Averick Goodie briefs Heston and Marius that they are being recalled for a 'routine' checkup. They first have to prove their competency in a couple of key Guild areas, and then undertake a mission.
Garrek has been hired as an 'independent observer', and briefed to keep an eye on proceedings.
The first evaluation is a fight against some regular Forest creatures - successful, although a little more care needs to be given to the Paladin.
The second evaluation is triage. The party allow the most seriously wounded candidate to die, nearly let someone missing a limb bleed to death, and kill someone with no outward signs of being wrong, and who reveals they are a Guild Member. In fairness, this is mostly Heston and Marius' fault.
Finally, they have to overcome another fight, which they pass. Averick informs them they have a 'C', which is a technical pass, and now they have a mission to perform.
The team go to the settlement indicated by Averick. Here, their contact, Aaron, an Erosion Weaver, explains to Garrek the mission briefing, whilst Marius' old buddy gives him a lowdown on who they're here to investigate - Arrakis Nodule, an old friend of his, and Guild member, who went missing on a standard patrol nearly a week ago.
Heston mentions openly how their lives would be easier if the Paladin 'had an accident' and they could return after a quick peek, in front of Aaron. He displays no remorse.
The party make progress through the Forest, trailing Arrakis' patrol route. Marius' lends his ranger tracking abilities, making life easier.
They come across a strange sight - a bright blue stick insect, which is set upon by the other Forest stick insects. It does not appear to be obviously Foresty. After the battle, on examination, the creature is bright blue all the way through. Everything about it is blue.
The party come to a clearing where pools of vivid colour are seeping from the ground. Colourful frogs are here. It is only by colourising their weapons and using them to defeat their complementary opposites that they can cause them any real harm.
At this point, Garrek dips himself in several pools, before diving into the blue one, gulping it down. When he emerges, his body is completely blue - everything is blue.
Marius, hoping to find a cure at last to the Forest affliction, does the same. However, it seems that the Forest's hold over him has prevented the source of the 'blue' - a weaker, albeit similar-feeling entity - from gaining purchase.
This draws the forest's attention. The party run on.
The party find what appears to be a broken and bloodied Arrakis Nodule - but he looks as though he's had a greivous accident at a tie-dying convention. The party attempt to bring him to safety, and dip him in a 'clear' pool, which wiped colour in the frog clearing. However, rather then becoming clear, the pool becomes multicoloured.
Having picked Arrakis up, Garrek's arms are also now multicoloured.
The Forest approaches and the party flee, desperately trying to keep Arrakis alive as they fight off stick insects. They become somewhat colourful themselves as they have to pick Arrakis off the floor.
Garrek flees using the power of the Wheel to bring backup.
The party escape the Forest and are met by the Guild.
Debrief
On the way back, it becomes clear that the thing they have discovered…whilst looking like Arrakis, is, not, in fact him. It is something entirely different.
The party seek to understand just what this creature is. Sensing captivity is imminent, it offers to cut them a deal, but the party turn it down 'until after its checked out'.
The entity makes it clear that the world is wrong, and it is able to make it 'right', gesturing to a dead moss poppet it has colourised purple. “You will be right soon”, it says, gesturing to Garrek's blue body. “Soon I will make everything right”.
The party are decontaminated and debriefed by the Guild. Nondescript figures arrive and thank the party, taking the entity away in a covered cart, along with several of the colourised goods that the party picked up along the journey.
Later, Garrek subjects himself to a series of tests involving coloured fruit. He gets very beaten up for not remembering certain safety codes.
Marius and Heston make their own plans.
Consequences
Garrek
+3 Favour
Joins the Forester's Guild.
Chronic affliction of the body: you're blue now. All the way through.
Apart from your arms, which are multicoloured.
Normal food is bland, blue foods taste alright, colourised blue fruits taste INCREDIBLE.
Strong affliction of the mind: you feel a desire to cultivate new life.