Overview

A caravan of enchanted wagons drifts the party into a frost-wrapped land under Baba Yaga’s gaze. A cult of brainwashed humanoids, manipulated by Baba Yaga, seeks to resurrect Koschei the Deathless by minding his Needle—the single thread that keeps his soul bound in a hidden prison. If the ritual succeeds, Koschei returns with iron will and a new hunger for power. The party must thwart the cult or face a resurrected tyrant beyond mortal ken.

Setting

This liminal realm warps seasons, roads loop back on themselves, and huts shift on chicken legs. The Enchanted Caravan is both guide and lure, offering bargains that can save or ruin travelers. Mind-control magic threads through villages, turning friends into foes until freed by decisive action and courage.

Main Quest

Track and disrupt the cult’s four Ritual Anchors that empower the Needle. Infiltrate ruined sanctuaries, liberate brainwashed residents, and locate Koschei’s Needle before the Blood Moon ritual seals his return. Time is measured in heartbeats and shifting epitaphs.

Key Locations

• The Enchanted Caravan: a mobile hub where clues appear and illusions tempt.


• Baba Yaga’s Hut: a wandering maze of trees and doors that tests the party’s wits and courage.


• The Coiled Fortress: ice-bound temples and dream-threads where the Anchors sleep.


• The Cradle of Dreams: a dream-realm where memories are shaped and loyalties tried.

Hooks & Side Quests

• A memory-haunted ally pleads for rescue from a cult trance, offering vital clues if freed.


• A merchant’s map hints at a forgotten warding relic that can blunt mind-control.


• Whispers claim a traitor within the caravan knows Koschei’s true target.

Endgame & Rewards

Stopping the ritual averts Koschei’s awakening and grants the land a fragile peace, plus artifacts that resist domination, protective wards, and a favor from Baba Yaga (which could open future adventures). If the cult succeeds, Koschei’s shadow unleashes undead legions and a winter-torn world whose rulers fear the needle’s minding again.