#39 - Night Hag Alley

Here the narrative is again written by Xoma of the M’jai family, drow wizard of Xen'drik.

* * *

I was secretly thrilled when Sa-Jira indicated that she had ascertained the location of Jabra, the mysterious night hag known for her expertise in all things alchemical and arcane. The young medusa led us to an alleyway in the district known as Sar Kuraath, or Little Graywall, which houses the city's smaller citizens—chiefly, goblins and kobolds. In its depths, a rustic tent was occupied by an old woman. Sa-Jira was clearly uninterested in meeting Jabra—and indeed seemed angry with Rendar for some recent lack of attention—and left the moment we reached Jabra's tent.

The old woman, who seemed nothing more than a human crone working in the shadows of the tent, did little more than shuffle along inside. Cypher was unsure of himself and my warrior companions were out of their element. Without delay, I walked through the open flap.

The interior of the tent in no way matched the exterior. After entering, I found myself in a swamp. Damp, dim, though still somewhat stifling and smelling as much like a Graywall alley as a wetland. Across a field of standing water, wild grasses, and candles, stood Jabra. Her night hag nature was far more apparent here. Jabra still looked like an old woman, but was much taller, had the warty, hunched, horned features of a powerful blue-skinned hag of folklore.

I assumed that Jabra’s domain was an extradimensional space of some sort. The swampy appearance might be an illusion, or the space might simply be populated by whatever Jabra desires. The hag stood over a table covered in oddities of all sorts. A silver-plated ogre skull served as her cauldron. She looked at me and asked, "Why have you come?”

I was unsure of what would interest a hag, but I knew what I wanted. “I have come for magical scrolls.”

“Arcane?”

“Yes.”

Jabra said something to the effect of "I prefer barter over coins, and lives over barter. Can you offer any?” Though I could not offer lives, I knew I might have things I could offer instead of gold." She withdrew a coffer divided into two halves of rolled up scrolls. "I have a number of spells available. Peruse them and tell me what you can offer.”

Unable to read the magic at first glance, Jabra placed a bowl in front of me filled with brackish water, with disembodied eyeballs rolling at the bottom. She told me to rub the water on my own eyes, and I did so, unfazed. Instantly the arcane writing became clear, so I looked through the scrolls and found Jabra to have a moderately impressive selection—read magic, blur, melf’s acid arrow, protection from energy, blink, and the like. Finally, I showed her my Sul'atar flamebound boomerang, imagining that she might find a use for it. She seemed intrigued and said that I could pick two of the spells in exchange. She indicated that the owner of the boomerang wanted it back and was actively seeking me to get it. Evidently, she had the power to learn about the origins or previous owners of physical objects.

She also offered another spell if I revealed a secret of one of my companions. I thought about it for a moment. I didn't want to betray my current companions, but felt little compunction about revealing information about....

Well, later I would learn....Halbazar. I must have described the strange Aundairian sorcerer that my companions tell me had traveled with us for a time. The hag was intrigued. She informed me that she would have to see for herself by looking at the memory directly. I was nervous about having someone in his head, but intrigued about the hag’s magic, so I must have agreed.

Jabra brewed some variety of potion and had me consume it, though it tasted foul. I can only conclude that the concoction siphoned from my mind the memory in question. I came out of the stupor it imposed on me and found Jabra staring down at me, leaning close, smiling. I really couldn't remember the nature of the transaction at that point, but I accepted it. This was a night hag, after all. Her methods cannot be understood.

I hedged his bets. “So now you’re going to give me what I asked for?”

She gestured to the pile of scrolls. “Take one more.”

I chose a third scroll. I asked if she had any interest in gold. It clearly wasn’t her favorite thing, but it still had its uses. In exchange for 800 gold pieces, she let me choose one more spell.

Following that selection, I made my way out of the swamp. I assumed I could reach the exit simply by heading back the way I came, and I was correct. Had I been less groggy, I might of thought more about what had happened. I passed Cypher on his way in to visit Jabra, too, but said nothing to the warforged.

As soon as I left, I thought of one other item that might interest Jabra. I waited until Cypher was finished meeting with her, then went back in and showed her the goblin spellbook I had found in a laboratory in the ancient underground ruins of Darguun, near Paluur Draal. Jabra was interested, but skeptical that I had returned.

“Is this a gift?” she asked.

I hadn’t planned on giving it as a gift, but it seemed like a good idea. “Yes, it is.” She seemed pleased. I started to walk out, but she called out to me. “Then I will give you a gift as well. For several days, you and your companions have been followed by an armored warrior who traverses the rooftops as easily as a cat burglar.”

I thought it might be the drow I had seen in the stands at the Six Stones competition. Jabra now had the boomerang, so it was her problem.

* * *

Cypher proceeded in to speak with Jabra and had a similar experience—though his manner, and the information given to him, was quite different than Xoma's. For knowledge, he traded the Cyran backback and its contents—including Rungo, the stuffed bear—which Jabra immediately and deliciously identified as belonging to a "father and daughter." Unconcerned by this, Cypher received information about the schema he'd been carrying around—the one found inside the body of the warforged Claviger.

According to the night hag, the schema itself was used in or around the Mournland, but likely before the Day of Mourning.

* * *

Leaving the night hag behind, the PCs made their way out of Little Graywall and returned to the Temple of the Shadow, where Zerasha and Drix prepared them for the first night of Long Shadows, the holiday where evil magic is said to be greatest, where the powers of darkness are stronger. They left their weapons behind and went to the Arena, ready to fight in the Giant's Ring.