Ending off Act 1 with brief Tav POV.

"Aah, sod it. These useless gnomes aren't worth it.", Brithvar declared.

Tav seemed to be equal measures relieved and disappointed. Nyx sidled next to her while the duergar stowed their weapons and argued amongst themselves. Ultimately, helping themselves to the 'vault'; a large trunk with supplies and provisions from Nere's tent.

Tav eyed Nyx with suspicion and Nyx gave her a curt nod. Tav relaxed and quipped smirking, "So, you're not planning on filleting the rest of them?"

Nyx regarded her coolly, Tav uncrossed her arms and tilted her head in concern. Nyx held up the coin between two forefingers. Tav frowned at it and then at her.

"What are yo-"

Nyx cut her off, "Clive, you may want to join me now."

Tav stared at her confused and Nyx continued, "Elder Brithvar", she addressed him, and he turned to her scowling, "I think this belongs to you", and she flipped the coin in his direction.

He snatched it from the air, inspected it and inclined his head grinning towards Nyx while she set Clive down on a chair nearby. Brithvar return to his plundering and Nyx quoted to his back,

"You are a weapon and weapons aren't meant to weep."

He froze.

"Nyx what are you do-", Tav attempted again, and Nyx waved her down.

Nyx replied softly, not looking at her, "A favour for a friend."

Brithvar rounded on Nyx and growled threateningly, "Who told you that?", unsheathing his blade.

Nyx took a step forward and declared, "Joslin sends her regards."

The scowl dropped from his face in momentary disbelief but was shortly replaced by rolling mocking laughter. "The bitchspawn lives!", and he gestured to her with his blade scowling again, "She owes me and now you're going to tell me where the bitch hides."

Nyx returned a menacing smile, "No need, she'll collect you."

His flabbergasted expression was priceless, and Nyx recited calmly,

"Maleficas urere, malefici adurere."

Brithvar started to laugh again, "She can't touch me!", but a wind picked up and snuffed any lit lights in the vicinity. The lava fields casting everything with an eerie glow while the wind continued to howl and the hot air whispered the barely audible words of the incantation around the platform.

"Sed redeamus de cineribus."

The wind suddenly stopped, nonetheless the whispers continued in multiple breathy voices. The torches and fires were relit in a ghostly green flame. Brithvar and his mates froze, looking around wide-eyed.

"Nyx?", Tav asked in a small voice behind her.

"Maleficae clamant, veneficae clamant."

Glowing green circles sprouted around each of Brithvar's remaining clan members, and he looked down horrified. The power locked them in place.

Gale sucked in a breath, "She's hexing them!"

Wyll replied, "But she's not a witch."

"Ex verbis eorum qui mentiuntur."

Brithvar's crew struggled against the magic, but to no avail. The magic extended upwards from the circles into green translucent cylinders, engulfing each of them. Nyx could see them screaming inside, banging on the walls, but no sound escaped their prisons.

Gale elaborated, "She doesn't need to be, she only needs a conduit from the actual witch."

Karlach squeaked, "Nyx, you're scaring me."

Clive grumbled unperturbed, "It's alright hothead. Joslin is only interested in Brithvar and his bozos."

"Okay"

"Maleficae moriuntur, veneficae moriuntur."

Ethereal shackles rose from the circles, their chains growing and snaking towards the captives, finally clasping around their wrists. Blood seeped down Brithvar's chains as he violently thrashed against them.

"Corpora nostra aqua alba sepulta."

The whispers stopped and there was a puff of green smoke next to Brithvar's prison, a silhouette darkened the swirling centre. Nyx snorted amused and Clive rumbled, "Classic Joslin."

A shrill voice announced from within the smoke, "Where is Shovel?"

---

The smoke settled and the quasit's large eyes blinked in confusion. She glanced at a gaping Brithvar and then at each of his crew members in turn. Her black gaze circled the room and fell on Nyx.

"Nyxie! Nyxie!", she cried flinging her arms in the air, cantering in place. She scampered excitedly towards Nyx, squirming in delight as she looked up at her with a razor-sharp smile.

Nyx petted the soft pliable spikes on her head, "Hi Shovel, it's good to see you too."

The quasit squirmed again and looked around frantically, "Clives! Clives!"

Clive leaned backwards away from her grasping claws, "Aye! But get yer grubby paws away from me! I don't know where ye have stuck them in!"

Tav stated, "I've no idea what is going on."

Nyx turned to her blank expression with a smile, "My apologies, I'll explain in a moment.", and said onto Shovel, "Shovel come here quickly, I want to show you something."

Shovel eagerly scampered over, looking up at Nyx expectantly. Nyx sat on her haunches next to Shovel. The quasits' head tilted, she gasped shaking with anticipation and pointed at Tav, "For Joslin?"

Tav was taken aback.

Nyx snorted behind her hand, "No, these are my friends. Joslin friends.", and she pointed at Tav, followed by each of her other companions and spoke their names clearly. Their confusion and concern becoming intrigue while Shovel listened intently.

Shovel scrunched her nose and asked, "Shovel Nyxie-friend too?"

Nyx chuckled, "Yes very much so, but those people", she swivelled on her toes and pointed at a yelling but immobilized Brithvar, "Are for Joslin. Bad people. Not friends. Hurt Joslin."

Shovel flexed her claws and glared at them hissing through her criss-cross teeth. She excitedly cantered again, clapping her hands and squirmed, "Feed them to Wendy". She scampered off to sniff at them from a distance with commentary of what Wendy might do to them, punctuated by a swooshing tail.

They deserve no less.

Nyx rose and found Tav grinning at her approvingly, "I think I got the gist."

Gale remarked with an upward pointing finger, "More than that. Nyx practically gave us a lifetime-no-hex-guarantee from Joslin. Who I take it is a rather powerful witch... likely the head of a coven, if the magic at work is anything to go by", he paused impressed and chuckled gesturing with an upturned hand, "And from Shovel for what it’s worth. However, invoking the wrath of a quasit wouldn't keep me up at night."

Wyll whistled, "That's some favour."

Shadowheart quipped her ponytail swaying, "That's some friend. I don't mind being in a witch's good books. I like her methods too. Who's Wendy?"

Nyx replied maliciously between her teeth, "A wendigo."

Shadowheart recovered from her brief shock, "Oh, I definitely like her", and strolled over to chat to Shovel. Shovel enthusiastically explained to Shadowheart what waited for Brithvar and his crew once Joslin's coven had finished preparations to receive their 'guests'.

Tav mused at Nyx with a finger on her chin, "And after springing all of this on us without so much as a word of warning I think it only fair that you ought to tell us the story about how you got into the good books of a witch named Joslin. Who has a pet quasit called Shovel,"

"Familiar", Gale corrected.

Tav rolled her eyes smiling, waving over her shoulder, "Who has a familiar quasit called Shovel, and Wendy the wendigo ready to eat her enemies."

Nyx laughed, "One for the campfire for sure."

---

"Woe is the Weave! That is not how it is done", Gale stopped Tav in exasperation, who was about to overturn the entire contents of the bag of mushroom spores out onto Nere's face.

Tav shot him an unimpressed eyebrow, "Then you do it", and she shoved the bag into his chest, crossing her arms waiting expectantly.

He beamed at her, "With pleasure!", and he removed his knife, but the radiance drained from his face as soon as he looked upon the corpse and back to his knife.

Nyx rolled her eyes, "Not to worry, Master hunter to the rescue", and she strolled over retrieving one of her throwing knives. Gale was more than happy to hand over the bag to Nyx remarking that he prefers reserving his culinary expertise for preparing dinner.

She snorted and sat on her haunches next to the body while Gale loomed over her shoulder, elaborating on the proper procedure for seeding mushrooms into a, err, body. Nyx was amused by the running commentary, making shallow horizontal cuts into Nere's flesh, scooping spores from the bag with the tip of her knife and lining the cuts.

Nyx stood once she was satisfied with her work, plenty of spores remaining in the bag. Halsin and Shadowheart ambled over, and they all watched with morbid fascination while the mushrooms sprouted from Nere's corpse. His eyes fluttered open and the same ghastly blue glow emanated from them, he shambled to his legs and looked pointedly at Tav.

Nere's mouth opened and Sovereign Spaw spoke, "Peace has been restored and our mycelium will unite the Underdark once more. Life-Chanter, know that our song will always be with you."

Tav wished Sovereign Spaw and his colony well. Nere's body shook, and he jerkily shambled to each of the remaining corpses littered around the platform, seeding them with spores. Once reanimated, the husks made their way back to the colony.

Nyx thought it poetic justice that not only will the myconids get their fungus zombie out of Nere and his followers, but also a nest of sentient sentinel centipedes. Nyx gestured with the bag to Tav and Gale who both shook their heads, Hmm, alright I'll keep it. I'm sure I'll find use for it.

Wyll and Clive were discussing Hag contracts, Astarion listening intently. Lae'zel was inspecting the magical prison cells and Shovel was staring up at Karlach in amazement asking whether she was a dragon. Karlach guffawed and fire sprouted from her to Shovel's delight.

Clive elaborated, "Yer see, Brithvar thought that he had a water-tight contract with the hag and because of that Joslin won't be able to hex him."

Wyll nodded sagely, "So she found a loophole?"

Clive chuckled darkly, "Aye, Joslin could not hex him directly," and he glanced at Nyx sharing a wink with her, "Hag contracts are tricky like that, always check the wording."

Wyll grinned and inclined his head when Nyx sidled next to Clive.

Clive addressed her, "They're about to shite their pants if yer going to leave them to Shovel any longer."

She eyed the prisoners and schooled her expression, "Let's give them the formal send off," and he grunted in agreement. The others watched with curious trepidation and Shovel eagerly rushed over to stand beside Nyx.

Nyx readied herself for the next spell, Joslin's magic had coursed through her during the first incantation, and it was unsettling - something teetering between euphoria and dread that made her queasy. She shivered, but steeled herself and recited,

"Maleficas urere, malefici adurere."

The multiple whispers joined the incantation immediately, both the lit fires and lava fields were tinged green. Shovel squirmed with excitement, "Burn, burn", she chanted along to her own tune cantering in place again.

"Ex erroribus tuis didicimus."

The wind picked up momentarily then swirled around the prisons with green power. The captives inside shouting and struggling against their restraints.

"Maleficae clamant, veneficae clamant."

The maelstrom around the prisons turned opaque, Brithvar and his clan were no longer visible. The whispers became louder.

"Nostrae laetitiae lacrimae non arescunt."

The whispers stopped and distinct voices chanted the underlying spell in unison. Repeating Nyx's last words over and over in the background.

"Maleficae moriuntur, veneficae moriuntur."

The voices faded slightly and once voice rose to the top of the chorus. It was Joslin's. Nyx inclined her head in general to the omnipresence.

"Spiritus noster in oculo tuo conspuere."

The maelstrom slowly imploded; the other voices faded while Joslin's continued ringing across the platform until the maelstrom dissipated into a green fog. It was eerily silent, and Nyx looked down at Shovel, greeting her farewell. The green fog drifted to Shovel, who twirled with outstretched arms and the green fog danced around her, "Later Nyxie! Clives!"

"Aye! Give 'em hell!"

Shovel disappeared in another puff of smoke and Nyx was certain she felt a warm presence embrace her briefly, Thank you Nyx. She swallowed back the knot in her throat, Keep safe Joslin. The orange glow returned to the platform and Joslin's magic was gone. Nyx sighed in relief and rubbed her face.

---

Nyx hazily watched from a distance while Tav conversed with the gnome captives. One of them, Barcus, declared that the remaining Ironhand gnomes will make their way to Moonrise towers to free their leader Wulbren, who was one of few that knew how to create runepowder. Tav mentioned that they'll be heading to Moonrise towers as well, but the gnomes declined to travel with her group stating that they'll be quicker and safer travelling alone. The gnomes departed and Tav suggested the rest look for the Moon lantern.

Nyx was corralling her energy when Astarion sidled next to her with a quizzical smirk, "My dear, you look awful."

She snorted and gave him a flat look, "The sooner we get out of this place the better. I'm so done with this day."

He hmmed and remarked casually, "That was quite the show. Joslin is fortunate to have such a good friend."

She gave him a long look, searching his face. She smiled and replied softly, "Astarion, Joslin and I weren't lovers if that's what your implying", she chuckled, "Besides, any one of you could ask the same favour of me and I'll do it."

He was trying to hide his sheepish expression at being caught out so easily, which made it even more endearing rather than prying. She continued, "Joslin and I happened to be in the wrong place and the same time. We helped each other out of it. Along with Shovel and Wendy for that matter."

He frowned slightly and asked intrigued, "You helped a wendigo?"

"Yes."

His eyebrows almost rose, but he grinned instead, "My, I'm looking forward to this tale."

"And what a tale it is", she laughed and made sure he took notice before she reached out to brush her fingers against his hand then gave it a small squeeze. He watched the gesture with interest and a smile quirked his lips. She released his hand, and he grinned crossing his arms with a finger on his lips, "There was something missing from your show though."

She gave him another flat look and he lilted gesturing, "No singing and dancing naked around a fiery cauldron under the moonlight, hm?"

Nyx smiled and quipped, "If I recall correctly, it was ululating and dancing." She moved to join the others' search for the lantern.

He lulled after her, "I succinctly heard you not denying the 'naked' part, darling."

She gave him a wink over her shoulder, and he returned his wicked grin.

--- --- ---

Tav sighed peering up into the dark freight elevator's hoist way. The lift would usher them to their next destination and soon after the Shadow cursed lands. They had found the Moon lantern, but unfortunately it was broken beyond repair, which meant they were to enter the Shadowlands unprotected.

Tav studied the map she had procured during the search. The elevator led to the remaining above ground portion of temple, and beyond that it seemed like open barren wasteland, untouched by the curse. However, there was a very clear line demarcating the boundary of the curse, about half a day's worth of travel from the temple proper. She scrunched up the map and set her jaw in determination.

She glanced over to the others; determined expressions all round. She quipped with a smile, "Time's-a-wastin’", and marched into the elevator. Snorts and snickers followed.

Footnote:

Wendigo concept art (by ???) 

Shovel guest appearance. I wanted to have Shovel in the story as part of the travelling group, but then I decided that it was getting much too crowded for me to deal with all that at camp. So, she found another way (and it was unexpected for me too)...

Joslin's Hex:
First incantation:
Witches burn, witches burn
But from the ashes we return
Witches cry, witches cry
From the words of those who lie
Witches die, witches die
Our bodies buried in lye

Second incantation:
Witches burn, witches burn
From your mistakes we've learned
Witches cry, witches cry
Tears from our laughter will not dry
Witches die, witches die
Our spirits shall spit in your eye

On another note: Author Thoughts up next in review and a discussion of what's to come for Act II