In the abandoned Umlian Church, three young women and an oddly old man eagerly awaited the return of their founder, Vermhaxaandes Sharhydrox. On the forest floor, Lola Windwhisperer was failing to establish sentience in her Rat companion, Birdie, while high in the bell tower Auberon tried to remember fragments of his long-lived past. The Angelborn's meditation was continually tested by the twins Valori and Vesper, who engaged in relentless tag-in, tag-out combat drills that could be heard throughout the abandoned town.
Lola spotted Hydrox's gold-lined carriage arrive, and the Vermin gathered, awaiting the news that the Dragonborn brought from his travels. He held an open contract signed by the magistrate of Wistimere, with a covenant that was somehow both vague and blunt: “1000 GP REWARD TO ANY WHO HELP US FIX THE ELF PROBLEM. DO NOT BOTHER TURNING UP WITHOUT EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE SOLVED THE ISSUE.” Despite the uncertainty of the contract, Hydrox offered it in full to his Vermin, who were excited to test their skills without their master present. They respectively attached their horses Biscuit, Ginger, Fudgeeo, and Oreo to a plain carriage, and rode through Umli's abandoned streets and into the Woods of Elenmyr.
The forest was familiar territory, but not long after passing the fork toward to Oldoan, they encountered an unexpected obstacle. A large boulder, clearly moved into place, blocked the path. Unsure how to proceed, Vesper loosed an arrow at the boulder, and from behind the stone tumbled a sleeping Troll. The troll demanded all their gold or their horse meat; immediately offended at the thought of losing Oreo, Vesper shot the troll. Enraged, she charged, but Valori intercepted her before she could reach their carriage. The champion Fighter held against the troll's raining fists as her Druid and Sorcerer companions hurled fiery Spells to prevent her from regenerating.
After being smashed into the ground, Valori was forced to tag out with her sister, and the hunter Ranger took her place on the front line, weathering the troll’s blows. Badly burned and bloodied, the creature eventually bargained for its life; Vesper gave her a small amount of rations, and the nearly-deadly fight abruptly stopped. With a "nice to meet you!", she wandered back into the forest, leaving the Vermin bewildered. Valori and Auberon rolled the boulder off the road while Lola and Vesper “assisted,” and the party made good time thereafter, stopping in the night to rest under a sheltered crag.
During her watch, Lola thought she saw a Tiger moving through the autumn foliage; such creatures were not native to the woods of Elenmyr. Minutes later, she glimpsed the face of a young woman in the shadows, who appeared startled at being noticed before darting away. Nothing else troubled them, so Lola assumed she had been observed by a Wildshaped druid guarding the woods, much like herself. In the morning, Vesper confirmed that the fur indeed belonged to a shape-shifting tiger, and Lola left a Druidic message in ash declaring that the party was friendly.
They then made south, eager to solve the “elf problem” of Wistimere.