Hello, recruits! Gather close, and do not touch the trees. My name is Saliv, and... oh, the briefing.

She takes the paper and reads it.

Right. The Guild insists I say this at least once, so: Vice-Leader of Caril's Company, Institute of War of Evelia, and patron of this expedition.

She waves a gloved hand.

There. Done. Never again. Saliv. Just Saliv

Take a look around. This is only the edge of it, barely touched, which is why we're standing here and not further in. Until Halloween, this was an ordinary forest. Since then, the whole place has been turning into a sugary version of itself. Caramel trunks, peppermint mushrooms.

I can't prove who's behind it yet, but I have a suspicion, and the Guild shares it. We believe it's the work of the Crimson Witch, or at least someone who got their hands on her books. Normally, that would be a very short conversation, because the Crimson Witch is far beyond anyone on this roster.

She taps the scroll.

Then I read who had signed up, and I decided you'd manage. Partly because of who you are, and partly because the Witch never fights her own battles. She sends doppelgangers. They can hurt you, but a copy is never the real thing.

The scouts found little near the entrance and a great deal further in. About a third of the way through, and again at two-thirds, they found gatherings of far more dangerous creatures. Do not mistake them for fights you can take on alone. I mean that literally. Alone, you will lose. Together, you might stand a chance.

And there's good news. Anomalies like this one tend to produce treasure. Take whatever you can carry out. Mind the rule on appraisal, though. Nothing found in the woods is to be used until the Guild's appraisers have examined it.

To sum up, here's what I actually want. I'm not sending you to die. I want you to gain some experience. You don't have to finish this in one trip. Come back as often as you need. Retreating isn't failing. The forest isn't going anywhere

Any questions? No? Good