@21/09/2025

• Active PCs: Elara Stormweaver, Paradox, Will MacGruber
• After returning from the Windler House, Drakor Ironfist was struck with the red pox and was being nursed back to health by Will's mother, the former wildseer druid, Morna MacGruber.
• Paradox, newly awakened from his long magical slumber, was briefed on the situation that they found themselves in as newcomers to the village of Ragged Hollow.
• Will, Elara and Paradox set out for the Gloam Wood to visit the cottage of the suspected wytch Beatrix and then on to the barrow of the hag, Orla Greylocks, to fetch the magical chain that would allow them to access the belltower of the Church of Saint Prudentia and free the trapped villagers and clergy.
• The PCs entered the Gloam Wood and took the eastern path that brought them to the cottage of the mysterious wytch Beatrix. The odd cottage built against the giant forest oaks was surrounded by a blackberry bramble full of thorns that had trapped a small goblin named Rask. Only Paradox spoke goblin and learned that Rask was sent by his master at the shadowy fey Goblin Market to steal some of the magically delicious cookies baked by Beatrix. They freed Rask and Paradox made a bargain with him and he joined them as a guide.
• The PCs spoke with Beatrix and learned that she was twinned with the ancient and evil forest hag, Orla Greylocks. Beatrix promised the party that she would aid them with information and assistance if they would destroy her evil sister and return their shared family brooch to her from Orla's lair.
• The party left the cottage and continued along the road through the Gloam Wood. Rask told the big folks that he knew of a shortcut to the river crossing and saved them an hour's journey. Once they reached the bridge at the ford, they noticed that a desiccated corpse was propped up against a wall of thorny brambles. Getting closer they detected that the plants were Bloodberry Brambles and Elara used a long stick to free the sack near the corpse and avoid getting attacked by the carnivorous plant.
• After a few more hour's travel they came to Orla's lair near dusk. The stinking mound of the ancient hill barrow rose like a cancerous tumor from the forest floor. A dark tunnel gaped on one side where gnawed bones littered the ground. Raggedy scrolls of parchment were nailed to the nearby trees with words encouraging visitors into the barrow to gain food, treasure and gifts! A small and emaciated goblin sat snoring by the tunnel mouth. The party awoke the starving goblin who named himself Flik and told them that great treasures and delicious food awaited them within.
• After some investigation the party discovered that Flik was starving and chained by his ankle to the barrow's tunnel entrance. Paradox broke his chains and freed him. Flik begged the party to help him escape from Orla who is a monstrous hag that eats everything that she traps within her lair. Elara convinced Paradox and Will that they should set a snare and entice Orla to come out of her barrow lair where they could immobilize and destroy her.
• After the sun set, Orla was lured out of her lair but discovered that she was tricked. Paradox struck true with his arrows while Elara pinned her in place with her druidic entanglement spell and Will slashed her with his longsword. Orla desperately cast her dark magic to defend herself, but was cut down in the end and sent back to the hell that spawned her.
• The heroes entered her lair and found her magical Wytch Chain, her Wytch Scarf and the family brooch. Resting until dawn, they made their way to Beatrix's cottage and gave her the brooch. Fulfilling her promise, she explained to them that the Veil over the Church of Saint Prudentia in Ragged Hollow was created by the priests and paladin inside to protect the village from a monstrous evil brought inside the holy site by Tobias who became possessed by it while exploring the dwarven tomb at Mount Mourn.
• Rask the Goblin returned to the Goblin Market in the Gloam Wood while the party started back down the trail to Ragged Hollow. Armed with the Windler Boots (recovered from their earlier adventure at the Windler House), the Wytch Chain, and with the wooden siege tower that the villagers had completed during their absence, it seems that they will finally be able to pierce the Veil and enter the Church to save the innocents within.