"If the hag is truly going to turn into something worse, we could use one of the empty jars after dispatching her? maybe give her a taste of her own medicine?"
Anastasia whinces when she hears that Tronar is thinking about trapping a soul.
But she remains silent for the moment.
Ziranu contemplates Tronar’s words, reflecting upon both the question of whether a fiend even has a soul, and the tactical advantages of killing the hag and then imprisoning whatever detritus remains. He looks to the Arcanist and nods his head almost imperceptibly…
"hearing no objections to the motion on the floor..." Tronar moves to grab one of the jars and brings it over to the helpless victim. "Searok, would you be so kind as to do what it is that you do best?"
Tronar will be ready to activate the magic jar to protect the prisoner's soul from becoming an undead monstrosity...see it is a good protective act we are doing. :)
Anastasia nods at the group and accepts that this is the right measure given the circumstances but she remains silent.
Tronar pulls out a handy-dandy reference book that the party has seen him use many times when they have asked him for knowledge about a particular subject. It appears to have his personal notes from his adventurers across several subjects. He mutters to himself..."Soothe Construct...Soothing Mud...Soothing Word....Ahh! Soul Bind." he deftly thumbs through the pages with one had while holding the leash in the other....a look of disappointment comes across his face.
"Well my friends, I have been mistaken in my planning. Obviously, I didn't remember the fine print in the miscellaneous necromantic magic items section of my notes. Alas, the activation of this plan requires a spell that is beyond my abilities to cast. So unless you want me to teleport away and come back with a scroll...which I highly discourage that plan...OR if there is some way for the Hag to willingly have her soul enter her gem for transfer to a jar, which we would set free once free of the castle...then I think we will have to do this the old fashioned way and deal with an undead night hag...or whatever it turns into."
Shaeda nods with a disappointed look on her face. "Well, we don't want to split the group. What's the new plan?"
Anastasia shrugs.
"Can we just bind and gag her? Is that possible?" she asks.
Searok let's the group continue their talkie-talkie waiting for them to give the okay to end the hag or move on. He lets out an exaggerated, audible yawn.
Sial: "While I have no moral compunctions about striking a bargain with this creature myself, I can see that you all do, and I value you as allies much more than her, so here's a suggestion from someone with a more...flexible code: let's just kill her outside the castle's grounds."
"But zhe killing of evil fiends zhat bring naught but misery, suffering, and worse to zhis world is my job, among ozhers - my purpose, even. Searok, if you would punch zhis vile hag into unconsciousness, I'll gladly drag her out of zhe castle and finish her wizh zhe swiftness and mercy zhat we would never receive in turn..."
Searok is still daydreaming when he hears Ziranu say his name. Eh? You want me to knock her out and then ye kill her outside? By Torag's hairy arse, I'll knock her out and then bring her outside an' finish her off too!
"Will you boys just get the business handled please?"
"Zhat sounds like a great plan, Searok; zhe full service finish."
Ziranu will accompany him in retracing the path out of the castle, watching for any threats.
, +2 more if dealing with undead, +4 more if dealing with evil outsiders, and +6 more if trapfinding is applicable.
No check needed to knock her out, she's already subdued and drained.
Yep! Be back in a jiffy! Searok smacks the hag hard, and hoists her over his shoulder. He trots out with Ziranu and they return a few minutes later. Searok with a bloody warhammer and a smile on his face. All done!
Shaeda nods.
"Where to next then??"
The hag is dispatched, and no sinister spirits manifest, so it's safe to say her essence found its way to wherever it belongs without incident.
Anastasia sighs in relief.
“Thanks everyone for your support to eradicate the world from this soul thief!“ she says and is ready to continue the exploration.
“Laori, would you be so kind and cast a spell so we can commune with the spirit that is trapped in the jar?“ Anastasia asks.
When it seems like there is going to be more talkie-talkie stuff happening, Seraok starts daydreaming of dispatching more hags.
Laori begins casting the spell.
"This will just take a few minutes. Think up some good questions, because we only get five."
Shaeda looks to Tronar, Anastasia, and Ziranu, "you three are probably better question askers than Searok and me."
Anastasia shrugs.
“I have to leave honest that I am not the smartest muffins in the oven but I surely can come up with a couple of questions if you want?!“ the half-Ulfen woman says while slightly blushing.
“Who are you? How were you involved with Kazavon? What were you doing in Scarwall?“ she says and seems uncertain.
"Do we think that this soul might know about Mithrodar or the spirit anchors?"
Who are you?:
"Sir Terrence of Lastwall, captain of Mandraivus' Honor Guard"
How were you involved with Kazavon?
"Sought to destroy the man with my master, but he was no man in truth, and I fell in battle to his claws"
What were you doing in Scarwall?
"Died in the great hall, but the evil in these walls held me, preventing my ascension from this world, until the hag plucked me out"
Anastasia gasps, "We have to release the soul! The poor man!"
Anastasia will ask the team to move out again so that they can destroy the items and release the souls.
"Thanks for allowing these souls to travel onwards! Let us go in and continue our path to find the blade!"
When Searok hears that there are things to be destroyed, he happily scoops up the jars and trots outside. A few moments he returns, That was fun! Not as fun as bashin' a hag's skull, but still fun!
The door to the east hangs somewhat broken on its hinges, so you can simply peek in rather than check it carefully. The room it opens to is a scene of horror. Crimson stains cover the walls and puddle onto the floor and there's a pungent smell of...oh wait, that isn't blood, it's wine.
This is a wine cellar, not a murder scene, and it's pretty wrecked up. At some point in the fairly recent past, a ceiling support beam gave way, knocking over several racks of what were probably very nice vintages, as well as smashing open one of the large casks that line the wall.
Two more casks are intact, however.
Bah! Hate ta see good alcohol gone ta waste! Searok says with disgust.
Shaeda assesses the casks of intact alcohol...