Dicing with Death Episode 088

Thursday, 13th April 1509
Georg dimensions doors into his now ruined house, and casts Past Life on the Halfling Gardner's hair, now he is a higher level, allowing him to see a whole minute of the target's life now. He sees the hallfing Geeble innocently gardening before being stabbed to death by Lady Redshield. Georg wakes up from his trace and returns to Misty Rapids Keep and goes to learning ESP.

Friday, 14th April 1509
The next day Georg finishes learning ESP.

Saturday, 15th April 1509
The day after that Baron Song invites Lady Lisa Dysec over for dinner to make official bereavements over the last Doland Dysec. Kel Greller is still too sick to attend. At attendance is the Dysecs, the Keystone and the Sunderlands.

Part way though the dinner, Baron Song excuses himself and he takes Lady Dysec away to talk in private. ESP reveals he is rehearsing in his head what words and mentally preparing to pour a love potion into Lady Dysec's drink. he is going to use. He secretly has Lady Dysec drink the love potion. In Lady Dysec's mind is caution and weariness towards Baron Song. The two move out of range of ESP after this. Georg clairvoyances into the bedroom and watches Baron song spike the drink with love potion and sees Lady Dysec drink it all. Before the spell ends, Georg sees the love potion take effect.

It is half an hour later when Song and Dysec return to dinner. At the end of dinner, a badly limping Kel Greller makes an appearance in the hall. The party-goers applaud the injured knight.

Before going to bed, Baron Song asks Georg to see him in the morning about something important.

Sunday, 16th April 1509
After breakfast the next morning Georg goes to see Baron Song. He is in the war-room, looking at the area map of Eridon. After a moment of comtemplation, Baron Song asks Georg about the fabled witch of the wilds, tapping Lake Mysterium in the Hidden Valley, south of Shirebrook.

Georg mistakes the witch for Pourvin/Ivan the Transmuter at first (From Dicing with Death Episode 073), but Baron Song further explains that the witch a being that eats the flesh of those who venture too near, a Hag. A Hag that can create heirs for those with none, and Song need an heir and Lady Dysec is over the age of 40. An heir to Lady Dysec's lands.

Before Georg heads out, he vists Kel Greller and gives him the position of heroism and explains how the potion works. Georg says how much he missed Greller and tells him not to die again.

Georg then dimension doors out of the keep and heads out with the phatom steed in a direct line to the Hidden Valley, though the tetherwilds.

20 miles outside of town, a Giant Spider jumps on Georg and bites him. Georg colorsprays it unconscious. Georg then kills the sleeping spider. In the spider's lair are some dead Gnolls with loot. Georg continues onwards.

Tuesday, 18th April 1509
Georg reaches the Crystal Run river and follows it to Lake Mysterium on the western bank.

It is late afternoon when Georg then rides over to the Hut owned by Pourvin, nudest wizard. The place is as peaceful as it was when Georg was last here. Pourvin seems content. Georg has a new understanding of Pourvin, having dealt with the world and the drama involved.

Georg is shocked when Pourvin recognises him, feeling that he had changed so much. After some pleasantries, Georg is invited inside. Georg is tempted to just give Baron Song a fake remedy, before Pourvin says the Hag is real, but she uses very dark magic. Georg is disappointed that the Hag is real and her powers a real.

The two trade spells, Georg realises Pourvin has only up to 3rd level spells. Georg finds that Pourvin has Waterbreathing, the spell that Georg has been trying to research for some time.

Tuesday, 19th April 1509
The next day Georg follows Pourvin, who is showing the way to the Hag's Lair. He shows Georg to the Hag's Grove of shaped trees. Pourvin gives Georg one last chance to back down, and Georg hesitates. He then casts ESP and scans the hut. He detects a powerful malevolent mind, and Georg starts to get a piecing headache. Georg disconnects his connection

The Hag calls out in an elderly and jovial tone out of her lair, asking who is out there. Georg casts displace self.

The Hag emerges out of her liar, 5'2" in height, sick is sickly green, hair is near black & scraggerly, amber eyes, inch long twisted claws, her clothes tatted and ragged, and leans on an oaken cudgel.

Georg introduces himself, as Pourvin thinks to himself that he opes that Georg isn't eaten. Georg tries to top the hag reading his mind, but he isn't strong enough to hold her off. Georg approaches to speak with her. The Hag gauges Georg's strength and sees within Georg the mind of another. Then she asks who Georg is asking on behalf of, and Georg reveals Lady Dysec's Name.

The Hag agrees to do her dark magic, but says there is a cost, that she is hungry. That she and Georg will travel to Shirebrook and Thornwood before going to Misty Rapids, with Georg at her arm the whole way. Then she will have Baron Song give her a child as well.

Georg is worried, but the Hag reveals she can disguise herself as a younger attractive woman. Georg offers an arm, and the Hag gives off a hideous laughter that transforms into a lovely laughter. The hag reaches for Georg's arm, but he misses as he is still displaced. The Hag laughs again. He reaches around the real Georg's arm, and Georg feels her real hand and arm, dispite the disugise.

Pourvin gives his farewells as the two head off.

19th-21st April 1509
It days 2 days to reach Shirebrook. During the trip the Hag says she is keeping all the encounters at bay. Also talks of the Curse of the Shadow Valley.

The evening of the 9th day, they reach the far side of the river from Shirebrook. Georg dimension-doors the two of them over to a nearby tavern, The Fish, he can see across the river. It turns out to be poor quality Tavern, so Georg & The Hag leave to head away.

Georg gets her a separate inn room at the Storybrook Inn. Georg realises he is still wearing his Misty Rapids tabard too late. Georg offers to take the disguised Hag to the Halfpint, but she says she will find something to eat later that night.

Friday, 22nd April 1509
The next morning, outside town, Georg casts thunderbolt in the sky, then learns 2 Phanton Steeds.

As Gerog and the Hag are outside town, they are approached by Sheriff Tyrus Bellows, who after demanding who casted thunderbolt, but he recognises Georg. After some silent tense moments, he turns his horse around and returns to town.

The two Travel to Thornwood on the Phamton Steeds and arrive that same day and stay the night. The Hag goes to feed again, comfirmed by the gate guards talking about a grizzly murder the next morning

Satuday, 23rd April 1509
On two Phantom Steeds, they head to Misty Rapids and arrive at Misty Rapids Keep by the end of the day on double Phantom Steed. Kel Crystal lets the two in, then asked who the Disguised Hag is, and she admits to being the Witch of the Wilds. Kel Crystal goes on the defensive, and Georg, to avoid drama, just dimension doors himself and the Hag inside the keep.

They appear in the War Room, where Baron Song and Kel Greller are standing. They hear Kel Crystal raising an alarm, and Baron Song goes off to stop the alarm.

After a moment, the Baron returns, and greets the Witch of the Wilds. The Witch excuses herself with Kel Greller, to allow Georg to explain the price to the Baron. Georg flustered, fails to explain the cost to Baron Song. Baron Song then calls for Lady Dysec, who is now his fiancee, to some to the keep. The Hag takes Baron Song away.

Sunday, 24th April 1509
Georg heads to breakfast and finds that Lady Dysec is there. She arrived in the middle of the night. Also at the table is the Witch of the Wilds & Baron Song.

In the middle of breakfast, a messenger rushes into the room, reporting Kel Greller is dead. Georg and the Baron rush to Greller's room to find his body torn apart and shredded, as well as Greller's boyfriend.

Knowing who caused this, Georg heads down to confront the Hag, who as already left. Georg rushes outside and sees the Witch of the Wild leading the gate in the walls. Georg rushes to catach up with her. She admits to having done it, but Georg is powerless to stop her, as her illusion vanishes and returns to her Hag appearance. The Hag also confirms that Lady Dysec is with child now. Georg hesitates, wanting to attack, but not having lighting bolt prepared. The Hag says a word and is gone.

A few hours later after calming down, Georg meets with Baron Song and tells him the results of his unicorn research he got from the books from Lady Redshield's Library, and asks permission to end it's life. Georg dimension doors down to the dungeons below and ends the unicorn. Georg reduces the size then digs it a grave.

A nervous servant tells Georg that Lasik the Jeweler wishes to talk with Georg. Georg summons a Phantom Steed and heads into town.

Lasik the Jeweler says he wife was murdered and his shop robbed by his competitor across the road, and wishes that Georg exact revenge on the man in exchange for some gold.

Georg heads across the street, slipping on his truth ring. With the truth ring Georg realises that the allegations are true and the rival jeweller was involved. He purchased infomation from some burglers, and robbed the place himself and killed Lasik's wife himslf. The Burglers who sold the information turn out to work for Vanessa.

Georg storms out to confront Vanessa. He knocks on her door and comes in. Vanessa confirms the story without the need of the magic ring.

Wednesday 27th April, 1509
Vanessa informs Georg that she found out about the Wendlin family party in 3 and a half weeks in Rainwood with hints that Annabell Redshield might be there.