Stonehell: Auntie Ethel's Hut & The Staff of Life and Death

Session 214 was played on 12/6

Morgana, Magic User 8 (Rob)
Borumar, ½ orc thief (Josh)
Blotto, Goblin (Lanse)
Koltic, Cleric 7 (NPC)
Aroon, Fighter (NPC)
Jameth, Fighter (NPC)
Lor’Koth, Dwarf (NPC)

Not wanting to be spotted, Morgana casts Invisibility 10’ radius on the party, and they head down the steep foggy pine-filled slope down into the boggy bottom of the valley. They manage to find a mostly dry path, but Lorkoth, Aroon, and Morgana manage to rub against some noxious plant, and develop itchy welts. They avoid an encounter with bog zombies thanks to their invisibility, but not the smarter bog wraith. Koltic destroyed the creature, but became visible.

Moving deeper into the bog they spot a single spot rising out of the water. A small round hill with a hut built on the top. Getting closer the hill has a low fence around it, each post topped with a skull. Some are animal skulls, but most are humanoid. Circling the hill the party discovers that it isn’t a hill but the shell of a massive tortoise when it gets up and moves about 30’ before setting back down. The hut on the shell has a crude covered porch with an equally crude rocking chair. Unbothered by the tortoise shifting position is a small black kitten.

Morgana uses Ice Storm to create a wall of ice from their position to the base of the shell, then immediately casts dispel magic on the fence, and then drops a fireball on the cabin’s door.

The kitten does not survive. The cabin is on fire, and the hag within is screaming. Snakes swarm out of the bog water onto the ice bridge and attack, Jameth is bitten and immediately drops. Koltic kicks away the snakes and pours antivenom down his throat. Morgana drops another fireball on the cabin, and it collapses. Aunt Ethel stands burnt among the ruins holding a glowing staff. Her visage no longer that of a slightly plump older woman, but a tall and frighteningly thin hag in burning rags with green-black skin. The party watches as the wounds and burns close up and brush off like dry ash.

Morgana drops an ice storm on the hag, pelting her with hailstones, and largely putting out the fire. The tortoise is finally annoyed by the goings on and starts to walk away from the fuss. Aroon and Lor'Koth charge up the shell and start swinging at the hag, desperately avoiding her long black claws. Lor’Koth is hit, but resists the poison. Aroon crits on her, which only seems to piss her off more. Borumar shoots her with his bow, and Morgana with her magic missiles. Finally staggered, Aroon takes another swing, taking her head. They quickly loot the ruins, making sure to find the locket, and coming away with an impressive stash of treasure, including the Staff of Life and Death. Koltic goes orgasmic upon touching it, and loudly lets everyone know he isn’t going to give it up. There are some worried looks, but decide now isn’t the time to deal with it. They quickly head back to the Tomb of Singu the Giant Slayer…

Gains: The Staff of Life and Death, Locket, 90,200 gp worth of treasure
Kills: black kitten, Black Hag
Losses: 

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DM Notes: The managed to avoid the werewolf packs both coming and going, which meant they also missed the magic swords they'd looted from Singu's knights. I also expected them to talk with the hag, not just go right in with the fireballs, but I underestimated how much she'd pissed them off by fooling them. Had they talked to her, she'd have given up the locket without much fuss, but they'd have gotten a lot less XP and not gotten the staff.