9 Kythorn 1491
Brigands’ Tollway
Travel across a network of raised wooden causeways, until they notice an extra cloaked figure in their midst who, once discovered, reveals themselves as Agdon Longscarf.
Big Stump
Yndrus manages to get the jump on Agdon, and Charms him into being somewhat indifferent rather than hostile. After a short discussion, during which Agdon is still somewhat smarmy, superior, and insolent, they are let go by the Harengon Brigands without conflict.
Agdon tells them to find the Talking Heads, and with the Charm fading, says he hopes they’ll join them soon.
Downfall
Introductions are made, and the newcomer is found to be Clapperclaw, whom Jingle Jangle had suggested they find to guide them.
Continuing on towards the king they pass by the rows of severed heads on stakes seen in the vision in the stream. The heads call out towards them in a cacophony demanding information and attention.
They turn out to be the heads of previously deposed monarchs of the Soggy Court, each convinced that their own reign was the most magnificent. One claims to have even been invited inside Bavlorna’s house and shown her prize pool - although is unable to provide any further information on it.
Downfall
Discovered Morgort being held captive in the holding cells, and that they had been the one left behind after helping Sir Talavar escape. Mellow offers to break them out in return for assistance against Bavlorna, so Phee picks the lock. Clapperclaw leaves an “IOU one prisoner” note to leave in the cell.
Downfall
Drawn towards a fascinating balloon, seemingly powered by a captured storm, The Party investigate and find a shop run by a pair of Darklings, who seem only marginally interested in selling anything.
Mellow is interested in a Moonlight Monocle, which the Darklings claim can help with the ability to see in the dark. Even after being shown its effectiveness she declines to trade for it, as they wish in payment either the colour from her eyes or the rhythm from her feet.
She does, however, trade her eye colour for a Unicorn Horn.
Downfall
Deciding to Return Bavlorna’s Book, Phee is sent to fetch a boat for the crossing to Bavlorna’s Cottage. Clapperclaw is unable to overcome their fear and will not join, however Morgort happily follows up on their deal and accompanies The Party.
Bavlorna’s Cottage
The crocodile is delivered to Bloody Toes as meat, in payment for Vansel.
Both Mellow and Phee enter the freezer room to search for hearts. After turning up nothing, Mell investigates a frozen wooden box. Phee attempts to try and melt it, but it re-freezes. Mell shoves her sword against the lid and levers it open. Inside is a still beating heart. Phee reaches out and grabs it, feeling some sort of ripple as a spell breaks. Having nowhere to put it, she shoves it into her backpack as is.
Bavlorna’s Cottage
Mellow casts a glowing light form and the room illuminates. It’s a horror show of dead pixies pinned to the wall and encased behind glass. One of these glass boxes is broken and empty.
Bloody Toes, after determining that The Party are hostile towards Bavlorna Blightstraw, lets them know that she has an aversion to people turning widdershins, anti-clockwise, in front or her. “She sneezes, you kill!”
Mellow continues to explore, and discovers some miniature versions of Bavlorna and a distillery before meeting back up with the others.
Bavlorna’s Cottage
The next door leads to Bavlorna’s study, where she sits with a Darkling who is introduced as Charm.
Yndrus introduces The Party and, when asked about their presence, says that they are there to Return Bavlorna’s Book - which she eagerly grabs from him.
Tense conversation follows, and she demands the party do for her some favours, including fixing her pool and fetching a package. Yndrus doesn’t appreciate the demanding nature and condescendingly says he’ll get to it, and turns counterclockwise on the spot. Morgort growls and says she fetches for no-one. Bavlorna snarls and insists for their assistance as they leave.
Downfall
The raised paths end, and the party find themselves traveling beside a stream which widens, slows, and opens into a small lake.
Croaking voices can be heard through the fog and two skiffs appear holding Bullywug members of the Soggy Court. Mentions of Wigglewog cause them to denounce him as a traitor and further questioning shows that they are terrified of Bavlorna. The party are then directed to introduce themselves to the king, Gullop XIX.
Passing by a damaged balloon being mended by a Bullwug Yndrus Moonwater casts Mending, causing the Bullywug to become dismayed at their own lack of magical ability and hence being damned to hard manual labour.
Upon using some stepping stones to cross a small river a strange rock creature, indistinguishable from the others, is disturbed and Yndrus is forced to jump forward and apologises.
Mellow jumps into the shallow water to avoid the obstacle and is almost immediately harpooned by, and dragged towards, a pair of disturbingly warped mercreatures emerging from the lake - Merrow.
Drawn by the commotion a strange scarecrow with pincers for hands appears and helps the party kill one Merrow and drive the other back into the lake.
Downfall
Continuing towards the king they find Gullop XIX in a gazebo, surrounded by his subjects and knights, reading from a book. He chastises The Party for arriving without a herald, which prompts Mellow to announce the arrival of Yndrus as the Monarch of the Witchlight Carnival, bringing attention to his Witchlight Crown.
Taken somewhat aback, and now speaking as if to an equal, he asks a favour of them. To Return Bavlorna’s Book in return for his hospitality. When the book is handed over a knight also slips with it a Secret Note which implores them to find Illig and makes reference to a revolution.
Clapperclaw is able to inform them that Illig is a Bullywug knight, and likely somewhere in Downfall.
After some discussion they agree to the favour, and head off to find allies - after Clapperclaw tells them of a Bullywug being held captive in the cells.
Bavlorna’s Cottage
A trap door opens into a large square room dominated by a shallow pool, in the centre of which is a well. Also in the pool are a mirror and a ten foot wide lily pad, which resists Phee’s attempt to cause it to bloom flowers.
Morgort inspects the balcony, and hears from the resident frogs that Bavlorna is indeed at home.
Mellow takes a staircase up to the second floor and explores, hearing two voices through a door before she retreats. Meanwhile, downstairs, Phee has opened a door to a horrifying room full of spliced together taxidermy creatures. Mell comes across two pincushion dolls in the image of Bavlorna’s sisters and stuffs them into her pack, hoping to barter them for the Moonlight Monocle. Yndrus checks the last room, and comes across an hourglass sigil on dark wood, and a closed cupboard.
The party splits, Mell peeling off to go back up the spiral staircase, the rest outside to go up the stairs there.
The bulk of the party walks into a bloody kitchen, where a figure chases two vultures around a cutting block. The figure asks the party to kill the vultures. Phee states they’re just there to see Bavlorna. At the mention of Bav’s name, the figure spits on the floor and states their hatred of Bavlorna. Phee recognises the creature as a Redcap, a homicidal creature born of bloodlust. It’s now grabbing instruments off the walls and hurling them at the birds, clipping one with a cleaver, and cackles with glee.
Phee asks why it’s here if it hates the place so. It can’t leave. When pressed, it glowers and and scoffs. They ask w here Bavlorna is again and indicates a nearby door.
Phee asks the Redcap its name. Bloody Toes. It again asks the party to kill the vultures. Phee casts sleep on the remaining vulture. Bloody Toes gleefully runs over and chops the vultures head off. Phee is aghast.
Downfall
The party moves on, and heads across the lake to more buildings. There’s a haunting tune of flute music wafting over the breeze, and the party spies a slender figure sitting atop a toadstool. Mellow attempts to accompany them, but doesn’t do a particularly good job.
The party approaches what turns out to be a slender elf. They learn the elf had bargained with Bavlorna to forget his first love, but reneged when it came to payment. Infuriated she stole his heart and replaced it with that of a goat, leaving him unable to feel any emotion. Mellow vows to keep an eye out for his missing heart.
Morgort returns from a successful hunt, with a large crocodile in tow.
Bavlorna’s Cottage
Back in the kitchen, Mellow checks out one more room. It appears to be a meat freezer, with an icy coffer in the centre. She opens the last door leading from the kitchen, it’s some sort of larder. She spies movement in one of the jars. It’s a wiggling toadstool. Curious, she goes to pocket it. The shroom opens two tiny eyes and smiles, pressing up against the glass. Enamoured, she asks if it wishes to leave the place. It nods and she pockets it, jar and all.
As she tucks it away, Phee recognises the mushroom as from a happy species that likes to sing. Delighted, Mell deposits it into her bag.
On the way out of the house, the party checks the second story balcony attached to the kitchen. There’s a Satyr hanging in a cage. Phee attempts to free him but fails. A conversation ensues between the rather plucky Satyr and Yndrus. As they chat, Phee tries to free him again and fails. Bloody Toes has seen this interaction and is pissy about Phee trying to free the Satyr, as they’re meant to be a meal for later. Morgort manages to convince the redcap to free the Satyr in exchange for bringing more meat to replace who they just freed.
The Satyr presents a stick and blooms the end of it, Phee, overwhelmed with joy, snatches the stick from them.
The party goes back to the first floor and investigates the broken pool. Yndrus summons a fish familiar and sends it down into the well. As it swims down, there’s a flicker of movement and Yndrus loses his connection to his familiar. He clears his throat awkwardly and tries to convince Phee that the fish swam to freedom, but she doesn’t believe him. He sighs and tells the truth about the strange thing down in the well.
Downfall
Mellow Dias, disguised as Sowpig, returns to the storm balloon and trades the doll of Endelyn for the Moonlight Monocle. She morphs back into herself where nobody can see her, and heads off to join the rest of the party (sans Morgort, who has gone off to hunt for meat). The party enters a large home and are met with a large hall full of members of the Soggy Court.
They move on and tell Gullop XIX they’ve done his task and he’s pleased, indicating that the party is welcomed into the town as part of their tribe.
They move along to another building and check it out for the crate. No crate, only a sweaty Bullywug that’s attempting to put out the fires inside the building. Thanks a lot, Morgort. After some conversation, Phee and Yndrus agree to help the Bullywug. Mellow couldn’t care less, and pulls out the mushroom in the jar, and opens it. She smiles gleefully at it and sings a friendship song. The mushroom is absolutely captivated and parrots back in a nasal harmonisation the song that Mell is singing.
The cleaning process is quick, and the Bullywug, Ickrind, seems mildly appreciative, but worn.
Downfall
Upon returning to Octavian, Mell and Phee present him with the beating heart. Phee passes it over and he just kinda stares at it for a while. “What do I do with it?”. Mell suggests finding a mage, then takes a stab at “helping” by shoving the heart against Octavian’s chest. Nothing happens. Regardless, he’s thankful and tries to give the flute to Phee, but she declines, stating he should keep it, but he refuses. She agrees to look after it until his curse is lifted. Mell claps Octavian on the back and joyfully states “you have a quest, friend!”. Phee passes the flute to Mell and she accepts them, despite how awfully creepy they are.
The party starts knocking on houses and come across one where a voice states, slide the note under the door. Mell does so, and a jittery Bullywug opens the door and peers out at them. Join us, it says, introducing himself as Illig.
Unwilling to let them leave while they know his cunning plan, Illig has the party stay overnight.
Mell tries not to laugh. So far her impression has been that the Bullywugs are inept creatures and their plan is likely to be entertaining. Morgort scoffs at their pitiful gear. Yndrus says he’s happy to listen to their plan after a nap, but they excitedly blurt out their plan. They are gonna walk up to the king and stick him in the eye with a dagger. He’ll never see it coming.
Morgort rolls her eyes and launches into a long monologue about the red for a just leader etc. The party, just looking for a place to rest, agrees to rest in their home. It becomes apparent that in the home is the crate that Bavlorna is after. Mell hangs with her new mushroom friend, whose name is Peke Peke.