Episode 97

This is Episode 97 of Dice, Camera, Action.

(Holly) Strix - Tiefling Sorcerer

(ProJared) Diath - Human Rogue

(Nathan) Paultin - Human Bard

(Travis McElroy) Magnus Burnsides - Human Fighter/Rogue

The heroes are in Waterdeep. Dressed in fine clothes, they had attended ChairCon and were attacked by would-be assassins.Naska, a dwarf with a crowssbow hand, tried to escape on a coach. The group caught up with him.

#### The Intellect Devourer

Naska has a scar that runs from his lower lip to the cusp of his chin. Paultin wants him to talk and slaps him in the face.

"I'm not afraid of you or your drunken friend."

Magnus tips over the carriage. Now Naska is alarmed.

Naska explains that the Stone of Golorr has knowledge of the vault of dragons, where half a million gold pieces are hidden. The group trolls Naska and acts like they don't believe him.

Naska claims that he works for the Zhentarim. The group questions a member of the Dungsweeper's Guild. Suddenly, Naska shoots him dead with his crossbow hand.

Then, an intellect devourer appears out of nowhere. The group rolls initiative.

Chris rolls to see who it randomly attacks. It's Warrington Munt!

Evelyn kills the intellect devourer and says aloud, "I guess brains aren't everything." Magnus is disappointed he didn't get to attack anything.

He has a gauntlet called Phantom Fist. He hits the dwarf with it and the magic of the gauntlet pushes him back.

Diath points out to Naska that the group is already working with the Zhentarim. Naska apologizes, not realizing that they are on the same side.

He tells the group that many members of the Dungsweeper's Guild have been overtaken and controlled by intellect devourers. They're lead by a mind flayer named Nyhilur. Naska knows where the mind flayer lives, and he wants the group to go with him to kill it.

The city watch approaches. Lord Renaer Neverember and Evelyn talk them into leaving.

Magnus thinks Evelyn would be a good mayor or something. She likes the idea, but says she prefers what she's doing now.

Thanks to the attack by the intellect devourer, Warrington Munt has lost some of his memory. Evelyn tries to heal him but he remains "confused and confounded."

It appears that only his short-term memory is lost. He remembers the heroes, but not Magnus. Strix knows a *greater restoration* spell will fix him.

Many of the Dungsweepers are under the control of the intellect devourers. They are grown in vats.

Warrington points out that he has fought mind flayers. They have very brittle spines. To find the mind flayer in question, they'll likely have to visit the "Zablob shop". It has a stuffed beholder in the window and is run by a gnome named Zablob.

Magnus takes Warrington to get healed. The rest of the group goes to the Yawning Portal to get their gear.

#### The Yawning Portal

They see Meloon here. He's playing darts. Evelyn squeals and runs over to him. Naska mutters, "fuck that guy".

Meloon gets her a beer. Annoyed, Paultin grabs some darts. He actually darts Meloon.

Naska shoots a crossbow bolt and shatters his flagon. Unphased, Meloon tries to invite her up to his room or for a walk, but Evelyn isn't so sure.

Paultin scans the bar and spots a really big dude. Paultin approaches the big guy and greets him. The big guy asks Paultin about going down into Undermountain with him.

The big guy rattles off Meloon's credentials. He's a member of Force Grey, and a friend of the black staff. Paultin tricks him into trying to throw Meloon through a window.

#### The Ironslag Survivors

Diath spots 7 dwarves heading his way. The lead dwarf holds a stone cane, and he has burn scars on his face. He says, "You did this to us."

Diath freezes, paralyzed in fear and guilt.

The lead dwarf introduces himself as Kazgrig Ironheel, survivor of the Ironslag inferno. Strix comes over and says that it was an accident. The dwarves pull out stone coins and place them on the table. Each coin bears a different crest. Behind Diath, Naska mutters the family names... Battlehammer, Bouldershoulder, and others.

Evelyn is about to go on a walk with Meloon. The big guy walks over to Meloon and says that Paultin thought you couldn't throw me through a window. Paultin casts *invisibility* on himself.

Naska says they are emblems of the seven great dwarven clans of the north. "For the crimes you inflicted on the seven clans of the north, we demand recompense. He unleashed the fire primordial and incinerated scores of us."

Diath tells the dwarves no apology will ever be enough. "We don't want your apologies." They think Diath did it deliberately.

Diath explains that he wanted to help the slaves, but the locks of the cages were massive. He thought the fire could melt the locks, but it was too intense.

The dwarves point out that he ran away.

Naska quietly notes that the seven dwarf clans haven't agreed on anything in a long time.

The dwarves explain that their divination spells have revealed that the group will come upon the treasure hoard of the dragon. The dwarves want it. It was stolen from them. They further reveal that Maegara still plagues the north to this day.

Diath lowers himself down to them and tells them he's haunted by what happened and promises to help. The lead dwarf tells him that he's pathetic. Some of the other dwarves seem to pity Diath.

Magnus gets Warrington healed and he returns to the Yawning Portal. He sees the group at a table in a dour mood.

Magnus asks the bartender, Durnan, what happened. Durnan says that Diath apparently released Maegara, the fire primordial that is currently plaguing the north.

Magnus pulls Diath aside. He explains that he made a mistake once, and an entire city of people died. "You don't balance the scales. You can never save enough people to feel OK with it. Every day is another day to do good. Do good because it's the right thing to do. Your friends love you, and they'll accept it. If they love you, they'll accept you."

Diath weeps. Magnus hugs him. Strix, in swarm of rats form, hugs both of them.

End of session.