Sorry, Mortlock! Hope You Didn’t Need Any of This Stuff!

The Saturday game, recapping 9/12/20 – OOC: The Cleric was run by the Paladin.

We have entered an undercellar that has a demon problem. Five spined and two bearded devils have moved in, but we kill them easily. We search the room and find various household foodstuffs, ale, and other supplies. We steal everything. We enter a wine cellar to the west and gaze upon two-hundred-thirteen of bottles of wine. All that goes in the bag of holding as supplies for Trollskull Manor.

A door to the east opens into an extensive sewer system which is much tidier than you would expect. And so begins a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl! We take carcasses from a cold storage room; a boar special will be on the inn’s menu soon. We also raid a kitchen, dining room and guest room for valuables. An iron double door south is framed with infernal runes that say, “That which falls can rise again,” and depicts demons arising from the River Styx. The party decides to clear the area before tackling whatever lies behind.

On entering a barracks, we disturb a group of ten cultists in devil masks and robes. The Wizard and the Archer take four out immediately. From the south, a couple more move in, but the group’s efforts subdue them all.

One locked door opens with a knock spell. In the room, an old man with strangely fiendish features inspects a mirror etched with infernal writing hanging on the wall. Our Paladin recognizes him as Thavius Kreeg from Elturel. Kreeg is happy to see us and recounts a story of being kidnapped by the Duke of Vanthampur’s guards. He has been trapped here in the family vault tasked with discovering the purpose of the mirror. He asks us to rescue him. He seems cooperative and we agree but are wary after we note the door locks from the inside. Why didn’t he just leave?

As is standard operating procedure, we take everything in the vault including gold, rubies, emeralds and two pieces of a ceremonial dagger. The Cleric even takes the mirror off the wall to use as a shield. As we leave the room, red beams from the mirror blast Kreeg into a desiccated corpse. Um, did we just break the adventure? Oh well, silver lining; we at least have lots of loot and supplies for our business.

Continuing the dungeon crawl, we enter a prison where a huge purple demon and a bearded devil guards a prisoner. We prevail in battle, take the jailer’s keys, and release the prisoner. He introduces himself as Falaster Fisk, a spy working for Sylvira Savikas who is a tiefling mage based in Candlekeep. She has been monitoring demon activities in Waterdeep and Elturel. Interestingly, her expertise is in magical puzzle boxes like the one we found in Thurstwell’s room. Fisk was sent to discover why Kreeg was with the Vanthampurs but was captured. We invite him to join us.

Having searched and looted everything, we head back to the iron door with the infernal saying. Upon opening, we find a room containing an enormous statue of an angel with glowing eyes holding a sword. A group of demons including a huge bone devil are arrayed around it. During a protracted fight, the Wizard learns the true name of the bone devil (Odious) before turning it into a fish. A shatter spell cracks open the statue. Contained in a hollow within is a mace.

After healing up, we find two secret doors to the west and south. Venturing south, a grey-haired older woman is by an obsidian altar lit by nine candles in holders shaped like the angel. Duke Thalamra Vanthampur turns and points menacingly to the Rogue, but the Wizard turns her into a frog and chucks her into the bag of holding where she will eventually suffocate first as a frog then as a woman.

On the Duke were two keys and a talisman with a symbol we do not recognize. We recall these individuals worship Zariel so it may be related to her. Heading to the last room, we scramble up a ladder into a vaulted chamber with symbols on the floor; perhaps a teleportation circle?

We head back to Trollskull Manor safely for a short rest and to unload the goods for the inn. Awaiting us is a letter from the Greystaff telling us to meet at the South Gate ready for travel on a secret mission and to bring the shield. She received a letter from Mirt, may he rest in pieces, with suspicions about the Cassalanters solidifying their power. The shield is related to all of this and we must make to Candlekeep as soon as possible. To gain admittance to Candlekeep, we must offer them a book for their scholarly collection. Falaster says he has one such book and we can stop at his house on the way. As Candlekeep is several days away, we will identify found items as we travel.