According to estimates, the Black Shroud investigation did not begin until a few months after the community of Aether’s Way vanished. A friend had attempted to contact one of its members, and when met with no reply, she traveled to the Twelveswood herself.

What she found at their last known location were groups of tents and abandoned supplies. It was as though everyone there had simply ceased to be.

The Elder Seedseer of Gridania launched an official investigation shortly after, involving the Gods’ Quiver, Wood Wailers and Twin Adder representatives, as the area of the Black Shroud was known to be particularly dangerous.

I sat down with Etrault Gleafois, a former volunteer for the Twin Adders who participated in the investigation.

“Many were unsettled,” he recalled, “Bottles were left half empty, the tents still had adventuring bags and outfits strewn inside. Whatever happened, they didn’t take time to pack.”

Adding to the unsettling nature of the Aether’s Way disappearance were the numerous holes investigators discovered not far from their camping ground.

“I’d never seen anything like it,” said Gleafois, “There aren’t many beasts in the Twelveswood that would do such a thing. They were manmade, as the final report stated.”

A group of Blue Badgers - expert engineers and crafters from local Gridanian guilds - were tasked with investigating the holes. Their report shared that they were very narrow but fairly deep - “about as deep as an average Hyur is tall” - but seemed to have served no purpose. They were empty.

Investigators did, however, uncover supplies nearby, along with short notes, that pointed to some connection to Aether’s Way.

“There was never a conspiracy,” Gleafois told me when I asked him about the notes, “Some believe the Adder’s Nest refused to release their contents, but they were mostly incoherent, as far as I was told. Personally I think it was some kind of gardening attempt gone wrong.”

Independent researchers seem to disagree, however, citing the fact that the holes were filled almost immediately, and only a single photograph remains as evidence.

Read Part Four of The Mystery Of Aether’s Way in next week’s issue of The Babbler.