As the party moves through the southern Greenbelt, the air grows thick with humidity and the ground beneath their feet turns soft and muddy. In the distance, they spot a small, fetid marsh on the southeast bank of the Tuskwater. There is something ominous about this place, and a feeling of unease settles over the heroes as they draw closer.

Approaching the murky waters, they see a dilapidated mud-brick hut that seems to have sprouted from the ground like a weed. It squats atop a small hummock in the center of the marsh, and a thin tendril of bluish smoke drifts up from a gaping hole in its moss-covered roof. The scent of rotting vegetation fills their nostrils, and the cacophony of insects buzzing and chirping fills the air.

A wooden fence surrounds the perimeter of the hummock, festooned with crude fetishes crafted from sticks, feathers, and animal bones. The party can't quite make out the details, but there's something unsettling about the way they've been arranged. They have a sense that these crude objects are meant to ward off something, or perhaps someone.

When the heroes draw closer, a lone crow perched on a nearby cypress tree caws noisily, as if warning them of impending danger.

"Well," Elena remarked hopefully.  "On the plus side, this doesn't look like the work of trolls.  Maybe some kind of faerie den?"

She started to step forwards, taking the lead as usual.  Then she stopped, as a strange look on her face.  "I hear...I hear Shelyn's voice.  I can't quite make out the words, but...she sounds happy.  I think she's glad we helped those good fae, even if it meant taking the life of that horrible tree thing.  And...she's sending us some help!"

The paladin turned, looking around in expectant wonder as she waited for her goddess' servant to appear.  After a moment, she shook her head.  "Oh, right." She muttered, embarrassed.   "I have to call her, myself."  Putting her hand out, Elena closed her eyes in concentration.  "Come."

A soft glow filled the air in front of Elena's hand, which quickly solidified into the form of a horse.  It was a strapping white mare, seemingly mundane except for an iridescent shimmer visible in her mane.  The horse nuzzled at Elena's hand, before turning to the rest of the party.

"Everyone," Elena announced.  "Meet...Um, Glitterhoof?" This last word was spoken as a question, more than a sentence, as though Elena wasn't sure exactly how she would know the horse's name.  Glitterhoof nodded her head in agreement, clearly intelligent enough to understand her new master's words.

"Hmm, not exactly what I pictured in my mind when you mentioned divine aid, but I guess we should not look a gift horse in the mouth, right?" Kael comments the new arrival with a grin on his face. In truth he was quite impressed with a magnificent (and clearly intelligent) beast.

"Anyway, shall we see who... or what is it that made this place their home?"

OOC: Hey, one of us had to make the obvious joke.

"A fine blessing, indeed." Dominique comments with a forced smile as he fights the urge to ponder why it is the warriors of a faith who get all the fun blessings.

The priest grimaces as the crow seems to give away their arrival and notes, "It seems we've been announced. Let's not keep them waiting if they are friendly, or give them chance to prepare if they're not."

As they approach the fence, the fetishes hanging from the posts begin to sway and rustle, as if agitated by their presence. The fence gate is closed but doesn't seem to have any locks or latches on it preventing the group from entering.

On closer inspection they can see the hut is small and simply built. The surrounding fenced in area is wildly overgrown with thorny vines and wild grass pushing up in tangles. There is a clear path from the fence gate up to the door that passes near a small herb garden. A decrepit scarecrow hangs limply on a wooden frame next to the garden although given the state of the yard it is clear it has duties of protection have long since passed.

All in all the place would seem to be abandoned if there wasn't a clear telltale tendril of smoke rising up out of the chimney.

As they approach Iar looks over the garden with a Wizards interested eye. "Ah, looks like we have a medicinal herb gar..." He trails off before using a quieter voice. "Try not to touch the one with the deep purple blossom. These are not your standard Featherfew and Hyssop. These plants are common for alchemists. And not your friendly hang-out-a-shingle-in-town type potion brewers." He reaches out and rubs a leaf that releases a powerful minty aroma through the air. "Not that they don't also have innocent uses as well." He says with a smile.

Spooked by the movement of the fetishes, Kael decides to take a closer look at what is ahead of them before they continue. "Hold on a moment."

OOC: What does Detect magic say? Any magical surprises ahead?

Dominique frowns at the state of the shack. It might only be superstition, but something about a rotting scarecrow gives him an uneasy feeling in his gut. Before approaching any further the priest takes out his waterskin and a grape, whispers a prayer to the Master of the First Vault, and then takes a swig before passing the blessed wine around. (Tears to Wine) He then looks to Elena, relying on Shelyn's vision to tell them more of what to expect here.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Thu 04 May 2023.

Gladly accepting Dominique's wine, Elena joined Kael in surveying the area with her magical senses before they moved any further.  "You mean poison?"  She asked, not sure exactly what Iar meant with his talk of alchemy.  "Even deadly poison could have reasonable uses out here.  Growing a garden out here in the woods would probably attract all kinds of hungry creatures.  Like trolls."

Elena was trying to keep an open mind, but creepy shack was putting her on edge, too.  This place wasn't beautiful in the way even a simple home could be.  It didn't feel loved.  And that said worrying things about whoever or whatever might be waiting inside.

OOC: Detecting evil, within 60 feet.  Concentrating the full three rounds before moving forwards, so I can pinpoint locations.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:30, Thu 04 May 2023.

He smiles as he brings his finger tips to his nose and inhales deeply of the minty fragrance. "I mean what I said. These plants are often used by alchemists to make poisons and potions, mostly of the darker variety. That being said, water can kill you but you need it to live." He shrugs and you could swear the dragon on his shoulder rolls it's eyes.

"Wait," she says as she looks at the plants around the hut, "those plants are for poison crafting not cooking. We should be cautious."

Iar tilts his head at the little gnome with a puzzled expression and opens his mouth to say something when the tiny dragon on his shoulder cuffs him lightly on the ear. His mouth snaps shut and he shrugs, ruffling the creature's perch.

"Very observant, little one. Let's watch where we step." Dominique praises Caramip as he grins mischievously at Iar and offers the mage a knowing wink.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:12, Fri 05 May 2023.

The group pauses while their members scan the area magically...

"Careful now. There's a lot of magic here, on the gate and on the hut itself. Likely protection spells... or traps." Kael examines the gate and the bell next to it closely.

Is it a doorbell? If yes, it could be worth just ringing it. With all this magic around, I doubt we can sneak up on whoever is inside anyway.

"This whole place reeks of evil." Elena told the others quietly, with discomfort in her voice.  "And I don't just mean the house.  It's coming from the trees, from the ground, everywhere!  I've never seen anything like this.  I don't think I've even heard about something like this, except for maybe the heart of some evil God's temple."

While waiting for Kael to finish examining the gate, Elena wracked her brain, trying to remember if she'd ever heard of something tainting a large stretch of land so thoroughly.

15:30, Today: Elena Sazikova rolled 16 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 10.  knowledge: religion.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:12, Sat 06 May 2023.

The party stands at the edge of the fence staring  in.

OOC: @Kael - Maybe? It's a bell with a ringer on it. What its intended purpose is not written down anywhere so it is a guess that it could be a doorbell.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:37, Sat 13 May 2023.

Worried about dangerous herbs, magical traps and now Elena's revelation on the evil of this location, Kael offers a different approach. "You know, it is considered bad manners to just barge into people's homes. And whoever... or whatever lives here clearly appreciates their privacy. What if we announced our presence instead of just entering?"

He points at the bell, and if nobody stops him, decides to give it a ring.

"Only if you're sure it's not a trap." Dominique answers Kael hesitantly as he considers the evil Elena describes. Putty niceties aside, the priest readies his crossbow--knocking a bolt, flexing the arms, and releasing the safety.

10:39, Today: Dominique Telvari rolled 10 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 2.  Know Religion.
He's not a very good priest...

"I was never good at stealth, anyways."  Elena remarked with a nod as Kael moved to ring the bell.  Her hands tightened their grip on her glaive, though she resisted the urge to lower it into a more threatening posture.  Like Dominique, she was a little concerned about triggering a trap, but at least that would clear up the uncertainty:  After all, anybody who booby trapped a doorbell wasn't interested in peaceful coexistence.

Cara nods absentmindedly as she completely missed the old man's previous words and then Dominique's potential sarcasm as she was busily writing notes marking on her map the hut's location relative to other landmarks. The other's busied themselves with the potentiality of fighting off a great evil, while the gnome was completely engrossed with her craft. She even didn't register the "little one" quip that might incense people of her stature. Not that the happy go lucky gnome would have been offended anyway.

OCC: Did that totally on purpose. Yes, totes. ^.^
This message was last edited by the player at 22:46, Sun 07 May 2023.

"Keep your weapons aside. We are the invaders here. How would you feel if someone approached the gates of our humble abode with weapons drawn? Helpful?" He says in a calm and warm tone. Hoping to help his companions see this event from a different angle. Before Kael can physically touch the bell he calls out. "Hullo the house! Hullo?" He projects his voice so that it can be heard clearly by any inhabitants. Then much more quietly to the others. "No point touching anything if we are just trying to make our presence known."

Iar calls out loudly towards the hut but there is no response from inside.

Elena sighed, somewhat grimly.  "I hear what you're saying Iar.  But the thing is, we're not just trying to make our presence known.  We're out here to find anything that might threaten our people, and to deal with it.  And something bad is going on here, I can feel it.  We have to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.  Even if that means invading someone's home with weapons in hand."  To be fair to Elena, her weapon was usually in her hand.  It's not like she could hang the 8-foot polearm from a belt loop.

Reaching over, Elena rung the bell a bit more vigorously than was necessary. "Hey! Anybody in there?"  She shouted.  "If you don't answer, we're coming in!"  Elena braced herself for some sort of explosion or something, while doing her best not to look too much like a marauder.

The gnome, finally snapped out of her calculations, puts here kit away and prepares herself for a potential fight or discussion.

The sound of the bell echoes through the swamp, breaking the stillness of the air. The party stands on edge, waiting for a response from within the hut. After a few tense moments, they hear a shuffling of footsteps and the creaking of the door.

The door swings open, revealing a hunched figure standing in the doorway. The woman before them is old and weathered, her face lined with deep wrinkles and her hair a tangled mess of grey and white. She wears a tattered and stained robe that hangs loosely around her frail frame. Her eyes, however, hold a glimmer of sharpness and wisdom that belies her physical appearance.

The old crone gazes at the party with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. Her voice carries a raspy tone as she speaks, her words laced with a hint of bitterness. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Adventurers, trespassing on my domain, are ye?" she mutters, her voice filled with a mixture of resignation and defiance.

"Well, out with it. What do ye want, and it better not be any of my potions. My potions would kill the likes of ye. Ye cannot handle them so if that's what ye looking for best turn around and begone with ye."

"Don't worry, that's not why we're here.  We know plenty of potion sellers who products are, um, actually drinkable."  As she spoke, Elena looked the old woman up and down.  The hag was clearly more than she seemed, but exactly what that "more" was seemed unclear.

"We come from Rivermarch, the new town we've founded nearby." Elena introduced herself, seeing no reason to be any more specific about it's location than that.  "We're out here scouting the area for threats, and we came across your cabin.  My name is Elena, and this is Lord Borric d'Tor of Rivermarch.  And you are?"

Kael peers at the strange woman suspiciously. Just how does this apparently frail old woman survive in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by bandits, evil fey, trolls and owlbears?

Do I perhaps still have Detect Magic active? If yes, then I'd like for Kael to take a closer look at her using the spell. But only if I already have the spell active - I don't want to start casting a new spell now, as that could lead to problems.

"Busy!" huffed the old crone.

"Well, pleased to meet you Madam." Kael only barely stops himself from calling the crone Madam Busy.

"I know you said your potions are not for the likes of us, but could you perhaps reconsider? We could pay well for items you would be willing to trade, as well as for information of interest to us you might have on these..." He waves his hand at the surrounding swamps and bogs, momentarily lost for words. "... charming lands."

OOC: Potions are not something Kael really cares about, but maybe she has something else to trade?

Giving the crone a curtsy, Cara moved closer and said, "Dear madame, we are only passing by and wish for information on a troll clan we heard might be in the area. After that answering that, we will happily leave."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:03, Sat 20 May 2023.

Elena gave Cara a dejected look as she promised the hag they would be on their way shortly.  Apparently the bard agreed with Iar that respecting the old woman's privacy was more important than investigating the strange evil presence in the area.  True, Madame Busy wasn't doing anything obviously wrong, but the whole situation just seemed fishy.  Perhaps it was just the paladin's Shelynite upbringing, but she didn't trust this ugly, rude woman or her ugly, ill-kept home.

Still, Elena remained silent for now.  She had told the others what she had seen, and would trust their judgement in how to proceed.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:40, Sun 21 May 2023.

The hair on the back of High Priest Dominique's neck bristles slightly at Elena portraying Rivermarch as merely a 'town nearby.' What were they doing out here if not securing their realm's influence over and claim to these regions--bringing order and security for the good of all? This old hag is not their neighbor--she is their subject. He frowns at Caramip's incessantly flowery and soft brand of diplomacy, but holds his tongue for the moment to see how the crone responds.

The old crone's eyes flickered with amusement as she listened to their requests and offers. She seemed to enjoy the interplay of their different approaches and motives. After a moment, a crooked smile appeared on her weathered face.

"Ah, adventurers with their promises and pockets lined with coin. Very well, I may have a thing or two that could be of interest to ye," she replied, her tone still gruff but now laced with a hint of mischief.

She raises a hand and with a quick puff of magic the latch on the gate pops open and the gate creaks open.

"Come inside, no good in shouting halfway across the swamp. Come inside, heroes...if you dare."

She breaks out into a cackle as she walks back inside her hut. Despite the somewhat ominous nature of events her tone seems more playful rather than threatening.


From inside the hut's open door she calls out again.

"But beware, travelers, for my strongest potions could kill a dragon!"

She cackles again, seemingly amused entirely by her own "joke" if one could even call it that. Perhaps it was a bit of humor known only to her.

Cara could potentially be scared of this witch, but instead happily follows.

Elena had been hoping for a chance to inspect the old woman's shack, so she also moved forwards to follow the hag's invitation.  While it was clear this potion seller was a rascal with no respect for knights, there was no real proof that she was anything but that.  And as odd as it seemed, the woman's strange threat about her deadly "potions" put Elena somewhat at ease.  If nothing else, that wasn't the sort of warning you gave if you were trying to lure someone into a trap.

...Was it?

Iar doesn't resist the temptation. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Mizz Busy." He says genially as he follows her in. "You have a beautiful home with a wonderful garden. If I might be so bold, is there a Mr. Busy?" He inquires while taking in the interior of the crone's home. "I'd be very curious to meet the one who could win the affections of such an exquisite woman." He purred, laying on hundreds of years of charm. He runs a hand over his goatee as he smiles at her.

"Can't imagine there's much of a market for them if they're so deadly..." Dominique considers aloud, but pauses as the others follow the witch into her shack. Keeping his crossbow knocked he volunteers, "I'll keep watch out here."

Kael shrugs and follows the party inside as well, though to be honest he does not really have much gold to spare.