Session0036

Episode 0036 - Doorways
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**Setting:**

The College of Mimrinoth - May 20th-21st, 211 AW
**Synopsis:**

* The party awakens in the morning to find that Malkoth is missing. They head to the Circle of Far Weavers to search for him, recalling that he had gone to meet with Elrah Saevel the previous night.
* Meanwhile, Malkoth awakens in Elrah Saevel's demiplane vault, and speaks with Lane Coronato about how they ended up there.
* The party finds Elrah Saevel in his office, and fabricates a ruse to get invited into his *magnificent mansion*.
* Inside, Gragnok searches the mansion and finds the entrance to the demiplane vault, while the rest of the party keeps Elrah Saevel distracted.
* After stalling as long as possible, the party confronts Elrah Saevel about Malkoth. He responds by attacking them and fleeing toward the demiplane vault.
* The party chases after and battles Elrah Saevel, eventually forcing him to open the demiplane vault and summon the lead templar defense golem from within to protect him.
* While the party battles the lead templar, Malkoth and Lane Coronato break out of the prison cell in the demiplane vault, and Malkoth kills Elrah Saevel as uncontrollable infernal energy erupts from him in his rage.
* Having defeating Elrah Saevel and the lead templar, Malkoth dispels the *magnificent mansion*, shunting everyone and everything within back out into Elrah's office in the Circle of Far Weavers.

## May 20th

After the council with the Paragons, the party splits up for the night.

Odell, at Gragnok's request, takes Orion's Key to the Circle of Architects to see if it's possible to move its enchantment to a different item. Odell presents the axe to Jonas Lionwood, also providing a vial of Valania Aloro's blood, and requesting Jonas' discretion with the item. Jonas agrees to keep the project private, and says that it will be finished in the morning.

Meanwhile, XVIII asks XV if he is able to track anyone that he wishes, using the tracking ability that he uses to track XVIII. XV explains that he can only track a quarry that is given to him by Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel. XVIII shows XV a portrait of Marcello and Lucio, and asks if XV could track them, expressing their desire to help Frog find them. XV says that he could ask Dr. Dippel about it. He also questions why XVIII wishes to help Frog. XVIII explains that after awakening in the body pit, they eventually ended up in jail in Karaad, where Frog flexed his political standing to get them released. XV expresses his regret for disposing of XVIII, but XVIII bears no resentment, assuring XV that he couldn't have known any different.

Meanwhile, Louche continues speaking to Immanuel Belder, who emphasizes that he is not going to speak further regarding his business until Louche brings Malkoth to him. When pressed for why he doesn't contact Malkoth himself, Belder insinuates that he wants Louche to prove that he is actually trustworthy, as he currently has no reason to trust him. Louche asks where he should bring Malkoth, and Belder says that he is staying at the Iron Stamp tavern, and spends his days at the library. After their conversation, Belder leaves to return to the tavern.

Eventually, the party retires for the night in their separate locations, unaware that Malkoth is in trouble.

Overnight, Louche has another dream of Titivilus. Titivilus congratulates Louche on his successful play, and explains that Asmodeus has compromised, and will allow Mahadi to meet Louche in Sigil, and will relinquish him back into Louche's authority at that time. Louche bemoans not getting the full extent of what he requested, but Titivilus scoffs at Louche's ungratefulness, saying that he could have been punished for his disobedience rather than rewarded. Louche says that he still expects to be punished after the prophecy is fulfilled, but Titivilus balks, complaining that Louche has never been held accountable to any of the Hells' rules. When asked, Titivilus also clarifies that both he and Mahadi will be in Sigil for the rendezvous.

Meanwhile, Malkoth, still unconscious, has dreams of infernal imagery, and hears a voice reciting lines from the prophecy of the Trumpeter of the Apocalypse.

## May 21st

Malkoth awakens the following morning to find himself in a prison cell with Lane Coronato, within Elrah Saevel's demiplane vault. On a nearby table outside of the prison bars, he sees a table holding several valuables, including his own possessions, and the apparent inheritance of Natalie Shaw, including the Material Resonator for which he found schematics in her estate. Elrah is also within the chamber, looking through Malkoth's spellbook.

Seeing Malkoth awakened, Elrah Saevel expresses his fascination with Malkoth's belongings, referencing in particular his *scroll of wish*, and implying that he will use it to say that he discovered the spell himself and become a member of the Weavers Conclave. He also states that he cannot kill Malkoth or Lane Coronato as he needs their blood, showing them a vial of blood which seems to be Malkoth's.

Meanwhile, the party reconvenes at the Zenith for one of Louche's psalms. They take note that Malkoth is not present, and Louche sends him a magical *sending* message to check on him. The spell fails, and Louche discerns that it is not due to planar interference, and there is something else wrong.

The party discusses where Malkoth could be, and the recall that he went with Elrah Saevel back to his *magnificent mansion* the night before. Odell tells the party the nature of the *magnificent mansion* spell, and warns the party that they will have to be invited in by Elrah in order to gain access. They discuss the possibility of dispelling the mansion if they find it. Eventually, the party goes to search for him, and XVIII shapeshifts into a dire wolf using an ability granted to him by Louche's psalm to begin following Malkoth's scent.

While searching, Jack receives a magical *sending* from Binti Redroot, who says that she has arrived in town, and offers to meet at the mining docks around noon. Jack tentatively agrees, explaining that the party has other business to attend to first.

En route toward the Circle of Far Weavers, the party passes by the Iron Stamp tavern, where they find Immanuel Belder pacing outside, seemingly agitated and worried. He immediately accuses Louche of harming Malkoth, and says that he tried to contact him but was unable to do so. Louche explains the situation, and Belder accompanies the party to search for Malkoth.

The party also passes by the Circle of Architects, where Odell picks up the newly enchanted Orion's Key from Jonas Lionwood.

Meanwhile, back in Elrah Saevel's vault demiplane, Elrah opens the vault door and departs through a portal, leaving behind the lead templar generating an *antimagic field* to guard the prison. Lane Coronato speaks with Malkoth about the circumstances of his imprisonment. He explains that after their last encounter in the desert of Chwaka, he briefly returned to Karaad to wait for Israphel to come and fulfill his deal to take him to Sigil, but Israphel never arrived. Eventually, he decided to follow the party instead, eventually arriving in Avallon a few days after the party had departed. Searching around town, he learned that the estate of Natalie Shaw - his mother - was recently robbed. When he went to investigate, he found Elrah there, who subdued him and imprisoned him.

Lane Coronato explains that Elrah Saevel wanted the Imlaq Amulet, but Lane told him that he no longer had it, and had given it to his son, offering Malkoth's name. He confesses that his plan was to intentionally get Malkoth caught by Elrah, in hopes that Louche would come rescue them both. Malkoth tries to help Lane get out of the *dimensional shackles* which he is wearing, but he is unable to do so with the lead templar standing guard.

Meanwhile, the party follows Malkoth's scent to the Circle of Far Weavers, and up through the upper levels of the building to Elrah Saevel's office, where they find him sitting at his desk in front a glowing portal doorway - the entrance to his *magnificent mansion*. As they enter, Louche spots that Elrah is wearing one of Malkoth's magical items, and *antidote pin* which he quickly covers up.

Jack tells Elrah Saevel that the party would like to discuss some more private matters that they were unable to cover during the previous night's council, related to his nature as a conduit. He emphasizes the discrete nature of the information to be discussed, and asks to speak somewhere private and safe from divination. Elrah invites the party into his *magnificent mansion* to discuss; however, noticing that Immanuel Belder is present, he greets him coldly, and says that he is not welcome within. As the party enters the mansion, Odell telepathically connects with Belder and tells him to go retrieve his mother, Eridred Heskin.

Inside, the party finds themselves in the opulent foyer of Elrah Saevel's mansion, where they are offered food and drinks by invisible servants. Jack begins talking with Elrah, keeping him occupied with a ruse, pretending to have information related to the elemental planes. During this conversation, he asks if Elrah has seen Malkoth, to which Elrah replies that he hasn't seen him since the night before.

Meanwhile, as Elrah Saevel is distracted by Jack, Gragnok sneaks away and begins searching the mansion. He finds Elrah's office, where he searches through his desk and finds arcane reagents, money, and a book of teleporation sigils. He pockets the money and the book, leaving the reagents. Within the desk, he also finds a hidden and locked compartment. Picking the lock, he finds two tuning forks for the *plane shift* spell, which he pockets as well.

Next, Gragnok sneaks down a stairway to a lower chamber of the mansion, in which he sees two students (Midas and Stefaan) guarding an open vault door with a portal behind it. Unable to proceed any further, he sneaks back out and rejoins the party.

Meanwhile, as Jack runs out of talking points, Louche takes over keeping Elrah Saevel occupied by asking him about his trip to Sigil. When asked, he tells Elrah about how he became a mortal - by making a wish from a genie. Louche asks what Elrah and his party were doing in Sigil, and Elrah says that they were simply exploring, without any particular objective.

Gragnok quietly tells Odell about what he found, and Odell uses telepathy to inform the rest of the party. They telepathically discuss how to proceed, noticing that they are running out of ways to keep Elrah Saevel occupied. They discuss using a *dispel magic* spell to get rid of the mansion and cause everything within to be shunted outside, but Odell objects, raising concerns about the unknown nature of the vault portal.

Meanwhile, Lane Coronato tells Malkoth that if they escape, he will teach Malkoth how to master his infernal magic, out of gratitude for inconveniencing him by getting him captured. He also says that he wants to be a better parent than his own mother.

Back in the foyer, the conversation with Elrah Saevel winds down, and Elrah begins to usher the party out. XVIII casts a *suggestion* spell and suggests that Elrah should give the party back Malkoth or the other Paragons will be involved. Elrah immediately responds by attacking the party with conjuration magic and fleeing toward the vault. The party begins to give chase. Before pursuing, Odell briefly steps out of the mansion and sends a magical *sending* to Grenfi Nackle, telling them that they are in trouble at Elrah's *magnificent mansion* at the Circle of Far Weavers, and the bring help.

The party chases Elrah Saevel into the vault chamber of his mansion, where they battle against him and his two student allies. Odell tries to tell the students to flee, but they refuse, and end up dying to collateral damage from the battle - one of them killed by Elrah.

As the tide of battle begins to turn against Elrah, he goes to the vault door and brings out the lead templar to protect him, leaving Malkoth and Lane Coronato within now unhindered by the *antimagic field*. As the lead templar begins battling the party in the vault chamber, Lane and Malkoth start to break their way out of the prison cell.

Elrah Saevel runs into the vault demiplane, bloodied and near death, and begins to frantically gather belongings from the table, including Malkoth's belongings and Natalie Shaw's inheritance. While the rest of the party continues to battle the lead templar outside the vault, Malkoth immolates Elrah with magic, and uncontrolled infernal magic also erupts from him, causing the room to go up in an inferno. Louche makes it into the vault and knocks out Elrah, and tries to tell Malkoth not to kill him so that he can be questioned. But Malkoth, lost in rage and unable to control his infernal magic, immolates Elrah to ash.

Outside, the rest of the party finishes defeating the lead templar, leaving it as in tact as possible for later repair.

After regrouping and gathering all of the belongings from within the vault demiplane, Malkoth casts *dispel magic* and dispels the mansion, shunting the party back out into Elrah Saevel's office.

Back outside, Gragnok gives Malkoth the items that he recovered from Elrah's office, including the tuning forks. Malkoth briefly studies the forks, and recognizes that they are attuned to the Shadowfell and the Material Plane.

Malkoth briefly recounts to the party what happened to him. Lane Coronato also recounts how he ended up in the vault, explaining that he was trapped there for a little over a month. As the party discusses next steps, Lane says that he would rather not be around when the Paragons arrive, and disappears into the ethereal plane, saying that he will stay nearby, and still intends to teach Malkoth how to master his infernal magic. Before leaving, he makes note of Natalie Shaw's inheritance that was technically left behind for him, and says that he has no interest in anything that his mother left behind for him.

While waiting for Immanuel Belder, Grenfi Nackle, Eridred Heskin, and the Paragons to arrive, Malkoth looks through the items that were recovered. He takes note that the *scroll of wish* that the party found in the Luxturrim Obelisk is missing, and speculates that Elrah Saevel was likely keeping it in another *demiplane*.

Next, Malkoth looks through Natalie Shaw's inheritance. He finds that it includes a great deal of money, as well as her spellbook, a *plane shift* tuning fork, a journal, and the Material Resonator. A note attached to the tuning fork explains that it will take its user to a doorway to Sigil from somewhere else in the Outer Planes. A note on the inside cover of the journal explains that it contains the stories of Natalie's adventures. And a note on the Material Resonator explains that it can be only be activated using the *Imlaq Amulet* in combination with blood from her own bloodline.