A side quest 05/15/2023

The party have been chased into the old bone grinder. They all cram in this tiny mill to find Aeon being released from being tied to a chair by an older lady. The scratches and growls of the beast take everyone off guard for a while until a loud thud can be heard outside. The scurrying gets more distant and the party are able to talk without the cacophany outside. 
Morgantha introduces herself and announces her business here. She came to the old mill and freed Aeon, they didn't get much of a word out to each other when they started to hear the noises outside and the party barged in. She came by because her husband recently died and gave her body to someone in Vallaki by the name of Henrik Van der Voort, an undertaker that was to burn the flesh off the bones for her to bury the skeleton of her dead husband. This old mill use to be a place the people of Barovia could rely on for bread. Her husband use to work there until an accident happened where he was crushed by the turning grinder. She wishes for this to be her husband's last resting place to honor his service to the living. 
The party tells them they will get her husbands bones and she said she will start the ritual preparation for their arrival. She is expecting her daughters soon. 
They explore the surrounding side of the Mill to find Monoliths of 4 cities depicting their own season of the year. No specifications to what each city is related to each season. There are a lot of crows around and, on a monolith, a crow is eating the mincemeat pies. In the middle of the Monolith are the teeth of children. 
There are two giant skulls on each side of the windmill. Recently, something was standing on top of the skull.
They head out to the town of Vallaki where the party persuade the guards to let them in. After promising to smile, they enter the town where everyone is smiling. Some genuinely. Most half-heartedly. Their are many people out and about in the fog smiling as they fade into the ocean of white. The party put on their smiles and on and make their way to Town's inn, The Blue Water Inn. 
They depart from Ireena Kolyana and Ismark Indrovich - They give the party their fathers lucky platinum coins he found when a brave adventurer parished trying to protect the village of Barovia from the monsters of the night. They also make their way to the in. Keyeth and Andros bless the two and they leave. 
Meghan, Lukas and Guthrie go over to a shipping yard where they find a colorful wagon holding a Saber-tooth tiger covered in armor. they find a doll, ripped apart with a tag saying, "is no fun, is no blinsky"
The party go on their way to the Inn and talk to the bar keep, getting food, wine ( purple grapemush & Superior Red Dragon crush wine), and rooms for all of them. Meghan talks to a colorful clothed man named Rictavio, who is a circus performer, who shows her a magic trick and tells her a secret. The saber-tooth tiger is his and not to tell anyone else. He also has a pet monkey who he gave to the toy maker of Vallaki, Gadof Blinsky. His name is Piccolo. Soon after, he dismisses himself to an evening stroll, enchanting Meghan with his kindness. 
*LONG REST*
The party wake up, early and bright to eat breakfast in the in and Lukas asks about the wine to the Innkeeper, Urwin Martikov. He tells Lukas the wine comes from his family's company The wizards winery in the Western side of the Valley. He asked him to consider going over to the winery and check if the next batch can be sent out soon. Lukas says he will attempt to undertake the task after his business with Morgantha's request. 
The party head over to the Coffin Makers shop and try to talk to Henrik about the bones of Morgantha's husband. Eventually, they let him know of the lady requesting the bones and he scurries up top. Andros sees undead on the second floor of the shop, Henrik goes and talks to him. They get the bones from Henrik and Andros checks to make sure Henrik is safe. Henrik scoffs asking whos side is he on. 
The party debate all the confusing messages coming about the whereabouts of the bones and the strange behavior around everyone. 
Andros heads out on his own to the church and comes across a man who has lost it to the sea of smiling people walking the streets. He is abruptly stopped by a demonic arm striking him to the floor and other guards taking him to stocks where others vindicated of, "malicious unhappiness" have been locked up. The man, Izek, looks at Andros and tells him to smile, the fate of Vallaki depend on the people of the village to continue smiling. Andros tells him to go about it in better ways instead of beating others to do his bidding. 
Andros heads to the church of St. Andral where Father Lucian Petrovich tells him the bones of St. Andral were stolen. The rest of the party arrive and give the bones back to the Father's alter and a Hallow spell activated around the church. 
Now, the party discuss the next course of action. Find out the underlying politics of the Village of Vallaki, go back to face Morgantha and her lies or help the coffin maker?