Episode 84

This is Episode 84 of Dice, Camera, Action.

The Party
(Rachel Seeley) Miranda - Elf Druid

(Anna) Evelyn - Human Paladin of Lathander

(Holly) Strix - Tiefling Sorcerer

(ProJared) Diath - Human Rogue

(Nathan) Paultin - Human Bard

Paultin and the Ring
The group is in the Shadowfell. They're in the middle of a big battle against their friend Paultin,

Miranda is surrounded by ice Paultin s. She ends up on the roof of the tavern. There's a hole in the roof. Peering through it, she can see the innkeeper's quarters.

Diath does a moonsault and throws down oil in Evelyn's path. Evelyn holds the Heart of Spinelli above the oil. If she lights it, the tavern will be set on fire.

She tries to enter the inn, but a soft unseen force keeps her out. Later, it is revealed that the twig glyphs on the tavern block non-evil creatures from entering.

Evelyn spots Paultin in the dark room. His eyes are glowing blue. Evelyn says to him, "If you care anything for us and me... take the ring off right now."

The ring tells Paultin, "Don't listen to her! They left you alone in Castle Ravenloft! Same with Ironslag!"

Paultin casts freezing sphere, which has a 60 foot radius. It fills the tavern, explodes through the walls, and rockets up every crack.

Evelyn says that Paultin is truly gone. She lights the oil and the tavern catches fire.

The two shadar kai are still lurking about. Marisiana tosses Mr. Shambleface to Lavardo.

Miranda wild shapes into a giant vulture. She perches herself on a weathervane.

Izek smashes through some of the ice Paultin s.

As the battle progresses, Evelyn has Simon, and she's trying to get through to Paultin, who's still holed up in the tavern.

The ring keeps hissing at Paultin, saying things like, "She's threatening us! She's going to hurt Simon!"

Paultin tells her to put Simon down. Evelyn shakes her head sadly and backs away.

Paultin casts crown of madness on Izek. He's not an ally, so he doesn't get the bonus to his save from Evelyn's aura. Izek turns his hateful gaze upon Evelyn.

Miranda casts call lightning on Izek. He's wounded, but still standing.

Diath looks at Paultin and says, "All I want is for you to see how lucky you are."

Paultin says that he doesn't see what luck has to do with this.

Strix Returns
The ground turns into a mouth. Strix crawls through! With her is a stone statue of a petrified dwarf.

Strix uses a stop watch that Omin gave her. It stops time.

Time stops for everyone but Miranda. She sees the falling snow hanging in the air. The wind is absent. The weathervane freezes in place. She sees Diath, Izek, Evelyn, Simon, Lord Nihil, and the Paultin s all frozen.

Everything is perfectly still except for her. She drops into the tavern. She looks at Strix and Paultin, both frozen.

Miranda slides the ring off of Paultin's finger.

Then she spots the two shadar kai as they step through the doorway. They are unaffected by the time stop as well.

Miranda wants to make a deal with them. She wants to give them two magic items in exchange for them letting her leave with the ring of winter.

They don't want items. They want her face. She thinks and says, "OK... you can have it."

Time Starts
Time kicks in. From Strix's perspective, the clock didn't work.

The cold in Paultin's veins fades. He comes to his senses. All of the Paultin statues are immobile. Some fall over.

An invisible force throws Strix out of the tavern into the snow.

Miranda and the shadar kai are nowhere to be found. They have the ring of winter and the Strahd doll.

Evelyn attacks Izek, who is still under the effect of the crown of madness. She wants to knock him out. Jared quietly points out that "Izek is my Boss fight."

Strix turns Izek into a long-tailed chicken.

Paultin is sitting in a frost-covered chair with a thousand-yard stare. He asks, "Why is it so cold?"

Only evil can enter the tavern. Chris says that Strix was able to go in because she had the Strahd puppet on her.

Paultin leaves the tavern. Evelyn looks closely at his eyes. She touches his hair, which is now long and black, and says that it looks good. He blows right by her, drinks some wine and smashes it on an ice Paultin.

Evelyn sighs.

Strix tries to remove the wards from the tavern, but she is unable to.

Strix fireballs the building. Four fireball spells, total. The tavern is a steaming pile of burned timbers. The spell upon it is destroyed. She tears the glyphs apart.

She digs up the dwarf statue. Its arm is broken off. She thinks a mending spell could fix it.

Diath leads Simon over to Paultin. Simon hugs Paultin's kneecaps. Paultin looks at him and doesn't say anything.

They start looking for Miranda. Evelyn is wondering if Miranda was real at all.

Strix starts looking for portals.

Paultin takes off the death curse ring and throws it to Diath. He casts locate creature to see if Miranda is nearby. She is not.

Strix says, "I was going to cut your finger off, but I didn't because you are my friend." She explained that her stopwatch stopped time. Apparently it doesn't affect elves.

Paultin says that the group needs to get the ring back and that it should be destroyed.

They spot three sets of foot prints. Looks like Miranda and the shadar kai got in the wagon and left.

Lord Nihil is down. He's dead, killed by the shadar kai. Izek's two guards are dead as well

Miranda Triumphant
Meanwhile, Miranda is sitting in the coach with the shadar kai. The ring is telling her of the great wonders it has seen. It is trying to win her over.

She still has her face. It turns out that the shadar kai were joking again about face-cutting. Lavardo is drinking dwarven ale.

Miranda uses a cord to tie the ring around her neck. The shadar kai tell her not to let the waffle crew get the ring.

She feels like the ring is safe in her hands. The shadar kai seem to agree.

They decide to go north. End of session.

Chris says that he has a funny feeling we'll see Miranda again. The group applauds Rachel for lasting so long.