The Rival

I had one of those sessions between adventures where I did not really have anything ready. If this was a face-to-face session ad-libbing an adventure would not be hugely difficult. But as an online session that relies heavily on maps I had to scramble. I decided to drop a bunch of hints and see which adventure they went after. These were all short encounters more than they were adventures. As it turned out they want after 2 encounters. The first, involving a witch, took an unexpected turn when half the party failed to save against a charm spell. This left a pair of non-combatant types facing the witch. The second was a trouble in the aisles type of adventure that finished a lot faster then expected.

Session 144: The Witch’s Cauldron

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Gabriel Anteriana (human cleric), Domago (human cleric, NPC), Brovin (human thief, NPC).

The members of the company of the Black Dragon are back in the town of Edgerton. They have just returned from a trip to the Feywild and are enjoying some peace and quiet at their Manor house.

Over breakfast one morning Lakima’s wife Alayna complains to those gathered to eat about her new competition in town. A woman she refers to as a witch is peddling cure-alls, love potions, and fortune-telling out of a rundown cottage in Mirdton. Alayna relates that some of her best customers are going to this witch Nagatha because of the sensation of buying from someone who claims to be a witch.

“I hate witches, if you want me to check into it just say the word,” Lakima tells his wife.

Alayna suggests they just check in on this Nagatha. She is probably mixing fake potions that could be a danger to the people of Edgerton. Lakima tells her he will check in on her and he invites his companions along. Eathwund, Aldus, Gabriel, Domago, and Brovin all decide to join him.

The group makes their way to the Midrton, a disreputable neighborhood in Edgerton, but also the location of the Sign of the Purple Bugbear, the tavern owned by Eathwund. Stopping at the Tavern they have lunch. Lakima asks the serving lady about Nagatha and the woman instantly becomes quiet not wanting to say anything. Yana, the manager of the tavern is more forthcoming. He tells Eathwund that Nagatha moved into an abandoned building not far from the East Gate. He gives them directions. Yana scoffs at the suggestion that Nagatha is a witch.

The group makes their way to Nagatha’s shop and home. It is a ramshackle two-and-a-half-story house and shop in the center of a square. The building looks abandoned, there is no signage, and the first-floor windows are boarded over. Light does peak out of the second-story windows and some white smoke drifts out of a chimney.

“Just let me check something before we enter,” says Gabriel. He then says a quick prayer and casts his hands about (casting Detect Evil). Gabriel gasps and looks about wildly for a second.

“I can sense a single soul with evil intent in the building. She has done evil and is preparing to do so again,” Gabriel says ominously, “and a woman in that house over there is planning to kill her husband.”

Domago looks about and the houses Gabriel has indicated. After a brief discussion, Brovin walks over and checks the door. It is looked but he laughs at how flimsy the lock is telling them that he can open it with a knife.

“Can we break in – she is really just minding her own business,” Lakima questions.

Domago though is certain. Gabriel detected evil intent. He waves at Brovin the unlock the door and then he pushes the door open and then enters.

“I guess that answers it,” says Gabriel.

Inside the group finds a small shop a door to rooms at the back of the house and a stair leading to the next floor. Lakima warns everyone not to touch any of the goods on display as he suspects they might be cursed. The group checks the rooms in the back finding a séance chamber and a bedroom but not finding Nagatha.

Domago then boldly leads the group up the stairs to the second floor. Here they find a chamber with cobwebs hanging from the rafters and old crates covered in dirty cloth. Sitting in a rocking chair next to a fireplace is a middle-aged woman. The woman has a black cat in her lap and she is stirring a cauldron hanging over a fire in the fireplace. The woman, whom they assume is Nagatha, nods to them as they enter seemingly unconcerned at their entrance.

Confronting the Witch

“Are you here to have your fortune told?” she says.

The room seems to be thick with a cloying smell coming from the cauldron. Eathwund thinks what a pleasant woman this is and then shakes off the feeling and wonders where that thought came from. Lakima and Brovin seem to also be having second thoughts.

“Well, I’m leaving,” Brovin says and he turns and walks down the stairs. Domago looks at the departing trapfinder in surprise.

“I just came by to let you know that the best magic-users in this town are members of the Mages Guild. Which I run. We cannot have any freelancers making trouble for the Guild,” Lakima tells Nagatha, “just some friendly advice.”

Lakima then tells everyone that they should not disturb the woman any longer and suggests they all leave. Lakima heads downstairs. Eathwund shrugs and looks around at those who remain and then he leaves as well. Aldus soon follows. Only a confused Domago and a surprised Gabriel remain facing Nagatha.

“Do you still sense evil,” Domago asks Gabriel.

“Yes, she plans to do something terrible soon, we must act quickly, I sense innocent lives are in danger,” Gabriel answers.

“Witch, I do not know what spell you placed on my friends but it will not work on me,” Domago says a quick prayer and points at the cauldron. There is a hiss and the sweet scent disappears from the chamber.

“You will pay for that do-gooder!” Nagatha says, “Whiskers kill them!” She puts her small black cat down on the floor in front of her and it transforms into a black panther and leaps toward Gabriel. Domago and Gabriel attack the dangerous panther with mace and hammer shouting in alarm. Nagatha takes out a potion drinks it and turns to mist and vanishes through the ceiling.

Downstairs, Aldus who is the last to leave the shop, hears the sounds of fighting upstairs turns back, and sprints up the stairs. He finds Domago and Gabriel fighting a panther. With a few thrusts with his sword, Aldus kills the panther. It collapses to the floor.

“Where did that witch go?” Aldus asks.

Domago explains that she must have gone upstairs. He points to a ladder leading to a trapdoor in the ceiling. Gabriel climbs up the ladder first and enters an attic covered in cobwebs but with a cleared area in the center. Here they see a table covered with the witch’s potions and notes. Nagatha is frantically stirring something in a small pot. Before she can react, Gabriel casts Quest on her and orders her to write out all of her misdeeds. Nagatha grimaces and tries to resist the enchantment but gives in. Sitting down at the workbench she begins writing out her lifetime of misdeeds on parchment. Aldus and Domago join Gabriel in the attic and Gabriel explains what he did. Nagatha finishes one page and grabs another parchment.

“This could take her a while,” Domago says while looking over her shoulder.

At this point, Gabriel hears a child cry out for help. Quieting Aldus and Domago he tells everyone to listen. They all hear a cry for help from above their heads. A frantic search reveals a hidden trap door in the ceiling. But with no ladder, Gabriel has to use a levitate potion to reach the secret attic. In this small chamber, he finds two cowering children. Gabriel picks them up and takes them downstairs. 

Meanwhile, Lakima, Eathwund, and Brovin returned to the Sign of the Purple Bugbear tavern and ordered some ales. They soon decide that their companions probably returned to the Manor house.

Aldus calls out for the town watch and the situation is explained to them. Domago warns them to avoid touching anything. Nagatha is manacled in iron and lead away. The watchmen marvel at the “confession” she has written. Gabriel recalls the woman they encountered early in the day who was searching for her missing children. He sends watchmen to get her and turns the children over to their grateful mother.

The three companions then return to the Manor House. Late that evening they relate what happened to Lakima, Eathwund, and Alayna. Alayna is ecstatic. Lakima suggests they should return tomorrow to search the witch’s home for magic.

The next day the entire group returns to the building that recently was home to the witch. A watchman stands guard outside waving the curious away telling them there is “nothing to see here.”

“We represent the Mages Guild and have come to clear away any dangerous curses,” Lakima tells the watchman. He believes the storey and happily opens the door for them telling them he will be much relieved once they have removed everything dangerous.

In a search of the home, they find a dozen unmarked potions. Lakima detects some scarves as magical but believes they are cursed so they burn them. They take some samples from the cauldron upstairs. Brovin unlocks a strongbox and finds a good sum of gold coins the witch had accumulated.

As they leave, Lakima assures the man on guard that they have removed everything dangerous from the home.

That afternoon in the Manor as they wait for dinner, they hear news from their butler Huntley that the flying ship belonging to the Merchant Adventurers’ Guild has gone missing. It is reported to be long overdue from a trip back from Dolmvay. Lakima thinks on this for a while and then informs his companions that he is going to be busy enchanting another ship for the Guild.

The next morning, they have a visitor after breakfast. Tanner, the mercenary employed by Clearwin to guard his shop arrives. He asks them to come at once to the shop. A rogue mage is running amok in the shop animating suits of armor and throwing knives. After a brief consideration, Lakima, Eathwund, Aldus, and Gabriel decide to head over to see what they can do to help Clearwin.

The group heads to Clearwin’s shop on the main market square. Lakima tells Gabriel a little about the shop called Clearwin’s Oddities. As they near the shop they see a small crowd of people has congregated outside. They see Clearwin yelling at a watchman, and another wounded watchman being attended to by Brother Wakefield, a priest of St. Cuthbert.

“Thank the gods you are here!” Clearwin says and rushes up to meet them. Clearwin explains that there were only a few people in the shop when the first incident occurred. A fine traveler’s cloak tried to smother a merchant. The merchant ran from the shop. Then a suit of armor began walking about the aisles. Finally, objects began to fly off the shelves and dart about trying to hit them. At this point, they ran from the shop. Clearwin thinks it was the work of a young man who had just entered the shop. He was dressed as a merchant but Clearwin suspects he is a mage.

The group enters the shop and finds everything is quiet. A few items lie on the floor but otherwise, it appears much as it always does. There is no sign of anyone else. A suit of armor stands up, picks up an axe, and takes a swing at Aldus who blocks it. Eathwund and Aldus pummel at the suit of armor. Then throwing knives begin flying out of a box on a shelf and whirling about the room. Lakima falls to the floor to avoid them and he notices a young man hiding under a table. Lakima confronts the man and learns that he is a local merchant. He was trying on some clothes when everything started to go mad. Lakima asks him what exactly he tried on. The merchant points to a small broach of a coiled serpent on his lapel. When Lakima asks to look at the broach the merchant finds he cannot remove it from his clothes. Lakima casts dispel magic on it and it falls to the floor. Immediately, all objects in the shop settle down onto the shelves.

Lakima examines the broach and discerns that it is the cause of all of the trouble. He steps outside and tells Clearwin he will take the broach as payment. However, Clearwin is not ready to part with the unique magic item and insists on keeping it. He agrees to give them some other items.

With the problem at Clearwin’s cleared up the group left the shop. Lakima tells them he wants to head by the waterfront and buy a riverboat. On the water front Lakima does find a sailor willing to sell his riverboat but before gold can change hands Lakima has a change of heart. He declines the deal and everyone heads back to the Manor.

That afternoon, Lakima pens a letter to Duke Robert offering to provide him with a flying warship, for the right price. He calls for a courier and has it sent post haste to Dolmvay.