Zelatar City of Demons

 

The Viper Gate

After some shopping, resting, and securing a Merchants Charter that covered them for the city of Zelatar, the Party eventually set out for the Demon City, taking the portal that Rule of Three had suggested, recommended, advised  for them in the stables of the Styx Oarhouse.

They found themselves standing in a small cluster of stones outside the walls of an enormous city on a windy, foggy plain; the sky threatened rain. Between the stones, they could see a stream of demons, prisoners, and planar travellers tramping along a road a short distance from them. In contrast to the baked mud of the plain around the city, they could see a silvery palace—it shone with a slightly blinding glare, even in this grey daylight. They couldn't see more because of the stones, but heard the stamping of hooves and a croaking voice shouting orders.

Eventually Elred led the way out of the stone circle, ahead of him, quilled beasts of burden haul chests and sacks toward a city gate. On either side of the road sit or stand maimed
and wounded demons, ignored by the passers-by. A fat, frog-like demon walked along this line of bleeding, dazed demons, slapping each of the creatures and putting shackles on those who show signs of resistance. The 8-foot-tall frog demon saw them and croaked in staccato rhythm, his neck pouch bulging, his mounds of fat jiggling. “You came through the one-way portal from Sigil. Wonderful! You are my slaves now. If you do not resist, I will not brand you.”

Elred desperately tried to present his merchants charter, but the hezrou did not seem impressed and attacked. The hezrou proved a formidable foe and Elred rapidly hit the ground mortally wounded. Fortunately Lefrassa cast mass vigour as Truldan and Talonux joined the attack.  Things got much worse for the Party when several of the armanites guarding the entrance to the city, and unaware they were "merchants" , decided it would be amusing to join the fray. After tossing a couple of fireball spells and a baleful polymorph that failed to work, Talonux decided a hasty retreat was in order and used dimension door go get himself and Truldan out of danger. Lefrassa picked up Elred and tried to follow but carrying her burden was unable to outrun the demons. Truldan seeing Lefrassa in trouble charged back in to combat, this time managing to get some solid hits in on the hezrou, killing it. the armanites  decided they weren't worth the bother withdrew and headed back to their encampment to lick their wounds. Once Lefrassa healed Elred sufficiently they moved on, pausing only to declare that the hezrou's slaves were free. The dumbfounded demons stared at them blankly for a minute before taking to their heels!

Moving on towards the city walls, past ranks or amanites who ignored them, the Party could see the gate rising ahead, a rusted construction of iron or steel. A row of demonic heads was impaled on pikes along the top of the arch, surrounded by buzzing flies—some of the eyes and tongues were still moving. The traffic  in and out of the city included more frog-like hezrou, limping rutterkins, unfamiliar demons with two mouths and four arms, and dozens of lesser demons scuttling underfoot. They all ignored the Party except to shove roughly as they pass. The gate of the city had a large, white-barked tree on either side, and seemed casually guarded. Dozens of vrocks cawed and screeched from
their roosts on the walls, and lesser demons walk in and out of the city gate; none fly over the walls.

Elred strode forward confidently, past the two white, leafless trees standing on either side of the gate, at the last minute he realized their branches were topped with snake heads—snakes that hissed, “The stench of the archons!” and bit at him! Still wounded from the earlier combat, Elred went down hard, Lefrassa dashed forward, dodging attacks from the trees, and grabbing the fallen rogue, sorry Merchant Prince, dashed through the gates. Truldan charged forwards, swiped one of the trees on the way past, and joined the others inside the gate. Talonux made a dash for it  and got through only taking a couple of hits on the way.

Most of the demon travelers traversing the gate unmolested, had pretty much ignored the whole event, though a few stopped to enjoy the show and laugh. As Lefrassa doled out more healing they were approach by a group of guided clamouring for their attention. Eventually they hired the cheapest one, Slippery Jack, an immature vrock with half- moulted feathers and a missing eye.

The Sign of the Black Heart

As Slippery jack led them through the twisted streets of the Fogtown layer of Zelatar, the rain that had been threatening ever since they arrived began to pour down, they had just passed-by the Argent Palace, which sat upon a small plateau about 50 feet above the level of the surrounding town, when suddenly they were confronted by a lamia noble who demanded to see their papers. With Lefrassa striking just the right level of  obsequiousness, Elred handed over their merchant charter which the lamia perused carefully, a long forked tongue flickering over the paper suspiciously. Eventually, though telling them that she felt something wasn't quite right about them, their papers were in order and let them go with a warning.

Slippery Jack led them across a bridge over a river of flowing salt which they crossed with some difficulty due to the chocking clouds of salt dust that surrounded it. They passed what looked like a marketplace, but given that it appeared to be crawling with rats, which most of the patrons simply ignored, they  decided not to investigate it's wares. After which Slippery Jack suddenly paused and pointed to what looked like a large metal oven burning from green fires within. The vrock stepped up and into the flames gesturing for the Party to follow him. Elred led the way and  they felt the flames burn them before they stepped out of s similar oven to see Slippery Jack waiting for them. Behind him the Argent Palace still stood, but it was clear they were elsewhere, the grey skies and rain had ceased and the city around them was lit by light streaming up from the ground casting weird distorted shadows. Slippery jack informed them this was Gallenghast and, led them through the twisted streets and down to the river of salt and then to another of the green ovens. They knew what to expect this time, but this time when they stepped out, the oven behind them was the size of a small mansion, the Great Green Oven according to Slippery Jack and they were now on Darkflame, the city was lit by a strange blue sun. Moving through the streets the vrock stopped suddenly and pointed to a large square building outside of which a hanging board displayed the Sign of the Black Heart.

With some trepidation they entered the doorway under the sign. At first, the public room in the inn looked deceptively ordinary: a well-stocked bar, fresh meat cooking on a grill, and even a fire pit; the open room here was well appointed and barely inhabited. Three tieflings in black tabards with white embroidered hearts seem to be the staff, all bowing and scraping with excellent manners. One was tending the bar, another was waiting tables, and the third was attending to a lamia noble. The logs in the fireplace shifted and crackled, and the bartender looked in your direction. “Get you a drink?” After ordering three pints of Styx Ale, which Truldan and Lefrassa  discovered was surprisingly palatable, (Elred only pretended to drink his) they began trying to get some information from the bartender who proved, unlike most bartenders to be remarkably, close-mouthed. While they were talking Elred was sure he spotted eyes peering out at them from the mirror behind the bar. Eventually the bartender pointed them in the direction of the porter's office across the courtyard and the Party made their way there.

They stepped into a well-appointed room made of stone and dull metal; the only oddity was that the room was dimly lit, with a single candle burning on a porter’s desk in front of them. The air in the room made their lungs burn; a haze of smoke, acid, or some vile fume hung in the air. The haze and darkness might be a plus, though, from the looks of the large, oozing demon sitting behind its desk. Roughly humanoid, the demon dripped green ooze from skin so puckered it appearde scraped raw or half digested. It burped loudly and stared down at you with eyes so green they almost glow. Slimy droppings from the alkilith demon hiss when they spatter on the floor, but the creature seemed calm. By the flickering candlelight, the demon opened a large ledger in front of it and they heard a voice in their heads saying, “Is this a delivery, or do you have a booking? This inn is reserved, serving our most private and exclusive patrons.” The demon consulted the large ledger, flipping pages. When the Party said that they didn't have reservation, the demon sighed exasperatedly and asked if they wanted to make one? When asked about Dawnat Snap, the demon said he could "neither confirm or deny that such an entity was a guest". Eventually after much exasperation Elred made a reservation for three nights hence which cost him a "booking fee" of 500gp, paid in diamonds. In return he received a reservation slip and asked the alkilith to let the ambassador know they were looking for him

Leaving the inn, they found Slippery Jack outside and asked him to take them to alternative accommodation. Passing through, the oven  portal again he led them through the layer of the city seemingly lit from below to the Planewalker's Guild where the ogre mage sitting behind the desk signed them up as members, ripping off Elred with an "elven surcharge", and directing them to their rooms. They spent the next day resting, and Elred sent word via Slippery Jack to the alkilith that they were staying at the Planewalker's Guild. Th next morning they returned to the Sign of the Black Heart, splashing some cash with the staff they managed to discover that Dawnat Snap was resident in the Garden Suite. They sneaked up the stairs in the courtyard to the upper level and tried to get in - unfortunately setting off a trap and alarm!

Realising they probably had limited time they dashed to the Garden Suite and managed to get to see the ambassador. Fortunately they avoided any unpleasantness as the ambassador told them of Loths plans to construct a demon alliance which they had to do their best to disrupt, and secured a map of the Demonweb as well as the way to get through the Black Gate - which unfortunately involved the use of a password on Dark Speech, which as none of them were capable of uttering it, the ambassador reluctantly gave them a scroll of Dread Word. Truldan, hearing sounds of commotion below them decided it was time for a sharp exit, which they made their way through the rooftop gardens, just missing the lamia patrol entering the courtyard that had been summoned by the porter.

As they raced through the streets heading for the Great Green Oven they discussed their best option for leaving post-hast, Truldan suggested that as it was know that they were staying at the Planewaker's Guild that, and use of the Infinite Staircase, might best be avoided. Using the oven portal they made their way to Fogtown, only to run into the lamia noble they had met a couple of days before accompanied by a lamia patrol. Not surprisingly the Party legged it, Truldan held the lamias off while  the other headed for the nearest gate. Truldan then followed, the lamias in hot pursuit. They dashed through the Giant's Gate, taking attacks from the golems guarding the outside, and fled out into the blasted plain surrounding the city.

The Banks of the Styx

As they ran across the blasted plain surrounding the city, heading the general direction of what the hoped was the river Styx, most of their pursuers remained in the city, save for a triad of vrocks that followed them at altitude. As they closed on the river, they were beginning to think that they might have gotten away clean when they heard a withering
howl. Truldan was first to see the source: a massive hunting dog made of dead flesh and bones. It looked in his direction. The charnel hound raised its head and howled with the noise of a hundred damned souls.  Truldan stepped forward to meet the hound, demon-slaying sword at the ready while the others hung back ready to cast spells and fire arrows. As battle raged Truldan was badly wounded by the hounds ferocious assaults but eventually the combined arcane might of Talonux and Lefrassa finally dispatched the horror.

Moving swiftly on before the hound's masters appeared, they saw an old woman with stringy hair and dark skin at the edge of the river, hobbling out of grey scraggly brush and coming toward them. When the Party was within speaking distance, she spoke in a harsh voice, “You know, I saw you and that charnel hound. The hound’s masters are two giants, and they’re close on your trail. They’ll eat your guts and put your head on a pike.” She paused a moment. “But it doesn’t have to be that way. I can summon a ferry from the Styx. All it will cost you is one soul, your own or someone else’s.” The blue-skinned hag turned to face them fully and she grinned, her smile full of pointed teeth. “Not so much to pay to get out of the Abyss, is it?”  Eventually, after talking Lefrassa out of offering her soul, Elred offered the souls of the pursuing giants to the hag which she accepted with an evil grin, and the Party turned to face their pursuers - two powerful giants carrying enormous swords coming from the same direction as the hound. They stopped about 80 feet away, speaking to each other, readying weapons.  Talonux opened the proceedings with a fireball spell followed up by a sound lance from Lefrassa. One giant retaliated by reaching down ad tossing a rock at them which struck the ground and exploded sending stone shrapnel-like fragments through them, the other charged Truldan, greatsword raised. Once more it was a brutal fight, Elred nearly being slain,  but the Party prevailed ultimately as Lefrassa, Truldan and Elred took out one giant in combat while Talonux took out the other with a baleful polymorph.

The battle over, the hag claimed the soul of the fallen giant and true to her word summoned a ferryman, who Elred paid the price of passage, allowing them to return to Sigil.