The party met Frelvan Birnen Silentkind, Mitheon and Gweddan Ceserron (Kharis), as well as Teztudamé, at the Ceserron ranch. They were all introduced and talked a lot about the gods, their mission into the Hunting Grounds, as well as forest spirits they had met. Silentkind, originally from the Floating City, lives in Big Hamlet and is here to investigate these rumors of spirits in the Flatlands.
Some knowledge was gained from Silentkind, a mage of the Big Hamlet school. For example, aarakocra live for only thirty years on the Material Plane, which is why most dwell in the Highland Bluffs where they are connected to the Elemental Plane of Air, which is where the aarakocra race originates. Aarakocra with no connection to the Elemental Plane of Air eventually loses their mind, long before they die.
The next day, Devinn wrote a note to Silentkind. They talked about Green Tree. Realizing the nature of Green Tree, Silentkind convinced the party to take part in a ritual that severed their souls from their bodies. They awoke at the base of the Wailing Citadel, and here they found the forest spirits, actually children who died 2000 years ago.
Leading them across the bridge, they were attacked by the unknown horror from below, a ship Mordus immediately recognized from his mother's stories about Havilal's main vessel. More so a feeling, he was adamantly certain that this was the source of his magical powers. The boat, massive tentacles appearing on its side, and with Norx Sylvor and many of Mordus' former crew members on board, attempted to grasp Mordus, but the party managed to escape into the Citadel.
Delving deeper, they heard singing, a hoarse male voice singing You Are My Sunshine, which grew louder the higher up and deeper into the Citadel they went.
Far up, the singing was loud. A shade, the Mason of the Citadel, silently approached the party, looking to inspect the spirits. Also here, Lady Eponorrath appeared, consort of Draconiz and mother of Arepo, from a portal to the Garden of Rhapsody, Arepo's divine domain. Denismer Brushgather appeared from a portal into an infinite library; and the Mad Wizard, servant of Veil and father of the Hallowbinder, appeared from a chaotic vortex of particles and void.
Convincing the party that they were here to help, the child spirits got sorted out in various fashions. However, they did learn various bits of info:
- Jasper's (Green Tree) mother had never come through here, in fact, she was deceased somewhere, but her spirit warped into something fiendish and... headless?
- The singing comes from the sad soul of Arkizer Fiendbolt, and he and Gyenrow died over 2000 years ago. They caught a glimpse of Gyenrow just before the portal closed in the end.