Ideas on what's causing my click/tick/rattle noise?

Killer6 said

There's no other way for oil to touch those taper-seat plugs unless the valve cover was hemmoraging & painted them on the way out.

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The valve cover was indeed leaking, but not a huge amount. When I wiring for the tach I accidentally trapped one wire under the valve cover and gasket at the front and rear passenger corners. It was dripping, but not a ton.