The Vendor

If you make it through the forest, past the river, past that giant tree, past the Things With Spikes (oh, you've never been that far? Well, you'll know them when you see them), and through a stretch of ash-colored trees that seem to go on forever, you may end up quite suddenly in a field. There's a village in the middle of that field. The cows there are shaggy and the people are quiet.

You may notice a house there with what looks like a stall out front, though it hasn't been used in years. Grigory Crosswing used to sell all sorts of rare materials and trinkets there. Best ingredients in the land for those potions you'd never tell your mother about. Supposedly he swore it off after some odd tentacles he sold ended up making people...

"...ill."

We'll go with "ill."

He doesn't like to talk about it, but it sounds like it may have something to do with those beasts you encountered. Assuming you make it to the village, and assuming he's even still alive, he may be able to tell you how he came across those cursed tentacles.

Hope your scouts are up for it.