Kynortas bows and leaves the room. Heading outside and following his companions to Forest.

Fizzbang scowled. The forest? Again? As if getting half-gnawed to death by a thrice-damned badger wasn't bad enough! Still...he sighed. "Just keep thinking about that money." Fizzbang whispered to himself. 

He'd make sure to keep the imposing bulk of his armored allies between himself and any and all ravenous woodland vermin in the future. 

"Don't worry about anything reaching you this time Fizzbang." Kynortas says to Fizzbang on the way out as he sees him rub his still fresh wound. "The last time you two went off my spear and shield weren't with you. I can assure it will not be anything like your last trip in there."

As soon as they enter the forest again, Tharin turns to Aracynth and Kynortas.

"My story is my own. You have no right to spread it, half-told or otherwise. If I am to remain outside the knowledge of Samael, I must be inconsequential, a passerby. Nothing remarkable about shadows. They tell no stories about themselves. People should not tell stories about what lies in them. Please respect my mission as I have your privacy. I have not asked where you wander, Paladin, nor why you insist on keeping watch, Warrior."

Tharin keeps walking, keeping an eye out for the root as he guides the others on the path towards Ysmir's Rest.

"My apologies, Tharin. It was indeed not our story to tell, though it aided us greatly in our current mission. Should any ill come of it, i will stand accountable for the wrong doings personally, as I must." The large Dragonborn bowed deeply towards the Elf.

As they moved deeper into the Huntsman's Dream, Aracynth focused on his long-honed survival instincts, looking for both the braided root, as well as tracks or signs of any other denizens of the woods around them.

Survival : 19

As you make your way past the lodges and into the forest proper, following the same path Tharin and Fizzbang did previously, a familiar voice greets you by the side of the path:

“Early in your quest your destination will you reach, and not yet complete is my little speech.
Of the center of the forest little is known, so seek the roots where men grow stone.”
Ma'al steps out of the forest and sets on his hind legs, like the lion that he is, to your left. He bows slightly and takes wing, not waiting for a response or recognition. You catch a glimpse of him twisting gracefully through the branches above as he makes his way south. 

Glancing about for roots and danger you do not see much in the path. You reach a small clearing, just after you notice an aged wooden sign that reads:

"HUNTSMAN'S DREAM
Hunting in these woods is welcome and encouraged,
just make sure you leave with what you entered and
use every bit of your game.

Ahead: Ysmir's Rest
Duke Reznik Armitage"

The forest ahead splits into 3 distinct paths, one straight ahead (E), one to your left (N) and one to the right (S). From where you are you can see what appears to be the edge of a large pond behind some trees straight ahead. The path to your left appears to be an unoccupied clearing in the forest, and the path to the right curves off somewhat behind you, and Aracynth notices some humanoid looking tracks in the dirt and grass that way. Below is a map of the clearing you are in, please excuse the large, green ovals as I couldn't find my unmarked or 'player version' of the map I created. Had to edit.

Aracynth frowned as the Androsphinx climbed silently through the branches overhead, vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared. 

"Great.. more riddles." He glanced around at the others as they moved through the peaceful underbrush. "Can any of you make any heads or tails of that? Also, Tharin, Fizzbang, there are some tracks over in this direction; are they yours from earlier? Where should we proceed from here? Ysmir's Rest is up ahead, right? That's where the Duke said these roots would be.."

"I have a feeling that person showing up again was no mere coincidence. I would be willing to bet that we should do a more thorough exploration than just looking for a root." Kynortas says while keeping an eye around him. Where men grew stone, eh? A building perhaps?

Perception: 22

Kynortas:

"Aracynth these tracks are too numerous for just being from Tharin and Fizzbang. Look along the edges of this grass here and here." Kynortas says indicating two areas where the grass is standing up and isn't trampled. He continues, "The grass has been trampled down and it looks like a large group has been through recently. The tracks head off and down to our right. I am more concerned with the lights in front of us however."

Kynortas points straight ahead of the group indicating that just to the left of the group of trees in front of them are several faintly glowing red lights. As they move through the air they look as tiny setting suns off in the distance floating and drifting through the air. "I don't know what those are, but I am going to play it safe. Two of our number have already been attacked once moving through these woods." 

As he finishes speaking he lifts his spear from its sling on his back and hefts the shaft in one hand and grips the handle of the shield in the other. 

"We only saw the badgers. We left the cremains further away from the clearing than this, so they shouldn't be after that."

Tharin takes out his bow and nocks an arrow.

"Either way, the root isn't here, so we need to keep going."

Aracynth watched his friends ready their weapons in the clearing. He knew his own equipment was always within easy reach and no enemy had yet revealed themselves. Still, Kynortas' 'setting suns' did pique his interest, and the guilt in his soul beckoned him onward. "Shall we, then?" He replied to Tharin's remark before approaching the drifting lights ahead. He did move cautiously though, until he could better ascertain just what the motes of light were. 

Investigation : 8

Mysterious glowing res lights in a forest? No possible way that could end poorly. Still, Fizzbang’s compatriots seemed dead set on plunging head first into whatever unknown danger lay ahead. So long as Fizzbang could but a few hundred pounds of armored Dragonborn between himself and whatever lay ahead he should be alright...

Probably.

”ah. Well. Fine then. This ought to be fine.”

Aracynth: from where you are you can’t quite figure out what the red lights are, but they aren’t trying to hide. They certainly aren’t eyes and they certainly don’t have limbs... they’re probably magical? They’re too big to be fireflies or bioluminescent insects. Though they remind you of candlelight the way they flicker about and seem to dance with one another.

As you head their direction you hear the sound of chimes... as though someone had hung small wind chimes from a tree nearby... and the motes of light flit off toward the water and zip across it; much faster than you are. Once across the water they split off from one another. One heads northeast, in the direction of what you now see is a smaller pond. One stays floating in a figure eight at the opposite end of this pond, and one flits southeast into a clearing. They all then hover and chime lightly from their new stances. The pond is about 100’ across and about half as wide at the narrowest point

The pond you are in front of seems calm, if not very clear. Normal fauna adorns the surface and large stalks of forested grasses protrude around the edges as a natural hedge. The smaller animals dart in and out of the trees and the now slowly setting sun shines brightly onto the surface of the pond. The glare is quite bright through the break in the trees and it looks quite peaceful.

As the dancing lights flit around the grove, Aracynth stood even more perplexed than before. There was a chiming on the wind which he hadn't previously noticed, and the grove in the afternoon sun was overcome with a simple and relaxing stillness. The Dragonborn looked back to his friends to see what they would make of this development. "Can any of you divine what these are?" He said, wracking his brain for anything he could remember of dancing lights in the woods.

Nature : 5

Arcana : 5

"We should hurry if we want to be back on Cloverdown by nightfall. These lights seem decent enough for now, but I'll keep an eye on them. I vote for the clearing next. Easier to see everything and get to it without wading through water."

Aracynth:

Aracynth's eyes widened in recognition, before softening noticeably. "Hold on a moment, Tharin. These are Will-o'-Wisp's. Though what calamity has set them here, forlorn in these woods, I cannot say. Still, if we can communicate with them, they may be able to help us.. Do any of you know if such magical beings use any means of communication?"

He paused a moment, before turning back toward the nearest Wisp, dancing a figure eight over the pond. Aracynth approached calmly, and his helm began to glow softly as he invoked it's power to Comprehend Languages. "Hello. Can you understand me?" He asked the Wisp (in Common), projecting his voice without menace.

Dancing lights...right. This ought to be just fine. Just when Fizzbang thought the woods couldn't get any worse. All the trees, bugs, and animals were bad enough. At least those made sense! But still...surely these creatures (if you could call them that) must be here for a reason?

Arcana 18

Fizzbang:

The wisp on the water darts out away from Aracynth as he approaches, hovering and flickering in and out of view as he attempts to speak to it. It wavers for a moment, slowing its hummingbird-like movement, and you all hear a whispering, chiming sound come directly from it. It's a pleasant sound, and has a beauteous rhythm, almost as if it is playing music for you.

Aracynth and Tharin,