Episode 122

This is **Episode 122** of *Dice, Camera, Action*.

(ProJared) Diath - Human Rogue

(James Haeck) Ernest "Thunder" Pakka - Giff

(James Introcaso) Rufus "Lightning" Derm - Giff

(Kate Welch) Rosie Beestinger - Halfling Monk

#### The Rock of Bral

A while back, the group got involved with the blood war. Strix was rescued from members of the Skizziks Khazrym and she joined the Beestingers to avoid an apocalyptic war.

At the Golden Helm on the Rock of Bral (an asteroid city in Realmspace), Commanding officer Major Arvyx Crux is eating a purple lobster creature as a private wearing a hippo helm, watching a crowd. He speaks with two giff subordinates named Thunder and Lightning. He gives them a mission to protect a halfling called Hegemon Beestinger. Crux mentions that a sinister race is wiping out halflings across the crystal spheres. Hegemon has risen to the position of Underbaron in this "scum-ridden city" of Bral.

There is a place called "Deepwater", whose denizens know very little about spelljamming, and the Major wants them to keep it that way. He tells Thunder and Lightning that they will be taking a ship called the "Mimsy" run by the "Fat Rabbit". Should they succeed in this mission, they'll be given a special bottle of sherry from the major's personal stock.

The two giff board the ship. Hegemon comes out of nowhere. He's a halfling, quite tiny. He is so pale as to be ghostlike, possibly an albino. His black wizard robe is covered in oddly-shaped patches.

Hegemon's sister Harsha has been sentenced to hard labor and he needs her broken out. They'll need help from another Beestinger. Hegemon knows of one, and knows where to find them. Hegemon says not to tell anyone in Waterdeep who he is. His sister was wrongly imprisoned. She was convicted of firearm possession, but she never owned a firearm.

Their ship approaches the world of Toril.

They disembark into the city of Waterdeep. Lightning holds a parasol over hegemon. There is a halfling holding up a sign that says "Beestinger". Hegemon's face goes from white to red. Lightning grabs the sign and rips it in half.

#### More Giff at Trollskull Manor

Meanwhile, Strix and Diath are home at Trollskull Manor. Strix is dealing with some customers in the bakery. Evelyn has business at the temple. Paultin is out having meetings with people who want him to put on shows. Paultin took Simon with him.

They hear a clattering wagon outside. Hegemon enters and greets Strix. He needs her help with some family business. He whispers "I am a Beestinger too."

The giff enter, and Strix mentions Warrington Munt. These giff know "Commodore Warrington Munt". They know that he was a senior officer. He did something that giff can only aspire to - during an engagement with a mind flayer vessel, he shot himself out of a cannon with a bomb and blew up the illithid ship His ship, the Yamato, a giff bombard, had run out of ammunition. It exploded in the atmosphere of this planet and was basically obliterated.

Warrington comes downstairs. He's wearing an apron and holding a feather duster. One of the giff says, "Gadzooks, he's out of uniform!"

Hegemon tells Diath that he needs Strix's help breaking his sister out of Hamon's farm, a labor camp. Diath has heard of this place. Outside the city is pasture lands. Amid the farms there is a special, large farm where criminals of the city are sent to do hard labor. They live in tents and work the farm, under the watchful eye of the Waterdeep city guard.

Diath, a member of the city watch, and wants to go to the court and read up on Harsha's offenses. The giff toss Warrington some grenades. Hegemon wants everyone to make a distraction so that Strix and Hegemon can go break her out. Hegemon declares that laws are stupid unless you are the one who is making them.

The giff discuss nicknames, pointing out that "Strix" has another meaning that apparently is somewhat inappropriate.

The group travels in a wagon, loaded with crates and barrels. They head to the farm and they scope it out. There's a fence, with a few guards on horses patrolling around the exterior.

Hegemon turns invisible. A guard in full uniform approaches the group and asks them where they are going. Diath gets off the cart and shows her his badge. Diath says that he is here to make inquiries about the inmates here. Jared rolls a deception and gets a 6. The guard agrees to let him in to talk to the commander.

The group is led inside and slowly they realize that they are in trouble. The guards are making secret hand signals. Hegemon is gone, probably off trying to find his sister. Strix thinks Hegemon is using them.

#### A Plethora of Beestingers

Rosie Beestinger is here. She had gotten word that Hegemon was coming to commit some tomfoolery. Rosie walks out, sees Strix, and they hug. Strix says that Hegemon lied to him. The giff are nearby in the wagon. There's a noise coming from one of the crates. It explodes! The wagon is consumed in a massive, multi-colored fireball. The wagon is obliterated, as is its steed.

Thunder is down and dying. Lightning is wounded. He rushes over and tries to administer giff CPR. He plays an emergency song on his bugle and stabilizes Thunder.

Diath explains to the guards that they need to find Harsha Beestinger, and that Hegemon is running around, invisible. Rosie spots Harsha - she's got long pigtails, is shackled, and is being marched from one area to another. Rosie knows that Harsha has an unhealthy fixation on firearms and that she's likely locked up for a legitimate reason.

Rosie approaches her and Harsha admits she's been selling weapons for her brother. Rosie looks around for Hegemon, but can't see him. She brings Harsha out into a central area. She shouts out for Hegemon to show himself.

Lightning is angry. His orders were to protect Hegemon, but he should answer for the things he has done. Lightning throws a musket to Warrington Munt. He approaches Rosie and asks if he should take Hegemon alive.

Everyone around Rosie suddenly freezes. The smoke rising up from the crater has stopped moving. Strix is in the air, frozen. Rosie seems to be the only one unaffected. It looks like Hegemon has cast time stop. He steps out and says that this has all been a misunderstanding. It was wrong to incarcerate a Beestinger. Rosie says he was told to stay out of Waterdeep.

Hegemon starts to cry. Rosie tells him to stay at the Rock of Bral. She says he can take his sister with him. The *time stop* spell ends. Harsha punches him in the nose.

Rosie decides that the giff should be his companions for a long time. Hegemon starts to cry.

Strix tries to get Warrington to go with them but it doesn't work out. Lightning tosses Warrington a bunch of grenades. Hegemon, Harsha, and the two giff brothers teleport away.

Rosie says that she likes Diath and then she vanishes in a summer wind.

A guard approaches Diath and says that he is very brave. The guard asks what "Bral" is. Warrington agrees to tell Strix about the Rock of Bral over pie. He explains that "Strix" is a naval term of space barnacles that grow on the underside of some ships. They are very clingy and annoying.

End of Session.