Session 91, February 8, 2024 - Fight in the graveyard

Session begins morning of the 13th of Nytol as the party wakes. Most of them feel the extra comfort from being within 4 walls, but Ifrea is somehow more restless from being in town. They get some breakfast and map out the path to Helm's Hold. It should take about 2 days. They set off West and make good progress for a while, eventually coming from the woods into a clearing that is revealed to be a sizeable graveyard. As they still and listen for a moment Ifrea hears what sounds like soft weeping towards the right corner. Savari (with her raven) and Rys (as a cat) go to investigate and come upon the hunched figure of a young woman. She is wearing all black with scraggly hair and what looks like bits of moss and tree on her. It/she doesn't smell dead necessarily but something is still off. Some stronger scent of herbs and spices, and general woodsy with bad hygiene. Cat-Rys rubs up against her leg and she pets her, gently scratching her scalp. The gravestone she is hunched over has Rys' full name on it. Rys doesn't recognize her but takes a chance and brings her signet ring to the grave. The creature giggles softly and asks "are you trying to identify yourself to me?" Rys says (in cat) "well you seem to know the name of my family." unfortunately the creature doesn't seem to understand but she seems pleased that Rys may be able to offer something and then starts drawing an arcane rune on the ground next to Rys that symbolizes annihilation or death. Rys protests and swipes at it with her paw. Savari, seeing Rys' actions, sends her raven to land on the tombstone. Rys dispels magic and watches the writing on the tombstone melt away. The witch asks, "what do you offer me" and Rys attacks, triggering a furious response from the rest of the party, who are closing in quickly. The hag unfolds and long spines grow from her back and her hands turn to claws. Before she can move, Shar has landed two solid arrows and they hear thunderclaps resound over the eerily still place. In mere moments, she is destroyed, spines crumbling inwards and a pile of dusty bones is all that remains of her. Upon investigation, the gravestones don't indicate much, but there are some ruins around it that reveal this was once a small village. They notate the location on their recently acquired map, and then get as far away as possible in the next few hours before dark. They eventually find a stopping place to set up camp for the night. Ifrea starts a fire and sets up a trip wire on the camp border. Session ends (half a day away from helm's hold, night of the 13th of Nyntanel).