Session 107: When Last we met 12/15/24

When last we met, The party were preparing an expedition into the infamous Hagswood to deal with the various supernatural threats within. They take their rest inside the Thorn's Nook Inn and head out before first light the next day.

They enter the wood and take a forest path that runs throughout the wood. They encounter a body hanging from a tree by a noose with a grin on its face. A strange sight indeed. The party cuts the poor soul down and burns the body to give it a proper consecration.

From there, they happen upon a pond in an area known as the Twisted Glade. There they encounter three Darklings who try to shake the party down for their money and belongings. Celeste proceeds to put the trio down with her arrows. At that moment an elephant sized Amphibean known as a Froghemoth emerged from the pool, devoured the three Darklings and moved on the party. They managed to put the creature down before it could get within striking distance And they harvested it's 20 ft. long tongue as a Trophy, which Flint took.

From there, the party moved deeper into the woods, avoiding a pit-fall trap along the road thanks to Vandread spotting it. They then find an old disused graveyard. They hear the sound of a woman crying hysterically. They move into the graveyard and see the figure of a woman kneeling at what looks like a gravestone. Celeste quietly stalks forward to get a better look.

Looking about she can see other humanoid figures watching her from the tree line. They slowly make their way toward her, closing in and encircling the party. They are brandishing weapons and appear to have ash-grey skin. They make no sound as they close in for the kill.

Another battle ensues as the party takes out these creatures one by one. They die silently and seem to be no more averse to damage than any living thing. Eventually the party picks off the dozen or so that were in that cemetery and proceeds to burn the dead bodies. Just to be sure.

From there, they get back on the path and walk along it. They find another body hanging from a tree and consume it in fire as well. After that, the party come upon a lone house in the woods. There appears to be no signs of life inside, except for a faint yellow glowing shining through the windows. Celeste moves up onto the porch and peeks in. She finds the place torn apart and empty. And the glowing seems to come from a group odd looking jars with metal pendulums inside. Vandread moves in and tries to identify what these things are. He learns they are part of a spell called Magic Jar and these containers labeled with names like Scarface, Long Tom and Mate Ellis, contain souls of some person trapped in the jar until the spell is ended.

At that moment, the party feel the souls from these jars attempt to enter their bodies. The group mostly repel them, But celeste and Flint find themselves possessed by the souls of Jack and Scar-face. Their voices very distinctly different from that of Celeste and Flint, the party instantly questions them and their motives, while the two individuals Urge them to leave before this "Terrible Old Man" returns and once the party is found to be dubious to them, the two try to escape out the door on their own. Mistral and Romaia manage to hold the two at the threshold. Meanwhile, the door to one of the bedrooms flies open and This withered teeting old man emerges, walking stick in hand, Accusing the party of being criminals, come to take his treasure.

Another battle ensues and though Celeste and Flint are not themselves, they are still aligned against their captor so they fight alongside the party. Mistral blasts him back into his bedroom with eldritch blasts while Celeste/Jack pepper him with arrows. He Emerges from the room intent to cast Circle of Death on the whole party, But mistral Manages to counter the spell and it fails. From there, Vandread moves to the near feral old man and silences him once and for all with a barrage of attacks.

With their main threat dealt with a new problem arises and Flint/Scarface congratulates Vandread on killing the old man and proceeding to try and leave.

And that's where we'll pick up next time.