The next morning in Parnast, the party finds Wessic and speaks with him about arranging transport to Waterdeep. He expects a caravan will leave in a few days. While waiting, everyone experiences a weird sensation of unease, which affects the entire village and beyond. No cause is immediately apparent, but it seems an ill omen. The next day a raven arrives, speaking with the voice of the Harper monk Leosin Erlanthar! It congratulates the adventurers on their success and requests that they return to Waterdeep, providing a teleportation scroll for the purpose. The entire party (and Wessic) are thus returned to the city without a long overland journey. They arrive at the estate of the paladin Ontharr Frume, and are greeted by Leosin. He tells them of a great Council being gathered in Waterdeep, consisting of many of the great lords of the Sword Coast. This Council intends to take decisive action against the cult, and wishes their party to play a vital role. The cult has sounded the great Draakhorn to wake chromatic dragons across Faerûn (this was the uneasy feeling), assassinated rival leaders, and continued their pillaging across the land. They must be stopped! At the Council, the great lords compliment the party on their work against the cult thus far. There is disagreement over whether the destruction of the black dragon eggs was necessary, but all agree that the defeat of cult leaders like Frulam Mondath and Dralmorrer Borngray and the liberation of Castle Naerytar are mighty deeds. They are particularly pleased that the cult no longer controls Skyreach Castle, though even on this subject there are a few dissenters who wish the castle had been captured. Then several council members bring forward intelligence on further cult activities. The cult is gathering powerful artifacts known as dragon masks, and entrusting them to powerful cult members known as wyrmspeakers. There is a possible lead on the Draakhorn in the far north. Also, wyrmspeaker Varram the White has been spotted heading into the Serpent Hills, though without his dragon mask. The council asks the adventurers to investigate these leads. They are entrusted with the Council's authority and given official documents to identify their special status. Given the choice of investigating the Draakhorn or Varram the White, the party chooses to travel to the Serpent Hills in pursuit of the dwarf wyrmspeaker. Tracking Varram is a simple matter, as a purple-robed dwarf stands out in observers' memories. He and about a dozen followers headed into the hills, making no effort to hide their trail. The party follows, encountering little of interest along the way other than some hill giants, who are easily driven away. After three days of tracking, they arrive at their destination: the tomb of Diderius, a powerful divination wizard from ancient times. The adventurers carefully inspect the area around the tomb, noting that it appears that others have recently camped nearby. They even find a few shallow graves, mute evidence to the dangers of the area. Lariat is addressed by ancient magic in the form of giant statues, which challenge her in the name of Diderius. Her answer is satisfactory, an omen which bodes well for their success in the tomb itself. Entering the tomb is a simple matter, as it seems Varram's group has forced their way in recently and most locks have been dealt with. Also, that same ancient magic that spoke earlier to Lariat gives them occasional advice. Not every danger is cleared, though, as Jamna discovers when she looks too closely at a statue and loses herself to a temporary madness. Lariat is able to bodily remove the gnome from danger, and the others pass quickly without glancing toward the statues. In the very next room they are attacked - by a strange creature made of decorative tile in the form of a gryphon! It wounds the cleric, but the party is able to destroy it. Malkior examines the remains and determines that they will reform if left alone, so Ulrik takes some of the pieces to prevent a resurrection. Then Lariat inadvisedly attempts to open a door that looks unstable, and is nearly buried by a landslide of rock. After these misadventures, the party moves more cautiously deeper into the tomb. They avoid a few traps, then come upon a throne room, occupied by a giant statue of the wizard Diderius. It speaks, requiring tribute to advance. Everyone throws a few small coins (or in Malkior's case, a spell scroll) and the statue allows them to pass. Up a short stairway they find a dining hall, where five devils are seated at a table! But they are not aggressive, and in fact are willing to speak cordially. They are part of Varram's party, and have been ordered to stay here while the dwarf proceeds further inside. Leaving the devils alone, the adventurers move along and soon find a large room with an empty pool. This is where Diderius worked his divination magic in the past. The corpse of a cultist lies here, surrounded by arrows. Malkior investigates and determines that the cultist was killed by a dagger, not the arrows - a sacrifice to make use of the divination pool. Ulrik also inspects the arrows and recognizes that they are carved in the likeness of a yuan-ti god - an evil deity of the serpent folk. Adjoining this chamber is a crypt, holding the tomb of Diderius himself. When they enter, the voice of the ancient wizard's spirit speaks! He has seen all that transpired here in his tomb - Varram activated the pool by sacrificing his own man, then was captured by the yuan-ti and taken prisoner into their stronghold. The wizard knows how to activate a portal to lead them there. The adventurers consider activating the divination pool themselves, but upon learning that it requires the sacrifice of a sentient being decide against it. They rest for a short while, then prepare to follow the wizard's guidance to pursue the yuan-ti.