At the Astral Ward research camp, I met with Malice, Caithe, and an unexpected guest: Waiting Sorrow. She had apparently overheard our plan to scope out the bloodstone. Leaving Poky in the care of Deft Lahar and Patient Willow, she came armed with an interesting idea. Since the titans have been using the area's bloodstone to replenish their energy, Waiting Sorrow proposed neutralizing it with the Heart of the Obscure. Clever. But like any hypothesis, we had to test it. Our attempt at neutralizing the bloodstone was successful, but not without consequences. The magical blowback from the exploding bloodstone is quite powerful and must be handled with care. Waiting Sorrow managed to shield us from the explosion, but if we intend to use this strategy during battle, we'll have to coordinate our attacks with her defense. As it turns out, Waiting Sorrow wasn't the only unexpected visitor we'd encounter. The bloodstone's explosion revealed the ghosts of several individuals sacrificed during the White Mantle's occupancy. Speaking with them, we came away with an unsettling picture of Gavril, the village that stood here long ago, and the dark history that plagued it. Overall, our work proved bittersweet. We leave with our strongest strategy yet for defeating the titans and a harsh reminder of the blood with which history's pages are written. With all that's happened, it was finally time to confront Waiting Sorrow about her true identity as not only a wizard, but a wizard of legend. Unsurprisingly, she echoed her request that I not say anything to Stoic Alder and to keep the additional details of her identity hidden from Poky, assuring me that she'd handle the fallout. While my patience is running thinner than Willow's weaving thread, the genuine hurt in Sorrow's voice is a stark reminder that if I'm feeling worn down by this situation, the pressure she's under is immense. Ultimately, she's going to need to come forward, and she'll need to do it soon. Easier said than done, I suppose, but there's no way around it. Still, I don't envy her position. I may be weary, but I'll give her that much.