From the conquered Shadewind Spire, bodies of the fallen order members strewn around its gilded main hall, the party discussed their next moves. They knew they had to stop the small group of escapees from the battle, before they managed to reach other members of the order -- or the Twilight's Hammer itself.
In the lower levels of the Spire, the party found a number of hippogryphs in pens, which they tried to persuade to be of aid to them. It took some work, bribery, and a bold display of dominance from Yuma Stonehoof, but eventually the party managed to bring the hippogryphs to heel and answer the party's calls.
Atop the backs of the feathered beasts, the party then took off. Up to the skies, and then out across the valley on the hunt for their targets. Unfortunately, now that they were out in the open, it did not go long before they were spotted by a small group of airborne sentries from the Spire who had until now not realised that trouble was afoot.
A battle broke out, the party against the mounted knights, one that ended with a decisive victory for the party and a hippogryph sent spiraling to the ground in a blaze of fire thanks to the mischievous deeds of Qalia Sugarfuel's imp Zabbo.
When the party came in for a landing, it turned out the group they had been pursuing mostly consisted of trainees and new initiates of the guild, escorted through the wilderness by a knight of the Shadewind Order. The knight took center stage, but the group was quickly dispersed when Zachariah Hallowhold cast a mind bomb into the midst of them -- the power of which quickly overwhelmed the initiates.
Once the battle was over, the party were able to keep one of the initiates alive to interrogate. With a secluded campsite and a zone of truth, the young man -- a journeyman crafted from Stormwind City -- regaled a long and winding tale to them about how he had gotten embroiled, as well as another confirmation that the Shadewind Order first and foremost acted as a front of the Twilight's Hammer there in the Stonetalon Mountains.
He also told the party a handful of things that sparked their interest.
Firstly, the Twilight's Hammer had apparently found and brought back to work an old complex of sorts; an ancient facility of presumably Titanic make, which a group of Venture Co hires were helping the cult make use of. Its whereabouts looked to be where Tsunaman had sensed the presence of another source of power, deep down underground.
Secondly, the cult had brought along a number of golems and other machinery from the Eastern Eastern Kingdoms. This part in particular was helmed by the night elf Lord Arkkus, who the party had previously learned of from Renault Blakemore in the Shadewind Spire, as well as in Blakemore's writings.
By the sound of it, this mysterious Arkkus was at the helm of the cult's dealings here in Stonetalon. If the party could take him down, surely they would deal a devastating blow to whatever dark plans the cult had in motion.
The party convinced their captive to lead the way onward, to show them where the entrance to this underground complex was, on the condition that he would be set free once they got there.