As the mine cart rolls away from Theridan, he shifts to bear form only to be overrun, torn, and immolated by the swarm of fire cultists. Allana can’t abide. Her eyes glow angry orange and she ethereally slips out the back of the cart, transforming into a phantasmal dragon that sweeps through the cultists, destroying them.
Theren’s gaze drops from the terrible scene to the treasures that Allana shed into the cart: the librum, the silver hammer, the bronze griffon, the amulet of health, the helm of identify, and the Opeth tears. He scoops up Allana’s treasures. Haerelben grabs the mine cart controls.
Two mine tracks run parallel, separated by a deep chasm. Junctions allow a cart operator to switch tracks or follow routes left or right. Meega and Theren see no cultist survivors, much less pursuers, behind them so Haerelben maintains an easy pace in control of the cart rolling down through the mountain mining tunnels.
An outburst of shouting in undercommon seems to come from all around, Kill it! Bring it down! Within moments their cart is overtaken by a giant bat flying down the other track, hotly pursued by another mine cart occupied by four, hooded, grey-skinned, white-haired duergars. Theren greets them and they answer by a ray of frost. The ray of frost is answered by Theren’s crossbow bolts and Meega’s hand axes.
Sensing a new ally in his fight for freedom, the giant bat swoops around to attack his pursuers and makes for the adventurers’ cart. He lands, transforming into Bromsby Tarken, svirfneblin druidic guide of Tyar-Besil.
Theren, slow to trust, takes point blank aim at Bromsby. Bromsby pleads his case. After all, the duergar attacked Theren also. Theren’s aim shifts slightly and he fires past Bromsby’s ear, dramatically slaying the ray of frosting duergar.
Haerelben brakes suddenly for a short siding. The duergars’ cart blasts by within a few feet allowing Bromsby, Meega, and Theren to exchange some swings with them. Haerelben and the duergar driver, hands full of control levers, can only exchange pithy invectives.
Meega slices a good piece of a duergar with a double axe chop. Bromsby erupts earth under their cart killing two of their wounded and flipping the cart onto the last survivor. Theren leaps ungracefully out of the rolling cart, eager to douse the overturned cart with flaming oil to slowly roast the trapped duergar.
Haerelben halts the cart before it can careen into the erupted earth. The party isn’t equipped to dig out the tracks ahead so Meega pushes the cart back up the track to the previous junction where they change to the unimpeded parallel track.
Theren grows impatient trying to roast the trapped duergar. He rigs his block and tackle to lift the hot and heavy cart enough for the duergar to crawl out a little bit, at which point Theren drops the cart severing him in twain.
Theren loots a wand of ray of frost [5th level], given to Bromsby, and a dozen bronze coins stamped with an unknown symbol.
The adventurers continue on their way out of the mines with guidance from Bromsby while discussing their chance meeting.
Bromsby, denizen of Tyar-Besil, has recently observed a growing presence of elemental cults in four distinct areas of the ancient kingdom of Besilmer dwarves. The invasion has become such a problem that he has fled his home. Bromsby describes how he and a separated companion were mystically summoned to rescue an Opeth fragment gemstone, not that they had any idea of the significance of the Opeth in the war against elemental evil.
When Bromsby draws out a sketch of the elemental occupation, the party realizes the locations match the locations of the four keeps in the Dessarin Valley.
Bromsby leads the party to a quiet, isolated cavern to rest. He checks out some fungi around the room and points out which ones scream, which ones spew, which ones explode, and which ones harmlessly taste like bacon.
Haerelben identifies the silver hammer as Iron Oath, made to shatter earth related things as Theren demonstrates by knocking a chunk out of the cavern wall. If each elemental prophet wields a powerfully evil relic, then maybe Iron Oath can undo one or all of them.
Theren investigates the librum. He reckons that it must be activated like the altar bowl at the Shrine of the Unbreakable Oath which released Iron Oath when filled with Opeth tears.
The adventurers can’t decide exactly how to proceed pulling at the unraveling thread of the elemental evil fabric, but that’s a problem for the next day.