AW010

## AW010 - The Gang Fireballs All The Things

### Vanthampur Temple - Evening

As the battle with the bat-winged Thalamra and her craven son Thurstwell rages in the furnace temple, with the newly burning skies of Elturel glowing through the broken ceiling, Kalo enters through a secret door in the room's northeast. With him is a half-elf in dark studded leather and a somewhat alarming fur merkin - the Thief Ploddy - and they join the whirling melee.

Thalamra summons two infernal servants - a Bearded Devil and a Merregon - who immediately begin executing the civilians and tossing them into the furnace, which seems to power up Thalamra.

In their minds, the gang hears the shield begging to be wielded. Puffin runs to collect it and is emboldened to melee the bearded devil, though the shield certainly doesn't help his whiffed attack rolls. The gang continues the fight against the Vanthampurs with a particularly effective *Ray of Frost* from Franklin, some gruesome beatdowns from Nowa and some classic sneak attacking from Ploddy. The shield *Fireballs1* Thalamra in midair, grounding her.

Billie is still grovelling on the floor, clutching a toy soldier (Pewter). She disappears in a flash of light (seemingly *into* Pewter?) and the toy soldier marches over to inspire some of the gang. Puffin passes the shield to Kalo, who immediately *Fireballs2* Thalamra with it again. Kalo then considers, with somewhat surprising disregard for the lives of the civilians with 4hp in the radius, using his own *Fireball* to hit her again. He reconsiders despite the laughter from the players and switches to *Spirit Guardian* Lawnmower Mode, which is just as tremendously effective as it is in BG3. During the shield's turn, Kalo begs it to explode both Vanthampurs but the goody-two-shoes shield somewhat prissily refuses, citing collateral damage, and *Fireballs3* Thalamra in midair again. Not to be outdone, Thalamra plays the "if you can do it, I can do it" card and *Fireballs* most of the good guys, downing Franklin who appears to welcome the cold embrace of near death. He goes on to crit success his death save, much to his apparent disappointment.

Having been freed by Puffin, given a dagger and urged to free the other civilians, Jebaz the Cowardly Masseuse instead legs it. Classic Jebaz. Nowa and Kalo down Thurstwell.

Puffin winds up his newly level 3 *Dissonant Whispers* at the well-singed Thalamra and *Silvery Barbses* her save, calling her an "ugly old bat", and she flies off through the ceiling questioning her self-worth. With Thurstwell down and Thalamra fleeing, the gang make short work of the remaining minions and free the few remaining civilians who flee after Jebaz.

Over the spurting corpse of a minion, Puffin and Ploddy are reunited after 10 years. Kalo and Franklin make each other's acquaintance, with Franklin believing that Kalo is his grandson Leonard. Ploddy and Puffin, the loot goblin twins, search the room and corpses, finding a +1 Hand Crossbow which Puffin enthusiastically retains with visions of John Wicking twin projectile weapons.

The shield explains to the gang (out loud) that it contains a bound angelic ally, and wishes to be cast into the furnace to release the angel who will assist their safeguarding of Elturel in exchange for a future favour. As Kalo moves to comply, the demon sword he carries warns him not to, stating that the shield is lying. A private conversation between Kalo, the demon sword and the shield ends with Kalo throwing both in the furnace. This results in the destruction of the sword and the shield, and the releasing of the Pit Fiend Gargauth from the shield, who proceeds to mock Kalo for believing his trickery. Devils honour their contracts though, so Gargauth flies off into Elturel, reminding Kalo that a future favour is owed.

### Elturel - Evening

The gang rushes back into the overcity, into a scene of hellish fire, chaos and murder with The Companion now glowing red. Devils and their ilk roam the streets, there is butchery and such everywhere, and small groups of plucky townsfolk and Hellriders are being organised by Sylvira and the Heffalump Lulu. The Archdevil Zariel rises out of the ground, makes a Bond villain speech and proceeds to casually wreck the arrayed resistance until she is engaged by Gargauth.

Urged by Lulu to "look up", the gang do and they see an angelic winged figure descending from above. This figure turns out to be Eliya, and she approaches the stunned Puffin and greets Ploddy, telling them to follow Reya and Falaster into the catacombs to stop what is happening. Puffin, not the smartest of Firbolgs and in quite a bit of shock, reverts to just doing what smart people tell him to do and assumes all will be explained to him later. Eliya kisses him and the gang are blessed with a long rest.

Reya urges the gang to run west to the catacombs. They immediately run into a large group of undead, who are nonchalantly murderzoned by Kalo's *Fireball4*. Running onwards, another group is met, and another Kalo *Fireball5* ensues. Before the gang have a chance to run on, more undead appear and are *Fireballed6* *again*, this time by Franklin who won't be outdone by "Leonard".

This is frankly way too many fireballs for one night, and the curtain falls to the snap crackle and pop of undead bacon.