The Alexandrian

Sylvira Salkiras - Descent Into Avernus

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At this point the NPCs are going to give the players a huge infodump. This sort of thing can be really fraught with problems, not only provoking a lot of glazed eyes around the table, but also making it difficult for players to actually retain vital information.

So let’s talk about how we’re going to make it work.

First, we’ve already put a lot of work into the campaign before we ever got to this point. I talk about this in more detail in Random GM Tips: Getting the Players to Care, but if you’ve set things up so that the players have spent a half dozen or more sessions actively struggling to piece this information together, then they will be (a) actively invested in seeing it all come together and (b) incredibly excited to receive a glut of information after spending so much time fighting over little tiny scraps of data.

On a similar note, we’re going to deliberately frame this information as a reward: You worked hard to get the Shield of the Hidden Lord and the infernal puzzlebox to Candlekeep, and now you can turn in your plot coupons and get very specific rewards (in terms of information received) for each one.

Third, although I primarily frame stuff as “things Sylvira knows” for the sake of simplicity, the other reason I recommended in Part 4A that you should include Traxigor in this scene is that you can use the sequence of introducing new NPCs — Sylvira, then Traxigor, then Lulu — to break up the tidal wave of information.

There are also some places where I recommend that Sylvira and Traxigor disagree with each other, particularly over what course of action they recommend. Feel free to push that farther as you improvise the scene. (For example, Sylvira might say that Gargauth joined an alliance with Bane, Bhaal, and Loviatar to invade Hell. And then Traxigor says, “No, no, no. Lothiak’s Infernal Chronicle is quite clear on the point that Talona, the Lady of Poison, was also part of the alliance and an absolutely crucial part of the campaign.”) Not only will these back-and-forths between the NPCs break up the scene, they will (a) encourage the PCs to also engage with the scene as a conversation and (b) force the players to think about the disagreement and make their own decision about what they believe.

We’re also going to break up the infodump with some action (i.e., the infernal puzzlebox being cracked open and possibly Traxigor asking the PCs to help him find his planar tuning fork). You can enhance this option, if you’d like, by using the suggestion in Part 4A that opening the puzzlebox might take a full tenday (giving the PCs a chance to research topics at Candlekeep). That way you’d have a small infodump, a big break, and then another infodump (launching off the revelation of what’s inside the puzzlebox).

Finally, we’re going to proactively prompt PC expertise. Although the initial revelations obviously need to come from the Candlekeep experts (otherwise the PCs wouldn’t need to have come here in the first place), once those doors of knowledge have been unlocked, it’s quite possible that one or more of the PCs will have relevant knowledge. (For example, they might recognize the infernal contract inside the puzzlebox and know it’s significance.) This not only gives players another opportunity to be actively involved with the scene, it also frames the scene so that Sylvira and Traxigor are peers who are working with the PCs, not lecturers who are giving them a homework assignment.

Some of what’s summarized below appears elsewhere in the Remix. It’s comprehensively listed here so that it will be crystal clear exactly what information Sylvira, Traxigor, and Lulu give to the PCs (including the information they get wrong) and what information they don’t have.

SYLVIRA: THE SHIELD OF THE HIDDEN LORD

If shown the Shield of the Hidden Lord, Sylvira will recognize it as an infernal artifact:

  • It was created by Gargauth, an archduke and demigod of Hell.
  • Gargauth can speak through the shield.
  • Anyone in contact with the shield is said to hear the Whisperings of the Hidden Lord. It’s unclear whether Gargauth can read or control the wearers’ thoughts, but it can definitely communicate telepathically with them.
  • In some accounts, the wielder of the shield can create walls of fire and fireballs.
  • It’s possible that there are multiple such shields, each allowing Gargauth to speak through it but perhaps manifesting a unique cluster of magical powers. In any case, the shield has turned up repeatedly throughout history, always as the instigator of great evil.

She’s also passingly familiar with Gargauth himself:

  • He was once the Archduke of Avernus, the first level of Hell, as one of the Lords of the Nine.
  • He was overthrown by a devil named Bel (who was, in turn, overthrown by Zariel, the current ruler of Avernus).
  • Gargauth became known as the Tenth Lord of the Nine and the Lost Lord of the Pit, among other titles.
  • While wandering the material plane, Gargauth feuded with a demon named Astaroth who was seeking to become a god. Gargauth slew Astaroth before that could happen and actually assumed Astaroth’s mantle for himself, effectively impersonating the dead demon and receiving the worship of Astaroth’s cultists.
  • Gargauth later joined an alliance with the Dark Gods (Bane, Bhaal, Loviatar, and Talona) when they attempted to invade Hell itself and seize it from Asmodeus. The effort failed.
  • Ever since then, Gargauth has been seeking power here on Toril. He’s known to work with Astarothian cultists (who still hear him as the voice of their God) and Dead Three cultists (who honor him for his alliance with the Dark Gods). In one notable instance in the 11th century, Dead Three cultists summoned Gargauth as part of an assault on the Sign of the Silver Harp, an inn that was used as a gathering place for the Harpers. (In that instance, it turned out the whole thing had been an elaborate trap staged by Elminster and the Blackstaff Khelben Arunsun. Gargauth and the cultists were defeated.)
  • His agents have been frequently reported to have a great interest in the Imaskari Empire, for reasons which are unclear.
  • If the PCs think/know that he was working with the Cult of Zariel, Sylvira will consider it an odd development given his antagonistic history with Asmodeus.

SYLVIRA’S RECOMMENDATION: Initially, Sylvira will be eager to take the Shield of the Hidden Lord into her own custody for study. (Traxigor might argue that it should instead be locked up in Candlekeep’s vaults and forgotten. “It’s too dangerous.”)

Regardless of what the PCs decide at this point, when it later becomes clear that they’re heading to Avernus, Sylvira will tell them that the shield should be thrown into the River Styx. She believes that this will destroy its link to Gargauth and end its legacy of harm. (She’s more right than she knows: Since Gargauth is actually trapped within the shield, being plunged into the Styx will erase all of his memories. See Addendum: Playing Gargauth.)

Design Note: Sylvira’s understanding of the Shield of the Hidden Lord is deliberately incorrect/incomplete, skewing closer to the item’s original continuity. The key thing being withheld here is that Gargauth is actually IN the shield, not just communicating through it. The PCs might discover more accurate information by researching Gargauth and/or the shield at Candlekeep, and will also have the opportunity to unravel more of Gargauth’s story once they go to Hell.

SYLVIRA: THE INFERNAL PUZZLEBOX

Sylvira is familiar with infernal puzzleboxes and has opened several of them in the past.

  • They are crafted by devils of the Nine Hells.
  • They are usually made of infernal iron, but some are made of bone or horn.
  • They are designed to safeguard their contents, but also as infernal temptations. “Any lock can be picked. But a puzzle entices.”
  • The process of solving the incredibly intricate puzzles which seal the box, if done incorrectly, can lure a person into unwittingly performing an infernal rite that will bind them to the devil who made the box.

Sylvira has perfected several spells and/or technomantic equipment that will allow her to open the puzzlebox safely.

MECHANICS: A creature that spends 1 hour trying to open an infernal puzzlebox can make a DC 30 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the check succeeds, the creature figures out the trick or sequence of steps needed to open the box (and can do so reliably in the future without a check). If the check fails by 5 or more, the creature must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw, taking 12d6 psychic damage on a failed save (or half as much on a successful one). If this damage would drop the creature’s hit points to 0, it instead results in the creature becoming affected as per the dominate person spell by the devil who created the box: The devil can communicate with them telepathically across any distance and the victim is particularly susceptible at night (when the devil can control their body like a puppet unless they succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw). This acts as a curse, as per the bestow curse spell with a permanent duration.

SYLVIRA: THE INFERNAL CONTRACT

Inside the infernal puzzlebox is a platinum tablet inscribed with Infernal characters. One side of the tablet is jagged and rough, as if it had been ripped apart through some tremendous force.

THE TEXT: The text on the tablet is the Pact signed between High Watcher Bellandi and Zariel (see Part 4B).

INFERNAL CONTRACTS: Anyone making a DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) or Intelligence (Religion) check will recognize this as an infernal contract. A DC 16 test reveals the following information. Sylvira is familiar with this information in any case and can brief the PCs if none of them are familiar with infernal contracts.

  • Infernal contracts are magically binding agreements between mortals and devils, almost always involving the mortal’s soul being forfeit in return for some service or gift.
  • When infernal contracts are signed, there are two identical copies written on the same medium (a tablet, scroll, skull, or whatever else). These are then split apart, with the mortal keeping one copy and the devil keeping the other.
  • The contract can only be destroyed if BOTH copies of the contract are brought together, and even then the wards upon the contract make it quite difficult to actually do it. (Sylvira will suggest that the fire of an ancient dragon might do the trick. Traxigor will suggest dropping the conjoined contract into the River Styx, causing its contents to be forgotten. A wish spell would also work.)

Design Note: I chose to have the tablet made from platinum because it was alchemically believed to represent the durability of a union or agreement.

HISTORY OF ELTUREL: PCs can also make a DC 14 Intelligence (History) check to recall pertinent details from Elturian history. (Some of this they are likely to have already picked up, if it wasn’t part of their character backgrounds to begin with.)

  • High Watcher Naja Bellandi became the first High Observer of Elturel.
  • High Rider Klav Ikaia was the ruler of Elturel in 1444 DR when he was revealed to be a vampire lord. On the Night of the Red Coup, High Rider Ikaia and his vampires began a reign of terror which plagued the city for fourteen days.
  • On the fourteenth night, the Companion — believed to be a gift from some unnamed god — appeared in the sky above Elturel as a second sun. Its light destroyed the vampires.
  • Naja Bellandi, who had led one of the major groups of resistance fighters, was hailed as a hero and became the first High Observer.
  • She was assassinated a couple years later and replaced by High Observer Cathasach Restat, who had been one of the founding members of the Order of the Companion.

GM Tip: You might want to prep these chunks of information as handouts you can give to players who make these skill checks, allowing them to brief the other PCs in-character.

WHAT NEXT?

There are two key revelations here:

  1. Elturel was NOT destroyed. It’s trapped in Hell.
  2. The Pact which traps Elturel in Hell cannot be broken unless the two halves of the contract are brought together.

These are major twists. Give the players some time to think about them and really process this new information. If all goes well, they’ll reach the crucial conclusion by themselves: Even if the people in Elturel are fighting to save themselves, their cause is hopeless. Nothing they do can save the city unless someone takes THIS half of the contract to Avernus. The PCs have the key (or, at least, one half of the key) to saving the city.

Otherwise, one of the NPCs can lay this out for them.

If Reya Mantlemorn is here, she’s a strong candidate for this. “Take it to the High Knights at the High Hall!” She’ll have complete faith that the High Knights will be able to save the day if she and the PCs can just get the tablet to them.

TIME TO GO: Once the PCs decide to go to Avernus, Traxigor will ask them to help him find his tuning fork. (He’ll accompany them out of Candlekeep so that he can cast plane shift and take them to Elturel.)

MAP OF AVERNUS: While the PCs (or some of the PCs) are helping Traxigor find his tuning fork, Sylvira will dig out the Avernus poster map. She’ll explain that:

  • There’s no guarantee that it will even be the right part of the Avernian plains, but it’s one of the few known maps of Avernus in existence and the only one in her possession.
  • It was created by the cartographer Nico Sovanna, an infernal researcher (much like Sylvira herself) who was interested in the Charge of the Hellriders and actually journeyed to the location in the Nine Hells where he believed it took place.
  • Unfortunately, Sovanna went quite mad as a result of his expedition.

Design Note: More on the map in Part 7 of the Remix. Mostly I’m providing a plausible explanation for why a random map of an infinite plane just happens to be of exactly the right region.

MAP OF ELTUREL: The PCs might like to get a map of Elturel before they go. They can dig one up in the archives of Candlekeep easily enough and copy it. (Or, if you prefer, Sylvira can just give them this map, too.)

What you’ll want for this, obviously, is a pre-Avernus map of the city. You can find one in Forgotten Realms Adventures. (Unfortunately, the resolution in the scanned PDF WotC is currently selling isn’t great.)

The mismatch between this map and the reality they find on the other side of the plane shift will lead to some potentially cool navigation and a visceral sense of the disaster. On the other hand, it will give them a notable advantage in Elturel and so you may not want them to automatically get the map (so that they only gain the advantage if they earn it for themselves).

INTRODUCING LULU

If Lulu is not being played as a PC (see Part 2), this will be the moment when she’s introduced. We’ll be doing a comprehensive look at Lulu’s background (and straightening out all of the continuity problems it has) in Part 6D of the Remix, but for right now this is the key information:

  • Lulu’s earliest memory is of waking up in the red sands of the Avernian wastelands.
  • She wandered down the River Styx for several years, having many adventures before finally returning to Toril.
  • Sylvira became aware of a hollyphant in Amn who could tell tales of the Nine Hells. She made a special journey south and tracked Lulu down. The two hit it off and Lulu decided to come back with Sylvira to Candlekeep to continue assisting her with her research; the two of them are now good friends.
  • Lulu has a few fragmentary memories of the time before her memory loss: She particularly remembers that she was friends with a beautiful warrior angel, who came to the city of Elturel long ago and led the knights of that city on a charge into Hell itself. (“I don’t remember the actual battle,” Lulu says. “But we must have lost. I guess that’s how I lost my memories.”) Sylvira is 100% convinced that Lulu was actually at the famous Charge of the Hellriders and she’s been trying to figure out how to help Lulu get more of her memories back, particularly about that event. (Because Lulu has this connection to Elturel, she’ll be particularly interested by any PCs who come from Elturel and to learn anything they know about the city’s disappearance.)

Lulu the Hollyphant - Descent Into AvernusI recommend having Lulu flutter into the lab somewhere in the middle of the infodump; this will provide a nice change of pace, but should definitely happen before the infernal puzzlebox is opened. To demonstrate her familiarity with the Nine Hells, have her drop useful commentary. For example:

  • She might be the one to mention Gargauth’s other titles (Tenth Lord of the Nine, Lost Lord of the Pit, etc.) because she met a devil who absolutely loathed him for his betrayal of Asmodeus.
  • She likely recognizes the infernal puzzlebox for what it is, and could babble excitedly about how much she loves seeing Sylvira open them. (“It’s like getting a Caravance gift!”)
  • She could be the one to reveal how infernal contracts can be destroyed… but then have no memory of why she knows that.

Here’s the key bit, though. When the infernal contract is read out loud, Lulu will suddenly recover a key bit of her memory:

“Zariel! That was the name of my angel!”

And this is mind-blowing (to Sylvira and Traxigor if nobody else). The angel who led the Charge of the Hellriders is Zariel, the Archduchess of Hell? And Lulu was her good friend?

Yes! Yes! I remember! Through the gate we went, tearing through devils like a song through the air! And Zariel was singing songs, with the knights joining her celestial voice!

But then… we were betrayed? Yes. I remember the betrayal. But who? I don’t know. I just… No. I don’t know.

And that’s all she remembers. (For now.)

Of course, when the PCs decide to take the infernal contract to Avernus, Lulu will volunteer to go with them: She’s the only one there with first hand experience of the Nine Hells, and she wants to help however she can. (If the PCs turn her down, she’ll insist. And then she’ll try to sneak into their bags.)

Go to Part 5: Hellturel

28 Responses to “Remixing Avernus – Part 4C: At the Threshold of Hell”

  1. Bill Mason says:

    How does Reya react to some of these revelations? She just learned she’s damned to Hell.

  2. Yorick says:

    Ah, I thought it was pretty much common knowledge that it was Zariel who led the Hellriders’ charge and my players already know that. (what with her having a statue and all) Whoops

  3. Griessbart says:

    Hi,
    I am a German DM.
    I start Next weekend with DIA.
    The Adventure i Change already to Play with Pathfinder.
    The Remix you make is awsome.
    It make much more sense now.

  4. Yorick says:

    By the way, is it intended that the Dark Gods suddenly include Loviatar and Talona but not Myrkul?

  5. Colin R says:

    @Yorick, and my players insisted on visiting the crater of Elturel, so they’re already pretty convinced the city was stolen, not destroyed. I don’t *think* it has occurred to them yet that they’ll have to end up going to Hell themselves, though, or how many of the other pieces they’ve really put together. We’ll see by the time we get there. Fingers crossed I can still make the scene work with one of the big revelations landing as a confirmation rather than a surprise.

    I mean, it’ll be a confirmation that yeah, things are maybe worse than you feared, so it should still be compelling.

  6. Justin Alexander says:

    @Bill: DIA discusses Reya’s reaction on p. 47.

    @Yorick: It is common knowledge in the published adventure, but I’m changing it up. See Part 4A. There are a couple reasons for this:

    1. It wasn’t true prior to DIA and DIA never really explains, at least to my satisfaction, what the public understanding of this is: In some cases it appears everyone knows the story (but how much of it?). In other cases it’s almost treated like “and then, coincidentally, this angel had the same name as the Archduchess of Hell.” In still other cases it’s discussed as if it’s all part of the mystery of Lulu’s memories.

    2. I think it’s cooler to

    Having it be known isn’t going to break anything.

    @Griessbart: Thank you! Glad to hear the Remix has been useful for you!

    @Yorick: Although the term “Dark Gods” has been used synonymously with the Dead Three, the term was originally applied (in the original FR boxed set) to Loviatar, Talona, Malar, Bhaal, Bane, and Myrkul. (In this original configuration, Loviatar, Talona, and Malar serve Bhaal. Bhaal serves Bane. Bhaal and Myrkul also have an “unbreakable symbiotic alliance.”)

    The specific alliance here comes from Powers & Pantheons, p. 23. The “attempted invasion of Hell” stuff twists the continuity found there in order to link the original Gargauth continuity to the new “trapped in the Shield” continuity. (The original continuity is just that “Gargauth nearly ascended in power to the ranks of a lesser power” before that specific alliance of Dark Gods somehow “thwarted his plans.”)

    I haven’t done a deep dive on this and I doubt there’s really any methodology to this beyond the fact that “Dark Gods” sounds cool and “dark gods” is a pretty standard fantasy staple, but generally speaking it seems that references to “Dark Gods” (with capital letters) in FR are almost always a reference to some form of variable alliance that features Bane. So Dark Gods = Buddies of Bane.

    (Or, briefly, his son Iyachtu Xvim. Before Bane ate him in order to resurrect himself.)

  7. Colin R says:

    I’ve tried to write out the remixed chronology of Zariel and Gargauth, and it think it shakes out like this in the first half of the 14th century:

    ~1300? – Nameless angel (Zariel) leads the Charge of the Hellriders, is betrayed and becomes corrupted.
    ~1320? – Alliance of Dark Gods (Bane, Bhaal, Loviator & Talona) assault Asmodeus. Gargauth joins in the effort, which fails. Gargauth ends up imprisoned in the Shield of the Hidden Lord. The Shield is handed to Zariel, now in charge of the Dock of Fallen Cities. Zariel sends Gargauth/Shield on to stir up trouble on the Material Plane.
    1358 – **Time of Troubles.** Bane and Torm slay each other at the Battle of Tantras. Cyric slays Bhaal at Boareskyr Bridge. Midnight disintegrates the avatar of Myrkul at Waterdeep.

    Page 1 of the remix quotes “140+ years ago, an angel named Zariel convinced the holy knights of the city-state of Elturel to ride with her…” That 140 year number taken directly means all of the above would happen between 1354 and 1358, but it seems okay to push the start dates back to give things a bit more breathing room.

  8. Justin Alexander says:

    DIA sets the date as 1354 DR. I’ve alluded to this a couple of times, but I’m going to follow the cue of the original FR boxed set and push the Charge of the Hellriders way, way, way back in history. Far enough that it was just a legend in 1354 DR; a good story that has been often embellished in the telling.

    If you leave it in 1354 DR, I think it mostly still works: Zariel takes over Avernus. Bane senses weakness in the transition of power and invades. Zariel demonstrates her competence by crushing the invasion. Bane retreats with his tail between his legs and gets ganked a couple years later. (The main thing you’d need to adjust is the timeline for Gargauth infiltrating the Knights of the Shield.)

    Hmm… Or maybe Bane invades while Bel is still in charge. Bel fucks it up badly. Zariel rallies her troops from the front lines of the Blood War, marches back into Avernus, and kicks Bane’s ass. Asmodeus is pleased; Bel is deposed and Zariel becomes Archduchess in his place. (I like that. Think I might keep it.)

  9. Wyvern says:

    Per your article on “Calling in the Big Guns”, what response would you give if the PCs asked Sylvira to accompany them to Avernus (or go in their place)? She does seem uniquely qualified for the task, after all.

  10. Erika says:

    The clearest, cleanest copy of that Elturel FRA map is buried in the Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas (a late 90s/2e era map viewing product.) Finding FRIA and getting it working is even more onerous; here’s a copy of that map in PDF format for anyone who wants it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hh7ill6wpscomq5/FRIA%20Elturel.pdf?dl=0

  11. Justin Alexander says:

    @Wyvern: I think DIA largely gets this right. Sylvira has no interest in actually GOING to Hell. She’s a scholar, not an adventurer. Traxigor kind of works himself up and says, “Yeah! We can do this!” But the minute he’s actually confronted with the reality of Hell, he panics and flees. This is less Big Guns than it is common people; and the thematic function is to contrast the heroes (Big Damn Heroes) against the people Big Damn Heroes have to save.

    Now, the PCs’ impulse may, in fact, be to find some Big Guns who can take their plot coupon to Avernus. What that looks like is highly variable depending on whch Big Guns they try to seek out. It’s why I’ve tried to frame things to suggest that the best Big Guns available are the high-level characters currently trapped in Elturel: If that’s their impulse (instead of doing it themselves), I’m hoping to preemptively channel it into going to Elturel.

    @Erika: Thank you so much for that map! I had some loose plans to actually redraw the map of Elturel as an addendum to the Remix, but I’m happy to discover that won’t be necessary.

  12. Erika says:

    Can I recommend you host it locally just so my Dropbox doesn’t get slammed then, Justin?

  13. Steve says:

    @Wyvern re: Big Guns – in my campaign the response was that, being brutally honest, the Big Guns don’t rate Elturel’s chances much. They think it’s worth a try for the (expendable) PCs to save it, but assume the city is doomed and are mobilising to try and head off similar disasters in Faerun’s bigger cities. That kind of global response will need genuine Big Gun chops, so they’d be wasted haring off into hell on a (probably) pointless rescue mission.

    I also had every high level non-religious caster TP out as soon as the city started to be taken, and the few religious ones were the first to be killed in surgical strikes by the forces of Zariel as she moved to pacify the city. It also needed a change to Justin’s Lore in 4B, in that the souls of Elturel’s citizens are not automatically forfeit (as, in my view, the effects of drowning in the Styx would not result in the souls being claimed by Hell) and so the Devil’s are feverishly working to contract souls in Hellturel through threats, torture etc…

  14. Matthew Hendrickson says:

    I;ve read through this a couple of times and maybe I’m just not getting it… How to the characters determine that the other half of the contract is in Elturel? At this point in time, does anyone know that it’s in the other half of the Creed Resolute or is that somehow revealed later?

  15. Justin Alexander says:

    Because Zariel has it.

  16. Robert Morales says:

    So in a prior part you mentioned just fusing Sylvira and Traxigor into one being, aka Traxigor with all the knowledge. With this part, you say lab partners. So would you say that makes a more interesting dynamic and a way to break up the lore dump?

  17. Paul Goodman says:

    One thing I’m kinda hazy on, not sure if this gets cleared up later on (or in the original book maybe): what was the objective of the Charge of the Hellriders? What made Zariel think it was a good idea to try to invade Hell in the first place?

  18. Sarainy says:

    @Paul Goodman my understanding is entering Hell was necessary to close the portal.

    What Zariel didn’t expect is for a number of Hellriders to flee and close the portal leaving her and the vast majority of the force trapped in Avernus.

    I like this “hidden shame”, that basically any Hellrider who survived either refused to join the charge, or fled and damned their former companions.

  19. Colin R says:

    I’m finally prepping the info dumps in Candlekeep, and it struck me that there is still kind of a hole here regarding charging off to Hell.

    The PCs now know that they have one half of the infernal contract, and need to take it to the other half to destroy it. And the other half is presumably in Zariel’s possession, in her fortress in Avernus. So the mission is “go steal a valuable thing from Zariel.” (Probably Sylvira knows Zariel has a fortress? If not, the mission only changes to “Find Zariel then steal something from her.”)

    So – why are we going to Elturel, then? Nobody thinks Zariel is there. And in fact, we’re not just going to Elturel, but the High Hall more specifically.

    It’s possible to imagine Sylvira or Traxigor advising “maybe they know more in Elturel, what with having been in Hell for a month now. You should go there first.” And maybe it’s reasonable to add, “You should try the High Hall, maybe, or any high priests or mages you can find.”

    I think that pretty much works, but if anyone has a stronger reason for the PCs to start in Elturel I’d be glad to hear it.

    (I’ve tried thinking of an excuse for Hellturel to be the only place Traxigor can plane shift to in Avernus, but that doesn’t seem to fly. Traxigor is a scholar of the Hells — he must know of at least some other targets in Avernus, like Bel’s Forge or the Stygian Dock or the Tower of Arkhan.)

  20. Yorick says:

    @Colin I’ve simply explained it with “let’s check whether there’s an actual city left to save first” since the player characters don’t actually know that for sure at this point.

  21. colin r says:

    @Yorick good point!

  22. Justin Alexander says:

    So a key question, as discussed in Part 4B, is why the PCs need to save the day if Elturel is full of powerful NPCs who are also presumably trying to save the day (but evidently haven’t).

    The key shift in the Remix is that the PCs are given a unique resource (the contract) that the high level NPCs in Elturel don’t have and can’t succeed without. The conclusion is not “well, then, screw the high level NPCs; we’ll just do it ourselves!” The conclusion is, “We’ve got to get this to the high level NPCs!”

    Like it says in this post: If Reya Mantlemorn is here, she’s a strong candidate for this. “Take it to the High Knights at the High Hall!” She’ll have complete faith that the High Knights will be able to save the day if she and the PCs can just get the tablet to them.

    But even without Reya, you can have Sylvira or Traxigor make a similar statement. (If the PCs don’t get there themselves.)

    Of course, once the PCs are actually in Elturel they’ll discover that most of the high level NPC support they were looking for are actually Zarielites who have been transformed into devils. THAT’S the moment (trapped in Hell without the allies they were looking for) where the PCs are structurally positioned to go save the day themselves.

    Creating the perception of those allies and then stripping them away can be an important part of establishing just how scary Hell is.

    Similarly, you don’t have to tip your hand with Traxigor: Don’t have him say “I’ll bring you to Hell, but then I’m coming right back.” Have him say, “I’ll go with you on your quest to deliver this to the High Hall.”

    Then, when he panics and flees, it’ll be an “oh shit, this just got real” moment.

  23. Colin R says:

    Ah, I see the plan. Yeah.

    (Reya is of course *not* there because we have a Hellrider PC. But I wasn’t sure why Sylvira or Traxigor would share her blind spot where the capabilities of Hellrider bravery are concerned.)

  24. Alan Smith says:

    The Atlas PDF doesn’t seem to work anymore. There’s a slightly better version of an Elturel map here (compared to the one Justin first mentioned):

    https://legacy-of-elturgard.fandom.com/wiki/Elturel

  25. Justin Alexander says:

    The FRIA map has been hosted on Imgur.

  26. Tim says:

    I’m unclear on the revelation by Lulu that she suddenly remembers Zariel was her angel friend.
    First, why is that revelation important at this point? The only reason that comes immediately to mind is that it’s a reason Lulu wants to go to Avernus with the PCs.
    And second, is it really plausible that this is the first time Lulu has heard Sylvira and/or Traxigor, these scholars and experts on the planes, mention the name of the Archduchess of Avernus? I’m sure I could come up with a better explanation for why this jogs her memory, along the lines of a wave of magical energy with Zariel’s signature emanating from the puzzlebox at the time it opens, and she recognizes the energy signature.
    Still, I’m unclear on the importance of Lulu realizing this here and now.

  27. Brett says:

    I am not a fan of Lulu regaining Styx stolen memories (until the memory machine loosens her mind). I played this as Sylvira filling Lulu in on Sylvira’s researched theories and Lulu playing along enthusiastically, but admitting to the PCs telepathically she can’t really remember any of it. Note too Traxigor can recast Planeshift with a higher level spellslot, he does not need to timestop and run away to long rest. I played this as him not wanting to risk the tuning fork back to Faerun falling into devil or demon hands, so the party goes in knowing they will be left there, having to use Sending to let Traxigor know they are ready for him to come get them.

  28. Cradlis says:

    I understand that the pact with Thavius Kreeg was replaced with Naja Bellandi’s one and I know that Zariel keeps her half of the contract with her. But what about the other half? Is it in the puzzlebox or in the tome of the creed resolute?

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