This is a recap of my ongoing solo game of D&D. You don’t need to consume all the previous sessions to enjoy this one – but it’ll probably help, so I’ve added a convenient index in the sidebar. This session has some content from Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus – specifically chapter 3: Avernus. But it’s just a couple of mundane encounters taken from it: you’re spoiler free.

The party:

<< Elion, a SEIA agent and arcane mechanic with a major survivor’s complex.

Melody, the newly named Tsethem of ice and a refugee from the infinite city. >>

<< Larissa Lightstep, a melancholic heiress and fiend slayer extraordinaire.

Jevak, a Mirling bringing word of a coming invasion. >>

The heroes speed across the cruel, twisted landscape on their twin-EPEs. A titanic structure shaped roughly like a sword hovers impossibly above the clouds of smoke, circled by flying skeletal fiends. Their mission: Infiltrate the Amber Rider’s flying keep and rescue Melody.

The devil still chained back at the Infected Fortress had given them enough intel to get a vague layout of the mobile lair, thanks to a lie detector spell cast by Jaysen. The problem they face now is getting past the small army of devils inside.

The twin-EPEs prove much faster than the bone devils, letting Elion and Larissa employ hit and run tactics with their ranged force blast and psychic attacks. The devils soon have enough of this, and retreat through a hatch in the very top of the fortress.

Jay: Fezzles! We gotta press ‘em, else they’ll alert everyone inside!

They jump down after the fiends – who meet the threat with brutal force, spearing Elion and Jevak with their stingers before slashing Larissa into unconsciousness. Jay and the prisoner manage to take down a devil each before Larissa struggles awake and implodes the mind of the last.

Prisoner: This was a fool’s errand. The Archdevil would be slain by now, if you’d have followed my advice.

Jay: Maybe.. Maybe not. *nods to Elion and Jevak* Get ‘em aboard the twins. Be ready to go fast when I get back.

Larissa: Where are you going?

Jay: *winks* Fool’s errand.

Crunch

Jay only has three spell slots left: a level 2, and two level 4s.



He focuses his innate magics to cloak himself from sight, literally disappearing down the hatch. Recalling the snippets of information about the craft’s layout, he sneaks through the crimson-lit passages towards the lower levels. He encountering a bearded devil patrolling the corridor, and decides to make it easier for himself. Putting on an impressive growl, he uses the Message cantrip to convince the fiend that he’s the Amber Rider, having accidentally swallowed an invisibility potion – and demands he be led to where the prisoner is held.

Somehow this works – mostly through a violent display of intimidation via slamming the wall and snarling. The perplexed but subservient bearded devil leads him through the massive craft to the prison levels, stopping at one of the doors. Jay thanks him and orders him to leave: Which turns out to be a huge mistake, as the Amber Rider never thanks his minions. A Vicious Mockery (“What’s the beard hiding, a triple chin?”) sends the devil running for backup, leaving Jay to Knock open the cell.

Melody’s eyes flicker open in the darkened interior as the loud Knock resounds through the place. Scars and burned skin dot her from head to broken ankles, her hair all but singed off. The Incubus responsible for her torment drops his torch and approaches the open doorway cautiously. Jay sneaks around him, still hidden by his cloaking magic. Placing a hand on her arm, he pictures the top of the fortress and casts Dimension Door.

Jay: Let’s get you outta here.

The world warps as they seem to fall through liquid reality itself, stepping out next to the surprised rest of the group.

Larissa: Oh, good show!

Jay: *helps Mel onto the twin-EPE* Let’s fly.

* * *

They don’t stop until the flying fortress is well out of sight. The landscape around the infected fortress is littered with bizarre structures: giant monoliths reaching up through the smoke, titanic portal-like structures, and gaping chasms from which issue hideous howls. They come to a half on a mountainside, where they can rest while keeping watch for any followers.

Melody gets a hug from Larissa, and Elion once he wakes up. The feytouched suit has enough charges in it for a couple of heals, reviving Jevak and curing most of the damage inflicted on Mel.

Elion: I am so, so sorry. I.. should have come back sooner.

Mel: *attempts a smile* Hey – you came back. That’s more than most would do.

Jay: No one gets left behind, from now on, okidoki? *claps his hands together* Come on then, let’s settle down. Anyone got snacks?

* * *

They do have snacks, finishing up most of Nina’s food. Melody insists she takes first watch, saying she can’t sleep anyway with the burns stinging. But after an hour of tossing and turning on the gravelly terrain, Jevak notices her standing out in the open on a rocky outcrop. Slinking past his dozing teammates, he gently pulls at her hand.

Jevak: Come. Hide. Not sssafe.

Melody doesn’t respond, staring out into the distance. When repeated attempts don’t yield any different result, he pokes Elion awake.

Jevak: Elf! Hhhuman not hiding.

Elion stifles a yawn and heads over to the outcrop, resting a hand on her shoulder. When inquiries about what’s up are met with silence, he grows suspicious and fetches his gauntlet to make a scan: revealing a powerful aura of enchantment magic clinging to her.

Elion: Ohh, shad. Guys? I think we might be getting tracked.

Jay correctly guesses the cause of the enchantment: the Incubus from her prison cell. They have no way of nullifying the effect, not with their energies so depleted. Just as the prisoner suggests knocking her out until they can deal with it later, the giant spined wyrm from the Infected Fortress writhes into view through the smoke clouds, mounted by the Amber Rider.

Any argument is cut short by this development. The prisoner decks Melody before sitting her on a twin – Elion notices that the enchantment aura disappears just before she falls unconscious.

The elemental-propelled craft far outstrip the sky serpent, the pit fiend’s curses echoing across the mountainside. Finding themselves near the Infected Fortress, they retrace their flight path to the dracodevil lair in order to set course for the Archdevil’s volcano headquarters; making sure to keep a high altitude in order to avoid the flying fiends’ ire.

Larissa calls for a rest as they pass over a peak overlooking the forest of bone. They’re exhausted, the prisoner included. But now, at long last, they’re able to rest. Mel wakes after a few hours, but Elion assures the rest that she’s clean.

Elion: *glances over at Jay as he wakes* Hey, uh… I hate to be that one guy, but someone’s gotta be. How long do you think we have until the town’s gone for good?

Jay: Crumpets, I dunno. Time’s weird here. *stretches* Pro’lly… Twenty hours or so?

Prisoner: Even if the Archdevil is present at her lair, we have already failed. We couldn’t face her second in command – What chance do we have of defeating her?

Elion: You tell us, melon-head. You’re supposed to be the key to taking her down, and so far you’ve only been the key to a giant migraine.

Mel: We just have to hope the high cleric was correct…

Larissa: Hope alone never won a battle. *dusts her cloak off* You are not thinking clearly: If the Amber Rider knew of the prisoner’s location, it is likely that Sterling also knew. Keeping him imprisoned in such a manner leads me to believe she fears him.

Prisoner: She has reason to. She deceived me – I will have my vengeance, if it takes me a thousand years!

Larissa: We can use that fear to our advantage. Jaysen, please send a message to the Amber Rider stating that we are willing to trade the prisoner for Rahm Oru’s release.

The general uproar from the rest of the group could be summed up as “woah, hold on – you told us to never deal with devils“. She calms them by explaining she has no intention of making the trade: she simply wishes to judge the prisoner’s worth.

Larissa: Or more accurately, the threat he poses. If she is willing to negotiate, it implies we have a chance at succeeding with him by our side.

Jay: *shakes his head* Nah, sorry. If there isn’t a chance, we’re already fezzed – AND we’ve given up any surprise factor. Remember, she pro’lly doesn’t even know he’s escaped.

Elion: Here’s an idea: How about we march up to this volcano and threaten to kill him *nods at the prisoner*?

Jevak: *chuckles in a raspy fashion*

Jay: Not helping, mate.

Elion: I’m serious. Not even kidding.

Mel: No, wait! That… might actually work. Go ahead.

Elion lays out his plan, Mel nodding in agreement. Sterling could have killed the prisoner at any time during her reign as Archdevil, implying she knows that he retains his memories upon destruction. Therefore, she’s only safe from his vengeance while he’s imprisoned: killing him now would respawn him somewhere as a Lemure, something she’d very much want to avoid.

Mel: So we use the threat of losing him as leverage to get an audience…

Elion: …pretending we’re gonna trade him for Rahm Oru…

Mel: …but when we get close..!

Elion: Pow. Take her out.

The group looks at each other in silence for a moment.

Prisoner: That’s the worst plan ever conceived.

Jay: Twenty hours.

* * *

The team dusts themselves down and sets off on their twin-EPEs to continue the search for the volcano lair. After passing over the bone forest they spy a flying fortress in the distance, seemingly crashed and inactive, but decide against going out of their way to investigate. They fly over a raging battle between demons and devils, staying well out of the conflict. It’s only as they’re passing over a rickety iron tower containing a chained Sibriex that Jay calls a halt.

Jay: That thing down there just talked to me. Said something about information if we free it. Telepathy is weird..

Larissa: *gives him a reproachful look* Please tell me you are not considering this.

Jay: Look, we’re flying blind – Sometimes literally! We’ve gotta get some kinda guidance, and the giant hunk of… tortured… flesh… can maybe help? Okay yeah saying that out loud, I kinda get your point. But isn’t it worth a shot with the ol’ lie detector?

They engage in a quick scuffle with the devils guarding the gruesome demon, but attempting to plumb its twisted mind proves impossible. Wearily climbing back onto their twins, the heroes set off over a gigantic lake of blood.

And there before them, where the crimson shores meet razor sharp peaks, lies the colossal volcano keep. There is no doubt in their minds that this is the right place. Hundred-foot walls rise up along the ridges to form a tiered effect, ending with a spire suspended above the great lava wound. A massive obsidian gate is set into the lowest wall facing them, and far off to their left come the sounds of battle.

Mel: Woa..

Elion: *laughs nervously* That’s a big lair. Gonna be a little hard finding the Scarred Lady.

Prisoner: She will come to me. I know it.

Steeling themselves, they fly towards the gateway. Before they’re within a hundred feet, a pair of horned devils fly out to intercept them. Larissa puts her psionics to good use, mentally manipulating them into turning back to alert the Archdevil.

Jevak: What now?

Prisoner: Now, we wait.

They keep their weapons trained on the prisoner to maintain the facade. Time ticks on, the incessant rumble of the volcano punctuated by explosions and roars from afar. Elion wipes his sweating brow, glancing over at Jevak – who is acting surprisingly calm, tossing his crude dagger from hand to hand.

BROOF. The gate shudders, red dust scattering beneath its ancient weight. It slowly lifts, unseen chains groaning from the stress. A small army of devils has gathered behind it, their blades at the ready. Standing at the forefront is a thirteen foot tall feminine figure, clothed in patches of crimson armour and sprouting angular metal wings. At first it appears as if her skin is a deep crimson, but a second glance reveals a cross-cross of open lacerations covering every inch of exposed flesh, the blood even soaking every inch of armour.

The Lady of Scars stands before them. In her eyes, there is only insane hunger.