Using two Hit Dice: 18

During the hour of rest, Hex helps as Serelis puts his home back together - feeling somewhat responsible for the damage. After they've cleaned up as much as they can, she takes post by the door and keeps watch in case anything else comes to life or tries to attack them. Once its time to go, she gets out of the way of the door so everyone can leave and follows behind the group.

(Used 1 hit die to fully heal)

Auriel also helps cleaning the mess. When that is done, he sits with his back against a wall, eyes closed, making the most of the brief respite before departing. His thoughts drift to the missing men, wishing they are still alive and well.

When Serelis announces he's ready, the eladrin takes a deep breath, opens his eyes and follows everyone outside. He stays close to the half-elf, paying attention to his every movement, as he is the one that knows this forest best.

"The blights and scarecrow... obviously animated but can't find any closes as to who.  All I can say, is it looks like they stepped on the bean stalks and knocked over your tomatoes..." Uragum says as he take a bite from a tomato.  He shrugs as he recognizes the stares.  "What?  It got knocked down, best to eat it now rather than let it rot while we're out and attract insects."

During the rest, Uragum sits down next to the garden and meditates, regain some bit of magical energy that he had expended.

---

Starting with one hit die 5

Also gaining arcane recovery to gain back the two 1st level slots that were expended.

(Carl rests and recovers his spell slots, but does not use any hit die.). Carl will stay close to Auriel, listening and looking to see where they are headed, watching for any signs of animated attackers sent from the forest.  

When it comes time to set off, he asks Serelis if it may be less offensive to the temperamental fey if he were to wildshape into an animal form such as a black bear.

"The fey likely still know that you are not a creature of the forest, but an affinity to nature is preferable to them, certainly," Serelis answers.

Past Serelis's clearing, the intensity of the Quivering Forest is immediately noticeable. This is a forest where the shadows seem unusually deep. Colors are muted, and sounds are slightly muffled.

Though the weather is still inclement, the thick canopy above shields you from most of the rain. Despite this, fat, icy drops still fall here and there and a wet, clinging fog covers the forest floor. It is damp and chilly, without even the slightest breeze, but the shroud is not thick enough to obscure your vision.

The rain contributes to the smell of freshly turned earth, tainted occasionally by rotting vegetation and meat. Further in, the silence in the forest is deafening. The sounds of your breathing and the drumming of the heartbeat in your ears are the only noises to be heard, aside from the occasional loud crack of a breaking stick, or the rustling of brush as something huge and unseen moves just beyond your vision.

Serelis guides you calmly through the wilderness throughout the day, and there is surprisingly little fauna to be seen. Small birds and squirrels occasionally make themselves known, seeming emaciated and of a dour disposition. The birds swoop and dive at you as you pass beneath their trees, and the squirrels drop acorns, squeaking angrily before running back into their hollows.

Sylyra begins the walk in the form of a large, black bear. Two hours in, his form shimmers back into his elven form, and he elects to remain in that form — at least until it seems more prudent. The occasional threatening appearances of small animals are frustrating, but the druid doesn't try to deter the creatures. It is very curious how the presence of the party is so alarming to all of them. How are all of the creatures so unified in their thinking that they share one aversion? Is there some kind of telepathic connection? There must at least be some kind of magical one.

Hex is on guard the entire journey, her bow still slung over her shoulder but her hands always prepared to draw at the first sight of danger. Despite being a ranger, Hex was always more attuned with the ways of the city than the forest. She was never uncomfortable being in forest, if anything its was always a welcome comfort when she wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of civilization. Walking through the Quivering Forest was an entirely different experience, however. The animals being somewhat hostile to the party was a little surprising but their emaciated appearance disturbed her deeply. This was their natural habitat and from the way she had heard the fey protected the forest, she expected them to be full and lively. She couldn't help but wonder what was keeping them in such a state...

As they follow Serelis, Auriel can't help but feel completely out of his element. The clear hostility from the animals and the occasional clinking of his chainmail make him edgy. But it is more than that. What unsettles him most are the muted colors, the muffled sounds, and the pervasive smell of rot. If he had to choose a place that felt diametrically opposite to the Feywild, it would be the one. In his home plane, the forests were alive with vibrant colors, lively sounds, and the hum of magic could be found everywhere. That was one of the biggest differences he had noticed when his exile to Toril began, and though the reminder was constantly there in the corner of his mind, he thought he had already gotten used to it. Yet here, in this oppressive darkness, he feels this difference more than ever. "Gods. I haven't felt this far from home since I arrived on Toril", he mutters under his breath. Then he turns to Serelis and asks quietly, "Has it always been like this? I don't recall it looking this bad when I first arrived."

Carl pads along behind, tense and occasionally clenching his right hand, his head turning to look at the source of any unexpected sounds.  “Never been in any stretch of woods like this.  I feel like something is definitely… watching us.”  Carl walks behind Auriel, a time or two a little too close, stepping on the back of his heel.  

A quiet and slightly pained-sounding "Nai!" can be heard every time Carl steps on Auriel. After the second occurrence, the eladrin adds, "How about we switch places, Carl?"

Carl nods and moves in front of Auriel, his head is moving around like it is on a swivel, looking in the trees for any sign of movement.

"Has it always been like this? I don't recall it looking this bad when I first arrived."

"No..." Serelis says simply, his eyes seemingly scanning every inch of the forest, "But this is no ordinary forest. This is fey territory; and if the fey are feeling upset, uneasy, or simply discontent...the Quivering Forest feels it too."

What began as walking begins to feel like trudging throughout the evening. There is a lack of breeze further into the forest. Sweat clings to your brows, and your packs feel progressively heavier until night falls. "This will work," Serelis says, finding a suitable clearing to set camp. "Absolutely no fire of any kind. Disturb as little of the flora as you can. I'll go search for something we can -- what in the..."

The rangers eyes widening as he stares at the group brings your attention to your packs. It would seem that the extra weight you felt yourself carrying throughout the day was not, in fact, figurative, as each of your packs is filled to the brim and bursting with berries.

Sylyra removes his pack, takes out one berry, and examines it to determine whether it's safe to eat.

"What in the... a prank by the fey?" Hex takes off her pack and immediately begins to dump out as many of the berries as she can. She looks around the surrounding area, trying to see if there is anything nearby that may have been following them.

"It has to be a prank," Auriel says quietly as he grabs a few of the berries to examine and even sniff them, wondering if they are poisonous. "I can't imagine they would help us by giving us berries that were actually edible."

He also tries to recall any fey creatures he might know that would act like this — more on the funny, pranking side than the violent one — and how to appease them. Should they just throw the berries away, or would this annoy the berry-gifters? Perhaps it would be better to just express gratitude and act like they are the most delicious berries the party has ever tasted. A prank for a prank.

Uragum dropped his pack and began to pace as he thought about the berries.  It could easily be a trap.  Probably a trap but... maybe it was a cry for help.  Turning to the others he asks, "Is there something about not being able to leave the forest if you eat food offered to you by fey?  Is that a thing?  Is that the trap?  We eat this and then cursed to stay here?  Otherwise what comes to my mind is some lesser fey are trying to help us.  Like they are not enthused by the status quo here and hope we can make some change and have offered what little they can to help."

Carl takes out a few berries and examines them as well, squishing one of them and taking the smallest bit of juice on his finger, touching it to his tongue to take a taste.  

Sylyra is unable to pinpoint the nature of the berries, but Auriel believes them to be safe to ingest from his past in the Quivering Forest, and Serelis soon confirms it. "Dewberries," he says. "It seems not all are upset with our arrival." Hex does not spot any other creatures nearby. When Uragum mentions a potential trap, Serelis thinks on it for a moment before answering, "I've not heard of anything of the sort. They are safe to eat; I would have likely brought something just like this back from foraging. Our benefactors just saved me some work for the evening. We should certainly not let our guard down, however."

The night is calm, if not made a bit restless by the lack of noise within the foreboding forest. None suffer ill effects from the berries helpfully placed within your packs, but curiously, you each awaken to find garlands of unusual flowers wreathing your heads.

Sylyra can't help but feel heartened at the gift of berries. And in the morning, he smiles genuinely when the garlands are discovered. "We are needed," he says to no one in particular. "The forest is not at peace, and we need to bring peace." He spends several minutes in meditation, preparing his spells for the day. When it is time to set out, he is clearly in a pleasant mood. Yet, he still acts removed from the others. With them, and yet not engaged with them.

Upon finding out that the berries are not harmful, Hex cautiously snacks on some herself while gathering the ones she had dumped out her pack too hastily before. She places a few piles of the berries a little ways away from the camp as the party heads to sleep, hoping that any starving animals nearby may find them and ease their hunger.

Waking up to the garlands the morning after, she feels her unease of the forest begin to elevate a bit and hums in agreement to Sylyra. Perhaps he was right and there was some fey out there hoping to encourage the party. Still, she does not completely let her guard down. Whilst the forest and fey could indeed be welcoming them, it could also be just as likely that they were trying to trick them. "Do you know what these flowers are, Serelis? Do they represent something, maybe?"