Session 21: Dear Esther

The group have arrived in Strawberry and successfully survived the zombie attack with no civilian casualties.

Abe and Elisen immediately visited Deputy Farley to check on the status of the zombie sheriff, who remained in zombie form in the cell. Abe and Elisen try to convince the deputy that the zombie sheriff is not worth keeping alive and that the best course of action would be to put him town. The deputy, however, displayed signs of romantic attachment to the sheriff and thus did not agree to allow them to kill the sheriff without pressing criminal charges.

Aggie, Hazel, and Billy headed to the saloon. Aggie checked on Madame Calloway, who commented on Aggie's new appearance and abilities. Aggie offered a short explanation of where she had been and what she had been doing since taking leave from the saloon, enjoying reconnecting with her old friend if a little awkward about returning. Madame Calloway told Aggie that she always would have a home and a job in the Strawberry saloon if she wished it, though Aggie affirmed that she was now committed to finishing the search for the Bibble and the larger mystery.

Abe went to visit Dr Wheeler to ask him about his knowledge of the zombie plague, however Abe found him to be unhelpful, misogynist, and an overall asshat.

The party regrouped in the saloon, together in Aggie's old room and discussed the problem of the zombie sheriff. Aggie and Abe argued over the validity of killing the zombie sheriff, and after failing to come to an agreement they decided to spend the remainder of the night in the saloon.

In the morning, the group started work on moving the many corpses of the zombies out of the street and found a sanitary disposal method - burning them. This took most of the morning. Abe went to check on the sheriff's office, and took Hazel with him as a witness. All was fine - well, the same.

Age, Abbie, and Hazel visited the stables and negotiated for three new horses to replace the lost ones and a new one for Hazel - thus they purchased Artemis, Parsnip, and Sinnagog.

Aggie suggested that they go visit Esther, an old friend of hers. Aggie explained that Esther was a recluse, living alone in the woods and shunned by the town due to rumours of being a witch, but Aggie was fond of her and often used Esther as a her medical contact while she lived here, as Dr Wheeler was largely unreliable. As the zombies were emerging from the woods around Strawberry, Aggie surmised that Esther may know something.

They arrive at Esther's cabin where Esther is delighted to see Aggie. Esther invited the whole group inside, feeding them tea and biscuits. Aggie took Esther away to speak to her rather than eating, and meanwhile the rest of the group began to get an odd feeling about Esther. Abe especially began to feel highly suspicious, especially when they started to feel ill and eventually passed out from a sleeping potion in the food. Aggie returned and found her unconscious friends. Panicked and overwhelmed, Aggie runs to try and search the attic, but Esther hits Aggie with a sleeping spell.

The entire group wake up in the basement of the cabin, stripped of all weapons and supplies. Arguments ensued as Abe lectured Aggie for trusting Esther, and Aggie insisted that she still refused to murder her friend. Billy used his rock powers to phase through the floor and dirt up to ground level on the outside of the cabin, making his way back into the cabin from there to look around. He saw Esther pottering around a witch kitchen, and so Billy found the group's equipment and brought it back with him into the basement. They set out to try and free themselves from the basement, finding the door magically protected. Hazel was able to dispel the magic on the door and let them out.

The group searched the house stealthily and found large amounts of trash and rot, although Esther herself had disappeared for now. They found yet more muck on the second floor as well.

Aggie, remaining on the ground floor, heard Esther calling her name. Aggie looked out through the window to see Esther standing outside the cottage, waiting for her. From upstairs, the rest of the group are able to view a horde of zombies slowly appearing from the mist at the treeline and encroaching the house. Aggie decided to confront Esther directly, walking out of the house and approaching her. Aggie questions Esther, prompting her with questions to try and see if she could sense any part of Esther's former self. No, this was no longer Esther. This was something or someone else.

Esther taunted Aggie. Then, using Esther's magic, up from the dirt of Esther's garden rose the zombified corpse of Patrick, Aggie's dead husband.

Also Esther turned into a giant bird demon.