West Gate & The Windmill

Waking at the edge of the Vistani encampment, some of my companions show gratitude to our hosts before our eventual departure. Old Svalich Road is a worn path, perhaps not great even in its earliest years, and I am focused on retaining my wits and endurance for the journey ahead.
 
As we finally reach the stone bridge crossing over the river, suspended perhaps 100 feet above the rapid current, we are greeted with a set of four statues-- golems, gargoyles, it remains unknown to me-- placed at each corner. With no definitive evidence to support it, the others and I feel an unease, and perhaps see something move in the corners of our eyes (though it could just as easily be explained as paranoia).
 
In trying to cross, we are unsurprisingly ambushed by the statues. Alfonse is quick with his firearms, and Quicknife, his fists, but I expect my powers have limited value against these creatures, and wasting time on attempts is a poor choice of tactics. Instead, I bolster my musculature with my lesser psionics and shove the first creature prone, making way for Belmont to land a gratuitous killing blow. As an additional statue animates, Lenore uses another of her powers to produce a blade of undulating shadow-- most fascinating-- to engage the newcomers. Quicknife also releases his magic, and Alfonse, another barrage of gunfire. While I remain next to Quicknife, a statue charges me, only to be flanked by Belmont and struck viciously, shattered to pieces that topple from the bridge and plummet into the falls below.
 
Lenore creates an illusion of Quicknife to attempt to taunt the other statue ahead of us, though the one behind us animates instead. Alfonse obliterates it with a slew of shots, and in preparation of the final statue, I move to Lenore and use my lesser psionics to boost her reflexes. Belmont rushes the inanimate statue and brings it to react from damage as Lenore fires upon it with her own concussive force projectiles. Undeterred, the statue advances on Belmont and strikes him with brutality. Quicknife rushes it and lands a slash, before attempting a poorly chosen kick; the goblin hurts his foot in the attempt. Alfonse lands two shots on the statue, finally destroying it. These threats along the road are less a test of willpower, and more a test of (my/our) patience. Ireena is impressively unmoved for one who hasn't trained for a lifestyle of violence.
 
We forge ahead along the road without distraction until we reach the grand Western gates, similar to those that we found at the Eastern edge of Barovia. As we pass through, we now glance out on all these darkened forestlands, a bleak and tired place. We see our target village, Vallaki, in the far distance, and much closer, a windmill with severe damages. It becomes clear that this is the same windmill referenced at the Durst manor, and as the possessors of the deed, we are entitled to its ownership; even so, I am sure to remind the others of the likelihood of squatters in this foul place.
 
Closing in on the windmill, the surrounding flora lies wilted and dead; snakes and rats weave about in the grass. I strike a snake dead and inspect it, trying to harvest any venom but cannot get any. As a venomless and harmless species, I give this prey to Quicknife as a ration, and he immediately devours it. Drawing closer to the structure, Quicknife provides us magic-enhanced stealth, and I connect him, myself, and Belmont in a telepathic network. We smell the distinct aroma of bread-- the scent of the pies peddled by the old woman in Barovia village. A raven lands on the windmill's roof and begins acting erratically, looking directly toward us. I suspect this translates to some form of danger, though Ireena suggests that ravens are beacons of good luck in this place. I cannot yet weigh my instincts against local beliefs, but my trust in their preconceptions remains unearned.
 
Another woman-- not the one from town-- opens the door to throw something at the raven, completely disregarding us. She returns inside and slams the door shut behind her. We advance closer. Belmont quietly scales the size of the tower, but sees nothing within the window. I pull the axles from the door hinges, preplanning a future moment of confusion. I leave them in the rubbish pile adjacent. Much too early, the woman returns outside to yell at the raven, the door falling from the frame as she comes face-to-face with me, and I am without any disguise. In attempt to shake her with unpredictable stimuli, I immediately shout into her face, "RETURN INSIDE YOUR HOME," which does briefly catch her off guard. She has a double-take before she shakes it off and asks my business. To my knowledge, only Lenore and Alfonse made themselves known. To the crone, I respond that I'm looking to trade. We bicker for a time, arguing about what can be offered, though I have no need for their pies (or capacity to digest it). She eventually introduces herself as Bella, and suggests that I might be here "for Ophelia." I ask if this Ophelia is for sale instead, but she disregards it, calling down another crone of the name.
 
As I am beckoned to enter, Belmont telepathically requests I inquire about the process by which they make these pies. They first deign to tell me that their pies are made of wolves, but being led up past piles of clones and what I recognize as human bones, it becomes immediately clear that they instead use human children; the realization comes before Ophelia and I reach the top floor, where a living child remains caged near the crones' bedside. My discoveries are shared with the others as I perceive them.
 
Ophelia drops her disguise, revealing herself to be a true fiendish hag (just as Belmont had originally projected in our first encounter) and demands I sexually satisfy her. Without having genitals and faced with this truly hideous wretch I wouldn't dare apply my tentacles to, I instead instruct her to lie upon her bed. Ophelia is resistant to my command, but when repeated with force to such a lustful botchling, she is willing to see what I have to offer. I terminate my telepathic connection with the others and initiate another with Ophelia, and begin to escalate psionic bombardment of dopamine-agonist stimuli waves. This is truly a lower and pitiful form of manipulation among the ranks of my kind, but it serves its purpose, overwhelming her senses with pleasure as it does with humans. While I am focused, standing over Ophelia in this process, I momentarily see Quicknife intrude and silently steal away the child before vacating; Ophelia does not notice, drowning in her own pleasure. She climaxes in front of me, to my disgust, and takes her time to collect herself.
 
When she is composed enough, I finally inquire regarding my mission; I ask about the presence of my kin in Barovia, and whether she has observed anything in recent months. She has no conclusive answers, and I do not detect any evasion in her response. Mentioning that she will have to return to work, Ophelia suggests that I wait for her mother to return home-- the one we encountered in Barovia, no doubt-- for more exhaustive answers. Grateful for the truth in her response, I leave her to her work and descend to rejoin Bella in the kitchen, discussing her mother.