Haerelben and Meega pick robes and stone masks off the dead torture cultists. Theren loots their 6 silver paychecks and a pig-and-taters bar. Meega noisily pushes table-mounted Helldorm toward the prisoner cages within range of Haerelben’s zone of truth. Lefty breaks into a treasure chest and digs out some stone armor, studded armor, a longsword, six azurites, 230 silver, and a wand of magic missile.
Cage the first contains Black Earth fighter Orna. She’s even madder now than when she struck a Black Earth priest. Truthfully, she means no particular harm to the adventuring interlopers and will even show them to Marlos Urnrayle’s general location, but she isn’t fool enough to mess with a medusa. Theren learns from her that Bromsby was brought in by Wally and Bulna, personal guards of Urnrayle, and that Ironfang is always with Urnrayle. Meega opens Orna’s cage with a key found on Helldorm. Orna begins her revenge-fueled rampage by smashing Helldorm’s unconscious head off with an improvised furniture weapon.
Cage the second contains half-elf nobleman Gervor. He was part of the Mirabar delegation, the same as Bruldenthar, transporting through Sumber Hills en route to Summit Hall until they were ambushed by cultists. Gervor identifies two other delegates from Meega’s description of the shallow graves in the Sumber Hills:
Throndour, artisan dwarf
Gretchen, Mirabar soldier
Gervor completes the roster of unaccounted-for delegates [found in the Red Larch quarry?]:
Teresiel, moon elf of Silverymoon
Rhundorth, shield dwarf of Mirabar
Deseyna, human noble
Gervor mentions they were also transporting a fallen knight of Samular. His name was not Caradoon. Meega releases Gervor and he retrieves his studded armor and longsword.
Cage the third contains Wulgreda, dwarven prospector. She has no idea why she was taken by cultists and is, as far as she knows, unremarkable in every way. Meega releases Wulgreda.
Cage the fourth contains catatonic svirfneblin Bromsby. Bromsby’s eyes are open but he’s entirely unresponsive. He has no visible injuries. Theren truthfully admits to Meega he actually lost track of Bromsby ever since their rest in the dungeon kitchen. Yeah duh is her orcish expression of agreement. If Bromsby was carrying the Opeth crystal, Theren can’t find it on him now. Theren becomes concerned that Bromsby might be an enthralled observer for Urnrayle so once the group expositionally details their plan to overwhelm Urnrayle, Meega closes Bromsby’s eyes. Lefty positions Bromsby’s thumbs in his ears while Theren encases his head senses in improvised bandages. Lefty hoists Bromsby.
Theren acquires Helldorm’s blood and makes some Howling Hatred Rulez graffiti on the walls. He breaks the jaws of the deceased rendering them incapable of speaking from death. Orna straps into her stone plate armor, hefts a heavy table leg, and leads the party out through the halls of Black Earth.
Orna stops at a closed door in the hallway where, she claims, they need to aggressively and quickly retrieve a key with overwhelming force. This peculiar phrasing makes more sense when they burst into the barracks inhabited by a Black Earth priest, presumably the object of Orna’s prior assault, and four guards not entirely prepared for combat. Orna hurls herself and some blue language at the priest.
The room’s occupants scramble to their feet from chairs and beds. Meega trips the priest and is joined by Lefty who deposits Bromsby inside the door. Theren’s crossbow slays the priest to Orna’s great personal disappointment. The guards take down vulnerable Gervor who fights with a lot of heart and a broken longsword. Meega and Lefty take down two unarmored guards. Theren takes down another guard leaving only one for everyone to surround. Orna delivers the killing blow, but she really wanted her priest nemesis. To alleviate her disappointment, Haerelben claims that the priest just moved a little and may not be completely dead. Orna bashes the priest’s skull in.
Theren paints the walls with Yan-C-Bin 4 Evah in the priest’s blood. Orna calls Theren an idiot for increasing the rivalry between cults, but Theren agrees to disagree. With revenge served and Theren provoking her, Orna makes for the exit. Theren chases after her and convinces her that revenge isn’t fully served until she directs them to Urnrayle. She directs Theren to a nearby door.
The bodies are arranged into blood soaked beds. Lefty collects Bromsby. Haerelben pleads for a chance to rest and hopefully restore Bromsby before challenging medusa Urnrayle. They decide to return to the safe kitchen where ettins and ogres roam freely.
As the weary party retraces their path back to the kitchen, they run into a barrow shark and four cultists who direct the prisoner escort “cultists” to fall in and prepare for battle with some infiltrating air cultists. Haerelben offers to meet up with them after the prisoners have been fed to the ettin, but the barrow shark is suspicious and begins asking too many questions.