Leaving the wyverns stabled outside the city - Tom is not confident that they are well-trained enough not to eat the citizenry - the adventurers return to Waterdeep. Ontharr Frume the paladin and Leosin Erlanther the monk meet them at Frume's estate, and are well-pleased with the report on their actions against the cult. Over the next few days, each of the party attends to their own business in the city. Leosin conveys an invitation for the adventurers to 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 (which everyone had experienced as an uneasy feeling over the prior days), 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 called 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, easily tracking the obvious trail. Two days into the journey, Mella spies hill giants ahead. Fortunately they do not notice the adventurers, and a short detour avoids any conflict. The next evening, the party decides to press on through the night, hoping to catch up to Varram. As they make their way through the darkness, a party of lizardfolk appears ahead! Mella and Tom speak to them, hoping that these may be as helpful as the lizardfolk from the Mere of Dead Men. This does not prove to be the case, though - these lizardfolk serve the snake-people known as yuan-ti, and regard all others as either potential captives or enemies. Negotiations fail and violence breaks out as the lizardfolk try to capture the party for their masters, but they prove no match for the adventurers. None escape to warn their masters. After the battle, the party rests for only a short time before pressing on. Shortly after dawn, they arrive at their destination: a tomb carved into an imposing cliff, decorated with carvings of strange creatures and landscapes. 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. All evidence indicates that their quarry is within the mysterious tomb.