The Black Wyrm of Brandonsford

"Just want to talk. About the dragon, or whatever it is, and about what might be bothering the fae." Gann pauses a second, then adds. "Though maybe we could just ask you directly, if you’re willing. Don’t worry, the steel isn’t for anyone here."

Wren whispers to Nissa, saying, "Ingrid too us she's friendly, and might know more, remember?" She then stands back and let's Gann handle speaking to these small creatures.

Sable will place his sword down where he stands and steps forward.

"Here, leaving it behind. Now, answer their questions."

He takes out 5 pieces of silver, one for each of them and Kitt, presenting it in his palm and shaking it around so it tinkles. He nods his head at the silver and offers it towards the fae, never taking his eyes off of them.

"Wellllll…" the delicate fae creature says musically to the group, settling back into the pond so that their words bubble the water, "Vivian will turn you all into shrubs if you carry implements of war into her home, or onto her property! You’re lucky she hasn’t seen you!"

Rising up again, the elfin being comes out of the water nearly to her waist, revealing that she is female as she eyes Sable’s dropped weapon…and as she ignores his proffered silver.

"No no. In the pond! You must place all of your nasty weapons in the pond!"

Gann loosens straps and removes his various weapons. He bundles them up and hesitates.

"In the pond? We’ll be able to get them back later? I suspect we’ll need them if we’re to help set this forest back on the right path."

Wren approaches the nearest topiary and examines it. Is this the work of skill or magical transformation? For example, are any of the things depicted unreal and thus probably not a real creature she transformed? Do they all look like idiot adventurers? And! Do they all wield weapons?

Edging closer to the water, Gann sees shapes beneath the surface of the pool. Weapons? Perhaps. Hard to tell without getting closer. When the man asks about getting his back, the little water pixie bounces her eyebrows and sinks back into the water lazily, swimming on her back for a moment.

"Depends how Vivian is feeling! And how your visit goes!"

Behind the Marchguard, Wren is more closely inspecting the human figures in the topiary, as Sable had. They appear to be beautifully pruned shrubs and bushes, and the men and women figures are largely made up of people conversing, laughing, frolicking, admiring one another or one of the many animals also represented in the yard. None of the figures are armed.

Nessa nods along, then presents her deductions:

"Right, I see three possibilities here. First, the witch does actually turn people in to shrubbery on a whim. This would place her firmly in the "evil witch" category as far as I am concerned. Second, these fairies here are associated with the witch and are part of some sort of test to judge her visitors characters. Third, these fairies here are not associated with the witch and are just playing a prank on us. Anything else I missed?"

Sable shrugs and puts his coins away. He takes out the tarp, once used to capture Naggeneen, and carefully places his sword in. He then drags the tarp closer to the others.

"Sounds about right. We won't know until we see this Vivian. Perhaps this can keep our things together and a little drier."

He'll wait for the others before approaching the house, crouching down to rub behind Kitt's ears to help with his unease.

At Nessa’s suggestion that this is just a prank, Gann sighs and shakes his head. He then proceeds to fasten his weapons back in place.

He take a deep breath, then booms out. "Hello Vivian! You’ve got some friendly guests here to see you!" He takes another breath. "Ingrid sent us to talk about what’s been troubling the wilds!"

He smiles at the pixies, returning to a level volume to address them. "That was a good one, you almost had me. You ever pull any pranks on Vivian? I’m sure you’ve got some stories to tell."

Wren turns around an annoyed look on her face. She points at the shrubs and says, "Nah, the pixies are lying. Look at these figures. None are armed. They are laughing and frolicking over here. These are art works, not transformed victims. Besides, Ingrid would've warned us. Especially after all we did for her, you know? I say we ignore them and go in." She sticks her tongue out at the pixies.

"Oh, she's totally evil!" the water faerie calls over to Nessa. Splashing water towards the adventurers when Wren speaks up as well, she tries to get them wet, adding, "Not pranking! You'll see!"

The fae creature and the accompanying bobbing heads all disappear with a splash when Gann's voice booms out, seemingly spooking them, frightening them off.

There's a noise from inside the hut then, a clunk or a thump. The quartet is able to focus on the building now, and sees that smoke puffs from the chimney, and the smells of something cooking emanate from within.

Suddenly, heavy wooden shutters are thrown wide and a woman's face appears in a window. She is elderly, with wild gray hair and sharp, bright eyes.

"Who goes there! I'm baking! Who disturbs my baking, and for what purpose!?"

Wren steps forward and raises an open hand in greeting, and says, "Hello, I am Wren, friend to Ingrid the Herbalist from the village. She suggested you might be willing to share your wisdom with us about these woods. I can sing you a song, if you wish, in exchange."

"And we don’t mean to interrupt your baking, I’d be happy to help while we talk, maybe with the mixing or tending fire. I know I don’t look it, but mother always said I was a boon in the kitchen."

"Also I really like your garden. Those topiaries are truly impressive. How did you get all that detail in there?" Nessa quips with a smirk.

Sable shrugs and gathers up his things. He slumps in the back with Kitt, keeping a wary eye on the pond and the witch's hut.

Gann is confused for a moment when he’s called "the big one", given his wiry frame and relatively short stature. But then he remembers all the kit he’s wearing, shrugs, and does as she says.

He heads around the back of the house in search of firewood.

Wren smiles with relief at Vivian's response, smirks a bit at the pixies who tried to fool them, and heads within. She sings a song of traveling along the river, of the adventures one has on such journeys, and the sadness in the traveler's heart leaving their loved ones behind.

With the pool's denizens gone and the others busy with Vivian, Sable is tempted to dart a hand in the water and see what shiny things he can gather before he is called in with the others.

Kitt's tongue is lolling out and he is panting, clearly thirsty, so he shuffles along into the hut after Wren. His head nods along involuntarily to Wren's song, just as it did when they were on the river.