Harvey leads the party past the clearing and through the woods. Travel is, yet again, slow, as various trees and other flora have grown between them and their goal. It takes several hours, but by late morning, they find their destination. It is an old, ramshackle hut set against the side of a tree. Such a scene would be quite fantastical, if not for the tree looking like a dead, dried out husk.
The cottage itself seems rundown. The wooden walls are half rotted away, the roof is on the verge of collapsing, and a thick, grimy layer of moss grows everywhere on and around it. Harvey turns back to the party and says “Well, there it is. The hag is likely inside. Be very careful when dealing with her. She will try to deceive you with false promises and illusions. Hags rarely like to fight, so instead she will try to negotiate a deal. It would be wise not to take it.” With that, he and Butter walk over to a nearby tree and wait.
Ignatius peers inside and sees a much more pleasant sight. The interior of the hut looks clean and tidy, and a mouth-watering smell of cooking meat wafts over him. In the room, he sees a pair of comfortable chairs sitting in front of a fireplace, their backs to the window. Resting upon the arm of one chair, he sees a smooth, delicate hand. The hand rises slightly, and Ignatius and the party all see the front door open with a click. It now hangs slightly ajar on its hinges.
Ignatius goes back to the others, dispels his Invisibility and tells them:
"Wait here a moment while I investigate, What really lies inside the cottage gate. For this may very well be a clever bait, In which case, we'll set the crooked things straight."
Ignatius becomes invisible once again and quietly enters inside the cottage, not through the door, but hovering through the window. Once inside, he'll keep to the air (to avoid triggering floor traps, if any) and attempt to get a better look at the inhabitant inside.
I have a great plan in mind should my suspicions prove to be correct.
Ignatius sneaks around and sees that sitting in the chair is a young woman. Her face is as smooth and delicate as her hand, and her silvery blond hair falls loosely around her slender frame, the tips touching the floor. She is dressed in a simple shirt and pants. Her eyes are closed, and her head is tilted forward. Ignatius could almost swear that she was sleeping, if not for the fact that she had just moved her hair mere moments ago.
Does casting Detect Thoughts (which, I hope, is a non-hostile spell) break Invisibility? I'm more in a mood to go out and send in a summoned swarm to do the work, but I cannot yet be sure if this is the hag herself (in disguise).
The rule is that if it’s hostile, as in they have to make a will save, then yeah, it breaks invisibility. If you wanted to read her thoughts, which requires a will save, it will dispel the invisibility.
Ignatius wonders how to approach this strange lady. Then an idea strikes his mind.
He goes out again through the window and into the open. Then he takes out the Wand of Monster Summoning and zaps it into the open. He directs the CREATURE_SUMMONED to enter into the cottage through the door, but not to attack. He hopes that it would scare the strange woman, in case she is not the hag, and then the party would go in to her "rescue", and resultantly, win her favour.
And in case she is the hag, they will be at a clear advantage with the CREATURE_SUMMONED to hold her attention while they prepare an ambush.
Edit: The fact that whether she is the hag or not will be determined by how she reacts to the presence of the CREATURE_SUMMONED.
So, the celestial monkey walks in, looks around, and then proceeds to climb onto the walls and scream wildly. The young woman doesn’t react. The monkey leaps down and walks farther inside. A moment later, the party hears the sound of something breaking.
"Let's stop these shenanigans and just go in and talk to her. A direct approach is a correct approach." Says Vaga, sounding like a proper wiseacre. He then smiles sage-like at his own infinite wisdom and can't help to feel pride in that he just made that up and it sounded great! He quickly wipes the smugness away, pride is not something to flaunt after all.
“Though I’m usually one for subtlety and sneaking myself, I agree with the naked dwarven monk,” says Guston. “The muscles of his bare chest should be enough to please the young woman, if that’s what it is, or protect us from any danger.
“Besides,” he adds, “if it is a hag, I have a feeling it may find a kindred spirit in my countenance.” A boil is conventionally leaking puss down his chin and neck.
Ignatius flies up and sees the monkey banging on some pans that it had apparently found inside. They seem old, but still loud, as the monkey makes music.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party walk up to the hut and step inside. They see and smell what Ignatius did. Two chairs, one is occupied. The smell of meat cooking from somewhere in the house. They also see the monkey banging on pans.
The young woman in the chair lets out a yawn and stands, pulling her hair back away from her eyes. She then turns and regards the party. “I am here,” she says with a soft, wispy voice. “Thank you for accepting my invitation.” She looks at the monkey and frowns. The monkey screeches at her. “Please, get this thing out of here,” she says in annoyance.
Vaga moves to the ape and tries to catch it so he can throw it out. He tries to be gentle when he grapple it, the monkey has done nothing wrong.
(If he succeeds, he will throw it out.)
Btw, @mashedtaters, I dunno if I ever put on clothes on Vaga... I forgot if I wrote it out or not, so now I too is always picturing him as wearing nothing other than his bracers and his loincloth, so let's assume he only wears that for now!
Vaga jumps after the monkey, but it sees him coming, and it ducks under his arms, screeching as it goes. The young woman brings her hands up to her head, her face twisted in pain.
“Make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP!” she exclaims as he lunges at the monkey and grabs it by the throat, lifting it off the ground with one hand. The monkey convulses as its body shrivels up like a dried fruit, before disappearing. The young woman seems to calm down for a moment, but quickly realizes what had happened. Frantically, she looks down at her hand, then back at the party, and she says “It’s not what it looks like. I’m not a monster, I swear!”
*Anduin walks into view from the other side of the chair. Startling the lady with deceased murdered monkey dust still trickling from her hand and the party present.*
A monster?
*Anduin looks about at all the open mouthed individuals.*
The young woman nods and replies “My name is Keeley. I am-or was, I suppose-a resident of a village nearby. One day, I was visited by an old woman. She did something to me, and I passed out. When I awoke, I was here, and the old woman was gone. I was alone and lost in this forest. Not only that, but whenever I touch something, like a tree or an animal, it withers away, like that creature just did. And recently, I’ve begun hearing the old woman’s voice in my head telling me... things.”
Question for the more knowledable ones here. Are there rules for what would happen if Protection From Evil is cast on someone that is possessed by an evil spirit? I have the spell memorized, but I don't want to cast it blindly.
[Spoiler]An evil creature, in possesion of or in itself, can cast protection from evil. It will then be protected from evil and that is all. [/spoiler]
*Anduin walks over to Vaga and gently closes his jaw before turning on his heel and pulling out his club from a fold in his cloak, then holding it at arms length gently prods the lady's leg.*
A spell? A charm? The chair seems unaffected. Only living creatures. Hmm. A negative life force absorbing positive life force perhaps. I need more information. How do you eat?
Comments
Ignatius tries to recall something about this necklace, but he can’t remember anything about it.
The cottage itself seems rundown. The wooden walls are half rotted away, the roof is on the verge of collapsing, and a thick, grimy layer of moss grows everywhere on and around it. Harvey turns back to the party and says “Well, there it is. The hag is likely inside. Be very careful when dealing with her. She will try to deceive you with false promises and illusions. Hags rarely like to fight, so instead she will try to negotiate a deal. It would be wise not to take it.” With that, he and Butter walk over to a nearby tree and wait.
*Fiora tries to be sarcastic, it fails. She casts detect evil.*
"Wait here a moment while I investigate,
What really lies inside the cottage gate.
For this may very well be a clever bait,
In which case, we'll set the crooked things straight."
Ignatius becomes invisible once again and quietly enters inside the cottage, not through the door, but hovering through the window. Once inside, he'll keep to the air (to avoid triggering floor traps, if any) and attempt to get a better look at the inhabitant inside.
He goes out again through the window and into the open. Then he takes out the Wand of Monster Summoning and zaps it into the open. He directs the CREATURE_SUMMONED to enter into the cottage through the door, but not to attack. He hopes that it would scare the strange woman, in case she is not the hag, and then the party would go in to her "rescue", and resultantly, win her favour.
And in case she is the hag, they will be at a clear advantage with the CREATURE_SUMMONED to hold her attention while they prepare an ambush.
Edit: The fact that whether she is the hag or not will be determined by how she reacts to the presence of the CREATURE_SUMMONED.
nakeddwarven monk,” says Guston. “The muscles of hisbarechest should be enough to please the young woman, if that’s what it is, or protect us from any danger.“Besides,” he adds, “if it is a hag, I have a feeling it may find a kindred spirit in my countenance.” A boil is conventionally leaking puss down his chin and neck.
Coming this fall.
He puss drip-splashes onto the floor.
(If he succeeds, he will throw it out.)
Btw, @mashedtaters, I dunno if I ever put on clothes on Vaga... I forgot if I wrote it out or not, so now I too is always picturing him as wearing nothing other than his bracers and his loincloth, so let's assume he only wears that for now!
Vaga jumps after the monkey, but it sees him coming, and it ducks under his arms, screeching as it goes. The young woman brings her hands up to her head, her face twisted in pain.
“Make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP!” she exclaims as he lunges at the monkey and grabs it by the throat, lifting it off the ground with one hand. The monkey convulses as its body shrivels up like a dried fruit, before disappearing. The young woman seems to calm down for a moment, but quickly realizes what had happened. Frantically, she looks down at her hand, then back at the party, and she says “It’s not what it looks like. I’m not a monster, I swear!”
"We've heard of a monster terrorizing this part of the forest. Or at least, according to one side. I like to hear all sides before acting."
A monster?
*Anduin looks about at all the open mouthed individuals.*
...
What?
*Anduin walks over to Vaga and gently closes his jaw before turning on his heel and pulling out his club from a fold in his cloak, then holding it at arms length gently prods the lady's leg.*
A spell? A charm? The chair seems unaffected. Only living creatures. Hmm. A negative life force absorbing positive life force perhaps. I need more information. How do you eat?