After rescuing the Sirines, our heroes began the long journey home. They had some battles on the way, but of little consequence. They did have some encounters of note, beginning when a Bronze dragon attempted to sell its services to the group for magic items, and they refused in spectacularly offensive fashion, causing the dragon to leave in a huff.
Later they found an isolated elven islander culture and recruited a cleric of Poseidon to the team – were they eating people or pigs? It’s a mystery – and had a spear wielding dragon disciple finally find them after searching for some time.
Returning home to Salvador, the adventurers took the requisite victory lap, soaking in the adulation of the rescued Sirines and the adoring throngs of Salvador. The good vibes couldn’t last forever though, and soon the advancing problem of organized crime in the city came to their attention. Gathering some intel around the city, they learned that the Temple of the Cleansing Flame had connections to the mobsters – possibly funding or even staffing the criminal organization that was infesting Salvador.
The group hatched a multi-tiered plan of attack against the criminal scum. First, an overt plan – they would fund, endorse, and influence city alderman in their run for office and subsequent duties. After some interviews, Flic Rair was chosen as the best candidate, and the group got to work on spreading the word of their endorsement.
The covert portion of the plan was to set up a juicy target with an enchanted coin purse for the low level cutpurses of the mob to target, then lead our heroes back to the gang’s HQ. This plan was never attempted, though, because some unexpected help arrived from Direitodade.
Cyrus, the paladin, who left James and Karl after the battle for Kantor’s Keep to seek out the source of the undead plague, returned with new intel on the Temple’s workings and the disposition of the criminal element in the city. It turned out that the gang used magic to carve out and then hide tunnels under the city, branching off from the sewer tunnels. Cyrus had been unable to track the criminals past a certain point due to magical interference, and sought Karl’s help to proceed.
Leading the way for everyone, Cyrus brought the party to a cross tunnel in the sewers that was laden with confusing misdirection magic, and several more cloaking illusions were stripped away by the combined magical efforts of the party before they found the apparent criminal lair, abandoned.
Pushing forward, the group soon found a large chamber cloaked in magical darkness. They entered the chamber, and Cyrus touched something on the wall…
…And the party was sundered from the world of Trantor. Cyrus tricked them! Secretly a plant for Mephistopheles and the Temple of the Cleansing Flame, Cyrus no longer wielded the holy might of the Paladin, but rather the tainted fires of the Blackguard. With the favor of his devilish master, he was also able to summon several devils to his side, and attacked the group.
A vicious battle ensued, with Cyrus bringing forth contract devils and gear devils to beset the party, and powerful magics and attacks were flung in all directions, until a massive devil form appeared in the battle arena and declared an end to the battle. As it stepped toward the party, seemingly to end them, the devil crushed a blue orb in the middle of the room and arcane chaos erupted.
The pocket dimension of the hells set aside for the trap exploded with the destruction of the crystal that held its shaping power, and the combatants were flung to different points of the multiverse.
When the party regained consciousness, Frank was missing. Not only that, they were in jail. And in hell.
Fortunately, the catastrophic end to the battle had a silver lining – the group escaped the clutches of Mephistopheles. Like every silver lining, this one limned a dark cloud. Instead of languishing in Mephistopheles’ dungeon in Canea, they are languishing in Baalzebuul’s dungeon in Maladomini, one short layer up.
Not only that, they are being held pending trial for “giving aid and comfort to the enemy,” Mephistopheles. Baalzebuul it seems does not play nicely with Mephistopheles. In the coming trial, the adventurers will be opposed by The Herald of Lies, Neabaz, chief mouthpiece of the Lord of Putrescence, and judged by one of the Lord’s own consorts.
There could be a way out, though. Devils are intrinsically deal making beings, and have offered a few different deals to the party. No price has been disclosed yet for the terms offered, and of course nobody knows the motivations of the devils offering these deals, and yet, a deal must be preferable to a show trial.
Time is short, and counting down. All the options look bad. Which way will our heroes choose? And will it lead out of Baator?
Mick On Everything 