Session 37: Hag Loose
General Summary
There isn’t much trouble on the waters in the following days. Everything out in these parts is awfully quiet and it isn’t going to get much better. Our destination is an isolated island in the Haim Sea and from what we can tell, there isn’t a sign of civilization to be found anywhere. Even after we step foot onto land and look around, the most we’re able to find is animal tracks. There’s mountains nearby and considering we saw the coven of hags in what looked like a cave, TT suggests we make our way there. So off we go with Amelia’s corpse in tow, strapped to Brutus’ back in a sarcophagus. Not suspicious at all, but with no one around to notice, who cares?
Further up the mountains, there’s finally signs of activity. Hags have been through the area within the past week, but more pressing is the humanoid footprints and remains of a camp made a few days ago. The tracks lead further into the cave TT has found, so we follow after them to a fork in the road. The deeper we go, the stranger things get as there’s even more signs of possible civilization inside. Such as the smell of baked goods wafting down one path, which doesn’t strike us as concerning until I mention hags baking their victims into sweets. Owk is horrified to learn that me and TT would be perfectly okay with trying lemon bars made with human flesh, but the conversation turns even darker as it’s clear Brutus has already partook in cannibalism. He refuses the share the details, the memories of his meal more than uncomfortable for him. So onward we go, following the scent to an alcove hidden behind an animal pelt.
Turns out that it’s a trap. There’s some sort of gas coming up from the hole, a cage full of treats at the top to send the alluring scent out to dumb travelers. At the bottom of the hole is an opening in the wall leading into a room. There’s a single goblin inspecting a pipe where the gas is being emitted from, but by the time Brutus goes down to take care of this problem, the goblin’s gone. He carries on with the plan, using his magic gloves to reshape the pipe. With it closed, it’s safe for the rest of us to climb down…until TT wonders if the pipe is going to blow with all of that pressure. We have a few precious seconds to find cover or get out of the hole and several of us are left injured as the pipe explodes. All the chaos garners the attention of the goblins, so Brutus quickly reshapes the stone around the door to keep it locked tight.
Owkbanok’s the only one who can understand the goblins, so he steps up to question them about the hag. They say she’ll be here tomorrow to pick up some prisoners, but there’s no specifics beyond that. So with nothing else to do, we camp out in the room. I head out hunting with Cayde and leave right on time to spot a goblin patrol coming our way. With a wind wall, I’m able to keep most of them back and call for the others to join the chaos. These poor goblins are no match for any of us, one of them even managing to light himself on fire after threatening to burn me alive. With that situation dealt with quickly, I finish my hunt and we turn in for the night. Come morning, we’re back to bullying the goblins through the door.
In pursuit of information on the hag and this goblin’s refusal to say anything, Owkbanok reaches through the door and nearly knocks him out against the wall. He’s more willing to talk after that, mumbling about the hag’s arrival and the prisoners. He manages to tell us that we’ll need to be taken hostage in order to meet her and we reluctantly agree to do so. This poor bastard’s brains are so fried from the impact that he forgets to disarm us before he takes us to the cells. We recruit the mercenaries already locked away, learning they came here to fetch a potion of resurrection the hag stole. Convenient timing for her theft considering Amelia’s death, but there’s no time to mull over it. Some of us opt to feign unconsciousness for the hag’s arrival and those who are terrible liars are made to knock themselves out with a canteen of that strange gas the goblin had.
With everyone in position, we wait as the hag finally steps into the room, immediately scolding the goblin for leaving all of us armed. She checks to make sure we’re actually incapacitated, but isn’t very thorough in doing so. As she slinks through the path our bodies leave, we’re teleported away, unsure of where we’ll find ourselves next.
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