The party meets up on the way to Gispeppe’s workshop.  He must be stopped because he is animating these puppets.  The streets are strangely quiet until a stable door burst open and out charges a group of puppets carrying a pitchfork.  “I’ll handle this!”  Instructs the hero Nathaniel.  So the rest of the party sets off to explore the stable.  They find a couple of horses and then go back out to help Nathaniel, as he is having a lot more trouble than he thought.

The party rounds a corner and is attacked by more marionettes.  This time they are swinging from the lampposts.  These puppets are using pins that seem to paralyze the limbs of those struck.  When the last puppet is destroyed the party is a wreck.  Shem is unscathed, Hennet has lost the use of both legs, Eliad is paralyzed in the left arm and right leg, Raina has no feeling in one leg and Nathaniel is immobile on his left arm.  But the party presses forward.

They reach the workshop.  Shem sneaks up and sees several bodies gagged and bound near the back of the workshop.  They are moaning and need to be rescued.  Shem and Nathaniel set up to attack the front while the others go around back.  Shem gets near the back of the workshop only to discover that they are dummies and suddenly numerous dolls led by a larger clown doll jump him!  An ambush!!!  Nathaniel wades in and begins swinging.  Shem tumbles around poking numerous dolls.  The fight lasts for quite a while, where are there friends?  They should be here.

The others go around back and get in position.  They hear the dolls inside attack and move towards the door only to be entrapped in a net.  Dolls leap from the roof and attack.  Hennet, no legs and all, manages to roll away from the net.  He quickly drops a doll with his crossbow.  Raina struggles to free herself but soon does.  Eliad is trapped and is actually wrapping the net tighter around himself, what a klutz.  They eventually drop all four dolls but cannot get the door open so they ride around to the front of the building.

Inside, Shem and particularly Nathaniel are having a rough go of it.    Nathaniel is almost dead and Shem is not much better.  Figlio is very tough!  Finally, the inevitable, Nathaniel drops and Shem tumbles out of the workshop.  The dolls swarm around Nathaniel except for the clown doll, Figlio.  He charges straight for Shem.  They exchange blows outside as the fight rages on to the street.  Just as Figlio drops Shem, the other party members arrive on the scene.

By now, Figlio is very badly hurt.  He attempts to flee up the side of the building.  Raina charges over on her horse, Hennet has dropped from his horse and is rolling over to assume a fighting position.  Dolls are continuing to drop and Hennet manages to Lay on Hands Shem, which brings him back to his feet.  Figlio finally flees over the top of a building and the few remaining dolls scatter as well.

The party regroups in the workshop alongside Nathaniel’s body.  Hennet decides to detect for the presence of evil.  The evil is so overpowering that I knocks Hennet unconscious.  Suddenly Nathaniel sits up very stiffly.  He seems to have stabilized!  And then – he is gone.  Nathaniel’s body disappears and reappears as a puppet!  A walking and talking puppet!  “I’ve got no strings, to hold me down!”

So the party is now really bruised and battered.  Nathaniel is an eight-inch wood puppet, Eliad is a walking crutch, Hennet is unconscious, Raina is out of spells and Shem will fall down if he tries anything strenuous.  It is determined that Shem will search the workshop, both top and bottom floors, while the party rests to regain spells.
 

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