Traveling south toward Headland Hold with the red stone idol, the party is forced through the dangerous choke point of Tatterbark Grove, where encroaching forest and corrupted growth make even basic travel hazardous. When a missing child is taken by the grove itself, the party intervenes, containing the idol’s influence while fighting back aggressive plant creatures and rescuing the girl from a carnivorous tree.

Reaching Headland Hold, the party delivers the idol to the Aegis Archive and reports their activities near Ravenfall, as well as their encounters with the black goo across multiple locations. While the Archive claims no prior knowledge of the strange goo, inconsistencies and admitted oversights raise concerns. With the idol secured and new questions emerging, the party adopts the name Dawnspire Oddfellows and prepares to return toward Dawnspire.

After reaching the coast, the party turns south toward Headland Hold, carrying the red stone idol with them. The road narrows here due to Tatterbark Grove, leaving only a tight corridor between sheer sea cliffs on one side and the encroaching forest on the other. Keeping the route passable requires constant effort, and travel is slow. The party takes up hand tools from the Waymakers cache so they can cut as they go, helping to maintain the narrow roadway.

Curious about the grove’s condition, the group tests the vegetation in several ways. Shepherd attempts to commune with the trees, finding them hungry, distressed, and unnatural. When he encourages new growth in a branch, it responds violently, entangling him before he breaks free. Fire burns the foliage, but only reluctantly. Cutting works, though acidic sap seeps from the wounds. A small amount of the black sludge provokes rapid, unsettling growth. Lowering the red idol near exposed roots draws a visible reaction, with roots shifting and reaching upward.

With their questions answered and the danger made clear, the party presses on, aiming to clear this stretch of road before nightfall.

Near midday, Fhino, flying high while holding one end of the rope rig used to transport the idol, spots trouble ahead. A section of road has been completely overrun by the forest. A northbound wagon has overturned while attempting to pass through, blocking the way and creating a small traffic jam.

At the site are two wagons and two smaller carts, along with livestock and several travelers. The overturned wagon belongs to a family of five, including three young children. Behind them waits a larger wagon drawn by a team of giant ants, attended by an impatient merchant and a hired guard.

Fhino and Shepherd remain back with the idol while the others move in to help. They right the overturned wagon, recover scattered goods, and work to get traffic moving again. As things settle, the mother of the family suddenly realizes one of her children, a small girl named Jenny, is missing.

The party spreads out along the forest edge to search. Almost immediately, aggressive plant creatures surge from the undergrowth, attacking travelers and party members alike. As the battle escalates, muffled cries can be heard nearby. The party fights while attempting to locate the missing child, protect the remaining travelers, and keep the situation from spilling toward the cliff edge.

Fearing the idol’s influence in the chaos, Fhino secures the rope and lowers the idol out over the sea cliffs, keeping it well away from the fight. Shepherd works to move civilians farther from the forest as plant creatures attempt to entangle and isolate targets.

During the melee, several close calls occur. Party members are seized, thrown, or lifted by animated vegetation before being freed. At one point, Fhino notices that one of the travelers shepherded away from the grove has fixated on the rope and the idol dangling below. He quickly relocates the idol and returns to the fight.

Following the sound of crying, the party realizes the child has been taken upward rather than deeper into the brush. High in the canopy of a nearby tree, they spot Jenny wrapped tightly in leaves and branches, only a scrap of her dress visible.

Winston uses his abilities to reach the treetops and cut her free. He passes her to Fhino, who manages to carry her safely back to the ground. As the rescue concludes, the tree itself reveals a more monstrous aspect, opening a jagged maw beneath Winston before the party brings it down.

With the most dangerous plants destroyed or driven back, the road slowly clears.

The party spends additional time cutting back the grove as best they can, helping to clear the roadway. As the wagons depart, the group notes the rear merchant’s wagon again, pulled by six giant ants. The load appears unusually heavy.

When questioned, the merchant refuses to discuss his cargo. As the caravan moves off, Winston quietly takes a bag from the back of the wagon, unnoticed.

The bag proves to be unexpectedly light, leaving the nature of the wagon’s heavy cargo unresolved. Inside are a dozen smaller packets divided into two colors, each indicating a different substance. Through experimentation, Winston determines that the substances allow a person to exchange vitality for stress, or stress for vitality. Recognizing their potential usefulness, the party divides them evenly.

Continuing south, the party reaches the end of Tatterbark Grove and turns east toward the peninsula upon which Headland Hold sits. Late the following day, they arrive at what appears at first to be nothing more than a tall stone archway standing alone on the bare rock.

Lisa explains that the Archive lies underground. She and Bob step forward and wave toward the arch. The air beneath the archway ripples, revealing the image of an interior chamber. They pass through, and the image vanishes.

After a tense wait, the arch activates again, now showing a larger underground space. A figure gestures for the party to enter. Passing through, they find themselves in a broad cavern outfitted with supplies, wagons, and work areas. Several passages lead deeper into the complex, including a massive vault-like door set into the stone.

An archivist named Steve asks the party to wait, explaining that outside visitors are rare. Shortly thereafter, two workers arrive wearing protective clothing and carrying a specially prepared containment case. With Fhino’s assistance, they secure the red stone idol, then they transport it through the vault door.

Curator Doris soon arrives with Lisa and offers the party food, makeshift accommodations for the night, and a chance to formally discuss what they have uncovered.

During the debrief, Shepherd presents his notes and sketches detailing the idol, its effects on Bob and others, and the events at the spire. He expresses interest in joining the Aegis Archive. Doris explains that while the Archive values field experience, Shepherd lacks the formal education typically required for membership. She does not reject the idea outright, but makes it clear that entry would require additional proof of capability.

Shepherd also presents the two True Air crystals recovered from the mountain and asks about safely gathering and transporting more. This leads to a broader discussion of True Elements and Archive procedures. Shepherd requests a clear set of expectations for eventual membership.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party inquires about payment and recognition. After some discussion, the group formally adopts the name the Dawnspire Oddfellows and requests endorsement from the Archive.

The party also recounts their experiences with the black goo, including the incident near Whitecap, strange behavior in Mosswater Vale, and the violent overgrowth in Tatterbark Grove. Doris notes that a southbound wagon encountered trouble in the same area several days earlier. The Archive is concerned by the sudden escalation and intends to investigate further. When the party explains they plan to return to Dawnspire, Doris agrees it would make sense for them to accompany any Archive effort moving in that direction.

When asked about the goo itself, Doris states that the Archive has no record of a substance matching its description. Winston remains unconvinced. Pressed further, Doris admits that the original vault associated with Whitecap, located beneath a small island offshore, was officially cleared as safe by the Archive. If the goo originated there and went unnoticed, it represents a serious oversight.

Doris indicates that she’ll contact the Archive liaison in Dawnspire and ask that they reach out to Brezug the alchemist to assist with analysis of the black goo sample. In agreement with the party, the Archive’s primary concern is making sure the situation doesn’t get worse.

The road alongside Tatterbark Grove is open once more. At Headland Hold, the Aegis Archive secures the artifact and records the party’s account. Still, questions linger.

The idol is contained, yet its true purpose remains unknown. Whatever it was meant to complete was interrupted rather than understood. Meanwhile, the black goo has surfaced in too many places to be dismissed, and admitted oversights suggest it may yet pose a wider threat.

As the Oddfellows turn back toward Dawnspire, they leave the peninsula knowing that containment is not resolution. Like the nearby grove, some dangers persist quietly, rooted in places long known and considered managed, waiting for the moment when vigilance slips.