T-D Session 8 Report

General Summary

15th Flamerule 1492 DR
The session began with the party investigating the Archive Room Old High Harvest Home - the main administration building for the Order of the Companion. With two floors left unexplored above them, the party agree to carry on clearing out the building to ensure it's safe before returning to High Hall and alert them of what they've uncovered. The third storey housed the four offices for senior government officials - Master of Taxation, Keeper of the Sigil, High Inquisitor, and Grand Diplomat. They investigated the Keeper of the Sigils office first, a room adorned with heraldry and artistry of the city, bookcases lined with the scrolls and tomes of religious texts. Behind the main desk, a second writing desk piled with old paperwork sits below the windowsill. It was here that the party uncovered early drafts of the Creed Resolute. Correspondence between Liadon, the Keeper of the Sigil, and Thavius Kreeg discuss how to modify their intended message into something obfuscated by careful language.
The initial draft read:

I, [Name], freely offer my soul and eternal service to the glorious Lady of the Nine Hells, Zariel! (Edited by Kreeg: Too blatant. Change to "powers" or "benefactor.") In her dread name, I pledge my sword and unwavering loyalty to the cause. I shall become a nightmare made flesh, a terror that guards the realm of Elturgard and crushes all who oppose the infernal will. (Edited by Kreeg: Needs to be more subtle. Focus on Elturel, downplay open hostility.) As a chosen knight of Elturel, I accept the infernal brand and bind my bloodline to the service of the Nine (Edited by Kreeg: Replace with "Oath of the High Observer" and remove bloodline reference. Too risky.) With unflinching resolve, I obey the commands of those who wield the infernal power, spreading the dread glory of Zariel throughout the land. (Edited by Kreeg: Obedience to Elturel and the Companion only. We need plausible deniability.) May my blade carve a path of destruction for the Nine Hells, and may the screams of the damned echo through the ages as a testament to my devotion! (Edited by Kreeg: Far too excessive. Remove all references to open violence or self-promotion.)

A later draft read:

I solemnly pledge my soul and blade to serve as a knight of Elturel and share the Oath of the High Observer in honouring the Gift of the Companion. I shall guard the realm of Elturgard and all those lands which lie under Elturel’s Shield, upholding the laws of Elturgard and the solemn decrees of the High Observer. I shall live my life in strict accord to the Creed Resolute, placing it and this oath above all other doctrines. I shall be bound to all others who swear this oath, declaring them now and forevermore, to be my brothers in arms. To ensure the strength of our brotherhood, I shall permit no difference in faith to come between us, upholding the ideals of the Companion, which I shall attribute to the divine powers that guard our hearts.

And the final version read:

I solemnly pledge my soul and blood and blade to serve as a knight of Elturel and share the Oath of the High Observer in honouring the Gift of the Companion. I shall guard the realm of Elturgard and all those lands which lie under Elturel’s Shield, upholding the laws of Elturgard and the commands of the High Observer. I shall live my life in strict accord to the Creed Resolute, placing it and this oath above all other doctrines. I shall be bound to all others who swear this oath, declaring them now and forevermore, whether in life or beyond the veil of death, to be my brothers in arms. To ensure the perfect harmony of our brotherhood, I shall permit no difference in faith to come between us, but rather hold the Companion, which I shall never attribute to one god or another, as our common star.

It was at this point that Princess realised that the oath she'd sworn in the Tome of the Creed Resolute had almost certainly damned her soul as a servant of Zariel. Shaken and spurred on, they rapidly explore the rest of the offices. They find a diary from the diary of High Inquisitor Oswyn Harrowshield, the book open on his desk with the final page detailing his excited anticipation of his transformation, before the written becomes an illegible scrawl. In the Grand Diplomat's office, they find notes written in a child's hand, those from his daughter, wishing they could spend more time together, and how much she loves him.
They head up to the top floor of Old High Harvest Home, this level smaller, with sloped ceilings giving a less grand feeling. The armoury and the Commander's Office were the only two rooms to be found. The armoury is modest, holding enough armour and weapons for a small guard force. The Commander's Office did not offer much in the way of additional information, battlemaps detailed issues in the outer kingdom's of Elturel, Goblinoid incursions and Cult of the Dragon attacks.
With the building deemed safe and secured, the party decided to split, with Erric and Princess staying back to secure the building, Scott and Haelee made their way back to High Hall. Haelee wild-shaped dire wolf, able to keep up with Scott's heightened monk run-speed. They approach the gatehouse, and Scott calls out that they've come back with news, and just as they're about to call that the coast is clear for guards to raise the portcullis, Scott notices movement in bushes nearby. A small group of Elturian refugees hiding, debating what to do. Haelee's telepathy reads their motivations, and informs Scott that they seem safe and genuine. Scott guides them to the gatehouse, and once the doors are open, into High Hall Cathedral. The pair descend back down into the catacombs, and find a rested Feylan and an exhausted Pherria still reviewing books. Scott informs the pair what they've found, and Feylan acknowledges and thanks them for their efforts. The two debated for a moment before agreeing that whilst it is likely a useful source of information, there aren't enough soldiers able to protect both locations - it might be worth the risk if they run out of options here, but for the time being they'll continue as they are.
Scott and Haelee depart the High Hall once more, and make their way rapidly back to Old High Harvest Home, regrouping with the party. A discussion is had about what their next move is. They decide to head to the Shrine of Tempus. It is close, and a marked target on the map they found in Voss' office. They leave the administration building, moving carefully and quietly down the side alleys north on their way to the Shrine. As they round a corner, they spot a strange sight. Clearly a devilish form, similar to the chained devils they fought rescuing Duke Ravengard. Tall, with dark skin, a body wrapped in chains, but from those chains dangle keys. Moreover it seemed to be wearing a long trench coat that drags along the cobblestone ground. It spots the party, and in a loud, friendly tone calls out "I've got keys for sale!" It flings open its jacket, and dangling from the inner lining of both panels are hundreds more keys. The party somewhat befuddled aren't sure whether to attack, talk or run. It reassures them that he has only the finest keys for sale, and they're a bargain price. The party is hesitant still, and opt to decline the devil's offer. A little perturbed by the lack of business, the devil carries on his way, looking for non-time wasting customers.
With the key selling devil behind them, the party presses on to the Shrine of Tempus. As they arrive, the relatively small building has obvious signs of damage from the outside - with front doors smashing opened. Within, the main chamber shows the clear signs of battle, toppled and broken furniture, the scorch marks of spells, and blood splattered across the floor and over the altar. The cleric of Tempus lies dead at its feet. Whilst her body was clearly broken from battle, the extra level of damage did not match what they'd previously encountered at High Hall and Old High Harvest Home. The shrine is given a cursory look over, but little more is uncovered - save for the imagery of Tempus still standing strong and intact in face of Avernus' corruption. From the priestess, Erric takes her holy pendant. The object seeming to radiate a strong divine connection, he shows the rest of the party. Unsure whether it is magical, or merely of religious significance, and without time now to investigate it, Erric keeps it within his pack.
From the Shrine of Tempus, they head back south towards the switchbacks that lead down to the Westerly, and the inn of Hondarhak's House - the inn that Haelee and Erric had been staying in, but also the inn that some of Ravengard's men were meant to be at. A careful 45 minute navigation through the smokey streets of Elturel, they open into the main trot that Hondarkar's House is on. Sure enough the large H shaped inn is in clear view, but so too are the two pairs of devils who are running back and forth carrying bundles of wood, throwing them at the base of the inn. Stood a ways back four devils in Hellrider armour keep a watch over the lesser devil's activity. The whizz of crossbow bolts shoot from the upper floor of the inn, attempting to down the wood-carrying devils.
The party charges forwards to help, engaging the devils before they light their fires and burn the inn down. From within the inn spills four Flaming Fist, two of them clearly leaders. One with dark auburn hair, wearing the more conventional appearance of a soldier in plate with sword and shield. The other man was a massive bear of a man, shirtless and carrying a greataxe. The pair engaged different groups of devils, with the other two Flaming Fist joining the red-headed man. From the windows cross bolts continued to fire, and a few moments later another pair of Flaming Fist guards spilled forwards. The battle was hard, with one of the Flaming Fist getting slain. The devils attempted to retreat as the tides turned against them, but were all slaughtered, despite some begging for their infernal lives.
The session ended with the blood of the devils running through the streets, and the party taking a moment to tend to their wounds, the wounds of the Flaming Fist, and make introductions with two squads of Ravengard's Men.

Report Date

07 Apr 2024