Episode 36

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## Plot Summary

Bubo awakens to find his heartbeast, Dumeril, missing, which causes him great distress.  Andre, who fell asleep in the hot springs, wakes up refreshed.  Ora wakes up and compliments the four thousand thread count Quai sheets.  Starheart didn’t make it to the bed, having fallen asleep next to the keg.  Bubo busts into the ladies’ room wearing a magnificent robe, but trips over Starheart.  He announces that Dumeril is missing and sits in the corner.  Ora remembers that Biffin Mantle had wanted to purchase the bird, so she searches the room for an intruder.

Dove, an attendant, enters the room and Bubo accosts her, asking where Dumeril is.  Starheart, having acquired a shovel, demands painkillers for her hangover.  Bubo orders her to bring the other attendants so he can question them.  As she leaves, the party hears a thud from upstairs.  A skeleton in a black cloak exists the closest and introduces himself as Jeb (character drop).  He remembers being sealed in the wall by people he owed money to.  When Bubo asks Jeb if he knows where Dumeril, Jeb suggests talking to Biffin Mantle who is involved in criminal activity.  Biffin was once hired to break Jeb’s kneecaps.

Ora and Bubo hurriedly get ready to leave.  Andre offers to put Jeb to rest, but Jeb is fine the way he is.  Starheart offers to be his goddess, which he’s interested in once he learns there is drinking involved.  They dress him up in the fuzzy robe and gloves as all the attendants, Pidge, Dove, and Budge, arrive.  Bubo interrogates them all.  Only the three attendants and Phineas Quartz would have had access to the room.  Ora uses her hat of disguise to change into a beautiful busty woman and heads to the bar.

Andre uses his scrying eye to find Dumeril.  He sees Dumeril in a cage inside a dark room with a hood over his head.  There are many other cages and tanks filled with exotic animals.  Noting this, he heads after Ora.  Starheart asks Bubo if maybe his “painting” saw anything, but he continues to question the attendants.  Ora approaches Phineas and compliments his establishment.  After she flirts with him, he vigorously shakes a bell that summons the attendants back down to the bar.  Bubo and Starheart follow, the latter having put on her glowing mooncatch dress.

Phineas escorts the disguised Ora into his office.  Ora beckons him to sit in his office chair and then straddles his lap.  She stealthily binds his hands to the arms of the chair.  When asked, he denies entering their room.  Ora reveals herself and notifies him about the missing bird.  She threatens him, but he continues to deny responsibility.  Phineas suggests going to the town guard and talking to Captain Stem Barrow.   Ora, wanting to avoid red tape, let’s Phineas know about the dead body in his wall.  Phineas reveals that neither he nor Biffin have Dumeril and gives Ora a note.  It is in a code and he refuses to reveal who gave it to him.

Bubo, after questioning every random person he can find, bursts into Phineas’ office.  Starheart has followed him.  Phineas reveals that he has an anonymous client that communicates through notes and money.  He hired someone to take the bird on behalf of his client.  Bubo threatens Phineas with his mimic painting while Starheart casts a zone of truth, but Phineas has already said everything he knows.  As Ora and Bibo puzzle over the secret code, Phineas pulls his left arm free, only to be met with a blunderbuss to the face.

Andre heads down to the basement, but does not find Dumeril.  He does find a price of cloth that matches what Dumeril had on his head.  He rejoins the others in the office where Ora has figured out the code and Starheart continues to interrogate Phineas.  The phrase “use mine, speak fine” is in the code, but they don't know what it means.  Phineas explains that they usually use the old mines for transactions and the password is “fine.”  They release him after he promises to refund their rooms and give them free drinks and robes.  Starheart sends a message to Hush telling him about the situation and asking for help.   He responds that they need to find Dumeril.

The party leaves Phineas’ office and heads back to the bar.  They spy Jeb who is talking to a skulking man with a shield and sword across his back, long grey hair and beard.  Jeb appears to know him and asks where he’s been.  He says that he’s been all over the world, trying to atone for his guilt after the death of his king.  He is Dureck the Dragonheart (character drop).  He is here to avenge the death of old King Stoneroot.  He has been cursed with long life for letting the king die.  Hearing about the missing heartbeast, Dureck pledges to join their quest.

Jeb directs them to the entrance to the old mines, which is through the Pond district.  Andre tells the party about his vision, which could be of the mines.  Ora gives a scroll she has about the Sahlite to Dove and asks her to deliver it to Hortiel in the garden.  As they exit Quartz, they see a large white weasel coming toward them with a kobold on top.  The kobold is amazed by Starheart and has come to find her after hearing rumours of a goddess with a shining star.  He is Xung, a wild barbarian from the north (character drop).  The weasel is named Bickle.  He’s very excited to serve his goddess.

Bubo lets Bickle smell one of Dumeril’s feathers so he can track the heartbeast.  The weasel takes off toward the mines and everyone else follows.  The Pond district is filthy and there are people openly being mugged on the streets.  The mine entrance is too small for the weasel to fit, so everyone enters on foot.  Ora, having deciphered the directions from the note earlier, leads the way.  As they near the end, a large snake-like monster drops from the ceiling (monster drop).  It unleashes lightning on the party, heavily wounding the two gnomes.  The monster is a behir.

Andre and Dureck ineffectually attack the beast while Jeb jumps straight into its mouth.  Ora checks her bag and sees four healing potions left by Nitsuj.  Xung sneaks behind the behir with his dagger, as does Ora.  Starheart kills the creature with a guiding bolt, but also hits Jeb.  He blast polished his bones so now he’s a solid 10.  Andre heals the party and they continue forward.  Xung leads them in the opposite direction of the instructions and to a locked door.  Andre notices another piece of cloth.  He also finds a doll made of twigs wrapped in the same cloth.  It contains a small beating heart, which Andre can tell is the trigger for a trap.

Ora picks the lock and they enter a room filled with cages, tanks, and terrariums.  Trapped inside are land octopi, ferret-foxes, hawk-rays, red dwarf elephants, monkey-bats, lion-goats, and many others.  Dumeril is also there, as seen by Andre.  The cages are unclean and the animals are uncomfortable but not injured.  Starheart calms the animals as Bubo runs to Dumeril.  Andre finds a logbook that indicates the animals are being bought for use in restaurants.  They release Dumeril to find his wings and tail have been clipped.  He communicates to Bubo that unknown dwarves kidnapped him.

The party begins releasing the animal they can, leaving the aquatic animals behind.  Bubo tries to summon Hortiel but nothing happens.  Starheart sends a message to Hortiel but he unfortunately cannot get involved.  The party decides to travel to the gardens.   Ora casts an illusion on Dureck to look like himself in his prime and he carries the animals under the illusion.  The rest of them stuff animals in their clothes, including Jeb.  As they attempt to leave the mine, they are stopped by a large party of dwarven guards.  Captain Stem Barrow steps forward and declares that they’ve found the animal snatchers.  She snaps her fingers and the guards approach.

## Fun Moments

Front page of Twitch!

Art keeps switching the cameras, which confuses Danny and he has to mention it every time.

Andrew takes a very long time on his turn because of math.  Art interrupts to call it the longest turn ever, which makes Andrew forget his damage and has to start over.

## Broaden Horizons

Ryan – Due to his close connection to Kloht, Andre is able to ask his god one question a day and receive an honest answer.

Justin - unknown

Hayley – Ora’s ward Ophelia, who drowned in the tidal wave in Raufel, has been perfectly preserved by a powerful mage.

Deva – There are currently a finite number of followers of the religion of Starheart.

Andrew - unknown