On contemplating our situation, we decide to take a rest and prepare properly for the water and fire nodes.

We decide to let our two bugbears go with a warning to be good, and we turn Xargen over to the bandits on the first level to hold in exchange for some cash.

We spend the night in the cold air of camp. Then head back down again as a light snow is falling.

We head to the water node. We end up in 4 foot deep water in the center of a cavern. No need for waterbreathing yet. We have to cross deeper water to a beach, which is small. So we start swimming again.

We find a small group of women, including one named Darley. We've all had differences with the temple. They didn't like Iuz. Pire detects evil - so we know their leader is evil. But he also invokes St. Cuthbert, so they know we're not evil. We agree to try to get the cleric to leave her alone if she gives us info on what's around. She gives us some info - eels, acid wave, giant turtle, but Moth notices she's got an illusion on her. Turns out she's got horns and little wings - she's a half-succubus or tiefling or something.

We encounter a spirit naga who just wants us to go away. We do agree to, after she tells us the turtle beast is just to the south. We head that way and spot the turtle. And Diren sees a pile of pearls behind it. And combat is joined as it notices us. It gets bloody when it uses its steam breath and cooks most of the party. Diren uses a potion of dragon form to fly past the turtle and flank. It is beaten down. We take the pearls, the magic gem, and move on.

We find a portal, and pass it since we want to explore while Diren is a dragon. We find old ladies who claim to be able to tell the future and reincarnate people. We're distrustful, but ask them how to destroy the skull. The gems must be inset, then subjected to 50 mph gust of wind, maul of solid granite, hot flame, immersion in very cold water.

We decide to take the dragon turtle corpse with us - via shrink item and gentle repose. And we're taking Darley and her minions with us as the node will be destroyed. But the old ladies are left behind, as we don't trust them or even think they're human. But as we leave them behind, they start calling out. Pire drops a silence, and then things get ugly.

The women come swimming out and it turns out they're sea hags. They're hideous and our strength flags. Pire summons celestial sharks to deal with the threat. Elmo smashes them with his hammer. Kella the druid summons crocodiles. It ends quickly.

We gather Darley's men to us and head to the portal we found. We trigger it with the gem and we end up in the Air Node. Damn it!

It's cold and windy. And we're damp. The minions start making a fire from the boats and blockading the door with the others. We dry out, then head out. We first come across swarms of vaporous rats.

We get past them via Elmo's wind wall. Then we find a couple of cloud tentacle creatures while exploring a small cavern. Moth stuns one with a frost ray. And we kill them. But down the hall we find the magic gem we're looking for!