Children of the Woods is a faction quest in Crimson Desert tied to the Pororin Forest Guardians storyline. It tasks you with tracking down four young Shai who have scattered across the world of Pywel to see its wonders. Each one is tucked away in a hidden or hard-to-reach spot, and you need to find all four before you can wrap things up.
Quick answer: Complete The Unreachable Village quest, speak with Polan in Pororin Forest, then locate the four Shai β Ara at Mystic Falls, Balan in Redtree Forest, Alder at Three Brothers' Cliff Wyvern Nest, and Florian beneath the Desert Edge Maze β and talk to each one to send them home. Return to Polan to finish the quest and receive the Pororin Petal Hat.

How to unlock Children of the Woods
You cannot start this quest until you've finished The Unreachable Village, which itself becomes available after completing the Trembling Woods quest earlier in the Pororin Forest Guardians chain. Once The Unreachable Village is done, head into Pororin Forest and talk to the four Shai standing around the village. After the conversation, they'll leave to explore different corners of Pywel.
Speak with the Shai resident named Polan. She'll ask you to bring the children back and hand you A Traveler's Log Book. Reading the book gives you hints about where each Shai went, though the clues are vague enough that you'll still need to know the exact spots.

First Shai β Ara at Mystic Falls (The Ancient Rift)
Step 1: Travel north from the City of Hernand. You can ride your horse or fast-travel to a nearby Abyss Nexus to cut down on travel time.
Step 2: Once you reach Mystic Falls in The Ancient Rift, descend to the rocks situated between the waterfalls. Look for a narrow gap in the rock surface near the bottom.
Step 3: Slide through the gap to drop into an underground area beneath the Hernadian Territory. You'll spot a glowing tree β Ara, the first Shai, is standing right next to it. Talk to her, and she'll be sent back to Pororin Forest.

Second Shai β Balan in Redtree Forest (Red River, Demeniss)
Step 1: Head to the Red River area on the western side of Demeniss. You're looking for the southern edge of the region.
Step 2: Search along the mountainside for a cave entrance. It's not marked prominently, so keep an eye on the terrain as you ride south.
Step 3: Enter the cave, and you'll find Balan standing beside a large red tree. Speak with her to send her back to the forest.

Third Shai β Alder at Three Brothers' Cliff Wyvern Nest (Delesiya)
Step 1: This location is in the southwestern part of Delesiya, which is a significant ride from most other quest areas. Mount up and head to the marked cliff region.
Step 2: When you arrive at Three Brothers' Cliff, jump down into the gap between the cliffs. You'll see large wyvern nests in the area β that confirms you're in the right spot.
Step 3: Move behind the huge rock formation in the nest area. Alder is waiting there. A quick conversation sends the third Shai home.

Fourth Shai β Florian beneath the Desert Edge Maze (Smoking Lands, Demeniss)
Step 1: The Desert Edge Maze sits in the Smoking Lands of Demeniss, northeast of the City of Hernand. You can reach it by horse, Abyss Nexus, or Abyss Cresset β whichever is closest to your current position.
Step 2: At the maze, glide or jump down between its edges and search for a hole in the ground. Drop through it to reach an underground chamber.
Step 3: Equip your lantern to light up the dark space. Move toward the patch of greenery growing between two rocks β you'll notice rabbits gathered nearby. Florian, the fourth and final Shai, is standing in this area. Talk to her to send her back to Pororin Forest.

Completing the quest and reward
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Quest name | Children of the Woods |
| Storyline | Pororin Forest Guardians |
| Prerequisite | The Unreachable Village (and Trembling Woods before it) |
| Objective | Find and speak to all four Shai |
| Reward | Pororin Petal Hat |
After you've spoken to all four Shai and sent each one back, return to Pororin Forest and talk to Polan one more time. She'll confirm that the children have returned safely, completing the quest and awarding you the Pororin Petal Hat β a cosmetic headpiece themed after the forest.