Grandmothers house?
DM: Darkhelm
Players: Eddings, Azam, Xeren, Agatha, Ame, Thane, Gallow and Adu the owl.
Having gained some confidence from surviving my first peek of Sleeper Island, I decided to head out one again into the abyssal winter land. Eddings hesitantly took on the mantle of leadership and told us about a witch’s house that he had explored with another group in the near past. With our goal set upon revisiting it we headed out westerly from White Moon Cove. The weather was much nicer than the last time, still very cold but a little bit more bearable. While the land seems quite barren I was again able to find plants and vegetable to help sustain our group, this give me hope that the island is not all bad.
While we stopped for camp on the first night, an elf approached our fire and the first watch allowed him to stay if he disarmed, which he was pleasant enough to do. I also felt a little safer this night after watching the very voluminous Azam place magical wards around the camp for our safety. The elf told us that he had witnessed goblins marching silently across the snow, producing not a word among themselves and expressed how strange this was. Upon morning the elf departed as peaceably as he arrived, and we were off again on our quest.
When finally arrived at the witch’s house and it was as Eddings had described it. Eddings and Azam scouted the perimeter and spotted no signs of trouble. While they were scouting I decided to investigate the hedge row which surrounded the property. While it did not seem to be under any enchantment, and I felt almost certain it would not eat us, I did notice that it had been cared for and was thriving well in the harsh cold environment. Maybe there might be a way to help other plants if I knew the method. Oh well that may be for another time.
With caution Xeren began sensing for any signs of magic about the place and was able to isolate the front door knob as having a weak source of necromancy. The party bypassed this possible trap with the use of a mage hand. This was fortunately a wise decision as the first thing that greeted us a bloody corpse spewed on the floor. We began searching the house and discovered that some one else had been there since the last time Eddings was, as the witch’s body had been removed. Ame did bring up something about a snake rug in the first room but we could not determine any significance from it. Xeren also detected faint divination magic from one of the rooms which we saved for last. Our search of the rest of the house was slow and didn’t produce anything useful. Except for the last room which contained the magic mirror that the last party had encountered.
“A mental note on my part is to be more focused I must not let my curiosity of herbalism distract me from real dangers that may be present.”
Eddings rap on the mirror and the visage of a red headed woman appeared, I did not get a good look her as I wearily remain right outside the room while placing resistance on Azam as I feared the worst. She threatens Eddings by saying he was marked, and she would find him, and that now she knows what the rest of us look like she could find us as well. This did not set well with me as who know what troubles this may cause in the future. She produced a locket which contain the voice of a performer, being new the island the name was unfamiliar to me, and that the witch was after yet another performer from white cove. She was also after the locket that was recovered from her dead sister and in the possession of Eddings. I didn’t know enough about the situation or what going on this island to offer up any question for her nor did the rest of the party so Eddings decided to destroy the mirror with his dagger which damaged it, but it was not enough, so Azam destroyed it with a bon fire.
“Why are they collecting voices, and who else may be in danger?”
A search of the room did produce results as two potions of healing and some coinage was found which was overlooked by the ones who had come before. After this we explored the back yard and was drawn to the large shed within it. Xeren did not detect any magic from it as I recall so the group approached it while Thane pulled security along the northern fence and found it to have been some type of holding cell or prison. However, the shackles were broken and whatever foul-smelling creature it once held was now free. We were about to leave the estate when it was suggested we burn the house. Which I was all to happy to lob fiery bolts at it and the shed as well. This proved to be a stroke of good luck for as the shed burnt down we discovered the entrance to a cave below. Pressing our luck, we entered in and soon found the remains of adventures that did not return to cove. We traveled deeper into the cave and came under attack by some unknown large white hairy ape like creature. At first our attacks against it were not very effective as the creature seem to have some sort of regenerative ability. The battle ranged on for quite some time, as Thane filled it time and time again with bolts, and Agatha pierced it with her spear and fist. Adu was able to fowl the creature sight as Azam continuously bash away at with a giant turkey leg. Ame and Xeren fire attack seemed the most effective against it, however my fire bolts failed to hit any marks. I hope I made up for this as I restored the health of two of my party who had received great wounds from the creature’s fist and bite. Finally, Agatha delivered the killing blow.
Of note the creature did utter some unknown language throughout the fight and Azam did try to reason with it to possibly sooth it down, but we had no success in this.
“what was it trying to say? Was it a victim of the witch? Did we have to kill it? No, this was kill or be killed at least that what I will tell myself.”
Tired and spells expended we left the cave and headed back to White Moon Cove, but before we could set up our camp that night we noticed a group of three creatures trailing us, I believe they were goblins as Azam approached them and offered them a place among his tribe. It turns out that Azam is a goblin chieftain and rules an entire village. However, the goblins refused and instead retreated to wherever they came from.
“The goblins were very interest in finding the goblins of Azam, and wanted them delivered to them, I fear bad intent from their words.”
The rest of the night joyously went uneventful and began traveling again once the sun graced the sky. However, it was not long be an even greater danger was spotted circling above us, some barbed tail monstrosity, and I could tell from the veterans of the group it was something not the be trifled with. We managed to retreat from it as it continued to follow until White Moon Cove came into sight and it decided on finding easier prey.
Finally, safe in the Inn, I can put my pen down and rest, at least for tonight for who knows what dangers I will face tomorrow.