Night of the Hag

Its been a few days since you captured Ezor, which all you spend roaming the city and recovering from your ordeal. You've all heard rumours of the king sending his men to investigate your claims of harrowfen, and you can see many soldiers going to and from the castle. you awake one morning from a nights rest in a small local Tavern, and are greeted by a sealed letter from the innkeeper, who claims it was delivered to him by the town guard.

the letter is sealed with the King Nikolaus's personal coat of arms, and inside is a letter which reads the following: "His Majesty King Nicolaus and his Court request your presence at 14 hours for a small ceremony in honour of your efforts towards the province." the time is 10 hours

Inside the court, the king is seated surrounded by his council. guards line the sides of the room and a small congregation of religious figures spectates from a corner. three people stand in front of the throne each holding a wooden box, and in King Nicolaus's hands he holds an opened scroll which he reads from, periodically interrupted by him glancing up towards you

###### The Speech

"I thank the 3 of you for being present here today, where we all would like to communicate our upmost gratitude at your services toward our town of Skrohn Thirsthal, our land of Stoa Stye, and the empire of our Emperor Skrog. The three of you have gone above and beyond what is expected of our adventurers, by uncovering a plot that went under everyone but your noses, and not this, but apprehending the Mastermind behind it all, singlehandedly. Though we cannot claim victory yet, when a confession is obtained, and everything is brought towards the high court, you can all be officially rewarded for your efforts. but for now, all i can offer, are some pre-emptive gifts of our kingdoms gratitude. \*he gestures to the first boxholder who steps forward and opens the wooden box\* for my first gift, i offer each of you these elixirs of superior healing ability so thoughtfully provided by our talented alchemists, i heard they are quite popular with adventurers. For my second gift, i would like to offer these robes, created by Thirsthals finest tailors \*the second box holder steps forward opening a box containing a set of 3 luxurious robes". for my final gift, \*the last boxholder steps forward and opens the smallest box\* signet rings, which will identify you as heroes of the kingdom. You will be given high priority and high paying missions from the adventurers guild, and you may be given discounts on goods as a token of gratitude \*the rings are gold, with the kings signature embroidered along it\*. i also grant a pardon for the possession of your manticore, and a final thank you."

##### Adventurers Guildsman

"Ah, the reeve told me you might be coming, and you've got the kings signet telling me I should only offer you the best jobs, lets see... best I got at the moment is some giant two headed creature terrorizing wet view with some bandits. Some of the kings soldiers saw it flee from the forest over redstain river when they went to check out some hidden bandit camp a couple days ago."

##### Ettin

As the three of you barrel down the path on your mounts, you eventually come to a clearing several hundred yards short of wetview. The Ettin and 3 bandits all stand still, looking towards the town cautiously, who's residents all stand out the front watching in fear and anticipation for what could happen if the giant and his men approach. they don't hear you approach, and you can hear one of them speak

"No way any one of them townsfolk is letting us pass through, let alone take a boat, I saw we just charge in and take one by force"

"hold up lads, you know who these 3 are? these be the 3 that be the reason the king and his men and nosing around redstain river, if it wasn't for them and their dammed manticore, flying about, attracting all the attention of the locals and the guards. I say we dish out a little fair punishment, don't you?"

### THE TOWN

a small child stands by the gate and watches you approach.

simple wooden walls and gate guard the thatched roof cottages and animal pens inside. an exhausted looking guard lets you through, with an air of suspicion, and you notice several yellow flowers scattered across the doors and windowsills, and makeshift wooden religious symbols tied to most houses.

A woman screams at an elderly lady standing at the foot of a church "Consider yourself fortunate i do not remove your head from your shoulders this instant witch, because of you my son is dead, you and your witching ways" she continues to scream while being dragged away by tired looking townspeople

the elderly woman is the Priest Tibelda, and claims that "i did not give her child my blessing and protection, the li"

#### WHAT IS HAPPENING

* Crops are diseased and inedible
* No matter how we keep them, few hours after their caught the fish turn black and rotten
* first it was just the kids, a couple infants we assumed were snatched by wolves, then it was the lovely tavern maiden, then that Philip down the road, now all the animals are disappearing. I just want it all to end, I have nowhere else to go but here
* all the townspeople have constant nightmares and can hardly sleep
* Sometimes, when the clouds are low, i can see a dark figure pass over us. The worst part is i don't even know if im dreaming or not

tavern is 4 silver for the night, food is 1 gp for bread. "we barely have any crop this season, misfortune is plaguing us"

#### EVENTS

* RAFES NIGHTMARE: in your dreams you are a falcon, flying down around a rising pillar of smoke. as you approach the bottom, you begin to hear a faint screaming, which gets louder as you reach the bottom, until you fly low enough to see your crew, suffering in an inferno, cursing your name and how you left them to die.
* MALTIKS NIGHTMARE: you see a several figures roam a soldiers outpost at night, each holding a crooked blade. you soon recognize them to be the bandits you spared and left at camp redstain, and they go around, freed from their ropes, one by one slitting the throats of each sleeping soldier
* THOKKS NIGHTMARE: in your dreams, an endless scape of constant war and battle rages on, billowing smoke blotting out the sun, causing the landscape to become shadowed and red. An orcish figure stumbles along, brain so scrambled he cannot comprehend what is happening, adorning the robes and beard of Ezor. you recognize the place to be Limbo, the endless battlefield orcs who have not done enough battle are sent, a place where no death is permanent.
* they awake to a piercing scream in the morning, they feel tired and exhausted, like they haven't slept at all. they only get short rest benefits and must make a DC 15 con saving throw or suffer 1 level of exhaustion.
* outside the screaming woman is gasping and pointing to the window to the tavern room you were sleeping in. it looks as if a figure, slathered in human blood, has shambled across the village towards the window, handprints visible where they peered in.
* the alchemist Maira will confront the players in front of the townsfolk "The 3 of you only bring misfortune, tempting whatever plagues this town, you all must leave immediately "

Clues
 inside the alchemists
her name is Maira
 speaking to mother
 looking
"im watching for the witch of the woods" "i see a great many things"
"a black hound watching from within the woods" "a cloaked woman going to and from the forest"
"and sometimes at night i can just make out the witch of the woods face, grinning and taunting me, faintly illuminated by
 looking at night
 looking at night
 in the woods
them to a shambling mound to kill them

Moira made a deal with a hag in the woods. her shop was failing and she asked for gold and to be the most successful shop in wetview. in return the hag only asked she be given "an invitation to enter the town from time to time". all the shops in the area are failing so she is the most successful shop.

only Moira can lead the players to the hags hut, deep within the woods. she will only take them so far before asking they continue the rest alone "i dare not go back to that dreaded witch after she demanded i tell nobody of our deal"

you trek through the grey forest, the trees seem to be getting taller and taller the further you go. you continue until you see a small hut, build into the side of a large mound, with smoke drifting out of its chimney. you hear something running behind you, and the large black dog dashes past towards the hut, before slowing down at its door, stopping and starting at you. it then shambles onto its hind legs and staggers through the door, twisting and transforming into bare skin before disappearing into the shadow of the hut."

the huts inside is barely lit, the walls are grey and lean at odd angles, and amongst the wooden furniture a large stone pedestal holds a giant stone mortar and pestle looking object, the insides of which contain a dried red pulpy looking substance. in furthest corner the figure is seated on a wooden chair, their whole body except for their legs is completely covered in shadow.

"I've had my fun, but i cannot leave. the alchemist struck a deal, and they have to learn to live by their word. They are not here but i have 2 of the townsfolks children hidden away, and i have not harmed them yet, apart from the mental trauma. the way i see it im giving you 4 choices.

1. you leave this town, do not interfere, and whatever happens to them happens, no fault of yours.
2. you kill Maira, i have no more gripe with wetview and i move on. I will even return the 2 living children
3. you kill me, Maira lives, and the families never receive their offspring
4. you give me something as compensation

If the players cannot think of anything the witch will offer "You could offer me your pain. the most delicious sensation. in my possession are my bridles, 1 for each of you. if one of you can withhold 10 seconds inside the bridle without tapping out i will leave the village be by sunrise tomorrow. but if you fail, you will not find me again, and i will leave you with only half the choices. leave the town or kill the alchemist."

she produces a crudely shapen metal helmet, metal scraps amateurishly formed together. there are small holes for the eye and mouth and a metal buckle which fastens underneath the neck.

players in unison must make con saving throws of 6, 8 , 10, 12 and 14.

###### Survive:

suddenly the pain comes to a halt the helmet loosens its grip on you, allowing you to remove it. the figure is gone from her corner.

Fail:

you awake in the village tavern the next morning.