Session 266 - The Cursed Village
General Summary
2nd of Halane (Second Month of Autumn) 725TR
The story so far
Acheron has learned that his secretive organization, dedicated to destroying the forces of evil, the Argent Order, is under attack. Members have disappeared, and he has been instructed to warn two of his fellow knights that they are in danger.
Brother Carrvil, who wields the silver sword Icebreaker, is exploring an old watch tower said to be displaying Navehan (assassin) artifacts.
Brother Tiranas, who wields the silver sword Nova, is investigating a possible Hag coven in a small village near Castle Ostenor. Three old women are blamed for many unexplained disappearances and strange occurrences.
Acheron and friends first visit the Hags.
This is the continuation of Session 265 - Deeper Plots.
Location - A village north of Ostenor, in the Thardic Republic.
Part 1 – A Cursed Hamlet
The characters arrive at the small village suspected of being under the Hags' influence. On the surface, it appears a typical Autumn day with locals busy going about their business, mainly involved with the harvest. But something seems off.
Acheron, with Detect Thoughts, questions a friendly laborer if he has seen anyone matching Tiranas's appearance. "Yes, he passed through yesterday," the villager responds, but can't he recalls the details. The man confesses his memory is a little fuzzy. A more intense mental probe reveals nothing. He is struggling to get his thoughts in order. Something is amiss. Acheron senses the presence of undead, strangely, on only parts of the bodies of several villagers. One village has an undead hand and another an undead leg.
Jolanta uses True Seeing and is shocked at what the spell reveals; it's horrifying. The villagers are under the influence of enchantment, and necromancy magic, with their actual state concealed by a powerful illusion. Many villagers are maimed and missing body parts such as fingers and eyes. Two men have had their faces ripped off, and several people have undead limbs grafted to their bodies. Most villagers are diseased or sick and probably slowly dying.
Part 2 - The Coven's Cottage
The villagers seem to fear a gloomy track leading into a small bog. Concluding this is likely to be a potential home for a malicious entity, the characters follow it.
They spot a small cottage with overgrown gardens and a scarecrow, and all are towered over by a large dead tree. Observing a filthy room through the windows with pools of blood on the floor, a bubbling cauldron, and three harmless-looking old ladies chatting.
Part 3 – The Ladies in the Cottage
As Jolanta explores the side of the cottage, she notes a broken window. Out of it bursts a large, orange, ape-like fiend. As the Barlgura Demon starts pounding her, the elderly women transform into terrifying, ugly, and dangerous crones. "Look, two swords; he said there would only be one. What a happy surprise!" one cackles greedily, scrutinizing Tiranas's and Acheron's silver weapons. One of the old women grows into a giant with powerful muscles and ebony rock black hard skin. One turns green and hideous, and the last becomes almost skeletal with long hair that weeps blood.
The Barlgura Demon is soon dispatched; unfortunately, one of the Hags mutters a Hex, and Jolanta becomes dreadfully confused and attacks the party. Another Hag point at the ground, and the grass turns into sharp spikes causing injuries to whoever walks over it. Not all goes the Hag's way, Avon, quick as ever, utters his own curse, Favor of the Unspeakable, and wounds the large Hag and then kills her quickly with a devastating series of critical sneak attacks.
Nevertheless, the two remaining Hags possess powerful magic and deadly abilities.
Moneypenny, sick of the bewitched Jolanta causing havoc, uses Dominate Monster on her and overrides the Hag's Hex with her commands. This works well, and Jolanta unleashes her powerful magical arsenal, albeit under Moneypeeny's direction. The heroes, aided by Tiranas, gain the upper hand and prevail, killing the remaining Hags and another magical creature that spawned from the cauldron.
The cottage does contain an ingenious magical trap, a stairway going up to a non-existent second floor. Blaine and Avon explore only to find themselves teleported into the bog and face off with a giant black Pudding. Avon finds the opportunity to use his Cursed Hunting Knife. The creature's acid dissolves this duplicitous weapon.
Part 4 – Aftermath
The cottage is burned to the ground, and the party returns to the village to find the horror of what has happened to it has been revealed to the world. The villagers without faces and undead limbs have died, and most of those left alive are maimed and diseased. Tiranas knows of a Peonian temple nearby and gets them to assist the pitiful victims of the Hag's depravity.
Now Acheron and Tiranas plan to locate their Brother Knight Carrvil, who is exploring an old watch tower.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Various Commoners.
Tiranas - the Argent Order Monk.
Challenges Overcome
1 x Deadwood Trent.
1 x Cauldron Born, 1 x Barlgura Demon, 1 x Blood Hag, 1 x Elite Green Hag and 1 x Elite Annis Hag.
1 x Massive Grey Ooze.
Rewards
Nothing this week.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Player Character Status
Acheron - Human - L7 Devotion Paladin, L4 Hexblade, and L9 Divine Soul.
Jolanta - Human - L20 Evoker.
Avon - Half-Elf - L20 Thief.
Next Session
Avon
Jolanta
Acheron
NPC Companions
Moneypenny
Avon's able assistant
Blaine
Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.
The Argent Order
A secretive order of Larani worshiping knights and monks opposing the plots of the forces of evil.
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