You don't want to have to piss mid-portal

Session 42

Upon entering the house of Lorna, we find that it's three stories. Featured prominently in the main space is a small green cauldron on a table. There's a mezzanine above open to this level below. On the other side of the room is a kitchenette with another cauldron bubbling with blue liquid. There are utensils, vegetables and other kitchen-related items strewn about. There are a few sitting areas spread around, as well as two staircases: one set goes to the overlook mezzanine and another that goes down to a lower level. In the last corner, there's an open doorway into what appears to be a bedroom.

Some from the group investigate the big, messy room. The green cauldron is surrounded by lots of magical-utility items. Maltheo searches for items that could be books or papers. He finds a parchment with unintelligible writing. Cass speaks the language, as it turns out to be High Arcanum. However, it seems to be a bit childish and full of errors. Even with that limitation, Cass finds information about something called "shadow metamorphosis", which seems to be the act of feeding shadow to people to bring them into the shadow. That means this parchment is the source of what she used to turn Kra'naelen's fey dragon into the shadow beast.

Outside, Kra'naelen searches the ash pile remains of the darkling. A scimitar was left behind.

The cast iron cauldron itself, holding the green liquid, seems magical. It's resting on the table and marked all around with designs and engravings. Imagine the Sistine Chapel, but images of people being tortured and unhappy. The kitchen one with the blue liquid isn't magical at all. A small item on the table also gives off the feeling of magic; a conical black metal censer with some incense inside. Finally, the main chandelier and the candles it holds are also magical.

Maltheo and Kra'naelen move into the half-moon shaped bedroom with piles of clothes everywhere. It smells like a dank basement. But even so, there is a very fancy blanket, large, purple, and velvety (surprisingly) compared to everything else in the room. It turns out it's a very high-quality permanent enchantment of prestidigitation: a duvet of gleaming. On an armchair, there is a red pointy wide-brimmed hat with a decorative ornament made of a little skull with black horns. It feels magical.

Briya and Yhanist decide to go downstairs. They follow a spiral staircase downwards, and it goes further down than one would think. Briya tests the depth with a small stone — it's at least three stories down. Briya produces flames and they make their way to a large set of double doors. Everything here so far has been made of bone and other material. But, these are black metal. Entirely heavy iron with one giant circular knocker.

Prophet continues to ritually identify magical items, and next is the green liquid, which seems to be "the potion of making shadow people". He moves to the blue cauldron, which turns out to contain an oil of "hide magic aura".

Maltheo searches the door for traps, but doesn't seem to find any. He grasps the knocker and it immediately burns his fingers. He is unable to release the knocker,  and the red runes on the door begin to glow with energy. "Get out," he hears in his mind as he immediately falls dead. The red lights start dissipating from the door. Briya tries to revivify Maltheo with the diamond. During this time, he describes having had a sense of dead, black trees all around. It feels like he wants to read out for a warm light he can see in front of him, and at the last minute, is pulled by the tail and yanked back into the world of the living.

Prophet arrives only moments too late to warn about not opening the door, and explains about the cloaking potion. A shaken Maltheo, and the rest of the group, all go back upstairs.

Prophet identifies the Cauldron of Rebirth. It can be used as a focus and fills the requirements to be used as a material component in a scrying spell. Once every seven days it can be used to revive someone with the raise dead spell, if filled with 200 pounds of salt, the body, and given 8 hours of time. It also makes a daily Potion of Greater Healing 4d4+4 that lasts for 24 hours.

Candlecoven Censer (Wondrous item, rare, requires attunement by a spellcaster)

This incense burner is roughly 6 inches tall and resembles a tiny witch. A stick of incense can be placed inside the burner and lit using an action. The smoke drifts upward and disperses through the hat-like cap at its top. Creatures within 30 feet of the censer can smell its burning incense. Incense in the censer can burn for up to 10 minutes.  If the censer is burning fine incense worth at least 1 gp, any creature (other than you) that comes within 30 feet of it that can smell the incense must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become cursed. While cursed, a creature can't willingly move toward the censer. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of each of its turns, ending the curse on a success. Once the curse ends on a creature, it's immune to the effect for the next 24 hours. A creature with a trait that grants it advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell has disadvantage on the saving throw, and the curse ends early if the incense is extinguished.  Each time a creature fails the saving throw against the curse, deduct 1 minute from the incense's remaining burn time.  If you are attuned to the candlecoven hat, you don't need to be attuned to this item in order to use it. Any creature cursed by the censer is considered to be cursed by you for the purposes of using the hat's properties.

Hat of the Sanguine Coven (Wondrous item, uncommon)

This red hat is worn by a coven of witches known for their familiarity with death's doorstep. While wearing this hat, you can cast the chill touch spell at will. Whenever you have 0 hit points while wearing this hat, you gain the following benefits:  You stabilize or die after your sixth successful or failed death saving throw, instead of your third, but only succeed on the saving throw on a roll of 15 or higher. When you roll a death saving throw, you can immediately cause the hat to cast the chill touch spell (+5 to hit, no action required) against a creature within 30 feet of you that isn't behind total cover or heavily obscured. If it hits, you gain a +5 bonus to the saving throw.

Cauldron of Rebirth (Wondrous item, very rare, requires attunement by a druid or warlock)

This Tiny pot bears relief scenes of heroes on its cast iron sides. You can use the cauldron as a spellcasting focus for your spells, and it functions as a suitable component for the scrying spell. When you finish a long rest, you can use the cauldron to create a potion of greater healing. The potion lasts for 24 hours, then loses its magic if not consumed. As an action, you can cause the cauldron to grow large enough for a Medium creature to crouch within. You can revert the cauldron to its normal size as an action, harmlessly shunting anything that can't fit inside to the nearest unoccupied space. If you place the corpse of a humanoid into the cauldron and cover the corpse with 200 pounds of salt (which costs 10 gp) for at least 8 hours, the salt is consumed and the creature returns to life as if by raise dead at the next dawn. Once used, this property can't be used again for 7 days.

The Chandelier of Ownership is able to recognize the owner of the house. That person is protected by the chandelier from any other protection magic for the house. Prophet thinks he can be the new master, so he gives a little speech. Everyone feels the bones rattling around the house. For a moment, the flames of the black candles on the chandelier glow purple; Prophet feels it in his mind: the house's presence.

He immediately gains the knowledge that the protection charm that killed Maltheo contained the Power Word: Kill spell; also that the protection charm on the doors prevents them from manipulation (hence the failed Reduce spell). Prophet also knows he'll be immune to the door's protections.

Kra'naelen and Maltheo have a talk about death; Kra'naelen reveals what happened to him while he was dead. Maltheo makes him agree to assist him, with his life, for his task.

Yahnist and Briya are going to the third floor. They climb the stairs and see an opening to the left that spills into a wide, dimly-lit room. At the end of the room, there's a giant terra cotta fireplace with dying embers. This is where the ash phoenix must have risen from. Stairs also go up one more level to the 4th floor's mini tower.

Cass, meanwhile, is looking specifically for high value spell components, but doesn't seem to find any. In one sitting area in the couch cushion he finds a spellbook that must have originally belonged to a necromancer. He also takes and puts on the Hat of the Sanguine Coven.

The top of the tower has a black orb on a pedestal. It's sculpted "into" the bone. There's nothing else around except a 360º-view of the surrounding area. Briya and Yahnist hear approaching footsteps and then see, on the ground, a tall-looking figure coming toward the house. She has a green and brown flowing robe. The overall air of not being ornate, but also not left for wanting. Her face is covered with a veiled mask and the cloak has a hood.

Prophet opens the door to welcome her just as Yahnist simultaneously makes a warning shot.

We then notice her overly-long elven ears as she intones, "Oh hello; sorry… I didn't mean to scare anyone. I thought the house was empty, until this very moment."

Prophet: "Why would it be empty?"

"There are rumors traveling through town that Lorna is dead?"

"Oh, news of my achievement has spread so far so quickly?"

"So you're the one who defeated her?"

"I… did have help from some friends."

"Could I please come in to have a conversation about this?"

"Do you mean ill-will?"

"I'm not trying to harm anyone, if that's what you're asking."

As far as the group can tell, she's being genuine with her words. Also, into her head Cass projects: "I'm here to kill them all, how can I help?" However, the message seems to not be received.

As we spend more time in front of her, the Elven features are there, for sure, but lots more…. something more than an Elf? Features like long auburn hair to her shoulders, long slanted eyes, very high cheekbones. She's familiar with the place, and walks around knowingly. She is aware of Lorna and the house! She must have worked with her. All of this information combined with these features make us think: nymph.

Prophet invites her to sit down. She magics over a chair and says her name in Sylvan: "I am Greensong". Maltheo: "So you are part of the coven!"

"'Coven' is a misnomer. I was with a hag, yes, but this creates rumors. We cooperated and I came for tea from time to time."

Maltheo lays the charges; Greensong isn't interested in her "little experiments" and she starts looking around. She notices the kitchen cleaning itself up; giant glowing portraits of Prophet all over the place.

In response to Briya asking as to why she's here: "I was here to find the enchantments and protections for this place; maybe to move in. It's certainly better than where I've been staying."

We are curious about perhaps making a deal. The house for the missing stone keys. She says she's not interested and pulls out the stone fish key. Briya knows we need more time to investigate the black orb in the tower and the basement doors. And quickly gets Prophet to ask her to come back tomorrow at noon.

Prophet replies with "Barnabum" when she asks his name.

"That's not your name; Prophet isn't either. That's just a title," she says. Then continues in High Arcanum: "House? What is the name of your owner?"

The chandelier rattles and in the house replies with a name you haven't heard before. [To be continued!]

Notes:
- she's hunter's marked
- room arrangement is made
- add censer to bag (goes with censer hat)