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

Session 8, the Last Work of Cicerox pt.1

SESSION 82026-04-03

Date: 2026-04-03

Summary

Before departing for the Hells, the party made their final preparations in Baldur's Gate. Velessa got a fresh haircut, while Séantal and Shane made their way to the Unrolling Scroll, a temple of Oghma in the Temples district, to purchase vials of holy water blessed by the god of knowledge. The priests accepted their gold as a donation — a framing Séantal quietly noted was more of a transaction than an act of piety, though they said nothing to the priests about it. Meanwhile, Vagnfríður packed an almost absurd quantity of lovingly prepared meals for the three-day journey, enough to feed a small army, and the group gathered at the Eomane house before making their way to the Devil's Fee.

At Helsik's shop, Korrilla met them with calm efficiency, offering only a few words of advice for surviving the Hells: show deference, and do not provoke anyone. When pressed on what that meant exactly, she clarified simply — don't piss anyone off. Quillbit, the party's imp companion, had quietly decided she would rather remain behind at the Eomane house than return to the plane she had spent so long trying to escape. Korrilla led the group upstairs to a back room where an elaborate eight-pointed star had been drawn on the floor in a dried, rusty brown substance. She carefully arranged a diamond, a skull, incense, a coin, and several other objects at the star's points, muttered a few words, and the lines of the star burst into flame while the center rippled into a mirror-like sheen reflecting a raging inferno beyond.

One by one, the party stepped through the portal and emerged into the House of Hope — Korrilla's Patron's residence in Avernus. The first thing that hit them was the heat, dry and suffocating, the kind that seemed to steal the breath right from the lungs. The room itself was opulent, lined with red stained-glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling and a half-circle of mirrors, each reflecting a different location: a snowy tundra, a lush forest, and the familiar skyline of Baldur's Gate itself. Korrilla pressed her hand to one of the windows and the glass melted away, revealing the hellscape of Avernus beyond — a landscape bathed in a diffused, orangish-red light that seemed to emanate from the air itself, with no sun, no moon, and shadows that fell in no particular direction.

Korrilla explained their destination: the Bronze Citadel, a massive military capital deep in Avernus, and within it, a place called the Cinder Market. She was there to acquire a valuable commodity, and she wanted capable people watching her back after the purchase was made — the kind of people who understood what it meant to be followed out of a shop carrying something expensive. She warned them about the River Styx, a wide river of blood that wound through the hellscape, cautioning them not to touch it under any circumstances, as its waters would strip away all memory and sense of self. Then she produced a gray stone covered in twisted, open-mouthed faces, spoke into it, and summoned their ride.

The ground shook before they saw it — a massive plume of fiery dust and debris kicking up about a mile out, rapidly closing the distance at screaming speed. The shape that emerged from the cloud was a hulking machine of iron, spikes, and flame, slightly longer than a city bus, which screeched sideways to a halt directly in front of them. A heavy iron door swung open, and out hobbled a tiny old woman in dust goggles: Mad Maggie. Behind her loomed Mickey, a twelve-foot-tall flesh golem she had stitched together herself from scavenged parts, his mouth sewn shut around a fleshy tube that left him capable only of groaning. Maggie looked the party over with sharp, appraising eyes, gave Seris a deliberate sniff, and declared they would do.

Inside the war machine, small mischievous creatures called madcaps scurried about, poking at the passengers with metal rods and chittering to one another. Two kenku — Chukka and Clonk — occupied the front of the vehicle, one piloting and one monitoring the engine's pressure gauges. Maggie explained that the machine ran on soul coins, iron discs containing trapped souls, and demonstrated by tossing one to Chukka, who slotted it into the control panel and sent the machine surging forward with a burst of brilliant flame. She also pointed out Clonk's warhammer, a hellfire weapon, explaining that anyone killed by such a blade had their soul ripped straight to the maggot pits of the Hells, bypassing the gods entirely. Every once in a while, Mickey would groan and shake one of his enormous feet, and every madcap in the vehicle would immediately stop what they were doing and imitate him exactly, dissolving into chittering laughter.

The journey was going smoothly until it wasn't. A grinding shriek of metal filled the cabin as the war machine lurched and ground to a halt, a thick plume of oil-black smoke rising from the front. Chukka erupted into a torrent of Infernal cursing, kicking the front wheel in frustration. Velessa ritually worked a spell to understand the kenku's language and then crouched beside her, using her tinker's tools to help diagnose the problem — two gears had become misaligned, their teeth jammed against each other rather than meshing. A stubborn bolt refused to budge until Vagnfríður was called over, and even her considerable strength wasn't enough until Velessa climbed onto her shoulders for extra leverage, at which point the bolt spun free with no effort at all. While repairs were underway, Mad Maggie reclined in a chair made of stretched skin and iron beneath a matching flesh parasol, attended by madcaps who brought her goblets of viscous red liquid and what appeared to be severed fingers, which she munched like chicken wings.

With the machine temporarily out of commission, the party attempted to eat Vagnfríður's carefully prepared meals — and immediately regretted it. Every bite tasted foul, spoiled, or corrupted, and the water they had brought tasted bitter and sulfurous, despite nothing appearing wrong with either. Maggie, watching them spit out their food with barely concealed amusement, explained that food from the Prime Material always tasted awful in Avernus. It would still fill their bellies, she said, but the plane had a way of changing the flavor of everything. Before anyone could fully process this indignity, Shane spotted movement to the southwest — a pack of bloated, grotesque, dog-like creatures bounding toward them on all fours, driven forward by chains wielded by red, horned, human-shaped figures that cackled as they ran.

Velessa identified them immediately: demons, not devils — a raiding party from the Abyss, the dog-like creatures known as dretches and their chain-wielding masters called cacklers. Mad Maggie and Mickey retreated into the war machine without ceremony, leaving the party to handle the situation. Vagnfríður was magically enlarged to a towering height of over thirty feet, becoming a massive presence on the battlefield, while Velessa wove protective magic around her to ward off the fiends' attacks. Séantal opened the engagement with a blast of eldritch energy that tore a chunk of flesh from a charging dretch, and Shane followed with a precise shot that dropped another outright, its face slamming into the dirt as it slid to a stop.

The battle was chaotic and brutal. A cackler unleashed a bolt of fire at the enormous Vagnfríður and missed spectacularly. Velessa activated her blade song, fired a radiant crossbow bolt into a cackler, and retreated with fluid grace. One of the dretches unleashed a cloud of noxious gas that left Seris poisoned and struggling. Then Vagnfríður, raging and enormous, grabbed a dretch in her massive hands and hurled it like a cannonball directly into another demon — both exploded on impact in a deeply satisfying display of improvised violence. Shane put down the last cackler with a single shot, and as it fell, it released a bone-chilling dying laugh that rang out across the hellscape. The remaining dretches were picked off one by one, and as the last of them fell, the demon bodies began to dissolve into wispy black ash and vanish into the air, returning to the Abyss rather than dying permanently.

With the demons gone and the machine repaired, the party climbed back aboard and the war machine roared back to life. Velessa, without warning, simply stopped maintaining the magic that had made Vagnfríður enormous, and the towering barbarian suddenly shrank back to her normal size mid-step, nearly face-planting in the Avernian dirt before catching herself on one leg with an undignified stumble. Mad Maggie emerged from the machine, looked the party over, and grudgingly admitted they might have been worth the soul coin she had paid for them. The war machine screeched to a halt before the massive iron gates of the Bronze Citadel, where Maggie promised to return in two days before sending them on their way. Korrilla finally revealed the nature of her errand: she was there to purchase a specific imp for her employer, and she intended to find it at the Cinder Market.

Korrilla led them through the gates of the Bronze Citadel, pointing out the floating fortresses drifting overhead — part of Zariel's defense against the demonic incursions of the Blood War — and naming a few local points of interest: the Crooked Ledger, which traded in gold, and the Red Anvil of Bel's Shadow, a prestigious blacksmith shop once associated with the archdevil Bel himself, now run by a tiefling Maggie had described as mouthy. She recommended the Ashen Cup for lodging and suggested trying the local delicacy — abyss chicken, a featherless, backwards-footed demonic creature that apparently tasted quite good despite its deeply unsettling appearance, one of which could be seen scurrying through the gutter nearby. With rooms reserved and the Cinder Market waiting, the party settled in for their first night in the Bronze Citadel, deep in the heart of Avernus.

Short

After making final preparations in Baldur's Gate — including purchasing holy water, packing an enormous supply of food, and leaving their imp companion Quillbit behind — the party traveled to Helsik's shop, where the merchant Korrilla led them through a ritual portal into Avernus. Emerging into the opulent House of Hope, they were immediately struck by the suffocating heat and the alien hellscape beyond its red-stained windows. Korrilla briefed them on their destination, the Bronze Citadel's Cinder Market, warned them away from the memory-erasing River Styx, and summoned their transport: a massive iron war machine piloted by two kenku named Chukka and Clonk, crewed by mischievous madcaps, and owned by the eccentric Mad Maggie, who traveled with her enormous flesh golem Mickey. When the machine broke down mid-journey, Velessa and Vagnfríður worked together to repair it, while the party discovered that all food and water from the Material Plane tasted foul and corrupted in Avernus.

The breakdown was interrupted by a demonic raiding party — dretches and cacklers from the Abyss — which Mad Maggie promptly left the party to handle alone. Vagnfríður was magically enlarged to a towering size and hurled dretches into one another like living cannonballs, while Séantal, Shane, and Velessa picked apart the remaining demons with eldritch blasts, precise arrows, and radiant magic. With the threat eliminated and the machine repaired, the group pressed on to the Bronze Citadel, where Maggie dropped them off and promised to return in two days. Korrilla finally revealed her true errand: purchasing a specific imp for her employer at the Cinder Market. The party settled into the citadel for the night, taking in its floating fortresses, peculiar shops, and the unsettling local delicacy of backwards-footed abyss chicken, as their mission in the heart of Avernus truly began.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid band made their final preparations in Baldur's Gate before stepping through a ritual portal into the first layer of the Nine Hells — Avernus itself. Holy water was purchased, meals were lovingly packed, and farewells were exchanged with Quillbit, their imp companion, who wisely chose to remain behind rather than return to the plane she had fought so hard to escape. Guided by the enigmatic Korrilla, the party emerged into the House of Hope, greeted by suffocating heat, opulent red-stained glass, and a hellscape bathed in a sourceless, burning orange light. Their destination: the Bronze Citadel, deep in the heart of Avernus, and within it, the Cinder Market — where Korrilla intended to acquire something valuable, and needed capable hands to ensure she made it back out with it.

Their ride came in the form of Mad Maggie's war machine — a screaming, spike-laden iron behemoth piloted by two kenku and crewed by mischievous madcaps, with a twelve-foot flesh golem named Mickey looming silently in the back. The journey was interrupted by a mechanical breakdown and a raiding party of demons from the Abyss — dretches and cacklers who came bounding across the hellscape on chains. The party rose to meet them with eldritch blasts, precise arrows, and radiant steel, while a magically enlarged Vagnfríður, towering over thirty feet tall and burning with rage, hurled one demon bodily into another with the kind of casual devastation that left little room for argument. When the last fiend dissolved into black ash, Mad Maggie emerged from the safety of her machine and grudgingly admitted the party might have been worth the soul coin she'd spent on them.

Now, with the war machine roaring away into the hellscape and Maggie's promise to return in two days hanging in the sulfurous air, the party finds themselves inside the Bronze Citadel — Zariel's great military capital, its skies patrolled by floating fortresses and its streets lined with the commerce of the damned. Korrilla has revealed her errand at last: a specific imp, waiting somewhere in the Cinder Market. With rooms secured at the Ashen Cup and the market waiting just beyond, we pick up as our party prepares to venture deeper into the beating iron heart of Avernus...

Memorable Moments

The giant Vagnfríður grapples a dretch and hurls it like a cannonball into another demon, causing both to explode on impact in the middle of the Avernian wasteland.

Enlarged to over thirty feet tall and raging, Vagnfríður improvised the most satisfying combat move of the session

"You could say Baldur's Gate is more of a vacation home for me."
— Korrilla

Casually reassuring the party that stepping through a portal into a literal hellscape is perfectly routine for her

"If you puke on my floors, you're licking it up. I don't stop for bathroom breaks."
— Mad Maggie

Laying down the house rules before allowing the party to board her infernal war machine for an eight-hour journey through hell

Velessa drops concentration on Enlarge mid-step, causing the massive Vagnfríður to suddenly shrink back to normal size and nearly face-plant in the Avernian dirt.

Immediately after the battle ended, Velessa casually ended her spell with no warning, leaving Vagnfríður to stumble and catch herself on one leg

Scenes

Preparations for the Hells

The party makes final preparations in Baldur's Gate before meeting Korrilla for their assignment in the Hells.

Velessa gets a haircut in preparation for the journey.
Séantal and Shane visit the Unrolling Scroll, a temple of Oghma, to purchase holy water.
Séantal buys three vials of holy water and Shane buys two vials, viewing the 'donation' as a business transaction.
Vagnfríður prepares a massive pack filled with forty-five prepped meals for the three-day trip.
The party gathers at the Eomane house before heading to the Devil's Fee.

Departure from the Devil's Fee

The party meets Korrilla at Helsik's shop and prepares to travel to Avernus via a magical portal.

Helsik welcomes the party to the Devil's Fee and calls Korrilla down from upstairs.
Korrilla advises the party to show deference and avoid provoking anyone in the Hells.
Quillbit decides to stay behind at the Eomane house rather than return to the Hells.
Korrilla leads the group to an upstairs room featuring an elaborate eight-pointed star drawn on the floor in a rusty brown dried substance.
Korrilla arranges a diamond, a skull, incense, a coin, and other items at points of the star to activate a portal.
The lines of the star burst into flames and the center ripples into a mirror sheen reflecting a raging inferno.
Korrilla steps through the portal and the party follows, leaving Baldur's Gate behind.

Arrival at the House of Hope

The party arrives in Avernus and gets their first glimpse of the hellscape from Korrilla's residence.

The party emerges into the dry, suffocating heat of Avernus, struggling to catch their breath.
They find themselves in the House of Hope, an opulent room with red stained-glass floor-to-ceiling windows and mirrors showing different planes, including a snowy tundra, a lush forest, and Baldur's Gate itself.
Korrilla reveals they are currently in Avernus and melts away a stained-glass window to show the hellscape outside.
Korrilla warns the party not to touch the River Styx, as its waters cause complete memory loss.
Korrilla reveals their destination is the Bronze Citadel to visit the Cinder Market, where she intends to purchase a valuable commodity.
The party learns they are being hired as bodyguards to protect Korrilla after she acquires the item.

Meeting Mad Maggie

Korrilla summons transportation, leading to an encounter with a night hag and her infernal war machine.

Korrilla uses a gray stone covered in twisted faces with open mouths to summon Mad Maggie.
A massive infernal war machine screeches to a halt in front of the House of Hope after approaching at breakneck speed.
Mad Maggie, a tiny old woman wearing dust goggles, emerges from the machine alongside her flesh golem Mickey.
Maggie inspects the party, making snide remarks about their names and backgrounds.
Velessa reveals her allegiance to Eilistraee when Maggie asks about her god.
Maggie silently communicates with Korrilla, appearing to ask about purchasing one of the party members.
The party boards the machine for an eight-hour journey across Avernus, with Maggie laying down rules: no puking on the floors and no bathroom breaks.

Inside the Infernal War Machine

The party travels through Avernus inside Mad Maggie's war machine, observing its strange crew and mechanics.

The party meets Mickey, a twelve-foot-tall flesh golem created by Mad Maggie from scavenged fiendish parts, stitched together by hand.
Small mischievous creatures called madcaps roam the machine, poking at passengers and imitating Mickey's gestures.
Mad Maggie's kenku associates, Chukka and Clonk, pilot and maintain the machine respectively.
Maggie explains that Hellfire weapons transport the souls of those they kill directly to the maggot pits of the Hells as lemures.
Mad Maggie demonstrates how the machine is fueled by Soul Coins, tossing one to Chukka who slots it into the control panel, causing the machine to surge forward.
The war machine suffers a mechanical failure, grinding to a halt with a plume of black smoke rising from the front.

Breakdown and Repairs in the Hellscape

The machine breaks down in the middle of Avernus, forcing the party to disembark and assist with repairs while Mad Maggie relaxes.

Chukka frantically inspects the engine while cursing in Infernal, which Velessa cannot yet understand.
Velessa ritually casts a spell to understand Chukka's language and then assists with repairs using her tinker's tools.
Velessa identifies that two gears have become misaligned, their teeth jammed against each other rather than meshing.
Vagnfríður is called over to help loosen a stuck bolt using her immense strength, initially struggling before Velessa helps by jumping on her shoulders for leverage.
Together they spin the bolt loose, allowing Chukka to realign the gears.
Mad Maggie relaxes in a chair made of stretched skin and iron, attended by madcaps who bring her goblets of viscous red liquid and severed fingers.
The party attempts to eat Vagnfríður's lovingly prepared food, only to discover that everything in Avernus tastes foul, spoiled, or sulfurous.
Mad Maggie explains that food from the Prime Material always tastes awful in Avernus, though it will still fill their bellies.
Shane spots a group of demons approaching from the southwest: bloated dog-like dretches being lashed forward by red, horned, chain-wielding cacklers.
Velessa identifies the attackers as demons from the Abyss, not devils, likely a raiding party that crossed via the River Styx.
The party prepares for combat, with Vagnfríður being magically enlarged to a massive size.
Mad Maggie and Mickey retreat into the war machine, leaving the party to handle the demonic horde.

The Demonic Ambush

The party defends Mad Maggie's infernal war machine against a raiding party of dretches and cacklers in the Avernian wasteland.

Vagnfríður is magically enlarged to a towering height of over thirty feet, becoming a massive presence on the battlefield.
Séantal unleashes a blast of eldritch energy, striking a charging dretch and taking a chunk of flesh from its shoulder.
Shane takes careful aim and fires a deadly shot, dropping a dretch instantly, its face slamming into the ground.
Velessa activates her blade song and fires a crossbow bolt that sears a cackler with radiant energy.
A cackler attempts to retaliate with a bolt of fire against the enlarged Vagnfríður but misses.
In a display of massive strength, the giant Vagnfríður grapples a dretch and hurls it at another demon, causing both to explode upon impact.
Shane fires a lethal shot at a cackler, which releases a haunting, bone-chilling laugh as it dies, harming a nearby dretch.
A dretch unleashes a fetid cloud of noxious gas, poisoning Seris.
Velessa moves through the fray, slashing at a demon with her blade before retreating using her magical speed.
Séantal scrambles onto the chassis of the war machine to gain a better vantage point and continues blasting demons.
The final cackler is slain, letting out a terrifying dying laugh that rings out across the wasteland.
The remaining dretches are picked off by the party's combined attacks.
The defeated demons dissolve into wispy black ash, returning to the Abyss rather than dying permanently, as they would need to die in the Abyss to be truly slain.

Resuming the Journey to the Bronze Citadel

With the demons defeated and the machine repaired, the party continues their trek toward the Bronze Citadel and arrives at the massive military capital.

Velessa stops concentrating on her enlargement magic, causing Vagnfríður to suddenly shrink back to her normal size.
Vagnfríður nearly face-plants as her legs shorten mid-step, but manages to catch herself with an acrobatic stumble.
Mad Maggie emerges from the war machine, begrudgingly admitting the party might be worth their pay.
Chukka finishes the repairs on the infernal engine and the party re-boards the vehicle.
The war machine arrives at the Bronze Citadel, where Mad Maggie points out a floating fortress used by Zariel's forces.
Korrilla explains the city is a staging ground for the Blood War where weapons are forged and Zariel's generals reside.
Mad Maggie drops the party off at the city gates, promising to return in two days.
Korrilla reveals she is in the city to purchase a specific imp for her employer.
Korrilla recommends the Ashen Cup for lodging and suggests trying the local abyss chicken, pointing out one of the featherless, backwards-footed demonic creatures running in the gutter.
Korrilla identifies other local points of interest, including the Crooked Ledger and the Red Anvil of Bel's Shadow.
The party prepares to check into the Ashen Cup for the night.

NPCs

Helsik

The proprietor of the Devil's Fee who welcomes the party and calls Korrilla down from upstairs to meet them.

Korrilla

A dwarf infernalist who has hired the party as bodyguards for a three-day mission in Avernus. She is calm, knowledgeable about the Hells, and maintains a residence called the House of Hope in Avernus. She is traveling to the Bronze Citadel's Cinder Market to purchase an imp for her employer.

Quillbit

The party's imp associate who chooses to remain at the Eomane house rather than return to the Hells, citing a desire to be 'permanently non-existent.'

Mad Maggie

A tiny old woman wearing dust goggles who operates an infernal war machine. She is eccentric, blunt, and shows a disturbing interest in the party members. She created Mickey the flesh golem herself and keeps kenku associates called the Magpies. She wears a hat adorned with horns taken from one of Tiamat's abishai guards.

Mickey the Flesh Golem

A twelve-foot-tall brute created by Mad Maggie from scavenged fiendish parts, stitched together by hand. He is unable to speak due to a fleshy tube sewn into his mouth and communicates through groans and gestures. The madcaps imitate his movements.

Chukka

One of Mad Maggie's kenku 'magpies' who serves as the war machine's mechanic. She is irritable and speaks in a mix of chittering and Infernal. She worked with Velessa and Vagnfríður to repair the broken-down engine.

Clonk

The larger and quieter of Mad Maggie's kenku associates, who pilots the infernal war machine. He focuses on driving and wields a hellfire warhammer.

Madcaps

Small, mischievous creatures that roam the war machine, performing tasks, poking at passengers with metal pokers, and imitating Mickey's gestures with chittering laughter. Mad Maggie mentions they used to be red caps before Avernus changed them.

Dretches

Bloated, grotesque, dog-like demons that ran on all fours in apparent agony as part of a raiding party from the Abyss. They attacked the party while the war machine was broken down.

Cacklers

Red, human-shaped demons with long lashing tails and large curled horns that used chains to lash the dretches forward. They attacked the party alongside the dretches and released a bone-chilling dying laugh when slain.

Locations

The Unrolling Scroll

A temple of Oghma in the Temples district of Baldur's Gate where Séantal's boss begins each workday in prayer. The party visited to purchase holy water, blessed by Oghma, from the priests there.

Devil's Fee

Helsik's curio shop in Baldur's Gate, serving as the meeting point for the party and Korrilla. It contains a ritual room upstairs used to open a portal to the Hells.

House of Hope

Korrilla's Patron's residence in Avernus, featuring opulent red stained-glass floor-to-ceiling windows and a half-circle array of mirrors that act as portals to various locations, including Baldur's Gate, a snowy tundra, and a lush forest.

Avernus

The first layer of the Nine Hells, characterized by a dry, breathless heat and a diffused orangish-red light with no visible sun. Shadows fall in no particular direction. Food from the Prime Material tastes foul here, and the River Styx runs as a wide river of blood that strips memories from those who touch it.

The Bronze Citadel

A massive military capital in Avernus that serves as the primary staging ground for the Nine Hells' counter-offensive in the Blood War. Weapons are forged here and Zariel's generals reside within. The city features floating fortresses and is constantly under construction.

The Cinder Market

A market within the Bronze Citadel where Korrilla plans to acquire a valuable commodity — specifically an imp — for her employer.

The Red Anvil of Bel's Shadow

A prestigious blacksmith shop in the Bronze Citadel, formerly associated with the archdevil Bel, now run by a tiefling described as mouthy. Korrilla mentions it as a point of interest.

The Ashen Cup

An inn within the Bronze Citadel where Korrilla has reserved rooms for the party. Known for serving spicy abyss chicken, a local demonic delicacy.

The Crooked Ledger

A local shop in the Bronze Citadel that reportedly trades in gold, mentioned by Korrilla as a point of interest for the party.

Items

Holy Water

Vials of water blessed by Oghma, purchased from the priests of the Unrolling Scroll for 25 gold pieces each as a donation to the temple. Séantal purchased three vials and Shane purchased two. The party intended to use them as weapons against fiends and undead in the Hells.

Sending Stone

A baseball-sized gray stone covered in twisted faces with open mouths, used by Korrilla to vocally summon Mad Maggie by speaking into it.

Mad Maggie's Infernal War Machine

A large vehicle made of spikes, iron, and steel, slightly longer than a city bus, that gnaws through the ground at breakneck speeds. It is fueled by Soul Coins and piloted by the kenku Chukka and Clonk. The interior is spacious enough to accommodate Mickey and several madcaps. It broke down mid-journey due to jammed gears and required manual repairs.

Soul Coin

Five-inch iron discs containing trapped souls, used as high-grade fuel for the infernal war machine. When inserted into a slot in the control panel, the coin produces bright flames and causes the engine to surge forward. Mad Maggie demonstrated their use during the journey, and overuse of one is implied to have caused the engine breakdown.

Hellfire Weapon

Weapons forged in the Hells that crackle with flames, observed on Clonk's warhammer. Mad Maggie explained that anyone killed by a hellfire weapon has their soul transported directly to the maggot pits of the Hells as a lemure, bypassing the gods entirely.

Vagnfríður's Prepared Meals

Forty-five lovingly prepared meals packed by Vagnfríður for the three-day trip. Upon being eaten in Avernus, every bite tasted foul, spoiled, or corrupted, and the water tasted bitter and sulfurous, due to the corrupting influence of the plane on food from the Prime Material.

Tinker's Tools

Used by Velessa to assist Chukka in diagnosing and repairing the war machine's engine, helping to identify the misaligned gears that caused the breakdown.

Spells

Comprehend Languages

Cast as a ritual by Velessa to understand Chukka's Infernal cursing and technical instructions during the war machine repairs, allowing her to effectively assist the kenku mechanic.

Enlarge/Reduce

Used in combination with Vagnfríður's own ability to grow her to a 'huge' size of over thirty feet tall, significantly increasing her reach and physical power during the demonic ambush. Velessa later dropped concentration on the spell, causing Vagnfríður to suddenly shrink back to normal size mid-step.

Protection from Evil and Good

Cast upon Vagnfríður to shield her from the attacks of the demonic horde, causing the fiends' strikes to roll with disadvantage against her.

Eldritch Blast

Used by Séantal to strike dretches from a distance throughout the combat, blasting chunks of flesh from the charging demons.

Shadow Blade

Cast by Velessa in preparation for the demonic attack, manifesting a blade of solidified shadow for use in melee combat.

Blade Song

Activated by Velessa during the combat to increase her agility and defense while engaging the demons, allowing her to strike and retreat effectively.

True Strike

Used by Velessa to guide her crossbow bolt, ensuring a precise hit against a cackler that dealt radiant damage.

Tasha's Hideous Laughter

Cast by a cackler against Vagnfríður during combat, causing her to collapse prone and incapacitated with uncontrollable laughter, though the effect was short-lived.