Gods, Monsters, & Poor Life Choices // D&D

Session 36, Harboring Demons

SESSION 362026-11-06

The session at a glance

Short Summary

Baldur's Gate had fallen under an uneasy peace, with Zilvra Xilraen and her drow armies seizing control of the Upper City while the city's bureaucratic routines continued beneath her watchful eye. Zilvra received the party with cool magnanimity, assuring them their properties and positions remained intact under her "New Gate." The group then visited Mizora, who was entirely unbothered by the regime change, sipping mushroom wine and offering pragmatic counsel. After debating options — including magical coercion, which was ruled out due to the infernal laws governing the powerful Calamus Pactum quill, and Velessa challenging her mother to drow combat — Mizora proposed drafting a contract legitimizing Zilvra's rule in exchange for key concessions, most critically barring the institution of Lolth worship as a state religion. The party agreed to reconvene after touring Zilvra's newly constructed underground docks, with Mizora insisting the Calamus Pactum be used to seal the deal. Along the way, they briefly passed a thoroughly grumpy Grand Duke Wyll, who had been asked by Mizora to hold off on acting against the occupation.

The dock tour quickly turned chaotic when two enormous winged demons came shrieking out of the Shrieking Abyss and slammed onto the docks. The party fought back fiercely — Taliya bound one demon with a powerful enchantment, Yona transformed into her dread form to restrain the other, and Velessa delivered devastating strikes. The situation worsened when a massive Glabrezu emerged from below, casting confusion on Ilmryn and Talice and causing friendly fire, while Taliya's wild magic surge coated the stairs in magical grease. Séantal banished one demon entirely, and a giant-sized Velessa — accidentally enlarged by a confused Ilmryn — teleported across the battlefield and bisected the Glabrezu, dissolving it into steaming goo. Returning to the High Hall, the party reported their "pest control" to Zilvra, who was pleased but unmoved to seal the docks. When pressed on her true ambitions, Zilvra was direct: she intended to claim all of Baldur's Gate and transform it into a grand trade hub between the surface and the Underdark — and hinted that Waterdeep might be next. The shape of a deal, and the threat behind it, was becoming very clear.

Settle in

The story

Session Recap

Baldur's Gate had fallen under a strange, uneasy peace. The Upper City was now firmly in the grip of Zilvra Xilraen and her drow armies, with patrols of dark elves replacing the city watch on the cobblestone streets. Yet the bureaucratic machinery of the High Hall ground on as it always had, clerks shuffling papers and nobles attending to their duties, all beneath the watchful eye of the drow matriarch who had installed herself above it all. Zilvra received the party with cool magnanimity, assuring them that their properties remained their own, that Séantal's employment in the High Hall was still intact, and that she welcomed them as citizens of her "New Gate." When Séantal quipped about expecting a significant severance package had things gone otherwise, Zilvra fell into a moment of uncharacteristic, thoughtful silence. She then invited the group to tour the new docks she had constructed beneath the city, sending her daughters Ilmryn and Talice to escort them.

Before following the sisters to the docks, Velessa steered the group toward a more familiar destination — Mizora's office. The cambion was found exactly as one might expect: feet propped up, sipping a glass of purple mushroom wine, entirely unbothered by the change in regime. She greeted Velessa with wry amusement, noting that very little had actually changed for her. The two exchanged pleasantries about Underdark cuisine — blue cap bread, fried cave cricket legs called Dead Man's Fingers — before the conversation turned to the matter at hand. Mizora, possessing her own piercing sight, was able to see and physically pluck Velessa's floating magical eyeball from the air, holding it between two fingers with an arched brow. She also pointedly drew the party's attention to a strange banner on her office wall depicting a winged sword, though none of them recognized its significance.

The group debated at length how best to deal with Zilvra. Magical coercion was quickly ruled out — Séantal reminded everyone that the infernal laws governing the Calamus Pactum, the powerful quill created by Asmodeus himself, demanded the free will of any signee, making trickery or enchantment a non-starter. Velessa floated the idea of simply besting her mother in combat, which, by the brutal customs of drow society, would grant her the authority to either claim or delegate her mother's power. Yona suggested reaching out to Velessa's grandmother as a potential authority figure, only to learn that the woman had been dead for nearly two centuries and had almost certainly been consumed by the goddess Lolth — and that even if she could be brought back, Velessa suspected she would be even more tyrannical than her daughter. Mizora ultimately proposed a more pragmatic path: draft a contract legitimizing Zilvra's rule over Baldur's Gate in exchange for key concessions, most critically a prohibition on instituting the worship of Lolth as a state religion. The party agreed to reconvene after the dock tour to finalize the terms, with Mizora requesting her own caveats be included and insisting the Calamus Pactum be used to seal the deal.

On the way down through the underseller passage, Séantal paused to dispatch the modron 7-42B with a formal missive to the city's historical finds department, filing a bureaucratic complaint about the lack of building permits for the unauthorized tunnel beneath a historic structure. The group briefly passed Grand Duke Wyll in the hallway, who looked thoroughly grumpy and quickened his pace to avoid conversation. Mizora had apparently asked him to hold off on taking any action against the occupation, at least for now.

The docks themselves were a raw, industrial affair carved into a cavern overlooking the vast, screaming chasm known as the Shrieking Abyss. Violent winds howled through the space with such force that the party had to shout to be heard, and a drow airship was currently unloading furniture and supplies — essentially serving as Zilvra's moving van. Velessa found the whole operation underwhelming, though she privately noted the impressive scale of the abyss itself. Ilmryn and Talice explained that the tour was largely a show of force on their mother's behalf. Velessa privately wondered whether setting the docks on fire was still a viable option.

The relative calm shattered when a pair of enormous, purple-winged vulture-like demons came shrieking out of the abyss winds and slammed down onto the docks in dramatic three-point landings. Taliya immediately moved to contain one of them with a powerful binding enchantment while Séantal unleashed crackling beams of force at the other. Yona transformed into her terrifying dread form and bound the second demon in place as well, while Velessa closed the distance and delivered a series of devastating, divinely-charged strikes that left one of the creatures barely standing. A House Xilraen soldier charged in cursing in Elvish — apparently this was at least the third such incident that week. The demons eventually shook off their magical restraints with ear-splitting screeches and released clouds of toxic spores, but the damage had already been done.

The chaos deepened when Taliya's wild magic surged uncontrollably, coating the docks' stairs in a thick slick of magical grease. Ilmryn immediately slipped and fell prone, and several others struggled to keep their footing. Taliya, for her part, teleported thirty feet away and turned invisible, leaving her allies to deal with the mess she had created. Yona used a minor cantrip to clean herself off with remarkable dignity. Ilmryn recovered, leaped across the battlefield in a single bound, and wove a protective ward around Velessa before the fighting intensified further. Then, from the passage below, a massive demon with enormous crab-like claws emerged smelling of brimstone — a Glabrezu, a creature whose appearance Talice noted was a deeply concerning new development. It cast a disorienting confusion over Ilmryn and Talice, causing Talice to accidentally lash out at her own sister and Ilmryn to accidentally enlarge Velessa to a towering, giant-sized form. Séantal banished the frog-like demon that had been pulling itself up over the ledge, sending it popping out of existence entirely. Taliya's giant spectral hand battered the Glabrezu while a powerful necrotic blight withered its form. Then the now-enormous Velessa teleported across the battlefield and bisected the demon with her moon blade, dissolving it into a puddle of steaming goo.

The party returned to the main chamber of the High Hall, where Zilvra sat on her makeshift throne looking thoroughly pleased with herself. Séantal informed her, with characteristic dryness, that they had performed some pest control at her docks. Zilvra expressed satisfaction that the problem had been handled, though she showed little interest in sealing the docks despite the obvious danger. When Velessa pressed her on what she actually wanted, Zilvra was refreshingly direct: she intended to claim the rest of the city and establish her eternal sovereignty, turning Baldur's Gate into a grand trade hub funneling goods between the surface and the Underdark. She even hinted, with a dangerous gleam, that if Waterdeep proved equally enticing, she might set her sights there next. The negotiations had only just begun, but the shape of a deal — and the threat behind it — was becoming very clear.

Worth remembering

Memorable moments

Memorable Moments

Funny — Velessa

What's up, fuck nuggets? Get out of my way.

Context: Velessa's casual, irreverent greeting as she shoves past drow guards to enter Mizora's office

Funny — GM

Indeed. And she just kind of like looks off to the side like she's kind of deep in thought for a moment upon hearing 'severance package.'

Context: Zilvra Xilraen, drow matriarch and conqueror, visibly pausing to contemplate the concept of a severance package after Séantal's quip

Funny — Velessa

Well, plan B and a half is we just keep shoving your balls into my mom's face, see what happens.

Context: Velessa summarizing the party's combat strategy of repeatedly hitting her mother with Taliya's fireballs

Funny

Taliya's wild magic surge coats the docks' stairs in a thick layer of magical grease, causing Ilmryn to fall prone and covering Séantal and Yona in slippery goo before Taliya teleports away and turns invisible, abandoning her allies to the mess.

Context: A chaotic wild magic surge at the worst possible moment during a demon ambush, with Taliya immediately fleeing the scene she created

Epic

A confused Ilmryn accidentally enlarges Velessa to giant size; Velessa then teleports across the battlefield and bisects the Glabrezu with her moon blade, dissolving it into a puddle of steaming goo.

Context: An accidental enlargement spell from a confused ally leads to a spectacular finishing blow against the most powerful demon of the encounter

Funny — Séantal Grace-Given

Proper planning saves lives.

Context: Séantal's deadpan bureaucratic response after sending a modron to file a permit complaint about the unauthorized Underdark tunnels during a demon crisis

Dramatic

Mizora pointedly stares at a strange winged sword banner on her office wall, drawing the party's attention to it, but no one in the group recognizes its significance.

Context: A subtle, ominous hint from Mizora about something she knows that the party does not, left unresolved

Funny — Velessa

I strongly suggest that if I don't, then I'm going to murder her.

Context: Velessa's tongue-in-cheek suggestion for how to get her mother to willingly sign a contract, after all magical coercion options were ruled out by infernal law

Retrace the session

Scene trail

Scene-by-Scene Outline

1. The New Order in the High Hall

The party reconvenes in the High Hall of Baldur's Gate, which is now under the occupation of Zilvra Xilraen and her drow armies.

Key events

The party observes that while the Upper City is under drow occupation, the bureaucracy of the High Hall continues under Zilvra Xilraen's oversight, with drow patrols replacing the city watch.
Zilvra Xilraen confirms that the party's property remains their own and that Séantal's employment within the High Hall is still intact.
Séantal quips about expecting a significant severance package if their employment had been terminated, causing Zilvra to pause in thought.
Zilvra suggests the party accompany Velessa's sisters, Ilmryn and Talice, to view the new docks she has constructed beneath the city.
The party discusses the geography of the 'Shrieking Abyss' located under the city, which reportedly opens into the actual Abyss.
Velessa expresses a desire to speak with Mizora before visiting the docks.

2. A Visit to Mizora's Office

Velessa leads the party to Mizora's office to check in on the cambion amidst the city's political shift.

Key events

The party passes drow guards to enter Mizora's office, finding her relaxing with her feet up and drinking a glass of purple mushroom-based wine.
Velessa uses her true sight to observe Mizora's true winged form.
Mizora remarks on the 'changing of the guard' in the city, noting that her own position remains largely unchanged despite the drow occupation.
The group discusses Underdark delicacies, such as blue cap bread and fried cave cricket legs called 'Dead Man's Fingers.'
Mizora is able to see and physically interact with Velessa's floating magical eyeball, plucking it from the air.
Mizora pointedly looks at a strange winged sword banner on the wall behind her, though the party fails to recognize its significance.
The party debates methods for deposing Zilvra Xilraen, weighing options like magical suggestion, a Geas, or a traditional drow usurpation of power.
Séantal points out that any contract signed under magical duress would violate the infernal laws governing the Calamus Pactum.
Yona investigates Mizora's desk for evidence linking her to a mysterious letter found earlier, but finds only inconclusive rolled-up papers.
Yona inquires about Velessa's grandmother as a potential authority figure, leading to a discussion about the brutal nature of drow matriarchy where daughters typically kill their mothers to ascend.
The party explores the possibility of using powerful magic to resurrect Velessa's grandmother, who has been dead for roughly two centuries, though Velessa warns that her ancestor would likely be even more tyrannical.
Mizora proposes drafting a contract that would grant Zilvra sovereignty over Baldur's Gate in exchange for concessions, such as banning the state worship of Lolth.
The party agrees to reconvene after a tour of the new docks to finalize caveats for the contract, which they intend to sign using the Calamus Pactum.
Mizora requests her own caveats be included in the final agreement and asks that the Calamus Pactum be used to sign it.

3. Bureaucracy and the Underseller

The party makes their way through the High Hall toward the new Underdark docks, with Séantal filing a bureaucratic complaint along the way.

Key events

Talice leads the group toward a newly created passage in the underseller directly beneath the High Hall.
Séantal expresses bureaucratic outrage over the structural integrity and lack of permits for the unauthorized construction in a historic building.
Séantal summons the modron 7-42B to send a formal missive to the historical finds department regarding the lack of permits for the new Underdark tunnels.
The party briefly encounters Grand Duke Wyll in the hallway, who appears grumpy and quickens his pace to avoid conversation.
Séantal mentions that Mizora has asked Wyll not to take action against the occupation for the moment.

4. The Shrieking Abyss Docks

The party arrives at the newly established Underdark docks and witnesses the scale of the drow occupation's logistics.

Key events

The party travels through the underseller passage to reach the docks located beneath the city.
They observe a drow airship unloading furniture and equipment, serving as a massive moving van for Zilvra Xilraen's occupation.
Velessa critiques the bare-bones nature of the docks despite the impressive scale of the abyss.
The party notes the extreme, screaming winds of the abyss, requiring them to shout to be heard.
Ilmryn and Talice explain that the tour is intended as a show of force by their mother.
Velessa privately considers whether setting the docks on fire is still a viable idea.

5. Ambush from the Abyss

Vulture-like demons emerge from the screaming winds to attack the party at the docks, and a larger threat begins to pull itself up over the ledge.

Key events

A loud, distinct shriek cuts through the wind as two large, purple-winged humanoid Vrock demons descend upon the docks with superhero-style three-point landings.
Taliya immediately weaves a spell to magically paralyze one of the Vrocks, successfully holding it in place, and activates her innate sorcery.
A House Xilraen soldier charges into the fray, shouting curses in Elvish about the frequency of demon attacks this week.
Séantal unleashes multiple crackling beams of eldritch force at the free Vrock, striking it solidly.
Yona begins to tap into her spectral power, transforming into her dread form to face the threat, and successfully paralyzes the second Vrock with her own binding spell.
Talice turns herself invisible to reposition tactically.
Velessa delivers a devastating series of strikes with her moon blade, empowered by divine energy, severely wounding one of the demons.
Velessa notices a massive, clawed limb gripping the edge of the dock as another creature begins to pull itself up from the abyss.
The Vrocks eventually break free from their magical restraints, letting out ear-piercing screeches and releasing clouds of toxic spores.
Ilmryn slips on a patch of magical grease on the stairs and falls prone.
Ilmryn protects herself with a shimmering aura of sanctuary before retreating behind Yona for safety.
Taliya summons a massive spectral hand that strikes one of the Vrocks with a crushing blow.
A wild magic surge from Taliya causes a thick layer of slippery grease to suddenly coat the stairs, causing several combatants to struggle for their footing.
Yona and Séantal are caught in the grease but manage to maintain their footing; Yona performs a stylish maneuver to stay upright and uses a minor cantrip to clean herself off.
Taliya teleports away from the mess she created, turning invisible in the process.
Yona assumes her dread form and successfully instills magical fear into both Vrocks, preventing them from approaching her.
Talice emerges from invisibility to strike at a Vrock with her hand crossbow.
Velessa delivers a final, lethal strike to one of the Vrocks, cutting it down.
A large, frog-like demon pulls itself up over the ledge of the docks, joining the fray.
Taliya conjures her giant spectral hand to grapple the newly arrived demon, successfully pinning it in place.
Séantal casts banishment on the frog-like demon, causing it to vanish with a popping sound into a demi-plane.
Yona blasts the remaining Vrock with beams of eldritch energy, using a repelling blast to push it back toward the pit.
Velessa teleports across the battlefield and delivers a lethal blow with her moon blade, slicing the Vrock apart.
A massive Glabrezu demon emerges from the passage, smelling of brimstone and brandishing large crab-like claws.
Ilmryn recovers from her fall, magically leaps across the battlefield to Velessa's side, and wards her sister with a protective warding bond.
Taliya attempts to grapple the Glabrezu with her spectral hand, but the demon manages to struggle free.
Séantal fires eldritch blasts at the Glabrezu and retreats behind a crane for cover.
Yona projects a terrifying presence that frightens the Glabrezu, then uses a repelling blast to knock it down the stairs.
Velessa teleports and strikes the demon with her moonblade, dealing significant damage.
The Glabrezu casts a confusion spell, causing Ilmryn and Talice to become disoriented and act erratically.
Under the effects of confusion, Talice accidentally lashes out at Ilmryn, though the attack misses.
Under the effects of confusion, Ilmryn casts a spell that causes Velessa to grow to a towering giant size.
Taliya attempts to punch the Glabrezu with her magical hand and follows up with a powerful blight, severely wounding the creature.
A House Xilraen soldier retreats in fear from the Glabrezu, earning a disapproving slap from Talice as she passes.
Velessa, now giant-sized, teleports across the docks and delivers a final, devastating blow with her moon sword, dissolving the Glabrezu into a puddle of steaming goo.
Séantal maintains concentration on the banishment spell, keeping the frog-like demon trapped in a demi-plane and effectively ending the immediate threat.
Taliya uses her giant spectral hand to deliver a celebratory high-five to the enlarged Velessa.

6. Aftermath and Return to the High Hall

Following the skirmish, the party discusses the increasing demonic activity and returns to confront Zilvra Xilraen about the situation.

Key events

Velessa holds her confused sisters at arm's length until the mental fog of the battle wears off.
A drow soldier apologizes to the giant Velessa for her perceived cowardice during the fight.
Talice explains that demonic incursions from the abyss have been increasing in frequency and severity recently, and that a Glabrezu appearing is a new and concerning development.
The party debates whether Zilvra Xilraen intentionally sent them into a trap or simply underestimated the danger of the docks.
The group discusses the logistical nightmare of defending a dock located so close to a portal to the Abyss.
Taliya suggests using protective magic circles to ward the area, though the party notes the high cost and limited range of such defenses.
The party returns to the main central chamber of the High Hall, where Zilvra Xilraen sits on her makeshift throne looking pleased.
Séantal informs Zilvra that they had to perform 'pest control' at her docks; Zilvra expresses satisfaction that the problem was handled.
The party suggests sealing the docks due to the demonic threat, but Zilvra refuses to abandon her new foothold.
Velessa begins negotiating the terms of a potential contract that would recognize Zilvra as Grand Duke in exchange for certain concessions.
Zilvra reveals her plan to turn Baldur's Gate into a massive trade hub for Underdark goods.
Zilvra hints at future ambitions, suggesting she might set her sights on Waterdeep if she finds it enticing enough.
The session ends with the party leveling up to level 11.

The same adventure, another telling

Other voices

Classic Summary

Last we left off, our party found themselves navigating the unsettling new reality of Baldur's Gate — a city draped in the shadow of drow occupation. Zilvra Xilraen, matriarch of House Xilraen, had installed herself at the apex of the High Hall, her dark elf patrols replacing the city watch on streets that had once known a very different kind of order. Yet the city's bureaucratic heart beat on, indifferent to the change in masters. Zilvra received the group with a cool and calculated grace, assuring them their properties and positions remained intact under her "New Gate." She then dispatched her daughters, Ilmryn and Talice, to escort the party on a tour of the newly carved docks overlooking the vast and howling chasm known as the Shrieking Abyss. Along the way, a visit to the ever-unbothered Mizora yielded a crucial insight: a binding contract, sealed with the infernal Calamus Pactum, might be the most pragmatic path to securing meaningful concessions from the matriarch — chief among them, a prohibition on the forced worship of Lolth.

The dock tour, however, proved to be anything but a leisurely stroll. A pair of enormous, purple-winged demonic vultures came screaming out of the abyss winds and slammed onto the docks, triggering a fierce and chaotic battle. The party fought valiantly alongside Ilmryn and Talice, though wild magic surged from Taliya at the worst possible moment, coating the stairs in magical grease and sending Ilmryn sprawling. Matters grew considerably more dire when a hulking Glabrezu clawed its way up from the passage below, sowing confusion among allies and foes alike — causing the sisters to strike one another before Ilmryn accidentally enlarged Velessa to towering, giant-sized proportions. Séantal banished one of the lesser demons entirely, while the now-enormous Velessa closed the distance in a single teleporting stride and cleaved the Glabrezu in two with her moon blade, reducing it to a steaming puddle.

Now, returning to the High Hall with demon ichor still fresh on their blades, the party stands before Zilvra herself — a ruler who has made her ambitions plain. She desires not merely Baldur's Gate, but an eternal trade empire stretching from the Underdark to the surface world, with Waterdeep perhaps next on her list. The shape of a deal is beginning to emerge from the shadows, but so too is the full weight of what it would mean to negotiate with a woman who measures power in centuries and conquest. The terms of the Calamus Pactum have yet to be written, and the fate of the city hangs in the balance...

Limerick Style Summary

The drow took the Gate without fuss, With Zilvra not making a muss. She said, "Keep your stuff!" Though the party called bluff — A contract seemed better to us!

To Mizora they went, wine in hand, Who plucked Velessa's eye as planned. "A contract," she said, "Or fight her instead" — The Calamus Pactum was grand!

The docks were a cavern of screams, Not quite what the tour planner dreams. Two vulture-demons fell, Then a Glabrezu from hell — Things rarely go well, so it seems!

Wild magic greased up all the stairs, Ilmryn slipped and cursed unawares. Then Velessa grew tall, The biggest of all, And bisected the demon in pairs!

Now Zilvra sits smug on her throne, With plans to make Waterdeep her own. The terms aren't yet set, The ink isn't wet — But the shape of the deal has been shown!

Middle English Summary

Hearke well, ye souls of mortal breath, To tales of conquest, dread, and death; Where drow did seize the city's throne, And called the Gate of Baldur's own!

The Matriarch, Zilvra, cold and bright, Did hold the Upper City's might; She bade the party welcome there, With silver tongue and raven hair.

To Mizora's chamber next they went, Where cambion lounged in dark content; She plucked the floating eye from air, And spoke of contracts, bold and fair.

Then down unto the Shrieking Abyss, Where demon-vultures came amiss; With claw and spore and howling gale, The Glabrezu rose to tip the scale.

But Velessa, grown to giant's height, Did cleave the demon with moonlit light; And Séantal's beams did crack and roar — The Gate was theirs to bargain for!

Snarky Summary

Baldur's Gate has been conquered by drow, and honestly? The city barely noticed. The clerks are still filing paperwork, the nobles are still attending their little functions, and Mizora is still drinking mushroom wine with her feet up — so really, business as usual, just with more spider motifs. Zilvra Xilraen, the new matriarch-in-charge, graciously assured the party that their stuff is still their stuff and that Séantal still has a job, which is somehow both reassuring and deeply insulting. The proposed solution to the whole "drow occupation" problem? A strongly-worded infernal contract. Classic adventuring. Meanwhile, Séantal took time out of the city's occupation crisis to file a bureaucratic complaint about unpermitted tunnel construction, because some people simply cannot let things go.

The dock tour — which was explicitly described as a "show of force" — immediately became a show of something else entirely when giant demonic vultures crashed the party, a Glabrezu crawled up from the abyss, and Taliya's wild magic greased the stairs and then turned her invisible so she could watch the chaos from a safe distance. Ilmryn got confused and accidentally made Velessa the size of a small building, which turned out to be extremely useful when said giant Velessa teleported across the battlefield and bisected a demon lord with her moon blade. Zilvra, upon hearing that her brand-new docks had been overrun by demons for at least the third time this week, expressed satisfaction that the problem was handled and showed zero interest in, say, closing the demon portal. She then cheerfully mentioned she might also conquer Waterdeep. The negotiations are going great.

The people, places & details

Session reference

NPCs

Zilvra Xilraen

The Matron of House Xilraen and Velessa's mother, who has successfully occupied the Upper City of Baldur's Gate and installed herself as the supreme authority in the High Hall. She has set up a makeshift throne in the main chamber, confirmed the party's property and Séantal's employment remain intact, and revealed her ambition to turn Baldur's Gate into a trade hub for Underdark goods. She showed little concern for the demonic dangers her docks have stirred, and hinted at future ambitions toward Waterdeep.

Mizora

A cambion who continues to operate from her office in the High Hall, largely unbothered by the drow occupation. She possesses true sight, allowing her to see Velessa's true form and interact with her floating magical eyeball. She proposed drafting a contract to legitimize Zilvra's rule in exchange for concessions, requested her own caveats be included, and asked that the Calamus Pactum be used to sign it. She also noted that Grand Duke Wyll has been asked to hold off on taking action against the occupation.

Ilmryn Xilraen

Velessa's favorite sister and an expert artificer. She accompanied the party to the docks as a show of force on behalf of their mother. During the battle, she cast sanctuary on herself, fell prone on the greasy stairs, leaped across the battlefield to cast warding bond on Velessa, and was afflicted by the Glabrezu's confusion spell, accidentally casting enlarge on Velessa.

Talice Xilraen

Velessa's sister and an expert poisoner who accompanied the party to the docks. During the battle, she used invisibility and her hand crossbow to support the party, and was afflicted by the Glabrezu's confusion spell, causing her to accidentally lash out at Ilmryn. She also slapped a retreating drow soldier in disapproval and later explained that demonic incursions have been increasing in frequency and severity.

Wyll Ravengard

The Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate, currently serving under drow auspices. He appeared grumpy and hurried past the party in the High Hall without engaging in conversation. Mizora has reportedly asked him not to take action against the occupation for the moment.

House Xilraen Soldier

A drow guard stationed at the docks who engaged the invading demons with her blade and crossbow while shouting curses in Elvish about the frequency of such attacks. She was severely wounded by a Vrock and retreated in fear, earning a disapproving slap from Talice. She later apologized to Velessa for her perceived cowardice.

Vrock

Vulture-like demons from the Abyss that attacked the docks in a pair. They are resistant to cold, fire, and lightning, immune to poison, and possess magic resistance. They can emit ear-piercing screeches and release clouds of toxic spores.

Glabrezu

A massive, four-armed demon with large crab-like pincers that emerged from the passage smelling of brimstone. It cast a confusion spell that caused Ilmryn and Talice to act erratically, and was ultimately dissolved into a puddle of steaming goo by Velessa's moon blade.

Locations

High Hall

The seat of government in Baldur's Gate, currently serving as the headquarters for Zilvra Xilraen's occupying drow forces. Drow patrols have replaced the city watch, and Zilvra has set up a makeshift throne in the main central chamber, though the city's bureaucracy continues to function beneath her oversight.

Mizora's Office

A familiar office within the High Hall of Baldur's Gate, currently guarded by drow soldiers. It features a large banner with a strange winged sword symbol on the wall behind the desk. Mizora continues to operate here largely unbothered by the change in regime.

The Underseller

A subterranean passage created by Zilvra Xilraen directly beneath the High Hall, leading down to the newly established drow docks.

The Docks

A bare-bones industrial docking area located in a cavern beneath Baldur's Gate, overlooking the Shrieking Abyss. Characterized by violent, screaming winds that require shouting to communicate, it serves as a landing point for drow airships. The site was the location of a fierce battle against demonic Vrocks and a Glabrezu that emerged from the abyss below.

Shrieking Abyss

A massive, windy chasm beneath Baldur's Gate that connects to the Underdark and ultimately opens into the chaotic evil plane of the Abyss at its very bottom. The constant gale creates a screaming sound that makes communication difficult, and demons have been emerging from it with increasing frequency.

Items

Calamus Pactum

A powerful infernal quill created by Asmodeus, capable of nullifying the contracts of gods. The party discusses its limitations at length, noting that it requires the free will of the signee to function within the bounds of infernal law, ruling out magical coercion as a means of forcing Zilvra to sign. The party plans to use it to formalize a contract with Zilvra Xilraen.

Floating Eyeball

A magical sensor used by Velessa to see her surroundings. Mizora, possessing true sight, is able to see it and physically plucks it from the air during their meeting, holding it between her fingers.

Winged Sword Banner

A recent addition to Mizora's office, this banner displays a strange symbol of a sword with wings. Mizora pointedly looks at it during the party's visit, though the party fails to recognize its significance.

7-42B

A quadrone modron summoned by Séantal to act as a secretary. It was used in this session to deliver a formal missive to the city's historical finds department, filing a complaint regarding the lack of building permits for the new Underdark tunnels beneath the High Hall.

Drow Airship

A large flying vessel used by the drow occupation forces. One was seen at the docks acting as a moving van, unloading furniture and supplies for Zilvra Xilraen's occupation of the High Hall.

Mòyuè jiàn

Velessa's black moon sword, also known as the Ink Dark Moon Sword. She summoned it during the battle at the docks and used it to deliver devastating, divine-infused strikes against the Vrocks and the Glabrezu, ultimately dissolving the latter into a puddle of steaming goo.

Rod of the Pact Keeper

A magical focus held by Yona that enhances her spellcasting accuracy and the potency of her warlock abilities, confirmed to provide a bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs.

Hand Crossbow

A compact ranged weapon used by Talice Xilraen to provide support fire during the skirmish at the docks.

Spells

True Sight

A powerful divinatory effect possessed by both Velessa and Mizora, allowing them to see through illusions and perceive the true forms of creatures and hidden magical objects. Velessa used it to observe Mizora's true winged form, and Mizora used it to see and interact with Velessa's floating magical eyeball.

Hold Monster

A binding enchantment used by both Taliya and Yona to paralyze the Vrocks at the start of the ambush, leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. The Vrocks eventually managed to shake off the effect on subsequent turns.

Eldritch Blast

Beams of crackling force fired by Séantal and Yona throughout the battle. Yona also used her pact invocation to add a repelling effect to her blasts, physically pushing demons back toward the abyss.

Form of Dread

A terrifying transformation initiated by Yona that caused both Vrocks and later the Glabrezu to fail wisdom saving throws and become magically frightened, preventing them from approaching her.

Divine Smite

A burst of holy energy channeled through Velessa's weapon strikes, dealing massive additional damage to the demonic foes and contributing to the devastating critical hits she landed on the held Vrocks.

Sanctuary

A protective ward cast by Ilmryn on herself that made it difficult for enemies to directly target her with attacks, allowing her to reposition safely during the battle.

Bigby's Hand

A giant spectral hand summoned by Taliya that can punch, grapple, shove, or provide cover. It was used throughout the battle to strike Vrocks, attempt to grapple the Glabrezu, and deliver a celebratory high-five to the enlarged Velessa after combat ended.

Grease

A conjuration that coated a 10-foot area of the stairs in a slippery film as a result of Taliya's wild magic surge. It caused Ilmryn to fall prone and created difficult terrain for several combatants, including Séantal and Yona.

Misty Step

Employed by Taliya to teleport thirty feet away from the grease slick she accidentally created, allowing her to reposition safely and turn invisible.

Faerie Fire

A glimmering light cast by a House Xilraen soldier intended to outline a Vrock and make it easier to hit, though the demon managed to resist its effects.

Prestidigitation

Used by Yona as a quick magical utility to instantly clean the grease from her person after being caught in Taliya's wild magic surge.

Banishment

Cast by Séantal to remove a large frog-like demon from the battlefield, sending it to a demi-plane for the duration of the spell's concentration. Séantal maintained concentration through the end of combat, effectively sending the demon back to its home plane permanently.

Jump

A transmutation cast by Ilmryn on herself, allowing her to leap a great distance across the battlefield to reach Velessa's side after recovering from being prone.

Warding Bond

A protective spell cast by Ilmryn that created a mystical connection with Velessa, shielding her sister from harm during the latter part of the battle.

Confusion

A mind-altering spell cast by the Glabrezu that caused Ilmryn and Talice to act erratically, leading to accidental friendly fire from Talice toward Ilmryn and unpredictable spellcasting from Ilmryn.

Enlarge

A transmutation spell cast by a confused Ilmryn that increased Velessa's size to match that of the large demons they were fighting, making her a towering presence on the battlefield.

Blight

A powerful necrotic spell used by Taliya, heightened with her sorcery points to impose disadvantage on the saving throw, that severely withered the form of the Glabrezu and dealt massive damage.