After defeating the cultists and the demon, they took the time to empty the cells and discover that the Svirfneblin children were just one cell of many filled with children waiting to be sacrificed. When talking to the potential victims, they learned that children have been escorted here for weeks, taken from their cells and never returned. After promising to return (when you)the children to their rightful place, they took some time to inspect the elevator type device beneath the legs of the statue. After fiddling with the mechanisms, they managed to activate the device and found themselves moving backwards into a chamber directly behind the sacrifice room.
This room was dominated by a large opening from the temple, looking out over the jungle. More prominently a robed human was working frantically at a table (read this)and conversing with a creature outside the temple. Perhaps some sort of scrying? Before they could intervene, a large bone golem charged at the party and fended them off while the human wrapped up his work and joined the fight. A battle pushed the limits of the party, but they were able to fend off the (text or email me)new threat. While searching the remnants of the battle, the human held a letter that said:
"Thoros,
"Vestapalk grows restless. My time is limited. I trust Pedraig continues to supply you with enough innocence to complete your work. Magroth haunts my dreams, but his bonds in Carceri grow weaker with every step we take. Agents continue to search for the staff while you work. How goes your work? Every sacrificce brings us close to Magroth walking the Earth again(the word - eyeball).
"Vestapalk still believes you intend to reunite him with Esothrax. If he visits, you must persuade him of your intentions. With time running short, his awareness of our real task will be calamitous. As his lair in the mines is nearly complete, your work must be done soon. Urgency, haste and discretion are essential.
May Asmodeus live eternal,
Danitus"
Confused by the letter - the party decided that there seem to be two groups working with one another that in fact have different intentions. Determined to return the children to their rightful place, but unaware how to return to the mainland, Wyndham contacted Caeyla the Elf and asked her to teleport them back to the mainland. She transported them back to the entrance to the Svirfneblin passages. Taking a moment to mourn the loss of Dora still close (and upgrade)to their heart, they escorted the children back to the Svirf city and were treated to a hero's welcome.
From there, they determined the time was right to acquire the last piece of the staff. They recalled Valthrun's information that the staff's final piece was buried with Evard the Black, interred in Triton's Keep. Reluctantly they set out towards the Ogrefest Mountains, with the well wishes of the Svirf people in their wake. Days later, the group reached the foothills of the mountains. While venturing along the footpaths of one of the smaller mountains, Edhas noticed a hidden Dwarven door with runes indicating the Hammerfast Dwarves. They took the time to unseal the door and enter a very old chamber unlit and untouched by man for a good time. The room, (your existing armor)seemingly insignificant, led them to a steep stairwell up. They cautiously climbed but triggered a pressure plate and the stairs collapsed down creating a slide. While Dreidel, Caelyn and Soveliss managed to wedge themselves in the narrow stairwell, Wyndham, Thorm, Edhas and Erak slid down the stairs and fell into a waiting pit at the base of the steps. The fall of forty feet ended on crudely constructed (by a single plus) sharpened sticks, coated with what could only be excrement. Only Wyndham was cut by the disgusting objects. Unable to climb back up, the group of four searched for a crawlspace out of the chamber and found one leading west. From above they heard the clear sounds of goblinoids chasing the rest of the Band. They then heard the clear sound of the door resealing.
While the party was split, the group led by Edhas made its way deeper into the complex trying to find a way out of the mountain, while the group led by Caeyla sought a way back in perhaps lower in the mountain. Of note, during this time, Caeyla, Soveliss and (then text me what the change was)Dreidel found a large room with siege engines beneath tarps - a clear sign of an army in waiting. After a drawn out battle with waiting orcs, they learned that Magyar, a nominal orc chief, was planning a siege of Triton's Keep. Unwilling to confront the army, they returned to the same entrance they had fled from and were reunited with Edhas's group (and the DM was grateful for the reunification).
