“I fear that the coven of hags have done something to her, for that is their nature, the three…” still locking eyes with Erudisia, the naiad drifts straight backwards until her feet hover just over the water, which laps longingly at her toes in a slow boil that only calms when she begins to sink into it.
”Tell me if you find her… and take care with your desires… for true beauty cannot be bought for any price…”
(She is the process of going away but it’s not too late for further conversation.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters// Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
I rolled History for you re: Hags, some of which are fiends, some fey. These sound more like Green Hags, you think, and your roll of 21, taken with your background, gives you a decent knowledge of Green Hags. Powerful foes (CR3). Even more powerful if part of a Coven (CR5). Strong and capable of strong magic. The stat block doesn't tell you everything, but this is what you know...
Dripping water, she heads back to their rooms, waiting until they are reunited with Little One to share what she knows in a whisper.
She shares an anecdote of the time a green hag was slighted, not asked to bless a local noble’s child with other fey at the announcement of their birth and cursed them with its coven-mates out of malice and spite. Wicked and evil, they abhor beauty and goodness, while wielding a facsimile of it like a knife.
Meredith follows Erudia with a final wave goodbye aimed at the waters surface.
She listens to Erudisia speak and nods.
" If there are three and they've taken over a place of holy power like this they are going to be extremely dangerous. The silent staff? What do we think they are? Enspelled people or some sort of puppet of the Hags?"
" We know there are some normal folks among the staff.....and the customers seem none the wiser about what's really going on.......whatever that is."
" I've heard tales of jinn back home who trade in secrets and favours and debts.....are Hags like that?"
Bell tried to make sense of all the information they had gathered, but had yet to get the puzzle pieces to match up.
"What are the hags getting out of this 'spa cover'? How are they tapping into the powers of this ancient temple? What is their ultimate objective? How can we block their connection to the shrine without harming Erudisia's new friend?"
Erudisia gives Bell a look. She speaks to Meredith in answer. “I know little of the genies of your homeland, but my understanding would be that hags are you… crueler. A genie might take your freedom, they might trade your services, they might be a haughty and imperious master, but a hag will take your child, your looks, your health for no purpose other than for you to have lost it.”
Erudisia gives Bell a look. She speaks to Meredith in answer. “I know little of the genies of your homeland, but my understanding would be that hags are you… crueler. A genie might take your freedom, they might trade your services, they might be a haughty and imperious master, but a hag will take your child, your looks, your health for no purpose other than for you to have lost it.”
The whispered discussion continues until a tiny melodious sound from a table clock announces midnight. Not long after, during a pause in the conversation, you hear a slight noise from the hallway. The latch of one of the unoccupied guest rooms clicks…
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters// Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
If there are large key holes, Erudisia will shush the others and creep to the keyholes and try and look into the corridors. If not, she will slightly hold the door ajar to peek through.
(Is she still dripping wet? Or has it been long enough for her to dry off — with some prestidigitations to help).
There are no keyholes to peek through. Cracking the door open, Erudisia is in luck. For the moment the door’s hinges complain, a short series of whispered curses issues from the immediate object of her inspection, covering the door’s sound. That object, down the hallway some twenty feet, crouched in front of the door to one of the empty rooms, is a 3-foot tall reptile person, its clever clawed fingers essaying the door’s latch with an assortment of small, knife-like tools.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters// Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
And through all that has gone on, Bell is as still as a statue; afraid that if she moves or speaks, she would break the magical moment before her.
Erudisia looks between Cyrena and Meredith, waiting for her answer.
“I fear that the coven of hags have done something to her, for that is their nature, the three…” still locking eyes with Erudisia, the naiad drifts straight backwards until her feet hover just over the water, which laps longingly at her toes in a slow boil that only calms when she begins to sink into it.
”Tell me if you find her… and take care with your desires… for true beauty cannot be bought for any price…”
(She is the process of going away but it’s not too late for further conversation.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
Erudisia does not wish to push her look, and will not seek to stop Cyrena if the others do not.
Meredith just nods and steps back until Cyrena departs....
" Hags.......Erudisia? As the most convenient Fay expert.....what's to be done with Hags?"
(Erudisia)
I rolled History for you re: Hags, some of which are fiends, some fey. These sound more like Green Hags, you think, and your roll of 21, taken with your background, gives you a decent knowledge of Green Hags. Powerful foes (CR3). Even more powerful if part of a Coven (CR5). Strong and capable of strong magic. The stat block doesn't tell you everything, but this is what you know...
Green Hag
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
Erudisia shakes her head, “Not here.”
Dripping water, she heads back to their rooms, waiting until they are reunited with Little One to share what she knows in a whisper.
She shares an anecdote of the time a green hag was slighted, not asked to bless a local noble’s child with other fey at the announcement of their birth and cursed them with its coven-mates out of malice and spite. Wicked and evil, they abhor beauty and goodness, while wielding a facsimile of it like a knife.
Meredith follows Erudia with a final wave goodbye aimed at the waters surface.
She listens to Erudisia speak and nods.
" If there are three and they've taken over a place of holy power like this they are going to be extremely dangerous. The silent staff? What do we think they are? Enspelled people or some sort of puppet of the Hags?"
" We know there are some normal folks among the staff.....and the customers seem none the wiser about what's really going on.......whatever that is."
" I've heard tales of jinn back home who trade in secrets and favours and debts.....are Hags like that?"
Bell tried to make sense of all the information they had gathered, but had yet to get the puzzle pieces to match up.
"What are the hags getting out of this 'spa cover'? How are they tapping into the powers of this ancient temple? What is their ultimate objective? How can we block their connection to the shrine without harming Erudisia's new friend?"
Erudisia gives Bell a look. She speaks to Meredith in answer. “I know little of the genies of your homeland, but my understanding would be that hags are you… crueler. A genie might take your freedom, they might trade your services, they might be a haughty and imperious master, but a hag will take your child, your looks, your health for no purpose other than for you to have lost it.”
" So people basically.", she said bitterly.
The whispered discussion continues until a tiny melodious sound from a table clock announces midnight. Not long after, during a pause in the conversation, you hear a slight noise from the hallway. The latch of one of the unoccupied guest rooms clicks…
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
If there are large key holes, Erudisia will shush the others and creep to the keyholes and try and look into the corridors. If not, she will slightly hold the door ajar to peek through.
(Is she still dripping wet? Or has it been long enough for her to dry off — with some prestidigitations to help).
(There has been time for a magical air-drying.)
There are no keyholes to peek through. Cracking the door open, Erudisia is in luck. For the moment the door’s hinges complain, a short series of whispered curses issues from the immediate object of her inspection, covering the door’s sound. That object, down the hallway some twenty feet, crouched in front of the door to one of the empty rooms, is a 3-foot tall reptile person, its clever clawed fingers essaying the door’s latch with an assortment of small, knife-like tools.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
Meredith waits for Erudisia to tell her what's happening ready to put someone to sleep or mark them for tracking if necessary....
(Does Erudisia know what this reptilian creature is? Not sure what I would roll if a roll is required)
Erudisia tells the other three what she can see as she gently closes the door.
(Erudisia hasn’t run across one before, but it seems to her to match the description of a Kobold.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Chierhy Nbenbe in Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure
“I think it might be a … kob-old,” Erudisia whispers, in the way of one who has only read a word.
Bell's nose scrunches up as she as she whispers, "What's a Cobble? What is it doing out there?"
" Should I get it?"