"This isn't a hag that runs a stall in the Witchmarket, is it?" Troxell asks with suspicion.
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"Not that I know of." Bourbo replies to Troxell as he hops off his stump and waves for the group to follow as he heads off into the trees. "I've never seen her thar, but 'tis a big place, ever-changin. Anything's possible."
The untamed wilds of the First World are a dangerous place fraught with peril or fey pranksters, but the leprechaun seems right at ease in the place.
He leads you for about an hour, meandering his way around a few natural hazards - quicksand, poison rose brambles, a fairy ring that looks very enticing.
He seems very unconcerned until a high pitched squeal of laughter comes from the trees, and a dozen small shapes reveal themselves in the area. Some are withered, eyeless little creatures with mushroom caps for a head, and a stringy fungus beards. Others are hunchbacked, with three glowing blue eyes and long oily hair that grows down their backs like a cloak. A pair look like the world's most revolting lapdogs somehow learned to walk on back legs. A handful among them are lean little bat-eared horrors displaying a mouth full of needle-like teeth and glowing, orange eyes.
Though many are quite different from each another, Bourbo classifies them all as one type of fey pest.
"Gremlins!" He spits. "Begone ye greedy little bastards!"
The final gremlin, a blue-gray creature with glowing eyes and huge ears on its oversized head, sneers and curses Bourbo in Aklo, then adds in common.
"Hand over Bourbo and we will let you pass!"
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"Whats this all about hes not ours to hand to anyone besides hes under contract with us as a guide. What is it you want with him maybe we can come to some understanding that doesn't require handing anyone over and you still let us pass."
Shanee finds a nice big rock to sit on
"Come have a drink and lets talk this out. We are not looking for a fight here. If you can convince me hes done something to you maybe we will just walk away. if not maybe we can come to some other accord. "
"If we were to hand him over, we'd never find our way out of this place. Besides, as my friend stated, we've got an agreement. And that agreement has to be carried out to help us both."
The leader of the gremlins looks to Shanee like a sympathetic ear. Marching forward he stamps his small foot. "Bourbo plays vile tricks upon us again and again."
"Vile and not funny!" Another gremlin adds.
The leader shakes a fist. "Last time he led us into the Spider Brambles and left us to be sucked dry by the Widow Queen!"
"That sucked!" A gremlin echoes, and a couple others giggle.
"Silence fools!!" The leader cries. Pointing at Bourbo, he makes his demands. "Bourbo probably setting you up for a joke. We save you from humiliations. Let us have him. It is time we got to kill him for once!"
Bourbo leans on his cane and blows pipe smoke into the gremlins face. "Pfaw. Gremlins be fools. Always thinking they can force me to give up me gold or grant them wishes. They got what they deserve."
Troxell lets out a pained sigh and turns his gaze to Shanee, assuming the Bard has some sort of diplomatic solution to this mess.
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Okay. So let me see if I heave this right."
Shanee rubs his chin as if thinking
"You Gremlins spend your time trying to capture Bourbo so you can make him give you his gold and when he plays "Vile" tricks on you and gets away you get mad at him and want to kill him."
Shanee stands and starts pacing still rubbing his chin.
"Well the way I see it is you should be mad at the one of yourselves that allowed Bourbo to get away. He was only doing what you would had someone captured you and demanded you give them your money. You were only doing what Gremlins do by capturing him. So the only person or persons that have done anything wrong are the ones that let themselves be tricked into letting him get away.'
"So there you have it. You need to figure out who let him get away and punish them.
Shanee then launches into a story about how people should get along
"This reminds me of a story.....
The gremlins seem confused by Shanee's logic, but dumb and mean enough to start pointing fingers at each other.
"Mumpy let him go!"
"Dags distract Mumpy! It Dags fault!"
"What?! Dags only do what Shim tell him to!"
"Why you listen to Shim? Shim is idiot!!"
Fully engrossed in the blame game, the gremlins hardly notice when Bourbo snorts and gesture for the group to follow as he turns to walk off. "Last part tis true." He murmurs.
***
After another small journey through the woods you enter a marshy swamp where Bourbo points out a stone path leading to a door in a large tree.
"She lives thar. Get me gold from her and we'll be on our way. Oh, and don't expect ta be sneaky 'bout it. If it twas that easy I'd have it already, but she's got wards against intruders, invisible or otherwise. I'd suggest the big fella use his axe."
Stroud pulls out his new Scimitar, testing it in an attempt to discern its magical properties.
Teena starts by detecting the type of magic in the area, if it was distinguishable from the 'normal' magic. If she could make it out, she would concentrate three rounds to find out everything she possibly could about it.
"I suggest we announce ourselves and have Shanee attempt to negotiate first. I have a nagging suspicion there is more to the story that we should know before Myhm starts using his axe." Troxell thoughtfully remarks as Teena examines the area's magical auras.
Teena detects a magical emanation in the area near the door that appears to be an alarm spell.
"Yeah, she has a magical alarm spell cast. It'd probably be better to call for her out here rather than setting off the spell. That seems to make greetings much more difficult," Teena says, as she lets her magical vision fade.
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The door to the tree opens and a woman steps outside. She wears patchwork hides and worn cloth fraying at the edges, and is familiar to most of the group. It is the witch, Hedera.
"Greetings Ent, Sylph, and Druid. I have been waiting for you."
"Oh. It's a trap. The leprechaun walked us into a trap. How surprising." Troxell says dryly. He then addresses Hedrera,
"Shall do do battle now or did you have some other trickery up your sleeve first?"
Teena just shook her head. "Troxell is right. Do we battle now, or do you have some twisted scheme to drag us into first," she mutters, laughing at her frustration.
Stroud chimes in, sword in hand!
"Hedera?! Hey! You owe me money and an apology for your rude behavior towards me!"
"We do not need to fight." Hedera says, remaining calm. "Give me the orb, and you can you can leave. Refuse and you never leave the First World."
"This is not the Witchmarket. I am not haggling or making deals."
”So, what you’re saying is that you’re not going to pay me what you owe me?”
Hedera smiles at Stroud. ”Really now. Would you walk away for a paltry bag of gold? How much then to change sides and join me? I could offer you so much more.”
Teena wasn't interested in any arrangement with that witch. She wasn't sure if she trusted the leprechaun but she knew from past dealings that she wasn't entering into any such arrangement with her again.
”If I did that, I wouldn’t get to use this,” Stroud says as he taps the hilt of his new sword.
Mhym looks back and forth. Hedera was one too many witch to keep track of. The way Troxell and Teena were cautiously talking, he might believe this is the witch that tricked them into bargaining eyes and memories. On second thought, was this the witch who imprisoned Brue in a massive castle. Or was this the witch from the village. No, that was the other witch. His thoughts were starting to jumble. But he's about to unjumble them, the Myhmly way.
He approaches Hedera, mitts raised in non threat. "What does Mhym get for what you want?" "
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Hedera sees the threat in Myhm’s approach and stares hard at him. ”You get the chance to go home and live out the rest of your short mortal life.”
Myhm looks up at the massive tree overshadowing Hedera, it's canopy full, much like the large ones near the lake where he grew up in the mortal world. Their reflections on the water just like the Tree of Life mark on his chest. Some of the loose threads in his life suddenly made sense. He focuses back on the witch and her words. "I am home", Myhm replies and charges.
”You have chosen poorly.” Hedera says as Myhm begins to charge.
INITIATIVE
INITIATIVE
Shanee
Stroud
Troxell
Hedera
Myhm
Xerexis
Teena
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Troxell trudges through some of the marsh to get closer to Myhm, before casting Mass Feather Step, which allows his companions the ability to completely ignore the slowing effects of walking through swamp.
Stroud moves behind the cover of the lily pad to avoid Hedera. He sheathes his swords and pulls out his bow!
Shanee prepares a counterspell as Stroud moves closer and Troxell casts an enchantment to aid movement in the difficult terrain. A soft flame surrounds Hedera and her hands transform into long claws.
INITIATIVE
Myhm
Xerexis
Teena
Shanee
Stroud
Troxell
Hedera
Teena, using Troxell's magic, slides to just to the right of Myhm. She then casts a blot of lightning at the hag.
Damage
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Shanee clears his throat and begins to sing a song of how great Myhm is and cast a spell
Something that Troxell and Shane casted made him suddenly able to reach the witch; a white hot energy blurs by from Teena towards her. The tree over Hedera shrinks away with along with the rest of any control as Myhm gives into the rage. His body was bigger again, the great axe felt more like a throwing axe as he grips it with both hands and comes down on Hedera.
Myhm’s axe cuts straight across Hedera’s neck, but nothing seems to happen to her. Then, suddenly, she is standing a few feet away.
Xerexis casts a spell, praying to the Traveler for help.
Teena hurls a lightning bolt...
Noticing Myhm's trouble hitting the witch, Troxell scoffs, "Bah, simple magic to overcome." He then casts Faerie Fire on the evil woman and moves 20 feet closer.
Stroud moves with the skill of one born to the shadows! He runs quickly out of eyesight of Hedera, staying behind the giant mushrooms, seeking to get behind the villainess!
He takes cover behind the tree root, preparing to pounce on Hedera and pay her back for her misconduct!
Will
Teena’s lightning blasts right through Hedera but leaves her unharmed. In that moment Teena recognizes her to be some sort of advanced illusion.
INITIATIVE
Myhm
Xerexis
Teena
Shanee
Stroud
Troxell
Hedera
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”She’s not real! It’s just an illusion,” she curses.
Myhm spins almost off balance from the mighty cleave that would have halved any being. He turns to the door with bloodshot eyes, the next target of his rage.
Hearing Teena’s warning, Stroud crouches low and goes totally defensive.
Troxell moves closer to the island.