On the way to Summit Hall, the group is ambushed by orcs led by an
orag (more or less an extra beefy orc).  The orag falls quickly, and
the orcs scatter, save for the injured one surrounded by the group.
He surrenders, and is released after being stripped of his weapons.
(1050/5 exp, 37 cp in dirty loot)  The orcs are from the iceshield tribe
who live in the eastern forest.

At Summit Hall, the group meets the Knights of Samular, led by Ushien
Stormbanner.  Lamthanc and Akra get along well with them, and both sides
exchange some information.  The group tells the Knights what they know
of the ambush of the diplomats, and of the cultist activity in the area.
Ushien tells the group some of the local history and features.  It turns
out that in ages past other knights swept the orcs (and other uncivilized
types) out of the dwarven ruins and set up watch keeps to try and
prevent their repopulation.  They were ultimately driven out by a later
wave of orcs, but they left four keeps in the area in odd positions.
Riverguard was one, and Stone Keep, currently inhabited by monks of
the Sacred Stone Order, is another.  Feathergale Spire was a third.
He's not sure about the location of the fourth.

After more discussion and a long rest, the group leaves the hall heading
north to Beliard.  On the way, they spot a large collection of crows and
vultures circling a fair ways off the path and investigate.  They find
the ambush site of the missing diplomat mission!  There's some kind of
earth magic keeping the scavengers from reaching the remains, but it's
clearly weakening, and presumably it had been keeping them from even
noticing it earlier, so it's small wonder the search parties had missed
it (I mean, what was the mission even doing that far off the path in
the first place?).

Scouting around, the group finds a dozen dead Mirabar soldiers, and
two cairns, one small, one large.  Turns out the cairns were for the
attackers - the large one having about 5 bugbears, and the small a human
woman with a gold-hued mask.  They also have marks with the earth cult
symbol on them.  Hazel figures there were about 30 bugbears and humans
judging by the tracks that lead away to the west.  As it's late in the
day, the group simply buries the soldiers (and puts the cairns back in
place) and heads on to Beliard.

In Beliard, the group informs the local authorities about what they've
found (and make sure the information will be sent back to Summit Hall,
as well).  In return, they hear a bit about the Kryptgarden forest,
where Old Gnawbone, an ancient green dragon, rules and which has a lot of
bugbears.  It's also mentioned that things started getting bad 6-9 months
ago, and that there's been rains of stone, and thunder in a clear sky.
Also, the mission itself had about 5 delegates (including the dead dude),
maybe 6 drovers, and a score of guards, strongly suggesting that captives
were taken.  It's also mentioned how important the diplomats were.

Leaving Beliard the next morning, the group returns to the ambush site to
try and follow the tracks, but they only lead to the river and then vanish
(not surprising, as the river-trader had mentioned he'd gotten loot from
the ambush in return for helping transport them).  A brief check makes it
unlikely they simply forded to the far side anywhere nearby.  Giving up,
they go on to the Stone Bridge (and find no signs or stories of bugbears
with captives coming through), and then head on to Feathergale Spire.

Fortunately, while Feathergale Spire is not on one of the main paths,
it's clearly visible from quite a ways away, and the group manages to
find the path to it.  It's an imposing, hard to approach keep, although
not itself very fortified, perhaps because the only ways to reach it are
either by air or across a narrow path and then over a wide chasm.  Kindly,
the inhabitants of the keep lower the drawbridge when we greet them.

The group is met by Savara Bellabrata, who takes them to see Thurl
Morosca, the head of the keep.  The knights of the spire are friendly,
perhaps a bit reserved.  They tell us a bit about the keep, have us for
dinner, and, when a manticore is spotted, invite us to partake in the
hunt.  The knights all ride giant bats, but have a stable of hippogriffs
that we can borrow.  Our flying skills are perhaps questionable, but
we manage to down the manticore with the knights nowhere to be seen
(700 xp).  (It's possible they were giving us the honor of the kill,
as they surely must have been able to find it and slay it before us,
had they chosen to.)  In return, we're awarded a 250 gp ornamental ring.

That night, Mara sneaks around the keep, finding (among other things)
shipping crates marked with the air cult symbol.  Inside one of the
crates, there are flying squirrel outfits, suitable for a humanoid to
glide to safety should they fall from a flying mount.  She takes one of
the uniforms.

In the morning, after breakfast, the groups takes their leave, but
are confronted by the knights as they do so.  The knights accuse them
of stealing!  The groups denies this base slander, but the knights and
their retinue attack, taking the group down in short order (with only
one casualty to Akra's magic missiles).