Adventure 3 - In Which our Heroes Thwart a Coven of Witches…
Ravens caw overhead as our heroes settle themselves in at the Visanti camp. The crisp air offset by a warm luncheon. Madam Eva welcomes them into her tent as her “grandchildren” look on.
Eva explains again that they are in Baroviz not by their own will - whatever wishes they had prior dashes against the rocks of fate. “If indeed you are working through the hands of destiny let us see what they have in store for you.”
She begins to read their fortune. Shuffling her tarot cards she them one by one to each of the 4 heroes drawing the last herself. Our Heroes lay them down one at a time around Eva’s car.
The 1st: The Devil. Madam Eva explains that this refers only to Strahd “The Devil” and master of County Barovia. That it is his plans that are in motion and that they may only find an escape by sabotaging his intentions. If they hope to defeat them, they must fight him where he is weakest.
The 2nd: The Ace of Wands. Turning to Kai. Eva explains that his legacy belongs not to himself but was given to him. To make good on the debt and free himself from his liability he must make his way to the temple in the heart of Mount Ghakis. Take the Tsolenka Pass, to the West.
The 3rd: The Ace of Swords, Eva addressed Zeff next telling him that his life’s regret isn’t the own to fill Barovia. Dishonor and hate fill the hearts of a group of fallen knights in the land. That he must go to the hearts of the Dragon’s Lair and bring peace to the restlessness he finds out there and within himself.
The 4th: The Five of Wands, Magnolia was next and Madam Eva offered some sympathy for her innocent wishes. But by now she must have noticed that things do not naturally grow here as they must. Wicked forces are at work and people fulfil unnatural appetites. There are other innocents to protect and the first thing that must be done is to undo the horrid work of witches in the town they just left.
The 5th: The Hierophant, at last Madam Eva referred to Garrick. His own likeness is half expressed by the face within the card he drew. “There is much work to be done in Barovia,” too much to accomplish without the help of the gods, yet their last messenger has abdicated his duties. If this small band of Hope will prevail for Barovia you will need help. Get the aid of the last fallen light in these cursed lands."
Madam Eva asked the heroes if they understood what she said and listened carefully. After checking she ushered them out of the door. She had only one last bit of advice on the way out. “See those Ravens, they are messengers of the souls within Barovia - It's bad luck to disturb their business.”
After a brief debate our heroes agree that the protection of the only Village they know is more key than the exploration of distant lands. They thank the Visanti one last time and return to the East and the Villagers. The Ravens in the tree take note of this, they fly west.
The heroes return to town, their eyes wide in anticipation of witches. This suspicion matches in equal with the Villagers. Barovians infrequently find visits from strangers pleasant. The villagers are tight lipped about their problems and hardly leave their homes.
About the only interesting person wandering around was an old woman selling meat pies door to door. They stop her for a minute to ask about the comings and goings and the recent news. The old woman explains that Mad Mary’s weeps constantly because her daughter has gone missing. Which is nothing all too uncommon in Barovia. “It isn’t safe to be outside at night.” Zeff’s suspicions get the better of him and he uses his magic to see if there was
The pie-lady is obviously affronted by this and hurries her basket away from inspection. The horrid rudeness she just encountered raises the price of a pie tenfold. Whatever the FauxPas Zeff was correct in thinking there was something odd about those pies. He is certain if he had eaten one he would have been enchanted.
No longer trusting the pie-lady for details, our heroes knock on the door of Mad Mary. Mary promptly opens the door and, pleased that someone in the village will finally take her seriously, invites them in for tea. Our heroes enter May’s Home and share crumpets while Mary begs them to listen to her sad Story.
Gertruda, Mary’s daughter is a young girl with idyllic notions of how the world works. Mary tried her best to smush out these flights of fancy from her young girl but Gertruda is impossible to keep down. “She’s swooned a few times over a handsome suitor that came by to visit Ireena Kolanovna.” Mary certainly thought that this late night visitor was no good. A gentleman caller who only appears after sundown is no kind of man for a young lady. For Gertruda even worse, she is far too young to be looking at all!
But how to you pin a cloud to keep it down? About a week ago, Gertruda didn’t come home. Mary suspects that this mysterious suitor has something to do with it. Gertruda is the very kind of impressionable young woman who believes in love at first sight.
To complicate things Gertruda isn’t the only child to recently go missing, the Sonnleitner boy went missing just a few days later. Like all other Barovian Parents, Mary warned her child not to leave home at night - lest the KinderKatch find them and grind their bones to make its bread. This fairytale may not be real, but Gertruda is gone, there is no mistaking that. Our heroes promise to look out for Gertruda and return her as safe as they can. They take to the streets to ask other families about missing children.
This is not hard to do. Barovia is a magnet for trouble and tragedy. All in all some 5 children have disappeared in the last month. Unfamiliar with the town the heroes have few suspects. Most of the villagers state opening at them, not with the eye of malice. Al in all the Heroes can name few people so far. They consider Ireena’s late night suitor - but Zeff suggests they investigate the strange Pie Lady. Whatever she was selling was certainly no normal meat pie.
Afterall Didn’t Madam Eva tell them they were looking for a group of witches?
A fortuitous suggestion, however they are too late. As they ask around town they learn that the lady has already left - having sold her very last pie. She was last seen heading west with a young boy in tow. They follow the suspected witch out to the west rushing down the Old Svalich Road to catch her. Unfortunately she also is in a hurry. The chase follows the road all the way out of the woods and to an ancient windmill atop a grassy hill. When the heroes approach they spy that a flock of black birds rest on the arms of a windmill. It does not turn and the ancient building looks like it hasn’t been a help to the village for a hundred years.
Magnolia magically speaks with the Ravens resting on the arms. These messengers explain that the Witches' indeed have taken the boy inside and are stoking the fire in the oven. The witch, Morgantha, is mother to two vile children and together they have been kidnapping children. They use this ancient windmill to cook their vile meals and feed them back to the village - this place is now called “Old Bonegrinder.”
Quickly a plan is made, Garrick and Magnolia will climb up to an upper platform and burst through the window. Meanwhile Kai and Zeff push through the front door. The Ravens take wing to the sunset as Garrick smashes his way through the upper window.
The Witch turns her attention away from the millstone, cackling at the fool who thinks he can interfere, “Begone, this business does not concern you!” she shouts. Stalwart, Garrick demands her to give up these evil deeds and return the child - with the Witches' refusal Garrick next commands her to die!
All of the heroes rush in trying to surround the Mother Witch . Only Garrick’s holy weapons seem to have any great effect. Just as the 4 of them begin to surround her Morgantha’s daughters race down the stairs. They Amass on Garrick and overwhelm him with curses and clawed hands, only Magnolia is able to save his life as his inner light was about to dampen.
Morgantha vanishes in a puff of smoke leaving her daughters howling in despair. They fight to the death and swipe at Magnolia, Garrick, and Kai. The young Warlock takes an unlucky slash and is nearly killed - moments before Zeff is able to magically burn a witch. She collapses into a pile of ashen bones while her sister flies down the stairs and out of the windmill.
The Old Bonegrinder now finally silent, everyone splits off to search the place and to make sure the witches are finally gone. Below the millstone they find a dozen pies cooking in an oven and dirty piles of junk the witches stole from the village. above the millstone Magnolia rescues 2 children trapped in dog kennels. Remembering the fortune telling from earlier magnolia climbs a ladder up to the roost. Within the still mechanism of the windmill she finds an amulet in a bird’s nest.
Although its significance is obvious, its true purpose and potential remains unknown. First things first they need to return the children back to their parents - but they keep enough wisdom not to go out at night.
Around midnight they are awoken by the sound of shattering glass above them. They scramble to order and prepare for a fight. Our heroes do not fall for the trick upstairs, having made it themselves just earlier that day. They keep their attention on the front door and when the vengeful witch returns to the threshold they fight her off at the door. Garrick stands in the doorway while all the others fire magic over his shoulder at the fiend that pretends to be a woman. In short order they knock her down. Quickly they drag her body inside and toss her into the oven.
Confident that they’ve dispatched the 2nd witch and with no indication their vile mother has returned the PCs rest until dawn. At daybreak they set off in the morning escorting the children back to the Village. The walk through the Svalich woods is tense, our heroes unsure how to feel about the ever watchful eyes of the Ravens.
Before they could enjoy the safety of the town once more they hear a howl come through the trees. A wild bunch of half-dressed mad men leap out of the bushes to assault the returning heroes. These savages from the frontier take wild swings at the party and nearly kill Kai all over again. Garrick proves a much stronger adversary trading blow for blow and Magnolia uses the power of nature to ensnare them in brambles and vines. After cutting down their savage attackers one by one Zeff discovers a bag of gold.
This purse is much finer than anything else the wildmen owned. Inside were exactly 100 freshly minted coins, with the sharp features of Strahd von Zarovich on them. Our heroes feel they desperately need an ally soon to offset the Devil who can boast so many.