Post by cassusaevum on Apr 11, 2020 19:07:49 GMT -5
Session 5: Green Annie
The party prowled the swamps, stumbling upon an abandoned beaver den that had been taken over by a sounder of wild boars. The creatures unleashed their fury upon the heroes, but in the end, they heroes prevailed. As they continued, they found more abandoned dams until, at last, they found the beavers themselves, large, armored specimens that seemed (at least to Khaz) to have the faintest glimmer of intelligence about them.
Pushing onward, the party continued trudging through the swam until they stumbled upon an area that looked for all the world like a house had been there, though no house remained. The lingering sensation of magic, fey in nature and hearkening to the conjuration school, filled the area and the heroes surmised that this must be where Green Annie made her home... at least some of the time. Not content to search the swamps, they decided to draw the hag to them. Doing so would require a blood sacrifice and Amos went in search of a suitable animal.
Instead, he caught a kobold. He brought the creature back to the camp where Lyrie, speaking Draconic, was able to address it. The kobold came from a nearby village and seemed reluctant to talk much at all until the party spoke of the beavers. That got the kobold's attention as his clan had been warring against the beavers for generations. If the party was to bring an offering to Ruhez, the village elder, perhaps some accommodation could be made. Hoping to use the kobolds as a source of information on Green Annie, the party agreed, felling one of the beavers and following the scout to the village gates.
There, they met the kobold elder, Ruhez, matron of the tribe. She told the party that if they helped the kobolds put an end to the beaver threat once and for all, then she would give them all the information she had on the hag and the "other tall folk" that were in the swamp. The party agreed and the following dawn set off to battle with a force of kobolds at their backs.
The fight was swift and brutal, and in the end, the kobolds, heroes at their side, stood triumphant. True to her word, Ruhez told the the party the location of the hag and also of a village of tall folk in the swamp, folk who were cultivating certain plants that could be turned into some form of drug. Armed with this information, the party set out to confront Green Annie.
Though they found the hag, they did not find her to be quite what they expected. Her story (as told by her) was as follows:
A century ago, Green Annie came to this swamp, a hag like any other. She had a history of doing the things that hags did; she killed, yes, murdered even, by the mortal definition of the word, and made meals of her prey. But when she reached the Black Fens she felt a presence, a calling even. She was visited by Gozreh, God of Nature, and swore herself to his service. Doing so meant giving up her murdering ways and seeking some form of redemption, which she did by sheltering the fens and defending the wild places of nature as Gozreh would have wished. She fought only in defense of her home or against those who would befoul nature. And, as it was still a purpose of nature, she fed upon carrion of all kinds, including upon the flesh of dead humans. Not long ago, a group of humans came to Fens. They offered her a deal - corpses in exchange for safe passage through the swamps. As they would not harm the Fens themselves, Annie agreed, and since that time they have kept their bargain. They deliver a corpse (or perhaps leave it somewhere - the details were not clear) and in exchange she leaves them alone and allows them some form of eased passage through the swamps.
Khaz'modan was not pleased with the hag or her story and seemed intent on slaying her. The others convinced him otherwise (at least for now) and they set out for the smuggler's camp. They did not go empty handed, as Green Annie sent her blessing with them, a token that would prevent them from getting lost in the swamps and also lead them back to Annie should they so desire.
Next Time: Crai the Shark
The party prowled the swamps, stumbling upon an abandoned beaver den that had been taken over by a sounder of wild boars. The creatures unleashed their fury upon the heroes, but in the end, they heroes prevailed. As they continued, they found more abandoned dams until, at last, they found the beavers themselves, large, armored specimens that seemed (at least to Khaz) to have the faintest glimmer of intelligence about them.
Pushing onward, the party continued trudging through the swam until they stumbled upon an area that looked for all the world like a house had been there, though no house remained. The lingering sensation of magic, fey in nature and hearkening to the conjuration school, filled the area and the heroes surmised that this must be where Green Annie made her home... at least some of the time. Not content to search the swamps, they decided to draw the hag to them. Doing so would require a blood sacrifice and Amos went in search of a suitable animal.
Instead, he caught a kobold. He brought the creature back to the camp where Lyrie, speaking Draconic, was able to address it. The kobold came from a nearby village and seemed reluctant to talk much at all until the party spoke of the beavers. That got the kobold's attention as his clan had been warring against the beavers for generations. If the party was to bring an offering to Ruhez, the village elder, perhaps some accommodation could be made. Hoping to use the kobolds as a source of information on Green Annie, the party agreed, felling one of the beavers and following the scout to the village gates.
There, they met the kobold elder, Ruhez, matron of the tribe. She told the party that if they helped the kobolds put an end to the beaver threat once and for all, then she would give them all the information she had on the hag and the "other tall folk" that were in the swamp. The party agreed and the following dawn set off to battle with a force of kobolds at their backs.
The fight was swift and brutal, and in the end, the kobolds, heroes at their side, stood triumphant. True to her word, Ruhez told the the party the location of the hag and also of a village of tall folk in the swamp, folk who were cultivating certain plants that could be turned into some form of drug. Armed with this information, the party set out to confront Green Annie.
Though they found the hag, they did not find her to be quite what they expected. Her story (as told by her) was as follows:
A century ago, Green Annie came to this swamp, a hag like any other. She had a history of doing the things that hags did; she killed, yes, murdered even, by the mortal definition of the word, and made meals of her prey. But when she reached the Black Fens she felt a presence, a calling even. She was visited by Gozreh, God of Nature, and swore herself to his service. Doing so meant giving up her murdering ways and seeking some form of redemption, which she did by sheltering the fens and defending the wild places of nature as Gozreh would have wished. She fought only in defense of her home or against those who would befoul nature. And, as it was still a purpose of nature, she fed upon carrion of all kinds, including upon the flesh of dead humans. Not long ago, a group of humans came to Fens. They offered her a deal - corpses in exchange for safe passage through the swamps. As they would not harm the Fens themselves, Annie agreed, and since that time they have kept their bargain. They deliver a corpse (or perhaps leave it somewhere - the details were not clear) and in exchange she leaves them alone and allows them some form of eased passage through the swamps.
Khaz'modan was not pleased with the hag or her story and seemed intent on slaying her. The others convinced him otherwise (at least for now) and they set out for the smuggler's camp. They did not go empty handed, as Green Annie sent her blessing with them, a token that would prevent them from getting lost in the swamps and also lead them back to Annie should they so desire.
Next Time: Crai the Shark