Aoife releases the dwarf as soon as he looks like he is calming down. She grunts in agreement as Elkhorn mentions justice, and looks to the others to see what their plan is. 

"Aye, see? Th' children needta be safe 'afore anythin' else happens." Finley walks over, "so do ye know anythin' about other guards or traps around 'ere that ye've seen? We've got a bit o' ah plan, but th' more information that we gather could make it ah bit easier."

Elkhorn shakes his head "I was knocked out when I was at the palace and the next thing, I know I woken up here in that damn pit"

Valrieth follows Elkhorn just out the eastern door of the kitchen again so that they can talk freely.  She listens to the others but looks anxious.  She starts speaking softely but very quickly, "The hag could come through that door at any moment, and when she sees Mishka missing, she'll probably assume we were involved, and that puts us in a tough spot."

(OOC: Option 1 - speedrun through Loomlurch to free the kids before Granny Nightshade notices.)

"Mishka told me where the other 10 children might be, but they're spread all over Loomlurch. We could race through the rest of Loomlurch, hoping to stay ahead of the hag and free the children first.  That way, no matter what happens to us, we know that the children are free. But these hags will continue with their wickedness until we defeat them ourselves or restore Zybilna to her rightful throne.  And if the hag catches us when we're already in the middle of a fight with the tin soldiers...", she leaves that thought hanging, a look of fear and dread on her face.

(OOC: Option 2 - surprise attack Granny Nightshade while she's apparently alone.)

Val continues, "It looked like Granny Nightshade was alone in her study, and we've tied up the Cradelfall for now.  It seems like the tin soldiers are mostly just guarding the other children, so we might be able to surprise attack the hag if we go soon.  I'd try to heal everyone first.  Before we burst into the room, Finley would try to cast Faerie Fire on the hag.  With any luck, that will work.  I can protect Finley from the hag's attacks, and if he hits her with his magic gauntlets, it'll make it harder for her to attack anyone else.  Aoife, Elkhorn, and Finley would burst into the room and charge her.  Ilifir and I would hang back and attack from the kitchen.  It might work, but it's a big gamble."

(OOC: Option 3 - avoid the hag / stall for time, wait for the distraction, free the children during the distraction, and then return to Loomlurch later to use Granny Nightshade's weakness to our advantage.)

Val reminds them of the hag's weakness, such as it is: "I asked for Mishka to have Will's gang get ready to make a distraction.  It'll take several minutes for them to get into position, but if we could stall or avoid the hag until then, we may have a short window of opportunity to get the children and the portrait out of Loomlurch without the hag or the tin soldiers catching us.  We could get them out safely and try to return after bedtime.  If Finley is the first thing the hag sees when we wake her up, he would be invisible to her.  Our plan of attack against her would be similar, but since I wouldn't have to protect Finley, I could summon a fey spirit to help in our fight."

Thinking about fighting the hag has Val feeling a little sick.  She hops a little from one foot to the other anxiously and looks back into the kitchen.  Val asks, "Ilifir, Spike is still keeping watch on the hag and will let us know as soon as she...gets...up?"  Val's voice trails off as she gazes into the kitchen.  She stops her nervous fidgeting and stares at the oven.  She was so focused on Cradelfall as soon as they entered the kitchen that she hadn't really noticed the large oven in the middle of the room (post #2810).

(OOC: @weathervision - how big is that oven, really?  Could a medium-sized person fit inside?  If so....)

(OOC: Option 4 - try to pull a Hansel & Gretel on the "witch.")

Val suddenly sounds excited.  "Finley, Ilifir, can either of you cast an illusion?  Just a static image of Cradelfall, apparently stuck half in the oven?  Or the sound of his voice in the oven, calling for Granny Nightshade?  If so....maybe we can trick the hag into going over to open the oven, and then Aoife and Elkhorn could shove her in?  It's -- well -- I guess it's rather horrible,"  she admits.  Val looks disgusted at the thought of burning someone to death like that, even a hag, but she presses her lips together with resolve and says, "But that way, we wouldn't have to fight the hag ourselves!  If we could just stuff her in, hold the oven door closed, and keep her from escaping...and...I guess...ignore her screams...the oven would do the rest."

"spike is watching, yes" ilifir says tersely "at his own risk i might add, but he can be recalled, as for an illusion, nothing large enough for the dragon, but i can at least try to mimic its voice with one" he seems gleeful at the last plan "as the old tales say, a good plan indeed"

Aoife looks at the group, at the oven and then at the door to the hag's room, then back to the group. "I would prefer it to be a quick death. But if this is our only chance to stop her from kidnapping children who should be playing? Yes. I will help."

Aoife casts Cure Wounds on herself a couple of times, but still looks a bit worn from the dragon's poisonous breath earlier.

Valrieth says, "OK."  Then, nodding, she looks at the ground and exhales a quick, tense breath.  Then she looks at all of them and ,almost not believing what she's saying, continues, "OK. OK.  We need to make sure that this'll work, and then we need to get into position before the hag comes in.  But first..." 

Val takes a piece of cloth from her pouch that's been folded and loosely fastened with string.  As she unties the string to open the cloth, she turns to Aoife and says, "Hold out your hands."  When Aoife does so, Val empties several berries into the half-orc's hands.  They look like large, perfectly ripe raspberries, but the magic in the Feywild has rendered each berry a different, brilliant color (pink, purple, orange, etc.).  The berries almost seem to glow in the evening darkness.  Val also gives a few berries to Ilifir and Finley.  (These are the berries left over from the 2 spells she cast the previous night before she went to sleep, so they'll lose their potency in a couple of hours anyway.)

Val says, "Finley is familiar with them, but these berries will help heal your wounds.  Eat them one at a time and chew each one fully to get the full benefit.  Aoife, you took the brunt of the dragon's breath, and if we fail to get the hag into the oven, you'll be right there.  I would do more, but I'm not sure how much of a fight the hag will give us."

• Aoife: 12 berries
• Finley: 4 berries
• Ilifir: 4 berries

(OOC: I think that that'll just leave everyone 2 HP below max.)

Once Finley is done eating his berries, Val asks him, "Could you [Tooltip Not Found] the oven?  Maybe open the door and take out the potatoes and make sure that there's room to fit the hag in there?"  

While Finley does that, Val tries to help Aoife and Elkhorn get into position.  She thinks that Aoife should be in the room so that she can run up behind the hag, and Elkhorn (probably less sneaky) can hide outside with the door mostly closed and then rush in the room when the hag opens the oven.  Even better if the hag focuses on him initially because it might let Aoife get to the hag without being noticed.  

Anything anyone else thinks that we need to do to prepare?  Maybe quietly tip over some furniture to make it look like there was a brief struggle, and Mishka and Elkhorn escaped somehow?

Aoife chews slowly on the berries, mumbling, "Thanks, Val," through a mouthful of berry. 

She tries hiding behind the oven. (stealth 11 in game log). She whispers "What do you think? Good spot?" to Val.

(Let me know once everyone is in position) 

ilifir eats the berries with a quiet "thanks" and crouches under the table, trying to hide in the shadows there (stealth 21)

he quiets his breathing, wings fluttering softly in the draft from the door, then closes his eyes to stop any light from reflecting off of them, one hand splayed on the floor for support as he sinks into spikes senses, watching invisibly from the doorframe

Finley finishes eating the berries with a nod to Valrieth, glances at the oven and moves over to prepare the oven. He opens it and checks for a fire and carefully removes shelving/potatoes with the help of hopefully nearby oven mitts. "Dunnae know if she'll fit in there, but it's ready, also ah'll not be hiding, thank ye very much." He adds after he finishes with his duty, but he decides to wait until the hag comes into the room so that he can cast Mirror Image on himself.

Finley examines the oven. It has a 5 ft wide iron door and inside you see a pair of fiery eyes belonging to a fire elemental bound to the oven. It takes notice of your presence but does not do anything. The oven is easily large enough to cook a medium sized creature whole. 

Quote from Snievan >>

also ah'll not be hiding, thank ye very much." 

Dwarves!  Valrieth doesn't say it out loud, of course.  But after Elkhorn almost barged into the hag's room on his own, Finley's refusal to hide makes her wonder whether dwarven stubbornness will be the death of her some day.

Val hurries over to Finley at the oven.  (If he shows her the elemental, and she gasps, saying, "A fire elemental!  Too bad Gan-Re isn't here, or we could talk to it.")  She grabs his hand and says, "The hag has to make it from her room," she points to L14, "and all the way to the oven door without getting suspicious.  We just want her to think that her dragon was stuffed in the oven and for her to rush over to get it out.  Once she's there, none of us will be hiding.  Elkhorn and Aoife will try to push the hag into the oven and close the door, but you should be there too in case that fails.  You may need to knock the hag into the oven with thunderwave or at least keep her from fleeing." 

Val has Finley close the oven door and tugs on Finley's arm, trying to drag him to the door to the east into the yard.  "You and Elkhorn wait outside, beside the door and out of sight.  I'll shout 'Bavlorna' when it's time to go.  Then, you can both burst into the kitchen and get over to the oven."  Val leaves the door to the outside open and puts a stick or rock in the doorjamb to make sure that it won't close even if the hag swings it shut on her way past. 

If Finley agrees to stay there, Val heads back to the room...

Quote from valeskah >>

Aoife...tries hiding behind the oven. (stealth 11 in game log). She whispers "What do you think? Good spot?" to Val.

... and shakes her head.  "She'll have to run around the oven to get to the door on the other side, and we don't know which way she'll go."  She takes Aiofe's hand in her little paw and leads the half-orc to the little hall at the south end of the room.  Aoife's role will be critical, and Val helps her find a spot (crammed in the corner against the door to L11) that's not in obvious view of the kitchen.  "This'll give you a straight shot.   Hide here until the hag is in front of the oven door, and then you can run up behind her and push her in.  I'll signal the others as soon as I see you move."

Val looks around to make sure everyone is set.  Knowing that it'll be important to surprise Granny Nightshade, she casts Pass without Trace for good measure.  She says, "Whenever you're ready Ilifir.  A dragon's surprised shouts from the oven, calling for 'Granny' to save him."  Then Val pulls up her hood and hunkers down in the shadows at the southeast corner of the room, like a little sack with a shield leaning against it.  Stealth 29

While in that corner, Val's spell should cover all over her companions.  

(OOC: Everyone can add a +10 to their stealth rolls, if needed.)

Quote from Weathervision >>

(Let me know once everyone is in position) 

(OOC: If everyone lets the bossy bunny put them in position, Val is ready.  Now, we'll see whether this works or whether we just got ourselves into a big fight with a hag!)

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Then Val pulls up her hood and hunkers down in the shadows at the southeast corner of the room, like a little sack with a shield leaning against it.  Stealth 13

 

(OOC: I think that Valrieth keeps forgetting to put her ears down when she hides!)

Aoife nods at Val and allows herself to be repositioned. (Stealth 15 in game log plus 10 pwot = 25)

She mutters “Thanks. I don’t often need to hide indoors. Ready.”

(Yep if no one minds Val moving people around Ilifir can start with dragon cry)

ilifir mutters softly, half hearted prayers to tymora, to earth and sky, to smoke and iron, then sound erupts from the oven, a chilling scream, the dragons voice, or as close as he can manage "auntiiiiiiie" it might be screaming, or perhaps it just sounds similar and its just a sound of agony

a few seconds later (assuming he gets a chance to cast again) a loud banging starts up, as if something heavy was slamming into a large metal object

Granny Nightshade slams the door open and rushes into the kitchen "Cradlefall come out this instance. This better not be a trick" She checks the metal grate "Where is that blasted dwarf? Cradlefall answer me" She then heads to Mishka's worktable and notices 2 rabbit ears. She gives Val a withering stare "What have you done to Cradlefall!" 

She is standing 5ft from the oven door. 

The green token by the Oven is Granny Nightshade. The leathery wing by the door is Spike.

Initiative Order

1. Ilifir
2. Val
3. Finley
4. Granny Nightshade
5. Aoife