The first order of business was to get Droop out of sight before his disguise spell wore off. That meant finding an inn where he could lay low. The closest one, according to the guards Lilvari asked, was the Venturer’s Tavern, which was right off the Heartsward Market. While Lilvari got directions, Ultorin checked out the nearby message board. There were a couple of jobs, and both offered a fair amount of gold. But they’d have to wait.

Team Ramrod headed to the market. In addition to the directions, they were also able to follow a random assortment of villagers and the sound of a town crier’s bell. The maket was in full swing, despite the rainy weather — filled with vendors selling all types of baked goods, jewelry and other things. 

They easily found The Venturer’s Tavern to the western side of the market. Before they could enter though, Lilvari got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach — an indescribable warmth. Looking around, she locked eyes with an elderly elven woman who happened to be walking by. The woman smiled and nodded and continued on her way. She was dressed in white robes with purple trim. Lilvari spied several other women in indentical robes leaving and entering a temple to the north. She later found out that this temple is watched over by the Sisterhood of Silver Fire, a sect that worships Mystra, goddess of magic. 

The Venturer’s Tavern was quite busy and manned solely by the owner, Kharissa Anuvien. Lilvari and Droop got rooms for the night, while the others sat at one of the tables and ordered food and ale. Lilvari made sure Droop was comfortable before heading back down to join them. While there, the party noticed another room off to the side, one that looked quite cozy with with a lit fireplace and several padded chairs and couches. On the couch, in the middle of telling a story were four adventure-seeking types. Lilvari was caught off guard by the fact that they seemed familiar. Stranger still, is where she saw them last. The last time she saw them was in her nightmare. The adventurers were dead. She’d found them in the depths of a dungeon with gaping holes in their chests. Their hearts had been ripped out.

Lilvari told the others about her dream. In addition to this interesting story, they also talked about finding Alice, Katherine’s granddaughter. Something didn’t sit right with the party. Nazzeth asked Lilvari for the strange purple doll Katherine had given them. He cast Detect Magic on it and was able to discern some sort of enchantment. In addition, while investigating the doll further, he found a single strand of blond hair wrapped around one of the doll’s hair. Why, that would be, he wasn’t sure, but he did know that Alice was said to have blond hair.

After finishing their food and drink, Ultorin decided to make his way over and introduce himself to the adventurers. They were in the middle of telling a tale about some key lost to legend. This key supposedly leads to a powerful object linked to a Demon Lord named Orcus. The reason they, the adventurers,  are in Helmshold is because they followed some people here who are interested in finding the key for their own nefarious purposes. One part of their story stuck out in Team Ramrod’s mind: These people who are after the key — they have carvings on the inside of their forearm. The party remembered that they’ve encountered such people before in Phandalin. This group asked to buy Mystic’s flute, a flute that was handed down to her by her grandfather. And when Mystic refused to sell it, the flute was mysteriously stolen the next night and never recovered. 

The party introduces themselves to this band of adventurers. In turn the adventurers do the same. Their group is called The Might of Thorsburrow. They give a small laugh when Lilvari tells them that there name is Team Ramrod. The chuckles die out when the adventurers realize that she’s serious. She tells them of Mystic’s flute and those who may have stolen it. This news seems to trouble The Might of Thorsburrow.

This isn’t good,” one of them says. “If they have the key, then that’s a big, big problem.” The Might of Thorsburrow tell them that they’ll continue to hunt for clues and if they get further news, they’ll share. They are also staying here at The Venturers’ Tavern. 

“One last thing,” Nazzeth says to them. “Can anyone here cast magic?” 

All eyes turn to the halfling. He introduces himself as Alton. “I can,” he says.

Nazzeth gives him the doll and tells him what they know. Alton checks it over.  He tells them Nazzeth that it is enchanted, that whoever owns the blond hair wrapped around it will be under the doll owner’ s complete control. With that, Team Ramrod departs. It’s time to visit the Durger’s, the family who supposedly kidnapped Alice.

Meeting the Durger’s

Team Ramrod leaves Helmshold by early afternoon and reach the farm matching Katherine’s description a short time later. There are fields of grain surrounding a large patch of land, on which sits a two story, white house. A woman is hanging clothes further to the left. From the barn to the right, the party hears the sound of clanking.

They approach the woman, who jumps in surprise. She introduces herself as Helen Durger. They ask her about The Shoppe of Magic Items, but she looks confused. According to her, there isn’t a shop further down the way. She calls over her husband who is hammering horse shoes in the barn. Ultorin takes a moment to give the house a good once-over while wearing his Eagle Eye goggles. He sees that the windows at the front of the house on the second floor have an assortment of dolls in them — none of which look anything as horrible as the purple one. These dolls are pleasant. With his excellent perception, he also hears bits of giggling and laughter coming from the back of the house. 

Eventually, Helen heads that way to retrieve Alice. Both she and her husband seem very concerned. While  Helen is gone, the husband, Daniel, tells them basically that. He also seems to be telling the truth. The party meets Alice who is exactly how Katherine described. She is taken aback by the six strangers in her front yard and somewhat hides behind her mom’s dress. Nazzeth talks to her telepathically and manages to calm her down. In her mind, he asks if she ever met an old woman and if so, did she ever get close enough to pull out any hairs. He hears her voice in his mind. “A few months ago there was an old woman who stopped by. She was asking for some apples. I told them they weren’t in season. I turned around for a moment and felt a pinch in my hair. The lady said there was a bug in it.”

Her story pretty much sealed Team Ramrod’s decision. Lilvari told the Durgers to be mindful of who comes by, that it might not be safe. They are extremely grateful. The party heads in the direction of The Shoppe of Magic Items. 

In the ‘shit’…

When they arrive, Dare decides to go in alone. He has, after all, an amazing idea that will totally catch Katherine unaware. The rest of the party stays outside — Ultorin looks around the cottage for any back entrances while Nazzeth scopes the area for stray hairs that may belong to Katherine. 

Dare doesn’t fully approach the counter. Instead he yells in from just inside the doorway, “Hey! Where’s the shitter?”

Katherine stares at him, wide eyed and confused. It takes her a moment to regain her composure. She simply points in the direction from which he came. “Out house is outside.” When she says this, she says it with a knowing look on her face. To Dare, it seems as if she knows him. 

The fact that the shitter is outside puts a wrinkle in Dare’s plan. Luckily Nazzeth chooses that moment to enter the cottage. Nazzeth is someone Katherine has seen before. She asks him about Alice. Nazzeth, before entering, had magically created a partially transparent hand. He starts questioning Katherine about the legitimacy of her claims regarding Alice. She remains smiling, though both Dare and Nazzeth can see a flare of anger in her eyes. While Katherine’s distracted in conversation, Nazzeth guides the hand carefully to Katherine, attempting to keep it out of sight. She seems to know it’s coming, however, and swats it away. 

The smile falls.  “Dare,” she says, “Your friend is disrespectful. I thought you’d keep better company. Your sister wouldn’t be pleased.” 

With that, Katherine raises her hands. The entire cottage blinks out of existence. Everyone, inside and out, immediately find themselves  in the field where the cottage stood, but an eerie darkiness has fallen over them. And that’s not all. Katherine is no longer an old withered woman, but a beastly hag with deep purple skin. Her dog, which has so far lain near the counter is now a monstrous hound more than ten feet tall and twenty feet long. Hellfire  bellows from deep within its throat. The garden gnome statues  that were sporadically sitting throughout the store pop to life — their once-stoney pointed hats turning red as blood. Moments later, the hats actually begin to drip blood down the sides of the gnomes’ faces. Their small, wrinkled tongues poke out between sharp teeth and lick the blood away. It looks like the party’s  premonition was correct. The fight begins.

Katherine reacts first, grabbing onto Dare’s arm. “I’ll send you to meet your sister!” she screams. He’s able to pull free just before she can finish muttering her spell. As he does, the massive hound lets out a baleful howl. It’s so horrible that Lilvari, Ultorin and Mystic can’t help but back away. It’s frightened them to their core. Everyone focuses on the dog. Dare delivers the final blow with Talon, ramming it straight through its neck.  Katherine cries out in anger. Nazzeth takes to the sky, hovering thirty feet above the ground. From there he points down at Katherine and pulls her up with him, levitating her twenty feet above the ground. Mystic, preparing for battle, turns into a giant wolf spider.

The adventurers are feeling quite good about the fight so far, but then Dare hears a loud CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP coming from behind. Mercarri manages to dodge an attack, but Dare isn’t so lucky. One of the blood-drenched gnomes kicks him square in the thigh with what appears to be iron boots. All the gnomes are wearing them. Dare falls to the ground writhing in pain while another gnome runs up, brandishing a sickle.  It slices at Dare’s face and neck repeatedly. Dare manages to deflect some of the blows. 

Mercarri, horrified of what she’s seeing, doesn’t notice another gnome rushing up behind her. It kicks her square in the back. There’s a loud crunching sound as her spine takes the impact. She goes down. Immediately two more gnomes rush up and start slashing at her face and neck. They begin to salivate as they start rubbing their hats into the wounds, saturating them with her blood. Mercarri fades into unconciousness. The fight, it seems, is far from over.