The group continues on, with Samuel leading a bit ahead to make sure it is safe. they walk beyond the area with the figurines and nothing happens, which is probably a good sign.
The passage quickly gets dark. Samuel cannot see anything in front of him, but feels stairs climbing up from their current position in the hallway.
Letitia can quickly identify that this area is under a permanent darkness spell effect.
"This darkness is magical. Torches and lesser spells will not be enough. But the gemstone we found in the room with the lurkers in light should be of sufficient strength to cut through the gloom."
Letitia activates the first of the gemstone's three abilities, and shines it into the darkness.
As Samuel reaches the black layer of air, he halts "This is strange"
When Leitita quickly confirms is magical, he steps back, and readies his musket to wait the problem be solved by the smart ones.
Seeing the gem starting to shine with bright light and eating up the darkness in front, he smiles cockily "I was sure you could handle it, but you are surprising me on how fast you come up with solutions to the witches and hags obstacles"
If this is enough to unveil the corridor, Samuel will continue the scouting ahead.
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Letitia smirks in response to the gunman. "I also have a potion of darkvision I brewed recently. But it will only help one of us, so this gem of brightness is the optimal solution."
The gem is indeed enough to light the way, as it radiates Daylight.
Letitia holds up the gem and the group can see the passage now. the stairs climb towards a closed door. the hallway has carvings with themes of death and decay.
the door has a wreath of goat skulls tied together with corn husks hanging on it.
the temperature here is very cold, slightly above freezing.
Letitia shows no signs of discomfort in the dark and cold corridor. "I believe, if it's not obvious to you, that we are now in the Crone section of Artrosia. A time of great wisdom and power for a witch."
She casts detect magic on the door and lets Samuel inspect it for traps. If it's locked, she'll offer to try the key given to her by the one she assumes to be the Warden.
Llewellyn smiled inwardly, he had been able to see just fine, for once his orcish heritage was a blessing instead of a curse.
As he bent down to help Me Samuel find any traps he said, "I wonder if this section will be noticeably different..."
"The Crone?" Samuel inquiries surprised. He looks at the carvings of death and decay "I guess that has sense..."
"So you think this will be the most dangerous statue of the three?" the Taldan approaches the door and inspects it as requested, aiding Llewellyn in the process.
And then, he tries to open the door, paying careful attention at the skulls, and working on any lock Letitia cannot open with her keys.
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Samuel's question gives Letitia pause. "I shudder to think of a more dangerous section of the fortress given what we've already had to face, but it's quite possible. A witch is most powerful, most experienced, most crafty, in her final years. If the challenges here are commensurate, then we will be sorely pressed to survive."
She takes a deep breath as she tries to steel her nerves. "I have already made great strides in personal knowledge and power, far more than I'd ever expected for myself since my exile. Further, we've no other choice but to continue our exploration. Yet, we know of the way to the Mother, and could return there."
We've made it this far... We will live and survive... I have to so long as my brother lives, innocent lives are in danger The smallest eye of emotion shows on the silver haired girls face for once.
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Callix takes a pull from her aleskin, "And, if you believe children's stories, an older witch is also at her meanest."
The door is indeed locked, but appears clear of traps.
Letitia tries her key but it does not fit here. Luckily, Samuel is able to pop the lock with his tools.
The door opens into a strange sight. A withered cornfield extends in all directions beneath a waning moon in a starry night sky. Dozens of dead ravens lie strewn on the ground among the shriveled stalks.
A bent and aged crone stands in the center the cornfield, leaning heavily on a staff.
This woman has a noticeable resemblance to the young woman who Letitia has theorized is the Warden. She looks like she is maybe the mother or grandmother of that woman.
Callix says, "That one has a marked resemblance to the one Letitia said was the warden. Either that's her grandmother, or the warden's been aged magically."
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Callix takes a pull from her aleskin, "And, if you believe children's stories, an older witch is also at her meanest."
"Because she has little time for foolishness," Letitia replies with a smirk.
Letitia also sees the similarities with the young woman they met previously. Callix's musing about her being the same person magically aged and not a relative reminds her of the scroll of threefold aspect in her pack.
That makes sense; it risks chaos to employ three wardens one for each statue, and a young maiden wouldn't be able to exercise authority in the Mother or Crone... just as they wouldn't in the Maiden.
Letitia steps forward and raises her hand in greeting to the crone. "Greetings, Wise One. I believe we've met your younger aspect. Our goals still align, if my guess is correct that you are the Warden of this section of Artrosia. We search for frost giant invaders and their allies who are enemies of Baba Yaga. Do you have counsel for us?"
"More than happy to crack a few frost giant skulls if there any in here..." echoed Llewellyn, hoping that was the right thing to say. A sudden thought struck him, "Say I wonder if the hut could travel here? Watching it trample on frost giants was, ah! Instructional."
Samuel looks at Ashling, surprised by her young optimism, but the Taldan is too stout to admit fear to the aged crone "Aye, as cunning as it is mean, but as frail as ever to the right tool" he smirks and strokes his musket with affection.
As the light bathes the new room, and the new aged crone appears, he basically remains on place, listening to the exchange.
While the others talk, he pays more attention to the rooms features, examining any container, and looking for alternative exits, being them obvious or secret in nature.
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Samuel hangs back while Letitia and Llewellyn speak to the woman. Most of the party can tell this woman looks very much like the younger woman they met earlier. Samuel does not see much else, but thinks perhaps this room is another illusion.
The old woman laughs, a crackling and slightly shrill sound
"Ah young witch, you seem to have it all figured out then! yes, yes we spoke before didn't we? unfortunately there is more going on in here than you realize, and I am not able to aid you directly. My counsel is this: The cancer grows in the womb of the Crone. To face the Curse of Eons, you must have time on your side."
With that she once again vanishes, and the illusion of an open field turns to a rectangular room formed from chiseled granite blocks. Carvings of lifeless cornfields adorn the walls, and withered cornstalks and dead ravens litter the floor. A simple sleeping pallet lies on the floor against the north wall, next to a small trunk and a nightstand holding a basin of fresh water and a few candles.
"More riddles..." Samuel spits on the now stone made ground "Why these witches cannot be just clear on what they want?"
The Taldan approaches the sleeping pallet and the small trunk and inspects them to see if there is anything of help.
"You assume they know what they want..." murmured Llewellyn.
Noting Samuel inspecting the trunk and other things, Llewellyn softly hums a tune as he checks for the presence of magic.
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Letitia nods as the woman confirms desperately needed information -- that she was in fact the Warden and her guess that she was the same as the young woman they met in the Maiden. She isn't surprised that the revelation did not also come with an immediate alliance, even though she had hoped.
"Riddles, yes. Samuel, she said she could not aid us directly, so this is what we'll have to make do with. I also had to be reminded that Baba Yaga's ways are inscrutable. But consider: the womb of the Crone? At an advanced, a woman is will be barren. Anything growing there will not be good. Will it be what the followers of Kostchtchie seek? I imagine it will be so."
She thinks back to the riddles that the ravens gave them during their exploration of the Dancing Hut. "We've had another obscure riddle involving time. 'Look for this key where time catches up to us all,' is what the raven said. And now there is a 'Curse of Eons' which requires time to be on our side." She frowns in thought. "The raven spoke of the location of one of the keys necessary to control the Hut..."
She snaps her fingers. "Ah! The Warden is changing her appearance! She might be the Changeling -- not as an offspring of a hag, but one who changes! She must possess the other key."
Callix blinks, considering Letitia's words, I suppose, in riddles, you aren't to take things literally, so that may be the trick.. but, wait --. Her faces scrunches slightly as she says, "If that's true, haven't we already lost? The Warden just said she cannot aid us -- which would include sharing her key. Unless that's only true of the Crone."
"We've met her before, and her words have given us hope that upon rooting out this cancer we will be provided more aid."
Letitia takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "And if she doesn't render aid, we'll be forced to take it from her."
Crone... Perhaps she means one of the statues from before? Does one not represent the crone?
With the woman gone, the group discusses the riddles they have received so far. Letitia has a theory now on the locations of the two keys the group needs to follow Baba Yaga.
Meanwhile Samuel checks out the pallet and trunk.
The trunk is unlocked. inside Samuel finds several changes of women's clothing, and one scroll.
The scroll is a scroll of Age Resistance
Aside from the door you entered through, there are 3 closed doors in this room. One to the North, 2 to the south. the door you entered from is to the west
"I think we're inside one of those statues from outside. And yes, we're in the Crone," Letitia replies to Ashling.
When the contents of the chest is explored, Letitia spots the scroll and casts a spell to enable her to know what it does. "Interesting. This spell wards someone from the ill effects of aging. Appropriate to be found in this place, to be sure, but not something we'll likely have to use anytime soon--" Her voice catches as she's about to dismiss the treasure inside the chest. She recalls the curse that befell Alec in the pale tower, advancing his age temporarily. A trick and a warning by Nazhena, but she was far from the power of Baba Yaga.
She grows even paler than usual. "Or perhaps not. We're in the Crone, where a cancer grows. We will face a Curse of Eons, and a place where time catches up to us. This might come in more useful than I originally thought."
Callix nods gravely, then asks, "Can the spell be shared, or will it only protect one of us?"
Letitia's lips press tightly as she considers the features of the spell encoded on the scroll. She shakes her head. "It only helps the caster, and only for twenty-four hours. Once it's used, it's gone. It's also of a strength and complexity that is currently beyond me, were it not in this scroll. I could perform the ritual to add it to my repertoire of spells, but I wouldn't be able to cast it immediately." She sighs as she considers the danger they will likely face: that of time itself.
"Still, it is good that we have it. Perhaps the Warden is aiding us after all. Indirectly. Let's explore further. North or south?"
"Maybe south?" replied Llewellyn.
Callix shrugs, "One's as good as the other."
After examining the contents of the trunk, Samuel passes the scroll to Letitia "Are you also interested on the crone's clothing? Maybe for a hags party?" the Taldan shows the cloths while the group discusses about magic and time. He just shrugs "Then keep it. It might come handy at some time."
Nodding to the idea of going south, he examines the door to make sure it is safe, then opens the first door to the south.
There are two doors to the south.
The southern door appears clear, and Samuel quickly bypasses a pretty simple lock.
Letitia tells the others about the scroll she found, and hangs on to it for later
the door opens to a long passageway leading upwards. As you continue along the path the darkness effect is left behind and the passage grows lighter.
eventually the passage opens into a new chamber
The ceiling of this broad natural cavern arcs upward, forming a narrow crown high above the cavern floor. In the center of the cave stands a ring of worn, moss-covered menhirs, their inward faces carved with mystic symbols.
"Hmm curious..." murmured Llewellyn as he examined the menhirs and the mystic symbols.
He softly hummed a centring tune, that allowed him to see the presence of magic if any.
"More menhirs. Similar to the ones we found in the Maiden," Letitia observes.
She looks around the cavern for threats. "Curious that it's become brighter. I wonder, did we leave the Crone already? If so, our path has become quite erratic. Maiden, Mother, Maiden, Crone, and..." she looks around for clues. "Mother once more, perhaps?"
She shakes her head with impatience. "This place is as dizzying as the Hut."
Samuel follows along into the cavern full of menhirs "Aye, I wonder why the old crone made this place such a maze. Anyway, no giant invader here. Let's look if there is any of the keys here and continue searching."
The Taldan takes a look at the mystic symbols.
Then, he looks for other exists.
Callix shrugs, "Maybe it's the maiden, again? Like we've completed a cycle?"
The group moves into the new room, examining the menhirs for clues and talking about their goal of finding the keys.
examinign the runes and symbols carved into the stones, you determine this is dedicated to the worship of birth, the gifts of new life, and the passage from motherhood into the time when one’s children depart from home to make their own way in the world. This leads you to believe you have gone back to the Mother.
As you search you hear a female voice coming from somewhere to the west
"outsiders! you seek the keys to grandmother's cauldron? I see one rider, what tragedy has befallen the others?"
Letitia points to the runes and symbols of motherhood to answer Callix's question. She's absorbed in the symbology of the Mother, so she starts when the voice calls out of nowhere. Her alarm rises, but the voice doesn't sound immediately hostile. In fact, it seems to understand their mission somehow.
The problem was, would it seek to aid or hinder their efforts? Her mind worked, thinking on her companions' recent conversation and what information they had unwittingly provided this spirit. Why did I mention the Hut?!?
"Outsiders we are, yes. And the Red and White Riders are dead, slain by Queen Elvanna." Letitia was loathe to volunteer such information freely, but perhaps the Rules of Winter might provide for an exchange of answers. "And we do seek the keys, here in Grandmother's fortress. Answers I have given you, now I ask of you: are you one of Artrosia's denizens who is loyal to Baba Yaga?"
Samuel is alarmed by the voice and quickly turns west to look at its origin "Who is there? Show yourself if you want to talk"
While Letitia talks out this denizen, Samuel tries to find clues of what or who the group might be facing.
Llewellyn grudgingly thought the granddaughter had responded to the question well, all things considered. Rather than trying to honey coat things he considered the voice of the questioner and any response - did it seem like they where answering plainly?
Slain? well that is indeed dire news. It is not an easy task to defeat Baba Yaga's champions. She told me you would come here, following her.
With that, the creature drops her invisibility spell, standing before you. Samuel pinpoints where she is moments before she appears, but now everyone can see her clearly. You see a gray-skinned female humanoid with horns growing from her brow.
"My name is Nostafa, and I am one of those in this place that serves the Great Witch willingly. She told me to watch for her riders and to pass them a message."
You do not feel like this woman is lying to you, she seems quite relieved to see you here. She does not hold any weapon and does not seem like she is preparing to harm you.
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"A message?" Letitia is forced to control a sudden bout of trembling. Her original hope of receiving clear aid in their mission to find Baba Yaga within Artrosia had almost been completely dashed. That hope suddenly surges back with Nostafa's appearance.
Letitia fights back the urge to share everything they've gone through as if telling her would be the same as telling Grandmother. But just because she was a willing servant of Baba Yaga doesn't mean she wasn't dangerous -- it was far more likely that she was a deadly creature. So she forces herself to be cautious.
"This is excellent news. I too am loyal to Grandmother. We have passed tests of worthiness within the Dancing Hut and took it from Elvanna's grasp. But she remains on Irrisen’s throne past her appointed time. We possess the mantle of the Black Rider. What is the message for us?"
Llewellyn visibly relaxes as the granddaughter talks to Nostafa. He still had many qualms about helping Baba Yaga, but at least she wasn't planning to turn the world into an ice cube.
He nodded to Letitia, trusting that she would notice he'd decided that Nostafa was on the level.
Callix nods at Ashling, "We can prove what we say, at least about having taken on the mantle."
Ashling nods, shes still in Rider form, the other two rider have been murdered. Black would have been as well but we found him on his death bed and were charged a missive
"Baba Yaga was here? What for?" Samuel relaxes the musket.
"Do not worry, priest the woman says to Callix "I do not need ot test you. the Rider's mantle is not easily counterfeited.
to Samuel she says "when last the Great Witch came to this place, she was in a hurry. She told me that she had forseen that she was going to face a betrayal. She didn't give many details, but she said she needed to go to the source of Irrisen's magic to make preparations. she then gave me a messgae to give to her riders if they came here to regroup with her."
She then pulls out a clear, seemingly empty bottle. she carefully opens the stopper and you hear a clear voice ring out
“If you hear these words, my own blood has betrayed me. Jadrenka has one key; the other lies in the Eon Pit. Follow my trail and meet me in the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom!”
Llewellyn sighed, "Well I suppose it's not a riddle at least. Still how do we get to this Eon Pit and the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom I wonder..."
He wracked his brain, trying to remember if he'd heard of those places before.
Callix blinks at the message, then chuckles, shaking her head, "Well, I suppose we were given the guidance we thought we needed, even if it just made everything more complicated instead of helping. It's enough to drive a girl to drink, that."
Samuel greets what seems finally some information "She previewed our arrival?" and observes with curiosity what it is done with the bottle.
"The Eon Pit? The Thrice-Tenth Kingdom? What are those? How do we reach there?" Samuel inquiries the woman, relaxing finally the musket.