As the battle continues, Tilly strikes Granny with a bolt from her crossbow, but the hag is able to resist. Term, bloodied from absorbing a lightning bolt fired by the eldest member of the wicked trio, is aided by Thaldir.
Izek takes a devastating hit, but reminds the group of his power and ferocity as he adds to Granny’s already throbbing wounds. Thaldir’s spiritual weapon, coupled with Jaylin’s lightning bolt, keep Offalia and Bella thrashing in anguish. It’s Aydin’s mighty sword (not a euphemism) that finally deals Granny a final blow. Early on in the battle, she had transformed him into a frog, and this slashing murder was sweet revenge.
As the remaining hags shriek in pain at the loss of their mother, The Couriers deal blow, after blow. Syrren turns all of his wrath on Offalia in the form of a solid ray of moonlight.
Nearly exhausted, the heroes continue to deal damage to the evil wenches. The hags are strong, but The Couriers possess a strength that can only be found in the collective action of those with a noble quest. Destiny smiles on them this day.
With the help of his fellow Couriers, Term is able to deal a fata strike to both Bella and Offalia. Bleeding, but relieved, the travelers, who have become like family, turn their attention to exploring the twisted former den.
What Treasures Remain
On the first floor, they find a large barrel with greenish-black ichor. The cabinet has a variety of herbs, bowls, and plenty of other ingredients. Of particular interest are the clumps of hair that are in the cabinet – of all colors and thickness. There are also three elixirs labeled “youth,” “laughter,” and a greenish-black called “mother’s milk.” Term attempts to discover more about their properties.
There is also a large trunk with loud croaking sounds coming from it. Jaylin uses Mage Hand to open it, and Syrren proposes that they keep at least one to see if it has any magical value.
The second floor holds more ingredients and seemingly harmless objects. The party of warriors then head to the top floor to see what treasures the witches had been holding onto. On one side of the room, they find a small black book that appears to be empty.
As they prepare to enter the magical hut for a long rest, Term uses his magic to identify the potions and other object they found. The “mother’s milk” potion is revealed as a pale tincture poison. The “laughter” elixir gives the imbiber cackle fever, but it is not magical. The “youth” elixir makes individuals temporarily look younger and more attractive.
The frog is simply a frog, so Syrren decides to release him. Meanwhile, Izek is eyeballing the magical eyeballs of the deceased witches. He set about the business of making them into a creepy snack for himself.
Fire, Purification, and the Sacred
Syrren insists that they must burn the windmill before leaving. A very disappointed Thaldir consents, but with the provision that the ground be consecrated before they depart. The party agrees that this is the right thing to do.
After a long rest, The Couriers set about destroying the final legacy of the hags. As they prepare the materials to set the fire, Term shares that he has discovered a secret about the black book. All of the dreams that each member of the party had the previous night have been inscribed in the book. The only catch: he is the only one who can see them written there.
Once the fire is set, Thaldir takes the collection of bones from the hags’ victims, and they all set out for the grove of statues where they hid previously. This would be the final, sacred resting place for those who were killed in sacrifice for the addictive pies.
Upon reaching the intended cemetery, they discover a pile of children’s teeth. They add the teeth in with the bones and place all of the remains in a shallow grave. Thaldir offers prayers for each youthful spirit as he buries them.
Seeing the carvings on the surrounding stones, Tilly is drawn to one with a figure of a woman and a third eye. She cajoles Izek into giving her his remaining witchy eyeballs so she can see if they spark any activity when placed in front of the image.
With one final exploration of the windmill’s ashes, the group discovers the charred remains of a creature called a dretch, covered in ichor. Before heading off on the next leg of their quest, the group of adventurers plan to make their way toward the Vistani camp, by way of Vallaki. Upon arriving at the gates, the guards inform them that the town is closed. A harsh word from Izek has them swinging the gates wide open.
Onward to Destiny
As they travel through the town, they observe that people appear much more relaxed and happy than they were under Baron Vargas. The Couriers are pleased to see that things are going well under Lady Watcher’s leadership, so they continue on to see their old friends.
At the Vistani camp, they are greeted by Arabelle, contentedly toying with a knife. When Izek shows her his collection of hag eyeballs, she plops one into her mouth. She tells her rescuers that her Aunt Eliza and Uncle Iosef are in the camp. Tilly half-heartedly inquires about Eliza, who, as it turns out, has been suffering some stomach discomfort. Thaldir is quick to attend to her symptoms with some healing words.
Iosef, who is sparring, shirtless, nearby, is a sight for Tilly’s eyes. Having washed up and slipped into something sexy when she first arrived, she saunters over to the strapping, charismatic Vistani. They make plans to spend time by the fire, swapping stories (among other things), while Thaldir attends to Eliza. Thaldir is able to determine that the source of her illness is a piece of bad cake that was given to her by Lady Watcher’s mischievous sons.
The Couriers meet with another old acquaintance at the camp. Victor is also there, having left to flee Lady Watcher’s wrath. His old friends encourage him to continue his studies to find a cure for his lady (kitty) love.
Luvash is only too happy to give The Couriers a place to stay, especially after hearing that they dispatched with the suspicious pie-making hags. He is far less enthusiastic to hear that they traded away Piddlewick II – the land’s most sophisticated toy – to Blinksy. But, for tonight, all are happy to be reunited and looking forward to swapping stories around the fire.
A Time to Rest
It seems that, for a time, all will be well. Syrren is content to have been reunited with his brother, who will continue to travel with them, and to have rid himself of the nightmarish hags. Tilly will spend as much time staring into the eyes of her love as this rest allows. Though Aydin lost Ireena to Vasili, he knows she is safe and happy.
Jaylin has had his confidence as a wizard restored by such a great victory, though he can’t help but wonder about what waits at the winery. Term is thinking mainly of what weapons he will fashion to protect the friends that have become family and of the significance of the magical dream journal he found.
This is a night for epic tales, decent wine and spirits, and the company of trusted friends. But the road to Castle Ravenloft is long, and the Devil Strahd has plans for these heroes. Until next time…