Session 5: the visit to Bavlorna Blightstraw Report
General Summary
After preparing for the festivities and recruiting a new ally, Rhogar Darkscale, along with the return of familiar faces like Nartle and Amaru, the party set out to decipher a peculiar note leading them to the Baron of Muckstump. Engaging with several Bullywug nobles at the manor, they pinpointed his abode. There, they discovered the Baron, named Illig, who revealed his plot to assassinate King Gullop the XIX and enlisted the party's assistance. They consented and proceeded to the rendezvous point to create a diversion. En route, Nartle stumbled upon a giant mushroom patch where a Wood Elf named Octavian Meliamne was playing a haunting melody, instilling fear in most of the party. Nartle conversed with him and persuaded him to join their quest. Octavian shared his pursuit of magic and came to make a deal with Bavlorna to erase his memories of lost loves. A pact was made, but when payment was due, Octavian defied Bavlorna's grim demand for his living heart. In retribution, Bavlorna forcibly replaced his heart with a goat's, rendering him immortal yet devoid of emotion. Departing from there, the party advanced to King Gullop the XIX to aid in the assassination scheme. At the assembly, they captivated the crowd with their performance until Nartle abruptly proclaimed the King's impending doom. In the chaos, Snoodles transformed the Duke and his entourage into mice, promptly devouring them. Overjoyed by the adventurers' support, King Gullop XIX honored them with the title dukes of Muckstump and bequeathed the former Duke's manor to the party.
The party proceeded to Bavlorna's abode, thoroughly exploring the ground level before opting to rest. It was then that Bavlorna, accompanied by another witch, descended to greet them. The witch departed, leaving the party to notice her missing shadow. They requested the return of their belongings, which Bavlorna agreed to negotiate for, provided they complete three tasks—two of which they had already accomplished. Tragically, the third task claimed Nartle's life in a battle against the ooze blocking Bavlorna's well. Upon exiting the cottage, they encountered a sealed cauldron requiring a password. After offering wood to the magmen beneath it, they unlocked the cauldron to discover an enigmatic potion. Rhogar and Octavian volunteered to sample it; Rhogar remained unscathed, but Octavian transformed into a colossal frog and leapt into the marsh. In a mischievous turn, the party poured a generous quantity of the potion into the punch at King Gullops XIX's festivity, inciting chaos as guests morphed into giant frogs and dragonflies, embroiled in conflict. Amidst the turmoil, King Gullops' confidant, Niegel, assassinated the monarch and ascended the throne. In gratitude, the newly crowned King Niegel VIII bestowed the title of Viscounts upon the party within the Soggy Court. The adventurers then revisited Bavlorna, bartering items to restore Clapperclaw's head, who would guide them to Thither.
Departing Downfall aboard their vessel with Agdon, Morgort, and Clapper Claw in tow, the party embarked on a daring quest to fulfill their pact with Bavlorna: to steal a portrait of her elder sister, Skabatha, and ensure its delivery to Bavlorna's abode within an eight-day span. Prior to the handshake that would seal their fate three vital clues were imparted: The enigmatic Loomlurch, a colossal tree hollowed out and hidden within Thither's dense woods, serves as Skabatha's secretive stronghold. Within its core, in a round chamber, hangs the coveted portrait of Skabatha, surrounded by those of her three sisters. To navigate the treacherous path to Thither, the adventurers would require a guide, and as fortune would have it, a knowledgeable scarecrow in Downfall held the key to their journey.
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