Auntie Ethel

Auntie Ethel is a fussy trader of potions, lotions, quirks, and sundries who can be first encountered in The Hollow of the Emerald Grove. Later, she will return to her home at the Riverside Teahouse in the Sunlit Wetlands.
== Involvement ==
=== Act One ===
==== In the Druid Grove ====
Auntie Ethel can be found in the The Hollow in the Emerald Grove, peddling "Potions and Lotions" to the Tiefling refugees. Upon first speaking, she quickly notices something is awry with the party and invites them to visit her at her home, the Riverside Teahouse.
While in the Emerald Grove she is also a trader. If reaching the Sunlit Wetlands, Auntie Ethel moves from the Emerald Grove and appears in the Wetlands, and then eventually at the Teahouse. 
If first interacting with in the storage house next to the Emerald Grove jail, she tells the party Auntie Ethel gave her a potion to make her "strong and brave as a bugbear," but left her paralyzed instead. Following this interaction, Auntie Ethel is no longer at her shop in the Emerald Grove.
If attacked or successfully pickpocketed while in the Emerald Grove, Ethel exclaims, "Blast it all! I'm going home." and leaves for the Riverside Teahouse. 
==== In the Sunlit Wetlands ====
When first entering the Sunlit Wetlands from the east, and his brother can be encountered asking Auntie Ethel where their sister is, and accusing Ethel of having taken her.
The party can talk with the group to learn more: Mayrina has disappeared and the last person to see her was Ethel. Throughout the encounter, Demir is pleading with her while she insists that she is blameless, but willing to help them look for her.
Eventually, the party is forced to take sides. If siding with Auntie Ethel, Demir and Johl accuse the party of working with her and attack. If not siding with Ethel, she chastises them and disappears in a burst of magic. The party can then talk to the two brothers and attempt to convince them not to follow her into the swamp, which is futile.
==== In the Riverside Teahouse ====
If entering the Teahouse, Auntie Ethel is found forcing to eat. If seeking Ethel's to remove the tadpole, she states her price: the player character must give up an eye in exchange for her removing the Tadpole. 
If accepting her bargain, she reverts to her hag form, asks the player character to choose which eye to surrender and begins the procedure to remove the tadpole, only to soon stop and declare it has been modified by ancient Netherese magic. Having already , she refuses to reverse it despite failing to cure the player character. Allowing Auntie Ethel to take an eye of the player character irrevocably changes the appearance of the chosen eye. It cannot be removed and its appearance cannot be changed with the Magic Mirror. It is not possible to take this deal if has already replaced one of the player character's or is chosen as origin.
If not accepting her bargain, and instead insisting to , then Ethel eventually reveals her true form and starts a combat, calling the redcaps from outside the teahouse to her side. During the fight Ethel first consumes a , and then disappears through her fireplace in the teahouse.
To save Mayrina the party must follow Ethel and infiltrate her lair in the Overgrown Tunnel. In her lair the victims and thralls of the hag can be found. Some of them may be freed, some of them must be fought and others are lost for ever. 
Eventually Mayrina is found in a cage in the Ancient Abode and can by saved by defeating Ethel. Alternatively it is possible to make a deal with Ethel, to acquire after which she disappears.
=== Act Three ===
==== In the Blushing Mermaid ====
If killed in Act One, Auntie Ethel nevertheless reappears in her Hag form during the , , and questlines. She can be found posing as Captain in The Blushing Mermaid in Lower City. Her lair is located under this tavern and can be infiltrated through the basement. 
It is revealed that she is functionally unkillable while her life force is invested in her magic mushrooms, which is how she survived being killed during Act One. If killed previously, she is more hostile to the party, preventing them from demanding a counter-offer to leave her alone. However, this does not prevent her from being acquired as an Ally for if Lora is killed and Auntie Ethel is left to her schemes.
It is recommended to begin the quest by speaking with prior to completing the Hag Survivors questlines and defeating the Hag. Failure to get this quest from Lora directly, even if is saved, will lock the party out of its quest rewards.
== Combat ==
== Related literature ==
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== Related quests ==
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== Items sold ==
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The following items are restocked after a long rest:
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She also possibly sells the following alchemical ingredients:
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Items of following trader tables are possibly sold by Auntie Ethel: 
* Rare Mushroom Supply Table
* Tiny Trader Table
== Loot ==
=== Act One ===
* 
* (obtained through mid-combat dialogue)
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=== Act Three ===
* 
== Speak with Dead ==
If killed, Ethel's body can be spoken to using . Ethel is unique in that her Speak with Dead dialogue changes depending on whether she still has the on her corpse when talking to her. Unlike most corpses, she will be willing (if angry) to speak to her killer.
=== With Tarnished Charm ===
*A charm on the hag's body flashes a faint glow.*
* Auntie Ethel: ARGH. You knuckle-dragging gobshite.
: Auntie Ethel: You will bleed - you will choke on your own guts for this. (if the caster is Ethel's killer)
* Auntie Ethel: ARGH. Where is the knuckle-dragging gobshite that killed me? (if the caster is not Ethel's killer)
:* Party member: You're quite lively for a corpse.
::* Auntie Ethel: I'm a hag, you little snot - you think I didn't plan for this? Death and I are old friends.
::: Auntie Ethel: But I won't be a corpse forever - that I can bloody promise you.
:* Party member: Tell me the truth - what did you want with Mayrina?
::* Auntie Ethel: I didn't want the girl, sweetie. I wanted her babe.
::: Auntie Ethel: I would have gobbled it up and given birth to my very own hag daughter.
::: Auntie Ethel: From my guts she would've come - my blood, my bile. It would have been glorious. 
:* Party member: Does being dead bother you? (if the caster is not Ethel's killer)
::* Auntie Ethel: You think this is the first time? I've found my way back before, and I will again.
::: Auntie Ethel: And then I will make the cretin beg, plead, weep for what will always be denied... 
::: Auntie Ethel: ...The sweet release of death.
:* Party member: You're dead and I'm not. Deal with it. (if the caster is Ethel's killer)
::* Auntie Ethel: For now.
:* Party member: Why are you so cruel?
::* Auntie Ethel: Please. It's you lot who come to me. All you do is want - to be prettier, to be richer, to be loved.
::: Auntie Ethel: People are their own worst enemies, petal. I just let them see it.
:* Party member: What deal did you make with Mayrina?
::* Auntie Ethel: The brat's husband is dead. So sad.
::: Auntie Ethel: She wanted me to bring him back to life. Little fool thought it would fix everything.
:* Party member: Do you have any regrets? (if the caster is not Ethel's killer)
::* Auntie Ethel: Only one.
::: Auntie Ethel: And you'll never know.
:* Party member: Do you have any regrets? (if the caster is Ethel's killer)
::* Auntie Ethel: Only that I don't get to see the flesh melt from your bones, your guts dissolve, and your brain liquefy as you turn into a mind flayer.
::: Auntie Ethel: You'll weep, you'll beg, you'll plead - anything to make it stop. And once you stand tall, proud and tentacled? 
::: Auntie Ethel: You'll butcher your friends and your loved ones LIKE THE ILLITHID SCUM YOU ARE.
=== Without Tarnished Charm ===
Auntie Ethel: Bleed... choke on... your guts... (if the caster is Ethel's killer)
Auntie Ethel: Kill them... kill them... all... (if the caster is not Ethel's killer)
:* Party member: Why did you want Mayrina?
::* Auntie Ethel: Didn't want... the girl... wanted her... babe. 
::: Auntie Ethel: ... was going to... eat it... and make a... hag daughter...
:* Party member: Are you the only hag around here?
::* Auntie Ethel: Where there's people... there's... hags.
:* Party member: Where do you keep your valuables?
::* Auntie Ethel: In my... workroom...
:* Party member: Why are you so cruel?
::* Auntie Ethel: Not me... that's cruel. It's... people.
::: Auntie Ethel: They want... and want... and want. I merely... give.
== Gallery ==
Auntie Ethel Human Model.png|Ethel's human model
Auntie Ethel Hag Model.png|Ethel's hag model
Hag Pregnant Model.png|Ethel with child
Auntie-Ethel-Hag.webp|Auntie Ethel's true form
== Notes and references ==
Category:Fey
Category:Hags
Category:Characters
Category:Characters in the Emerald Grove
Category:Characters in the Sunlit Wetlands
Category:Characters in the Lower City
Category:Characters in Act One
Category:Characters in Act Three
Category:Traders
Category:Available_to_Speak_with_Dead
Category:Bosses
Category:Authors