Following Winston’s investigation and a rapid deployment by the Aegis Archive, the Oddfellows race south by sea to cut off Voss’s lead. They reach Signal Bay and track a heavily laden wagon into the foothills near the Dank Deeps, confirming the Black Goo is being transported and has already been mishandled.

Intercepting the wagon, they secure one intact barrel and find clear evidence the second leaked along the route, linking the cargo directly to the corruption in Tatterbark Grove. Through a speaking stone, Voss confirms he is within the Dank Deeps and warns the party they “won’t survive” if they interfere with a buyer en route for the remaining barrel. Brezug is with him and appears to be speaking under pressure.

With one barrel already lost to the wild and the remaining barrel under threat, the party chooses containment over immediate pursuit. They turn toward Saddleford with the secured barrel, calling ahead for Archive support and supplies to neutralize the goo before it can cause further harm.

Winston uses his shadow-market contacts to investigate the three figures who hired the fisherman. He learns the group split soon after the incident at sea. One was spooked by the attack and wanted nothing more to do with the mysterious black goo. A second grew increasingly uneasy with the plans of the remaining member, a human named Voss.

Voss, by contrast, intended to both sell the goo and study it further to maximize its value, and planned to secure Brezug’s expertise “one way or another.” Winston ultimately confirms that Voss and Brezug departed south roughly ten days prior, transporting two barrels of Black Goo. Whether Brezug is cooperating willingly remains unclear.

When the party shares this information with their Aegis Archive contacts, the Archive moves quickly. Using the Fungril network, they send word ahead to Myco Valley to be on alert for Voss, Brezug, or any sign of the substance. No confirmed sightings are reported.

Recognizing the urgency, the Archive enlists the support of Benefactor Halver to sponsor a rapid pursuit. A fast ship is secured, carrying the party south toward Signal Bay by sea, shaving roughly a week off Voss’s lead.

En route, the party stops briefly at Headland Hold to obtain a second goo detection gem. The Archive intends to send it to Southwatch Keep as a failsafe should Voss evade capture.

After three days at sea, the party arrives near Shroomshadow Mire and connects with a local Fungril contact. He confirms that a wagon matching Voss and Brezug’s description was spotted near Saddleford several days earlier, accompanied by guards and heading toward the Dank Deeps trailhead. They have not been seen since, suggesting they left the main road and took the spur trail toward the Dank Deeps.

Recognizing the narrow window, the party immediately redirects their vessel and moves to intercept.

The trail quickly shows signs of Voss’s passage. Deep ruts and broken ground indicate the wagon was heavily burdened and struggled through terrain that is wooded, increasingly steep, and not typically used by wagons. The party is able to move much more quickly on foot, and by the end of the day they spot a campfire and wagon just off the path, guarded by a single dwarf.

The main party approaches openly, posing as fellow travelers seeking to share a fire, while Winston invisibly investigates the wagon. Inside is a single large barrel, and the gem of detection glows brightly.

More concerning is evidence that a second barrel has already ruptured or leaked. Residue along the wagon’s interior suggests the contents were lost somewhere along the route. The implication is clear: the corruption encountered in Tatterbark Grove was not incidental, but the result of this transport.

Meanwhile, the dwarf grows suspicious. He warns the party off, and when they fail to leave, he produces a speaking stone and begins conversing with someone. Winston eavesdrops invisibly, hearing enough to confirm that the dwarf is speaking with Voss, who is likely further up the trail within the Dank Deeps caverns. The wagon appears to have been left here because it could go no farther.

The party incapacitates the dwarf with a Sleep spell before the situation escalates.

Attempting to gather more information, Raz uses the speaking stone to contact Voss, trying to impersonate the dwarf. The attempt fails.

Voss recognizes the deception almost immediately, but chooses to engage. He warns the party to leave before “the buyer” arrives. Background noise suggests he is speaking from within a cavern system, confirming the party’s suspicions.

Brezug is present as well, though he says little. What can be heard of him is careful and measured, suggesting he is speaking under pressure rather than freely.

The party now faces a decision.

Voss is close, and the trail leads directly into the Dank Deeps. But the instability of the Black Goo, and the damage already caused by a single leak, forces a different priority.

Rather than pursue immediately, the party secures the remaining barrel and redirects toward Saddleford. A message is sent via the Fungril network requesting Archive support and a large supply of alcohol to neutralize the substance.

The party reasons that if Brezug has lasted this long, he can likely hold out a bit longer. They plan to return for him once the goo is secured, unwilling to risk it falling into the wrong hands.

The situation has shifted.

The Black Goo is no longer contained. It is being moved, mishandled, and has already caused visible damage. The corruption at Tatterbark Grove now has a clear origin.

Voss is not acting alone. A buyer is on the way.

Brezug remains with him and appears to be under pressure.

The Oddfellows now carry one of the few remaining intact samples. One barrel has already been lost to the wild. The trail leads into the Dank Deeps, but for now they turn toward Saddleford to contain what they can.

Voss remains ahead, and whatever he is planning is already underway.