Having convinced their Duegar escorts that Mishok was in fact just another corrupt town guard trying to loot his former client, the group accompanies Wendella to her study. She is shocked to see the damage to her room: the burnt wreckage in the corner, and the conspicuously absent array of ritual spell components which she has expected to retrieve. In fact Mishok had taken all those items, but he does not initially say anything about it, as he is trying to remain under-cover. Cycek, however, reveals that he has many of the required items in his possession, having taken them from the bandits they had fought on their first night out of Stilport. The one missing item is salt. Wendella suggests that she spend some time in her study, while the party goes to the kitchen supply room to find salt. She must translate and re-combine sequences of phrases from the spells designed to endow the Staff of Wizardry with its planar travel properties, along with the ritual spell she and Xodar had designed to summon the Nabassu from the Abyss. She also informs them of the importance of a large, clear gemstone to harness light and to power the spell. The original ritual was designed to employ the largest, clearest Shadowfurst Sapphire they could obtain. Nothing else can take the pure light of the stars and focus it in such a way as to make the ritual a guaranteed success. It was just such a priceless specimen that Hack was attempting to procure and sell them, when it had been unwittingly delivered into Carver’s hands by mistake. Now, with the gem armature in ruins, and the sapphire gone with Hack, they must try to make do with a lesser gemstone.

Mishok, being fluent in dwarvish lettering, stays with Wendella in her study to help transcribe the rituals, while the rest of the group, accompanied by guards, heads out in search of salt. Rather than go directly to the kitchen, Sartan decides to try and lure the guards to the trapdoor down the corridor in the opposite direction. He tries to trick them into falling into the trap, but they are aware of its presence and angry that they should attempt such a ruse. An argument ensues in which Sartan asserts a claim to the stronghold, while his Duergar opponents hold an opposite view. One of the guards gets fed up and shoves Sartan, who stumbles back and falls through the trapdoor himself. He hits the stone floor 20 feet below and is knocked prone. He lights a lighter and begins exploring the passageway in which he finds himself. Davros and Cycek follow him down, and they proceed down an exceedingly long corridor. They are pursued by a Duegar who has leapt down after them, but he lags behind and eventually gives up the chase.

Twenty minutes later, the three give up and head back up the corridor to the trap door, uncertain how to get back up. Fortunately, another contingent of Duergar have arrived on the scene, including an individual named Foreman Blackvein, who is on friendly terms with Wendella. He is foreman of the mining crew which has been excavating a deposit of gems in the lower cavern. This mining activity was also in the service of acquiring a gem suitable for the conjuration ritual. The foreman is, according to Wendella, reasonable and rational, as Duergar go. She persuades him to go with Mishok to fish the trio out of the trap, using the wire they had brought with them from the demon’s lair.

The group finally returns to the study. Wendella spends some more time, and with Mishok’s assistance, after about 3 hours of work, she feels she is ready to start putting the ritual together.