help needed retrieving an artifact

adventurers are hired to find and retrieve a old religious artifact so that a ritual can be performed, with payment as having a rank 1-2 almar spell be permanently cast on them (with a few exceptions), they are given two locations to travel to. party narrowly avoids a conflict in one of the locations ,but finds the item is not there. they buy a few wares and test them then leave, and a chaos effect de-orbits the planet. party encounters a fairy dragon that plays with party for a while and offers a interesting skill. the second location is that of a animal collecting beholder, who attempts to capture them but they trade information and on of their party members (balorf) for the artifact. balorf attempts to escape after body swapping with a cockatrice, but fails an waits for party to rescue him later. party trades more information for balorf.