The Foresters Guild recalls a number of Forest Touched for re-evaluation.

• Marius of the Foresters Guild - Mat
• Heston - Joe
• Garrick - Alex

• 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.
• Garrick 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 Garrick 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, Garrick 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.