And so the wayward ground proceeded from the Pelorian Temple in the Bhukka's cave. They made their way back to the Leech Salt Flats, and turned Westward toward the Petrified Forests, handily avoiding a patch of Porcupine Cactus set to explode.

En route to the Forests, a monstrosity of a lizard barred their progress forward. Soveliss determined that, while territorial, the beast would likely let them pass if they sated its hunger sufficiently. After relaying this information to Buttercup, she struck upon a way to complete this daunting task, which did not require hunting food merely twice the size of a man. She wrapped some of the magicked berries which the party was feeding themselves on in a bit of beef jerky, and had Soveliss toss it to the beast. The beast, smelling the jerky, set upon the concoction, which filled its belly; the creature became slothful and unaggressive. Soveliss and Fang then led the party slowly outside eye-and-earshot of the massive lizard, avoiding a potentially deadly encounter.

After several more nights of travel and craftsmanship, the intrepid wayfarers made their way into the entrance of the Forests. Soveliss led the way, being an elf himself, and slipped past a particularly great stone tree. As the rest of the group, significantly more loudly, passed, the tree awoke and questioned their right to enter. Speaking carefully, the party managed to convince the Ancient One of the Forest that, if they would cleanse an ancient Human temple of Pelor and swear that their only other goal was to warn the Elves of encroachment, he would let them proceed deeper. He accepted, leading the rest through such untold overgrown passages and secret trails the party was sure they couldn't make their way unaided.

Eventually a crumbling building was reached. A tree had burst through one corner of the building, and the symbols decorating its exterior were tarnished. An eerie silence surrounded the temple, devoid of animal life as one would not suspect other that the perverting aura of desecrated tombs. The party entered, and set a patch of Hallowed Water -- bane of the Unliving -- at one hallway while they searched the other.

The group entered the Barracks first, which was filled with over half-a-dozen fell animated skeletons. Buttercup unleashed the Holy Light of Pelor, completely destroying most of the creatures. Soveliss then entered, and noticed an even more disturbing creature hidden behind a desk. The monstrosity resembled nothing so much as a sore-ridden Goblin with sickly white tentacles protruding from under its arms. The creature moved toward Prince Aidan, and grabbed him, beginning to force the tentacled toward Aidan's ribs. Fortunately, Melody summoned the ability for the Prince to be covered in a slippery coat of grease, allowing him to slip away from the creature, while it was finished off. Buttercup alluded to the creatures ability to liquefy and drink bone structure, dubbing the monster a 'Bone-drinker'.

A number of other encounters struck the party as they searched the remainder of the first floor of the temple, including two creatures whose thirst drove them mad enough to drink Hallowed Water. One of them restrained itself enough to attack the party, but it was quickly slain, as was the hearth-keeper. In their search of the level, a missive was found, detailing the clouding of Pelor's Might in the midst of Aurifar's growing power, and that the writing priest feared Aurifar might be overstepping his holy bounds. With that missive, destined for another temple, was found a pair of boots emblazoned with a lightning bolt, which Soveliss donned and found made him more springy and fleet of foot.

While the adventurers moved upwards, Prince Aidan stayed below. The group made their way through an unoccupied library while Prince Aidan made his way towards the tree, in hopes to climb it. He reached the tree before the rest gathered their bearing of the second floor. His failure to climb alerted a second Bone-drinker, who jumped down after him, just as the party burst into the hall in view of the tree, spotting the enemy. Soveliss charged towards it, running down the limbs of the tree after it jumped down. The Bone-drinker started running towards the fleeing Aidan, and just as it reached him and struck him with a tentacle, Buttercup---approximating its position---fired forth with the Holy Light of Pelor utterly annihilating the perversion of nature.

The party regained their bearings, and proceeded to the final room of the second floor. Within, they found several piles of ash---presumably Undead who were slain by the bursts and flashes Buttercup unleashed---and one man-sized Bone-drinker. This creature stood strong against the onslaught of the adventurers, however its concentration of defense hampered its ability to strike. It was eventually dispatched, after inflicting several deep claw wounds. Buttercup's magic closed the wounds received, and purified the Altar of Pelor from the corruption of Erythnul, including its saintly relics.

Further search of the premises found the Head Priest's quarters, which contained a set of vestments magicly tailored to a servant of Pelor, and a set of slippers which seemed like they might aid in making it safely up and down the ladder and even the tree.

With their task finally finished, the party returned to the tree, who asked to be called 'Ent'. He fulfilled his promise of a boon, toughening their skins like the bark of a tree without, however, a change in appearance and texture.

The party has successfully gotten themselves access to the heart of the Petrified Forests. Now, they must find and parlay with the Elves, warn them of danger, and then hunt down this strange creature from Realms Beyond known as an Illithid.