Session 5: The Witch in the Wood #5 Report
General Summary
Coming upon the swamp creature assailing Granny Merry's house, our worthies are confused when the creature attacks them, saying "Save child!" in a boggy dialect of City Trade.
While defending themselves -- or "strategically retreating to a different part of the bog" as Cedric, Banzi, and Bahlsen do -- the adventurers try to question the creature as to what it knows about the missing child, Claude.
Communication is difficult, however, as the 12-ft-tall creature continues attacking Grumble and Tyrone during the conversation, a conversation made even more difficult when Granny Merry appears at one of the windows to her cabin and, drawing upon the deep magic of the woods, sends missile after missile of crackling, fireworks-like energy lobbing at the bog beast.
Meanwhile, Banzi makes their way around to the back of the house, followed by Bahlsen. Banzi attempts to pick the lock on the back door, hoping to find safety within, while Bahlsen moves around to a bedroom window, looking to do the same. Banzi has some initial difficulties, causing a fair bit of noise, and then hears some movement and other strange sounds from within the house. Bahlsen, though, is able to effect ingress into the hedge witch's bedroom.
Against all odds (and very high Difficulties set by the GM), Grumble and Tyrone manage to convince the bog beast that they are on its side and, now, themselves convinced by what the creature has said that it is, indeed, Granny Merry who purchased the stolen child from the orks -- for who knows what reason -- they combine their efforts in an attempt to penetrate the wards protecting the cabin. Tyrone makes an excellent pitch of a javelin, presumably causing Granny Merry great consternation.
While the bog beast beats on the roof of the cabin, Cedric sneaks up to a nearby window and tries to parlay with the witch. But this task is undone, if it had ever had a chance of beginnign, when Grumble throws a dead ork's war chopper at the cabin door, nearly sundering it.
Behind the house, Banzi finally gets inside, but discovers that the common room area is empty. They check a side room and find a great deal of drugs, magical reagents, and other components of healing and spellcraft, but no witch. Bahlsen, in the bedroom, also finds no sign of her. And, shortly, everyone is gathered back together while the bog beast continues to ineffectually pound against the roof of the cabin, barely causing dust to sift down within.
A quick search of the house reveals a trap door in the floor that, when opened, reveals a horrifying scene: Granny Merry, the Witch of the Wood, is in an underground grotto there, dragging the wriggling form of a lad, Claude, toward a basin of water carved out of one of the grotto's walls. But her plan isn't to drown the boy. No, the back of the basin is not stone and drizzling water, but rather a wavering portal into a dense, forested dark that smells of mold and rot. A deep, hungry growling emanates from within.
Grumble leaps down into the grotto and draws her zwiehander to strike down the Bloodmonger of Panus, but the close quarters cause the 9-ft ogreblood trouble and all she's able to do is wrench Claude out of Granny Merry's grip.
Granny Merry, though, draws a castle-forged stilletto and incants terrible words. The dagger fogs over and begins to sizzle, covered with a burning acidic fluid that drips from the blade in a slow, ichorous stream.
Even hindered by the cramped chamber, Grumble is able to avoid the blade that seems veritably lustful for her life. From above, Tyrone makes another astonishing javelin throw and clips the witch in the shoulder, drawing from her both a cry and a curse. And Banzi drops down into the grotto in the hopes of shepherding the child to safety, all while Cedric mumbles something about maybe just trading Granny Merry a different child and taking this one with them so they can collect their reward. But no one seems to be listening.
Unable to reach Claude, Banzi instead uncoils the bullwhip they borrowed earlier from Tyrone and lashes out with it, screaming, "That child deserves a safe home!."
The lash whips around Granny Merry's legs and the witch tumbles backward onto her back, giving Grumble the opening she was looking for. The big sellsword slashes down with her zweihander and cleaves the witch from collarbone to sternum, spraying blood everywhere.
The portal to the forest-deep of Panus is snuffed out like a flame, leaving behind only the sound of dripping water and the smell of musty stone, while above, the witch's wards drop from protecting the house and the bog beast's mighty blows finally do what the creature had been trying to do for days.
The house falls down around Tyrone, Bahlsen, and Cedric's ears.
Fortunately, the bog beast ceased its pounding shortly thereafter and the trio, plus the pair who had been protected in the grotto below, were able to extricate themselves from the rubble.
The bog beast, before turning to leave, warned them that they should see the child to safety, and to tell others that this was now its domain, and that none should come here to build or ravage ever again.
Glad to see the last of the swamp creature slopping away into the bog, southward, our worthies ransacked the house of everything they could carry of value, and quickly limped their way back toward Hitchcock, successful in (most of) their missions.
Rewards Granted
A castle-forged stiletto; silver dart; more than a handful of silver coins and brass pennies; and a crap ton of drugs and herbs and reagents that the team sold to the herbalist in town for 60% of retail.
Missions/Quests Completed
Discover the fate of Claude: Completed!
Deal with the Beast attacking Granny Merry's house: Completed!
Report Date
19 Jul 2020
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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