Session XXIII - 13.04.2021

General Summary

Wandering Emporyum:
• The party entered the wandering Emporyium to see a dizzying array of strange merchandise for sale, as well as stations where infernal engines were repaired and upgraded and of course, the massive infernal rapture: the floating palace of caravan owner Mahadi.
• After finding a suitable merchant to offload some of their goods from the material plane, they asked about Hecutis but were met with blank stares or active avoidance of the subject. Nonetheless Athanatos managed to get two soul coins for half of his stock of perfumed tissues. A real bargain.
• Discuraged by the lack of progress trying to track down Hecutis, the party headed to the main plaza of the Emporyum, where the portal to the Infernal Rapture was set up. The owner of the Rapture, Mahadi, was one of the last things that Lulu remembers before leaving Avernus and being moved to Candlekeep. The price was steep, 1 coin per person. Fortunately, after hearing that Lulu was in town, Mahadi, granted a discount to our heroes, provided he could talk to them about Lulu. Even with the price set to half a coin per person, they decided that only Athanatos and Barakas would enjoy the stay.
Infernal Rapture:
• The cool and pleasant climate inside the Rapture was a great relief from the oppressive atmosphere of Avernus. Mahadi was a very pleasant conversationalist, and explained how Lulu was found, already dazed and confused, wandering into the Emporyum from the surrounding wastes. Mahadi took her in, and ultimately gave her to the custody of two Archmages from Candlekeep. Avernus is no place for such creature of good.
• Mahadi then called in Laenwynn, the servant that actually found the little elephant when it wandered into the Emporyum. He asked to answer all of Athanatos and Barakas' questions before accompanying them to dinner.
• The two asked several questions and became rapidly suspicious of some of the answers. Barakas probed her mind and found that she was lying. Exposed, she revealed that Lulu was indeed not dazed when she came in, just exhausted. And that she had a golden collar around her neck. One that was rapidly removed. After the initial encounter, she never saw Lulu again. She swears to reveal the location of the collar to Barakas and Athanatos, but only if they agree to bring her away from the rapture. She claims to be cursed with a spell that binds her to Mahadi's will, and is forced to do what she wants on penalty of terrible pain. As she said this, she stifled a cry as a branded symbol appeared on her forearm while blood poured out of her nose and ears. She would resist it, for now.
• After the rejuvenating feast, an invisible Barakas made its way deep into the rapture guided by a feeble Laenwynn. Once he found the room, he closed the door behind him and was faced with a display case with a series of numbers, he solved the combination, opened the lock, and grabbed the shining collar…
Streets of the Wandering Emporyum:
• Jo and Darrak tried to look for Hecutis some more, but found nothing. After some time, they realized they were being followed, and tried to set a trap for the pursuer.
• They wandered into a lowly populated part of the Emporyum, a deposit for war machines and containers. Here they lay in wait, hoping to surprise their pursuer. They did and managed to pin it to the ground, revealing it to be a red dragonborn and follower of Tiamat.
• He asked Jo whether she thought she was worthy of the glory of Tiamat, and offered to set up a meeting where she would have the chance to prove that she did. … all of this, if they let him go, of course. Darrak and Jo agreed and let the poor dragonborn scurry away, the meeting would be at 3AM that night, in that same place.

Report Date

13 Apr 2021