As I've been sifting the information on Hither and putting together my notes of replacement elements, I've been considering how the PCs come to find out which hag of the Hourglass Coven has their Lost Thing.
The way the module uses (the only way) for the PCs to find out, is to successfully interrogate the wooden unicorns in the Carousel.
Incorrect. The module states that, when they enter a domain with their Lost Thing, the get a feeling of its presence.
I think the general assumption is the PCs will smack all three hags anyway, so the info doesn't really matter.
Um, no. Iirc, by the standard milestone leveling scheme of the adventure, the PC are likely Level 2 when they meet Bavlorna.
She's CR 6, and on her home turf. Try to smack her at that point, and she's apt to eat them alive.
I also realized
@Umbran ran a WBW campaign that ended earlier this year. Do you have any guidelines? Things you would do differently if given a chance to run it again?
Yes, I can speak to a bunch of the points raised here. Just not tonight.
My most general note is that you may be over-thinking this. The thing is actually pretty well-designed to eventually get PCs where they need to go.
I expect the module does have a failure mode: players who are too paranoid or cynical can ruin this adventure. For all that they are in a place of the fae, there is a fundamental
honesty all around the place. Most of the NPCs are very willing to tell the PCs what they want, and if the PCs get it for them, they move forward.
If the players go into it figuring everything is lies and manipulations, they can screw themselves over pretty badly.
