When the Carnies returned to their climb, the hag was waiting at the top, standing beside an enormous skull that seemed to be growing out of the mountaintop. She demanded to know why they had come, and what they were looking for, but the Carnies were not very forthcoming. The hag introduced herself as Granny Bloodclaw before sending her accomplices in to fight.
The carnies fought against a brain-damaged frost giant, and a cross between a beholder zombie and an ice troll. During the fight, Bowie used his Horn of Valhalla for the first time, surrounding the monsters with barbarian warriors. The hag suddenly disappeared from view. A few seconds later, the gargantuan skull lifted into the air, tearing out of the ground and trailing glistening tendrils of muscle and gristle.
As the Carnies paid rest to the giant and the abomination, the skull sped off to the north and was soon hidden from view in the ever-present smoke and steam emanating from the top of the mountain.
When they examined the area where the skull once stood, the Carnies discovered a set of stone steps that led down into a pocket dimension, floating in a red-tinged space. A crew of githyanki, led by a demonic berbalang, were inspecting the remains of a human child. Two more children could be seen, cowering behind a tree.
There was a portal within the pocket dimension. Taking a sending stone with him, Bowie stepped through the portal and found himself in the high-elven commune, standing in the middle of an elaborate summoning circle. There were dead elves wearing cultists robes around the circle. Several elven archers were surprised by his appearance. Bowie was able to quickly disguise himself as Lysandrea and convince the elves that he (she) needed to rest in her cabin. With wit and guile and a natural 20, Bowie was able to escape the elven compound unchallenged. But his survival skills failed him when he lost his way through the woods, turning a three-hour hike into a 27-hour hike.
The berbalang commanded the githyanki to attack. Once they were dead, the berbalang plane-shifted away.
Bowie told Giz and Keeneye about the elves waiting at the other end of the portal, so they decided to gather up the children and take the long way down the mountain, by foot. When they were threatened by winter wolves, Keeneye picked everyone up and flew well above the beasts, using his winged boots.
