Episode 135

This is **Episode 135** of *Dice, Camera, Action*.

(Brian) Critter the Cook - Kobold Rogue

(Cameron) Purloque - Loxodon Cleric

On this episode, Holly is the DM and the heroes are members of the Chicken Foot Coven.

#### Coven Activities

Holly points out that the Coven has a weekly update on what the Waffle Crew has been doing. She asks the players what have the coven been up to?

* Purloque: He happily goes to the market each morning and has continued to learn about how things work in Waterdeep.
* Critter: He goes out into the city at night to find things to bake into pies, things like rats, rabbits and pigeons.
* Dierne: Dierne gets up early each day and feeds seagull before hoverboarding over to work.

Evelyn and Strix went to go catch the imps, but couldn't find them. The Cassalanter House was too heavily guarded. The group has lost the stone of golorr, and the entire group was dismayed. Strix coped by collecting baking supplies. Strix is the only member of the Waffle Crew at home. She calls a coven meeting.

Strix tells the coven that they need skulls. She explains that she has two staffs and she wants to combine them. In order to do this, the group will need three wizard skulls that can be found in the City of the Dead in Waterdeep.

The coven will need to obtain three skulls from the Margaster family crypt:

* **The First Skull**: This is the head of Scratch Scab Margaster: They were a wererat and were buried next to the Margaster family tomb. The coven might need to make a distraction in order to dig it up without arousing suspicion.
* **The Second Skull**: This skull belongs to Lady Silva Margaster, an illusionist and a fashionista. The coven might need to prove that they are fashionable enough. Strix hands the group some of Jarlaxle's clothing.
* **The Third Skull**: In this tomb is Smellypaw Margaster, who was *polymorphed* into a cat. Rumor has it that he ended up being a cat owned by a wealthy old lady. The group will need to bring a fish to get into his tomb.

Strix is going to stay at the mansion, getting the ritual ready.

Critter heads into the sewers and finds a large goldfish. Dierne stops at her home and gets her dress.

#### The Margaster Crypt

The coven heads to the City of the Dead, which is a cemetery and a public park. A noble mistakes Critter for a dog. She picks him up and thinks he is adorable. Dierne asks the woman to unhand her "service animal". The noblewoman, drunk, decides to leave the group alone.

There are guards relatively close to the crypt. They are badmouthing Todd a little bit. Dierne asks for dirt about Todd. The guards claim that Todd hits on everyone. Dierne tells them lies:

* Todd never wears underwear.
* Todd never brushes his teeth.
* Todd eats crickets.

Critter quickly digs up the skull of Scratch Scab Margaster.

With one skull obtained, Critter picks the lock on the crypt entrance. Dierne cast *dancing lights* off in the distance to distract any potential witnesses. The heroes slip into the tomb.

Dierne hoverboards down the stairs, lighting torches in sconces as she goes. She hits a *fire trap* at the bottom. and takes 7 points of damage. The group can go left or right. Using her eldritch sight, she sees an aura of illusion magic. On the right is a more general aura of magic. The group decides to go left.

They wear their fashionable garb as directed and come upon a mirror. Dierne carefully avoids seeing her reflection in the mirror. until she's ready. She finally looks at her reflection, and through the mirror she sees the body of Silva and the words "Fresh A.F." Critter jumps through the mirror into the quasi realm beyond, where he loots the body and obtains some jewelry. He emerges with the skull. Purloque takes the mirror. Dierne thinks it would be a wonderful gift for Evelyn.

The coven heads back into the hall and travels in the opposite direction. Acid arrows hit Critter, but he uses magic to absorb much of the damage. They enter into the tomb of Smellypaw. Inside, the walls are covered in gold and jewels. In the center is the statue of a cat with one paw up. It has ruby eyes.

Critter takes the fish and puts it in the cat's paw. The paw lowers and the statue rises up and reveals the dried remains of a cat's skeleton. Critter reaches for the skeleton and the group hears a cat making noise. Dierne understands what it says: "You didn't wait for me to finish eating!" A ghost cat appears and attacks the group.

The ghost cat dives into Critter and possesses him. Purloque tries turning undead, hoping he can push the cat out of the kobold's body. The cat comes out and ages Critter by 10 years. He feels creakier. Purloque hits the ghost cat with a rolling pin and it disappears.

#### The Ritual

Having obtained the three skulls, the group heads back to leave the crypt. Before exiting, they notice that there are guards outside. Dierne spooks them by pretending to be a ghost. The heroes head through the streets, with the mirror in tow. They return to the Waffle House. As they walk in, they see that all the curtains are drawn and Strix has created arcane sigils on the floor. Strix places the skulls and puts both staffs in a burning brazier.

Strix enacts the ritual and follows up with a *fireball* spell. The coven is protected but windows shatter. The fire coalesces, swirls around the staffs, and they fuse into one.

There are customers outside - a halfling couple.

Strix thanks the coven for their work. She gives each of them a gift:

* Dierne: A jar of ghoul tongues.
* Critter: A book of Barovian nursery rhymes.
* Purloque: A skull pipe that, when used, spews skull-shaped smoke.

End of Session.