Hag Shadow:
Esther Greybrow is not the sweet old lady that everyone seems to remember, but a Hag Shadow that has been devouring the souls of the children in her care.
Alley thinks that her dream and Zarek’s both delt with the Hag-Shadow.
Alley: “My dream showed her as a caring guardian that looked after the Children.”
Zarek: “Oh no, while mine showed me what she did with the Children. The salty water, the Blood and the flesh.”
Alley and Zarek are unsure what to do as Alley thinks the noise of the Children upstairs is more important as she cannot hear the melody emanating from below. Zarek and the other hand cannot hear the Children running and laughing and so the treat is obviously the Ghostly sounds drawing them downstairs.
Zarek: “I think its best that we first check the Taproom.”
Alley finally agrees and the two Heroes exit the first floor, via the outside stairs, and they head into the Taproom to search for the Lullaby that only the Rogue can hear.
Alley: “I still cannot hear the melody you say you hear Zarek, where is its origin?”
Zarek stands still and listens out for the music and he can hear it a lot clearer now.
Zarek: “It comes from the Cellar, of course it does.”
The Song from The Basement:
Zarek recalls how it all began, as the Rogue tried to drift off to sleep, he feels a vibration running through his headboard and from the wall. Something is sounding off in the distance but cannot discern its nature. Dare you investigate it?
Zarek is woken by a strange song and it leads Zarek to thinking that they need to go downstairs to the taproom.
“Through the manor Zarek and Alley creep, the gloom pressing in from all directions while that noise, a song, you’re certain, babbles from the dark. Craning your ear, you can tell that it echoes from the Taproom below.”
As no interior staircase connects the Ground floor of Trollskull Manor to its 1st, and higher levels. The Heroes must brave the outside night, the winds howl like frenzied Ghouls as the two Heroes ventures outside. as Alley and Zarek pass through the alley, they notice how quiet and empty the streets are.
When the Alley and Zarek then reach the taproom, Zarek is ahead of the two and the noise leads them to the hatch that opens upon the basement.
Alley: “I can hear it now; we need to find out what it is.”
Zarek: “Nothing good I suspect.”
“That dreadful noise leads the Rogue and Bard through the taproom. The very floorboards shudder from that unnatural song.”
“A foul stench drifts up from between the cracks and water drips loudly below. The hatch to the basement rattles in its frame as the song draws you closer and closer.”
Alley: “Quick open it up and see what id below.”
Zarek: “Don not be too hasty Alley; we have found nothing good so far in the Cellars. It might even be another unwanted guest from the Underdark.”
Zarek: “Stand back Alley and let me investigate.”
Alley: “Use your Candle Zarek if you need to illuminate your way or take a closer look at something.”
Zarek commands his Magical Candle to light and takes a look into the Ale Cellar of Trollskull Manor.
The basement has been flooded not by water, but by some other liquid that Zarek cannot identify, it has more Viscosity that I expect normal water to have.
Once a Zarek descends into the basement, the sounds of singing become stranger and sound like someone babbling incoherently. Alley Joins Zarek carrying a lit Lantern and exclaiming that she can clearly hear the tune.
Zarek searches the Ale Cellar and finds nothing out of sorts except for the 3 foot of Liquid covering the Ale Cellar floor. Zarek move into the Wine Cellar and it is there he finally finds the origin of the melody, an abomination of a creature consisting of body parts of children, a truly horrific sight.
Gibbering Mouthers endlessly feed on and regrow their own amoeboid bodies, amorphous heaps roiling with eyes, teeth, and strange organs. These mind-bending terrors sing and scream, laugh and cry with a cacophony of voices ranging from disturbingly unnatural to shockingly familiar. They exist only to feed and to unleash their disdain for reality, their many maws dripping with otherworldly spittle.
This Gibbering mouther has come into being in a very unpleasant way, the Children consumed by the Hag-Shadow Esther Greybrow has grown it and all the appendages and other organ once belonged to these innocent children.
Zarek is forced to use his will-power so as not be drawn to or enslaved by the creature’s song and fall prey to the madness.
The liquid in the Cellar makes it hard for the Rogue to move freely. Later on, they find out that it was Ectoplasm spilled from the weakening between the Material Plane and the Hag-Shadow’s demiplane.
The Gibbering Mouther is an amalgam of the Orphaned Souls cooked by Esther Greybrow, all screaming in some unnatural soup animated by the Hag-Shadow’s ravenous hunger.
The initially attacks with its ranged ability, the Blinding Spittle, which is a chemical glob which is spat at a point it can see within 15’ feet of it and the Tiefling is close enough to it. Then the Mouther also lashes out with its appendages causing a fair amount of damage to the Rogue. Zarek strikes the creature with his drawn Rapier and then elects to Disengage from the fight and make his way back into the Wine Cellar calling out for Alley a she does.
Zarek: “My Rapier has done damage but not as much as I had hoped and we need to leave.”
Alley engages in the fight and strikes the Gibbering Mouther with her Fire Bolt Spell.
Alley: “It is alight but the full force of my Fire attack only angered it.”
Zarek: “Lets retreat for now, go, I will cover you Bard.”
Alley climbs the ladder as Zarek attacks once more and the disengages once more and scrambles up the ladder to join Ally. Zarek waits to close the Trap Door as he wants to see what the creature will do next. What it does is to extend up and begin to seep and ooze through the floorboards.
Zarek: “We need to leave now.”
Alley: “It may be now is the best time to go and investigate the children, quickly let us travel upstairs.”
The Orphans Black:
Alley takes the lead so the Rogue can use his fighting skills with an advantage. Alley had said that the footsteps came from upstairs; yet as the two Heroes moved through Trollskull Manor and every time they tried to investigate, the steps lead them both on until finally terminating in the Attic. Therein, Zarek spots 2 of the 3 Orphans Black, now apparent that they are the ghostly survivors of Esther Greybrow’s carnage and the target of the Hag-Shadow’s ravenous hunger.
Zarek
“Your eyes narrow on 2 children: their very flesh seems to shift, not wholly transparent but not wholly solid. Their voices come from another world, echoing off every floorboard and wall with an ethereal quality.”
Gron, a Half-Orc boy, appears to be a nervous 8-year-old. while the second Orphan Black was called Victor, a 13-year-old Human Boy.
All of the Children were hiding behind old furniture or behind sheets. they were not willingly come out of hiding and it was Alley’s persuasive words that coaxed them both out of hiding.
The 2 Orphans Black are scared witless, for they know deep in their hearts that the Hag-Shadow has come to finish the job. Victor tries his best to keep Gron calm but is doing a piss-poor job of it. He constantly promises the others that
Victor: “All will be well.”
It was at that point that another Orphan Black in the form of a Girl this time. Matilda, is an 11-year-old Human Girl.
Zarek comes to the conclusion that the Orphans Black do not yet know they’re dead, nor that this ethereal night is repeating.
As Alley continues to questioned the Children, Victor explains that “Mama Esther” has been eating the other children and that she’s come home to finish the job.
Matilda states that their only hope is to wait until “the grown-ups” in Gold and Green, the City Watch Alley thinks to herself, arrive as they did last time.
The Hag-Shadow Arrives:
The Hag-Shadow heralds her presence by singing a nursery rhyme that can be heard by all, including the Orphans Black.
“A Crone’s voice slips through Trollskull Manor, both a whisper and thunder, both omen and off-key”:
“Hush little Orphans, don’t cry no more, Mama Esther’s at the door. Winter’s quite long and money’s tight, but Mama made dinner for to-night.”
Alley and Zarek both see the Orphans Black, and the spirit begins to scream and thrash. Zarek attempts to calm the children but is unsuccessful. The children scream as Matilda warns,
“Mama’s home! Mama’s home!”
By the window where Zarek stood, he sees a word being written on the dusty glass in a familiar handwriting:
Lif: “Mother.”
Meanwhile, the Hag-Shadow’s song continues:
The crone continues that wretched song as the floorboards, all floorboards, squeal and groan and the winds outside worsen into a gale:
“So, hush little Orphan, the stew is hot. Hush little Orphan, get in the pot. Hush little Orphan, Mama’s got you. I’ve got you right where I want you.”
The Orphan’s Black all run away in different directions.
Zarek and Alley notice that the window hatches were closed and when they were open, they saw that they were bricked up and no light was seen through them.
The Heroes head back down to the 1st floor and to the external stairs. However, instead of the door opening out to the Alley, they find a corridor that extends when they each enter and they are transported out of the Front Door and into the Taproom.
They enter and exit separately but both find that the Gibbering Mouther had made its way up into the Taproom.
Here is when Alley and Zarek finally meet the Hag-Shadow, Esther Greybrow, for the first time. At first, they imaging a pleasant old smiling lady that looked like most Humans Grandmother, but then:
“Out from the gloom comes a form half of shadow and half of a corpse: a hunched old woman that stagger on, a ravenous smile painted her ripped lips. Her eyes are cloudy discs of red and milky white, and her voice gets your very skin crawling:”
Esther Greybrow: “They’re mine,” she whispers,
Esther Greybrow: “They’ve always been mine. Now and forever.” Her smile stretches as she calls out, “It’s suppertime, children!”
A shrill cry pierces the night:
“Begone from this place!”
The Hag-Shadow points at the Rogue and he fells like his life-force was being drawn out of his body but he is able to resist the effect and Esther Greybrow then looks up, and extends her body upwards, slipping through the floor boards like some sort of Ooze Creature.
Esther Greybrow does not want the Heroes of the Filed Ward and she prioritises reaching an Orphan to use her ‘Devour Spirit’ ability so as to restore her Shadow Force.
The Hag-Shadow first attempts some form of Spell or ability and Zarek feels that he is being drawn away somewhere before he is once again able to defend his mind from its Magical effects. Then it sniffs the air and head up towards the celling as she morphs like a liquid through the floorboards of the 1st floor of Trollskull Manor.
This then allow the Gibbering Mouther to advance on Alley and use its Blinding Spittle attack on the Bard. The Rogue and Bard and then able to engage with the creature, inflict more damage and then escape with it on fire and seeping ooze.
Alley and Zarek then rush off to find the poor Orphans Black. They exit via the Front Door and are transported to the Common Room. From there they both rush up to the Attic and find no sign of the Orphans Black. They do however hear the sound of one of them screaming out, Victor.
The two Heroes dash down to the Common Room and there they find the Hag-Shadow and Victor, or what was left of him.
“The Hag-Shadow’s withered hand snatches at the screaming. The crone’s jaws unhinge and stretch impossibly far as she swallows up half the child, ripping and tearing at flesh that turns to smoke. With a sigh, the crone smacks her lips and whispers a single word:”
“More.”
Zarek attacks the Hag-Shadow only to find that his slash seamed to pass through her easier than a normal body. The Rogue realises that it must have the Undead effect of by resistance to most damage or non-magical weapons.
Zarek: “Alley, she resists my blows, try your Fire on the crone.”
Alley expels a ‘Fire Bolt’ at Esther Greybrow and strike the creature, but her Fire is also resisted or unable to damage such a creature.
Esther Greybrow Looks up once more and moves up and after another of the 2 remaining Orphan Blacks.
Alley: “What happens if she eats them all Zarek.”
Zarek: “Nothing good I would say.”
The Two Heroes are then separated as they go through an external door, which is not the main door to the Taproom or door to the 1st floor, each arriving at a different location within Trollskull Manor.
Zarek appears in the North Privy on the 2nd floor. Also there, hiding from Esther Greybrow and looking extremely scared is Gron, the Half-Orc boy.
Unbeknownst to Zarek, Alley is transported to the Master Bathroom on the 2nd floor, her own Bathroom, and there hiding in the bath was the second Orphan Black, Matilda, the 11-year-old Human Girl.
Zarek takes the scare Gron upstairs with him, having persuade the young child that he would protect him with his life.
Unfortunately, this was nearly completely undone when Esther Greybrow is waiting for Zarek and Gron upstairs, in Zarek’s very own room. Here Esther Greybrow attempts her ‘Roast’ ability on the Rogue once more and this time Zarek is caught off-guard and disappears from his room, leaving Esther Greybrow and Gron alone together.
Zarek: “Where in blazes is Alley, I could really do with her help right now?”
Alley is in the Master Bedroom with Matilda, while attempting to calm her down and listening out for any clues as to where either Zarek or Esther Greybrow are. Alley has great difficulty with Matilda.
Were as poor Zarek finds himself in an enclosed area, 3’ feet by 4’ feet, with not apparent way out and blazing hot, the hot air burning his throat as he sucked it down. Enough for the Rogue to take burning damage from the heat. The Rogue fails in his first attempt in escaping from this Hell.
Alley hears no noise, except for the cries of Gron downstairs somewhere, but she cannot take Matilda anywhere near the Hag-Shadow, that is exactly what she wants. What to do?
Zarek attempt to escape for a second time and he is successful and able to free himself from, what turns out to be, the oven in Trollskull Manor.
Zarek: “We don’t have one of these, what is going on? Aaaggg, I need to Heal my Wounds, the Amulet of the Drunkard, there must be some Wine or Ale about.”
Zarek regains his strength and realises he is in the Kitchen. He believes that the Cooking Pot, that they previously found in the Kitchen, has something to do with this mystery and Zarek was determined to get to the bottom of it. Zarek looks about and atop the stove, the stew boils. Zarek elects to open the pot and finds bones floating in blood and broth. Opening the pot emits a foul stench; and the Rogue’s Strong Constitution prevent wrenching. The disturbance causes a handful of eyeballs to the stew’s surface.
Once empties the stew, Zarek thoroughly checks the Cooking Pot while Alley keep guard by the Kitchen Door. Zarek is rewarded for his persistence as he finds the initials EG carved into the base of the Cooking Pot.
Zarek: “The Hag-Shadow owned this Cooking Pot I knew it.”
Zarek searches the Kitchen thoroughly and finds no further clue but notices that the Kitchen he is in is not the Kitchen in Waterdeep.
Zarek finally grabs that he needs to get out of the Kitchen and reach poor Gron, who is now in the hands of Esther Greybrow. The Rogue knows to use a door leading outside which is not the front door and so he exits the Kitchen and appears in the Bedroom on the 1st floor.
Zarek: “I need to be quick.”
The Rogue moves as silently as he can, but alerts everyone to his coming. Within the Den the Rogue finds a bleeding Alley standing in front of young Gron, who is now not crying but looking defiant. Alley must have provided some Bardic Inspiration, allowing the young Half-Orc to resist whatever it was that Esther Greybrow used on poor Victor.
Alley now thinks that this, that to her Religion Studies, that when hurt, Esther Greybrow prioritises reaching an Orphan to use her ‘Devour Spirit’ ability so as to restore hit points, as is clear has happened.
Zarek arrives just in time to inflict enough damage to expel Esther Greybrow from his Material Plane.
Trollskull Manor begins to return to where it should be and the spirts of all the Children return one last time to thank Alley and Zarek for releasing them from their Hell.
Alley finds that she is holding Zarek’s hand as she sobs uncontrollably. The Rogue looks across at the Bard with tears in his ear too and is thankfully that Alley does not see.
After a while Alley wipes her tears away and look to the future.
Alley: “This is why I have chosen to do what we do Zarek, no Laws or Rules. Just Truth and Right.”
Zarek: “That is very simplistic, Dr Yung wrote in his papers that…”
Alley: “Oh Zarek, your cold logic is sooooooooo endearing, please go on and on.”
The 2 Heroes look at each other and burst out leaguing and a fait chuckle is heard in the background as 2 full Tankards of Best Ale float towards them.
Zarek: “Lif, you’re back.”
Lif then scrawls the words ‘Grand opening’ on the floor and the two Heroes of the Field Ward and now Trollskull raise their tinkered in a toast to themselves.