She is a Redcap who have a reputation of being relentless and vicious. Who are deadly in melee combat. She is small in size like a halfing version of a stout dwarf. Her muscles are well pronounced. Yes, she is fey.
"Nice to meet you I am Bloody Toes. Just throw me the rope and I can drag them up here. Now I have to asks are you friends of Bavlorna?" She still carries the meat cleaver.
"Bloody Toes. Oh! What...uh...what a unique name!", Valrieth says. She tries to be casual about it, but she stays near the open door to the ruined stairs while she talks. "It's nice to meet you, Bloody Toes."
Thinking of the taxidermy room downstairs, Val responds a little more honestly than intended but tries to soften that answer, "No! I mean, um...not...exactly. To be honest, two of us have never even met Bavlorna." Val glances around the room and starts to wonder what (or who!) Bloody Toes was chopping up before Val arrived. She asks, "Do you work for Bavlorna? What do you do here?"
Bloody Toes presents a strange combination of scary fey and friendly demeanor. Val is unsure what to make of Bloody Toes, and Val distrusts her initial intuition that the woman could help them, especially now when she doesn't have her friends to back her up in case she's wrong.
"I am the cook and I make Bavlorna's meals" Bloody Toes than claps a hand on Val's shoulder. "What brings you here to Bavlorna's home?"
"Oh!", Valrieth says. She doesn't see how she can avoid the question, and Bloody Toes still has the cleaver.
Val finds it difficult to lie, so she tries to tell juuust enough of the truth: "Um. You see, we're not from Hither...nor even from Prismeer. We only came here recently. Finley and I, I mean. We're on a Quest! And along the way, we've lost some friends and made others, like Octavian down there. We've also met some folks here in Hither whom we promised to help. We're looking one friend's head and another friend's heart, which were both taken by Bavlorna. We'd like to return them to our friends, but I'm not sure how we're going to do that. It sounds like Bavlorna is very powerful, and we were told that it's dangerous to bargain with her."
Val tries to judge whether Bloody Toes is taking this response (helpful? angry? suspicious? etc., Insight7). "Anyway, that's why we came here today."
Finley holds a finger up as he stares at the new statues, furrows his brow and walks away to head back towards the stairs as quietly as he can. Once there he picks up his rope ready to throw, "Ah'm back, th' birds are, uh, not gonna be a problem anymore."
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Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
"Balvnorna is a collector and blight upon Prismeer. If you promise me to get rid of her then I am willing to tell you, her weakness." says Bloody Toe.
Valrieth can't believe her very long ears, and she is stunned speechless. She moves her mouth, slowly at first, but she makes no sounds. Finally, she finds her voice again and blurts out, "Yes. Oh! Yes, that would be wonderful! I mean, we may not be able to get rid of her right away, but we'll certainly try. And we have an ally. That is, if we succeed in our Quest, then Zybilna will return to rule Prismeer once more, and Bavlorna and the rest of the Hourglass Coven will be thrown down."
Val hasn't stated their whole quest since they arrived in Downfall, and now she suddenly wonders whether Bavlorna can change form. Has Val just revealed the Trio's plans to the hag herself? But--no. Looking around the kitchen and remembering the rooms downstairs, she cannot imagine that such a wicked hag could even pretend to be this friendly and frank.
Val stands up to her full 34" height and says solemnly, "If you will tell me her weakness, I promise that I will not rest until we get rid of Bavlorna."
Finley holds a finger up as he stares at the new statues, furrows his brow and walks away to head back towards the stairs as quietly as he can. Once there he picks up his rope ready to throw, "Ah'm back, th' birds are, uh, not gonna be a problem anymore."
Once Bloody Toes reveals the information, Val looks out the door to see that Finley is back on the stairs with Octavian. She beams happily down at them and waves, "Good! Thank you, Finley." She looks happier than she has at any time since they left Telemy Hill. "If you can throw us the end of the rope, we can help you both get up here."
Of course, now Val remembers their many problems. Are the wasps still a threat? Where in the house is the hag? How can they face the hag without Gan-Re? And where are Clapperclaw's head and Octavian's heart? Even if they somehow managed to get rid of Bavlorna, they cannot get out of Hither without Clapperclaw's help.
Bloody toes offer her hand ready for a handshake "Give me your hand and I will bind this task into a Fey promise. The promise is that you will remove Bavlorna from Prismeer as soon as possible."
Finley offers a thumbs up and tell his Rope of Climbing to move towards the duo at the top of the stairs, "Did ah miss anythin'? Octavian alright too?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Bloody toes offer her hand ready for a handshake "Give me your hand and I will bind this task into a Fey promise. The promise is that you will remove Bavlorna from Prismeer as soon as possible."
Valrieth worries about what "as soon as possible" would mean in a Fey bargain. How crippling is Bavlorna's weakness? What if it's a specific weapon or flower, and they have to search all of Prismeer to find it first?
Val doesn't want to commit to a confrontation with the hag before the party is strong enough. She hopes that it's not rude to negotiate over the terms of a bargain, but she tries: "I do not know if I can guarantee that Bavlorna will leave Prismeer. Perhaps she will be removed from power and imprisoned? But if you tell me Bavlorna's weakness, I promise that I will not leave Prismeer until Bavlorna no longer rules Hither and is no longer free to move about Prismeer."
"Not imprisoned but killed. If you agree to kill her than I will agree to your terms. I am sure you are aware she has ruined many lives and destroyed the once beautiful Hither" says Bloody Toes.
"Not imprisoned but killed. If you agree to kill her than I will agree to your terms. I am sure you are aware she has ruin many lives and destroyed the once beautiful Hither" says Bloody Toes.
Valrieth hesitates, but this information could be critical in dealing with Bavlorna. She tries to steel her resolve. She calls to mind the twisted creations downstairs in the the taxidermy room and the revolting sights and smells there. Val remembers trudging through the swamp the last few days: Bavlorna's corruption had spoiled the land of Hither itself! And the hag had used her power to spread misery among the people, too. Val looks to Octavian and remembers the horrific story of how he lost his heart and wonders what the elf was like before that. Clapperclaw's missing head. The heavy coat of keys that Jingle Jangle was forced to wear. The children kidnapped from the Witchlight Carnival!
Val gives Finley a resolved look and a curt nod. She holds out her right hand to Bloody Toes, saying, "Yes, I know. She has spoiled the land and spread misery among the residents of Hither and beyond. If you tell me Bavlorna's weakness, I promise that I will not leave Prismeer until Bavlorna has been killed."
"Bavlorna has a weakness she is allergic to seeing anyone run widdershins (in tight counterclockwise circles) near her. Such a sight causes the hag to sneeze uncontrollably If she is sneezing, she can't cast spells" says Bloody Toes.
"What th' devil?"Finley asks, looking between Val and Bloody Toes. "Careful makin' too many deals, Val."He stares at Bloody Toes, wondering if they're telling the truth.
(Insight: 12)
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Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
"Bavlorna has a weakness she is allergic to seeing anyone run widdershins (in tight counterclockwise circles) near her. Such a sight causes the hag to sneeze uncontrollably If she is sneezing, she can't cast spells" says Bloody Toes.
"Thank you, Bloody Toes," Valrieth says solemnly. "We will put that information to good use. But--oh!--how odd," she looks at her friends for confirmation. Val wasn't sure what she expected, but it wasn't quite that.
Valrieth takes her notebook out of her backpack and adds this piece of information. She doesn't think that they'll forget it, but a hag is still a hag. If they're killed, maybe some future adventurers will find the notebook and finish the quest.
"What th' devil?"Finley asks, looking between Val and Bloody Toes. "Careful makin' too many deals, Val."He stares at Bloody Toes, wondering if they're telling the truth.
(Insight: 12)
Val nods and pats Finley's arm to reassure him that she'll be OK, saying, "I know, but we needed this information, right? Think of the children! I don't want to leave Prismeer until we finish our Quest. And by the time we're done with that, I suspect that either we our our powerful 'ally' will have to defeat the entire Hourglass Coven."
You're not sure whether she's explaining her decision for your benefit or trying to reassure herself. "I believe that sometimes the Fates simply lay the Path for us. We just have to be brave enough to take it," Valrieth says philosophically.
Val hopes that she's right. They've only been in Prismeer for a few days, and Val wonders how many more days, weeks, or even years she'll be bound to Prismeer now. She thinks over the wording of her bargain, and she thinks that she did a good job. Val didn't say that she must kill Bavlorna, only that Bavlorna is killed. And she was careful to say "killed" not "dead." That way, the bargain should still be satisfied even if the coven has a way to bring Bavlorna to life. If Bavlorna escapes, hides, or even leaves Prismeer, Val could find herself stuck in Prismeer for the rest of her life. Then again, Telemy Hill was very pleasant, and maybe Prismeer would be a pleasant place to live once the Hourglass Coven is expelled.
A second fey bargain made, Valrieth puts away her notebook and the flask of oil that she had given to Octavian. Now that they're all together again, she remembers that they're still in Bavlorna's hut and still in danger. She suggests that they continue to explore the hut: "We could go rest now and plan for tomorrow, but I think that we should continue exploring the hut as long as I can maintain pass without trace."
Val looks around the kitchen again, trying to avoid looking at the big butcher's block. She asks, "Could you tell us, Bloody Toes, where each of these doors lead? Before we face Bavlorna, we'd like to take a look around her home. But we don't want to stumble into her before we're ready."
"Aye, ah get it,"Finley says after a moment showing a weak smile to Val, "never planned on bein' a hero, just a son of a blacksmith trying to one up his father."He looks to Bloody Toes, "Yes, do ye know th' layout o' th' hut or does she just keep you locked up in 'ere?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
"Bloody Toes. Oh! What...uh...what a unique name!", Valrieth says. She tries to be casual about it, but she stays near the open door to the ruined stairs while she talks. "It's nice to meet you, Bloody Toes."
Thinking of the taxidermy room downstairs, Val responds a little more honestly than intended but tries to soften that answer, "No! I mean, um...not...exactly. To be honest, two of us have never even met Bavlorna." Val glances around the room and starts to wonder what (or who!) Bloody Toes was chopping up before Val arrived. She asks, "Do you work for Bavlorna? What do you do here?"
Bloody Toes presents a strange combination of scary fey and friendly demeanor. Val is unsure what to make of Bloody Toes, and Val distrusts her initial intuition that the woman could help them, especially now when she doesn't have her friends to back her up in case she's wrong.
"I am the cook and I make Bavlorna's meals" Bloody Toes than claps a hand on Val's shoulder. "What brings you here to Bavlorna's home?"
"Oh!", Valrieth says. She doesn't see how she can avoid the question, and Bloody Toes still has the cleaver.
Val finds it difficult to lie, so she tries to tell juuust enough of the truth: "Um. You see, we're not from Hither...nor even from Prismeer. We only came here recently. Finley and I, I mean. We're on a Quest! And along the way, we've lost some friends and made others, like Octavian down there. We've also met some folks here in Hither whom we promised to help. We're looking one friend's head and another friend's heart, which were both taken by Bavlorna. We'd like to return them to our friends, but I'm not sure how we're going to do that. It sounds like Bavlorna is very powerful, and we were told that it's dangerous to bargain with her."
Val tries to judge whether Bloody Toes is taking this response (helpful? angry? suspicious? etc., Insight 7). "Anyway, that's why we came here today."
Finley holds a finger up as he stares at the new statues, furrows his brow and walks away to head back towards the stairs as quietly as he can. Once there he picks up his rope ready to throw, "Ah'm back, th' birds are, uh, not gonna be a problem anymore."
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
(OOC: LOL. 🤣)
"Balvnorna is a collector and blight upon Prismeer. If you promise me to get rid of her then I am willing to tell you, her weakness." says Bloody Toe.
Valrieth can't believe her very long ears, and she is stunned speechless. She moves her mouth, slowly at first, but she makes no sounds. Finally, she finds her voice again and blurts out, "Yes. Oh! Yes, that would be wonderful! I mean, we may not be able to get rid of her right away, but we'll certainly try. And we have an ally. That is, if we succeed in our Quest, then Zybilna will return to rule Prismeer once more, and Bavlorna and the rest of the Hourglass Coven will be thrown down."
Val hasn't stated their whole quest since they arrived in Downfall, and now she suddenly wonders whether Bavlorna can change form. Has Val just revealed the Trio's plans to the hag herself? But--no. Looking around the kitchen and remembering the rooms downstairs, she cannot imagine that such a wicked hag could even pretend to be this friendly and frank.
Val stands up to her full 34" height and says solemnly, "If you will tell me her weakness, I promise that I will not rest until we get rid of Bavlorna."
Once Bloody Toes reveals the information, Val looks out the door to see that Finley is back on the stairs with Octavian. She beams happily down at them and waves, "Good! Thank you, Finley." She looks happier than she has at any time since they left Telemy Hill. "If you can throw us the end of the rope, we can help you both get up here."
Of course, now Val remembers their many problems. Are the wasps still a threat? Where in the house is the hag? How can they face the hag without Gan-Re? And where are Clapperclaw's head and Octavian's heart? Even if they somehow managed to get rid of Bavlorna, they cannot get out of Hither without Clapperclaw's help.
Bloody toes offer her hand ready for a handshake "Give me your hand and I will bind this task into a Fey promise. The promise is that you will remove Bavlorna from Prismeer as soon as possible."
Finley offers a thumbs up and tell his Rope of Climbing to move towards the duo at the top of the stairs, "Did ah miss anythin'? Octavian alright too?"
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Octavian is fine and is still waiting at the bottom step.
Bloody Toes holds off on the Fey promise until she easily drags up both Finley and Octavian. She then offers her hand again for the Fey promise.
Now everyone is together again.
Valrieth worries about what "as soon as possible" would mean in a Fey bargain. How crippling is Bavlorna's weakness? What if it's a specific weapon or flower, and they have to search all of Prismeer to find it first?
Val doesn't want to commit to a confrontation with the hag before the party is strong enough. She hopes that it's not rude to negotiate over the terms of a bargain, but she tries: "I do not know if I can guarantee that Bavlorna will leave Prismeer. Perhaps she will be removed from power and imprisoned? But if you tell me Bavlorna's weakness, I promise that I will not leave Prismeer until Bavlorna no longer rules Hither and is no longer free to move about Prismeer."
"Not imprisoned but killed. If you agree to kill her than I will agree to your terms. I am sure you are aware she has ruined many lives and destroyed the once beautiful Hither" says Bloody Toes.
Valrieth hesitates, but this information could be critical in dealing with Bavlorna. She tries to steel her resolve. She calls to mind the twisted creations downstairs in the the taxidermy room and the revolting sights and smells there. Val remembers trudging through the swamp the last few days: Bavlorna's corruption had spoiled the land of Hither itself! And the hag had used her power to spread misery among the people, too. Val looks to Octavian and remembers the horrific story of how he lost his heart and wonders what the elf was like before that. Clapperclaw's missing head. The heavy coat of keys that Jingle Jangle was forced to wear. The children kidnapped from the Witchlight Carnival!
Val gives Finley a resolved look and a curt nod. She holds out her right hand to Bloody Toes, saying, "Yes, I know. She has spoiled the land and spread misery among the residents of Hither and beyond. If you tell me Bavlorna's weakness, I promise that I will not leave Prismeer until Bavlorna has been killed."
"Bavlorna has a weakness she is allergic to seeing anyone run widdershins (in tight counterclockwise circles) near her. Such a sight causes the hag to sneeze uncontrollably If she is sneezing, she can't cast spells" says Bloody Toes.
"What th' devil?" Finley asks, looking between Val and Bloody Toes. "Careful makin' too many deals, Val." He stares at Bloody Toes, wondering if they're telling the truth.
(Insight: 12)
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Yes, Bloody Toes is sincere and truthful.
"Thank you, Bloody Toes," Valrieth says solemnly. "We will put that information to good use. But--oh!--how odd," she looks at her friends for confirmation. Val wasn't sure what she expected, but it wasn't quite that.
Valrieth takes her notebook out of her backpack and adds this piece of information. She doesn't think that they'll forget it, but a hag is still a hag. If they're killed, maybe some future adventurers will find the notebook and finish the quest.
Val nods and pats Finley's arm to reassure him that she'll be OK, saying, "I know, but we needed this information, right? Think of the children! I don't want to leave Prismeer until we finish our Quest. And by the time we're done with that, I suspect that either we our our powerful 'ally' will have to defeat the entire Hourglass Coven."
You're not sure whether she's explaining her decision for your benefit or trying to reassure herself. "I believe that sometimes the Fates simply lay the Path for us. We just have to be brave enough to take it," Valrieth says philosophically.
Val hopes that she's right. They've only been in Prismeer for a few days, and Val wonders how many more days, weeks, or even years she'll be bound to Prismeer now. She thinks over the wording of her bargain, and she thinks that she did a good job. Val didn't say that she must kill Bavlorna, only that Bavlorna is killed. And she was careful to say "killed" not "dead." That way, the bargain should still be satisfied even if the coven has a way to bring Bavlorna to life. If Bavlorna escapes, hides, or even leaves Prismeer, Val could find herself stuck in Prismeer for the rest of her life. Then again, Telemy Hill was very pleasant, and maybe Prismeer would be a pleasant place to live once the Hourglass Coven is expelled.
A second fey bargain made, Valrieth puts away her notebook and the flask of oil that she had given to Octavian. Now that they're all together again, she remembers that they're still in Bavlorna's hut and still in danger. She suggests that they continue to explore the hut: "We could go rest now and plan for tomorrow, but I think that we should continue exploring the hut as long as I can maintain pass without trace."
Val looks around the kitchen again, trying to avoid looking at the big butcher's block. She asks, "Could you tell us, Bloody Toes, where each of these doors lead? Before we face Bavlorna, we'd like to take a look around her home. But we don't want to stumble into her before we're ready."
"Aye, ah get it," Finley says after a moment showing a weak smile to Val, "never planned on bein' a hero, just a son of a blacksmith trying to one up his father." He looks to Bloody Toes, "Yes, do ye know th' layout o' th' hut or does she just keep you locked up in 'ere?"
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
B10 - that is where Bavlorna is currently sipping tea with a guest.
B12 - the meat locker
B15 - Pantry
B17 - hooch distillery
B14 - is where the imprisoned food is kept. There is still 1 out there.