Esther the Hag

Esther was a female human mage and an NPC in the Emeron campaign

Esther was the bearded lady in a traveling carnival and was billed as "Esther the Hag" and would use her magic to tell fortunes for the carnival as well as showing off her facial hair. Though homely and unpleasant, she was accepted amid the carnival, though she had a fiery temper that most had learned to avoid lest they end up at the business end of her magic.

One day some of the carnival workers decided to play a joke on the lowly regarded Dedekind Fried by convincing him that Esther was actually a young local maiden looking to bed him. Dedikind fell for the trick and in the dark light of her wagon did not realize his error until the next day.

Esther entertained the possibility of future encounters but Dedikind, disgusted, insulted her and made his feelings clear. Enraged she performed a spell that removed his tongue from his mouth, rendering him forever speechless. Horrified, Dedekind fled her wagon and the carnival altogether.

## Taking over the Carnival

A few months after the incident with Dedekind, Esther was approached by an agent of the red dragon Starr. He sought to leverage her magical knowledge and ability to travel with the carnival to be on the lookout for a certain list of artifacts that would eventually be handed over to summon the Dragon Queen to Goric. In exchange she would be given the power to take over the carnival and, after the Dragon Queen's minions ruled the world, a position of prominence in the new world order.

Esther readily agreed and with Starr's information soon located the *Amulet of Yotia*, which boosted her magical prowess. With her newfound power she claimed control of the carnival, turning it's ringleader Fitzgerald into a mutated frog and adding him to the freak show and then intimidating anyone who did not willingly follower her new rule into acquiescence.

Now in charge of the carnival and protected by a more malicious group of carnies she adjusted their traveling circult according to Starr's instructions, allowing her to locate Brewmaster's *Girdle of Binge* and Modee's *Hat of Performance* which she allowed to be used shows to make some extra money until it was time to hand them over.

## Fight with the Heroes of Prophecy

On the 19th of Skeleton, Dedekind Fried returned to the carnival while it was in the estate of Iest. He was accompanied by several new companions: Kagami of Towa, Qualinthalis Miertholas, Ferris Gerabaldi, Keysbee, Dandy Lion and Vestibule were with him.

Dedekind managed to secure an audience with Esther by pretending to apologize for his harsh treatment and entertaining a relationship with her, as well as offering Dandy, Keysbee and Vestibule for the freak show. A large fight erupted and Esther called upon her faithful carnies to defend her.

Unfortunately before meeting with Esther, Dedekind has gotten Ferris and Dandy to reverse the spell on Fitzgerald, and he had quietly gathered most of the carnies who were not loyal to Esther to rally behind him to oust her.

Between Fitzgerald's carnies and the Dedekind's allies Esther's men where overwhelmed and she was defeated. Dedekind convinced the heroes to spare Esther and those who had followed her in the fight claiming that the Carney Code required the carnival's leader to pass sentence. Fitzgerald pardoned all except for Esther, whom he banished. She was stripped of the *Amulet of Yotia* and most of her possessions and forced to leave the carnival on foot immediately.

## With Sedrina the Souless

Esther reached out to Starr and he instructed her to go to the Brokenback Swamps and find Sedrina the Souless for assignment. Esther found Sedrina to be singularly unsympathetic, although Esther's divinations did reveal that Dedekind and the other Heroes of Prophecy were coming to face Sedrina. The liche commanded Esther to animate a force of undead and meet them en route and kill them. Esther requested further aid, arguing that she and the liche would have a better chance of besting them together, but Sedrina refused and commanded her to carry out the order or be slain and made into an undead being herself.

With little choice left, Esther animated a small force of zombies and skeletons and marched out to meet the Heroes of Prophecy south of the Glave Woods. She attacked and fought for all she was worth, seeking to at least kill Dedekind, but she was defeated. This time, Dedekind had no qualms about executing her, declaring that she'd broken the "Carny Code" and she was slain.