Session Start Date: Flamerule 10, 1489DR
Started in the city of Baldur's Gate. About twenty days ago the city of Elturel had fallen, but no one can give a solid answer as to why. The city of Baldur's Gate has been locked down to try and prevent the swarm of refugees from the city of Elturel from gaining entrance. The leader of the Flaming Fist, Grand Duke Ulder Ravenguard, was away on a diplomatic mission when the city fell. The adventure starts just outside the Elfsong Tavern. The hero's were just drafted by the Flaming Fist to investigate a recent string of murders committed by a cult that kills even in broad daylight. Their job was to find the Flaming Fists informant, as she has the location of the dungeon where the cult currently resides.
Walking into the tavern, they played a game of Baldur's Bones, and listened in on conversations on the first floor. After doing some investigating, Lexx found the informant on the second floor. He was able to pick her pocket and return the item to open a conversation with her without drawing attention. She led them into her rented room to speak privately, but Biggs remained outside the room to stand guard. In the room, she tells the group her name is Tarina and she knows more about the people their looking for. They go by the Cult of the Dead Three. She knew where they were operating from, but she needed help dealing with some pirates that she used to run with. Outside the room, Biggs saw a few burly men enter the bar and start opening rooms looking for someone. He guessed correctly that they were after the informant, and he blocked their attempts to enter the room. After the pirates drew their weapons, the rest of the group exited the room and dispatched them. Tarina then informed them that the dungeon is located under a bathhouse named the Dancing Nymph. She also said that she believes that Duke Thalamra Vanthampur's son, Mortlock Vanthampur, is one of the leaders of this cult.
After heading to the bathhouse, they were able to clear most of the people out by getting too close to the other patrons. Inside one of the side rooms, they found someone offering massages for a few silver. They asked if there was any suspicious activity happening around the area and the man got visibly nervous. They intimidated him into revealing that the cult uses the bathhouse after dark, and that he has nothing to do with it. They then had the man close the bathhouse and go home. With everyone gone, they were able to search around until they found a hidden door behind a shelf of oils. A set of stairs led them down into the Dungeon of the Dead Three.
After a minute of walking, the stairs stopped and they entered the first area of the dungeon. The whole place was flooded with 2 feet deep murky water. As they explored the dungeon, they came upon three doors with carvings of the humanoid figures. Tesrin was able to determine that the carvings were of the gods; Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul, also known as the Dead Three. Shortly after passing through these doors they came across three bodies lying on the ground. After entering they room, they jumped up and attacked the group. Shortly after defeating them, they found three books in a coffin not too far away.
Entering the next room, they heard 2 people talking and laughing in the distance, but as they approached the talking stopped. They stayed out of sight and claimed that they were new recruits of the cult. The two that were talking said that they believed them, all they had to do was come out of hiding and they would talk. Combat started shortly after, and after the dust settled they found a key ring with seven keys on it. A man was chained behind an alter and using one of the keys they released him and decided to take a short rest. During the sort rest, they heard multiple people walk past the door they barricaded. One of the people was crying and screaming, but they didn't unbarricade the door as they were too hurt to fight. At the end of the rest they unbarricaded the door and proceeded deeper into the dungeon.
After getting back to where they were before their short rest, they went down a long flight of circular stairs. On one of the landings, they saw a swarm of skeletal rats guarding a door. Inside they heard what sounded like a spell being cast. As they were deciding what to do, they telepathically received a message saying that they would be allowed to pass as long as they don't go in the room. They entered the room and found a deathly pale woman casing a spell on a corpse. After another challenging fight, they had to take another short rest. During this rest however, a ghostly mist crept under the door as they rested. Some of the party was infected with Necromancers Curse, a disease that makes you weaker as your skin gets paler and your eyes more sunken.
Heading further down, they came across a crypt with three rooms. One was collapsed, one was full of zombies, and the last had an empty coffin. However, after investigating further, they discovered that there was a false bottom to the coffin, and inside was a mummy with a missing heart. In its place was a brown leather bag with beans inside. In the next room, they found a chair and a bucket of salt in the middle of the room, and two people chained to the wall. One was alive, but the other was dead. They set her free using another key and escorted her out safely. They entered the next hall quietly, as they saw someone at the other end standing guard. They turned the corner and was able to kill him with just one arrow. As they entered the seemingly the final room, they walked inside to see a coffin filled to the brim with blood, and inside was a woman bathing herself in the blood. After combat they were able to find two sickles right next to the coffin. They both had infernal writing on them and smelled of ash and brimstone.
As they were about to leave, they felt a slight breeze coming from one of the walls. After pushing it in they started to hear the sound of combat. Remaining hidden, they saw two people fighting, a very large human fighting a man in black leathers and a cloak. They called out to them, asking "Do you need help Mortlock?" The large human turned and said yes. Now that they knew who was who they engaged Mortlock and the other man fled. After defeating him, they searched his pockets and found a small journal that was now drenched. They were able to gleam some information from the book however:
Mortlock believed he is being spied on and double crossed by his brothers Thurstwell and Amrick. He knows Thurstwell controls a shadow imp that can follow people undetected. He believes Amrick is using the extra money he gains from his money lending business to pay the cult behind his back to remain loyal to Amrick and not him.
The Vanthampur family is paying the Cult of the Dead Three to cause chaos in the streets. The goal being to make the city stop paying the Flaming Fist so they move on to another city. With them gone, nothing would stop Thalamra Vanthampur from taking the position of Grand Duke.
Thalamra Vanthampur was instrumental in convincing Grand Duke Ulder Ravenguard to leave Baldur's Gate and go to Elturel and meet with the High Overseer Thavius Kreeg. That has left the Flaming Fist directionless, and the city without a Grand Duke.
After they collected this information, they went further in and found the cloaked man and dispatched him. As they were leaving they found four chests that had been hidden away by the cult. Inside they found coins and some trinkets. With the dungeon now clear and evidence in hand they went back topside to hand the evidence over. They decided to hand it to Duke Dillard Portyr, a military man favored by the lower class. They ended the session with a trip to some clerics to remove the Necromancers Curse.
Session End Date: Flamerule 11, 1489DR
1800xp per player
2 Hellfire Sickles, 3 Spell Books
800gp
Session Start Date: Flamerule 12, 1489DR
Stated the session at the Silvershield Estate just after clearing out the Dungeon of the Dead Three. They were given rooms to stay and a bottle of Neverwinter Black Ice wine. They rolled on the carousing table at night, but no one made it far from the estate. In the morning, they met back up with Nara. She was able to cross the walls and speak with the refugees. They claimed that around midday on the 20th of Kythorn, the edges of the Companion started to darken. As the light burning inside grew dimmer and dimmer, the city itself was rested from the ground and started to levitate. Just as the darkness reached the center of the sphere, the city became wreathed in smoke and ash and vanished. All that was left was a massive crater where the city once was. After they caught up with Nala, they were invited into the estates conference room to talk with some high ranking city leaders. They met with; Dillard Portyr, one of the Dukes of Baldur's Gate. Liara Portyr, Marshal of the Flaming Fist. And Thurston Stronghammer, Highsword of the Watch. They proposed that they help the city take action against the Vanthampur's by sneaking into their estate and gathering more evidence of their crimes so that they could arrest Duke Vanthampur. The only catch was that they needed her alive to answer for her crimes.
After agreeing to help, they waited until nightfall to sneak into the Vanthampur Villa. They stacked a crate against the wall to get a better view of the villa. They waited for a gap in the patrolling guards and hopped over the wall. They were able to pick the lock on the back porch to gain entry to the house. As they searched the first floor of they house, they found many rooms with demonic iconography and paraphernalia. In the parlor they found a very expensive tapestry that depicted angels falling from the sky into a pit of fire. Lex found a tressym in the kitchen and put it down. Going upstairs they found guards posted at every door, but swiftly took them all out. They entered the master bedroom and found a pale emaciated man cowering over a chest. Interrogating him revealed that he was Thurstwell Vanthampur and he was tasked by his mother to find a way to open a infernal puzzle cube. He told them that she was down in the sewers with Thavius Kreeg, the former High Overseer of Elturel. He claimed that he didn't know whether or not they were working together to take over Baldur's Gate, or if his mother is holding him against his will. After interrogating him, they knock him out and tie him to his bed. They search the upper floors more and find a trapped chest in the master bedroom. Inside they find three black ledgers containing pages only written in infernal, along with calligrapher's supplies, a poisoner's kit and a coin pouch containing 22pp, 85gp and 115sp. Searching her study some more, they find more items of value, and also a hidden staircase going up to another room. Heading up the stairs they found two people wearing ragged clothes in cages. Both of them looked frightened and shook their heads as they approached. As the group got closer to the man in the left cage, something invisible pierced him in the neck. They fought the two imps that were hiding in the room and freed the woman in the other cage. She thanked them and informed them that she was kidnapped after she opposed the Vanthampurs when they wanted to start excavating the sewers beneath their villa. They told her to wait with Thurstwell and they would come back for her. With all the clues they gathered they knew that the Vanthampurs had a secret lair beneath their house somewhere. They decided to check the wine cellar first.
Heading down to the wine cellar, they find that the wine cellar has been expanded to open up to the sewers. Looking around they clear a dining room and kitchen that appears to be made to house a good number of people. Searching more, they find people wearing black cloaks and bronze demonic masks. After dispatching them, they find two large wooden doors. Pushing into the chamber, they saw a group of six bowed in reverence to a spiny creature. The creature was standing in front of a marble statue of a blind angel. Her wings have been smashed off and she now holds a mace where another weapon once was. After attacking the creature and the cultists, they proceeded further. After more circling, they came across what appeared to be a prison. Inside they find a man and a woman. The man introduced himself as Falaster Fisk. He was poking around the Vanthampur Villa looking for the infernal puzzle cube. He said that his contact kept an eye on infernal activity in both Elturel and Baldur's Gate and that it was no coincidence that the city of Elturel disappears and now Thavius Kreeg shows up here. His contacts is a monk from Candlekeep named Sylvira and if anyone can open the infernal puzzle cube, he is certain she can. The woman in the other cell is named Satiir Hhune. She told the group that she was kidnapped by Duke Vanthampur to be used as leverage in her rise to power. Her family is very influential and the Duke thinks that she can use her later down the line. They let both of the prisoners go and told them to wait in the bedroom upstairs.
After another hour of searching, they found a large vault door. In the center was a cube shaped depression. They placed the infernal puzzle cube inside and the door unlocked. Inside the candle lit room, they saw a man standing by a shield made of gold. As the door opened, the man spun around and thanked them for releasing him. They noticed that in the candle light, the shadow the man cast was not the same as his body. He was a human, but his shadow was a short pudgy creature with devilish horns. Before they could close the door, a voice reached out to Goulet. The voice called itself the Hidden Lord, and it demanded to be taken out of this room. If he did so it would grant him and his allies all that they desired. They locked the man and the shield back in the room. They decided to set up camp for a bit and rest up, as they were pretty sure they had cleared the rest of the place out. Midway through the rest, they heard the shifting of stone in the sewer halls. Going to investigate they found an older burly woman leaving a hidden room. A short fight ensued, but they shortly prevailed. The woman revealed herself as Duke Vanthampur, and the man locked in the room is Thavius Kreeg. She claims that she locked him in the room because he struck a deal with a devil to drag Elturel down to the Nine Hells and she was forcing him to undo it. He claims that she was in on the plan and wanted the same for Baldur's Gate. They knocked the Duke out and investigated the hidden room. The only thing in the room was a meditation mat and a statue very similar to the one in the worshiping chamber. It depicted an angel with flaming wings and a mace for a hand. They went back upstairs with the Duke to meet up with everyone in the bedroom. After grabbing the people they saved, they managed to make it out of the Villa unseen.
After returning to Silvershield Estate, they handed over the Duke, the black ledgers, and the infernal puzzle cube. Falaster Fisk also shared what he knew about the cube to the Flaming Fist. The group was then given a choice. They could continue to follow the trail of the cube, or hand it off to the city. They decided to hand it off. Highsword Thurston Stronghammer let them know that he would be entrusting it to very capable hands.
Session End Date: Flamerule 13, 1489DR
1905xp per player
Infernal Puzzle Box, Pipes of the Sewers, 2 Potions of Healing, pearl necklace 250gp, silver hairbrush 100gp, jewelry box 75gp, platinum statue of slobberchops, 6 bottles of perfume 20gp each
22pp, 558gp, 115sp