The Mill Witch

his adventure is for three to five heroes of levels 2-3, and is set in Arkandale. Any mix of classes and races is appropriate, although obvious wizards and non-humans may have difficulty interacting with the suspicious Arkandalens. Since the adventure contains an encounter with a lycanthrope, one of the characters should probably be equipped with a silver weapon. Access to priest who can cure diseases might be useful.

Background

Alice Kruebler grew up an unhappy girl. When Alice was only an infant, her mother, Inga, fled Falkovnia and settled in Arkandale. Living deep in the wilderness, mother and daughter were treated with suspicion and resentment by the Arkandalens. Though they lived far from a village of any size, even the local farmers found little to like in the secretive foreigners. Alice was a plain girl, and so shy that it crippled her emotional development. Her unknown paternity did not endear her to the moral Arkandalens. She was mercilessly teased by other children, and spat on by adults. She grew very bitter as the years progressed, despite her mother's insistence that they endure the barbs of their neighbors with stoicism.

As she matured, Alice secretly turned to the magical arts. The forbidden allure of sorcery in Arkandale was tantalizing to her, as was the possibility of vengeance on her tormentors. When she was only sixteen, Alice ran away from her long-suffering mother, and settled in a nearby abandoned mill. Once in seclusion, she applied herself fanatically to the study of magic, and quickly developed into a wizard of impressive skill. Unfortunately, her soul became twisted by a desire for revenge on the farmers of the region. She began to call down terrible (nonmagical) curses on them, reveling in their suffering. People began to fall to victim to illness and accidents, while crops and livestock suffered from blight, drought and predators.

Inga has been despondent in the five years since her daughter fled. As misfortunes began to strike the locals, they immediately began to accuse Inga and her missing daughter of witchcraft. Bits of genuine fact combined with the farmers' already suspicious ways, and eventually they were able to conclude that Alice was dwelling in the mill. They were too frightened, however, to investigate the dilapidated structure, which was rumored to be haunted. Unfortunately, the locals also believed that Inga had instructed her daughter in the ways of witchcraft, and that the two were cooperating to work their foul magic.

As the adventure begins, the local folk have finally had enough. Seizing Inga Kruebler, they drag her kicking and screaming to the mill. Their plan is to threaten to burn down the structure. They hope that fear for her daughter's life will prompt Inga to admit to witchcraft. Either way, they intend to torch the mill. If Alice is inside, and she perishes in the flames, so much the better.

The Adventure Begins

It is the middle of the day, and the party is traveling down a woodland road in Arkandale, preferably far from a village of any appreciable size. As they proceed, they see a smattering of tiny farmsteads peeking through the forest. The players should get the feeling that they are in a decidedly rustic, but not uninhabited, area.

The gentle sounds of the countryside permeate the warm midday air. Songbirds and insects mix with the light rustling of the trees all around. You realize, however, that the pleasant serenity is gradually being overwhelmed by a loud commotion. Up ahead, you see a crowd of agitated farmers heading in your direction. They are brandishing flaming torches, and appear to ushering an unwilling figure along with them. As they draw closer, you realize that the figure is a woman in her fifties, who is sobbing and shrieking in protest. Her protestations, however, do not appear to be slowing the burly farmers who restrain her. Eventually, the mob is close enough that you recognize a chilling rhythm in their shouts: "Witch…Witch… Witch… Witch… Witch…"

Unless the party does something particularly obstructive, the mob of twenty or so farmers will sweep right past them. If they do attempt to block the mob's path, they will be greeted with hostility. A member of the mob will simply say that they are attempting to "discover the truth", and demand the PC's to let them pass. No one in the group is interested in explaining themselves to the party, especially since they are obviously foreigners who wouldn't understand anyway. Lawful good characters will probably be quite distressed at the grisly prospect of mob justice. If the PC's need some nudging, a farmer trailing behind the procession gleefully urges them to come along and take part in "a good ol' fashioned witch-burnin'".

The mob will continue down the road a few yards, and then turn off into a small meadow that the PC's just passed. At the edge of the meadow, a dirt footpath leads away from the road, apparently traveling deeper into the woods. About a hundred yards through the forest on this path lies the mill where Alice Kreubler now dwells. The PC's are probably following along behind the mob at this point, curious to see what happens.

Just as the mob is about to pour down the rutted path that leads away from the road, a figure emerges from the dappled shadows of the surrounding woodlands. The tall, lean man swiftly produces a snaplock musket from under his leather cloak and levels it at the approaching mob. His lead-gray eyes glare harshly out from under a wide-brimmed hat, and his jaw is set in a scowl. The man's threatening stare and firearm take the momentum out of the mob. The farmers stumble to halt, colliding into one another in the process. "There won't be any mob justice in my jurisdiction, folks," the tall man spits. "Not today."

The musket-wielding man is Sheriff Triscott, the local constable appointed by Governor Merriweather to see to law and order in this region of Arkandale. Triscott got wind of the farmers' plans to strongarm Inga and burn down the mill, and decided to head them off. He hopes that he can convince them to disperse simply through this show of force, but in reality he will not attack anyone in the mob. If Triscott's authority is not enough to persuade the farmers, the sheriff will be at a loss to do much of anything to stop them.

Let the characters decide what to do while the sheriff lectures the mob and urges them to return to their farms. Since the group lacks a definite leader, no one will immediately step forward to challenge the sheriff. The PC's may want to use this opportunity to get a better handle on what is happening. The mob is decidedly unhelpful, answering most questions with rhetoric about "burning the witch". Inga is too upset to be of much use either, sobbing uncontrollably. Triscott, on the other hand, has a more even perspective on recent events, and will gladly fill the characters in on Inga and Alice Kruebler, the mill, and the recent string of misfortunes that have plagued the area.

Who are you? "The name's Triscott. I'm the Governor's appointed sheriff in this area." What's going on here? "These folks here are fixing to have their own little trial. It's their belief that Inga here and her daughter Alice are witches. Everyone says they've been hexing the folks around here. 'Course, no one can prove anything." What do you mean, 'hexing'? "Well, there's been a spot of bad luck in the area. People have been having freak accidents. Lots of children have come down sick something awful. Dead chickens, cotton blight, you name it… There's also been a few disappearances. Nobody important, just beggars and vagabonds. But I don't mind admitting it seems like someone's got it in for folks around here." Where's Alice? "Alice hasn't been seen in years, but folks say that she lives in an abandoned mill just down the trail here. Inga claims she doesn't know anything about Alice's whereabouts." Why are you trying to stop this? "I've got an obligation to see to proper justice. Now, I'm not saying that there's no such thing as witches, just that it's mighty hard to pin cases of scarlet fever and cotton weevils to anyone but the gods. Witch-hunting isn't in my job description." Why don't you go to the mill and look for Alice? "Well… I'm not saying I'm yellow or anything. It's just that nobody's ever come out of there alive as long as I can remember. Folks have… seen things at night. Not even the farm children will play around there. I never thought it was important enough, anyway. At least, not until today."

After a minute or two, the sheriff comes up with an idea. Sizing them up for courageous types, he suggests that the PC's investigate the mill. The sheriff is mainly interested in proving to the townsfolk that Alice is long gone, and that nothing magical is going on. If the party actually does find Alice, and it's obvious that she's practicing black magic, they should try to persuade her to stop victimizing the locals, or at least to leave the area. Otherwise, he gives them permission to… handle it.

The sheriff won't go along, as he's downright terrified of the mill's haunted reputation. He claims that he has to stay behind to keep an eye on Inga and the mob. Unfortunately, the sheriff can't offer the PC's any immediate monetary compensation for their efforts. If pressed, however, he agrees to write a letter to Governor Meriwether, which will recommend that the characters be modestly rewarded for their efforts.

The Mill

About one hundred yards down the trail, the characters will find the abandoned, nameless mill of which Triscott spoke.

The woods abruptly part again, revealing a verdant clearing filled with buzzing insects. Before you is a three-story mill built into the side of a pebbly rockface. Once, a broad, clear stream flowed off the outcropping, channeled to turn the enormous waterwheel. Now, however, only a weak trickle of silty water dribbles on the unmoving wheel, into a square millpond. The stagnant pond is covered in algal scum, and choked by reeds and cattails. The wooden mill itself is in an equally sorry state, it walls bleached and warped. The trail follows the left edge of the millpond, up to a wooden walkway that stretches over a streambed.

A freshwater scrag is lurking in the millpond. The troll has scattered a handful of gems at location A in order to lure the foolhardy close to its watery home. Any character who is deliberately searching the pond area will discover the gems among the reeds. Even if they aren't looking, a character will notice the gems with a successful Intelligence check (+2 bonus). The scrag immediately attacks those who approach the pond's edge, leaping out of the water with a bellow and hopefully gaining surprise.

The millpond explodes, belching green scum and slimy water droplets, as something leaps from the water before you. A hulking humanoid monstrosity lunges at you, its impossibly huge mouth filled with needle-like teeth. For a moment, all you can see is a demonic face framed by stringy hair, and webbed hands sporting wicked claws.

Freshwater Scrag (1): AC 3; MV 3 (SW 12); HD 5+5 ; hp 35; THAC0 15; #AT 3; Dmg/AT 1d4+1/1d4+1/3d4 (Claw/Claw/Bite); SZ L (8'); SA Limb Animation; SD Regeneration; XP 650.
Freshwater scrags can breathe air for one hour. They regenerate 3 hp per round, except for damage done by acid or fire, even when reduced below zero hit points. Regeneration begins three rounds after first blood. A scrag's severed limbs will continue to fight on their own.

1. Mechanism Room

This is the level where the waterwheel's axis feeds into the mill, turning a series of gears that presumably rotate the millstone upstairs. The mechanism has evidently not moved in years, however, as the gears are choked with cobwebs and dust. Light barely penetrates the grimy windows set around the perimeter of the room. A wooden stairway on the eastern side of the room leads up. There is not much else on this level, other than a dusty workbench, a few empty barrels, and the remains of broken tools. The mill is not silent, however; the scuttling of tiny creatures can be heard above.

A few common rats, servants of the foul rat that lives in the mill, are carefully watching the characters. Characters with infravision will note the small forms darting along the walls, which will scurry upstairs if detected.

2. Millstone Room

On this level, grain was ground by the enormous millstone and laboriously bagged by hand. Now, the rough stone sits motionless. A chute leads down from the level above, and a trough rests at the foot of the millstone. Empty sacks and crates are piled here and there against the walls. There is a lever on the south side of the mill that evidently controlled the streamflow to the waterwheel. Two windows let in only the smallest amount of dirty sunlight. Another staircase on the north wall leads up to the third floor. You notice that from everywhere around you comes the sound of twittering and squeaking…

This floor is infested with a horde of common and giant rats, as well as the foul rat that commands them. Characters with infravision will note that the room is practically alive with plump little creatures. As soon as most of the characters are standing around in the room, the rats attack.

Suddenly… rats! Swarms of filthy black rats pour from the shadows, some larger than housecats. They seem to move with frightening purpose, descending on your party like a pack of predators. You can't help but notice the creature that emerges from a nearby pile of empty sacks. Nearly the size of a hunting dog, with fur like wire bristles, the enormous rat opens is mouth to unleash a yellow-toothed hiss. It might be your imagination, but the eyes of the little horror seem to glow a dull red in the dim light.

Foul Rat (1): AC 7; MV 12 (Sw 5); HD 2; hp 12; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg/AT 1d4 (Bite); Size S (2-3'); SA Disease; SD Fur; XP 270. (See the Kargatane Netbook The Book of Souls.)
Anyone bitten by a foul rat must save vs. poison or contract a serious disease in two to three days. A separate roll is required for each bite. Due to the foul rat's almost metallic fur, all weapons inflict minimum damage unless blessed by a good priest.

Giant Rats (5): AC 7; MV 12 (Sw 6); HD ½; hp 3,4,4,2,2; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg/AT 1-3 (Bite); Size T (2'); SA Disease SD None; XP 15.
Anyone bitten by a giant rat has a 5% chance of contracting a debilitating disease. Those who save vs. poison are not affected.

Rats (21): AC 7; MV 15; HD ¼ (5+2); hp 37; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg/AT 1 hp or 5hp/round automatically; Size T (1'); SA Disease; SD Immune to everything but area attacks; XP 7.
Anyone bitten by a rat has a 5% chance of contracting a serious disease. Those who save vs. poison are not affected.

Commanded by the foul rat, the common and giant rats will attack mercilessly. The foul rat itself will attempt to bite those characters who are not heavily armed or armored. If it is clear that the characters will easily vanquish its minions, or if it is wounded, the foul rat will flee upstairs. In an unused grain sack is the foul rat's treasure: 4000 cp, 9000 sp, a girdle of many pouches, and a scroll containing wind wall, wraithform and rainbow pattern.

3. Loft

As you reach the third level, you see that the ceiling is steepled, rising to nearly twenty feet amid the rafters. The northeast corner of this floor is walled off as a separate room. Against the east wall is a pile of grain sacks; unlike those downstairs, these appear to be full. A large hopper opens on a hole in the floor, leading down to the millstone. Placed all about the room are thick, wine-red candles, some of them currently burning. At the base of each candle is a trinket of some kind: a piece of costume jewelry, a lock of hair, a scrap of fabric. Near the center of the room, a ten-pointed star inscribed in a ten-foot diameter circle has been drawn on the floor with charcoal. Slim black candles rest in pools of solidified wax at the corners of the star, their wicks extinguished. Clearly, some foul magic has been performed in this room. Despite the eerie surroundings, your attention is inexorably drawn to the corpses. Hanging from the rafters at the south end of the room are half a dozen mutilated adult bodies, strung up with rough rope. The flesh on the corpses has been shredded into bloody pulp in places, like a wild animal has been gnawing at it. Perhaps even more horribly, all the corpses have had their hands severed at the wrists.

The various trinkets are used as the basis for the powerful (nonmagical) curses which Alice has been calling down on the local people. The characters must make a mild horror check (+2 bonus) upon seeing the corpses, especially if they haven't encountered such sights before. The bodies are the "disappearances" Triscott alluded to, victims that Alice's wererat companion slew. Alice doesn't mind the corpses' presence, as she sometimes plunders them for magical components. She has used the hands in the creation of crawling claws.

The wererat is sleeping behind the grain sacks. If the characters chased the foul rat up to this floor, the creature darts behind the sacks and awakens the lycanthrope. Alternately, if the characters have made a lot of noise, the wererat might already be awake. He waits until they are upstairs, however, before attacking. If one of the characters approaches the grain sacks, the lycanthrope darts out in hybrid aspect, hopefully gaining surprise. If the characters saw the foul rat come upstairs, the wererat might even speak up, alerting them to his presence. Until they get close to his hiding place, however, he will pretend to be the foul rat, however, insisting in a pathetic little voice that "You hurt me… Now you'll be sorry if you don't go away…"

A monstrous form emerges from behind the grain sacks, wildly swinging a huge, rusty scythe. Its dark shape is humanoid, but its features are clearly those of a rodent. Its long snout is tipped with whiskers, and bristly black fur peeks out from its simple human clothes. A long, naked tail trails behind the creature. Strangely, its darting eyes are unmistakably human. Uttering a hideous, spitting growl, it swings its blade towards you in a deadly arc.

Wererat (1): AC 6; MV 12; HD 3+1; hp 18; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg/AT 1d6+1 (Scythe); Size M (5'); SA None; SD Hit Only by Silver or +1; XP 270.
Wererats are struck only by silver weapons or weapons of at least +1 enchantment. Those wounded by a wererat's weapon have a 2% chance per hp of damage of infection with lycanthropy.

This outcast wererat is fanatically loyal to Alice. He assumes that the characters have come to kill her, and will die protecting her if he must. His strategy is only to mercilessly attack the most dangerous-looking character. There is 50 gp in a moldy, tattered cloth bag behind the grain sacks, the wererat's personal little treasure hoard.

4. Alice's Room

This small room is evidently someone's living quarters. A filthy, unmade bed sits in the corner. Next to this is a small stool and writing desk, the surface of which is covered with ink stains. The most noticeable thing about this room, however, is the paper stacked up nearly to the ceiling. On the floor are thousands of sheets, all covered with ink scrawl. In places, the pages tower in precarious stacks. In others, they are piled like snowdrifts on the floor. There are books here as well, their yellowed pages peeking out from between leather covers.

The stacks of paper are the ever-growing diary of Alice Kruebler. Alice has partially dealt with her bitterness by keeping a record of her thoughts…in almost manic fashion. The pages are organized, but according to a chronology and system that only the woman herself would ever be able to comprehend. Her chicken-scratch handwriting spells out years of real and imagined hostilities inflicted on her by the local farmers. Anyone who takes the time to read the diary won't garner much information, other than a detailed impression of Alice's blossoming psychosis. The books are various occult texts, although Alice's spellbook is also here, buried under a mound of paper. Under Alice's bed is her meager treasure, wrapped in purple felt: 16 platinum pieces, a 8 gp blue quartz, a 50 gp bloodstone, and two 500 gp topazes.

Alice's Spellbook
1st Level: armor, change self, charm person, detect magic, idnetify, read magic, shield, sleep, spider climb.
2nd Level: alter self, blindness, darkness 15'radius, invisibility, locate object, misdirection, ray of enfeeblement, summon swarm.
3rd Level: blink, clairaudience, clairvoyance, dispel magic, fly, haste, hold person, monster summoning I.

The room's guardians, however, won't tolerate the PC's poking around for long. As soon as anyone touches Alice's diary, the crawling claws emerge from their hiding places.

The piles of paper around the room begin to rustle as if something was moving through them. Suddenly, a human hand pokes out from under the pages. Horribly, you see that it is not attached to a wrist! The thing scuttles on its fingers across the floor towards you, as half a dozen other hands emerge and advance, the wooden floor tapping beneath their digits.

Crawling Claw (7): AC 7; MV 9; HD ½; hp 2, 3, 3, 2, 4, 4, 4; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg/AT 1d4 (armored foe) or 1d6 (unarmored) (Punch/Crush); Size T (6-8"); SA None; SD Undead Immunities, Half Damage from Edged Weapons; XP 35.
Crawling claws can leap 15' through the air. They cannot be turned, controlled, or damaged by holy water. Cold-based spells make a claw brittle, and subsequent attacks cause 1 extra hp of damage per die. Magical weapons do damage to claws as if unenchanted.

The claws attack until destroyed or until the PC's leave the room.

Where's Alice?

If the PC's eventually reach the third floor, they should realize that someone is indeed dwelling in the mill, someone who is apparently working unspeakable magic. They will probably assume that that someone is Alice. When the PC's first approach the mill, Alice is sleeping in her bed in Room 4. Depending on the level of commotion that the PC's and the mill's other inhabitants make, however, Alice will probably awaken at some point and seek out the characters. The PC's will almost certainly be unable to reach the bedroom without alerting her in some way.

Alice's main goal is to simply get rid of the characters. The mill is her sanctuary, and she doesn't abide anyone violating it. She won't make an overt attempt to kill the PC's, but won't hesitate to do so if necessary. The first thing Alice does is cast invisibility on herself so that she can move about in secrecy. She will then observe the party closely, and carefully antagonize them with spells. If one individual is ever separated from the group, she takes the opportunity to cast charm person on that character, and goads them to attack their comrades. She also takes advantage of the other creatures in the mill, which all serve her. Although she does not give them orders, she will complement their attacks with magic. In particular, she will make use of blindness, darkness 15' radius, haste, hold person, monster summoning I, ray of enfeeblement, sleep, and summon swarm.

If it becomes apparent to Alice that she stands no chance of defeating these strangers, she will flee the mill, disappearing into the woods. If, by some chance, she is captured, attempts to question her are met with cold silence.

Alice Kruebler, The Mill Witch
6th-Level Wizard, Chaotic Evil
AC 10; MV 12; HD 6; hp 19; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg/AT 1d4 (Dagger); Size M (5'6") SA Spells; SD Spells; XP 650.
Spells: 4/2/2

Spells Memorized (Suggested)
1st Level: charm person (x2), spider climb, sleep. 2nd Level: invisibility, ray of enfeeblement. 3rd Level: clairaudience, monster summoning I.

Monster Summoning I (1d10)
1-2 4d4 Giant rats
3-4 8d4 Bats
5-6 4d4 Large Bats
7-8 8d4 Giant Centipedes
9-10 4d4 Gremishkas

Epilogue

The true outcome of this adventure, beyond battling monsters, is determined largely by what course of action the characters take. The PC's might return to the sheriff and the mob and explain what occurred truthfully, or they might fabricate a story for their own ends, or they might "slip out the back" and never return. Perhaps they managed to slay Alice, or maybe they had the opportunity, but certain PC's balked. Despite the fact that she is evidently responsible for vile deeds, intelligent characters who piece together the events surrounding this adventure may ascribe a certain victim status to Alice.

Generally speaking, the sheriff will believe whatever the characters tell him. After all, he admires their courage at entering the building in the first place, and the fact that they emerged alive is even more impressive. The mob has lost most of its fire by the time the PC's return, but may be rekindled if the characters mention the corpses and occult materials. If Alice is captured and returned to the sheriff, the most likely outcome is that the woman will be taken into custody and simply executed for the deaths of the victims in the mill. Inga, for her part, is shocked and horrified at Alice's deeds, and even her love for her daughter may not be enough to forgive such atrocities. If the PC's for some reason try to convince the locals that Alice is not a witch, the woman will interrupt the defense with ravings about the vengeance she still intends to wreak. Clearly, Alice is beyond redemption. Her fate, however, is tricky question, and is mainly up the PC's to decide…