Episode 23

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This is **Episode 23** of *Dice, Camera, Action*.

## Summary

### Episode 23 - Van Richten's Wild Ride

#### The Party

(Anna) Evelyn - Human Paladin of Lathander

(Holly) Strix - Tiefling Sorcerer

(Mark Hulmes) Ezmerelda - Vistana

(Nathan) Paultin - Human Bard

#### Paultin's Return

Paultin went through a portal to the Amber Temple. He's down below where the vestiges are. He casts *invisibility* just as two (vampire spawn clamber down the wall to get him.

Meanwhile, dead Strix is in mists of Barovia. In the fog, she sees dark grey forms. She meets a little kid named Jesper who died of an illness. She thinks that the longer they stay here, the less real they will become.

They run into the crazy kid who tried to kill the group a while back. He has no feet. He is weird and creepy.

Back in the Amber Temple, Diath is holding the corpse of Strix. Evelyn and Barmy the lich are nearby. Barmy tells the heroes that one of the vestiges can bring her back.

Despite his invisibility, Paultin actually gets dropped by the vampire spawns. Diath and Evelyn hear the noise. Evelyn charges in. Paultin is invisible still, so they don't know he's there.

Evelyn trips over Paultin and heals him. The group isn't sure if it's really Paultin or another simulacrum.

Paultin becomes visible. They hear someone below yelling, "Back in the name of the Morninglord!"

#### Van Richten

It is van Richten. He's come to help the heroes escape the Amber Temple.

After some discussion and thought, Diath quietly approaches one of the vestiges.

Diath tells the vestige it can do what it will with him as long as Strix is brought back to life. Zhudun the Corpse Star offers him the power to cast *resurrection* one time.

Diath agrees to the pact and he becomes an emaciated, ghoul-like thing. Blinding white light fills his eyes. He's been invested with ancient power. He can use the *resurrection* power once and then it is gone forever.

Diath will need the spell component to cast the spell. The spell component is a 1,000 gp diamond. Diath heads into the treasure area to look for such a diamond.

Van Richten talks with Evelyn. He reveals that he was disguised as Rictavio, the guy who interpreted Madam Eva's reading way back when.  Evelyn asks about Dee. Dee's safe.

#### Strix's Resurrection

When the discussion turns to bringing Strix back to life, Van Richten reveals that he has a scroll of *raise dead*. Jared is hitting himself in the head with a book.

Van Richten uses the scroll of *raise dead* on Strix.

The group goes up to the entrance. It was blocked by rubble, but they see that something has since burrowed a tunnel. It was Van Richten. Apparently he used some kind of creature to create the tunnel, and then let it go.

Van Richten tells Strix she has the key to defeat Strahd.

The group exits the temple and piles into Rictavio's Wagon. He drives like a maniac. They go through Tsolenka Pass. Here comes that winged creature that Strix heard but didn't see. It's a roc, a massive, powerful bird.

The roc scoops up the entire wagon. Strix uses *hellish rebuke* to damage it. The roc drops the wagon right on the edge of the bridge, and the wagon doors open. Strix falls out and plummets into the chasm. She thinks she can assume *gaseous form* to save herself. She does.

Van Richten is prone on the ground near Paultin.

The carriage is teetering. The horse is tethered to it. Diath tries does a sweet maneuver to get out of the wagon and succeeds. The roc is flying away. That's where they stop.

1. ↑ Episode 3
2. ↑ Episode 17