The party took a skiff over to the south side of Downfall in search of Baron Illig of Muckstamp
They approached a patch of toadstools and felt a sense of cold loneliness wash over them and the melancholy sound of a flute emanates from the patch
An elf, sitting on top of one of the toadstools, is playing a song on a double flute
He introduces himself as Octavian Melaiamne, he seems overwhelmingly dispassionate
Was trying to forget his lost love and made a deal with the hag who took his heart and replaced it with a goat’s heart
Further down the path, the party gets to a hut with a chest in the center of the room, surrounded by 6 cushions, a bullywug noble scribbling on some papers quickly tried to put her papers in order and confirmed that she is Lady Squelchtoe of Slime Gully
She advocated for tearing down the Soggy Court and rebuild it from scratch and said she be queen
She said that the hut is not hers as a misdirection to claim plausible deniability for the assassination plots on the scattered papers, PB opened the chest to even more papers
Moving down the path, they get to another hut with a closed door, after knocking a voice croaks out “put the note under the door”
Barnabus slid the note PB was handed under the door and they could hear the door unbolt and a bullywug quickly motioned them inside
Several bullywug surrounded the room and one introduced himself as Baron Illig of Muckstamp
He said that they wanted to cast down the monarchy and take down the hag, he would be the protectorate in the meantime
His plan to kill the king is to present him with a dagger as a coronation gift but trip and stab King Blackcroak the 2nd
Since they said that the plan required deftness and cunning, Amrynn suggested they use two knives and name the “deftness” and “cunning”
They liked the idea and two of the bullywug in the room quickly left to get another dagger and the baron said to keep an eye during the coronation
In another hut on the path, a bullywug stood next to a toad that was tied with frayed rope to a stake in the middle of the room
She introduced herself as Duchess Volvamp of Bogwater, and said she was playing a game with the king’s toad, named Toad, where the toad swallowed her and then spit her out
She said she was loyal to the office of the king but it was clear that she was lying after some
North of Baron Illig of Muckstamp’s hut, there is a large cauldron by the edge of the water
Barnabus tried to grab the lid to open it but it came to life and scurried into the water
From where the fire below the cauldron a small fire creature emerges from the fire and speaks in a language the party doesn’t know, Amrynn tried to speak to it in common but it responded in broken infernal that only Fable could understand
It asked if they wanted to get in the cauldron and that there was a password and he would help them if they gave him some dry wood
They give him some torches and he says “spittlespew” before disappearing back into the fire
PB went to the edge of the water and said “spittlespew” and a click like a latch unlocking and waded into the shallow water with it
Inside the cauldron was a bubbling, frothy, gray-black liquid
Barnabus took the ladle attached to the side of the pot and stirred it, moving a thick mixture but could feel something in it and scooped out a horn
They replaced the lid, moved back to shore, and the cauldron slowly moved backed to it’s original place on the fire
They headed to the end of the path where there was a guard tower with two bullywug on top
A frayed clothes line lead away from the tower toward the center of the lake and into the deep fog
They said that the cauldron actually belonged to Bavlorna Blightstraw but they try to avoid her
Back by the toadstool patch, there was a giant tree on the edge of the water, they headed that way to discuss their next moves, the tree appeared dead and had no bark
There was another long clothes line heading from the tree to the center of the water
PB heard a fluttering sound and thinking it was 7-up, he called out but a voice called back mimicking his call
Amrynn felt a tingling that he hasn’t felt since he was almost killed at the The carnival
Several voices from the tree were discussing the party and saying how they looked like weird bullywug but then said they must be Bavlorna Blightstraw’s taxidermy creations
One quickly flitted out and then it was apparent that there were four sprites
Amrynn stepped forward and placed his hand on the trunk, he could tell that the tree is sleeping and that it may not be a tree as it has a malevolent presence
The sprites keep heckling the party, mocking what they are saying, and throwing acorns while dodging between the branches
They made their way back to the prison and showed the writ from King Blackcroak the 2nd to Mugwort and she agreed to go with the party
As they walked over the bridge, a new pike with Gullop’s head was added and he was grumbling
The current plan is to talk to Mugwort about potentially stepping in a ruler and falling back to working with Duke Ickrind otherwise