The Lost Mines - Chpt. 10: Neverwinter Woods is nice this time of year...right?

General Summary

Tarsahk 21st, 1486; Morning
During the night, Bree was plagued by horrid visions and nightmares. A low, creepy voice said repeatedly for her to “bring it back, bring it back to me”. There was the icy cold, touch of a finger running across her skin. The feeling of being watched. She was pulled to a swamp or bog, at the center of which there was a small “island” with an old eerie hut, with one or two dead trees around it. Bree quickly found herself mired in the bog, slowly sinking. She would move, but not actually go anywhere. As she sunk, she eventually began to drown, the cold peaty water filling her lungs.
  Bree woke up in a heavy sweat. She was unable to gain any rest (no long rest benefits). Also, her HP max was reduced by 9 and gained a point of exhaustion. Mister and Bludgarm questioned her, and she explained her dream. After eating breakfast and some poking and prodding by Bludgarm, Bree let him inspect the item she bought. After a few minutes, he was able to tell that the item is actually a Hag's Heartstone. He was able to determine the benefits and detrimental effects of it. As well, he was able to recall that it may or may not exist if the Hag was to be killed. On top of that, he knows that the Hag that created it will stop at no length to get the Heartstone back. Mister suggested they get rid of the item, however Bree refused, saying: “I have a few days before it will kill me”.
  After breakfast and clearing up camp, the party moved into the ruins of Thundertree, leaving the horse and cart back near their campsite. At the entrance of the western road, they saw a sign:
 

“DANGER! Plant monsters AND zombies! Turn back now!”

  Proceeding carefully, they inspected the westernmost cottage. Finding it to be severely ruined and little of worth, they moved on to the blighted cottages across the road. Here, the group ran into a bramble of twig blights. Two twig blights they had missed from the westernmost cottage joined the fray. In short order, thru the use of some careful fire spells and judicious use of swords, the group was able to stymie the twig blights and kill them. To ensure that they couldn't regenerate, they made sure to burn all of the twig blights remains. Though not much, the group was able to determine that one of the blighted cottages must have belonged to a merchant or such. This being, due to them finding an old chest with coins in it, among the roots of a tree growing up thru the floor.
  The group then went to The Brown Horse. Being one of the more intact buildings, they profiled the outside and carefully listened for any noise inside. Hearing none, Bree went in first to look around. At that, four ash zombies came to life, attacking Bree. Being in near vicinity to a ash zombie when it was damaged, she was enveloped in an ash puff, which she was unable to shrug off. After a few turns, the group dispatched the zombies and Bree was able to get the ash puffs out of her lungs, while Mister and Bludgarm inspected the remainder of the the Brown Horse. They found nothing of value and proceeded on their way.
  Tarsahk 21st, 1486; Mid-Day
Moving to the south, the party came upon a well maintained home, with iron-clad, reinforced doors and sturdy shutters for the windows. Having been told of the druid, Reidoth, they naturally assumed this was his home. Knocking on the door, they were greeted inside quickly. While the best maintained of the buildings thus far, the group found it to be sparsely furnished, but still homely. The group talked with Reidoth, who promptly asked them if they had not seen the sign? They said they had and that they were jumped by the twig blights. Reidoth made a comment regarding how the blights are unnatural and good for them on taking care of them. Thru their talking, Reidoth talked about some spiders, as well as a green dragon that has made its home living up the hill, in an old wizard's tower. Based on the groups competency, he wonders if they might not kill the spiders and if possible drive off the dragon. The group does not need to kill it, but simply get it to leave the area. Amongst the ensuing discussion, he mentions that the group be weary of a band of cultists that have made home on the far eastern edge of Thundertree (Dragon Cultists). He knows very little of them, but they appear to wear black masks with stylized horns and black cloaks and robes, which remind one of a dragon. He relays this information to the party, which they note.
  Reidoth eventually notes that Bree does not look as well as she could. This brings up a discussion on Hag's and the Heartstone. Reidoth is repulsed by the fact that the group has a Heartstone, however he is far more worried about whether the Hag is alive or dead. He confirms with the group that they know what they have in their possession and fills in some missing details. He confirms that a hag will stop at nothing to get her Heartstone back. They are evil, foul creatures who once lived within the fey. Long ago, because of their ever twisting nature and insatiable lust for power, they were cast out from the feywild, now residing here in the material plane. Thru more discussion, Reidoth convinced Bree to give it up and that he would bury it a long ways off. If the group ever did find the hag and kill it, Reidoth would retrieve the Heartstone and if it survived, return it to them.
  Tarsahk 21st, 1486; Afternoon
While the group rested, Reidoth took the Heartstone, turned into a gray squirrel, bounding out the window of the cottage.
  Tarsahk 21st, 1486; Late Evening
That evening, the group investigated the blighted farmhouse across the way. While difficult to see in the torch light, Mister saw what he thought might be a couple more twig blights, but wasn't sure. Easily convinced, Bludgarm used burning hands at the entrance to the building, roasting a number of twig blights in the process. Joining the fray, at least 4 more twig blights jumped into the fight, for a total of 8 twig blights. Quickly dispatched, the group moved back northward, up the road towards the old wizards cottage. In the dim light, as the party came to a crossways in the road. Up the hill, lead to the old wizard’s house, to the east, the town square and to the south…. A web covered building. Here at this juncture, the road was covered in all directions by webs. The group tried cutting away some of the webs to clear the road, however they only got about 5 sqft cleared. Bree cast “light” on a stone and tried tossing it inside the building only for it to hit the wall and fall. She went up and tried to throw it again, only to notice webs everywhere… and two giant spiders. At the beginning of the battle, one spider “webbed” Mister, restraining him for the entire battle. Thru some hit and run tactics, lucky shots by Bludgarm and Bree and some unlucky misses by the spiders to restrain the other party members, the spiders eventually went down. After freeing “Mister”, the party cleared the path to the web covered building. Finding this to be a store, they searched around, only to find a cocooned corpse, long dead & sucked dry. They found little of value other than a healing potion, 35sp and 23gp on the body. The group then moved on past the old wizard’s tower, to the Smithy and Herbalist shops. Here, they found Mirna’s emerald necklace, and killed two ash zombies. Calling it a night, they returned to the Druid’s Watch and spent the night resting.