Campaign Season S19: Night 26 - The Creeping Hut of Baba Lysaga

[Creep/DM]

The Ruins of Berez

The trail hugs the river for several miles. The dirt and grass soon turn to marsh as the trail dissolves into spongy earth pockmarked with stands of tall reeds and pools of stagnant water. A thick shroud of fog covers all. Scattered throughout the marsh are old peasant cottages, their walls covered with black mildew, their roofs mostly caved in. These decrepit dwellings seem to hunker down in the mire, as though they have long since given up on escaping the thick mud. Everywhere you look, black clouds of flies dart about, hungry for blood. The fog is much thinner on the far side of the river, where a light flashes amid a dark ring of standing stones.

The Creeping Hut

Someone has built a ramshackle wooden hut on the stump of what was once an enormous tree. The rotting roots of the stump thrust up from the mire like the legs of a gigantic spider. An open doorway is visible on one side of the hut, beneath which floats the upside-down, hollowed-out skull of a giant.

[Creep/DM]

Azog yelled and screamed at Timmy. "Come back! We won!"

Timmy zoomed off into the air in the direction of the castle. "See you at the castle!"

A tarokka card dropped to the ground, perhaps Timmy had it all along, hidden in his pockets.

Tarokka card: Traitor!

OOC: As usual, players are encouraged to tell the story from their characters' perspective.

[Automan]

OOC: 19 sessions i waited for my card and it falls out of my pocket? I hate Ravenloft.

Also, have to admit, player's kowledge colored my actions. I heard Baba Yaga and visions of doom and hopelessness overcame me. Sigh... only to discover that this yaga was a poor shadow of the true yaga.

IC:
Timmy gasped in shock as Azog ripped out the giant green gem and the hut stopped moving. As the witch screamed in anger, Timmy realized he might have made a very bad mistake.

No...no... grandmama is related to papa Strad and he's very powerful. But as grandmama unleashed her powerful finger spell.... he thought "That's it?!?". Then he realised grandmama wasn't that powerful, all this time and she hadn't cast any truly impressive magic.

Thats when he decided that he had to really help destroy his friends. But... everytime someone dropped, he was revived. Dammit! And they are all too close to each other!

In horror he watched as the wishy washy Paladin finally acted heroicly and pushed grandmama out her flying skull. NOOOOOO.... She's tough, she can survive! ... Timmy expected her to teleport to safety, but no, the stupid old cow cast a lighting bolt?!? And a weak one too!!! Wtf?!? Any green caster knows to run when the chips are down. The stupid cow couldn't be related to papa Strad.

It was over. The old cow dropped. Azog ran towards Timmy screaming something but all Timmy could see thru tear filled eyes were
- the wishy washy Paladin. Good for laughs.
- the ale crazed dwarf that everyone called a gnome and always had bacon
- the sometimes smart but mostly dumb and kind hearted brute that could soak up any punishment with no sweat
- and the do gooder dwarf, he would miss most of all. The sermons he gave trying to teach me right from wrong. Another few months and i know i could have made him see things my way.
They were... his friends. The only ones he truly had in his life.

As Timmy turned away from his friends, the sadness he felt slowly left him as thoughts of a future with papa Strad filled his mind. The shackles were off.... and the urge for delicious pies filled his head.

[Gentle Violence]

Timmy is doing something weird again... maybe Timmy is acting... Timmy's magic is painful. Maybe Timmy will stop after the witch dies. Need to kill witch fast.

Azog knew cooking and knew every creature had to have a heart. (Rolled Intelligence 19-1, looked around the hut, assessed the possiblilities... the chest? the blood soaked bath?... Rolled Intelligence 17-1. Aha! The big big tree had a Green Gem too! Maybe the pulsating green light from the floorboards? Heck... no time to think already.)

Azog scratched his backside and pointed at the floorboards. (Rolled Intelligence 13-1) Remembered Jemma's incredible strength at smashing doors at the Burgomaster's house. "Gem-Mah...  down there." Like a Ravin Rabbit, Jemma cracks the floorboards. Azog followed with a smash. Maybe Azog can become stronger too if he has Green Gem. Holds it up. The hut stops moving. Expected... smirked Azog. Azog did not feel stronger. Maybe licking it will help? Nothing happens. Disappointed. Azog rushed for the witch.

The pretty paladin disappeared. The witch screamed and came falling down. Woah! Chance! Azog stabbed and stabbed. Brulbo slashed. The Paladin appeared ... Out of the Skull??? The paladin jumped down and missed. Hmm.. maybe he is pretending to be weak again? Brulbo struck the death blow. Azog was so happy. Ran to Timmy to tell Timmy that he could stop pretending too. But Timmy sped away. Timmy? ... Azog scratched his backside. (Intelligence check 6-1). Maybe Timmy need to use the toilet.

[Ian: Gemma Stonespeaker]

Gemma yelps as the misshapen roots belted at her with unnatural force, the third root smacking her down onto the cracked floorboards of the weirdly walking Hut of the green hag now cackling above the skies. The surroundings turned murky and faded into darkness only to sharpen back into focus as the rumbling voice of the cleric Brulbo as his divine magic flowed into and restoring Gemma.

She blinked in confusion at the barbarian Azog as he shouted and waved at the green emanation from the floor. It dawned to her that the party saw the similar color emanations from the first stone (or at least that is what she was told), she wedged her scimitar against the floorboard and pried a section open. A crystal lies entombed by small roots beneath the floorboard, emanating green waves undulating from the crystal. Azog cries as he smacks the remaining floorboards clear off and ripped the gem from its nesting ground and the hut shudders once and slumps into inertia...

****

It could have been a moment, a single fleeting barely perceptible but Gemma swore she caught a glimpse of uncertainty and vulnerability on Timmy's face as his self professed 'Grandma' raised her claws in the direction of the youth before the hag collapses to its demise. The remnants of the party that once were raised their haggard and tired faces to the levitating boy turned traitor. A few wary but majority of them shocked that the child raised his mystic arts against them when they needed him most.

Exclamations arise from everyone directed at the youth as the situation takes on a surreal reality similar to when Madame Eva gave her reading. A brief moment of pity turned into resolve as in Gemma's eyes, a rabid wolf superimposed on Timmy's figure. A wolf once part of the pack but turned irrevocably insane and whose only option is that of an early relief from death. Steeling her heart, she raised her hands and weaved nature's arts against Timmy even as he rides the air currents to the direction of his self-proclaimed father and desecrator of the land, Count Strahd.

Ideal enforced; 'It is each person’s responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe'

****

Once she would have cursed and raged against the land but after the experience at the Stonehenge, it occurred to her that the lands were once normal lands and could still be salvaged and restored back to Nature's order. The lands cursing is definitely the act of nature's aberrations such as Baba Lysaga and Strahd. It is now certain to her what she is to do.

[Ian: Gemma Stonespeaker]

EVENT: A New Hope

As Timmy's departure from the group is based on the character's personality and growing circumstances, I would like to suggest that Automan's next character be brought back to the same level simply due to the sheer coolness of the last session and it really fitted the story to the T. I am proposing his next character be brought back in the same level as Timmy was before he departed as the character transition into NPC was not forced out of story or by death.

Gemma sacrifices her Inspiration to pray that a strong-hearted adventurer as strong as Timmy was would join the group and show Timmy the error of his ways.

[Gentle Violence]

Epic storyline needs an equally epic reward! Can DM consider Gemma and Azog's inspiration in exchange for Automan's return with a level 7 character? Automan did sacrifice Timmy for the epic session.

[Bessian]

Brulbo relating the fight around a campfire:

Alright first of ah be lettin yer all know ah nuh be likin ta yammer abt that there fight but heres what happened.

So we followed those thrice cursed witchery cards ta a marsh and good ole Gemma bless her heart got us safely through a river as a pointy toothed croc. I woulda preferred a sea horse but the old girl never listens ta me so I be taking a ride on a croc back just the same.

So that there raven agent told us about some witch and scarecrows and ah knew we be in fer a fight. And ah also knew that in this thrice cursed land that old women be bluddy tough as nails as drow wizards so ah be readyin me prayers right quick. We crossed over and started ta engage some scarecrows and me big pal Azog managed ta not gave his good lil brain mind controlled this time round.

So yep, the old hag baba whatsherface pops up and immediately ah see a change come over lil Tim. Yer know I seen many a young lad like him on the pirate patrols o the sword coast, kids with souls older than hills that came about through painful lessons learnt young and learnt hard. Tim were da first ah saw when I be struggling out of me bonds and findin me way in the mists. Ah could see the struggle in his eyes as fear overcome a good heart and ah be shedding a tear fer it for long time ahm thinkin.

So the hag flies on the skull and the Big fella and the Old girl decide the run right inta day mouth o the aboleth and do their thing. Somehow or rather they manage ta stop that chicken leg hut in its tracks which drives the witch mad, though clearly she be half mad with her magic fireballd and half mad with lust fer our young tree hugger knight. Anyhows the battle be looking bloody damn poor and I spy Tim flying about and a chattin with the old crone and who the bloody goblins arse knows what he be up ta, seeing the actin he be doing all this while. But then ah be seein him blast the big guy and ah knew in me heart that lil Tim had turned and given inta despair and a longin fer a Da, and it seemed a grand Ma too.

So the Tree hugger knight uses some bloody leafy green magicks and manages ta push the old hag off her skull, and me and the Big guy promptly lop her head off. But a great victory turned mighty sad when lil Tim declared his intent ta be at the castle o that dozen thriced cursed motherless kobold shit Strahd who ah den be realised had done a mighty heist on poor Tim right from the start.

Clageddin yer be hearin meh, ah be taking me warhammer and yer blessin and wid me friends, wots left anyhow, be grinding that vampire inta dust!

[Bessian]

Ooc: brulbo adds his inspiration and to the poker pool.

[Belgary]

Bloody Journal,

I know I have been harking about these lands for the past weeks but today, today takes the prize home. We seem to have a knack for getting into the worst of situations, like just the other day my companion Brulbo was beaten to death in like a split second not even giving us time to react before he was on the ground, lifeless from a great golem and we had to go back to the abbot/angel nearly on our knees hoping he would bring him back. We even threw Ireena into the mess and looking back my sense of morality seems to be waning the longer I stay in these lands and my mentors teaching seems like a distant echo.

However today was the worst, following the tarot cards with journeyed to a marsh and after getting some instruction approach this hut in the middle of the town/marsh knowing that the scarecrows around the hut were trouble Timmy took a shot at it. To no ones surprise they began to move and we proceeded to take care of them. Azog was hacking and them to pieces and everything seem to be routine until from out of the hut came this creature that look like a hag she proceeded to take off into the sky and blasting us with spells. 

We were being hammered badly from her arcane magic and to make matter worst we had no effective method to get her down nor deal her harm. Feeling powerless in the face of this adversary I turned to Timmy and called out for him to loan me his crossbow so as I may be of some meager assistance. After loosing some bolts at the witch, at the corner of my eye to my horror I saw the annoying druid rush into the hut only to have the hut start to move and launch devastating attacks into itself to get at the druid, I have to confess something here when I heard the screams of the druid a part of my heart was joyed at the circumstance, I was horrified at the thought. 

At that point the Hag confronted me with an ultimatum, I was to remove my clothing and leave my dignity aside in exchange for my life. For a moment I was tempted to give in the situation was dire and hoping that if i made this offer there maybe the chance that the hag may let us live. While I was having this turmoil I heard the voice of Timmy and with words that left chills in my bones, he was speaking of surrendering and joining the hag encouraging me to give in also. He proceeded to start offering advice to the hag and even started blasting some of his bolts our way, that was taking it to far surrendering was one thing but trying to get the rest of the party killed was another thing. 

With a final exchange with the witch in which a inappropriate gesture was used, with renewed courage and a sense of nothing to left to lose I sort to do as much harm to hag before I fell. To my surprise and joy I saw the formidable barbarian rush into the hut and a moment later it collapse and cease to move. With renewed hope we continued our assault and it was than the hag made a fatal mistake. She maybe in her rage at having her house damaged flew down to exact revenge at Azog it that moment I saw an opening, with that I reacted immediately calling upon my patron's power I teleported beside the hag on her flying skull and proceeded to shove her down to mother earth.

The tide has finally changed, yelling at my companions to rally with proceeded to end the existence of the horrid creature. All the while with Timmy on our minds, as the battle with the hag has ended we turn to Timmy and with a few words spoken seeming that his alliance has changed and his true lineage exposed he turned and made for the direction of Ravenloft. With regret and a sense of lost in my heart do I now pen these words down, however I have no illusions that the next time we see Timmy it would not be as companions anymore.........

Athalus

[Belgary]

ooc: Athalus's inspiration do I freely give to enlist the aid of a powerful ally. 

[Creep/DM]

So all chips are now on the table and it is time for a show hand!

[Creep/DM]

There is good news and bad news.

The bad news is that Vithak still join the game at level 6.

The good news is that Vithak, Althalus, Gemma and Brublo gains a level after two more Success! (which could be as early as the end of the next session if the party does well)