Episode 102

This is Episode 102 of Dice, Camera, Action.

(Anna) Nat: 10-year old human with a wooden sword.

(Holly) Jenks: 9-year old wearing a wizards cloak with lots of pouches

(Jared) Waffles: Owlbear

Jared says that he did not watch last week's episode.

#### Diath Goes Fishing

Diath went to a river. He finds a quiet place for him to fish. He fishes for a few hours. He's thinking about Strix becoming a Beestinger. In his head, he keeps remembering their embrace at the end of episode 100.

Diath leaves and sees guards questioning a guy and dismantling his wagon. They're checking his saddlebags. He looks similar to a sketch they have on their paper. Diath slips past them using his new reliant ability.

He passes by a building that was home to murderous kenku. The kenku were aggressive when confronted, so the guards had to kill them.

Diath continues walking. He sees his home - Trollskull manor. The turret is gone. It was blown up.

The front door is not locked. He goes inside and sees a pile of rubble. Nobody seems to be home. It's clear that Strix set off a fireball upstairs.

He also sees two damaged chairs. Paultin's throne

On one corner of the bar, there's a knife sticking on it. He sees the note attached to it. Written on it are the words, "I have your owlbear." The note bears the symbol of a circle with lines on it.

The knots that tie Diath's package are very complex. He easily unties it. He keeps one hand on Moonsplinter just in case. In the box is a blowing horn. It has a little chain on it.

Diath hits the streets and seeks out some seedy, underworld information brokers.

#### The Orphans

Cut to three children. They've crawled down to a "dungeon complex" in the sewers - a place they've gone many times. They've been friends for a year.

This time, when they go down, there's lit torches on the walls. They hear voices.

They creep forward. They spot a cage. It's 8 feet on a side, made of wood with a metal door on one side.

As they begin to poke around, curious, double doors fly open. The group has an instant to hide before they are spotted. Squiddly hides and hums his own dramatic "hiding" music. The kids are not spotted.

A few people enter. One of them is Naska, the dwarf with tattoos. One of his arms is replaced with a crossbow.

There's also a woman, much taller, stick-like in frame. She has big red curly hair that falls down past her shoulders. She wears what looks like a soiled ball gown or wedding dress. It has lost its proper color. She wears tall, knee-high leather boots.

With them is Mudrut, a 7 foot-tall bugbear dressed in a suit with a tweed vest, overcoat, and a hat over a weirdly malformed head. He's very hairy. He's pushing a baby carriage with the canopy up. The kids soon learn that in it is a goblin named Snack.

The woman talks about how easy it was. "They didn't even lock the doors." The kids can see that these people have a big fish with them.

Then she accuses Naska of consorting with the enemy. The woman says she won't snitch on him, but she wants something in exchange for his silence. She wants his room in the Xanathar's lair. She says that if you want to be powerful, you have to be near power.

They put the fish in the cage and shut it. Suddenly, it transforms into an owlbear. It is Waffles! Jared will be playing Waffles.

Jenks is excited because he loves owlbears. He thinks it is a sign from the gods.

The group realizes that the big guy is a bugbear. Snack sees Waffles gnawing on the bars of the cage. Snack starts making fun of the owlbear. He moons it.

#### The Rescue

Squiddly springs into action and shoots an arrow at Mudrut. His arrow goes through Mudrut's hat. Squiddly says, "That's a warning shot!"

It throws the hat on the floor. Jenks says "Invisibility!" and nothing happens. He's pretty sure that he's invisible. He calls out, "We're gonna kick your ass and save that fish!"

Squiddly runs up and tries to kick one of them in the shin.

Jenks runs forward and tries to cast *fireball*. He doesn't know the spell. He is shocked when the creature's head bursts into flames. No one else sees this. It looks like the kid has an overactive imagination.

Mudrut tries to grab Squiddly, but he wiggles free. Nat charges the bugbear, but misses.

Squiddly runs over to the cage, trying to free the "fish." It's locked. He decides to squeeze in to the cage with Waffles. He barely got in. He's not sure if he can get out.

Jenks notices that the cage is not secured to the floor. Jenks is a big Jim Darkmagic fan. He says he'll cast the "*knock*" spell on it.

The bugbear grabs Nat. He calls out, "I got her!" She kicks him in the gut and slips out.

Squiddly escapes the cage.

The goblin realizes that the group is a bit of a danger. He throws the arrow down on the ground and he pulls out a little club. He tries to crack Squiddly on the back of the head. He rolls an 8 and misses.

Waffles smashes into the cage and tips it. It tips and Squiddly is now back in the cage. The goblin is crushed by the cage. Waffles is on top of the squished goblin.

Jenks tries to cast *levitate*, but nothing happens.

They hear someone approaching the door. The woman!

Mudrut panics. He tips the cage over and grabs the corpse of his friend, the goblin. "I always thought I'd go first." He starts weeping.

He gets really angry.

Nat jumps into the baby carriage and crashes it into the cage.  In the carriage are thieves' tools! She uses them and is actually able to pick the lock on the cage door.

Waffles is free! Waffles tears up the bugbear. Jenks makes eye contact with Waffles and casts "*speak with animals*". Jenks hears it making noises and translates: "It wants us to ride it!"

The woman enters the room. She's out of spells but she figures cantrips will do fine. Jenks prepares for a spell duel. She casts *ray of frost*. Jenks tries for a *counterspell*! Her spell hits Ferdinand, the stuffed owlbear, and turns the doll to ice. Ferdinand is "dead", covered in ice.

Jenks tries to cast *wish*, to wish her out of existence. Chris asks Holly to roll a d20. The woman gets alarmed and ducks out of view. Jenks believes that his spell worked.

Nat knocks the wand out of the woman's hand, grabs it and runs away.

Squiddly climbs on Waffles and rides the owlbear. Waffles finishes off the bugbear.

The group flees, riding Waffles, and the bad guys give chase. The kids emerge from the alley and run smack dab into the waffle crew in the crowded streets of Waterdeep.

The woman pursuing the group makes herself *invisible*, but the group is able to grab her thanks to a high roll on a perception check.

End of Session.