Episode 101

This is Episode 101 of Dice, Camera, Action.

(Holly) Strix - Tiefling Sorcerer

(ProJared) Diath - Human Rogue

(Nathan) Paultin - Human Bard

#### Mysterious Gifts

The group is in Nightstone and it's time to go home. Do they allow van Richten to come with them? Paultin cackles and casts *banishment*.

The citizens give the group a cart and a mule named Lance. They journey home over the course of several days. They return to Waterdeep. Diath is very happy to run upstairs, grab his backpack, and go do some errands. He's going to go fishing and then catch up with the city watch on the whole garbage monster situation.

The adve3nturers see that there's a note from the city watch for them. It is a request for a deposition.

Looking around, the waffle crew sees that the bar is scorched and the windows are cracked. Paultin's Strahd chair has blackened arms. Paultin decides it still looks cool.

Strix finds and keeps a bunch of modron parts, remains of the "modron bomb" set off by the chronomancer.

The group looks behind the bar and finds presents waiting for them. They're wrapped.

Paultin's present is a cloak of billowing. With a bonus action, he can make it billow dramatically.

Strix's present is Heward's handy spice pouch. It contains a variety of spices that never run out.

Paultin likes his present. He wants to open Diath's gift, but it has a knot that ties it together. He fails his check to unravel the knot with a natural one. He sets it aside.

#### The Dwarven Squatter

From the cellar comes Naska. Has he been there the whole time? He says, "I didn't do it." He's referring to the damage in the bar.

The group is alarmed that he's been hiding down there. He says, "I'm part of the team." They tell him that just because he watches Paultin's Witch streams doesn't mean that he is part of the team.

Paultin kicks him out. "We've got stuff to do."

Strix has had a few beers and she's a bit drunk. She wants to use *animate object* to make their chairs fight.

Paultin thinks that new Strix is awesome and starts drinking. They each animate a chair. Paultin's Throne vs a random chair.

They roll it out. Paultin's chair hits, Strix misses. Paultin dramatically tells her that, "It appears your chair has not trained hard enough."

Evelyn is on her way home. She sees Naska, who looks sad. He sees her and says. "Paultin threw me out." She politely sidesteps him.

Evelyn sees the chairfight and gets Paultin's magic mirror. She starts up his Witch Stream and is the host.

Paultin's chair Strahd von Chairovich battles Strix's chair, Chair Richten.

Chair Richten is defeated! Evelyn interviews the chair.

Naska is watching through a broken window. He doesn't understand what they are doing.

Evelyn finds out she has a present. She unwraps it carefully so she can keep the paper. Evelyn's present is a shield. The front is designed to look like Evelyn's face.

They wonder who gave them the presents. Was it the unseen servants? The group realizes that the servants might be dead.

Paultin tries to charge Naska 20 gp rent to stay in the basement. Naska says he'll go live in the sewers. He says he can tell that Paultin doesn't like him.

Paultin decides to give him an interview. He holds a coin up and tells the dwarf to "take it." Angry, Naska shoots him with his crossbow. Natural 20! Paultin casts banishment on him.

Strix shows off her tail. She's always hid it before.

#### Simon's Horrible Secret

Paultin goes upstairs to check on Simon. He's hiding under a dropcloth. There's a plate.. some old food and crumbs are on and around the plate.

There's a chest with holes in it. Strix turns into a swarm of rats and investigates. She hears breathing. There's someone or something in the chest. It's a kid. A bound and gagged 11-year old boy is in the chest.

The group unties him. The boy hugs Evelyn and whispers, "thank you."

There's some crude drawings in here. Drawings of Simon, but they look different - not like a puppet. The group realizes that Simon wants to be real, that's why he stole the kid.

The kid's name is Martin Trek. He's been trapped up there for days. Evelyn realizes that kidnapping is a major crime in Waterdeep. The punishment is severe. It is likely that Simon would be destroyed.

Since it's a construct - the "owner" might be held responsible.

Strix and Paultin discuss wiping his memory or other questionable methods. Evelyn is appalled and slaps Paultin.

While they talk, Simon slips away. Looks like he ran away.

Paultin gets on Strix's broom and flies after him, using *locate creature* to track him. Simon is running in the street, almost trampled by horses pulling a carriage. Paultin has to make an Athletics check. He grabs Simon just before he gets trampled.

They land. Paultin hugs him. Simon doesn't reciprocate. Simon looks as if he wants to jump off the roof.

Paultin brings Simon back home. Martin seems to like Lance the mule.

Martin's family lives a block to the east. He has a mother and a father. Nobody famous. They live with their aunt and older sister, who is a bit of a jerk. His father leaves town occasionally. He is a caravan master.

When the group brings Martin home, he lies to his parents. He says he was just having a long sleepover. Evelyn can see that the kid doesn't want her to get in trouble.

The kid wants to keep Juniper. Evelyn is hesitant, but allows him to do so.

Strix casts *fireball* on the turret. She says she did this to remove all evidence. The estate now has a roofless tower. She looks at Paultin and says, "He stays in your room, don't let him out of your sight."

Evelyn checks out the bar. There's a knife impaling a piece of paper. There's a symbol on it - a circle with 10 spokes. Someone has written on it: "I have your owlbear."

End of Session. The waffle crew gains a level! They are now level 11.