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A lot needs to be done before the group can leave the village. However, much of this stuff is mundane and won't be worth going over during the game session. It should be sufficient to poll the players to see what kind of “unusual” items they want to bring along. If they can justify that this item was already in their possession then nothing special need be done. However, if it must be made, then allow for the time and effort! The players will be given a lot of leeway in getting equipped, but there is a limit to the resources of the resort and native village!
On the hope of being able to locate the party via scrying magics, several amulets will be made out of pieces of gravel from the collapsed tower. Each will be about the size of a standard d20, will have a hole drilled completely through, and be placed on a simple leather strap.
A note about overland movement rates. Assuming everyone has a base movement speed of 30' and is at least medium encumbered, the actual movement will be 20'. This corresponds to 16 miles per day, or 8 miles if the party has to live off the land.
Basir will loan the party Wunand, a young guide to take them to Brishen, a village slightly larger than Chesmu. It is about 25 miles away, making the trip more than a full day's walk (especially since the group isn't accustomed to overland treks and will presumably have to break their equipment in).
Wunand will provide no combat capabilities, but does know the route well. In addition, he can offer some last-minute language help as he is fairly bright and inquisitive.
Owlbear (48 hp, p.148) - attacks just after sunset.
Wunand will go only this far. He has no interest in continuing with the party. In addition, the natives in Brishen are noticeably less friendly than those in Chesmu.
Roget's Everfull water flask will suddenly and dramatically begin to overflow. The water will gush out of it at a dramatic rate and quickly form into a medium water elemental (25 hp, p.84). Hot on its heels is a Medium Shadow Elemental (6d8+20, 46 hp, stats below)
Shadow Elemental, Medium HD: 6d8+20 Init: +3 (Dex) Speed: 40 feet AC: 16 (+0 Size, +3 Dex, +3 Natural) Attacks: Slam +6 melee Damage: 1d8+4 Special Attacks: Shadow mastery Everything else: Same as Medium Water Elemental
Water is being pursued by Shadow and in a desperate attempt to save it's own life has escaped to the material plane through the first portal it found: Roget's flask. Neither Elemental will pay much attention to the party as they are focused on each other. If the flask is destroyed, neither will have a way home. (Note that the Everfull wine flask would suffice to return them home, but they don't necessarily know about it - and neither are clever enough to figure it out).
Whichever elemental wins the fight will immediately try to return home. If that is impossible, they will attack the party - unless the party assisted him against the other. In that case, the elemental will disappear into the wilderness in a manner befitting its element - perhaps to return some other day.
It is doubtful that much information will be directly gleaned from this encounter - since neither elemental is very talkative, nor can the party speak to it if they wanted. However, this much might be deduced: Shadow is taking over Water (and the other elements) and the surviving elements are nearly routed.