Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

"Lionel, for all our sakes, take this. I don't need it, have never used it, don't know why I have it, but from what I just saw, you need some kind of ranged weapon!" Mordekai continues with a smirk on his face, holding out his Light Crossbow and bolts to Lionel, "Standing waiting whilst we did all the work...now you can join the fun!" 

"Thanks," the light crossbow looked more like a toy in his hands, but was still better than nothing. "Though I though you enjoyed for me and Izmark standing between you and the danger. Next time I'll try to remember and not spoil your fun." He patted Mordekai on the back.

"So, first ravens, I suppose. Surely you have some incredible magic means to open the cages, right?"

"There's magic in Meepo's fingers." Olin says, handing the kobold the set of thieves' tools Olin had borrowed before talking with the boy Milivoj. He puts his hand on Meepo's shoulder and winks at him, praying for guidance for the kobold. "That is, if the cages are even locked. Who would come out here that anyone would need to lock anything?"

Olin looks at the house on the stump, trying to see if there's any movement except from the ravens. "Though I wonder at the wisdom of walking right up to the witch's hosue..."

Perception, 9

Despite Olin's pondering, the two bird cages do appear to have locks embedded in the doors.  There is light coming from within the hut, but the cawing of the crows making hearing anything all but impossible. 

Meepo accepts the tools and scampers over to the first of the cages.  he sets to work trying to unlock it...

Thieve's tool check (with guidance): 22 plus 4 guidance.

Olin says a prayer to Silvanus for guidance for himself and casts shillelagh on his spear, preparing for trouble.

Meepo scampers up one of the long slippery roots of the stump that stands suspended above the swampy ground on it's long leg like root.  He climbs carefully up the side of the house to reach the suspended bird cage, and then grabs onto it, slowly transferring his weight to it.  The dozens of crows inside the large cage hop and caw loudly as they watch him, though none attempt to peck at his fingers or toes as they slip between the bars.  The cage swings gently as he clambers onto it, then clambers around the outside.  with one hand hanging on, he pulls out the picks and deftly inserts them, then, with both hands switching about, and partly hanging onto pins while hanging onto bars, he manages to work the lock like a genius.  There's an unpleasantly loud "click" as it unlocks, and then the door swings open.   

Swinging to one side by holding on with a single hand, Meepo manages to swing out of the way as the crows flock out of the cage, cawing loudly as they flap away into the fog.  You can hear them out there, but the cacophony of their noise is now reduced.  The other crows in the next cage caw and hop around excitedly.  From this angle, through a hazey window and the thin curtains, Meepo can make out what looks like a child's basinet in the center of the home.  It looks like something is moving in it.  He also spots what look like two dead goats, their heads almost lopped off, laying in the floor, blood splattered about. 

Olin gives Meepo a hand down from the cage. "Up to the next one, quick!" he whispers, offering to help Meeop up to the second cage, praying for guidance for the kobold once again.

"Meepo ready."  Meepo says, grabbing a hold of the second cage and holding on as he works to unlock it as well.

Tool check: 23

Mordekai prepares to cast Darkness on the house if he sees anyone emerging from within. 

(Not so that Meepo or Olin are within the radius, but whoever/whatever is within the house.  Mordekai is basically expecting the witch to be in the house and might come out to investigate any unusual noise - and Mordekai is aiming to stop the witch from seeing what's going on by plunging them into darkness as soon as they come to investigate.  Mordekai can also see through his own magical darkness due to his Devil's Sight Invocation.)

The second cage pops open, and the crows emerge flapping away into the fog.  Olin helps Meepo down.   The area is suddenly much quieter, with the creaking of the iron chains as the empty cages swing and rotate gently about. 

From within the house you hear the sounds of what could be dripping water, and movement....but nothing immediately occurs. 

What do you guys do? 

"Gods know what that abomination is doing inside right now. Crows were very agitated and so is that werecrow on the other side. I am going in." With that he summed the blade, adjusted the shield and walked to the door (provided, it is possible. If not, heroic sword drawing/shield bushing can wait until he finds the way to the door - then he will try to bush it open and enter) 

Olin says a quick prayer for guidance for Lionel as he passes, touching him on the arm. Then re-casts shillelagh on his spear and peers into the hut, trying to see what Lionel is walking into.

Perception, 19

Lionel clambers up a massive root to the door.  He puts his hand on the rusted door latch.  The wood of this hut is old, rotting, and the handle wiggles as he pulls the door open.  A site of pure horror greets his eyes, searing into his brain. He would tell the scribes about this vision, in decades to come, when he was an old man laying in his death bed, when his memory was failing, still this would stick with him, seated deep into his memories forever.  

The decrepit hut is fifteen feet on a side and packed with old fur­niture, including a wooden cot, a wicker cabinet, a slen­der wardrobe, a wooden table, a stool, a barrel-topped wooden chest reinforced with brass bands, and an iron tub. In the middle of the room is a ghastly wooden crib with a small, angelic child sitting in it. All the furnishings except for the crib are bolted to the floor. Beneath the crib, green light seeps up through cracks between the rotting floorboards. The crib is filled several inches deep with the deep red viscous fluid that must be blood. A total of three goats bodies lay across the floor, their necks opened, blood splattered on the floor. There, standing naked before Lionel is a hideous witch creature. She is covered in blood, which she was clearly just bathing in. Gobs of coagulated material still slide down her stomach, past her private area and down her gruesome legs.  Her lower torso and legs are coated entirely in the blood which drips in uneven drops all across the floor. 

She looks up, a. hideous smile across her face, "I thought I might have visitors....."   She stomps on the floor.  "Creature, give them welcome...."  And then a black cloud of magical energy swallows her, imploding on itself leaving nothing behind. Outside, Mordekai, you're covering their approach, you see the horrific creature appear in a puff of black, sitting in the floating skull, only her shoulders and head visible above the massive floating bone.  She cackles as the skull rockets upwards carrying her into the sky.  And then the entire house moves.  The roots pull themselves up one at a time, and place themselves down, as it begins to wobble back and forth, flinging the house about....seemingly in an attempt to shake its three guests, Meepo, Lionel, and Olin, all free from their perch on its doorstep.  Make Dex 10 saves to continue clinging to the house (if you wish, or you could leap free). 

Everyone roll initiative.  At this moment, the witch is 20 feet off the ground.  She has partial cover from her ..floating....skull.....chariot thing.....

Witch and house: 6

Ismark: 14

If you go before the witch and house, take your turn. 

Ismark yells, "She's in the floating skull!  She's out here!"  He pulls two hand axes free from his sides and flings the towards her, Attack: 15 Damage: 9   Attack: 17 Damage: 5

One of his axes grazes past her arm drawing a gob of purple blood. 

Mordekai Initiative: 4

(To clarify, she's in the upturned giant's skull for cover, which is not on the house? She's separate from the moving house, so she's staying still?)

Mordekai glances at the house, which seems to have sprung to life and is moving by some kind of witchcraft. Clearly this witch is powerful.

He transfers Hex to the witch (let me know if/when this has run out-I'll just assume it's still active until you say) and, focusing his energy on the witch behind all this, casts Eldritch Blast at the witch.

Attack: 11 Damage: 10 + 6 Hex

Attack: 22 Damage: 6 + 2 Hex

Dex save: 2, Initiative: 18

Regardless of outcome: Radiant Soul

 Bonus action: Shield of Faith

If before Lionel was a very definition of an expression "a knight in the shining armour" - now he looked like something you imagine when hear words "angel of vengeance". Shining wings, blindingly bright sword and inhumane determination. He came to fight evil - and he found one!

Lionel flew to the witch with all the intentions to destroy yet another horror gifted to him by these cursed lands.

Dex save to stay on the hut, 7

Initiative, 5

Olin tries to grab onto the door frame but his fingers slip off and he falls to the ground. "Olin, Meepo, did you see that green light? Was it the same green as the gems from the winery?"

Olin raises his shield, invoking Silvanus and requesting his blessing for Lionel, Mordekai, Meepo, and himself. (2nd level bless to get all the PCs. Add 1d4 to attack rolls and saving throws. DON'T FORGET!)

Olin summons his spiritual weapon in the form of a mighty oak branch and directs it to attack the witch.

Spiritual weapon: 22+2 Damage: 9

Meepo just jumps free as the house starts to rise.  He moves away from it then, and takes aim at the witch as well.  He casts ray of frost

To hit: 21 (plus 1 bless)

Damage: 6 cold

Forgot initiative: 22