The Gang Met A Witch
This is from the 10th session of my #DnD game, we play around every other week, sometimes with longer breaks. The party (Wizard, Druid, Forge Cleric/Artificer) just reached 4th level and has a Stronghold (the Manor at the Old Orchard Hill).
The party has been chasing rumors over the game, and decided to investigate the caustic black ooze local hunter Lars Bailey has seen on a few animals in the southern edges of the Duskwood. They consulted with the medicine woman in the town (Anton's Mill) and got general directions and advice, including a warning about the Witch of the Ashfens: Mother Leondra.
Mother Leondra is known to the villagers, but doesn't make herself a nuisance, typically only concerned with her domain in the marshland south of the mill town. The party decided to seek her advice.
They made their way into the Ashfens, and were met by two crows, their eyes sewn shut with red thread. Winora the druid spoke to them (queue the goofy voices) and asked if they knew Mother Leondra, of course they do. That's their mother.
After some convincing (and bribery) the party successfully persuaded the crows to guide them to the witch's home. On the way they ran into a Catoblepas afflicted with black ooze. They fought the monster, realizing that if it takes damage the ooze scatters dealing acid damage. After they defeated the monster, Destin the Artificer collected the tusks, tail and eyes.
They established camp, and watches. Wizard Armond got distracted by Will-o-the-Wisps during his, wandered out into the swamp and abandoned. He ended up spending the night sleeping rough, the party went without a watch the rest of the night.
The next day the party regrouped and made it to the witch's hut. A sign in giant (the lingua franca of my world) reads "No Soliciting" and in the clearing beyond a hut stood on a giant bird leg, moving slowly like sleeping breath. Armond knockef on the door, a voice inside asked if he'd read the sign, once he promised he wasn't here to sell something the door opened to reveal a middle aged woman working on some knitting in the far side of the hut. They talked for a while, the party joined them, Leondra made some veiled comments implying that she was going to eat them. Leondra snapped her fingers and the cookware began preparing lunch.
While waiting, several crochet poppets came and inspected the party, one observed Destin, then came back with tin armor, he gave it a bell which it wore as a helm. Another surveyed Winora and found a mop of yarn dreadlocks to wear, Winora gave it a feather from her hair to wear. A candle lit itself in blue flame and a third doll, red-haired, chased it. As it got close to the candle it extinguished and another lit. The doll chased the "Will-o-the-Wisp" for a minute or so until Around gave it a playing card (thematically his spells draw inspiration from card tricks). It parachuted down from the shelf with the card.
The party has lunch with Mother Leondra, she gives more specific directions to the well of black slime. She thinks it's leaking from the Lake of Midnight Oil in the Feywild (the barriers between the mundane world and Feywild have been blurring in the region, it's one of the larger themes of the campaign so far). She said to look for a fairy ring around the source of the ooze, perhaps breaking it would help. She told them iron, salt and fire can be useful for pushing back fey magic. Lastly she cautioned them to be careful of "Old Jed" a "Scion of Death" and unfortunately unneighborly resident of that region of the Ashfens.
The party headed out again with bellies full, guided by one of the crow-familiars of Leondra. As they go, they run into a pair of Ettercaps. This was supposed to be a random encounter to give Winora a monstrosity to transform into (being a druid with a Stronghold has its perks). The flight went pretty south pretty fast, and before long, Armond was dead. After they dispatched the Ettercaps, the crow stood on Armond's chest, it's mouth opened and Leondra's voice emitted from it's mouth. "What is he worth to you?" After some discussion, Destin decided to give up his dreams to bring back his friend (Destin has seen many PCs die, mostly due to low levels and poor rolls). A red thread ties itself around his finger and then turns invisible, sealing the deal. The crow began to hack and cough, eventually it vomited up the poppet Armond gave the card. The doll doubled, then tripled in size, rapidly changing and taking on more of Armond's features, if still in knit form.
That, my friends, is how my party's wizard became a puppet.