Episode 249 - A Plan Forms

## Intro

**Episode description:**
n/a

**Opening Quote:**
n/a

**Player introduction:**
**Sean**: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Tabletop Champions podcast, I'm Sean your dungeon master and with me tonight we have Kyle who plays... I should open Roll20 because I for-
**Kyle**: Barry Dingle! \*seltzer can opening\*
**Sean**: Barry Dingle!
**Kyle**: Grip it and rip it.
**Sean**: Hey Kyle? \*seltzer can opening\*
**Kyle**: Yeah, uh huh?
**Sean**: Cheers to you.
**Kyle**: Don't make me do this, again, because I just stocked my mini fridge. I could be snapping cans for hours.
**Matt**: Lemme get mine real quick, I'll be right back.
**Sean**: Stephanie who plays Kuviana...
**Stephanie *(in Raquel's voice)***: Ahoy-hoy, dahlings.
**Sean**: Lauren who plays Ophelia...
**Lauren**: Did you hear about the rogue that fell down the stairs? He Misty Stepped.
**Sean**: Ugh.
**Matt**: Ugh.
**Sean**: Ugh. Stephanie?
**Stephanie**: Yes darling?
**Sean**: Why did you say "Hello dahlings"?
**Stephanie**: I know, I - because here's the deal, I had a can in front of me and I debated whether I opened it or not, and then I got scared, and I didn't wanna open the can so I forgot who I was playing.
**Sean**: You did really bad there.
**Stephanie**: I know, so like don't call me out on it!
**Lauren**: \*inaudible\*
**Stephanie**: They did! That's legit, that's like a true story, that's absolutely what happened.
**Sean**: Ben who plays Balinor...
**Ben *(in Balinor's voice)***: Hello.
**Sean**: And Matt who plays Wrath.
**Matt** ***(in Wrath's voice)***: For glory!
**Sean**: I thought you were going to the fridge to get a -
**Stephanie**: See he panicked too.
**Matt**: Yes.
**Stephanie**: I'm not the only one that panics.
**Ben**: But he panicked and did the right opening.
**Matt**: Yeah.
**Stephanie**: You know what? Fuck you Ben.
**Matt**: I mean, I did - I did better.

## Episode Summary

The episode begins just after Ophelia took Agatha's curse into herself. The girl opens her eyes, her skin returned to normal, and seems healthy again. Ophelia feels weaker, but otherwise fine. Clover evaluates Ophelia, and decides to gift her the stick he got from Irpaks.240 He hopes she can unlock its power. Then he goes to calm down the food fight in the dining hall.

Kuviana reprimands Ophelia for taking on the curse without consulting Kuviana first. She tells her that because they're connected, Kuviana feels everything Ophelia feels, but amplified. Ophelia promises to take more care in the future. As they walk away from the orphanage, the staff starts vibrating in Ophelia's hand, and then there's a flare of blue light, and energy runs up her arm before settling in the staff. She senses the nature of it: the Rod of Security.

Barry, meanwhile, has been making rings with blue stones in them. He makes 15 rings before the others get back. He also smokes his pipe, which the rest of the group doesn't like him doing in the BOB. Welsh does his best to catch stray ash and disperse smoke so Barry doesn't get in trouble. Barry does nothing to assist his efforts.

After 45 minutes, Wrath gets to the front of the line at the town hall. He asks for a look at the records of the Dibblebeck manor, as part of the zoning commission. He shows fake ID, pays a 2 gold processing fee, and is able to get a copy of the manor's plans. The copy is made via a table with runes on it, which glows and then copies the plans from the originals onto blank paper. Wrath also submits the other man's plans for the permit.248 He asks for the 5 silver processing fee to be charged to the designer, Chad Bullywick. Chad is apparently not well liked, but the worker does so. The plans get approved, and the worker tells Wrath to tell Chad to settle his debts and finish his projects, or Councilwoman Tristana won't be happy.

Everyone shows up back at the Bureau at the same time. Wrath asks for reimbursement for the processing fee, but Ophelia simply pats him in the shoulder. Barry hastily hides his pipe as they walk in. Balinor tells them about his job, Barry shows off his rings, and Wrath brings out the plans. Ophelia says they didn't find anything at the orphanage, and doesn't talk about the curse or the rod.

They plan out their heist. Kuviana suggests flooding or torching the place, but Ophelia worries it may draw attention or cause Evelyn to go get her ring. Ophelia asks if Balinor could get anyone else hired, but Kuviana points out that she and Ophelia are rather conspicuous, Barry (whose hand is currently on fire) is not in a mood to be hired, and Wrath is a hothead. Balinor can't remember what time he's supposed to show up for work, but thinks it's around noon. Ophelia tells him to snoop around and find where the ring will be, if he can. Barry shows them the velvet pouch/display he made for the rings so they don't jingle.

A delivery comes for them. It's a small tube with a violet ribbon and a wax seal. The seal depicts wings and a sideways bird head. Wrath, as a noble, recognizes it as the signet of the Dibblebecks. The tube contains five invitations to the Fallscrest Festival for nobles from the Fami Isles. The names on the invitations are Gerald, Sophie, Hannah, Dirge, and Cynthia Gestalt. Barry claims Dirge. Kuviana still doesn't think she and Ophelia can pass as guests, even with invitations. Wrath knows that the Gestalts are a very important family on the Fami Isles, and therefore well known. They realize that Ophelia could stay quiet and pretend to be a normal shadow, enabling Kuviana to go in seemingly alone, disguised as an orc from the Fami Isles. Ophelia proposes meeting back at the BOB, but Balinor points out that would be bad if they were followed, so they decide to meet in an alleyway instead.

Wrath teaches them basic etiquette, and then they go to bed. Ophelia tells Kuviana that she hopes when this heist is over, they'll have gained a good enough reputation with the council to get help with their joined condition. Wrath lies awake thinking about the etiquette he taught the others. Every once in a while he opens his wardrobe and looks at a robe with a certain symbol on it.

#### Secret Scene

Kuviana has found a mirror fragment, and tries to use it to communicate with Ophelia through a portal.

Ophelia falls deeply asleep. Shadow begins to warp around her, and she can see the Shadowfell. She sees Kuviana there, standing in a dark area next to a bright purple portal. She can see Kuviana's mouth moving, but hears nothing. Kuviana redoubles her efforts, and gets out two words:

> “*Help me!*”
>
>
>

Then Kuviana turns and jumps through the portal.

Lilith feels Seelo reaching out to her, and astral projects to meet her. Seelo tells her that Kuviana and one other have escaped. They're trying to catch her, but if they can't, they estimate she'll be in Haven in two days. She tells them they must complete the task and she must get the ring to Twinkletoes.

The episode ends as Ophelia wakes with a jolt from a dream, and sees her shadow sleeping next to her.

## Memorable Quotes

**Sean**: There is absolutely fantasy Vegas, and I'm sure that we can all learn how to play baccarat there cause we had the discussion that none of us know how that fuckin game works.

**Stephanie**: Ben this might be the first time in like five years you done really fucked up.

**Barry**: You really Dingled this one, bud.

**Stephanie**: Let me tell you something I've learned about Sean. If you don't overplan, he fucks you. And he fucks you hard, so, overplan, maybe you'll be successful. At least you won't feel like a failure when you fail. Because at least you tried. #notbitter. #notbitteratsean.

## Trivia

* The Rod of Security: while holding this rod you can use an action to activate it. The rod then instantly transports you and up to 199 other willing creatures you can see to a paradise that exists in an extraplanar space. You choose the form the paradise takes. It gives enough food and water to sustain its visitors, everything can be interacted with, but it disappears afterwards. Every hour spent in this paradise, the visitor regains hit points as if they had spent one hit die, but does not have to spend the hit die. Creatures do not age. You can stay in paradise for up to 200 days divided by the number of creatures present. Once used, it cannot be used again for three days.
* Sean asked Kyle what Irpaks' staff does.
* Last session, Sean had given Matt advantage for one deception roll. He used it for Wrath presenting his fake ID to the receptionist. His two rolls were a 17 and a nat 1.
* Ben doesn't take notes, and couldn't remember what time Balinor was supposed to show up for work.
* Stephanie rolled a 20 on Kuviana's arcana check to communicate through the mirror fragment. This gave her two words.

### Stats

(DM)
(Balinor)
(Wrath)
(Ophelia)
(Kuviana)
 **Nat 20s** | 0
 **Nat 1s** | 0