Objective
Reunite Stella Wachter’s soul with her body by obtaining a night hag’s heartstone and performing a ritual to enter the Ethereal Plane.
What the Party Knows
Stella’s Tragic Situation
Two months ago, Victor Vallakovich and Stella Wachter were working together on an ambitious magical project: constructing a teleportation circle that could allow them to escape Barovia. They were desperate—Strahd had awakened three months prior, and the horrors of the valley were intensifying.
Using Khazan’s spellbook (which Victor had found in his father’s library), they built a prototype teleportation circle. After testing it successfully on small animals (mostly undead rabbits Victor had animated), Stella volunteered to be the first human subject.
The experiment failed catastrophically.
Instead of teleporting, Stella’s soul was ripped from her body and trapped in the Ethereal Plane—the ghostly realm that exists parallel to the material world. Her physical body fell catatonic, empty and mindless. Her soul, now stranded in the Ethereal Plane, was immediately attacked by a gallows speaker—a dark shadow entity that feeds on souls.
Stella should have died within hours as the tether connecting her soul to her body snapped. But Erasmus’s ghost found her in the Ethereal Plane and has been protecting her from the shadows ever since, keeping her alive against all odds.
Stella’s Current State
Time is running out. Stella’s soul is slowly fading:
- She sometimes can’t remember who she is
- She occasionally experiences strange sensations—feeling like she’s curled up in a warm, wet place with a heartbeat echoing around her (as if she’s trying to inhabit someone else’s body)
- Her ethereal form is growing more insubstantial
- She has perhaps one week left, maybe less
Meanwhile, her physical body remains at Wachterhaus, catatonic and requiring constant care from her family. Lady Fiona Wachter believes her daughter suffers from a mysterious illness, unaware of the magical catastrophe that actually occurred.
Stella’s ghostly presence has been manifesting throughout Vallakovich Manor (appearing in mirrors, causing cold drafts, moving objects), which Baron Vallakovich mistook for a simple haunting.
Victor’s Plan
Victor has found a solution in one of Khazan’s tomes: Ethereal Entities: Denizens of the Unseen Realm. The book describes a ritual that can temporarily transport living creatures into the Ethereal Plane for up to one hour. Once there, the party can reverse the botched teleportation ritual and guide Stella’s soul back to her body.
The Ritual Requirements:
- A night hag’s heartstone (a rare gemstone that serves as the hag’s life force and connection to the Ethereal Plane)
- The ritual must be performed on the night of the full moon (approximately 5 days away from Neyavr 4)
- The party must enter the Ethereal Plane, find Stella, and complete the reversal ritual before the hour expires
The Night Hag Lead
Erasmus has been observing Vallaki from the Ethereal Plane and has spotted a creature matching a night hag’s description haunting the Refugee Camp outside the eastern gate:
- Appearance: Gaunt female figure with sallow, gray-blue skin, deep-set eyes, matted hair, small ram’s horns, and a wide mouth of sharp, yellowed teeth
- Activity Pattern: She appears in the Border Ethereal near the refugee camp regularly
- Signs of Her Predation: The refugees have been reporting nightmares, fatigue, and people waking up screaming in the night—classic signs of hag attacks
The party suspects this night hag is Morgantha, the old woman who has been selling dream pastries outside Vallaki’s gates. The dream pastries are likely part of her predatory scheme, addicting victims and making them easier prey for her nightmare-feeding.
Leads & Current Plan
Immediate Steps
- Investigate the Refugee Camp: Confirm that Morgantha is indeed the night hag and observe her patterns
- Obtain the Heartstone: Either steal the heartstone from Morgantha or kill her to claim it (heartstones are typically kept within a hag’s body or on their person)
- Prepare for the Ritual: Victor needs the heartstone in hand before the full moon
- Perform the Rescue: On the night of the full moon, enter the Ethereal Plane, find Stella, complete the reversal ritual, and return her soul to her body
Challenges
- Night hags are dangerous opponents with powerful magic and cunning minds
- The ritual has a strict one-hour time limit
- The Ethereal Plane is inhabited by hostile entities (like the gallows speaker that originally attacked Stella)
- Lady Fiona Wachter doesn’t know the truth about her daughter—telling her could help or complicate matters
- Victor carries immense guilt over what happened and is desperate to fix his mistake
Timeline
The party has approximately 5 days until the full moon. Stella may not survive much longer than that.
Appearance in Sessions
- Session 13 — Received the quest from Victor Vallakovich in his attic workroom; learned the full story of Stella’s fate; identified Morgantha as the likely night hag target