Crooked Dolores Tallowstumble

Crooked Dolores Tallowstumble was an annis hag residing within Covengrove.

She was one of the three members of the Hallowed Circle, the most powerful and notorious hag coven in the forest before being slain by Aenarion Quelenneth Velenthir at Dirgevale Crypt.

## Description

Like her coven sisters, Crooked Dolores Tallowstumble seemed to have a talent for spellcasting, but brought a particular strength and bulk unlike Glaring Freda or Grey Marjorie. Able to effortlessly arcanely paralyze Fafnir Lutgehr in place with but a word and gesture, she was free to steal away the child Venly, until interrupted by Hassk. She also seemed to possess some level of alchemical talent, creating boiled sweets capable of inducing a calm and blissful state in their consumers.

Capable of taking the appearance of others, Crooked Dolores was an unsettling and terror-inducing sight, as experienced by the adventuring party visiting Dirgevale Crypt.

*"The hunched form, cowled in a thick cloak of dirtied brown wool repaired and patched together with scraps of a leather-like material of half a dozen tones, strides forth. Lips hidden in shadow whistle a haunting melody, tinged with spiteful sorrow and melancholy, all the while fingers twice-too-long and pointed with nails of iron toy with a bowl of red and pink hard candies. Drawing back her hood, Dolores' hair falls in matted pleats, fixed aloft with a trio of pointed bone knitting needles, framing a twisted smile of too-many teeth."*

## History

Following closely to the Rule of Three, the Hallowed Circle had, as per near hag covens, three members. All three claim descendance from the pairing of Velun and the Weald Witch, as all hags of Ahlus are said to be, directly or otherwise. Fearsome entities in their own right, when working in unison the trio were capable of powers unimaginable reaching for the peak of the capabilities of inherently mortal beings.

When confronted by Hassk, Crooked Dolores was quick to propose a series of deals and arrangements, seemingly seeking to avoid direct conflict with the party. Crafting a necklace bound with one of her teeth in similar fashion to Freda, it was only that the agreement was refuted that sudden and fearful violence came - starting with the folding and effortless consumption of Venly's recently deceased form. Through the process of eating the child, the wrinkles upon Dolores' brow softened and faded, offering some minor insight to her interests and desires of the children of the surrounding settlements. Moving fiercefully to embrace Hassk in a crushing embrace, she would have effortlessly crushed the life from his body within a few passing seconds if not for a prayer offered to Ilemer and a subsequent *Divine Intervention.*

## Death

After the death of Grey Marjorie at the hands of the Archfey Selgaer, Caller of the Hunt, Dolores sought to restore the numbers of the Hallowed Circle by means of corrupting a child from the village of Hazelglen. This ritual was interrupted by an adventuring party, most notably so another *Divine Intervention* by Hassk, whom compelled Ilemer to shatter the ceremonial cauldron serving as the ritual's centrepiece. In the ensuing fight, Dolores and her minions dealt a series of harrying blows, before the hag was finally slain by a pair of radiant energy infused *Arrows of Fey Slaying* loosed by the Eladrin Aenarion with his bow Shooting Star.