Staggering out of the brilliantly lit portal, the party found themselves surrounded by orcs. Numbly, they raised their weapons in defense, and met the charge of the humanoids. Poison-tipped arrows buzzed through the air, and swords clashed in the cool, autumn night. A large, bearded man - apparently the source of the shouted warning - suddenly emerged from the woods, laying low several orcs with his sword and axe. Farid disengaged himself from the melee, and used a spell to wrap several cubic feet of forest, hill, and orc in thick, sticky webs. Thomasin grappled with one of the attackers, while Ash, Xerix, and Delban fought off several more. The combat started to go badly, until the large bearded newcomer beheaded the orc leader, demoralizing the other troops. Farid followed up with a spell of colored light that blinded and disabled the remaining attackers.

Exhausted, the party introduced themselves to Eriumir, the large ranger who had been secretly following the orcs in an attempt to learn more of who was equipping them. Also, one of the attackers turned out to be a mercenary half-orc named Uruk, whose loyalty to the orcs and their masters dissolved as soon as the fight was won. The pleasantries were quickly interrupted, however, as a small figure, bearing a lantern, appeared at the edge of the clearing. After demanding and receiving honest answers as to the party's identity, the figure - a stout halfling named Giles Halfgallows - and his companion - the Master Bard Taliesin - were revealed. Thomasin was near speechless in the presence of his mentor, but the half-elven bard overlooked his student's lack of words and invited the party back to his home to rest, eat, and share their stories.

Later, after a magnificient feast, Farid related the story of the journey through Ravenloft. When the gypsy spoke of Leif's disappearance, Ash rose to leave. Thomasin followed the wood giant out into the gardens, where Ash revealed that he was heading into Cormanthor to try and identify the cause behind the corruption of the elven magic. Back inside, Farid and Endeleban both announced their intentions to return to their respective homes. Thomasin, too, felt obligated to return to the Elder Grove and visit his loved ones, there, but he also felt an obligation to try and rescue Leif. Taliesin used his magic to discover that Leif and the Ba'alstones would emerge from the ethereal void near Hellgate Keep, an ancient elven ruin. Eriumir, Uruk, and Xerix agreed to quest there, both to try and help Leif but also to find a way through the barrier magics that protected Myth Drannor; Thomasin, instead, decided to return to the Grove first, leaving the quest for others - for now.