Episode 24

This is Episode 24 of Dice, Camera, Action.

The Party
(Anna) Evelyn - Human Paladin of Lathander

(Erika) Dee - Human Fighter

(Holly) Strix - Tiefling Sorcerer

(ProJared) Diath - Human Rogue

This session took place live at TwitchCon.

Return to Tsolenka Pass
Chris reminds Strix that she was just brought back to life, so she only has one hit point. Evelyn heals her for 20 more. The heroes survived the roc's attack, but the wagon fell into the chasm.

They cross the bridge. They spot the two vrock statues that gave them so much trouble last time. The statues come to life. Van Richten knows their truenames. They back off. He casts dispel magic to remove the sheet of green flame. The live crowd actually yells "green flame" when this happens.

The adventurers see that Dee is waiting for them with the horses. Evelyn is happy to see her.

They ride to Van Richten's tower. Outside of the tower is a wagon. The two wolf hunter brothers from Vallaki are here - Szoldar and Yevgeni. They're hiding from the eyes and ears of Strahd.

Van Richten's Tower
To open the door of the tower, Van Richten does a dance. Evelyn quietly tries to memorize his dance. She rolls well and succeeds in doing so.

Dee insists that this tower is actually called "Dee's Tower." Van Richten goes along with it after she glares at him. The tower was made by a wizard named Khazan, there's an anti-magic aura here.

Van Richten says that he recently had a dream about the group. The group is a little curious. Van Richten doesn't want to elaborate.

The heroes notice that Paultin is intensely staring at Van Richten.

Once inside, Dee goes to get something to eat from a chest. Some of the heroes peer in and spot a severed head in there. The group is alarmed. Van Richten says that it is the severed head of a vistani.

Evelyn and Dee sleep in the same bed. Dee is thrilled. It isn't long before their snoring is coordinated.

Diath decides to subtly keep watch while everyone sleeps.

Paultin's Shadow
There's a shadow on the wall creeping toward Van Richten. It's Paultin's shadow! Diath yells out and throws a dagger. He rolls poorly and hits Strix in the head with the hilt.

Knowing that Strahd can manipulate the shadows, Van Richten snatches the Strahd doll. Van Richten says that it is an effigy that can trap Strahd inside of it. The ritual needs to be completed. Van Richten says that this thing could be the key to defeating Strahd. He says that they need some ingredients, including the hairpin of a hag, which Van Richten got off of a dead hag at Old Bonegrinder.

There's cackling outside. It's a black-clad figure flying on a broom. More than one. Witches! One is a man-witch! There's wolves, too.

The Witches
The group wants to lean out of the window to circumvent the tower's anti-magic aura and make ranged attacks. A hag throws a vial through the window, which Evelyn swats with Lightfall. It shatters and she gets ichor all over her.

Strix rolls to see if she knows what it is. She rolls a 20. She knows that it is demon ichor and that it will form into a demon.

Van Richten says that there's holy water in Ezmerelda's wagon.

The group has some holy water. Another flask of goo is chucked through the window. Van Richten casts magic weapon on Dee's shield.

They can hear the wolf hunters outside fighting the wolves. Strix can't cast spells in the tower, so she takes a dead rat and chucks it at the ooze. Holly actually has a rat prop in her pocket and throws it into the crowd. The ooze climbs inside the dead rat and brings it to life.

Diath kills the rat. The crowd applauds. The ooze spews out of every rat orifice. Evelyn stabs it "right in the middle of the rat puddle."

Evelyn goes outside to help the wolf hunters. They killed over a dozen wolves. She kills two.

A witch hits Evelyn with a ray of sickness. She takes 15 poison damage. She makes her save, but she's unconscious. The rest of the group comes outside.

Strix drops the man-witch with a magic missile. He falls from the sky and lands right on the top of the wagon. On her next turn, she kills another witch with the same spell.

Diath tries to pick up the broom of the man-witch. It attacks him and hits him twice.

The group realizes that Van Richten is up in the tower alone with Paultin. It sounds like they are fighting.

Diath hits the broom, but it lives. It hits him back. Then the other broom comes at Diath, doing 7 points of damage, dropping him to 0 hit points. The crowd is dying of laughter. Diath was defeated by a broom.

Jared's head is on the table. Anna: "Looks like you really got swept away there, Diath." Crowd groans.

Strix continues her assault as she kills 15 wolves with a fireball. One broom is destroyed. The other is on fire and comes at Strix. It hits her once for 4 points of damage. Strix finishes it off. Wolf hunters kill the fire broom.

Inside the Tower
Dee hears Paultin and Van Richten fighting in the tower. Dee heads inside.

Dee sees Van Richten trying to stab Paultin with a pin. Dee splits them up. Van Richten says he needs vistani blood. Dee convinces Van Richten to come outside to heal Evelyn and Diath. Van Richten heals Diath and Evelyn. Diath asks, "Can you heal shame?"

Outside, Strix points out that she killed almost everything. Evelyn asks her if she wants a hug. She says no, but Dee and Evelyn rush her and make a Strix sandwich. That's where the session ends.