Pharast 30, 4708

The group, now made up of Phinneas, Karasu, and Ekir return to Oleg's trading post. There they meet a pair of new charter bearers, Eudon the Elvish cleric of Nethys, and Grathis the Half-Orc fighter. The new adventurers agree to accompany them to the Kobold lair to return their idol. The next day they set off for the lair of the Sootscale Kobold tribe. It lies within an abandoned mine, and with the help of Mik Mak (Karasu's second Kobold lackey) they gain audience with the Chief. They proceed to bargain with Chief Sootscale, wanting Svetlanas wedding ring in exchange for the idol. He directs them to the shaman, who is keeping the ring. When they meet the shaman, a purple Kobold named Tartuk, he demands the statue. The chief, looking bothered and excitable, snatches the idol and smashes it on the floor. He then orders the tribe to kill the shaman, which they dutifully do. The charter bearers are then given the ring, and the dead shamans diary (which reveals him to be a malicious poly morphed gnome). They then pledge an alliance and part ways.

The next day they travel to the bandit camp, swiftly dispatching them with their now increased numbers. Two bandits are charmed into revealing the location of the Stag Lord, king of the local brigands. The group loads up a cart with the bandits ill gotten gains and sets off back toward the trading post. En route, they stumble across four more trolls. They flee again, almost losing their cart in the action. Ekir is no cartsman.

Upon returning to the post, they spend a week relaxing. The Swordlords reward them for killing off so many bandits. Emboldened they decide to set off for the Staglords fort. On the route there, they come to a chasm crossed by a rickety wooden bridge. Fearing that their horses wouldn't make it across, they take the long way around the river. This takes them nearly a week.

When arriving at the fort, they decide to be subtle and sneak up from the back. Karasu soon discovers the back way is cursed, and infested with zombies. She regroups with the rest, and they decide to go the front way. They come to the gate and pretend to be bandits. They had the secret pass code from the bandits they charmed earlier. Upon gaining entry, it only takes them a few moments to start trouble. Inside the fort was a caged Owlbear, which Ekir set free. It tore into a bandit right off, starting a ruckus. In the ensuing battle, Mik Mak the Kobold is killed, Akiros the bandit turns coat and joins the party, the oafish brute Auchs surrenders, and the Stag Lord wakes from a drunken stupor only to be cut down by a hail of magic missiles. The party then returns to Oleg's trading post.