Session 23: Torm's Sword Report
General Summary
Having settled in the survivor's enclave that Klav Ikaia had established in Shiarra's Market after Elturel was pulled into Avernus following the deal brokered by Zariel, your party was quick to make new alliances with the locals. On your first day of joining the camp, you managed to rescue a young Hellrider sergeant named Trystane, a friend of Caja's since before she ran away from the Hellriders. Trystane and his party were caught in a cave-in when the warehouse that they were sent to raid collapsed in on them, and two of his companions died in the rubble.
However, your party managed to bring the knights back to the market, Leojym himself reviving Trystane moments after he expired underneath the heavy stones of the building. Much to the camp leadership's approval, you also managed to retrieve several much-needed supplies: six heavy casks of water, three pieces of artillery with ammunition, and many magical items to improve your own abilities. After a meeting with the new self-appointed High Rider, the vampire Klav Ikaia, you volunteered to go on a second supply run - one with a bit more risk, but possibly with a higher reward.
After making amends with Nori, Caja and Ronaldus Swanstone met up with the others, who had thought to resupply with more diamonds, but found that someone - a cleric from the Order of the Companion had collected the five remaining stones before going back to the field medic's tent. You followed the lead, hoping to find the Companion named Mathis there, but you were informed of his departure from the enclave. Fenrir Firecam stopped to heal some of the wounded civilians with his divine might, and you went on your way to see Rochus Pons at the northern gate of the compound, discussing the best way to move forward along the way.
You decided to look for Mathis first, knowing from second hand knowledge that he was headed toward the Keep of the Twin Suns, a supposed stronghold that was under control by the remaining members of the Order of the Companion - a religious group aligned to the Hellriders, but consisting almost exclusively of clerics and paladins. Leojym once again scouted ahead, stopping a mere block away from A Pair of Black Antlers, which was now a smoldering ruin. In the distance, he saw a ghostly green glow coming from Unity Square, one of Elturel's main town squares that housed occassional celebrations and festivities.
Upon further investigation, Leo and Fenrir Firecam approached the square, finding a burning mass of dead bodies, piled almost two storys high, to be the cause of the glow. As soon as the paladin came close to the bonfire, however, some of the bodies reanimated as violent skeletons, and they came running towards you with unnatural speed and murderous intent. After dispatching several rounds of freshly emerged skeletons, Ronaldus Swanstone was able to quench the flames and halt the creation of new skeletons. However, the corpse of a corrupted minotaur reanimated right before Ron was able to finish his casting of the spell, and the fiendish brute came charging into Caja. The barbarian was quick to tackle the beast, however, and managed to decapitate the skeleton with the aid of her party members.
Leaving the pile of corpses for what it is, you moved on to the Keep of the Twin Suns and briefly met with two of the Companions who were stationed there. They gave you some more information about the order of events in between Elturel's disappearance and your arrival, filling in some questions, and creating new blank spaces to fill in. The Order of the Companion made it clear that Klav Ikaia was no ally to them, and the cleric Mathis had left the camp to join up with the Companions at the Keep. The Order, they regaled, saw it as their task to guide the pure of heart towards the Companion at the High Hall, where the sins that plunged them into Avernus would be cleansed from their souls, and allowed them to ascend. The halfling at the gate bartered the help of the party in retrieving the Creed Resolute, supposedly kept in High Hall, in exchange for the diamonds that they requested, giving you a single diamond as a show of good faith.
You once again went on your way and found your way towards Torm's reach, the one bridge connecting the district of Westerly to the Eastern part of town. Arriving at the bridge, you found a familiar face as the barbed devil who you had aided in the fight against the demons at A Pair of Black Antlers earlier. You attempted to broker a deal for your passage, but the devil would not budge until he had the promise of a single soul for every crossing party member. When the party discussed using Volothamp Geddarm, Garyx, and Bertha as leverage, Caja leaned in closer to study the Barbazu's armor, and discovered some Hellrider iconography on their person, immediately seeing something familiar in the devil's facial features. However, the bearded fiend gave no indication that he had any memories of a previous life, and, in jest, challenged Caja to a duel. The terms for the dual carved in stone (or actually, into a Lemure's back), Caja easily bested the brute, and the party was allowed to pass the bridge, much to the dismay of the other devils.
Rewards Granted
- A diamond worth 300 gp
Fenrir Firecam
Ronaldus Swanstone
Caja
Report Date
18 Apr 2023
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Comments