While Ryu’ Ve-Ke’rehl had his meeting with Callisa Ni several of the others, including Adeya, Vennerzad and The Haunted Blade of Sylvaneft, traveled down into the Arien Taur to witness where the Gray Forest dropped down the cliff and met the ancient woods. Here they found the sap of the gray foliage to be a deep red, but there were only hints of the same red in the sap of the Arien Taur. More interesting was the result of Adeya’s efforts to enter the dreams of both woods. The Gray Forest was a mass of voices, a collection of consciousnesses both hungry and alien. The Arien Taur on the other hand was singular and silent, though a building resentment could be clearly felt. Unable to learn more the group returned to the inn that was serving as their temporary base.
That evening news arrived from the sisters. The public life of Hakon Sind, the elven associate of Brais Muryo, was starting to come to light. Marcus Vermithrax now had enough information to play the part if front of those that knew of him but had never met him, but that was still not quite enough for the dragonborn to attempt to claim the identity as his own. Meanwhile, the paths of the other two sisters crossed as the investigators employed by the Council to learn the truth of the Gray Forest met up with members of the Verdant Mandate.
The next day was uneventful until preparations to meet the druid Nicolu were underway. As the sisters set up their net around the cafe within Arien Tor they found the druid already waiting. And with a few well placed questions learned that he had been there for almost three hours. Still, the group was not ready to break their cover so they let him wait an hour longer. But when the group did approach they realized he had little gift for subterfuge and immediately proposed they meet elsewhere when it became clear he was agitated and had something sensitive to tell them.
Withing a grove of trees below the Gray Forest they learned that the Verdant Mandate had taken a severe turn in philosophy over the past few days. What happened at the obelisk was a mistake, a mistake caused by the tainted blood of the humans that had been killed to grow the forest. A faction within the Arien Taur was claiming the blood of the non-elves was so foul as to give birth to the twisted abomination of a forest. And as a result there was no other choice, all non-elves needed to be exterminated. It was an extreme view, but in the power vacuum created by the loss of so many it was quickly gaining traction. Enough so that Nicolu’s contact within the Verdant Mandate had quit the organization. The party has asked that this contact get in touch with them directly so that they may ask more direct questions, but Nicolu seemed to believe that was unlikely.
With this new information the group’s priorities shifted a bit. They plan to visit the obelisk as soon as they are able before revealing the plans of the Verdant Mandate to the city at large. And in response to those plans they are going to start buying up mercenary contracts through Ivaen Vinekio, supposedly in response to this growing threat. In the mean time they are asking the sisters to continue following the Verdant Mandate and the council’s investigation while also learning more of Hakon.