The bone amulet made it clear that the note wasn’t bluffing, brigands had captured the druid. For his return, they demanded the chieftain's family heirlooms, the most precious thing in the tribe, Trovir’s Gems. Additionally, the note warned that if the courier was armed or a warrior that the druid would be executed. At the discovery of the letter the chieftain grew worried; the druid had been repairing the outer warding circle when he was captured. If the task was not completed in the morning everyone who leaves the settlement would be at risk of encountering a Droughnliten, plantoid man-eaters. With the day already past noon, the chieftain quickly gathered the gems while the tribe readied Oas, the hobbled tanner.

Two years ago, Oas was crippled during his coming of age trial, surviving a night outside the circles, he was ambushed by a Droughnliten which mangled his left leg. Being rescued by the warriors, the chieftain mulled over what to do as Oas recovered. He could no longer fight or hunt on the level of the others; to ensure he could still be useful to the tribe he was chosen to apprentice the old tanner. Unthreatening but still stong the brown-headed Oas was chosen to retrieve the druid and repair the outer circle. Equipped only with his winter clothing, Tovir’s Gems, and his unlit torched walking staff Oas hurried through the Frosted pines to find the brigand camp.

After nightfall, Oas found the camp just outside of the barely functioning circle. Hearing a fight, Oas rushed to the camp. There a tall skinny tree-like monster was clawing the brigands into the whitened ground. Frozen in fear, the Droughnliten turned its attention to the bound druid. Bravely, Oas rushed to the campfire and plunged the torch-end of his staff into the flames. Realizing the threat, the Droughnliten pounced onto Oas. Oas sensing the attack slammed the flames into the beast’s side knocking it out of the air. Terrified, the creature fled into the night as the flames slowly consumed its darkened skin. With the brigands dead or fled and the monster defeated, Oas freed the druid and the two snuck back into the outer circle. After returning home, both were praised as heroes, Oas more so as he bravely fought off a Droughnliten which had nearly killed him before.