Episode 103

This is **Episode 103** of *Dice, Camera, Action*.

(Holly) Strix - Tiefling Sorcerer

(ProJared) Diath - Human Rogue

(Nathan) Paultin - Human Bard

(Brooks Donahue) Sister Narae - Human Monk

#### Trolltide Costumes

Last session, agents of the Xanathar stole Waffles. Three street urchins rescued Waffles and were being chased through the streets of Waterdeep. They bumped right into the waffle crew. The Xanathar guild wizard was caught, as were her goblin underlings.

The city guard takes away the goblins. The wizard drops her *invisibility* spell. The heroes can see that she is wearing a stained wedding gown.

Pernicia Harpell is the name of the spellcaster. The guard, Elise Kelladonna, questions her. She says that she is from Longsaddle. Evelyn knows her family - they have a large estate as big as Longsaddle itself.

The guard asks the heroes to watch over the kids. Diath says he'll do his best to find proper care for them. Diath can see that Elise is subtly hitting on him.

The group brings the orphans to the" Waffle Haus" at trollskull alley.

Diath has been sharing a room with Strix, but she's decided to get her own room now. She left a note for him: "Dear Diath, I have a new room now. I made you this so you can still have me around...." She made a Strix doll for him. It is animated. It starts to shiver.

Diath stares at it for a while. He has a small trunk that is locked. He picks it open. In it is:

* A piece of Strix's tattered robe from the time before Barovia.
* Currency from different cities, including Port Nyanzaru.
* The Diath doll she made for him.

He places the Strix doll next to the Diath doll and places the note in between them.

He heads back downstairs and rejoins the group. Evelyn starts to tell Diath about what happened with Simon.

Paultin talks to Evelyn in private. He says that Simon is going through some stuff. He explains that Simon ran in front of a carriage.

She asks him if he wants to learn sign language. Simon shrugs.

Trolltide is coming up. On this holiday, Kids wear troll masks and ask for candy. They play tricks on those who don't give them candy. Adults make wicker effigies of trolls and set them on fire to commemorate the end of the troll war.

Evelyn wears a Strix costume, but it is super-clean. Paultin has on a Diath costume. He's wearing clothes that are too tight.

At around noon, it starts raining.

Diath receives a *sending* spell from a female dwarf. It is Istrid Horn, from the Zhentarim. She warns that the Xanathar is sending a retaliatory attack. She's dispatched an agent to help fend them off.

#### The Zhentarim Agent

Outside, there's a hooded figure, watching. It is Tulip, a tiefling youth. She has a child's face with a cleft lip. Her hand has red scales.

Inside, the waffle crew asks the orphans to keep Simon safe.

There's a knock on the door.

Strix casts *spirit guardians*. Spectral chickens appear and guard the door.

The Zhentarim agent Sister Narae is outside in the rain, trying to blend in. Narae is a human woman, 5'6 or 5'7, short hair in a military cut, well-groomed, simple black and gray garments of high quality. She's dressed like a courier, an agent for a noble.

She sees a donkey tethered to a small wooden cart. Near it is Tulip.

Narae approaches Tulip, the tiefling girl. Narae realizes that she's been charmed by the Xanathar. Narae is able to break the charm with a natural 20.

Narae leads her across the street to the house and knocks on the door.

Paultin opens the door and gets worried he's about to be accused of kidnapping or something.

Evelyn wishes Narae a merry Trolltide.

The kids come racing out of the basement. There are creatures down there!

#### The Beholder Attack

A disintegrate ray destroys the hatch. The kids say there are 3 beholders. Zombie beholders! There are also humanoids down there.

Paultin sends an illusory duplicate of himself downstairs.

Evelyn casts *moonbeam* down the hatch. Strix has her spectral chickens guard Diath. Chris says the other name for this episode is Chickens and Moonbeams.

The *moonbeam* destroys the stairs, injuring the bugbears below.

An undead beholder floats up into the taproom. Paultin hits it with a *thunderwave* that sends it into the wall face first. It is bloodied.

Sister Narae uses it as a punching bag. Evelyn tries to stab it with a broken bottle. She can't pierce its hide.

Strix hands out *death wards* to everyone but Paultin.

Diath runs upstairs, grabs the Heart of Spinelli, and hides the kids in Evelyn's room.

A second beholder rises up out of the hole and turns toward Paultin. He's hit with a beam and takes 42 points of force damage. He's still got hit points left. He's worried that he's going to get *disintegrated* again. His skinny Diath costume is gone.

He can tell that there are bugbears downstairs.

Paultin casts another *thunderwave*. He destroys a section of the bar. Evelyn is frozen by a beam.

Sister Narae kills one beholder, tearing its eye out.

One beholder remains.

Strix drops a *fireball* down below. It comes up through the floorboards, lighting the room green. The group can smell the burning bugbears and they hear their dying screams.

Diath throws Moonsplinter through the last beholder's body. The beholder's eyes all close and it flops down onto the floor.

Tulip looks at the group and asks, "So you don't want me to call them off, then?"

End of Session.