The party awakens in Yarsha’s new mud office. Yarsha suggests her obligations to the interlopers are fulfilled as she gives them the bum rush to the carved door. Yarsha facetiously bids good luck finding Marlos Urnrayle now that he’s descended to Black Geode, maybe even Fane of the Eye.
The anticipated expiration of the devastation orb’s timer has elapsed by four hours. Haerelben hands Theren’s coat back to him and offers to predict the outcome for 25 gold, the component cost for placing a divination call to Sehanine’s customer service representatives.
Theren peers into the bag of holding. It is dusty. Satisfied that the orb’s devastation has ensued in some other plane for some other adventuring party to sort out, Theren repacks all his collected collectibles.
Now what?
Theren expresses reluctance to descend to Black Geode at this time. Bromsby could orienteer them out of this temple into some other dangerous part of Tyar-Besil, if that’s of any interest. It occurs to Haerelben that it might be worthwhile finding the temple proper, now that the area is safer with every defeated cultist. Meega is ready to make it even safer, chopping her way to a cultist-free world. Lefty is down for whatever.
Stone-masked Haerelben shoves “prisoner” Meega into a dilapidated marble room of campfires and bedrolls. They are confronted by a bulette-mounted burrowshark and four attending hobgoblins whose improvised armors, notes Bromsby, suggest they are hired mercenaries instead of dedicated earth cultists. Haerelben fast-talks his way into conflict with Nartham, the burrowshark, and confuses stone-mask wearing Theren who can’t work out which angle Haerelben is playing. Bromsby wastes no consideration on the issue and thorn whips belligerent Nartham, pulling him unexpectedly off the bulette right into Meega’s waiting axe. Meega, Lefty, and Theren quickly wipe out Nartham but not before he commands the bulette to leap upon Meega. Haerelben channels Sehanine’s healing grace into Meega, but the divine reception down in Tyar-Besil is poor.
The four hobgoblins have turned their longbows against Haerelben, making it difficult for him to concentrate. Bromsby erupts earth through Iron Oath crushing all four dead. For an encore, he erupts earth under a pair a duergar who show up to investigate the ruckus.
The bulette continues its assault on Meega. Theren breaks strings on both crossbows trying to subdue the raging bulette, but finally lands a killing blow with his short sword after Lefty has thoroughly tenderized it with punchy fists.
The party takes an hour to dress wounds, repair crossbows, and excavate the earthen-blocked doors. Theren collects the wages of the hobgoblins [28 gp]. Haerelben and Meega check out some nearby barracks.
Recomposed, the party advances through an eastern door into a small armory. Theren helps himself to 100 bolts and spare parts for maintenance of his crossbows. Haerelben stocks up on arrows of lawful construction. Bromsby swings Iron Oath to knock through the end of a hallway that ends with suspicious abruptness. Beyond is the chasm that crosses through so much of the Black Earth’s turf.
Backtracking to Nartham’s chamber, Bromsby identifies a bridged path north that would take them out of the earth temple and back into the outer zones of Tyar-Besil. But before departing, Haerelben suggests locating the temple proper.
Backtracking farther, Bromsby leads them back to an unexplored pair of closed doors. Haerelben pokes his head in for a quick look-see and discovers a ritual in progress. A priest and four cultists surround a pit in the center of the chamber. Within the pit stands a shiny black obelisk. A svirfneblin chained to the obelisk seems to be the guest of honor.