Session 26, Terms of Engagement

The party stood ready to face Neferis, Commander of the Pradixikai — a cold, calculating erinyes sent by the archdevil Glasya to test their worth. The prize for surviving was nothing less than an authenticated copy of the contract the Cassalanters had signed with Asmodeus himself. Velessa wasted no time, magically accelerating herself and rushing headlong toward the towering devil to engage her in melee. Neferis responded with terrifying efficiency, slashing at Velessa with her withering blade before lashing a magical rope across the room to ensnare Talya, binding her in place. The battle had barely begun, and already the party was on the back foot.

The fight grew increasingly brutal as Neferis carved through the party with devastating precision. Séantal hexed the devil and unleashed crackling blasts of force energy from behind a stone pillar, while Talya hurled chaotic bolts of psychic energy that the devil grudgingly acknowledged as worthy. Velessa stood her ground in melee, conjuring magical barriers again and again to deflect the devil's most lethal strikes, burning through her reserves at an alarming rate. Then Neferis turned her full fury on Séantal, delivering a catastrophic blow that dropped them unconscious to the stone floor. Talya used her power over fate to blunt the worst of the devil's strikes, but even her intervention could only do so much.

The worst came when Neferis's blade found Talya. The strike was fatal. In an instant, Talya's soul was wrenched from the prime material plane and dragged somewhere far worse — a towering stone building reeking of sulfur, bathed in the glow of infernal flames, filled with the mechanical churning of some unseen hellish machinery. She found herself in chains, very much not in the Feywild where she might have expected to end up. Back on the battlefield, Velessa poured her healing magic into Séantal to drag them back to consciousness, and Séantal immediately rushed to Talya's side, using powerful restorative magic to pull her soul back from the infernal afterlife. Talya returned to life gasping, with one quiet, heartfelt plea directed at the devil: please don't send her back there.

Vagnfríður finally snapped out of her daze and threw herself into the fray, unleashing a terrifying transformation that sent a wave of supernatural fear washing over Neferis. The devil retaliated viciously, landing a devastating blow on Vagnfríður and attempting to bind her with the same magical rope that had already restrained Talya. Talya, newly returned from the dead, continued to manipulate fate to protect her allies, burning through her higher-level magical reserves to force Neferis to reroll her most lethal strikes. Séantal fired a powerful blast of force energy that finally severed the magical rope entirely, freeing Vagnfríður. Then Talya unleashed a massive surge of psychic energy that struck Neferis like a thunderclap, and the devil dropped to one knee, driving her sword into the stone floor to catch herself.

Bloodied and breathing hard, Neferis raised one hand and called for a halt. The party had passed her test. She rose to her feet moments later, and the party watched in silence as her wounds healed instantly — the blood turning to dust and drifting away until she stood tall and fully recovered, regarding them all with a deeply judgmental eye. She called them undisciplined, impulsive, and frequently reckless, singling out Velessa as "alarmingly so." Yet she acknowledged what mattered: they protected one another when it cost them something. Before presenting their reward, she turned away from the group toward the statue of Asmodeus, the father of Glasya, and murmured quietly — "your father would hate this" — a cryptic remark that hung in the air without explanation.

Neferis materialized a small black folio and extended it toward the party — the authenticated record of the Cassalanters' contract with Asmodeus, recognized in the courts of the Hells, witnessed, sealed, and unaltered. The party read through its disturbing contents, including deeply unsettling legal clauses regarding the definition of maturity that left even the most composed among them visibly shaken. Neferis then presented each member of the party with a Pradixikai Seal — a heavy black metal disk with crimson engravings that glimmered in the presence of the devil commander — explaining that it marked them as noteworthy, granting them standing in Malbolge and a measure of credibility when dealing with devils who acknowledged Glasya's authority. Before vanishing in a puff of ash and smoke, she singled out Vagnfríður one last time, pressing a small hammered iron calling card into her hand — a referral to the Red Anvil, an infernal armorer the party had encountered during their time in Avernus.

With Neferis gone, the party turned their attention to the hidden vestry adjoining the ritual chamber. Velessa's imp familiar, Quillbit, enthusiastically assisted in what she insisted on calling "looting and robbing," turning up two infernal silver chalices with Asmodean engravings, a decanter of infernal vintage, cult robes, a sacrificial ceremonial knife, a vial of infernal ichor, and a strongbox containing five hundred gold pieces in mixed coin and noble signet trinkets left as offerings. Most significantly, Séantal uncovered a small black book hidden within the vestry — the Ninth Ledger — a meticulous record of cult dues, favors, donations, and ceremonial expenses, filled with recurring names and dates that could potentially implicate Waterdavian nobles if cross-referenced against civic records. Velessa used her magic to repair the party's torn and bloodied clothing, and Quillbit scouted a long, winding waterway at the far end of the chamber, eventually reporting that it led out to mudflats northwest of the city.

Rather than return through the party upstairs, the group navigated the cramped, partially flooded tunnel in single file, with Vagnfríður forced to crawl through stretches of cave water and Velessa attempting to ride her flying sword to stay dry — until Séantal cheerfully yanked it out from under her as a reward for Quillbit's hard work, dropping her unceremoniously into the water. Velessa spent the rest of the journey using prestidigitation to clean and dry herself in a continuous loop of indignant muttering. The party emerged into the mudflats north of Waterdeep and made their way back into the city. Their first stop was the courthouse in the Dock Ward, where they were shown into the private office of investigators Barnibus Blastwind and Captain Hystus Staget. Séantal's modron assistant, 7-42B, had already produced authenticated copies of both the Ninth Ledger and the infernal contract, and the originals were handed over to the investigators along with the noble signet rings found among the cult's offerings.

The investigators were visibly shaken by the evidence. Blastwind noted that the infernal contract represented the first real lead on the enormous sum of gold that had vanished from Waterdavian banks nearly a decade prior. Séantal explained that while the Cassalanter twins had been responsible for the dock explosions, they had been acting against their parents, and that the elder Cassalanters were the true architects of the city's infernal corruption. The party also revealed that Osvaldo Cassalanter had been transformed into a chain devil and was being held in the family estate's attic, and warned the investigators about the dangerous infernal nanny employed by the household. Captain Staget agreed the evidence was sufficient to bring the Cassalanters into custody, and the party provided the location of the secret tunnel as a means to cut off any escape.

The party's next encounter came at the House of Wonder, the grand temple of Mystra, where Saresha Imravel tracked them down to settle a debt. Séantal negotiated firmly, securing a two-and-a-half percent share of Saresha's future business profits as fair payment for the party's role in saving her livelihood. Saresha then delivered two rare Thayan texts on behalf of the embassy — the Red Annals of the Zulkirate, a history of Thay's ruling wizards that had never left the country's borders, and the Book of Dead Schools, a catalog of expunged magical traditions and abandoned arcane methodologies — to serve as bartering chips for entry into Candlekeep. The Thayan Embassy also extended an offer to teleport the party to a location of their choice when they were ready to depart. Velessa, meanwhile, sought out a priest of Mystra and made a donation in exchange for a divine blessing that temporarily deepened her connection to the weave.

The party's final stop was the hidden room behind the walls of their inn, where Elzerina and Terenzio Cassalanter were still taking refuge. Velessa broke the news bluntly: they had obtained an authenticated copy of the twins' parents' infernal contract, handed over by a commander of the Pradixikai herself. Elzerina dissolved into a stunned, starstruck reaction, while Terenzio remained disgusted and deeply skeptical that the city's justice system would actually deliver consequences for the wealthiest family in Waterdeep. Séantal delivered a measured but pointed lecture on the dangers of running from responsibility, citing the twins' own parents as a prime example of what happened when one became entangled with fiends and refused to face the consequences. The party proposed a compromise: the twins would wait in Baldur's Gate, safely out of reach, until the elder Cassalanters were brought to justice — and then come forward as witnesses. Whether Elzerina and Terenzio would take that offer remained to be seen, but the wheels of Waterdavian justice, slow and uncertain as they were, had finally begun to turn.

Last we left off, our party stood face to face with Neferis, Commander of the Pradixikai — a cold and calculating erinyes dispatched by the archdevil Glasya herself to put them to the test. The prize for surviving was nothing less than an authenticated copy of the infernal contract the Cassalanters had signed with Asmodeus. The battle that followed was nothing short of brutal. Velessa charged headlong into melee, conjuring barrier after barrier to deflect the devil's withering blade, while Séantal hexed and blasted from behind cover and Talya bent the threads of fate to blunt the worst of Neferis's strikes. Yet the devil's fury proved nearly overwhelming — Séantal was cut down unconscious, and Talya herself was slain, her soul dragged to a sulfur-reeking stone building deep in the infernal planes, bound in chains far from any Feywild she might have hoped for. Only Séantal's powerful restorative magic pulled her back, and Talya returned to life with a single quiet plea: please don't send her back there.

The tide turned when Vagnfríður finally threw herself into the fight, her terrifying transformation sending a wave of supernatural fear washing over the devil. Talya, newly returned from death, continued to burn through her highest magical reserves to protect her allies, and Séantal's force blast severed the magical rope binding Vagnfríður entirely. Then Talya unleashed a thunderclap of psychic energy that drove Neferis to one knee. The devil raised her hand and called a halt — the party had passed her test. She rose fully healed, regarded them with a deeply judgmental eye, called them undisciplined and reckless, and then acknowledged what truly mattered: they protected one another when it cost them something. Before departing in a puff of ash and smoke, she presented them with the black folio containing the Cassalanter contract, Pradixikai Seals marking them as noteworthy in the courts of Malbolge, and — for Vagnfríður alone — a calling card for an infernal armorer known as the Red Anvil.

With Neferis gone, the party looted the hidden vestry, uncovering infernal chalices, a decanter of infernal vintage, cult robes, a sacrificial knife, a vial of infernal ichor, five hundred gold pieces in mixed offerings, and most critically, the Ninth Ledger — a meticulous record of cult dues and noble names that could shake Waterdeep's aristocracy to its foundations. They escaped through a flooded tunnel to the mudflats north of the city, delivered the ledger and the infernal contract to investigators Blastwind and Staget at the Dock Ward courthouse, and set the wheels of Waterdavian justice slowly turning against the elder Cassalanters. They secured rare Thayan texts from Saresha Imravel as passage into Candlekeep, received a divine blessing from the House of Wonder, and finally broke the news to the Cassalanter twins — still hiding behind the walls of their inn — that their parents' darkest secrets were now in the hands of the law. Now, with the city's most powerful family on the verge of reckoning and the road to Candlekeep ahead of them, we pick up with our party standing at the edge of what comes next...

A devil named Neferis came to test, And Velessa charged in with great zest. Talya died — went to Hell, Came back, lived to tell, And begged not to return to that nest!

Séantal was dropped with one blow, But Velessa healed fast, wouldn't slow. They burned through their spells, Defied all the Hells, Till Neferis knelt in the glow.

"Undisciplined, reckless," she said, "Yet you pulled back your friends from the dead." She gave them the folio, Seals for the portfolio, And vanished in ash overhead.

Through tunnels of water they crawled, While Velessa dried off, quite appalled. The ledger and deed Were just what they'd need — The investigators were floored and enthralled.

The twins heard the news with a start, The contract laid bare every part. The wheels turned at last, For sins of the past — And Candlekeep called to their heart!

Hearke well, ye souls of daring make, Who stood where brimstone devils wake; Neferis came with blade and rope, To test their mettle, faith, and hope, And nearly left them in her wake.

The battle raged with fire and dread, And Talya fell, and Talya fled To halls of sulfur, chain, and flame, Yet Séantal called her back by name, And raised her living from the dead.

Then Vagnfríður, fierce and fell, Did shake the devil's iron shell; With psychic thunder, Talya smote, And Neferis dropped, and cleared her throat, And said: "Ye've passed. Now hear me well."

She gave the folio, dark and sealed, The Ninth Ledger too was revealed; Through flooded tunnels, cold and black, The party dragged their findings back, And laid them where the law was steeled.

To courthouse, temple, inn they went, Their evidence and counsel spent; The twins were warned, the judges shook, And Candlekeep awaits the book — Now justice stirs, though slow its bent.

So the party fought a literal devil commander sent by an archdevil to grade them like a pop quiz, and somehow their strategy of "Velessa runs directly at the scariest thing in the room" and "Talya dies and goes to Hell" was apparently enough to pass. Talya got her soul dragged to an infernal stone building reeking of sulfur — not the Feywild, not a nice meadow, Hell — came back to life, and her one request was "please don't do that again," which, honestly, fair. Neferis healed all her wounds instantly, called them all undisciplined disasters with a special shoutout to Velessa for being "alarmingly so," and then handed over the devil contract anyway, because apparently reckless chaos counts as heart.

The aftermath was a whole thing: they looted a cult vestry with the enthusiastic assistance of an imp named Quillbit, crawled through a flooded tunnel while Velessa tried to ride her flying sword to stay dry until Séantal yeeted it out from under her, handed over evidence to investigators who looked like they needed a long sit-down, lectured two teenage fugitives about the dangers of running from your problems, and somehow also found time to pick up rare Thayan books and a divine blessing. The wheels of justice are turning. Slowly. In Waterdeep. So, you know — don't hold your breath.

Tragic

Talya is killed by Neferis's blade and her soul is briefly dragged to an infernal stone building reeking of sulfur, where she finds herself in chains surrounded by the glow of hellfire.

Context: A shocking mid-combat death that revealed the terrifying consequence of Neferis's infernal weapon — death by it sends souls straight to Hell.

Funny — Talya

Please don't send me back to hell. I didn't like it there.

Context: Casually pleading with Neferis after being revived, having just experienced a brief but traumatic visit to the infernal afterlife.

Dramatic — Neferis

Your father would hate this. (Murmured by Neferis to the statue of Asmodeus, the father of Glasya)

Context: A quiet, cryptic remark made by Neferis seemingly to herself after judging the party, leaving everyone wondering whose father she meant.

Funny — Séantal

I want to fight you. Bye.

Context: Describing what it would have looked like if they had simply banished Neferis at the start of combat instead of fighting her.

Funny

Séantal yanks Velessa's flying sword out from under her mid-escape, dropping her into the waterway, as a 'reward' for Quillbit's hard work during the session.

Context: A petty but gleeful act of mischief during the otherwise tense escape through the flooded tunnels beneath the Cassalanter estate.

Dramatic — Elzerina Cassalanter

Holy shit. And this whole time that Elzerina is just kind of losing her shit, kind of having this fangirl moment.

Context: Elzerina's stunned, starstruck reaction upon learning the party had fought and bested Neferis, a commander of the Pradixikai.

Funny — Séantal

No one is safe from emotional damage.

Context: Responding to Talya's choice of psychic damage for her sorcerous burst, arguing it was the best damage type to use against a devil.

Funny — Velessa

I know writers who use subtext, all of them, cowards.

Context: Responding to Vagnfríður's comment that there is 'subtext everywhere' after Velessa failed to read the room during a tense conversation.

1. The Trial of Neferis Begins

The party prepares to face Neferis, Commander of the Pradixikai, in a combat trial to win an authenticated copy of the Cassalanter contract with Asmodeus.

Key events

• The party identifies their opponent as Neferis, an erinyes sent by Glasya to test them, who has offered an authenticated copy of the Cassalanter contract as a reward for defeating her.
• Velessa magically enhances her speed and rushes toward Neferis to engage her in melee.
• Neferis retaliates by slashing at Velessa with her withering sword, missing, then lashes an entangling rope at Talya, restraining her across the battlefield.
• Talya taps into her innate sorcery and hurls a chaotic bolt of energy at Neferis, though it misses and smashes into the wall behind the devil.
• Séantal considers banishing the devil outright but decides against it to ensure they receive their reward, instead taking cover behind a pillar, hexing Neferis's constitution, and striking her with a powerful eldritch blast.
• Velessa attempts to slash at Neferis with her sword but fails to land a blow.
• Neferis continues her assault on Velessa with her withering blade, though Velessa conjures magical shields to deflect the strikes.

2. The Trial Intensifies

The party struggles in a brutal confrontation with Neferis, leading to multiple party members being downed and a brief, terrifying glimpse of the infernal afterlife for one member.

Key events

• Talya strikes Neferis with a burst of psychic energy, causing the devil to acknowledge the hit with a curt 'better.'
• Neferis darts across the battlefield and strikes Séantal with a devastating critical blow, knocking them unconscious.
• Talya uses silvery barbs to force Neferis to reroll a critical strike against Séantal, mitigating some of the damage.
• Neferis turns her blade on Talya, delivering a critical strike that kills the satyr outright.
• Talya's soul is briefly pulled to an infernal stone building filled with the smell of sulfur and the glow of infernal flames, where she finds herself in chains.
• Velessa desperately casts a healing spell to bring Séantal back to consciousness.
• Séantal rushes to Talya's side and uses powerful restorative magic to pull her soul back from the infernal afterlife.
• Neferis entangles Velessa in her magical rope, restraining her movements on the battlefield.
• Talya, newly returned to life, unleashes a burst of necrotic and healing energy to bolster her allies and harm the devil.

3. The Tide Turns and Vagnfríður Arrives

The party rallies against Neferis, with Vagnfríður joining the fray just as the battle reaches its peak, and a massive surge of psychic energy finally forces the devil to yield.

Key events

• Séantal fires a powerful eldritch blast that successfully severs the magical rope binding Velessa.
• Vagnfríður snaps out of her daze and enters the combat, unleashing a terrifying transformation that frightens Neferis.
• Neferis unleashes a series of devastating strikes on Vagnfríður, critically wounding her and attempting to entangle her with the magical rope.
• Talya repeatedly uses silvery barbs to force Neferis to reroll her most lethal critical strikes, protecting her allies at the cost of her higher-level spell slots.
• Talya unleashes a massive surge of psychic energy through an upcast chaos bolt, dealing a devastating blow to the devil commander.
• Bloodied and bruised, Neferis drops to one knee, drives her sword into the stone floor, and calls for a halt to the combat, declaring that the party has passed their test.

4. The Test Concludes and Rewards Are Given

Neferis recovers instantly from her wounds and delivers her judgment on the party before presenting them with their promised rewards.

Key events

• Neferis rises to her feet and her wounds heal instantly, the blood turning to dust and fading away.
• Neferis judges the party as undisciplined, impulsive, and frequently reckless, singling out Velessa as 'alarmingly so,' yet acknowledges their willingness to protect one another at personal cost.
• Neferis makes a quiet, cryptic remark — 'your father would hate this' — directed toward the statue of Asmodeus, the father of Glasya.
• Neferis materializes a small black folio containing the authenticated copy of the Cassalanter contract with Asmodeus and presents it to the party.
• The party reads the disturbing contents of the contract, including deeply unsettling legal clauses regarding the definition of maturity.
• Neferis grants each party member a Pradixikai Seal, explaining it marks them as noteworthy and grants them standing in Malbolge.
• Before vanishing in a puff of ash and smoke, Neferis specifically singles out Vagnfríður and hands her a small hammered iron calling card for the Red Anvil forge.
• Séantal summons their modron assistant, 7-42B, to secure and begin analyzing the authenticated contract.

5. Looting the Cultist Vestry

The party searches the hidden ritual chambers beneath the Cassalanter estate for evidence and valuables, with Quillbit enthusiastically assisting.

Key events

• Quillbit assists in scouring the chamber, uncovering two infernal silver chalices with Asmodean engravings, a decanter of infernal vintage, cult regalia, and a sacrificial ceremonial knife.
• The party finds a small strongbox containing 500 gold pieces in mixed coin, jewelry, and noble signet trinkets left by cult members as offerings.
• Scrolls of magic circle and protection from good and evil are discovered among the cult's supplies.
• A vial of infernal ichor and a black wax seal bearing the cult's private Asmodean mark are also recovered.
• Séantal discovers the Ninth Ledger, a small black book hidden in the vestry recording cult dues, favors, donations, and ceremonial expenses with recurring names and dates that could implicate Waterdavian nobles.
• Velessa uses magic to repair the party's torn and bloodied clothing to maintain their cover.
• Talya reflects quietly on her brief, traumatic death and the sulfurous infernal vision she experienced before being revived.

6. Escape Through the Waterway

The party decides to avoid returning through the main party upstairs and instead escapes through a secret subterranean waterway.

Key events

• Velessa sends Quillbit to scout the tunnels, and the imp returns after a long while to report that the waterway leads out to mudflats northwest of the city.
• The group navigates a cramped, partially submerged stone passage that winds for hundreds of feet beneath the estate.
• Vagnfríður expresses her distaste for crawling through cave water, comparing it unfavorably to the sewers of Waterdeep.
• Velessa attempts to use her flying sword to stay dry, but Séantal playfully yanks it away, forcing her into the water as a reward for Quillbit's hard work during the session.
• Velessa uses prestidigitation repeatedly to clean and dry herself as the group makes their way through the tunnel.
• The party emerges from the tunnels into the mudflats north of Waterdeep and begins making their way back into the city.

7. Evidence at the Courthouse

The party meets with Watch investigators Barnibus Blastwind and Captain Hystus Staget to hand over evidence of the Cassalanters' infernal dealings.

Key events

• The party arrives at the courthouse in the Dock Ward and is shown into the private office shared by Barnibus Blastwind and Captain Hystus Staget.
• Séantal has 7-42B create authenticated copies of the Ninth Ledger and the infernal contract, presenting the originals to the investigators.
• The party presents the ledger, the contract, and noble signet rings found in the cult's basement as evidence.
• Séantal explains that while the Cassalanter twins were behind the dock explosions, they were motivated by their parents' horrific pact with Asmodeus.
• The party reveals that Osvaldo Cassalanter has been transformed into a chain devil and is being held in the family estate's attic.
• Velessa warns the Watch about the dangerous infernal nanny employed by the Cassalanters and recommends sending capable spellcasters.
• Captain Staget agrees the evidence is sufficient to bring the Cassalanters into custody, and the party provides the location of the secret tunnel leading from the basement to the mudflats.
• Blastwind asks if the party could arrange an audience with the Blackstaff to help speed up the investigation, and the party confirms they can.

8. Gifts from the Thayan Embassy and a Temple Visit

Saresha Imravel catches up with the party at the House of Wonder to settle a debt and deliver crucial items for their upcoming journey to Candlekeep.

Key events

• Velessa accidentally enters the House of the Moon, a grand temple to Selûne, before realizing she intended to visit the House of Wonder, the temple of Mystra.
• Saresha Imravel finds the party at the House of Wonder to thank them for their help in securing her business license.
• Séantal negotiates firmly, securing a two-and-a-half percent share of Saresha's future business profits as payment for their services.
• Saresha presents the party with two rare Thayan texts — the Red Annals of the Zulkirate and the Book of Dead Schools — to serve as bartering chips for entry into Candlekeep.
• The Thayan Embassy offers the party a one-time teleportation to a location of their choice when they are ready to depart for Candlekeep.
• Velessa seeks a blessing from a priest of Mystra, donating gold to receive temporary arcane empowerment in the form of additional spell slots.

9. A Tense Reunion with the Cassalanter Twins

The party returns to their secret meeting room to present the authenticated infernal contract to the Cassalanter twins and discuss their future.

Key events

• Velessa reveals to Elzerina and Terenzio that they obtained an authenticated copy of their parents' contract from Neferis, a commander of the Pradixikai.
• Elzerina reacts with shock and starstruck admiration at the party's encounter with a high-ranking devil, while Terenzio remains disgusted and skeptical.
• Séantal shows the twins the Pradixikai Seal as proof of the party's victory.
• Séantal informs the twins that their parents are under investigation by trusted members of the City Watch.
• The party debates the twins' future, with Velessa offering them a safe house in Baldur's Gate to avoid prison for the dock bombings.
• Séantal delivers a stern lecture on the dangers of running from responsibilities, citing the twins' parents as a prime example of what happens when one becomes entangled with fiends.
• The party proposes that the twins wait in Baldur's Gate until the elder Cassalanters are brought to justice, then come forward as witnesses.
• The session ends with the party leveling up after receiving their session experience.

Neferis

The commander of the Pradixikai and an erinyes sent by Glasya to test the party. She is cold, pragmatic, and difficult to impress, wielding a withering sword and an entangling magical rope with lethal precision. She frequently landed devastating critical hits during the trial, nearly defeating the party single-handedly. After the party proved their worth, she judged them as undisciplined but protective of one another, delivered the authenticated Cassalanter contract, granted them Pradixikai Seals, and gave Vagnfríður a calling card for the Red Anvil before vanishing in a puff of ash.

7-42B

Séantal's modron assistant who was summoned to secure the authenticated infernal contract, immediately began reading and analyzing it with great interest, and later produced copies of both the contract and the Ninth Ledger for the City Watch.

Quillbit

Velessa's imp familiar who enthusiastically assisted in 'looting and robbing' the cultist vestry and scouted the winding waterway tunnels, reporting that they led to mudflats northwest of the city.

Barnibus Blastwind

A City Watch investigator who was enthusiastic and excited to receive the party's evidence, noting the infernal contract provided the first real lead on the missing Cassalanter funds.

Captain Hystus Staget

A stern and unamused City Watch captain who reviewed the party's documents, agreed the evidence was damning enough to bring the Cassalanters into custody, and began planning the operation.

Osvaldo Cassalanter

The eldest Cassalanter son, mentioned by the party as having been transformed into a chain devil and held in the family estate's attic, whose release was a condition Séantal pressed the investigators to address.

Saresha Imravel

A Thayan trade liaison who found the party at the House of Wonder to express gratitude for their help with her business license. She agreed to a two-and-a-half percent profit-sharing arrangement after Séantal's firm negotiation, and delivered the Red Annals of the Zulkirate and the Book of Dead Schools as bartering chips for Candlekeep.

Elzerina Cassalanter

One of the Cassalanter twins hiding in the party's inn. She reacted with shock and starstruck admiration upon learning the party had fought and bested a commander of the Pradixikai.

Terenzio Cassalanter

Elzerina's brother, who remained disgusted and deeply skeptical of the city's justice system when the party presented their findings, doubting that the Watch would actually deliver justice.

Cassalanter Ritual Chamber

A hidden stone-floored chamber beneath the Cassalanter estate where the party faced Neferis in a brutal combat trial. It features stone pillars that provide cover and enough space for magical ropes to stretch across the room.

Infernal Holding Chamber

A terrifying stone building filled with the overwhelming smell of sulfur and the glow of infernal flames, punctuated by mechanical churning and the crack of a hammer. Talya briefly found herself here in chains after being killed by Neferis's blade.

Cassalanter Vestry

A hidden chamber adjacent to the ritual area beneath the Cassalanter estate, containing cult regalia, a strongbox of offerings, and the concealed Ninth Ledger.

Cassalanter Estate Waterway

A long, winding, cramped tunnel filled with relatively clear freshwater that connects the hidden cult chambers beneath the Cassalanter estate to the mudflats north of Waterdeep.

Waterdeep Mudflats

A marshy area located just northwest of the city walls where the secret waterway exits, serving as the party's escape point from the Cassalanter estate.

Waterdeep Courthouse

Located in the Dock Ward, this building houses the private offices of City Watch investigators Barnibus Blastwind and Captain Hystus Staget, where the party delivered their evidence against the Cassalanters.

House of the Moon

A grand, popular temple in Waterdeep dedicated to Selûne, which Velessa accidentally entered while looking for the House of Wonder.

House of Wonder

The grand temple of Mystra, Goddess of Magic, in Waterdeep, featuring walls inscribed with runes. The party received Thayan artifacts here from Saresha Imravel, and Velessa purchased a blessing from a priest.

Secret Meeting Room

A hidden chamber behind the walls of the party's inn where Elzerina and Terenzio Cassalanter are currently taking refuge, and where the party delivered news of the investigation.

Withering Sword

A sinister infernal blade wielded by Neferis throughout the combat trial. It inflicted grievous wounds on multiple party members and was directly responsible for Talya's temporary death.

Entangling Rope

A magical rope that moves of its own volition, lashing out from Neferis's hand to restrain her enemies across the battlefield. It successfully bound both Talya and Vagnfríður during the fight, and was eventually severed by one of Séantal's eldritch blasts.

The Compact of Nessus

A small black folio materialized by Neferis and presented to the party as their reward for passing the trial. It contains the authenticated record of the agreement between Victoro and Ammalia Cassalanter and Asmodeus, detailing the sacrifice of their children's souls in exchange for fortune and status. The contract includes deeply disturbing legal clauses regarding the definition of maturity and methods to bypass protections for children.

The Pradixikai Seal

A heavy, coin-sized black metal disk with crimson engravings that glimmer near devils or active infernal contracts. Each party member received one from Neferis. It signifies that the bearer has been evaluated and recognized by the Pradixikai, granting standing in Malbolge and advantage on charisma checks to establish legitimacy with devils who acknowledge Glasya's authority, though it carries the risk of marking the bearer as a target for devils opposed to Glasya.

Red Anvil Calling Card

A small hammered iron object given specifically to Vagnfríður by Neferis just before she vanished. It serves as a referral to the Red Anvil, an infernal armorer the party had previously visited during their time in Avernus.

Infernal Silver Chalices

Two black and silver vessels with ruby stems and Asmodean engravings, found among the cult's ritual supplies and valued at 250 gold pieces each.

Decanter of Infernal Vintage

A bottle of high-quality hellish liquor recognized from the party's previous travels to the Hells, found in the cultist vestry and valued at 300 gold pieces.

Sacrificial Ceremonial Knife

A sharp blade used in cult rituals, found among the wreckage of the ritual chamber and valued at 150 gold pieces.

Vial of Infernal Ichor

A container of foul, hellish fluid recovered from the cultist vestry, potentially worth up to 250 gold pieces to the right buyer.

The Ninth Ledger

A small black book hidden in the vestry of the Cassalanter cult space, recording cult dues, favors, donations, and ceremonial expenses. It contains recurring names, dates, and amounts that could be cross-referenced against civic records to implicate Waterdavian nobles. A copy was made by 7-42B and the original was handed over to the City Watch investigators.

Scroll of Magic Circle

A magical scroll found among the cult's supplies, useful for containing extraplanar entities.

Scroll of Protection from Good and Evil

A magical scroll recovered from the cultist vestry alongside the scroll of magic circle.

Noble Signet Rings

Trinkets left by cult members as offerings, found in the strongbox of cult donations. Séantal noted the recklessness of leaving identifying noble signets in an illegal cult space, and they were turned over to the City Watch as evidence.

The Red Annals of the Zulkirate

A crimson-bound Thayan history delivered to the party by Saresha Imravel on behalf of the Thayan Embassy, intended as the primary bartering chip for gaining entry to Candlekeep.

The Book of Dead Schools

A rare catalog of expunged Thayan magical traditions, abandoned spell structures, and obsolete rituals, delivered alongside the Red Annals by Saresha Imravel to sweeten the deal at Candlekeep.

Calamus Pactum

The party's magical infernal pen, referenced by Velessa as a likely reason their group keeps attracting infernal attention and 'hellish shit.'

Haste

Cast by Velessa at the start of combat to dramatically increase her movement speed, allowing her to rush across the battlefield and engage Neferis directly.

Shield

Velessa repeatedly employed this magical barrier throughout the combat to deflect Neferis's lethal sword strikes, burning through her spell slots to stay standing. She used it at least five times to block critical hits.

Hex

Séantal placed this curse on Neferis targeting her constitution, hindering her resilience and increasing the impact of subsequent attacks.

Eldritch Blast

Séantal's primary offensive tool throughout the combat, firing beams of crackling force energy at Neferis. One particularly powerful blast successfully severed the magical rope that had been binding Velessa.

Chaos Bolt

Employed by Talya multiple times during the combat. An upcast version infused with psychic energy dealt a massive blow to Neferis near the end of the fight, ultimately forcing the devil to yield. The spell also bounced due to matching dice, allowing Talya to target the magical rope.

Sorcerous Burst

Talya used this cantrip to deal psychic damage to Neferis, deliberately choosing the psychic damage type to bypass the devil's likely resistances.

Silvery Barbs

Talya repeatedly used this spell to manipulate fate at critical moments, forcing Neferis to reroll her most dangerous attacks and protecting her allies. She burned through multiple spell slots on it throughout the fight.

Misty Step

Used by Talya to teleport away from Neferis's immediate reach after being restrained by the magical rope, allowing her to reposition and continue casting.

Cure Wounds

Cast by Velessa using her artificer training to magically heal Séantal after they were knocked unconscious by a critical hit from Neferis.

Revivify

A powerful restorative spell cast by Séantal to pull Talya's soul back from the infernal afterlife she had entered after being killed by Neferis's blade, returning her to life with a single hit point.

Wither and Bloom

Cast by Talya after being revived, simultaneously draining energy from Neferis and allowing her allies to draw upon their inner reserves to heal their wounds.

Hunter's Mark

Vagnfríður attempted to magically mark Neferis to track her movements and increase her damage output during the skirmish, though her bonus action was already spent on her transformation.

Healing Light

Séantal employed this celestial power immediately following the conclusion of the battle with Neferis to mend the party's wounds, using charges to heal Velessa and themselves.

Mending

Used by Velessa to repair the slashes and damage dealt to the party's clothing during the intense combat with Neferis, maintaining their cover.

Prestidigitation

Employed repeatedly by Velessa to clean and dry herself and other party members after their trek through the waterway tunnels beneath the Cassalanter estate.

Blessing of Mystra

A divine empowerment purchased by Velessa at the House of Wonder for a gold donation. A priest of Mystra granted her two temporary spell slots, allowing her to tap into the weave more than she normally would for the remainder of the day.