Obscura is at a party trying to find a buyer for the Sad Lady. The boys and I decided to check out the Dark Coven. We go over Friz’ inventory of possible things we can trade and come with some components he picked up along the way and a humongous he created.

Raelin gives the bad news that he saw Snargras back at the market – oily bastard. Able to wiggly away from the demon.  I told Samus to be on extra guard as he was the only one of us not in disguise that night.

Samus sees Sam Creed nearby and invites him into Idlewood where I offer him an apple (which disappears into this cloak) and some wine.  He seems quite touched we trust him enough to enter our home. He has some new items – one in particular we think Obscura would like – the Dark Shard Amulet.  He also has a greater heal that Samus buys. I show him the shell necklace and he says he would give us 150 gp store credit and we agree.

We ask him about the Dark Coven on 4th street and if he knows of it and he says he knows the place, but stays away.  He could take us to it, but doesn’t want to go in. We ask him to come late in the evening and he agrees. We disguise ourselves and Sam shows up at dusk and we head out of the University district toward the Barbarian district. He leads us to 4th street that seems to be little more that a darkened alley and shows us the Dark Coven.  A long, tall wall flanks either side of the door and we can see the shadows of trees in the late evening light.

Friz tugs on the bell pull and darkness surrounds us.  Not natural darkness, but magical.  I call out to the boys and only Raelin and Samus answer.  “Hold hands,” I order and I ring the bell.

We are whisked into a room dimly lit by a fire and we are behind two large humanoids and a skinny witch who is putting a finger at a chubbier witch who is standing defensively in front of two children.  “Give me the children, Gertie” the skinny witch hisses.

“Never, they’re my wards, Natty.  Leave you’re not welcome.”

The skinny witch, Natty shoots fire at Gerty, the chubby witch, who throws up a shield spell.  “We have to pick a side,” Samus says.

“We save the children,” I say and we attack the large brutes who seem to be the bodyguards to Natty. 

Samus grows larger and grabs one of the brutes and is able to pin him.  Raelin and I attack the other one when Friz takes off the right leather glove revealing a withered hand and points it at the brute shoot off a fire bolt.  It seemed touching that book had consequences – both good and bad.

Natty disappears and reappears behind the children and before Gertie can stop her she disappears with the kids.   We kill one brute and the other surrenders.  Gertie tells Samus to kill the ogre and he does. For the first time she really looks at us and thanks us for our help.  I should have been more aware as to how observant she was as she knew Raelin was a changling and the boys gave their real names, but I, wanting to practice my clandestine skills lied about my name and Gertie was not very happy. But because we killed the Ogres she would be willing to sell us some of the coven wares.

She tells us that Natty, known as Natasha, likes to eat children but fattens them up first.  She says she has taken them to her cabin off the western path over the river.  Gertie says she can’t go past the river but can take us as far as the bridge.  We agree that we will go get her wards, Jonathan and Wendy, in exchange for a blood fruit and an ether toad. Gertie says when we get to the hut we have to say “Little hut, Little hut, Turn your door to me.”

She says Natty has the ether toad, but we are more than welcome to go out back and pick a blood fruit but watch out as there are some beasties back there.  She tells us to come back tomorrow night as she will have some wares that may help us in our journey to kill Natasha.  She warns us that Natty is very distantly related to Iggwilv – queen of the witches -- who was the mother of Iuz and a powerful witch, but not part of the Dark Coven. Tells us we should bring a way to counter her spellwork and to be careful as she has many Ogres working for her. 

Friz examines the Ogres and fines within one a large red ruby that Gerty calls the “heart of the ogre”.

We ask Gertie how we can get in the back and she says we will have to climb the outside wall.  We bid her goodnight and that we would see her tomorrow. 

We get to the wall and Raelin uses his grappling hook and Friz makes it over the side.  Samus goes next and I tie the end of the rope and Samus pulls and I fly over the wall landing on top of him. Just then an large bear-like creature with an owl’s face attacks us.  We yell at Raelin to come over as Samus tries to grapple the creature.  We finally are able to dispatch it -without Raelin – who can’t seem to get over the wall.  Finally, he pulls himself up while Friz takes components- owlbear beak, feathers, blood, and claws.

We continue deeper into the overgrown backyard that seems huge, like we aren’t in a city but a country estate.  Strange noises and calls surround us.  We spot a large tree and in the moonlight we can see the deep red bloodfruit.  As Samus steps toward the tree, a five headed lizard creature with bark like skin blocks his way.  Samus is able to stun it long enough for me to send Mouse up the tree to get the bloodfruit and we run back toward the wall and are able to shimmy up and head back to Idlewood.