Rather than reveal that they have the blue dragon mask, the party chooses to store it secretly in a safely warded room with the Arcane Brotherhood. Meanwhile, events are proceeding - the Council Lords have started their armies marching to the Well of Dragons, and the Harpers have been approached by an agent of the Red Wizards of Thay named Ilmicch. She has brought an invitation, specifically addressed to the adventurers, to come to Thay and discuss a possible alliance. If the Red Wizards can be convinced to help, perhaps they can help to disrupt the ritual of Tiamat's return. Ilmicch teleports the party to Nethwatch Keep in Thay, a stronghold ruled by the vampire Tharchion Eseldra Yech. They are brought to an audience with the Tharchion, and after verifying their identities, she proposes that Ilmicch be assigned as liaison to the Council. The Red Wizards wish to find traitors, exiled wizards who have abandoned their fellows to work with the Cult. When the Council finds word of these traitor wizards, particularly their leader Rath Modar, Ilmicch will report it to Thay and action will be taken. The Tharchion asks some additional questions of the party, and they answer as truthfully as they are able. They also are able to ask a few questions of their own, and learn that even with as few as two dragon masks, the cult will be able to perform the ritual to bring Tiamat back into this world. As the audience ends, Tharchion Yech asks them to stay the night while she reports to her superiors, and their business can be concluded in the morning. The adventurers agree, but rather than staying in the keep, they go out into a nearby village to find lodging. The bard and ranger cast spells to ensure safety through the night. Sleep is difficult, but eventually the adventurers are able to drop off - but the ranger and sorcerer are wracked with nightmares! Each dreams of being put to the question by Red Wizard torturers, pushed to reveal everything they know about the Cult's plans, their own pasts, and their motives in coming to Thay. By the end of the night, they are exhausted, feeling the aftereffects of the nightmare as painful headaches. Ilmicch comes to retrieve them in the morning, and they return to the keep. Tharchion Yech reports that the leaders of Thay have agreed - they will battle the traitor Red Wizards whenever the Council's forces find them. Additionally, each adventurer is given a small bone talisman which can be used to temporarily protect them from the undead. Then one of the wizards casts a teleportation circle, sending Ilmicch and the party back to Waterdeep... ...but something goes awry! They appear in an abandoned farmhouse and are immediately under attack! Cultists, red-robed mages, and even a red dragon surround them, clearly having been waiting in ambush. They shout support for the Cult, Tiamat, and the traitor Red Wizard Rath Modar. The initial attack fells Brin the sorcerer, but the rest of the party is able to regroup, revive him, and defeat the ambush. During the battle, Ilmicch is also under attack, clearly a target of the traitorous wizards. She gives good account of herself, killing one of them and then dealing with him in Red Wizard fashion - stripping secrets from his dying mind, then raising the corpse as a servant wight. From this (and a note found on the body) she learns that these cultists were forewarned that the party would be appearing here. Clearly, they were betrayed! Normina is suspicious of this story and warns the other adventurers. Mella confronts Ilmicch, demanding the full truth, and the mage is cowed into obedience. She tells them that Tharchion Yech knew that she might have traitors in her midst, and planned to use the party's visit to smoke them out. But they did not realize how dangerous this would be! Since everyone has survived and the ambush was defeated, the adventurers are willing to forgive this misstep. The party returns to Waterdeep, with a teleportation spell (this time verified by Mella). Those of the Council not yet in the field are happy to see the adventurers returned safely with Ilmicch as liaison. After a day of rest, the time will have come to join the armies in the field at the Well of Dragons!