Session 006 - The Medusa's Gaze
General Summary
After enjoying a restful night, the party wakes up the following day to find a note. It reveals that Wirth is safely stationed with the rebellion, with a cryptic sign-off by either K or R. Leaving The Soggy Court, they set their course towards the Bullywug Hut. Once there, the group is asked to present a letter under the door. Tarin obliges by providing the letter they had received from the King of The Soggy Court. This gains them entry. Standing just inside the door is a jittery bullywug with a spear, and behind this guard is a wooden crate with hunting gear piled atop it. Huddled in the back of the hut are four more bullywugs. Tension hangs heavy in the air as one of the huddled bullywugs signals you to enter and join their conversation. They find Wirth, who has found a temporary home with the rebellion. He reassures the group of his safety. The party grows by one member - Kiara Hollow, a Taxabi who has been following them since the Slanty Tower, and her pseudo-dragon pet. Myrtle tries to persuade Illig, the leader of the Bullywug Resistance, of the party's commitment to help them dethrone the current King. Illig, the Baron of Muckstump, covets the throne and unfolds his scheme before the group. Myrtle Shellback tries to negotiate an exchange for information, but to no avail.
The party stumbles upon a crate and decides to take its contents. Kiara Hollow expresses her desire to overthrow The Hourglass Coven, though her sarcastic demeanour doesn't sit well with Myrtle Shellback. Realizing Wirth is still bound, Talia Starfinder frees him. Kiara Hollow attempts to glean more information from Illig about the crate's contents, with no luck. A debate arises over whether to let Kiara Hollow join the party, with Myrtle offering a conditional invitation: step out of line, and she'll answer with a throat punch. In an unexpected turn, Tarin discovers she's grown fur on her hands. The bullywug maid Consuela the 23rd, kicks out the party from the Bullywug Hut.
The group decides to inspect another hut, where they find cookware, spices, and a mummified toad. After this they visit the nearby Toadstool Patch where they learn about Octavian Meliamne, who made a disastrous pact with Bavlorna Blightstraw in search of lost love. This pact ended with his heart being replaced by a ghostly substitute, while Blightstraw keeps Octavian's actual heart.
Continuing their exploration, they witness a giant toad swallow a bullywug named Vloak before spitting him out. The toad serves as the King's Mount and swallows Myrtle. Inside the toad's mouth, she suffers serious damage from a bite but manages to escape. Wirth heals Myrtle, who also takes a healing potion. In addition, she collects a sample of the toad's droppings for her alchemist supplies.
Kiara Hollow discovers a cauldron and tries to lift its head, which promptly runs off. A Magmin enters, jabbering at the players. Not understanding it, they decide to leave it be. Moving on, the party comes across a platform. Myrtle's attempt to sneak up on it fails, drawing the guards' attention. Meanwhile, Kiara Hollow manages to sneak a peek inside the platform and steal a potion. When Myrtle's mummified toad diversion fails, she retreats into her shell.
Tarin the Shieldbreaker makes a running leap onto the platform, succeeding and starting a conversation with the Bullywug guards. Myrtle seizes this opportunity to recover her mummified toad. Tarin glimpses a cottage amidst the fog, interconnected by clotheslines. A sudden jump from Myrtle causes the platform to topple over due to their combined weight. Kiara Hollow dispatches her pseudo-dragon to survey the cottage. Meanwhile, Talia Starfinder hears a mysterious voice from the shadows, revealing a Medusa. A tense conversation follows, ending in a fierce battle with the party, which ends in a stalemate, Kiara, Myrtle, Medusa, Talia, Wirth, and Tarin participating.
In the battle, Myrtle, Tarin, and Talia are grievously injured, with Myrtle losing her life. However, the Medusa is eventually defeated by Wirth, and Kiara's final assault. Lilygrove joins the surviving party members. They commemorate Myrtle's life by burying her under a tree with an affectionate epitaph by Wirth (Here Lies Blossom, Grandmother of Kish). The survivors, including Lilygrove, Wirth, and Kiara Hollow, cautiously enter Bavlorna Blightstraw's cottage, seeking her help. However, Wirth slips on the stairs, prompting him to retreat. Once inside the mysterious dwelling, Kiara Hollow and Lilygrove find themselves face to face with Bavlorna Blightstraw and an enigmatic, unidentified individual. The atmosphere is thick with uncertainty as the duo attempts to persuade Bavlorna to assist their party. Bavlorna, shrewd and cunning, is skeptical and inquires what she would gain from such an alliance. Kiara Hollow, thinking quickly, offers information on a person that might intrigue Bavlorna, a proposal that piques her interest.
Lilygrove then steps in, skillfully engaging Bavlorna in negotiation and managing to secure her help in exchange for a single favor. To further convince Bavlorna of their sincerity, Lilygrove deftly casts a minor illusion on Kiara, enhancing her Taxabi features, adding an air of mystique and persuasion to their plea. Suddenly, tension escalates as the unknown figure rises, demanding to know the duo's intentions. Both Kiara and Lilygrove falter, attempting to back away from the unexpected confrontation. However, Kiara's eyes lock with the figure, and a cryptic conversation unfolds between them. Words and glances are exchanged, laced with hidden meanings that leave Lilygrove utterly puzzled and excluded from the understanding.
Eventually, Bavlorna agrees to help them, but not without cost. She insists on two specific favors: the return of a book that had mysteriously gone missing and a package she has been eagerly awaiting. The demands are accepted, leaving Kiara and Lilygrove with a sense of uneasy alliance, knowing they have engaged with forces that may prove as dangerous as they are beneficial.
Bavlorna Blightstraw performs a spell to unpetrifiy both Talia Starfinder and Tarin the Shieldbreaker, though some lingering stiffness remains as Talia's thumb and Tarin's elbow stay petrified in place. In the midst of relief, Kiara Hollow somberly informs the restored party members of Myrtle Shellback's death, a revelation that casts a shadow over their reunion.
The party then introduces themselves to Lilygrove using their Soggy Court aliases, receiving a delighted response. Talia Starfinder, in a show of cooperation, provides Bavlorna with the Book of Bad Blood, fulfilling part of their agreement. However, Bavlorna is not done with her demands and asks the party for yet another favor: to fix the preservation pool. The group accepts this new task, deepening their alliance with the unpredictable witch.
With a complex mix of emotions and their immediate duties fulfilled, the party decides to retrieve the supplies from the Bullywug Hut and head back to Bavlorna's cottage. Once there, they strategize their next move, reflecting on the unresolved petrification of Talia and Tarin and the web of obligations they have become entangled in. Deciding that rest and recovery are essential, the party sets their course for the Sinking Palace, determined to regroup and recover Gahr as they prepare for the next phase of their adventure.
Report Date
21 Jul 2023
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