Session 18: The Fields of the Dead Report

General Summary

After being told that Elturel had been bargained away by a previous High Watcher of Helm, the Crisis Conclave of Candlekeep concluded that the city should be saved - after all, forty thousand new elite warriors would give the Archdevil Zariel quite a boost of power, and who knows what she would do with those new troops? Thus, while the High Readers busied themselves with gathering information and allies to the cause, the party was tasked with finding a way into Avernus in the first place. This brought them to the remnants of a guarded gateway into the Nine Hells, which the party quickly found out only had enough residual energy to release one occupant: a winged golden miniature elephant named Lulu. 
Lulu introduced herself to the party as best she could, for she was battling an enormous amnesic episode: she could barely remember her own name. As they all got to know each other and their motivations, however, Lulu revealed that she had been in Avernus some time ago with her best friend: the Angel Zariel. They rode into Avernus together with an army of Hellriders, but the knights betrayed them and those who could flee back through the portal did so, leaving their brothers in arms to die at the hands of the fiends they pledged to fight, as well as Zariel, who was overwhelmed by the fiendish hordes, and commanded Lulu to flee. 
Making their way back to Candlekeep with their new companion in tow, the party made a stop at Baldur's Gate. They sat down with Grand Duke Liara Portyr to discuss their findings concerning the puzzle box and the Shield, the latter of which had not spoken for some time. It was decided that Fenrir would testify in the Parliament of Peers in the trial of Thalamra Vanthampur. There was not a lot of evidence to support the accusations of collaboration with the Cult of the Dead Three, for which Amrik had been found guilty, leading to his execution. However, with Fenrir's statement, Vanthampur could be convicted of orchestrating the assassination of Duke Dillard Portyr. 
Leaving the trial to run its course, the party exited Baldur's Gate and ran into Fenrir's charge - the tiefling boy he had rescued from Wyrm's Rock. The child was bitter after Fenrir never showed up at the Low Lantern, and a short exchange between the two revealed that the little tiefling was now under the wing of the Guild. 
Making their way back to Candlekeep on horseback, the party gave a full report back to Silvira, who also had some information to share with them: two parties of eight volunteers were to travel to Avernus to see if the contract could be annulled. Among them were another party of Hellriders who had been recruited from the refugee enclaves in Scornubel and Athkatla, a scholar of Tyr with expert knowledge of both mortal and Infernal law, the writer-wizard Volothamp geddarm, as well as Silvira and Traxigor themselves. A planar tuning fork could be forged out of a piece of infernal iron that Lulu luckily had with her, and the two parties were to arrive separately in Elturel first, in order to assess if there was still something left to save. 
Two more days went by as the group awaited the arrival of Garyx, the law-scholar, and Traxigor cast the spell that allowed the party to descend into hell. They found themselves on a street corner in Elturel, with the ashy clouds of Avernus darkening the red and yellow skies. Buildings were burning left and right, and a scream could be heard from around a corner. As a woman carrying a child came running towards them, the party readied themselves for combat as the three bearded devils that has been chasing her, attacked. Garyx was the first to fall, catching one of the fiends' glaives between the eyes. However, as the devils found themselves outmatched, they were quick to surrender. A summoned imp drafted an agreement: the devils would retreat from the city for ninety days, and give the party directions to a safehouse. In return, the party would allow them to walk away. Garyx, who had been revived by Leojim in the meantime, looked over the contract to ensure its veracity, and concluded that everything was in order. 
While the contract was being drafted, Caja climbed a nearby watchtower in order to get her bearings. What she found, was a largely intact city that had been cleft in two: parts were left smoking, and the High Hall was in ruins, but most buildings were still standing. That's when she realized... the entire city was suspended from nine enormous metal chains, linked to nine gargantuan black metal towers that were slammed into the wasteland below: Elturel was hanging above the river Styx, and it was losing altitude.

Campaign

Descent into Avernus

Protagonists

Fenrir Firecam

Ronaldus Swanstone

Caja

Report Date

21 Mar 2023