The Scenic RouteThe Scenic Route

Flagged down on the Silverline Pass by Aenon Brambleheart of the Herd of the Wind, the party answered an urgent plea: tribal younglings were vanishing into the Darkwood Grove, a place too thick for Centaur warriors and too dark for the rest of the Firbolg tribe to enter. Where local guides faltered, the group pressed on without hesitation. Seeing past a hag's glamour that fooled even seasoned eyes, Azeem alone sensed the rot beneath the grove's inviting charm and struck first, shattering the illusion and exposing "Aunty Twitchwillow" as a green hag. After a hard-fought battle, the party subdued her, recovered the missing younglings, and — bound by the ancient and unbreakable nature of a hag's vow — honored their oath to release her in exchange for her permanent departure. The grove was left lighter for it, and a rare procession of mourning Centaurs bowed to the party in gratitude and respect. A detour to Azeem's old training village turned grim: Breaker Azsun's grave had been desecrated, broken open from the inside, and townsfolk had gone missing. Matriarch Naza Biter had already alerted Grandmaster Yusha, and the party pledged to follow up. Back in Stonemount, the group tracked a lead on Prius through his associate Farren Gormund, engineered a ruse to draw him out, and — after a skirmish with skeletons in tow — captured Prius alive this time, handing him over to the Glacier Guard before retiring to the Skinny Minister for a well-earned rest.