“The witch of the Witchwood, called Sulfura by those from whence you came.”
Following the sound of the voice, you see a shimmer in the gloomy light of the forest just next to the cottage, and a woman materializes there. She is tall and mostly covered in a brown-and-green cloak. You notice soft elfin features - a half-elf, with piercing emerald eyes. Her brown hair runs wild out of the cloak hood. In one hand she supports herself with a gnarled wooden staff. You see in her face and hand the signs of time that would only slowly come to one of elfin descent, indicating significant age.
She stand where she is, regarding you, and says, “I would have preferred to stay hidden and let you tire yourselves in my seeking, but you mentioned the young prince, the poor lad. So he yet lives? My spell is holding strong?”
Hyacinth scowls. "Your spell? Your curse, more like. Ancient magic you placed on that boy. Turnin' him into something of root and bark, not flesh and blood. Best start explainin' yourself, Sulfura of the Witchwood."
"I'm Kesili," Kesili says carefully, noticing the witch's green eyes, and furrows her brow slightly. "Sulfura, you were described to us as having yellow eyes. Yet yours are clearly green. Why do the people say otherwise?"
She pauses, then continues, "And what happened to the prince? It sounds as if you tried to save him, but from what? It seems that either your spell or the affliction affecting him is causing him to turn slowly to bark. What were you trying to do to help him?" Her tone remains calm but inquisitive, hoping to understand Sulfura's true intentions.
Sulfura gives a soft smile as, with a pushing gesture, she sends a gentle breeze in your direction. The wind is full of the sweet aroma of lavender. The sensation soon fades. As she does this, her eyes glow golden yellow for a moment, then return to green.
Then she explains,
“If you name my spell a curse, then it’s two curses the young prince contends with. Better turned to living wood than dead metal. That was my thought, at any rate. I had to act quickly, else he’d become a pretty statue just like the ones you carry with you.”
Kesili processes Sulfura's explanation, realizing that the witch is indeed responsible for the prince turning into wood. However, she tries to understand the suggestion that this transformation was meant to protect him from a worse fate.
"You're saying you turned him to wood to save him from becoming metal?" Kesili asks, trying to wrap her head around the idea. "What do you know about this curse of metal? We have indeed come across various lifelike figurines of uncanny accuracy."
Sulfura will pull from her robes a small silvery statue of a bird and regard it sadly. At length she will say, "This curse is a new arrival the Wood. It is powerful fey magic, I am sure of it, and yet... It feels like a contradiction, the transformation to metal... A creature of faerie would not be expected to manifest its will as such... It feels like spite and hate..." She is mumbling these last musings to herself, getting lost in her intense scrutiny of the small bird, now forever frozen in its final pose.
Cordimis will clear her throat, suddenly dry by the realization the small hare in her pack used to be a real animal. "Uh, Sulfura, how did you know the boy was afflicted by this new curse? And why did we who traveled through the same area not get it ourselves?"
She clasps and unclasps her hands nervously, feeling each fingertip and wiggling her toes to make sure she herself is still flesh and blood without the onset of becoming metallic. The unnatural aura of not dying but being turned to metal frozen in time gives her anxiety as her mind wanders to thoughts of if the animals' consciousness or soul is still trapped inside. Trapped. Aware but stuck. Never seeing the sunrise or sunset, but aware for eternity. A chill runs down her spine.
"A creature of faerie, as I mentioned, seems to be the source of the curse, or else is helping to spread it. This creature wanders the forest as a man made of wood, not as the dryads and treants of old, but as some new thing. He walks about like you and I with two arms and legs, in humanoid form, but with skin of brown wood, and a bald pate with a few green leaves for hair. Strangest of all are his eyes of silver, gleaming like metal, like a contradiction. I have observed him from time to time but have not spoken to him. I believe he goes by the name of Antimony. He was talking to the child and compelled the child to eat some berries that he offered. When the child did so, this Antimony figure departed. The curse was starting to act quickly on the young prince, so I stepped in quickly and intervened in my way. Then a woman of the castle arrived and I gave her an appropriate chastisement and left the child in her care. What else could I do?"
Noticing your nervousness, Sulfura will add,
"I believe the curse is transmitted by eating these strange berries, like blueberries in appearance but orange in color. They grow on a new invasive vine that I have recently observed to be spreading in the Wood. Growing and spreading like a kudzu. Animals that eat of the berries become such as you and I are now holding."
Cordimis nods to the story, transfixed by these strange magics that are beyond anything she's witnessed before. "If you've seen this Antimony around, could you point us in their direction? Also, if you have anything that might help us on our journey, perhaps we could offer something in return for your help." Unsure of what a being like the one before her could possibly desire, Cordimis respects and appreciates the inclination to help others.
Kesili listens closely as Sulfura speaks, absorbing the implications of what they've just learned. The notion that the curse is spreading through seemingly harmless berries and that a figure named Antimony is responsible adds a new layer of urgency to their quest. As Cordimis suggests finding Antimony, Kesili nods in agreement. "You're right—tracking down Antimony seems like our best lead. If he's the one spreading this curse, he might know how to stop it." She glances at her companions, ensuring they’re all on the same page. "But we need to be careful. This curse sounds dangerous, and confronting Antimony directly might not be wise unless we’re prepared." Turning back to Sulfura, Kesili acknowledges the witch’s help with a respectful nod. "Anything you can provide to assist us would be invaluable. If we can stop this curse at its source, we could save countless lives—both human and animal."
Hyacinth sees in the witch a resignation to talk with you. Clearly she doesn’t like people in general, but you lot have been persistent enough to track her down, so she will suffer conversation with you. Also she’s interested in the prince’s well-being. You see the glimmer of concern in her features as she discusses this new curse in the Wood.
Sulfura shrugs and says, “Would that I could do more to protect this Wood that I love. I will continue my investigations and learn what I can about this Antimony. I may… try… to contact you, should I learn more.” She says this last part with clear distaste and reluctance.
Kesili listens carefully to Sulfura’s words, her resolve growing stronger. “We’ll find Antimony and do what we can to stop this curse,” she says firmly. “We appreciate any help you can offer.”
As she turns to leave, a thought occurs to her. She faces Sulfura again, concern in her eyes. “Once we break the metal curse, can we stop the transformation into wood? The prince’s family won’t accept either fate. We need to know if there’s a way to fully restore him.”
"I can reverse the magic, if needed. But if he turns into a plant before you can break the metal curse, be sure to plant him in the ground and get him sun and water. He'll need nourishing, the same as any other plant."
Sulfura is in the act of entering her little cottage, and at these words she stops on the threshold, grimaces, and sighs. "If you must... Now go, you have much yet to do." Then she goes inside closes the door.
Hyacinth doesn't say a word to Sulfura as she returns to her hut. Once she's gone, they speak. "Well, she's clearly very concerned about this Antimony. Not confident she has zero ill will towards us, but... for now, guess she's the enemy of our enemy. Shall we go hunting for our metal man, then, stout comrades?"
Kesili watches Sulfura retreat into her cottage, feeling a mix of unease and determination. As Hyacinth speaks, she nods in agreement. "Yes, let's go find this Antimony. Sulfura may not be our ally, but she’s given us a lead. That’s all we need for now."
As the group walks away, Cordimis muses, "Perhaps we should pick the berries if we see any, prevent any other creature from suffering the same fate." She takes a breath, "I'm not even sure where to begin to find this Antimony. Any ideas?"
"We could return to the where they found the prince. I remember that there was a second set of tracks. They might lead to Antimony, according to Sulfura he was present," replies Kesili to Cordimis' question.
“The witch of the Witchwood, called Sulfura by those from whence you came.”
Following the sound of the voice, you see a shimmer in the gloomy light of the forest just next to the cottage, and a woman materializes there. She is tall and mostly covered in a brown-and-green cloak. You notice soft elfin features - a half-elf, with piercing emerald eyes. Her brown hair runs wild out of the cloak hood. In one hand she supports herself with a gnarled wooden staff. You see in her face and hand the signs of time that would only slowly come to one of elfin descent, indicating significant age.
She stand where she is, regarding you, and says, “I would have preferred to stay hidden and let you tire yourselves in my seeking, but you mentioned the young prince, the poor lad. So he yet lives? My spell is holding strong?”
Hyacinth scowls. "Your spell? Your curse, more like. Ancient magic you placed on that boy. Turnin' him into something of root and bark, not flesh and blood. Best start explainin' yourself, Sulfura of the Witchwood."
"I'm Kesili," Kesili says carefully, noticing the witch's green eyes, and furrows her brow slightly. "Sulfura, you were described to us as having yellow eyes. Yet yours are clearly green. Why do the people say otherwise?"
She pauses, then continues, "And what happened to the prince? It sounds as if you tried to save him, but from what? It seems that either your spell or the affliction affecting him is causing him to turn slowly to bark. What were you trying to do to help him?" Her tone remains calm but inquisitive, hoping to understand Sulfura's true intentions.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Sulfura gives a soft smile as, with a pushing gesture, she sends a gentle breeze in your direction. The wind is full of the sweet aroma of lavender. The sensation soon fades. As she does this, her eyes glow golden yellow for a moment, then return to green.
Then she explains,
“If you name my spell a curse, then it’s two curses the young prince contends with. Better turned to living wood than dead metal. That was my thought, at any rate. I had to act quickly, else he’d become a pretty statue just like the ones you carry with you.”
Kesili processes Sulfura's explanation, realizing that the witch is indeed responsible for the prince turning into wood. However, she tries to understand the suggestion that this transformation was meant to protect him from a worse fate.
"You're saying you turned him to wood to save him from becoming metal?" Kesili asks, trying to wrap her head around the idea. "What do you know about this curse of metal? We have indeed come across various lifelike figurines of uncanny accuracy."
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Sulfura will pull from her robes a small silvery statue of a bird and regard it sadly. At length she will say, "This curse is a new arrival the Wood. It is powerful fey magic, I am sure of it, and yet... It feels like a contradiction, the transformation to metal... A creature of faerie would not be expected to manifest its will as such... It feels like spite and hate..." She is mumbling these last musings to herself, getting lost in her intense scrutiny of the small bird, now forever frozen in its final pose.
Cordimis will clear her throat, suddenly dry by the realization the small hare in her pack used to be a real animal. "Uh, Sulfura, how did you know the boy was afflicted by this new curse? And why did we who traveled through the same area not get it ourselves?"
She clasps and unclasps her hands nervously, feeling each fingertip and wiggling her toes to make sure she herself is still flesh and blood without the onset of becoming metallic. The unnatural aura of not dying but being turned to metal frozen in time gives her anxiety as her mind wanders to thoughts of if the animals' consciousness or soul is still trapped inside. Trapped. Aware but stuck. Never seeing the sunrise or sunset, but aware for eternity. A chill runs down her spine.
Rori // Phandelver
Sulfura explains,
"A creature of faerie, as I mentioned, seems to be the source of the curse, or else is helping to spread it. This creature wanders the forest as a man made of wood, not as the dryads and treants of old, but as some new thing. He walks about like you and I with two arms and legs, in humanoid form, but with skin of brown wood, and a bald pate with a few green leaves for hair. Strangest of all are his eyes of silver, gleaming like metal, like a contradiction. I have observed him from time to time but have not spoken to him. I believe he goes by the name of Antimony. He was talking to the child and compelled the child to eat some berries that he offered. When the child did so, this Antimony figure departed. The curse was starting to act quickly on the young prince, so I stepped in quickly and intervened in my way. Then a woman of the castle arrived and I gave her an appropriate chastisement and left the child in her care. What else could I do?"
Noticing your nervousness, Sulfura will add,
"I believe the curse is transmitted by eating these strange berries, like blueberries in appearance but orange in color. They grow on a new invasive vine that I have recently observed to be spreading in the Wood. Growing and spreading like a kudzu. Animals that eat of the berries become such as you and I are now holding."
Cordimis nods to the story, transfixed by these strange magics that are beyond anything she's witnessed before. "If you've seen this Antimony around, could you point us in their direction? Also, if you have anything that might help us on our journey, perhaps we could offer something in return for your help." Unsure of what a being like the one before her could possibly desire, Cordimis respects and appreciates the inclination to help others.
Rori // Phandelver
Kesili listens closely as Sulfura speaks, absorbing the implications of what they've just learned. The notion that the curse is spreading through seemingly harmless berries and that a figure named Antimony is responsible adds a new layer of urgency to their quest. As Cordimis suggests finding Antimony, Kesili nods in agreement. "You're right—tracking down Antimony seems like our best lead. If he's the one spreading this curse, he might know how to stop it." She glances at her companions, ensuring they’re all on the same page. "But we need to be careful. This curse sounds dangerous, and confronting Antimony directly might not be wise unless we’re prepared." Turning back to Sulfura, Kesili acknowledges the witch’s help with a respectful nod. "Anything you can provide to assist us would be invaluable. If we can stop this curse at its source, we could save countless lives—both human and animal."
(Persuasion: 9, if required)
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Hyacinth stays steely and quiet during this explanation. A reasonable-sounding tale it was… but suspicion still stirred in their heart.
(15 insight check, if I may!)
Hyacinth sees in the witch a resignation to talk with you. Clearly she doesn’t like people in general, but you lot have been persistent enough to track her down, so she will suffer conversation with you. Also she’s interested in the prince’s well-being. You see the glimmer of concern in her features as she discusses this new curse in the Wood.
Sulfura shrugs and says, “Would that I could do more to protect this Wood that I love. I will continue my investigations and learn what I can about this Antimony. I may… try… to contact you, should I learn more.” She says this last part with clear distaste and reluctance.
Kesili listens carefully to Sulfura’s words, her resolve growing stronger. “We’ll find Antimony and do what we can to stop this curse,” she says firmly. “We appreciate any help you can offer.”
As she turns to leave, a thought occurs to her. She faces Sulfura again, concern in her eyes. “Once we break the metal curse, can we stop the transformation into wood? The prince’s family won’t accept either fate. We need to know if there’s a way to fully restore him.”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Sulfura waves a hand dismissively,
"I can reverse the magic, if needed. But if he turns into a plant before you can break the metal curse, be sure to plant him in the ground and get him sun and water. He'll need nourishing, the same as any other plant."
"He'll need nourishing like any other plant," repeats Kesili in a whisper to herself, "The king and queen will be delighted to hear that."
"Thanks again, Sulfura. I trust we can find you here when we break the metal curse?" She asks and stands prepared to leave with the others.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Sulfura is in the act of entering her little cottage, and at these words she stops on the threshold, grimaces, and sighs. "If you must... Now go, you have much yet to do." Then she goes inside closes the door.
Hyacinth doesn't say a word to Sulfura as she returns to her hut. Once she's gone, they speak. "Well, she's clearly very concerned about this Antimony. Not confident she has zero ill will towards us, but... for now, guess she's the enemy of our enemy. Shall we go hunting for our metal man, then, stout comrades?"
Kesili watches Sulfura retreat into her cottage, feeling a mix of unease and determination. As Hyacinth speaks, she nods in agreement. "Yes, let's go find this Antimony. Sulfura may not be our ally, but she’s given us a lead. That’s all we need for now."
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
As the group walks away, Cordimis muses, "Perhaps we should pick the berries if we see any, prevent any other creature from suffering the same fate." She takes a breath, "I'm not even sure where to begin to find this Antimony. Any ideas?"
Rori // Phandelver
"We could return to the where they found the prince. I remember that there was a second set of tracks. They might lead to Antimony, according to Sulfura he was present," replies Kesili to Cordimis' question.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||