Right Way to a Demon Thumping

It took a day and pocket of patience but we got ourselves back on the road.
 
I caught up with the others then we got the survivors back to Arjory pond. The Hesters, Princess and the rest of us? We made camp first at one of the abandoned farms. Good thing we did, as it gave us time to try this "Rose Wafers chases out Demons" idea. It was a sound thought... and it worked! The Hesters were free of the demons. As for the demons? Those got bottled.
 
Unfortunately, I lost track of who picked that up.
 
But we got the Hesters free of the demons in them. All save for their hatbands? Things glowed green and all. I scooped those up in a bag and stuffed them in my pack. I figured to get them cleaned, or burned, later. In any case, while at Arjory pond, we found Miss Melinda's list of how to un-demon the cattle.
 
Basically they get basted. With injection.
 
Yathue had some choice opinions on that. I agreed with her. We try and simply injecti0n baste those cattle, we'll be the ones roasting. But for now, it was the plan... which meant it best to find another, BETTER plan.
 
We started to gather supplies. Miro and Jessie headed to Miss Melinda's workshop. I scoured the nearby farms for herbs. Sephia headed out to collect the buried bottles from the caravan. We'd need to them to capture demons at the ranch. The others stayed at the farm house to fix it up, see to the animals, and Lee Chung to cook up as many Rose Wafers as he could.
 
I should've known it was going too well.
 
I get back to learn Sephia went to the workshop cause Miro and Jessie never came back...and she never came back. Damnit. So the Hesters and I figure we should go get them.
 
We found the workshop locked up like a vault. But between the Hesters and myself, we broke in... and there they were. They had triggered some trap? Something and it froze them in place. Lucky it was kinda obvious. The candelabra that Jessie had picked up. I shot that out of his hand and it broke the spell.
 
From there we... or they... searched the place. I gave it a quick once over but didn't care much for things there. Until we got to the basement. It seems, to no one's surprise, Melinda was up to more no good. Princess' brothers were in cages down there. We got them out right away. They were starving but alive. So the Alfredo family was alive and could take possession of the ranch. Aside from that, I studied the root cellar some and a desk while the others kept busy ransacking things. I didn't pay them much mind, or really most of the smelly workshop, until Miro found a chest he couldn't open.
 
Miro had found some small room with an old beat up chest and a shepherd's crook-like staff. I broke the chest open for him and kept the staff. I was running low on arrows and since there's no good place to get more... I'd need a backup weapon. That would do.
 
The others kept rummaging, Lee Chung cooked up what he could and we slept in the workshop. I wasn't happy with that, did I mention it smelled and glowed? But traveling at night was out. The demon cattle would be out looking for anyone stupid enough to travel at night. So we stayed at the workshop. I learned to deal with the smell. We did set up watches... apparently the others figured out the house could magically move or portal itself around. Not at all what I wanted to hear.
 
Fortunately, nothing came through the workshop's portal.
 
Next morning, after breakfast, came the planning. This always takes the most time, but given we're about to try and deal with a herd of demon cows, it's probably necessary. Turns out we'd need to have a brand on us or the ranch's alarm will go off. That can be branded on bone or leather then worn. That's a lot of brands. But instead of us, we cut up some oilskin leather from a chest near the front door. Those strips could be branded and we wear those.
 
There was so. much. talking. Mostly around "should Princess go or not". Though Sephia came up with a great plan. She sets the alarm off and we ambush the stampede... might work. Better than no plan.
 
What bothered me worse was that Yathue wasn't around, neither was the Stormborn's spirit. I blame the workshop. This place has so much strange magic running around...it wouldn't surprise me there isn't something that alchemist set up to block undead. I'll have to check on the both once I'm out of this place.
 
Anyway, I helped Gore Hester make some brand before patience wore thin over the arguments. Too much tiptoeing around when there was a problem to solve!
 
So I grab a branded strip, my gear and head out. On the way I tell the others "time to kick some ass!"
 
What do you know, it worked.
 
Except Miro didn't sent the Alfredo brothers to somewhere safe... he left them to "be safe" in the workshop... which has a broken front door... and portals...
 
So! I sent the others on ahead. I used Miro's donkey to head back and collect the Alfredo brothers. The donkey won't work for me to ride but the Alfredo brothers can take turns. I quickly grabbed up what I could, handed them some of my rabbit jerky and bread stuffed in a bag, and traveled with them in the right direction to the best place of safety, a farm to the north in the hills.
 
The Alfredo brothers say its the Ayrshire farm. They aren't thrilled and call them weird because they do naked dancing mid day to help their crops grow. I pointed out that's better than staying in the place where the alchemist figured out a way to stuff demons into their cows. They saw my point. We agreed, they would go there and stay and I'd catch up to them when this mess was over.
 
I handed them plenty of rabbit jerky, bread and water. They handed over mimic jerky to me in trade, then headed off on the donkey toward Ayrshire farm.
 
Once they were on their way, I ran to catch up to the others.
 
By the time I caught up, they were discussing what to do. Jessie gave me what was going on. Sephia had the herd running around leaving not much left. So I jumped in the cart, and called giddayap, to get this ranch raid going! Sure, the cart was pulled by donkeys, and donkeys don't run like a horse, but we make solid time.
 
Half hour of good riding we make it there to Sarsparilla Barn, coming in from the east, heading west. I jump out of the cart, bow ready. It might have been a mistake, but it was all I had to go with.
 
Leaping off, I heard a cow let out a "It's all fun and games until someone loses their soul!" Don't know what that is, but its on the list of problems. The pack of what looks to be hell hands to the southeast... those were the closer problems!
 
Now, if we could just get Rose Wafers into them ...maybe they'll help?