- Reya falls asleep and we have a campfire conversation over our biggest fears
- We continue our journey. Reya feels a lil outside the group
- Run into stranded "refugees" that turn out to be a cambion and his minions
- Sick mounted combat action. Lots of fire flung at Cassandra. Balsam jam's their hand into Aurelia's stomach wound
- The cambion escapes
- We let the sole survivor leave after skraps shakes him down. His brother got killed in the scuffle
- Skraps is still wearing aurelia's undies
- We play a very fun game of truth or imbibe. See last session for a full list of questions and answers
- We arrive at candlekeep
RETCON We forgot about Falaster Fisk. He was just taking notes during our game
Over the past 4 days the weather has gradually worsened. Muddy roads. Passing by merchants. The rain subsides on the 5th day. Ahead we see a path branch. There is a raven on the sign with 2 things pointing the same way. One is the way of the lion. the other is Candlekeep.
Tzon checks out the sign but it just confuses him even more. Some are curious about the way of the lion. Its the path that leads from the road we are on to candlekeep. Don't know why it has 2 pointing the same way.
On the journey the thunder has given Balsam a hard time. Aurelia comes over to try to distract them from the issue. She asks how they found their religion (familial gains). She then turns the topic to her own family and how shitty her dad is.
We make it in midafternoon. We finally truly arrive at Candlekeep.
We are greeted by 3 monks of Dimir. a human, a dwarf, and a sunelf. They tell us we have to donate a book they don't already have to gain admittance. Falaster tries to get Aurelia to give up one of the final fantasy books (16). She refuses so he gives over the book of recipes he brought. We are allowed admittance
Falaster tells us of a place called the Hearth, a pub that we can stop for drinks and food. We go there. It has a low ceiling with narrow windows. There is a large firepit in the middle surrounded by tables and benches. about a dozen peeps. One is a massive ogre sitting with a very fine headband tiara on his head. Noone else seems to care. He's reading in a corner by himself.
We get some drinks. Options are wine, blackberry mead, turkey legs, sausage, eggs. Aurelia asks after some bubbly wine. They have omnegne (fantasy champagne.) Skraps goes and introduces himself to the Ogre. He is called Little One. Skraps asks about the tiara. A few years ago he was like others of his kind, brutish and cruel. Then he met a halfling adventurer. He was wearing the tiara. Little One killed him for it but when he put it on it grew in size and turned out it was a headband of intellect. He felt compelled to learn the error of his ways. The name Little One is in honor of the halfling he killed. People are mean to him outside of Candlekeep but inside they just respect his desire to learn. He asks after why we are here and who we are. We say just adventurer stuff and that we are the Guilty Pleasures. Skraps gives him his card. He asks us to let him know when we are on our way back to BG. He'd love to come with.
Skraps' card is way fancier than it should be. Black paper, with embossed purple lettering that just says Skraps on it. Aurelia comments on how much these must have costed. And also asks how people are supposed to contact him with them. Skraps says there is a way to hold it that shows a glint in it that shows in thieves cant how to reach him. Aurelia tries to see it, she sees the cant but doesn't know it so she can't quite read it. As she holds it just right she sees in the glossy varnish on the back of the card. It's a bunch of scratchy runes that she simply doesn't know what translate to. Lily asks if its a swinger thing. It's not.
BALSAM'S FAV DRINK IS GROG. Aurelia's is a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Falaster tells us not to embarrass him in front of Sylvira. We head into Candlekeep proper. There are hundreds of spires reaching up into the sky. Each one has a completely different architecture. It almost looks like a cake with an overabundance of candles. Grand libraries, personal mage towers, and more. Usually strangers aren't allowed in. We arrive at a thin tower made out of shale. We go up the staircase to the top of the tower. There are a bunch of shuttered arched windows. Lots of bookshelves and alchemical tables. There is a large 9 pointed star. There is a middle aged tiefling caught in a fugue of intense contemplation.
Perched on a table is a lil demon. She tells us she's pleased to see us and asks what we brought her. Cassandra wordlessly walks up and drops the box in her hand. Falaster properly introduces us. She reacts to the dropping of the Eomane, Branwell, and Ravenshade family names. Aurelia makes sure to correct that she rejected her family name. We tell her we got it from the Vanthampurs. She asks after the Shield of the Hidden Lord. Or rather comments. Tells us its a symbol of the triumph of good over evil. Gargoth is the pit fiend inside's true name. She calls him a stupid bitch. The shield has the power to corrupt everything around it. The Hhune family has held it for a long time. She tells us we should keep it away from populated areas. Lily says we could maybe return it to the Hells.
Skraps hears in his head "Take me to the 9 Hells and I swear I will serve you faithfully." He starts sweating and looks around the room all like nervous and stuff. He comments on it talking to him. Sylvira says he is certainly lying to him and that we should turn it over to her for safekeeping. She seems forthright in her desire to lock it away. She won't try to stop us if we want to keep it but yeah. Skraps is interested in listening to the fiend. Lily also is down for that.
She says that she has been suspicious of Thavius for quite some time but no one listened because he was a hero. He made everyone bind themselves to protect Elturel. She suspected tho that he was using that to bind them to Zariel's service. She pours some stuff in the box that opens it. Inside it is 9 chain linked plates with infernal runes. They are chained together. It is for sure his contract. Very much a obey Zariel and shit to her type deal. It reads:
"Be it known to all that I, Thavius Kreeg, High Overseer of Elturel, have sworn to my master, Zariel, lord of Avernus, to keep the agreements contained in this oath. I hereby submit to Zariel in all matters and for all time. I will place Her above all creatures, living and dead. I will obey Her all my days and beyond with fear and servility. I recognize the dispensation of the device called the Solar Insidiator, hereafter called the Companion. In my capacity as High Overseer of Elturel and its vassal territories, I acknowledge that all lands falling under the light of the Companion are forfeit to Zariel. All persons bound by oath to defend Elturel are also considered forfeit. I further recognize that this dispensation will last fifty years, after which the Companion will return whence it came, taking Elturel and its oath-bound defenders with it, if that is Zariel’s wish. All this is my everlasting pledge."
Reya collapses onto the floor and begins to weep for Elturel. "I'm bound to the city by the Creed Resolute (the oath to protect Elturel). I have to go back for it." Tzon asks Sylvira if she can offer anything for the shield to try to convince the people who want to bring it with us to like not do that. This fills her with a little dread and feels obliged by morals to keep it here but also she really doesn't want it here. She tells us she already owes us for bringing the puzzle box as evidence. 300 gp each. Cassandra says she needs to talk to her deity before making a decision regarding giving up the shield or not. Cassandra also made the oath to the Creed Resolute. We all commit to going to save Elturel. Aurelia requires Lily to say something she values about her friendship in order to go though. She does though I didn't hear it to record.
Sylvira says she has someone who can transport us there. She says she thinks we will like him. A wizard named Traxigor (sp?). He will use a planeshift spell to take us straight there. He is looking after a friend of hers who has a history of battling in the 9 hells. She's named Lulu. She messaged Traxigor and we have to meet him at his tower.
Sylvira says "This map might not be entirely reliable. It's creator went mad creating it but it's the best we have" and she hands us the following map
She shows us to our chamber in case we need to do anything before we leave. It's a private chamber. Tzon shaves his head. Balsam carves faithful steed into their left thigh. Also apparently after carving the symbols in they rub dirt into them periodically to make the scar stick. Aurelia plays the devil went down to georgia to give a few people inspiration. Skraps is eyeing Cassandra down regarding the shield. Cassandra is praying to her god to gain insight into what to do about the shield. Specifically casting Augury. Trying to find out if its the right move to bring the shield or leave it with Sylvira. Specifically what might happen if they take the shield with them.
As they finish the ritual the candles dim and then various candles flare up in a circle and meets back in the center and goes back and forth. The omen they get is that its both good and bad if they bring it. Aurelia smacks Skraps shoulder to break him out of his weird shield trance. He acts like he hasn't been staring at the shield but its not convincing. We ask for Cassandra's insight on what to do. Skraps and Lily want to bring it. Balsam, Aurelia, and Tzon don't want to take it with us. Reya truly doesn't care either way. We decide to flip a coin about it. Lily pulls out a specific coin out of her bag and says to use that one. On one side is an armed angel holding a sword. The other has a fearsome devils head. Devil is take it, Angel is leave it. Skraps flips the coin. It lands on the devil. When that happens, Reya has to make a wisdom save. She then takes a damage. She reacts adversely and is like "I hate that thing my head hurts what is that?"
Tzon offers her a massage to try to reduce her migraine. She takes him up on it. He gives her one hell of a massage. It helps but she's still in pain though. She swears to him no harm will happen to his hands. Balsam nudges him and is like "heyyy sounds like you have a chance."
We get a knock at the door. She asks if we need anything. I ask for a clean rag. She heard Reya's moaning and assumed the dirtiest She walks into Balsam with a bloody thigh. I specifically made sure not to get blood on her stuff though. Reya has no top on though. We are ready to leave now though. Aurelia has the map. Tzon wanted it but Aurelia is being all Aurelia about it.
We go up to the top of her tower. It's an aviary for Griffons. We mount them to fly over to Traxigor's tower. Sylvira leaves us after we arrive. She tells us to keep her updated if any of us learn how to contact her across planes. We make our way down. One level down we see a bunch of clutter and an otter wearing a red cassock scurrying around.
He mumbles about a tuning fork. He stands upright and calls for Lulu. A small golden furred elephant with fearthered wings appears.
The otter is Traxigor. He greets us. Lulu is excited to join us. She was with Zariel when she was an angel and invaded the Hells. She was who hid the sword (as well as someone who she can't remember). She can't remember where, or how she escaped the Hells. She's very very sweet. We banter for a bit specifically about Aurelia not knowing how to take a compliment. Cassandra offers advice. Balsam just asks why anyone would want to deprive themselves of the joy of witnessing Aurelia's blushing. Traxigor interrupts to remind us of where we are going. He says he will absolutely come and find us to get the story of our adventures down there. I tell him I would be honored to tell of our tales. He asks us to help him find his tuning fork.
Most of us help him search for it. I tell Traxigor of our tales of what we've already done while everyone else searches. Lily finds a purple handkerchief embroidered with the name of Tasha the witch. Aurelia finds the tuning fork tucked in a back corner. Traxigor tells us that he will just be dropping us off and then immediately leaving.
With that he tings the tuning fork and sets it on the ground. He holds out his paws and the fork rises above his head and begins to slowly rotate around all of us and casts Planeshift.
LEVEL UP!!!
A hot stinging air assaults our senses. The city street where we stand is full of crumbling and collapses buildings. There ia a massive sphere that is constantly striking lightning to the city. Overlooking the city is a massive fortress. Traxigor disappears in a blink of an eye.
The companion burns black and the city of elturel sits suspended over the river styx. That's where we are. Reya looks around and tears of rage fill her eyes. But with no time to get our bearings, around a corner of a still standing structure, runs a woman with 2 toddlers. Following her are 3 infernal monsters with glaives and snakelike beards.
INITIATIVE!!
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