0 - The Demise of Elturel

 

A bandit by the name of Calderis (aka The Dagger), has been robbing merchants between the city-states of Baldur's Gate and Elturel. The two cities finally decided to catch the half-elf bandit, and put out a bounty of 500 gp for her, dead or alive.

Delegates of the Flaming Fists (Emeryck Tallvale) and the Hellriders (Tarhun Bignak) met with independent adventurers attracted by the bounty in a tavern in Elturel to decide on how to apprehend The Dagger.

Meanwhile, the 50th anniversary of the appearance of The Companion over Elturel were taking place in the town, attracting people from around the region. The festivities also provided a nice backdrop for diplomatic negotiations between Baldur's Gate and Elturel. To this end, the leader of the Flaming Fists, Ultan Ravengard travelled to The City of Two Suns at the head of a small delegacy.

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The PCs found two leads to pursue. First, a local hunter called Larkam claims to have seen suspicious looking people in the woods. Second, an undercover investigator sent message that she has heard concerning news in the underworld of Elturel, and is requesting a meeting.

When meeting with the rat, the PCs discovered two pieces of information. First, most crime-lords in Elturel seem to not be involved in directing their organizations, as if they have just disappeared. Second, there has been an assignment on the market to eliminate a high-ranking official in Elturel. The assignment has been taken by someone, but the informant does not know by whom.

Talking to the hunter revealed that he saw a couple of hooded figures in the forest who were apparently gathering fresh water from the creek. The hunter agreed to lead the party to the location, perhaps they can track these folks to their hideout.

The PCs, along with Emeryck, set out to track down the bandits in the woods. Larkam had led them to the creek, where they indeed found a path leading deeper into the woods. Besides that, they also found a trail of blood running along the creek and up the path leading into the forest. Canvassing the local wildlife also revealed that there has been some kind of scrap at the bridge located upstream - so presumably some wounded bandits came from the bridge to their hideout along this path.

Dollowing the trail, the PCs arrived to a set of ruins on top of a hill. They sent the gnome rogue to investigate, and he found that this is indeed the bandit camp, but the bandits have been killed by a number of cultists, who are still hanging out around the camp. He also managed to locate Calderis, help captive and being prepared to be sacrificed by a cultists wearing a skull-mask.

The PCs devised a plan of attack, and led a raid against the cultists, taking them by surprise and wiping them out in seconds. The Dagger, in exchange for her freedom, offered to share what she knows regarding the cultists:

  • The Cultists are from Baldur's Gate. They wanted Calderis to kill some high-ranking noble who was to be traveling from Elturel to Baldur's Gate at a specific time. She doesn't know the name of the target.
  • Calderis and her gang attacked the target at the bridge, but failed at the assassination attempt. The target had bodyguards with them. Although supposedly high-ranking, it seems that the person was traveling in secret.
  • It was also ordered by the cultists that Calderys should take the shield of the target, and bring it to them.
  • The half-elf bandit also overheard the cultists talking (after they have killed her gang), that 'once the refugees start arriving from Elturel, they will start canvassing them for potential targets'. Whatever this means...

With that the PCs (togehter with Emeryck, Larkam and Calderys) headed back to Elturel. As they exited the forest and were climbing up a hill, the light of The Companion started to fade. Then, the ground started to rumble, black lightning zig-zagged through the sky, and after a minute or two, silence.

By the time the party climbed the hill, only the cries of people could be heard from all around: The Companion, along with the entire city of Elturel, has vanished.

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Available equipment

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Baldur's Gate Any normal equipment (PHB 143, Chapter 5) is available in unlimited supply at the price given in the book. Special (i.e. magic) items available in town are listed below. Items that cost at most 100 gp and potions that cost at most 300 gp: unlimited in supply. Items that cost at most 300 gp and potions that cost at most 500 gp: at most 2 available in town. All other things on the list: 1 available in town. If you decide to buy something, you can try to haggle: receive a 10% discount on a successful Persuasion check. However, if you fail the check you buy the item at a 10% markup. Succeed or fail, you MUST buy the item. Macial ammunition (+1) [20 gp per piece of ammo]: Arrows, bolts & bullets that give a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Once shot the ammunition is no longer magical. Potion of animal friendship [100 gp]: Use “Animal friendship” spell (DC 13 save) for 1 hour. Potion of greater healing [100 gp]: Heal 4d4+4 HP. Potion of fire breath [100 gp]: 3x
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4 - Hellturel

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  It seemed that the path to saving Elturel would be to travel to Avernus, try to get hold of the second copy of the contract and somehow destroy it. So the heroes traveled back to Candlekeep, where Sylvana introduced them to Lulu, a golden furred winged elephant (aka. hollyphant), who was apparently present in Avernus during the inaugural crusade of the Hellriders, but lost her memories for some unknown reason. Since Hell is presumably a hostile environment, the party loaded up with magical weapons and a weeks provisions (which Lulu happily agreed to carry), after which Sylvana had transported the entire party to Elturel by casting a plane shift spell. Hitting the streets Unsurprisingly, a grim and desolate city greeted the party upon their arrival: abandoned buildings crumbling in the hot air, plumes of smoke rising in the distance, and comets hurling through the blood red skies past the companion, which now hanged dark and low above the city. But it quickly turned out that the city
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1 - Fort Morninglord

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The party descended to the edge of the crater that once was Elturel. After mingling with the survivors of the cataclysm, they decided to leave for Baldur's Gate the next morning, offering their services as armed escorts to those that can afford it. A family of three and a lone merchant agreed to pay 2 gp / person / day for their protection and sustenance. The company was also joined by Emeryck, Galserys and Larkam. Emeryck wishes to get to Baldur's Gate as soon as possible to report the loss of Grad Duke Ultan Ravengard. Galserys has shown interest in tracking down the cult that has decimated her band of thieves. Larkam left for the same reason as most people in and around Elturel: without the protection of the Hellriders and The Companion the region will likely become unsafe to live in. The first milestone on the road to Baldur's Gate is Fort Morninglord, an outpost of the Hellriders located on the banks of the Chiontar river. The party hoped to acquire provisions for the
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