Session Date: 04/07/2023
We go through the house and Giacomo takes the spellbook, while Kerran distributes the healing potions that are found to Sarras, Calthel, and Ships. Ship uses his potion.
The tree has grown in less than a year, growing around and through Lady Dogrose. We cannot tell if she was alive when this started, but she definitely is not alive in any conventional sense of the word. We can’t tell at a glance if she did this to herself, or if someone (such as a pact holder) did it to her. Giacomo tries to sneak the 10x chryosprase (50g a peice) but the bag tears and they spill onto the ground. Calthel and Sarras are unimpressed by this display and give him shit, but the group moves on. Giacomo picks up all of the pieces and takes them regardless.
As we head back to the estate, we head towards a figure: a gnoll that is on the road. Calthel and Ships recognize the coat of arms on their gear: a knight of the Duchy of Eachiary. From Calthel’s time in school, he recalls that there were a dozen or so nights riding with Prince Ios (from what is now Lindborough), and Calthel recalls that one of the prince’s knights was a gnoll named Gwargyl Amfear.
Note: Prince Ios is a sort of Arthurian figure in history.
The gnoll is Faolan, a gnoll with brown fur and spots, with a large halberd on their back. He is on business from the duchess, searching for a group. We confirm that we are that group out this way, and we are indeed working for the duchess. We all introduce ourselves to each other and then give the newcomer an overview of what is going on and what we’ve found.
Spells in the book Giacomo found:
- Alarm
- Comprehend Languages
- Identify
- Magic Mouth
- Detect Magic
- Find Familiar
- Unseen Servant
- Water Breathing
- Illusionary Script
- Floating Disk
- Gentle Riposte
- Contact Other Plane
We return to the estate and we are shown to a board of bread, butter, and assorted cheeses. We ask if Pinewood or Nick has broken for lunch yet, and the maid says no. She admits that Pinewood is rather busy today. Even Nick’s office is closed - the amiable incompetency has died down.
There is a noted pattern of court mages going corrupt and Sarras asks if Calthel knows why Honoria did what she did, and he responds that Honoria was searching for the missing sister of Lis. We muse if that is what Lady Dogrose was doing, but we aren’t sure.
Ships mentions he has a book that he took, and Giacomo picks the lock open for him.
Dogrose was afraid last Autumn that “they” were returning. She is convinced that “they” will come for her. The narrative in the journal is very disjointed. There are notes in the margins as well. While this is not a spell book, there are “scrolls” in the pages with some of the pages burned - scrolls that have been consumed. The last entery was about a month ago when the scarecrows began disappearing. The book is a ultimately a record of a paranoid woman, but also is a manual for scarecrow golem creation.
Manual or Lesser Straw Golem Creation:
- Takes:
- 36 days
- 3600 gold
- 1 50gp chrysoprase
- Two spell slots of level 3+
- Scrolls of animate objects & geas if you do not possess those spells
- A greater golem would take…
- 108 days
- 10,800 gp
- 10 chrysoprase
- 2 spell slots of level 5+
- Scrolls of animate objects & geas if you do not possess those spells
- A scarecrow takes…
- 8 days
- 36 gp
- One suit of clothes which do not belong to you
- 2 spell slots of level 2+
- Scrolls of animate objects & geas if you do not possess those spells
- The manual acts as scrolls of appropriate spells for four golem-craftings. One has already been expended.
Lady Dogrose makes mention that the fey have been retreating. The sleeping god that hates the fey the most is Crom, the serpent of darkness. We also know everyone blames Crom for everything because it is hard to see what it does. The wtich writes of the special, tough, scarecrow (that we called Jack) as her child. Based on her notes, tthe one is all that she ever made, but her notes indicate that she instructed that golem to make more, and Calthel clarifies to Sarras that this could be instructed to bind familiars.
I send my familiar to check on things around the building and the swarm of crows has lessened significantly. The familiar that had burst into nothing was still gone as well.
We return to the witch’s house and Calthel and Giacomo find a cabinet in the floor with some books, and there are also beetles whose larvae are not book worms.
Mormo the Wolf-Witch is an archfey and clearly was Lady Dogrose’s patron. She is known for academia and knowledge. She turns nobody down, but people pay for it if they do not hold up their end of the bargain. She’s who you go to if you would like to have knowledge.
Scathes is the archey for martial prowess and revenge.
Loot:
- Kerran:
- truth serum
- jeweler’s tools
- studded leather
- shovel
- Ships
- black silk rope
- alchemist fire
- vial of ink x2
- essence of ether
- cook’s utensils
- Giacomo
- alchemist fire
- lap harp
- merchant’s scales
- focus wands
- Calthel
- five vials
- five glass bottles
- ten candles
- ink x5
- arcane focus wand
- Faolan
- poison vials
- poisoner’s kit
- dose of malice
- To sell:
- military saddle (20g)
- lacy undergarments
- bit and bridle
- alchemist tools
- brewer’s tools
- leatherworker tools
- saddlebags
- merchant’s scales
- yew wand
We all also get x2 chryysoprase (100gp each)
We return and the steward Hugh answers the door and yelps in surprise at the sight of Faoolan. We explain that we have a possible answer to the scarecrow issues. Hugh takes us to his office to meet Nick, then leaves to notify him. Ships notices that Hugh seems shiftier than usual. Faolin can scent a lot of wine and adrenaline - people have been drinking, and they are upset. Sarras tries to look at the papers on Hugh’s desk, but there is nothing that she can really discern.
Nick joins and the smell of wine is heavy on him. We explain what is going on and what we’ve found, and we explain that the witch was not doing any of this maliciously and feared for her life. Nick says that this is a sad end, and that she seemed to be a compassionate person that cared for all of the people here.
We then move on: Nick’s son had gotten upset and left. His disappearance will only be temporary, true, but he has left the entire household upset. It is nothing that we need to look into as he always finds his way back. Nick mumbles something and then heads off towards bed.
Hugh clearly has had a day of it, and he says that Cobard raised a hand to him. He admits that he will be bruised and sore. Sarras heals him for a couple of hit points, making him feel better overall.
Ships is looking for Cobard’s room and narrows it down to one of the two remaining rooms in the north wing. Sarras helps stand guard as Ships goes in to search it. The room is a mess with a lot of affects that clearly mark Cobard as a hunter.
While this is happening, Giacomo doesn’t notice there is a puddle of water. It turns into a wave and punches Giacomo in the face, and combat starts.
There are two enemies:
- Tidal wave
- water elemental
- big and dumb
- slowed with cold
- invincible to poison and acid
- Cursed gummy worm
- slithering tracker
- a person so obsessed with revenge they turned themselves into a water elemental
- this may not be directed specifically at us
- very sneaky
- can climb walls and ceilings
- cannot be charmed or frightened
- slithering tracker