Session 17: The Crisis Conclave Report
General Summary
More than a century ago, an angel from the plane of Celestia rode into the Nine Hells to join the Blood War and kill as many devils, demons, and other fiends as they could - accompanied by a military force of mounted knights and paladins: the Hellriders of Elturel. Their Ride was quick and bloody, and the mortals were quick to abandon their quest as they saw the horrors that were inflicted upon their brethren. The ones who returned from the carnage were hailed as heroes, and agreed to keep up the tale of the brave Hellriders.
Now, many years later, the city of Elturel has been pulled into the Nine Hells, dragging Hellriders and civilians along with it, as part of a deal between the Archdevil Zariel and then-High Observer of Helm, Naja Bellandi, who had signed away the city's fate only fifty years prior, when Elturel had befallen another tragedy. Granted, Zariel's end of the bargain was fulfilled and the city was cleansed of its plague, but Bellandi had not the time to enjoy that freedom for long, as she was lost during a raid on Fort Tamal, and presumed dead ever since. Knowledge of the pact was lost, and that brings us to the current state of events...
The knowledge described was shared by Silvira Savikas, the High Reader of the Planes, and scholar well-versed in the lore of the Hells. The Crisis Conclave of Candlekeep concluded with a grim, but hopeful message: if Elturel sits in Avernus, it may yet be saved...
A group of experts: mages, lawyers, fighters, and otherwise would have to find Zariel, and get a hold of the infernal contract to see if there is any ground for annulment of the pact - clauses that allow for a broad interpretation, or broken agreements in different paragraphs of the contract for instance. While the Conclave works on gathering resources (and heroes brave or stupid enough to undertake such a mission), the party was left with a different task, namely to find a way into Avernus.
After the Conclave was surprised by a devil incursion emanating from the puzzle box containing the contract, the party was sent to deal with Myrriim, a talkative ghost-guardian of Candlekeep that was bound to the monastery-fortress hundreds of years ago. The wyrm was able to tell the party of a place in the Fields of the dead, North of Baldur's Gate, where residual energy from a previously existing Gate into Avernus still swirls - maybe it could be manipulated enough to function as a full portal. She then offered to teleport the party to the Gate directly.
Appearing in the middle of a swampy marsh facing a massive, dead tree on a steep incline, the adventurers felt the magical energy surge around them. A voice entered their heads, warning them to turn back. The guardian of the portal appeared not much later - a beautiful unicorn stepped out of the shadows and warned the party one last time - then it attacked relentlessly. Eventually managing to break the tree down enough for the portal to shine through, the guardian fainted as if from shock, and a residual portal, no more than two feet wide, appeared at its center.
Some adventurers tried to enter the portal, but felt that it was blocked by something. The 'something' finally came up through the portal in the form of a shiny golden elephant no more than two feet tall, with feathered wings and a ruffled, felted coat of shaggy fur. The elephant quickly introduced themselves al Lulu, before fainting as if from exhaustion on the rocky cliff in front of you.
Fenrir Firecam
Ronaldus Swanstone
Caja
Report Date
17 Mar 2023
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