In Break-In At Bleak End, Nessa re-gathered some old members of the Whistledrop Crew in Cliffsunder, a reluctant reunion caused by Merben's involvement with the Glitterati. Together at the Pixis Palace, Don Coriander Thorn tasked them with infiltrating the Bleak End prison to obtain a key to the Undermire Dwarf-Door. Snapdragon Poplarchop provided a temporary ship through his connection to Jolorlun Brinebelly, and Hollyhock Barrowes of Farrozandmar gave them a con to get into the prison. The crew infiltrated the prison undercover as guards and cooks, gained the trust of the kitchen staff, and slowly built a way to communicate with Prisoner 13. They poisoned her to get her into the hospital, stole the warden's Bleak End Records of Imprisonment, and had Ellenor forge a copy of the Dwarf-Door Tattoo Key branded onto Prisoner 13's arm.
The escape went sideways fast, with a rooftop fire signal, an out-of-control Wild Magic surge that turned Mercy into a falling boulder, and a hail of arrows from the towers, but the Jolly Dodger pulled them out just in time. After consorting with Hollyhock and meeting Sassafras Flashlashes, the crew warned Coriander that the Fold likely knew about them, pushing him to gather a hundred-strong Glitterati force instead of sneaking in quietly. They then marched into the Murkmire Marshlands, where Lizardfolk hunters ambushed them twice on the way, but they narrowly survived to make it to the Faeriefort. They bargained with Laceleaf Flashlashes to enter the Deepways through Sprite's Hollow, who allowed the Fairy gang's entry in exchange for Sassafras' staying.
Deep in the Undermire, the group learned both Punmiri and Ellenor had history with the cult leader "V" and his ties to an entity called Virathul, and Mercy felt its symbol was in tune with his wild magic. When Coriander finally opened the Dwarf-Door, it revealed not an unguarded hoard but Vex and Volition, who sprang a Fold ambush. The ambush turned into disaster as two wild magic symbols were activated, triggering a cave-in that collapsed the outer chamber and took in Nessa, Punmiri, and Merben. Ellenor was forced to escape via an unknown Teleportation Circle while Mercy was knocked unconscious by magic, set to become a plaything of the Fold.