Session X - 18.06.2020

General Summary

• The characters decide to open the dark door in the complex beneath the Vanthampur estate after hearing the voices of some guards outside. Outside, Darmin Zodge is already waiting with the Flaming Fists. The group explains what Thalamra Vanthampur was doing in the complex. Darmin Zodge leads the group to his superior officer, Liara Portyr.
• Luckily, Falaster Fisk is waiting with Liara and gives testimony as agreed and the characters are now free of charges. Liara thanks the group for their help with the devilish cult. She proposes to make haste to Candlekeep to have the Shield of the Hidden Lord as well as the strange magical cube examined there. Falaster will accompany the group on their way there.
• The travel takes two days. However, during the night (the group camps outside), some cloaked figures (humanoids) approach the camp. On of them has a Wyrmling Red Dragon sitting on his shoulders. They demand that the group gives back the "treasures of their queen". Apparently, they ask back the crown devoted to Tiamat, the evil dragon queen, that the group found earlier in the cultist dungeon below the bathhouse. Unfortunately, they left it with the corpse of Mert in the Vanthampur estate, so they cannot give to them.
• Suddenly, Jo hears a voice in her head, urging her to kill the person with the dragon on his shoulder since he has something to do with "what they stole from her" (the group will later find out that this voice is actually the voice of the devil being contained in the Shield of the Hidden Lord). Jo loses her temper and attacks the person with her breath weapon and a fight erupts. The group manages to strike down the humanoids. However, the wyrmling dragon focusses his attacks on Jo who goes unconscious. Darius heals her, but the wyrmling uses the chance and flies away (apparently just wanted to strike down Jo before fleeing the scene).
• Jo searches the bodies of the humanoids, but only finds a parchment which instructs these humanoids to retrieve the crown of Tiamat. It also says: "Beware of the target. It is extremely dangerous, egg already acquired. Eliminate."
• Darious asks Jo what drove her to these actions but she does not want to talk about it (it apparently being something very personal). The group comforts her and offers that Jo can talk to them whenever she feels ready to do so.
• After recovering from the fight, the group continues its travels to Candlekeep the next morning which they reach later that day. As tradition has it, one can only enter Candlekeep if they provide a book that the library of Candlekeep not already has. Luckily, the group found a first edition copy of Apocalypto in Thalamra's belongings, which is enough to get access.
• Falaster leads the group to the laboratory of his mentor's, Sylvira Savikas. Sylvira wants to examine the magical cube. However, the group expresses that they cannot trust her as of now and demand more information. Sylvira tells them that 50 years ago, Elturel was attacked by an undead army lead by vampires. The High Overseer back then (already Thavius Kreeg) managed to "summon a second sun" to purge the undead. This made him the hero of the city and granted him his position as High Overseer for life. With these and some other information, the group agrees to give Sylvira the cube for examination.
• While Sylvira sets up the ritual, the group goes shopping in Candlekeep. Here, they buy a Plate mail for Jo as well as materials for Barakas to be able to copy spells to his spellbook. On the way back while discussing the next steps, Jo again hears the voice in her head (coming from the devil in the Shield of the Hidden Lord): "You see, I told you. Sylvira will tell you things about me."
• Back at Sylvira's laboratory, the group is asked to assist during the ritual. Sylvira tells the group that the ritual will be intricate and that she needs to keep her concentration. So the ritual starts and cube glows while producing weird magical runes. The magic users in the group understand that Sylvira somehow opens a rift or several rifts to other planes of existence ("tears in space"). The group sees a bleak land of darkness and red rivers on the other side, probably the Nine Hells. Suddenly, Sylvira demands to "close the rifts" as a Spined Devil approaches the rift and tries to attack her. Darius fires a Guiding Bolt and its radiant energy drives the devil away. Thereafter, the ritual is finished and the magical energies calm down.
• The ritual revealed some very important information. Apparently, Elturel has vanished to the Nine Hells (Avernus) and is somehow anchored there. To rescue the city, the connection to this anchor would have to be severed within time. Thalamra Vanthampur apparently wanted to do the same to Baldur's Gate (drag it down to Hell). The actual reason why Elturel was dragged to the Nine Hells, is terrifying: During the attack on Elturel 50 years ago, Thavius Kreeg plead to any power for help. The archdevil Zariel answered and agreed to help Thavius (back then a sworn fighter of Torm) to rescue Elturel for which Thavius took the credit. This was the contract they forged:

Be it known to all that I, Thavius Kreeg, High Overseer of Elturel, have sworn to my master, Zariel, lord of Avernus, to keep the agreements contained in this oath. I hereby submit to Zariel in all matters and for all time. I will place Her above all creatures, living and dead. I will obey Her all my days and beyond with fear and servility. I recognize the dispensation of the device called the Solar lnsidiator, hereafter called the Companion. In my capacity as High Overseer of Elturel and its vassal territories, I acknowledge that all lands falling under the light of the Companion are forfeit to Zariel. All persons bound by oath to defend Elturel are also considered forfeit. I further recognize that this dispensation will last fifty years, after which the Companion will return whence it came, taking Elturel and its oath-bound defenders with it, if that is Zariel's wish. All this is my everlasting pledge.

— Thavius Kreeg

• The group briefly discusses what to do but comes to the conclusion that they must go to Avernus to save Elturel from certain doom. They will make some arrangements before actually going there (Sylvira has a friend on an island close-by which the group can access via a griffon ride. This friend apparently can open a gate to Avernus).
• Before finalizing the planning, the group decides to take the Shield of The Hidden Lord along to Avernus: They learn that the Pit Fiend Gargauth is kept in the shield. This devil offers his help and guidance in Avernus (since he apparently hates Zariel himself). The shield is able to cast Fireball and Wall of Fire which may be useful on their quest (although most devils are outright immune to fire). However, the group needs to be very careful given Gargauth's desire to go back to The Nine Hells and be released again.

Report Date

18 Jun 2020