Tyrion and Sjolander set off to find the tree. To reach the Wildepond, they must cross the road and, as they do, they notice a strange reddish creature in the distance, riding a horse. It seems to be a collection of moving gem shards combined in the vague form of a humanoid.
They are not given much time to contemplate this strange creature or to wonder what to make of it before they are attacked by giant ants emerging from a mound near the side of the road. They have no choice but to fight the ants and ignore the new creature. However, as the battle commences, the strange creature notices their plight and comes to the aid of Tyrion and Sjolander, helping them to defeat the ants.
After the battle, introductions are made. The new creature identifies himself as a shardmind named Gladness. He explains that shardminds guard the gate to the Far Realm, but he seems more than a little sketchy about why he would be in the world rather than in the Astral Sea doing his job, and completely obtuse regarding the reason for his being on this road on this day.
Nonetheless, Tyrion, having been the subject of no small amount of prejudice himself, and Sjolander, having learned tolerance from a young age, accept him at face value, which, at the moment, is the simple fact that he helped them defeat the ants. They tell him briefly about finding the Silverkin sword and the still missing shield and amulet. Then they invite him to accompany them in the search for the great cypress tree.
It is not long before the three find the tree at the edge of the Wildepond. Looking up, they are able to see, through the branches, what looks like a leather bag hanging from a hook in the trunk of the tree at the very top. Sjolander removes his armor and begins to climb the tree, which he does with little problem.
However, at the instant he touches the bag, an opening in reality appears and fell taints begin to enter the world through it, attacking Sjolander. Sjolander leaps from the top branches of the tree, making no attempt to stop himself, but his fall is broken twenty feet down when he accidentally lands on a branch. He continues to leap pell mell down the tree, falling and landing on branches, suffering more and more injury, until he falls in the water of the pond.
Meanwhile, Tyrion and Gladness are doing what they can to fight the fell taints. Whatever force is holding open the tear in reality and allowing fell taints through seems to fail and the opening closes, leaving a group of fell taints on this side, which the adventurers finally manage to kill.
However, the bag, which the adventurers imagine must contain the shield, is still at the top of the tree. So, Sjolander, still armorless, climbs the tree again. This time, he obtains the bag and puts it over his shoulder and begins to descend.
Unfortunately, a few feet down the tree the hapless Sjolander is attacked by bats and stirges. Once again, he tries to leap from the tree, but catches on branches as he falls. By the time he final reaches the ground he is unconscious, leaving his companions to deal with the bats and stirges, which they do.
However, it seems his fall had triggered another attack, this time by a group of undead: a skin kite, a specter, a wraith, and a griefmote. There is a desperate battle and Tyrion and Gladness are finally able to re-kill all the undead, only to immediately be assaulted by scarab grubs and a huge carrion crawler which all emerge from a hole in the tree trunk. Another desperate battle ensues, which the drow and the shardmind finally manage to win, but by the time they do, their companion Sjolander is dead.
But, the bag does, indeed, contain the missing shield, old, dirty, and rusty, but unmistakenly the shield of House Silverkin.
They carry his body back to their camp, where they find Keira and Thoeak. Thoeak is terrified of Gladness, the shardmind, for his is like nothing Thoeak has ever seen before. Getting used to a drow was hard. Accepting this strange lizardlike creature which Keira has become was more than hard. Accepting this pile of moving crystals is beyond his ability. He flees the camp, and it is only Tyrion’s threats which keep him from running into the woods and disappearing forever.
They load the horses and carry the body back to Linden, skirting around the village of Wildepond on the way. It is after sunset when they get back to Linden and they go straight to the keep.
Unfortunately, the guards are unwilling to allow the shardmind to enter the keep, and he is forced to remain outside when the party goes in to show the baron the recovered shield and to inform him that yet another member of their party has died.
This time, though, the baron is visibly moved and is immediately willing to send for the cleric from Bushdell once again to raise Sjolander back to life. Unfortunately, it will take at least another ten-day.
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