Chapter 12: Searching for the Forest Witch

February 26

In the morning, Neiia claims to have seen a dragon in the sky. The others don’t see anything. Neiia said that the dragon flew low to the west. The group continues regardless of a potential dragon in the area. They reach the lake without problems. Ertak flies up and after a few dozen seconds manages to get past the branches and above the treetops. He sees several larger trees but cannot determine which of them would be larger than the others.

Ertak returns down, and the group heads north under Agnarr’s guidance. They come to a 25-meter-diameter clearing, in the middle of which is a large tree that, according to Agnarr, is the largest tree in the forest. The tree is about five meters thick and 50 meters tall. No other trees or bushes grow under it, just grass.

Agnarr remembers that various predators usually live in these large trees, such as hunting birds, etc. The group prepares, and Jaysek stays behind to take care of the horses. The group steps into the clearing, and after proceeding some distance, they see a woman dressed in elegant clothes step into the clearing from the opposite side. The woman’s clothes would be more suitable for some festivities than here in the forest. The woman’s appearance is somewhat elf-like but not an elf.

The woman starts talking as if she knows the group members. She says that she had seen Neiia. Though Neiia was very small then. Neiia asks whether during the time of her real parents or her adoptive parents. The woman says both, but then corrects that oh, she wasn’t supposed to tell about that, for reasons she that she refuses to specify. Neiia asks what her name is, and the woman says her name is Ageiaa. Ageiaa says that she came here to meet the group because she had heard that they were in the area. Suddenly Ageiaa conjures a large fireball and throws it upward, bringing down a bird that was just about to attack the group. The fireball was really large, and Ageiaa conjured it very quickly.

She then says “When you go to the dwarven temple, don’t go downstairs. It’s a bad idea to go down there. Just do the job you’re doing currently.” Kieron asks if the dragon that Neiia saw lives there, but Ageiaa says no, Fredrika lives almost at the peak of Draskar’s Crag. Ageiaa says that she going next to talk with Fredrika. Kieron then asks next if the tree they are close to is indeed the oldest tree in this forest. Ageiaa confirms that it is indeed the tree that the druid planted first long time ago when he made this forest. After this, Ageiaa conjures a magic door next to her and steps through it, and then the door disappears.

The group begins to examine the tree, and Agnarr finds the right kind of moss it. In addition, he notices that at the base of the tree is a three-meter-diameter Tatzl Wyrm nest. Fortunately, the creature itself is away, but the group decides to leave the place.

They continue west and find the forest witch’s cottage, or rather they find a clearing about twenty meters in diameter where some weeds, etc., grow, and on the other side is a cottage. The group goes to the cottage and tries to knock on the door and call her by name, but nothing happens.

They notice that various plants, etc., and animals are hanging on the cottage’s porch, and they have been there for some time. Similarly, the cottage door appears to be quite rotten. There are only hardwood trees at the edge of the clearing, but the plants on the clearing itself are mostly overgrown with many plants, so it doesn’t look like any tended herb garden or garden.

Neiia wonders if the forest witch is still alive. She opens the door, and moist air comes from inside, and there is a smell of decay in the air, but also some herbal smells. Inside, there are various jars on different shelves containing different plants and other things. In addition, the cottage has a small wicker chair and table. On top of the table is a skull over a meter in diameter and other white objects. In the middle of the room is a large cauldron, and in the back corner, it seems as if there is a bed. When they look more carefully inside, they notice that it’s as if someone is sitting in the chair, slumped in place.

Neiia steps inside and notices that the white objects on the table are teeth. There are about a thousand of them. Kieron follows. Neiia feels bothered by something inside but doesn’t see anything special. Ertak comes to the door to peek and claims that the large cauldron in the middle is a magic cauldron. Neiia doesn’t believe that. Jaysek hears the argument and also comes to the door to take a look. He confirms Ertak’s claim that the cauldron is a magic cauldron. In addition, Jaysek states that the large skull on the table there is a Wyvern’s head, and there is a jar of the herb we are looking for. The others ask how he identified it, and Jaysek answers that it written on the side. Kieron goes to the jar while Ertak goes to Neiia so that she could cast true sight on Ertak.

When Kieron touches the herb jar, the magic cauldron rises up and attacks Neiia. Ertak flees outside, while Agnarr draws his axe and runs towards the cauldronm tries to hit it and breaks his axe against the cauldron’s side. Kieron puts the herb jar back and draws her club and run to the cauldron. The cauldron tries to squeeze Neiia and succeeds on the second attempt.

After this, the cauldron tries to swallow Neiia whole and a little over ten seconds later finally manages to swallow her into its stomach. Kieron and Agnarr beat the cauldron, Kieron with her club and Agnarr in turn with his shield. Jaysek shoots the cauldron with his pistol and hits with every shot, astonishing himself at the unusual accuracy. Ertak tries to use his fire wand but doesn’t succeed after a couple of attempts, and after that, he in turn goes to extinguish the fires started by Neiia’s fireballs. One fireball hit the corner where some jar exploded, and flammable liquid begins to flow from that shelf onto the floor. When the cauldron has swallowed Neiia, it goes after Kieron. Kieron dodges attacks until Agnarr breaks his shield against the cauldron’s side, but at almost the same time, the cauldron also breaks, and Neiia rolls out.

After this, Kieron takes the herb jar up to safety, while Jaysek and Agnarr extinguish a large fire, and Ertak first heals Neiia and then extinguishes the small fire next to her. Neiia goes outside to rest, and the others begin to examine the cottage.

Agnarr finds an herb called Anserke that stops bleeding. It is usually found at the seashore. In addition, he finds powder that repels animals, i.e., it is used such that a circle of it is spread around the camp, and it repels most animals. Besides these, he finds a salve that has a label in the northern language that it’s for bandaging needs.

Kieron finds another jar that also says bandaging needs, and Jaysek analyzes it and finds out that it helps as well as the normal salve that the group has with them, but only one of these can be used. Jaysek cannot figure out how effective the powder found by Agnarr is.