Flanked by a human in black robes, and a half-orc in a breastplate, the woman greets the group in pleasant fashion and explains that her "friends" knows where William is.  He is, she claims, alive and "not permanently damaged" and can be returned to them in that state, provided they hand over the woman from the crystal sarcophagus.

The group asks several questions, to which they get seemingly honest if not entirely complete answers, then discusses the situation amongst themselves.  Zook wants to fight.  Mei Ling does not.  Zabrit in the end is the deciding vote: and her perspective is that their purpose here is to find William and then speak with Grulag-Dur, not to fight probable-vampires.  If they fight and die, the giants will invade, and thousands of lives will be lost.  Zook, umable to face three powerful enemies alone, reluctantly agrees to the trade.

Reunited with William on their departure from the Ziggurat, the group finds him less than grateful for his rescue.  Instead, his focus is on the fact that they left him alone to get captured.

Zook: "You had it easy.  We died."

Once he's calmed down and had a chance to prepare spells, William plane shifts the group back to the faerie plane.  Zook then teleports Mei Ling and Zabrit to Londar's house, before returning to William.  Mei Ling takes the opportunity to tell the mage of the trade they made to get William back.  She is ... not delicate ... in the way she does that, and the group are rather pointedly asked to leave.  Immediately.

When William and Zook arrive the next day, the group settles down to rest and recover for a week (because hey, there's no pressing danger, right?  Just an imminent giantish invasion).  Late in this process, they stop by Londar's place to apologise for Mei Ling's bruqsue nature, but the wizard has sealed his home and departed, for purposes unknown.

After the week is up, the group teleport to the Goblin Fair, which is overrun with refugees from Grulag-Dur's rampages across the faerie realm.  However, it seems that the crowds are actually starting to thin out -- word has come that Grulag-Dur's bad temper is over!

The group sets out to the giant's castle, and meet his skald, Mundilmar.  This 12 foot giant explains that Grulag-Dur's wife has been returned to him.  The group are immediately suspicious, since they have two-thirds of her soul hidden in the Dawning Sun library ... but Mundilmar seems confident that Blodeuwedd is fully restored.  When asked, he confirms that they received three gems, from which she was released.

The group make a quick deduction and ask if the people who returned the gems were dwarves.  Mundilmar confirms that they were.  Zook agitates for immediate war with the duergar, but cooler heads prevail: they decide to return home and discover what has happened.

Back at Whiterock, all seems fine at the library, with no sign of an attack.  When asked about the gems, Lo Ren is very confused: William himself came by nearly a week earlier, and took them.

A meeting is arranged with the duergar, who confirm that they did indeed gain possession of the gems, though the dark dwarves insist they found them "in the possession of an outsider we found crossing our territory".  The duergar maintain this is not a breach of the treaty they have with the group.  With Grulag-Dur appeased, most of the giants are calm again.  It's true the ogres still appear to be about to march. but the Dergar explain that they have secured Grulag-Dur's promise that no giant will approach within 20 miles of Whiterock Mountain. 

Zook still wants war with the Duergar, but the others realise that the ogres will rampage toward Cillamar if not stopped, and that this is a more pressing concern.  So they head for the city to begin organising a defence.

Once at the city, the group secures logistical support (scrying and sending) from Lady Chauntessa.  With her aid, they contact the eight individuals whom they rescued from being turned to stone.  All eight agree to lend their skills to the upcoming battle.

A council of war is called with the seneschal and Lady Talbalt.  Agreement is reached that in fighting the ogre invasion they will need as much support as possible.  The city is the strongest defence point, despite the lack of a wall on the southern side, but the local nobles; most of whose land lies between the ogres and Cillamar; will never agree to retreat this far and leave their holdings to be pillaged and people to be murdered.  With this in mind, it is decided to face the ogres in battle as far to the east as possible.  That means Eldoran lands, so the group decides to go see Lady Eldoran and try to get her support.

Lady Eldoran listens to the group's plans with interest.  Her immediate response, however, takes them a little by surprise: she asks who will lead the combined forces.  William proposes Lady Talbalt, but Lady Eldoran notes that "despite her fine qualities, she lacks the social standing to give orders to Barons".  William grumps that the person best-qualified should lead.  Lady Eldoran looks pointedly at him and agrees.  William immediately protests that he is even more common-born that Lady Talbalt.  Lady Eldoran points out that he is a self-proclaimed Baron, and that if he had the good fortune to secure a well-born wife, he would have the necessary standing to be the titular commander (while Lady Talbalt did the actual work).

It just so happens, of course, that Lady Eldoran has a marriage candidate in mind: her younger daughter, Mildrid.

William is somewhat taken aback by the idea.  The rest of the group, on the other hand, are amused.  Eventually, he agrees to meet with the young lady - properly chaperoned, of course - and see how they get on.

This meeting is rather stilted at first, but then Mildrid asks Will's opinion of three crop cycles as opposed to two, and things become rather more relaxed.

With (slightly unseemly) haste the marriage is conducted and consumated.  William has a new wife, Whiterock has a new Lady, and the group have an army.

The question now, is will it be enough?