Dwindor Witch’s Presence in Crestwold Campaign

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[contentblock id=dunst-rise]Part of Crestwold (Campaign Arc) pt. 1.

This describes the character of The Witch of Dwindor Swamp, her resources, motivations, and some [optional] scenes she is part of. She can be a major ally to the party in the campaign arc.

The Witch of Dwindor goes by “Enni” for now. Her real name is not in any language the party can speak.

Contacting and Communicating

Initial Contact

Visitations

  • Animal Messenger
  • Avatar

Reporting to Her

Adventures & Scenes

Procuring a Personification Vessel

The witch will deliver a message via Animal Messenger; large rat (witch) gets attacked by a sea snake (Elancil) – constrictor w/bite. Elancil is trying to stop the witch from communicating with the PCs. The animals will fight for three rounds, if the PCs to do seperate them, the snake will kill the rat and the PCs will not have this scene available.

DC 10 Wisdom check to sense divine presence. If the rat survives, it delivers the witch’s message:
My wayward children, it is time that you gather and show me your pledge to my cause. I need you to procure a vessel for me so that we communicate more readily. Find her, and bringing her tomorrow at midnight to the abandoned Lizardfolk lair at the base of the cliffs north of Torrelsons Ford.

The PCs will have 24 hours or a little more to find candidates for a vessel to inhabit for three months. Any longer and it will damage the vessel. The witch can inhabit the vessel after three rounds of concentration and talk directly to the PCs any time. When she’s not inhabiting the vessel the vessel is easily lead and obeys simple commands.

Narrow it down from some known possibilities: prostitute (the PCs have undoubtedly visited one), seamstress (done some repairs on the PCs clothes), farmer (widower, alone and may lose the farm), potter’s assistant (Josey can point out a known agent working against the Morbin Brothers). The PCs can try and come up with a scheme to get a willing vessel (DC 16 Persuade check to keep them calm and another to convince them), to avoid the unpleasantness of kidnaping.

DC 14 Religion to know what it does/ how to enact it. If the PCs fail, they will have to find another vessel and try. On success, the Essence is mingled, corrupted on some ways, and drained by 1 permanently.
The PCs will have to pay for her support (food and lodging) out of their own pocket. If the target was willing, the witch can cast Healing Word 3/day (d4/2 + 6) through the vessel.

Reigning in the Lightbringers

The witch is running a campaign to make the Lightbringers look bad. She does not want their influence so close to Dwindor Swamp.

Insulting Graffiti

Setup: Distraction = +1 per character involved, +1 if each area is done in one night.
Mission: Put up insulting words and images to the Lightbringers around Torrelsons Ford
> 3 Nights; the PCs can do all each night, or focus on 1 area per night.
  1. Sneak into an area of Torrelsons Ford North Ridge (Stealth DC 14)
  2. Sneak into an area of Torrelsons Ford docks (Stealth DC 15)
  3. Sneak into an area of Torrelsons Ford Kite Hill area (Stealth DC 13 or 16 if done last)

Reward: Favor of the witch; if particularly well thought out/creative or all areas done each night: the Vessel gains +1 healing word/day use

Service Interruption

Mission: Interrupt a service in the chapel of the church they have almost finished building. They are holding service in the sacristy area instead of the unfinished chapel.
Setup: One guard walks the perimeter with a lamp; guard changes every 4 hours.
  1. Stealth DC 17; torch set on half built wall of chapel

    2. OR
    Break into the half finished chapel on North Ridge (Stealth DC 11 to go through new front door)

  2. Pick the lock of the sacristy door (Lockpick DC 20)
  3. Sneak into the sacristy (Stealth DC 20); their is a cleric sleeping here (Cleric 1, of Aerna)
  4. Create a hidden trap to go off during a service (Intelligence DC 15)

Reward: Favor of the witch; if particularly well thought out or vulgar the Vessel gains +1 healing word/day

Bad Laundry

Mission: Steal and desecrate the crate of white and yellow robes; d4 days till brought in, cleaned, and consecrated
Setup: Discreetly buy supplies to do this – dyes, and such – or it may be traced back to the PCs. Investigation DC 15 (20sp bribes can drop the DC to 10 or talk to Lucky to discover how it’s being brought in and when. Coming in with the [opposite faction of the PCs in the trade war] connections over land.
  1. Get in the warehouse (Pick Lock DC 20)
  2. Find the crate in the warehouse before watchmen come (Perception DC 20)
  3. Perform the ruination of the garments quietly (Stealth DC 15)
  4. Get out of the warehouse (Stealth DC 15)

Reward: Favor of the witch – a test of loyalty only.

Prevent the Hallowing

Mission: Steal the Sun Disc holy symbol of the new church they are raising. Get it before it’s consecrated
Setup: Find out how its coming in; Investigation DC 20 (50sp bribes can drop the DC to 15 or talk to Lucky and pass him50sc to discover how it’s being brought in and when: Courier on horseback from the east in d4 days. Lightbringer disguises can throw the courier off balance
  1. Ambush the courier
  2. Fight the courier: chain shirt under smock, cleric 3, 23hp, mace. He has a decoy icon in his satchel and the real one in his saddlebags.
  3. A chase will require Ride checks.

Reward: Favor of the witch; Swarm Breaker +1 magical quarterstaff, has 8 charges/as an action cast Charm Person on a swarm of natural creatures (1 charge; druid can Persuade DC 10 to turn swarm on opponent), or Barkskin (2 charges); regains d6 + 2 charges daily if left under the night sky. Requires Attunement. The attuned character can sacrifice one of its maximum charges for a Conjure Animals spell – https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/conjure_animals/

The Hollow Souls are Vanishing

The Messenger of the Witch

There is something going on in Crestwold:

A Dimming Light

The hollow souls are vanishing. She has sensed an ebb in the soul lights of the area near the Black Shore and Calibans Slurry. At first, just a few vanished, but now something is happening of a much more dire nature. The Hollow Souls are not replenishing their numbers. They normally gather in Yarans Vale, all the lost souls in the swamp, and their memories is one of Enni’s favorite places. Months have gone by and seen their numbers dwindle and no be replaced. The loss of a few is always accepted, but now their numbers are far less. Go to Yarins Vale and find out what is snuffing out the lights of the Hollow Souls.

Normally phastasms of umbakian dead walk the black shore area but are harmless.
A few angry, prideful and violent souls became willo-wisps

= will o wisps are being drained.
= wraith is risen in the chapel of Helmandal