Meega searches Marlos Urnrayle’s desk and finds paper, a bottle of ink, and a journal in script unknown to her. Lefty recognizes the script as terran. Theren can make out some of the proper nouns: Ogremoch, Black Geode, Fane of the Eye. Lefty finds a drawing, yet somehow more than a drawing, of an eye in the back of the journal. Mindful of the elder elemental evil eye encountered previously by some of the party, Theren uses a crossbow bolt to fashion a hole through the journal through which he passes a lock to keep the journal closed.
Haerelben and Meega select a nobleman statue that is not wearing earth cult garb. Bromsby taps it back to life with Iron Oath. The ungrateful nobleman yells for help when he learns the party is not with the earth cult. Better stone than all alone, as he would always say if he weren’t a statue. A rush of cultists can be heard approaching from the chasm.
Lefty heads for the temple entrance. She observes another mob of earth cultists approaching in the hallway and signals back to the party with a thumb down. She hucks a kobold glue pot toward the cultists and takes off in the opposite direction toward the entrance. The lead cultist is stuck and blocking the doorway. Haerelben leads Wulgreda and Gervor out. Meega is next and tosses a thunderstone knocking the cultists back down the hall.
While Lefty leads the escape back through the column golem room, Haerelben is amazed to notice an elf gate fortuitously embedded in the side of the one of the columns. While the cultists close in, everyone puts a hand on the elf gate and Haerelben quickly recites three trivia answers in the fields of history, religion, and arcana to unlock it.
The party pops through finding themselves in a round dungeon. What it lacks in cultists chasing them it makes up for in stacked boxes. Lefty lights a torch. The boxes contain manufactured durable goods, like paper and unassembled furniture legs. Meega finds a staircase leading up at the center of the room and the party ascends.
On the next level, the boxes are tidier. One contains new glass flasks. As they continue to ascend, the boxes are more systematically organized and indexed to facilitate frequent access. Progress is halted when Meega comes to a locked door. Haerelben knocks but there is no prompt answer. Haerelben and Meega take a short rest with Wulgreda and Gervor while Lefty helps herself to a lightweight silvered greatclub and Theren stocks up on crossbow ammunition. It occurs to the party that the boxes are marked with the Quarstarte Spellguard seal.
Theren picks the lock allowing the party to continue up. They pass through ten or twelve levels in total and eventually emerge on the ground level behind counters where clerks distribute supplies.
Theren gets his wallet out to pay for the commandeered items. Quartermaster Schmeck, nemesis of Theren’s deceased brother Rollen, sees the intruders emerge from his storeroom and blows his thief whistle. Theren tries to explain their association with Ardak, like Schmeck even cares. General Abatha Wallis, commander of the spellguard, arrives on the scene.
General Wallis wants references and also all the weapons. Theren provides spellguard Rollen as a reference, but of course Rollen is perpetually unavailable for any interviews. Lefty has no friends here and disavows any knowledge of or culpability for Quastarte law. Is it considered wrong to steal things here? Meega has her father, local master smith legend Wayvoran-Chero, to identify her and that certainly has some truck with the spellguard. Haerelben’s sponsor at Quastarte, Regent Stonespeaker of the Divine Host, can vouch for him, but he is concerned about surrendering Sehanine’s Moonbow, emphasizing the value of the moonbow to General Wallis while de-emphasizing its potential as a weapon. General Wallis disagrees to disagree. All weapons, real and potential, are surrendered and sealed in boxes.
The meeting adjourns to an adjacent building where the party is held until their story is confirmed. General Wallis releases the party to the custody of Regent Ardalia of the Technology Host who also happens to be Ardak’s daughter.
Ardak’s manor house is offered to them for accommodation. Meega visits her parents. Theren arranges Sword Coast first class postage. Bromsby, in an unguarded moment, explains that he can transform into an orange crystalline turtle with certain benefits anytime he likes. Ardalia catches them up on the local news regarding the attack on the Opeth. They all worriedly agree that no one must worry about Ardak; he’ll find his way just like he always has.
When the party awakens in the morning, they feel stronger, faster, tougher, smarter, wiser, and prettier.