Marco’s tiny hut provides a cramped but uneventful rest for the party
- Haruto and Etienne look in poor shape, especially Haruto who has clearly lost a lot of weight and who’s red scales are starting to turn grey
- Strum questions Eliseo on improving his skills with the sling
- By morning both of them have recovered enough to wake up
- Hayate greets Haruto and questions him about the Duke’s plans
- He explains that the Duke was hoping to use the helm to talk to Dauphus for advice
- When he initially put it on he seemed calm but then suddenly grabbed his head in great pain
- Perhaps something intercepted the connection
Hayate decides that they need to try and talk to Alfieri’s spirit and find out if he managed to learn anything
- Alfieri is laid in repose, holding incense, and the spell is cast
- He snaps into a weird animated state
- Did you succeed in contacting your god using the power of the helm?
Yes!
- What did it tell you?
My Visions: A bloodied woman in armour, a soldier wearing colours of the Hellriders grasping a longsword fit for a god. Fresh blood on their cheek. A winged man, a demon, sword plunged to the ground, a palace rising from the sword, scabs cover the place. Retrive the sword, save Elturel.
- When you wore the helm, your consciousness was overcome by a demon – how did you succumb to its power?
Was trying to commune with Dauphus, something took over the connection. Used the power of the helmet to connect to the abyss. I wasn’t strong enough.
- Tell me more about this sword you saw in your vision – does the sword lie in Elturel or is it further into Avernus?
They built the palace to protect the sword, the woman, and the man, but the scab engulfed the palace. Somewhere in Avernus, the sword within the palace within the scab. Find the angel.
- Anything you wish to pass on to those who succeed you?
- The Duke does not respond and collapses back into death
Hayate repositions the Duke and casts gentle repose on the body
- Etienne watches him do this and has a quiet conversation with Vigil, the survivors will be somewhat demoralised at Alfieri’s demise – the helmet gathering was going to give them hope so returning to no avail will be a blow
They decide to take Alfieri’s body back to High Hall along with the injured
- As they get closer they can see a tree has grown up near the hall
- It doesn’t seem to be rooted into the ground
Arriving back at the catacombs, the survivors are shocked and dismayed by Alfieri’s death
- Cpt Frieda rushes them out of the crowd and into her quarters, asking what happened
- They explain the situation and Vigil confirms that their next step is to head to the surface below in search of the sword of Zariel
- She is very worried about the effect his death will have on the survivors
- Hayate explains that he did not die in vain
- Marcello has some people collect the body and suggests that Marco might lead the funeral as an inhabitant of Rossano
- Haruto and Etienne are taken away for healing
Vigil and Marco head through the catacombs to return the Martyr’s body to its resting place
- They lay the body out on the bier
- Vigil thanks her and apologises that he is going to keep her axe, he leaves her his angelic mace in case she wakes up again
Farran the firbolg admits to Strum and Marco that he planted the bean and that it has sprouted into a friendly treant
Back in Frieda’s office, in private, Vigil explains the situation with the martyr at the chapel and hands over the book and the bottle of Angel’s Blessing
- She insists on promoting him to captain in order to provide him with some secrets of the order
- Writes his name in the chronicle and has Vigil recite a vow
- The last lines of which are
Restoration of our honour and atonement for our lie. Forgive us Zariel, we know not what he did.
- She then opens the chronicle to some blank pages and recites a command word revealing hidden words
- Vigil spends some time reading it
- As a Hellrider, he already knew that Zariel was the angel that led the Hellriders into Avernus after growing frustrated with the neutrality of Celestia in the Blood War
- The hidden pages explain that there were four generals under Zariel
- Yael (F), Olanthius (M), Haruman (M), and Kerioth (M)
- Kerioth lost his nerve and fled Avernus with his legion, returning to Elturel
- The current order are descended from these deserters
- Once back, Kerioth perpetuated the lie that he ‘escaped’ before Zariel fell, but ended up hanging himself in shame
- Vigil is surprised by all this but takes it in stride
- Curious, Frieda questions him about his tiefling heritage as spawn of an archdevil
- Asks if he knows which Archdevil is responsible for him
- He replies, “Let’s just say it’s an unfortunate coincidence”
Frieda asks about Reya and Vigil insists that she is sworn in
- The other party members attend the ceremony
- Reya is very happy, despite the situation
- Vigil explains the Hellrider’s association with Zariel but leaves out the secret about Kerioth
Vigil returns the amulet to Martina and explains that her husband died a hero
They decide to attempt to discover what happened to Satomi, investigating the watchtower this afternoon before trying to head to the surface the next day
- Heading through the side streets again they cross the city and approach the watchtower
- Through the trade district, the area is really battered
- As they walk through burnt-out husks of buildings Eliseo can make out two humanoid dragons keeping a lookout near the watchtower
- One on a building near it, the other on the damaged city wall
- Attempts to sneak closer are unsuccessful and the party is spotted
The abishai shout out warnings and take pot shots with crossbows
- Strum casts Jump on Vigil as the party moves to fight
- Eliseo pops his mask on and moves to outflank the two abishai
- One shoots at Hayate, another reports intruders and moves back to cover
- There is a scream from the watchtower
- Marco asks Vigil what the move is
- Vigil declares that they need to get inside and charges the watchtower
There are more abishai inside and the party is forced to clear them out, fighting floor to floor
- Strum and Eliseo remain downstairs, Strum creates a floating disc and uses it for cover as Eliseo snipes at the abishai outside
- As they are rushing up the tower one of the abishai on the stairs shouts out in draconic to those above to, “Get the research, get the prisoner, get out”
Marco reaches the top floor to find two abishai and the frozen lighting bolt
- One of them has a bound dragonborn in its arms and is attempting to fly away with them
- Strum attempts to knock it out with sleep but it resists
- Vigil follows Marco up and throws the Javelin of Lighting at it, electrocuting it and forcing it to drop the dragonborn onto the wall below
- Eliseo continues trading shots with the abishai on the wall
- Hayate also reaches the roof and rushes to attack the abishai there, he also spots that the one that attempted to fly away is wearing a stole that he recognises
- The abishai who held the dragonborn before swoops down to pick up his quarry and takes off again
- Marco Misty Steps into midair to grapple the one holding the dragonborn but is unable to bring it down and falls to the wall
- Vigil, still affected by Jump, throws himself off the tower and crashes into the abishai, dragging it down to the wall
- Hayate blasts a flying abishai with a circlet then commands another on the wall to grovel before him
- Still holding the abishai, Vigil drags it to its feet, then headbutts it and punches it in the face with the haft of the martyr-axe
- Reya braces herself and drops to the battlements
- Eliseo and Hayate finish off the abishai the rogue has been sniping at
The last abishai sweeps in and picks up the dragonborn and Strum hits it with a Suggestion
Leave the dragon of brass
Leave us and pass
- The abishai leaves the dragonborn and flies away