuperating near the cult area entrance, the party observes six cult warrior reinforcements stride in, no doubt summoned to eradicate the intruding adventurers. One warrior notices the absence of the usual kenku cacophony and derisively inquires whether the dirty birds are keeping watch. Theren caws out a convincing, Yes! The warriors move on through into the cult area leaving the party enough time to rest up for the next day’s assault on the temple.
The party plans to infiltrate by disguise to the upper temple and then fight Aerisi Kalinoth. Or die trying. Some effort is spent arranging their purloined cultist outfits. Haerelben and Bromsby play the part of temple priest and priestess. Meega and Theren go for rageful sky weavers. Lefty assembles whatever pieces convincingly conceal her felinity. Once more or less satisfied, they head back toward the temple looking and listening for any indication of the warriors’ whereabouts. Careful perception reveals that the three initiates chained to the three obelisks the previous day are now gone.
The purpose-filled party retraces the most direct path to the main temple entrance. They pass the room from which they previously liberated several commoners tortured by kenku. Now two of the warriors torture the surviving kenku. “Priest” Haerelben offers them some quick encouragement and closes the door so the party might pass unobserved. After the sound of a kenku murder, the warriors seem indefinitely content to silently sequester within the room. The party proceeds toward the temple.
Ahtayir continues his perpetual rebuilding task. Haerelben pockets a shard of the aquamarine stone. The party passes along the bridge lined with columns inscribed with dwarven names to reenter the temple hall, now occupied by a pair of warriors. “Priest” Haerelben directs the pair to each guard the outside of the temple doors. The party proceeds upstairs.
Aerisi Kalinoth sits on a high throne overlooking this ancient dwarven throne room. A half moon elf, Windharrow sits at her feet. The floor is etched with a map of the dwarven city. Ten swaying, armed initiates line the sides of the thickly incensed chamber. Ahtayir’s summoning horn is prominently displayed on the back wall.
Aerisi, grasping what must be the elemental spear Windvane, seems unconcerned and unsurprised by the intrusion, boding ill for the adventurers. A few moments of unsettling conversation are followed by Haerelben attempting banishment of Aerisi and Windharrow. Windharrow pops out of the plane; Aerisi definitely does not.
Lefty leaps to action, rapidly mowing through a line of lethargic initiates. Bromsby erupts earth under Aerisi, injuring her as she floats off the encased throne dias. Theren marks Aerisi and sticks a mean crossbow bolt in her, but the crossbow breaks. Meega surges across the room and plants Giantslayer in Aerisi who is more equipped to deal with magic than martial damage. Like the initiates, Meega and Haerelben succumb to the effects of the incense, a fragrance best described as poison. An invisible stalker advantageously bludgeons Meega. Aerisi orders Meega to attack Bromsby.
Lefty continues her onslaught against the initiates who have snapped into action. Haerelben counteracts his poison and sends a spiritual quarterstaff in to clobber Aerisi. There arises a clatter and Bromsby springs to see what’s the matter, that Aerisi has been slain and dropped Windvane. Meega, released from Aerisi’s enthrallment, charges the dias but only finds Aerisi’s dropped treasures, not Aerisi. Meega scoops up a dropped torc, puzzled by the absence of a corpus delicti.
It’s now weapons free on the initiates who are quickly slain. Bromsby conjures some strong winds to ventilate the poison. The invisible stalker continues to harass Meega until Theren plays a tune on the bamboo flute, and plays it unnaturally well. The stalker dissipates as does Bromsby’s strong wind. Haerelben destroys the summoning horn and liberated Ahtayir zips through the room on his way home. Theren collects the treasures [4x gold and sapphire rings worth 1000 gp each, diadem worth 6400 gp] other than Meega’s new fancy torc [1600 gp] and a spellbook Haerelben yoinks [Kalinoth’s air spells].
The party arranges itself for Windharrow’s inevitable return from banishment. He pops back in and surrenders. With Aerisi Kalinoth’s apparent demise, Windharrow claims under scrutiny of zone of truth that he has completely lost all interest in Howling Hatred. While the party negotiates Windharrow’s fate, he pops up his own dimension door and escapes.
Theren identifies Windvane. It is impossibly light for a metal weapon [+2, finesse, + lightning damage]. Haerelben digs out 25 gp to divine whether Sehanine thinks the weapon is inherently evil. Yes, yes it is. Haerelben digs out another 25 gp to divine whether its power might be used for good, please. No, no it can’t.