Chapter 18 - The Mountain Haggling

General Summary

As the night began to fall upon the Dragonscale Mountains, the party was instructed by Hilda Snowladen to start setting up camp. Wulfric decided to take the dead abominable yeti and create it into a makeshift sleeping bag. He and Gilliam shared that bed, while everyone else set up tents and had a fire going. During the night, as Slytoff took watch, he noticed a tremendous storm brewing in the sky. He determined it was a spell causing it. He alerted Riley and Hamill about the disturbance, but Hamill assured Slytoff it was nothing to worry about. The night passed, and so did the storm. Wulfric and Gilliam woke up covered in wet guts, freezing a bit from the blast of cold air.
After packing up, the party ventured forth. Up on the mountainside, the Southern Stars spotted an inhabited cabin in the distance. Hilda noted the cabin was not there the last time she went up the mountains. Using some survival skills, Slytoff and Gilliam determined there were also large wolf prints in the snow, as well as stripped trees having claw marks. Gilliam decided to investigate the cabin, and brought along Hilda to ensure it was covert. Gilliam's snooping revealed the presence of an old woman, along with humongous white wolves. Gilliam reported the info to the party, making everyone suspicious of the woman's activity.
Slytoff and Tequila decided to confront the woman. Being welcomed inside the house, Slytoff and Tequila noticed the old woman collected many trinkets. The old woman, named Peggy, told the party that the house's trinkets came from a life time of stories. Slytoff tried to pet the wolves, but one, named Smoochums, had a problem with that, speaking in common and telling Slytoff to respect him. Slytoff and Tequila remained suspicious, and Peggy tried to implore them to eat cookies and give over their magical items. The two tried to leave, but Peggy became more aggressive, demanding a parting-way gift. She surrounded the two with her hounds. Slytoff, sensing danger, surprised the old woman with a sudden casting of Fireball, engulfing her and the dogs in an explosion!
The fire melted off the faux face of the hag, revealing a disturbing smile, pale skin, and terrible claws. A hag! She ordered her wolves to kill Slytoff and Tequila. The two alarmed their cohorts, and Gilliam, Riley, Wulfric, Hamill, and Hilda rushed into the house. Riley used his powers over shadow to fight off some of the guard dogs with Hilda, while Hamill cast haste on Riley to energize him. Wulfric began to charge toward the wolves, but Peggy threw a potion at him, forcing Wulfric to polymorph into a lizard, becoming useless in attacking. Tequila and Slytoff began to get torn by the wolves, but Tequila cast Guardian of Faith before the hag Peggy could escape. Though Peggy used her witchcraft to blast the party with cones of cold, the Guardian of Faith would ultimately eviscerate her with holy radiance.
With the witch dead, the party discovered a few things about the cabin. First, they found treasure, such as a gold and sapphire necklace. Gilliam found magical boots on the body of the witch. Looting one of the chests, they also found a Mimic, and promptly slew it. Secondly, Slytoff would go into the kitchen and find the hag was cooking well-fattened adventurers. Slytoff took a small taste of the witch's brew, and suddenly became extremely fat, gaining 200 pounds in an instant. Slytoff, intrigued by the brew, bottled some of it up after the potion's effects wore off on him. After the shenanigans, the party decided to take the hag's clothes and travel further up the mountain, as a gift to gain Morgesk's favor when they eventually meet him.

Rewards Granted

After defeating the hag, the party found some loot within her cabin: 2x potions of healing, a snow globe, a hag greystaff, a Gold and Sapphire necklace (worth 600 gold), a Potion of Fatness, and Boots of the Winterlands.

Character(s) interacted with

• Peggy and her Hounds. Old Peggy was a bhuer hag, an intruder upon the Dragonscale Mountains who was using her hounds to attract adventurers in hopes of eating them. Her winter hounds were named Charlie, Smoochums, Snowy, Spot, and Buddy.

• Hamill was as annoying as ever to the party. He tried to help them, but the party told him not to.

• Hilda Snowladen worked with the party to camp and explore the Dragonscale Mountains, serving as a trusty guide.

Date (in world)

May 22nd-23rd, 5689.

Report Date

06 May 2020

Bheur Hag by Tom Babbey

The Southern Stars would confront Peggy, a terrible hag who offered them false hospitality in desire of their trinkets.

Player Characters

Riley Woodhame: Riley Woodhame, human fighter and warlock, is a member of the Hearthstars (an organization based on gathering information under Amagus' teachings). His search for power and knowledge led him to find the Lady of the Lake, giving him an inkling of control over his own fate.

"The Amazing" Slytoff Han: Slytoff Han is a magician! A gnome wizard, he seeks to find funding to create a magic show and has traveled around County Ellis to show off his skills for potential audiences.

Wulfric Cisboren: Wulfric is a human fighter, who hails from Obesfeld, and a former housecarl. He appears to be a man of the north, covered in furs. Recently he has been talking more in a Norden accent, and has been behaving more like the Dwarves of North in his fighting style.

Gilliam Wulfstan Maydestone: Gilliam is an aarakocra swashbuckler, as well as an urchin that grew up in the city of Ebenwald. With his skills with the blade, he seeks higher up contracts to fill his pockets.

Tequila "Teq" Cambow: Teq is a cleric of Amagus, devoting his life and services to the god. He was introduced to the party by the local bishop of Silver Town, searching for field experience and for building his faith.