Side quest The Village of Barovia Level 3

The Oat Thief

Somebody is stealing four sacks of oats a week from Bildrath's back room, and the lock is never touched.

Walkthrough

Getting the quest

In Bildrath's Mercantile (open 6:00 to 19:00), ask Bildrath Cantemir "Heard anything interesting?" and then about "Your stock." Four sacks of oats go missing every week, the lock is never touched, and Parriwimple is a very poor liar. The quest starts at Rumored.

Step by step

  1. Catch Parriwimple on the north path. Between 22:00 and 4:00, Parriwimple creeps up the north path at the north-east corner of the village, past the churchyard, with sacks of oats on his shoulders. Every answer gets the truth out of him. If you befriended him earlier, "It's all right. You can tell us." works. Otherwise use [Persuasion DC 10] "We won't tell your uncle. Who are they for?" (one try), or say "Those are Bildrath's oats." The oats are for a woman called Agafia and her three small children, who mustn't ever eat meat. The quest moves to Asked, and a new exit opens: "Up the north path into the pines".
  2. Go up to the hollow. The path leads to The Charcoal-Burners' Hollow. Agafia meets you at the hut door with a knife. Ask "Who are you hiding from?" or "Why only oats?" She ran from the werewolf den when Kiril Stoyanovich began taking children for the count's army, and her own three were born to the wolf. A howl comes up the path.

    loc woodcutters hollow 1

  3. Read the ground, then hold the door. [Survival DC 12] "(Look at the ground round the hut.)" spots the trail of spilled oats from Parriwimple's holed sack, with huge paw prints over it. You catch the hunters unawares (they're surprised) and one wolf is left behind down the path. A failed roll, or "(Stand in front of the door.)", means a straight fight.
    • Trail spotted: at level 3 or higher, A Pack Hunter (Werewolf) and 2 × Wolf (800 XP); below level 3, the werewolf alone (700 XP).
    • Trail missed: at level 3 or higher, the werewolf and three wolves (850 XP); below level 3, the werewolf and one wolf (750 XP).

    The werewolf has 71 HP and AC 15, and its bite can curse a humanoid (DC 12 Constitution), so keep your weakest characters off it. Winning moves the quest to Defended.

  4. Talk to Agafia. She gives you her grandmother's Bag of Tricks (Tan): reach in, throw what you find, and a small beast gets up and fights for you till morning. The quest ends at Done (Liriel +2, Godrick +2, Thistle +2, Wren +1).

Choices and endings

There's one ending. Agafia and her children stay in the hollow, Parriwimple keeps carrying oats, and Bildrath, if you ask him for news afterwards, has decided the missing sacks are charity.

If you're stuck

  • Parriwimple is only on the path from 22:00 to 4:00, and only while the quest is at Rumored or Asked. The north path exit stays shut until he has told you about Agafia.
  • If Parriwimple is travelling with you as Madam Eva's chosen ally, he isn't on the north path at night. Instead, ask Bildrath about "Your stock." while Parriwimple is with you: he goes red, and out on the step afterwards he whispers the whole story about Agafia. The quest moves to Asked and the north path exit opens, just as if you'd caught him on the path.

Rewards

What your companions think

  • Liriel Dawnsong: +2 you stood at a hiding mother's door
  • Godrick Pendlebrook: +2 you stood at a hiding mother's door
  • Thistle: +2 you stood at a hiding mother's door
  • Wren Featherfoot: +1 you stood at a hiding mother's door

Fights

By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)

Journal

Every journal entry and hint

Rumored: Bildrath is short four sacks of oats a week, and the lock on his back room is never touched. He says Parriwimple is a very poor liar.
Hint: Watch the north path at the village's north edge after dark and see who's carrying the oats.

Asked: Parriwimple carries the oats up the north path at night, to a woman called Agafia who is hiding in the woods with three small children. They mustn't ever have meat, she says.
Hint: Take the north path at the village's north edge up into the pines, to the hollow.

Defended: Agafia ran from the werewolf den with her children, who were born to the wolf. The pack's hunters followed the oats up the path to her door, and we stood in it.
Hint: Talk to Agafia at the hollow up the north path.

Done (the end: success): Agafia and her children are safe in the hollow, for now, on oats, and Parriwimple still carries them up. Bildrath has decided it's charity. Don't repeat that.

Every skill check in its conversations
  • Persuasion DC 10: We won't tell your uncle. Who are they for?
  • Survival DC 12: (Look at the ground round the hut.)