I think I can actually incorporate most of these ideas into one small 1-2 session run.
::Inhales, stretches, hitches pants to appropriate nerd height::
Let us do this.
First step: The reveal of the Domovoi. The Domovoi lives in a good-sized manor house that has fallen into disrepair. Due to his and his companion's recent involvement with a nasty creature Goldsweep has become quite upset. When his mistress and master are about it is only cause for a little bit of strange activity (too much salt in the stew, and in the wine... But of course he is just rebelling, and there are curative properties to such... additions. Ask any Fey expert...), and a gruff crying that may occasionally be heard as you walk by the lamps that light the way to the Master's home. If the PCs investigate they find a small, disheveled faery in tattered burnt homespun, little nicked pieces of fabric that he has made into quite a foppish outfit for a house sprite.
He leads the players on a chase, all the way out to the Master's smokehouse. The Master is known for his finely cured hams, and the Domovoi are the real secret behind them. Fearing hamthieves the toughest of their lot (including Goldsweep) would position themselves near the smokehouse, where they take refreshing dips into the smoke and play dice games. If someone is willing to dice with the Domovoi he has a talent for it (he is, like many fey, a gambler) but begins to curse them if he loses mentioning filthy shoe-makers (leprechauns). That leads him into his winning of a fine little piece of work from a phooka that is found in the fields near the Master's House, and the Story of the Slayer.
"Once we were big! Many of us, so many that I myself had three fine hearthwarmers and all of the salt and bread I could eat! But then... It came. A fierce beast, claws like iron, teeth as sharp as a drake and big as a man! He... He took my precious sweeps! His roar was that of a dragon, and... and... He, he ate many of me mates. I buried what was left of them outside the Master's door, but none will come to the place anymore. And with all of these hams I fear for the Master. Please help me find the thief and restore my standing!"
The smokehouse is a fine place, and any cleric would feel the eminence of something in this house. Nothing seems to turn, the milk stays sweet far past its prime, and the flowers bloom late into frost. This place is actually Hallow with the benefit of a Gentle Repose effect that allows the Master's hams to remain plump, delicious, and cure in a way that prevents actual decomposition. An idiot could make these hams, but the Domovoi take a pride in this place and love it just the same.
There are a few individuals who wish to take this place, but one of them is a wicked little piece of work. A witch who enjoys her men (and women) in rigor and who, after tasting the ham-dower traded by the Master for his wife's fertility, knew that the place was a great one for her experiments. She has allied herself with a shadowy group of poachers who run through the woods, trapping sprites, pixies, and the unrelated forest nymph (a smaller version of a normal Nymph, imagine a halfling-sized one) with cold iron trickery.
In return for helping the men and providing them trinkets and knowledge she received a Grimalkin kitten to her service from a far away theft. Bound to her the Grimal has become just as twisted and irksome as she, and fed on the scraps of her spellwork has gained some strength to his attacks. He preys on faeries that the poachers miss, bringing them back as reagents or even spell components to his mistress.
When on one of his runs to assist the witch's young apprentice he dropped her wand of haste in a well chasing after a particularly sprite who lurked in the cistern. Grimalkin can change into many forms, though of course he prefers his jet-black one with his pretty little collar his Mistress gave him that lends him more powers to use while chasing such nimble feyfolk. Most know him as the Razor Tom.
The Wand, crafted in the East, was beautifully made, and Razor Tom earned quite a thrashing for losing it. His Mistress bound him to find it, which led him on a rampage in the Smokehouse. He used his natural mind-reading abilities to choose the animals that each Domovoi feared, from a fierce barn owl to a nimble rat, and raided the place. Upon finding what he needed he skedaddled.
The wand remains in its altered broom state due to the enchantments Goldsweep placed on it. It can still cast Haste, but it also has the ability to cast Animate Object but this spell only works on cleaning products. The effect has a bit of the Feywild in it, so it can only truly be wielded properly by Goldsweep or another Domovoi, a Fey of higher status, or a Wizard with a UMD check at par with the spell who is aware of its power.
The PCs have three possible encounters on their way to finding the 'Sweep':
1.) The Grimalkin attacks. The Grimalkin could be found in any location, but most often it will choose a tactical advantage. It has a free-action Alter effect that it uses to fly, swim, or climb away from the host per MM2. It also carries a few spells to protect it placed upon it by its Mistress. As the Grimalkin Familiar loses the oomph that a normal Familiar would have due to many of its abilities being subsumed by its ability to speak Common and carry its own weight I would suggest using some of the Monster of Legend (in MM2 3.x) powers. A Grimalkin advanced in HD and perhaps as a Monster of Legend would be a pretty dangerous foe, perhaps with Spell Turning, DR, or other abilities to improve upon its natural aptitudes. The Grimalkin will run if able when reduced to 1/4 HP, and if grappled will begin to shift and squirm making it hard to catch. If forced it will give up the location to the Witch's house, hidden inside a barrow deep in the woods.
2.) The Witch's Apprentice: The Apprentice has finally received the wand, but it has gone out of control. Feeling an imperfect handler the Sweep decides to protect itself... And does so with gusto. The Sweep begins to animate objects of its own volition, starting with the poacher's campsite. Boiling pots of stew and wash water, swords, pairs of boots, armor... Everything begins to fight. The players must protect the Apprentice (locked in by the wand and helpless in the center) from the loving ministrations of the Sweep. The HD of animated objects per casting is controlled by the Apprentices HD + 5 (Let us say a 5th level Apprentice calls down 10 pots, 2 suits of armor, 5 swords, etc). The players must then find a way to retrieve it and return the thing back to the Domovoi.
The Apprentice, if questioned and unharmed by the PCs, offers a spellcaster a peek into his spellbook. Bound in human skin and the size of a black book, the Apprentice's spellbook contains most Necromancy and Evocation spells, along with a few choice spells against creatures of the region. She can also provide an Apprentice's Scalpel, which is a +1 Keen Dagger of Undead Bane that gives the player a once/day use of Invisibility to Undead.
3.) The Return: The Sweep has been returned, but due to its exposure to the corruption of the Witch it is twisted in its purpose. Goldsweep is overwhelmed by the item, which has gained even more power from the Apprentice and begins to use it. The Sweep creates itself a body out of the bits and pieces of ham-bone, ham, and trimmings found within the Smokehouse. Treat this body as a Flesh Golem, though its DR can be bypassed by Magic or Cold Iron. The Golem has the ability to Desiccate an opponent once every 1d4 rounds or on a critical, causing X Constitution damage as it channels the salty goodness of its illgotten body into its target (Fortitude Negates). The monstrous ham-beast also still maintains the ability to Animate Objects, using the cleavers, rags, etc. to its advantage in combat, by performing a full-round action. The amount of animated objects is controlled by its HD, and each is effected by Haste.
Yes, I have made your 'boss fight' a Ham Golem. Thank the gods I didn't make it Honeybaked.
The End?: Goldsweep is finally able to retrieve his old broom, but the damage has been done. He is able to harvest some of the essence of the broom into himself, and presents the PCs with small thimble-sized bottles of his 'special brew'. A smoky, honeyed beer can be found inside that grants a player the same effects as a Potion of Haste combined with Heroism. . . But anyone who isn't a Fey, Elf, or Dwarf who drinks such a heady concoction must suffer a severe hangover afterwards (treat as Sickened, Fort negates). Goldsweep puts out the call to the forests of a safe haven, and the players will randomly 1/month receive a 'care package' found in a boot, under a hat, or even in the embers of a dying fire that Goldsweep has sent them through contacts among the Fey. These little packets can contain any amount of items, but each should (as the Fey do) provide boon and a small bane for their use like the tiny bottles.
If the players decide to assault the Witch. The Witch is a pretty powerful Necromancer, and the way into her little hole requires the players to be small, smaller than small. Goldsweep's forest allies can help them, but the battle is fierce. "Giant" Ants, termites that can eat their shields, etc. populate, and the Witch's House is filled with traps that heal her undead minions and damage living foes. If the Apprentice can be found she can provide her brooch that will protect one living being, and the Scalpel will protect another from detection... But the Witch will use her powers against the PCs upon entry. Advanced Undead, Barrow Wights, and a powerful Necromancer await... But the Witch also has several Trolls she has trapped to do her bidding. The nice thing is that if a player dies during the encounter he will arise 1d4 rounds later... But as a Necropolitan. He is sort of the Warforged of undead, not really fully undead, but still suffering/benefiting from some of the side effects therein. This is a curse and can be removed from the player as a Greater Curse, leaving them hale and hardy.
If the players succeed in entering and taking down the Witch they will find a host of dead useful items (pun intended)... And the body of a Troll who has been experimented on to make her Troll guardians. The Troll is horribly injured but not a brute; in fact the Troll is actually a Knight of the Court and would be more than happy to help the players kill the poachers. If the players wish to be on their way, the Troll will provide them with an item to call upon the favors of the Court once, and only once, if they are ever in need of assistance. The players may use this to summon 1d4 Fey Nobles (treat as creatures of the PCs level who can assist them on a mission), be provided aid and succor equal to their level * 1000 GP, or cast 1 non-wish spell of a Level equal to the party's average level /2. This boon does make them visible to the Court's sorcerers as they need to keep tabs on it, so if they begin to go against the Fey...
Slainte,
-Loonook.
