RECAP: Curse of Strahd Sessions 11 & 12

Session 11 begins with two fiery blob-like demons emerge and start waddling around; Soran attempts to control them with a spatula or spoon, chastising them to return to their “fire.” The party reacts with ranged attacks and positioning. The demons are shambling but dangerous. Velkro blesses the party, and the combat sequence begins with various attacks, spells, and maneuvers including stealth, ranged attacks, and hexes.

The party engages the hag-like entities and demonic servants. Akuta attempts a stealth attack but fumbles, injuring himself. Other party members cast hexes, attack with weapons, and use magic such as needle darts and ignition. The hag Morgantha reveals her true monstrous form after being provoked. The fight intensifies with spells and melee combat, including intimidating strikes and magical blasts.

The party discovers the meat pies contain human remains, including ears and toes, confirming the sinister nature of the pie business. Morgana and her sisters use charm and other magical attacks against the party. The battle is fierce, involving multiple attacks, spells, and conditions like frightened and clumsy inflicted on the enemies. The party coordinates attacks to whittle down the foes.

More combat actions occur, with the party managing to stun, injure, and weaken the creatures. The fiery demons are defeated and dissolve. The hag sisters suffer heavy damage from coordinated attacks. The party shows teamwork with healing bursts and tactical positioning. The combat dynamic includes spellcasting, weapon attacks, and controlling the battlefield.

Additional sisters arrive to assist the hag Morgantha, including a charming young woman who successfully charms Akuta. Velkro responds with fire spells, causing significant damage. The party continues to combat the hags while managing charm effects and other magical influences. The battle is intense but the party gains the upper hand.

The party uses a combination of melee and ranged attacks to chip away at the hags’ health. Grughilda lands critical hits and intimidates the foes. Iggy uses spells and knowledge to identify the sisters as a coven of “sweet hags” known for making food with poisonous or magical effects. The party begins to exploit these weaknesses.

Akuta lands a vital strike on Morgantha, causing severe damage and forcing her back. The combat slows as the party solidifies control. One hag flees up the stairs, while the others are incapacitated or defeated. The party prepares to pursue the fleeing enemy.

Exploration of Windmill Upper Floors and Rescue of Children

The party ascends the windmill stairs, finding cages with two children inside, Luca and Raia, who were being held captive by the hags. The children confirm the hags’ cruelty and the threat of being turned into pies. The party meets Hex, a gnome sorcerer who was also captured but released and joins the group. Discussion reveals the hags’ spider pets and their magical experiments.

The party investigates the top floor, encountering spiders guarding the area. A trapdoor leads to an open roof area with mechanical gears. The remaining hag is not present but seems to have transformed or fled. The session concludes with the party preparing to explore further and rescue the children. The mysterious box and spiders hint at more challenges ahead.

Key Insights and Conclusions

• The Old Bone Grinder windmill is a central locus of dark magic and evil practices, where a coven of hags has been turning humans into meat pies, targeting local children.
• Local legends and warnings about creatures in the forest proved accurate, as the party encounters zombies, demonic creatures, and undead manifestations.
• The presence of the Durst family is implied but obscured by local mystery and decay, with the windmill long abandoned except for these sinister occupants.
• The party’s investigative efforts uncovered chilling evidence of cannibalistic pies, including human bones, flesh, and an actual human ear found in uncooked pies.
• The combat with the hags involved careful use of spells, positioning, and teamwork, utilizing buffs (bless), debuffs (hexes), and strategic melee and ranged attacks.
• The hags exhibit powers of charm and illusion, complicating the party’s ability to discern friend from foe and requiring will saves to resist manipulation.
• The discovery and rescue of two imprisoned children provides a hopeful turning point, revealing that some victims survived and hinting at a broader mystery of missing children in the region.
• The introduction of Hex, the gnome sorcerer, adds valuable arcane knowledge and magical support, and reveals the presence of magical spider familiars connected to the coven.
• The session ends with unresolved questions and a cliffhanger, as the party ascends to investigate further, encountering large spiders and a mysterious locked trap door, setting up future adventures.

Session 12 chronicles a tense and atmospheric adventure centered on a decrepit windmill once owned by the Durst family, now occupied by sinister hags who prey on children. The group confronts monstrous spiders, frees captive children, and uncovers eerie magical artifacts. After battling the lurking threats, they escort the children back to the town of Vallaki amidst an ongoing community festival. The adventurers investigate a mysterious coffin maker whose odd nighttime activity draws suspicion.

The party recalls finding an abandoned windmill taken over by evil hags who bake children into meat pies. Two hags are slain, one escapes. Locked crates on the third floor contain two children; a third crate holds a captive gnome named Hex’anguinate with a tragic backstory involving entrapment and torment by the hags.

Hex recounts being trapped and experimented on for three days, struggling against magical attempts to siphon elemental energy. The hags’ pastries have sedative and truth serum-like effects. One hag escaped; whereabouts unknown. The hags keep giant spiders as pets.

“The glowing man tried to burn the bad ladies.”

-LUCA

Hex had an unusual story to tell:

“I was travelling and wandered into mist on Golarion thee days ago. The mists thickened, and then I stood on some old road – I saw a sign that said “Svalich.” I walked for what seemed like hours. But night began to fall, and wolves started tracking me. I could avoid them, for a while anyway – I wasn’t worried. WHat worried me more was figuring out where I was. The sky never brightened properly… every about this land felt wrong, somehow.”

“Night was falling, and I was starting to gt a little worried about the wolves. But then I saw a windmill on a hill and smoke from its chimney. Warmth and safety! Morgantha welcomed me like a kindly grandmother… and then the door locked behind me.”

“On the first day, the fed me a pasrty, but it was drugged somehow and I slept. I woke periodically, came in and out of consciousness, and it felt like they were studying me. They must of discovered the fire mf my blood, because I remember Morgantha calling me ‘a rare spice’. By the next day, they started trying to siphon my energy.” Hex smiled. “They still had me drugged, but I wasn’t entirely powerless. My hair smoldered, my skin became hot enough to blister their hands. They learned that my blood… burns cleanly. But they stopped screwing around. Yesterday, they shackled me in cold iron, stopped giving me anything to eat or drink. I was was starting to feel it, I’ll admit, when you guys arrived.”

Hex paused; “Do you guys know anything about a person named ‘Strahd’? They talked about him a fair amount.”

Akutagawa climbs to the top level, encountering two large spiders guarding a locked chest. The spiders are very large (about 4 feet across) and watchful. The group prepares for combat; plans form to handle the spider threat to protect the captive children below.

An intense battle with the spiders ensues involving ranged spells, melee attacks, acrobatics checks to maintain precarious footing on ledges, rope safety measures, and coordinated teamwork. Multiple attacks, hits, misses, and poison effects are resolved. The group manages to slay several spiders protecting the windmill.

Party members suffering spider poison attempt fortitude saves and medicine checks to mitigate effects. Medical supplies from a cupboard are discovered. Magical properties of “Youth” and “Laughter” potions are revealed after arcane analysis. “Mother’s Milk” potion is dumped due to suspicion. The chest from the roof contains mixed valuables and a magical spear with enchantment magic detected.

The two rescued children, Raia and Luca, reveal partial backstories. Plans develop to transport the children safely back to Vallaki. Debates arise about whether to burn the mill to prevent hag resurgence or refurbish and claim the property legally based on found deeds.

Travel back to the town is slower than expected due to the children’s presence. The ongoing Festival of the Blazing Sun imposes a festive yet forced atmosphere on the otherwise grim return. The group discusses logistics and safety en route.

The party arrives at the town gates and heads to Constable Vashi’s home to care for the children. The constable is accommodating and interested in their story, particularly the encounter with the hags. He cautiously accepts money offered to help support the children. Then the group visits the Blue Water Inn, where townsfolk vent their fatigue about the mandatory festival activities. The party is greeted with warmth by familiar faces and the tavern owner.

Prompted by a local named Magda, the party investigates the coffin maker’s well-lit workshop at an unusual hour. They split to watch the front and back doors, use sonic abilities to peer inside, and discover crates crushed from the inside, suggesting something dangerous or unnatural escaped.

The group confronts Henrick at his workshop. He is brusque, unwilling to cooperate fully, and wary of their intentions. Discussion reveals tension around his refusal to participate in local festival events and suspicion about his nocturnal activities.

The session ends with the group engaged in an investigation, debating next moves, and setting up future gameplay. The next session is scheduled on Easter Sunday with partial attendance noted.

Questions

Q1: Who are the children and what is their background?
A: Two children, Raia and Luca, were found captive in the windmill. Raia ran from a troubled Vistani family and Luca was brought there days later by others. Their full origins remain uncertain and are part of the ongoing investigation.

Q2: What are the properties of the magical potions found?
A: “Youth” makes the drinker appear younger and more attractive for 24 hours. “Laughter” causes uncontrollable laughter for 20 minutes. “Mother’s Milk” was suspicious and discarded.

Q3: Why are the hags here and what type are they?
A: The hags are “sweet hags” who lure impoverished children with sugary treats before devouring them. They use enchanting magic and are predators with unclear origins.

Q4: What’s the significance of the enchanted spear found?
A: The spear is imbued with enchantment magic and appears to be made of bone-like materials, possibly non-human. Its exact powers remain unknown but it is a valuable magical item.

Q5: What does the coffin maker’s suspicious behavior suggest?
A: Henrick is working late with strange noises emanating from his workshop. Broken crates and mysterious occupants hint at dark secrets. His evasiveness raises suspicion.