Elfo, Nars, and Gourbain continue helping the cultists and kobolds dismantle the watchtower on the cliff overlooking the camp. As they finish building the boxcart, Elfo asks the cultist who seems to be directing the operation, "what are the boxcarts for?"

The cultist answers, "well this one is for a prisoner we captured. I don't know if we're going to make one from the other tower as well, I haven't received instructions on that yet."

Being apparently done with this job, they wheel the boxcart down onto the flat area of the camp, and head over to the other watchtower, near the main entrance, and start to dismantle it.

Bilbo hangs around in the cultists' barracks, making small talk with the cultists. Nobody seems to be suspicious of his (her) identity.

Elbolin, Black Barry, Karat, and Hooflepoof consider their options; they know that Anamith and the two bersekers are around somewhere, and by now probably know that the adventurers are not cultists - and the one that escorted Elbolin to the cultists' barracks and almost got in a fight with them probably can recognize them immediately. And they know that there are some powerful creatures, and some unknowns, in the cavern with the eggs. They decide that they can probably take on the half-dragon and berzerkers, so they head over toward where they saw them last, in the shrine room.

When they arrive at the shrine, they find the cavern empty. The room is decorated with intricate carvings of dragons - predominantly black dragons - adorning the walls. The largest carving, in one corner of the room, is a large five-headed dragon rising from an erupting volcano. In front of the dragon sits a chest, which is locked.

Hooflepoof very carefully and gently picks the lock with his thieves' tools, and opens the chest. Everybody grabs for something. Hooflepoof gets a ring with a feather filigree; he puts it on, but nothing seems to happen and it isn't even that attractive. Black Barry grabs a pouch containing a half-dozen polished precious stones. Karat finds a string of pearls. Elbolin gets a gold and sapphire ring, which he puts on, but noticing no particular effects, takes it back off in order to not seem conspicuous, and places it in his pack.

Hooflepoof creeps as close as he can to the passage leading to the cavern with the eggs, and hushing everyone else with a hand gesture, listens carefully. He hears the voices of Anamith and two berzerkers, talking in angry tones about the "fake cultists" that locked the berzerker in the pit, and certainly are responsible for these dead kobolds.