The Windmill of Bones
After defeating Izek, the party returned to Lady Fiona Wachter’s estate. There, they delivered what they had promised: Izek’s severed head. Lady Fiona appeared more than pleased to see the deal fulfilled. She rewarded the party for their efforts and assured them that she would handle the Baron herself. Confident that the Baron would crumble without his precious bodyguard at his side, she spoke of the changes she intended to bring once Vallaki was under her rule—most notably, an end to the Baron’s relentless festivals. Before they departed, Fiona invited the party to attend the ceremony that would follow the Baron’s downfall. The group stayed only briefly, taking a short rest while Lady Fiona ensured they were given food and wine. When the party finally stepped back outside, the weather had turned foul. Rain poured heavily from the darkened skies, thunder rumbling in the distance. Despite some hesitation, the party decided to continue onward toward the old Bonegrinder mill outside the village. As they passed through Vallaki’s gates, they noticed several townsfolk behaving strangely—dazed, sluggish, almost disconnected from reality. Speaking with the guards, they learned that the old woman they had met days earlier had been selling her pastries throughout town, and the people seemed to be suffering from their effects. The storm only worsened as the party traveled. Lightning cracked through the sky, striking a nearby tree before another bolt suddenly slammed into Avery himself. Even so, they pressed on. Along the road, they encountered a strange figure perched high within the branches of a tree—a gaunt man dressed in ragged clothing. He greeted them with an eerie grin, calling them “little songbirds wandering the dark woods.” As the conversation continued, the man twisted upside down from the branch, hanging by his legs with unnatural ease. He warned the party against continuing through the storm and casually revealed that he had been following them for some time. Before vanishing back into the woods, he muttered cryptically: “Lisa… they’re coming soon.” Though unsettled, the party chose not to dwell on it and continued toward the mill. At last, they arrived at the Bonegrinder and knocked on the door. The old woman welcomed them inside warmly. The party carefully questioned her about the pastries she had been selling. While she openly listed the ingredients, it was obvious she was hiding something. Wanting proof, Kaz offered to taste one. As she handed him a piece, he secretly used his divine sense—and immediately discovered the horrifying truth. The pastries were magically enchanted, causing hallucinations and addiction. Worse still, they were made using the ground bones of abducted children. Kaz lowered the pastry and calmly said: “What a lovely pastry a fiend like you has made.” The old woman’s expression twisted instantly into rage. Her body began to distort and grow—skin turning sickly green, limbs stretching unnaturally long, her nose sharpening into something monstrous, and grotesque. The two young women accompanying her transformed as well. The kindly old baker was gone. In her place stood a hag. Battle erupted immediately. But as the fight dragged on, fortune abandoned the party. Avery was struck unconscious and dragged upstairs toward the room where the hags prepared their cursed pies. Sofia remained standing, though bloodied and barely holding on. Caspian had been blinded by magic, while Kaz found himself restrained and unable to move freely. And now, trapped inside the mill as the storm raged outside, only fate would decide whether the heroes survived the night.

Question for DnD start

What is your character most envious about regarding anyone in the party?

TBD

After defeating Izek, the party returned to Lady Fiona Wachter’s estate. There, they delivered what they had promised: Izek’s severed head.

Lady Fiona seemed more than pleased to see the task completed. Honoring her end of the bargain, she rewarded the party and assured them that she would take care of the Baron herself. She even extended an invitation to a future celebration—one that would take place after the Baron had been removed from power. According to Fiona, it would be a simple matter. Without his prized enforcer at his side, she doubted the Baron would put up much resistance. Once she assumed control of Vallaki, she promised to put an end to the mandatory festivals that had plagued the town for years.

The party remained at the estate for a short while, enjoying food and wine provided by their host before eventually taking their leave.

As they stepped back onto the streets, the weather took a turn for the worse.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, and soon rain began pouring from the sky.

Despite some hesitation, the party decided to continue toward the Old Bonegrinder, the windmill that stood a short distance outside Vallaki. Along the way, they noticed several townsfolk behaving strangely near the gates. After speaking with the guards, they learned that the old woman they had met previously had recently distributed her famous pastries. The people who had eaten them now seemed dazed and detached, as though trapped in a dream.

The further the party traveled, the harsher the storm became.

Thunder rolled across the sky, and lightning struck a nearby tree with explosive force. Moments later, another bolt crashed down—this time striking Avery directly.

Still, the party pressed onward.

Before long, they encountered a peculiar figure perched high in the branches of a tree. A gaunt man dressed in tattered clothing watched them from above, referring to them as “little songbirds wandering the dark woods.”

As the conversation continued, the stranger casually swung upside down from the branch, hanging by his legs. He warned the party that they should not continue traveling in such weather and casually admitted that he had been following them for some time.

Then, just before disappearing back into the forest, he muttered a final warning:

“Lisa... they’re coming soon.”

With no clear explanation and little reason to trust the strange man, the party continued on their way.

Eventually, they arrived at the windmill and knocked on the door.

The old woman—“Auntie” Morgantha—welcomed them inside with a warm smile. The party attempted to question her about her pastries and what exactly went into them. Morgantha happily listed several ingredients, but it was clear she was withholding the truth.

Kaz offered to sample one of the pastries. As Morgantha handed him a piece, he secretly used his divine senses to examine it.

What he discovered was horrifying.

The pastries were infused with dark magic, capable of inducing powerful hallucinations and addiction. Worse still, their ingredients included the ground bones of abducted children.

Kaz lowered the pastry and calmly replied:

“What a lovely pastry a fiend like you has made.”

The smile vanished from Morgantha’s face.

In an instant, her disguise began to peel away. Her body stretched and twisted, her skin turning sickly green as her features became long and grotesque.

A hag.

The two young women accompanying her transformed as well, revealing their true forms as the room erupted into chaos.

The battle that followed quickly turned against the party.

Avery was struck down and dragged unconscious upstairs toward the room where the hags prepared their foul creations. Sofia fought desperately but was already covered in wounds. Caspian had been blinded by magic, while Kaz found himself restrained and unable to move.

As the storm raged outside and the battle inside the windmill grew ever more desperate, the heroes found themselves on the brink of defeat.

And now, only fate will decide whether they survive what comes next.

XP

Happy points:

• -1 ~ Avery ~ reroll save

Loot

• Test item ~ Item ~ Player who found it

❮ 19 · Chronicles · 21 ❯