DA.1.1 Merciful Fate

Session Preface

Red bolts of lightning crackle, illuminating the storm clouds overhead. An arid wind sweeps over the land surrounding what is now a miles wide crater where Elturel stood moments ago. The gust is bitter, carrying ash and soot that burns at your throat and cuts at your exposed skin. Your eyes water and you can taste iron on your tongue. The wind pushes past you, leaving behind a silence and stillness as you take in the scene before you.
Along the rim of blackened earth are heaps of collapsed stone and wood where chunks of Elturel's wall gave way or buildings toppled over, spreading debris across the surrounding land like the shed skin of a snake. White foam spews from new waterfalls as the River Chionthar cascades into the crater along its bank. Smoke rises from the scattered fires ignited by the unnatural lightning that surged from the Companion as it and Elturel disappeared.
Silhouetted against the lingering storm clouds, Gristaxadahn hovers in the air, overlooking the crater that was once Elturel. He then disappears in a burst of violet arcane light. In front of you, the same burst of magical energy swirls in a dizzying pattern of runes and geometric lines and the infernal lich hovers before you, his eyes beaming with self-satisfaction.
"Zariel thanks you for your service," he says with a malicious smirk.

Session Summary

Death & Resurrection

In the wake of the Elturel's disappearance, Pax and Aethuriel stand in shock as Gristaxadahn approaches them. Collapsing to his knees, Aethuriel swears revenge against the infernal lich and moves to strike him. Gristaxadahn arcanely shields himself from the attack and, in retribution, points to Pax, killing him with a ancient word of power. Pax reacts quickly enough to begin casting a protective ward, but once the spell takes affect, he can only think of his failures and his hellbound fate in the moments before his demise. Still keeping his eyes on Aethuriel, Gristaxadahn says,
"You, just like all the other Knights before, are nothing but a sniveling child who cannot see past his nose. One day, you will perhaps understand that this was a merciful fate. You have about thirty seconds until his soul is contractually delivered to Zariel in Avernus. Maybe you should take care of your own before concerning yourself with the adult's business of saving the world."
With that, Gristaxadahn disappears.
Overwhelmed by this new tragedy, Aethuriel reaches for the Everburning Candle of Lathander and conducts a heartfelt ritual in desperate hopes of resurrecting Pax through divine intervention. Magically infusing the candle with his own blood and tears and prayers, Aethuriel watches as the candle gradually melts into Pax's still chest, disappearing as it does until only the wick and flame remain. The flame is then consumed into Pax's body and his soul returned to the Matieral Plane. As Pax reawakens, he discovers a small portion of Lathander's presence within him like a mark upon his soul, contrasting the sense of darkness he feels perpetually within him.
Pax rises to find Aethuriel collapsed on the ground, distraught. He helps his friend to his feet and only then can they take in the scale of the disaster that stands before them. Hearing cries for help and screams of terror from those who were left behind surrounding Elturel, they set themselves to the work of recovery and rescue.

Aiding Elturel

Amidst the chaos and ruins, the companions make their way through the crowds, providing whatever aid they can. They first discover a young apprentice baker trapped beneath a beam. Lifting the debris off of him and offering him a healing potion, and ensure that he will be able to join the caravan they have learned will be departing for the nearby Idyllglen by sunset.
Aethuriel is then distraught to find Fen, the scruffy companion of Avri, wandering up to him in the crowds, realizing that it must mean Avri was in Elturel and unable to escape before it disappeared. Fen is comforted to be with a familiar face and stays close on Aethuriel's heels through the rest of the day.
Pax's attention is then drawn to a couple shouting for their missing son. The parents introduce themselves as Omar and Farrah, in search of their tiefling son, Farid. In searching for the child, Pax is shoved by a passerby in worn, heavy armor who mutters about him being a demon and refusing to follow the "crimson road." Aethuriel catches this interaction and realizing the individual is clearly under the affect of an illicit substance. Shortly after this encounter, Pax catches a pair of smoldering eyes hiding under rubble, the telltale sign of another tiefling. He encourages Farid to come out, promising to return him to his parents. The young tiefling agrees, realizing that Pax is also a tiefling and that it makes them, somehow, related through Asmodeus.
By the time Pax has returned with Farid hoisted over his shoulders, the caravan of survivors, some few hundred strong, is preparing to leave. In a final act before departing, a funeral pyre of the dozens found dead is built and burned.
Along the way, Aethuriel speaks with several of the other holy knights he finds — members of the Order of the Companion and Hellriders — and in doing so, meets an exhausted knight named Durant. In this one moment to reflect on the day rather than working to help others, Durant collapses onto Aethuriel's shoulder, mourning his husband Hugo and daughter, Adelaide, who were in the city. When Aethuriel explains that he will do all he can to go and bring them home, Durant gives him a small straw doll clad in shining armor, hoping he can give it to Adelaide for him. Aethuriel swears to do so and embraces the exhausted knight.

Idyllglen

Arriving in Idyllgen, the caravan is greeted by the town magistrate, a halfing couple who own the local dockside eatery, the priestess of the local temple to the triad, and to their surprise, Ephen, a fellow Knight of Holy Judgment. The leaders of the town work through the logistics of taking in the caravan, opening homes and the temple to the refugees who need a place to sleep, while the Idle Fin goes right to work putting together meals with the day's fresh catch.
Aethuriel follows the halflings to their kitchen and offers 200 gold to more than cover the next few day's worth of fish and ensuring they can feed the entire caravan for the few days they are here on their way to Baldur's Gate. As the night passes on, Aethuriel helps organize watch and patrols for the evening before meditating restfully. Pax, exhausted by the harrowing events of the day, eventually also finds an uneasy rest outside the small community.
Pax and Aethuriel wake the next morning and join Ephen for breakfast to catch up with him, having not seen him, Avri, and Fausta since Neverwinter. They share the journey which took them to Daggerford and their involvement in Elturel's disappearance. Ephen expresses his lingering guilt of not being there to help, even if there was nothing to be done to stop it. He also encourages them to speak the priestess, Aluviel, as a source of information about the area before departing for Baldur's Gate.
On their way to the temple, they pass the statue at the center of town that depicts a pair of figures, a knight and an angelic figure both raising their swords to the sky, and the insignia, "Guardians of the Faith, Protectors of Idyllglen." Speaking to Aluviel, she explains that Idyllglen in centuries past, had been assailed by demonic incursions, particularly by the gnoll ravagers of Yeenoghu. She describes how the first assault, a historic Knight gave their life to turn back the gnoll armies. The second assault was led by Yeenoghu himself, but the fervent prayers of the town brought them salvation in the form of a celestial figure who turned the tide of battle. This angel, who thence went by "The General" remained, training knights in Elturel for the threat of a future incursion. The day arrived years later, with Yeenoghu returning to Elturgard a third time. Many of the details are lost, but she explains that these days events led to the famous Charge of the Hellriders.
On their way out of town, Pax stops in the battlefield where the incursions took place and experiences a vision of smoke carried on the wind, depicting the battle. He watches as The General and her host of Riders routed the gnoll's forces. In the midst of the battle, Yeenoghu retreated through a portal. The General rallied her soldiers and pressed the advantage, following him into a portal through which Pax could see the arid wasteland of Avernus.

To Baldur's Gate

Pax and Aethuriel depart for Baldur's Gate, spending eight days on the road following the Chionthar River. During their travels, they settle into the new routines of camp between the two of them, without Tristain, who had been with them for so much of their other travels. In the evenings, they both spend time reading and reflecting on what they've learned. Aethuriel starts Yael's Account, while Pax extperiences more of the blood-infused visions from Ehmar's Sigils.

Session Overview

Date Played:
February 4, 2024
Party:

• Aethuriel
• Pax

Time Passed:
Marpenoth 25, AM 1493 - Uktar 5, AM 1493
NPCs:

• Gristaxadahn
• Omar, Farrah, and Farid
• Durant, Hugo, and Adelaide
• Ephen
• Aluviel
• Fayelle & Xoric Softspark