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

Session 7, the Devil You Know pt.2

SESSION 72026-03-27

Date: 2026-03-27

Summary

The evening at the Rat's Run had barely settled when the doors swung open and a group of shadowy figures stepped inside. Their leader was a tall, imposing bald man with pale gray, glassy eyes who drew no breath except when he spoke. He announced to the entire bar that he was searching for the holders of the Calamus Pactum, and when the room failed to produce an answer, he smashed his forearm clean through a solid wooden table to underscore his intent. Velessa met his display with dry contempt, remarking that he deserved congratulations for being stronger than an over-glorified vegetable. When he reached for her wrist, she pressed her blade against the back of his hand in quiet warning, and the bar erupted into violence.

Seris was the first to recognize that the man was not truly alive, some terrible state of undeath animating his powerful frame. She struck him hard and called upon a radiant holy light that blazed outward in a ring around her, scorching the undead flesh of the Thayan warriors who had flooded in alongside their leader. The leader retaliated with a vengeful, soul-chilling glare that sent fear crawling through Seris's bones, and then he seized Velessa and slammed her face-first into the bar with enough force to leave an impression in the wood. Across the room, a tiefling who had been quietly nursing a drink at the bar rose from her stool, shadows coiling around her fingertips. This was Mol, an underboss of the Guild, and she entered the fray without hesitation, unleashing crackling beams of eldritch energy into the Thayan ranks.

The battle was brutal and chaotic. Velessa, battered and bleeding, activated her blade song, her movements becoming fluid and elegant as her weapon began to hum with a low, resonant tone. She drank a healing potion and flipped herself over the bar for cover, buying precious moments to recover. Séantal conjured a swirling vortex of spinning daggers that tore into the Thayan warriors, repositioning it throughout the fight to keep enemies trapped within its deadly radius. Shane pressed the attack from behind the bar while Mol unleashed a brimstone-scented blast of fire that engulfed a cluster of enemies. Through it all, the tavern owner Reigra Clawcroft watched the carnage with an amused smirk, seemingly unbothered, until she calmly walked up to the grievously wounded Velessa, caressed her cheek with a gentle touch that carried quiet magic, and placed a protective ward upon her. She told Velessa to pick herself up and brush herself off, then returned to her rum. Velessa, still hurting but no longer on the edge of death, muttered that she did not feel any better but did not think she would die.

The last of the Thayan warriors fell to Séantal's conjured blades, and the fight was over, leaving twitching corpses scattered across the ruined tavern floor. Seris made certain the undead leader would not rise again by channeling radiant energy directly into his fallen body. Reigra sighed, poured herself another drink, and asked the party plainly why there had been Thayans in her bar and why her table was now in splinters. The party helped clean up the wreckage, with Velessa summoning an invisible force to assist the staff. Séantal explained that while Thayans had recently been permitted to operate a trade enclave in Baldur's Gate, these soldiers were in blatant violation of that agreement, suggesting they were acting outside any sanctioned authority.

The party returned to the Eomane Estate to find Nysene and Russora unharmed, though the younger sister was unsettled to learn that Thayan sword-wielders had been hunting the magical quill. The group debated how best to secure the Calamus Pactum, agreeing that keeping it in the house made the estate and the two young women a potential target. Velessa noted she could eventually craft a bag of holding to conceal it, but that would take time they did not have. The decision was made to deposit the quill in the Counting House, the great stone bank built on an outcropping over the river Chionthar and overseen by Duke Rakath Glitterbeard.

The following morning, the party dressed well and made their way to the Counting House, a grand and bustling institution where all manner of citizens came to conduct their financial affairs. A teller recognized the quality of their clothing and jewelry and promptly sent for the Duke himself. While they waited in his plush office, Velessa helped herself to a bottle of fine wine imported from Waterdeep, and when Rakath Glitterbeard, a stout and pragmatic dwarf, arrived, he simply asked her to pour him a glass. Over wine, he discussed the risks of storing unusual items, advocated passionately for a promissory note system that the other dukes refused to adopt, and inspected the Calamus Pactum with careful eyes before agreeing to house it. He led the party deep beneath the city through grand corridors and staircases until they reached a room lined with vaults, where the quill was locked away behind a combination the party set themselves.

With the Calamus Pactum secured, the party turned their attention to the favor owed to Korrilla. They made their way to the Devil's Fee, where Helsik contacted Korrilla through a small sending stone, and the infernalist descended from upstairs to meet them. She instructed the party to pack provisions for a three-day journey and to meet her back at the shop at dusk, warning them that time would work as they expected but that they would not be traveling on this plane. The implication was clear enough: they were going to the Hells. The party spent the rest of the day settling their affairs. Seris visited her apprentice Kaela and left instructions to come looking for her if she did not return in three days. Velessa stopped by her family home to announce her departure, receiving lighthearted warnings from her siblings not to get a burn-burn. She also spoke with her imp familiar Quillbit, who was genuinely frightened at the prospect of returning to the Hells where death would be permanent for her, and so Velessa assigned her the task of keeping the Eomane sisters busy and out of trouble while the party was away. As dusk approached, the group gathered their provisions and prepared to meet Korrilla, ready to step through into whatever waited for them on the other side.

Short

The evening at the Rat's Run turned violent when a powerful undead figure, flanked by Thayan warriors, stormed in demanding the holders of the Calamus Pactum. After smashing through a table to assert dominance, he clashed with the party, slamming Velessa face-first into the bar and unleashing a soul-chilling glare on Seris. The party fought back fiercely: Seris called upon radiant holy light to scorch the undead ranks, Séantal conjured a deadly vortex of spinning daggers, Mol — a Guild underboss and tiefling — unleashed eldritch and fiery blasts, and Velessa activated her blade song to fight with fluid precision despite her injuries. Tavern owner Reigra Clawcroft watched with amusement before calmly placing a protective ward on the gravely wounded Velessa, then returning to her rum. The last Thayan fell to Séantal's blades, and Seris ensured the undead leader would not rise again with a final burst of radiant energy. Afterward, Séantal explained to Reigra that the Thayans — though recently permitted a trade enclave in Baldur's Gate — had been acting well outside any sanctioned authority.

Returning to the Eomane Estate, the party agreed that keeping the Calamus Pactum there put Nysene and Russora at risk, and the following morning they deposited the magical quill in the Counting House under the care of Duke Rakath Glitterbeard, securing it behind a vault combination of their own choosing. With the quill safe, the party turned to the favor owed to the infernalist Korrilla, who instructed them to pack provisions for a three-day journey — warning them they would not be traveling on this plane. Understanding they were bound for the Hells, the party spent the day settling their affairs: Seris left instructions with her apprentice Kaela, Velessa said farewell to her family and assigned her imp familiar Quillbit — too frightened of permanent death in the Hells — to watch over the Eomane sisters. As dusk fell, the group gathered and prepared to meet Korrilla, ready to step through into whatever awaited them on the other side.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid band of adventurers found themselves in the middle of a violent confrontation at the Rat's Run, when a pale, breathless figure — a creature of terrible undeath — swept through the doors with a cadre of Thayan warriors at his back, demanding the holders of the Calamus Pactum make themselves known. When the room refused to answer, he made his intentions clear in the most dramatic fashion possible, driving his forearm clean through a solid wooden table. Velessa, unimpressed, offered him her congratulations. The bar, naturally, erupted into chaos. Seris called upon radiant holy light to scorch the undead flesh flooding the room, Séantal conjured a deadly vortex of spinning blades that carved through the Thayan ranks, and from a quiet barstool in the corner, a tiefling named Mol — an underboss of the Guild — rose with shadows curling at her fingertips and joined the fray without a word of invitation. Even Reigra Clawcroft, the tavern's unbothered owner, paused her rum long enough to lay a protective ward upon the battered Velessa before returning to her drink. When the last Thayan warrior fell and Seris made certain their undead leader would not be getting back up, the party was left standing in a ruined tavern, surrounded by twitching corpses, with a great deal of explaining to do.

With the immediate threat put down, the group turned their attention to the larger problem: the Calamus Pactum was drawing dangerous attention, and keeping it at the Eomane Estate put Nysene and Russora squarely in the crosshairs. The decision was made to deposit the magical quill in the Counting House, the great stone bank overlooking the Chionthar, overseen by the pragmatic and surprisingly wine-enthusiastic Duke Rakath Glitterbeard. Over a shared bottle of Waterdhavian import, the Duke agreed to house the artifact, and the party followed him deep beneath the city to a vault room where they locked the quill away behind a combination of their own choosing. The Calamus Pactum, at last, was secure.

But security, it seems, is a brief luxury. With the quill safely stored, the party turned to the favor owed to the infernalist Korrilla, who wasted little time in making the terms plain: pack for three days, meet her at dusk, and do not expect to be traveling on this plane. Velessa bid farewell to her siblings, who cheerfully warned her not to get a burn-burn. Seris left instructions with her apprentice Kaela to come looking if she did not return. And Velessa's imp familiar Quillbit, genuinely terrified at the prospect of a place where her death would be permanent, was given the rather important task of keeping the Eomane sisters out of trouble. Now, as dusk settles over Baldur's Gate and the party gathers their provisions at the Devil's Fee, the threshold to the Hells stands before them — and whatever waits on the other side is about to find out exactly what kind of trouble this group brings with them...

Memorable Moments

"Congrats, you're stronger than an over-glorified vegetable."
— Velessa

Dryly unimpressed after Zulvek Thann smashed his forearm through a solid wooden table to intimidate the bar

"I'm finally taking everyone's advice and going to hell. See you in three days."
— Velessa

Casually announcing her upcoming planar journey to the Hells to her family at Moon and Measure

Reigra Clawcroft, the tavern owner, calmly walked up to the severely wounded Velessa mid-combat and placed a death ward on her with a gentle caress of her cheek, then told her to pick herself up.

Reigra had watched the entire brawl with an amused smirk, revealing unexpected power and care beneath her composed exterior

Scenes

Trouble at the Rat's Run

A group of shadowy Thayan figures led by a tall, undead man enters the Rat's Run tavern demanding the Calamus Pactum, and combat breaks out.

A tall, bald man with glassy gray eyes who does not appear to breathe enters the tavern and announces he is looking for the holders of the Calamus Pactum.
The intruder smashes a long table with his forearm and threatens the patrons, specifically targeting Velessa.
Velessa denies having the item, and the man reaches for her wrist. She places her weapon on his hand in warning.
Seris realizes the man is in some state of undeath before combat erupts.
Seris strikes the undead leader and activates a radiant aura that emits bright light, damaging enemies nearby.
The undead leader uses a frightening glare to instill fear in Seris before slamming Velessa face-first into the bar.
Thayan minions join the fray, attacking Velessa and Seris with longswords.
Shane and Séantal take cover behind the bar to launch counterattacks.
Séantal blasts one of the minions in the chest with magical energy and steps back behind the bar for cover.
Mol, a tiefling underboss of the Guild who had been sitting at the bar, rises and lets shadows gather at her fingertips before joining the fight.

Brawl at the Rat's Run

A chaotic battle erupts in the tavern as the party and local allies fight to defeat the Thayan warriors and their undead leader.

Mol unleashes beams of crackling eldritch energy at the Thayan warriors.
A Thayan warrior slams Velessa into the bar, leaving her severely injured.
Reigra, the tavern owner, calmly approaches the wounded Velessa and places a protective ward upon her with a touch of her fingertips.
Seris radiates a holy aura that burns nearby enemies with radiant light.
Velessa activates her blade song, moving with elegant, dancing steps as her weapon begins to hum, and drinks a healing potion.
Velessa retreats behind the counter for cover.
Séantal conjures a cloud of spinning daggers to shred a Thayan warrior.
Mol releases a brimstone-scented blast of fire into a cluster of enemies.
Zulvek Thann attempts to strike Seris but fails to bypass her defenses, while his wounds visibly begin to knit back together.
Velessa leaps onto the bar to strike at Zulvek but misses.
Seris delivers a decisive blow to a Thayan warrior, ensuring its destruction with radiant power to prevent it from rising again.
Shane and Séantal coordinate to eliminate the remaining threats, with Séantal moving the cloud of daggers to finish the final foe.
The combat ends with the Thayan attackers defeated, leaving their twitching corpses scattered across the tavern floor.

Aftermath at the Rat's Run

The party deals with the aftermath of the Thayan attack, searches the bodies, and discusses the security of the Calamus Pactum.

Seris ensures the fallen Thayan leader remains dead by applying radiant energy to the corpse.
Reigra Clawcroft questions the party about the destruction of her tavern and the identity of the attackers.
Velessa identifies the attackers as Thayans and notes their distinctive tattoos, recalling her own history with such markings.
The party assists in cleaning up the splintered remains of the tavern, with Velessa summoning an unseen servant to help.
Séantal explains the political implications of Thayan soldiers operating in the city, noting it violates the trade agreement held by the Imravel Exchange.
The party decides to return to the Eomane Estate and discuss how to better secure the Calamus Pactum.

Return to the Eomane Estate

The party returns to their base of operations to check on their apprentices and plan their next move regarding the Calamus Pactum.

The party checks on Nysene and Russora Eomane to ensure they were not targeted during the tavern ambush.
Velessa explains to the Eomane sisters that Thayans are hunting the magical quill.
Russora asks the party how they all know each other, and they settle on describing themselves as housemates.
The group debates where to hide the Calamus Pactum, considering the risk of keeping it in the house.
Velessa notes she could craft a bag of holding over ten days for 200 gold as a longer-term solution.
The party decides to seek out the Counting House in the Steeps to secure the item in a professional vault.

Banking at the Counting House

The party visits the Counting House to secure the Calamus Pactum in a high-security vault and meets with Duke Rakath Glitterbeard.

The party arrives at the Counting House, a large elaborate stone building on an outcropping in the river Chionthar, and requests to open a special interest account.
A teller escorts them to a plush office with carved mahogany furniture to await the head of the bank.
Velessa helps herself to the Duke's wine while waiting in his office.
Duke Rakath Glitterbeard enters and joins the party for a drink, recognizing some members from the High Hall.
The Duke discusses the risks of storing magical items and advocates for modernizing the city's banking system with promissory notes.
Seris and the party negotiate the terms of a personal vault, requiring a minimum deposit of 400 gold.
The party presents the Calamus Pactum to the Duke for inspection before agreeing to store it.
Rakath leads the party deep beneath the city to the vault room, where they place the Calamus Pactum inside a secure locker.
The party sets a five-digit combination (04512) to lock the vault.
Rakath welcomes them as new members of the Counting House and escorts them back to the lobby.

A Meeting at the Devil's Fee and Preparations for the Hells

The party visits Helsik's shop to find Korrilla, who instructs them to prepare for a three-day journey involving planar travel, and the group spends the rest of the day settling their affairs.

The party arrives at the Devil's Fee and speaks with Helsik, who uses a tiny sending stone to contact Korrilla.
Korrilla descends from upstairs and instructs the party to prepare for a three-day journey involving planar travel, advising them to pack food and meet back at dusk.
The party discusses the upcoming trip, deducing they are likely heading to the Hells.
Seris visits her shop to instruct her apprentice Kaela to look after things and find her if she does not return in three days.
Velessa visits her family at Moon and Measure to announce her departure, receiving lighthearted warnings from her siblings.
Velessa interacts with her familiar Quillbit, who expresses fear about returning to the Hells where she could face permanent death.
Velessa assigns Quillbit the task of keeping her apprentices Nysene and Russora busy while she is away.
Quillbit demonstrates her shape-shifting ability by turning into a small bear, though Velessa dismisses the form due to past trauma with bears.
The party gathers provisions and agrees to meet Korrilla at dusk at the Devil's Fee to begin their journey.

NPCs

Zulvek Thann

A tall, imposing bald man with gray, glassy eyes who does not appear to breathe except when speaking. He is in some state of undeath and led the Thayan attack on the Rat's Run, demanding the Calamus Pactum on behalf of his master. His wounds visibly closed during combat.

Mol

A tiefling sitting at the bar who rose from her stool as the conflict began, shadows gathering at her fingertips. She is an underboss of the Guild and assisted the party by unleashing eldritch blasts and a brimstone-scented fire attack against the Thayan warriors.

Reigra Clawcroft

The owner of the Rat's Run who watched the unfolding violence with an amused smirk rather than seeking cover. She placed a protective ward on the severely wounded Velessa and fought with a strange, effortless style, defeating enemies with simple brushes of her fingertips. Afterward, she demanded an explanation for the brawl and oversaw the cleanup.

Nysene Eomane

The eldest Eomane daughter, found safe at the estate after the tavern attack. She questions the party about the danger they are facing.

Russora Eomane

The youngest Eomane daughter, found safe at the estate. She expresses concern about the Thayans hunting the party and asks how the group all know each other.

Rakath Glitterbeard

A dwarf and one of the Dukes of Baldur's Gate who manages the Counting House. He is pragmatic and enjoys fine wine imported from Waterdeep. He advocates for modernizing the city's banking system with promissory notes and oversees the party's high-security vault deposit.

Helsik

The proprietor of the Devil's Fee who facilitates communication with Korrilla via a tiny sending stone, managing her shop with a sharp, sometimes annoyed demeanor.

Korrilla

An infernalist who arrives at the Devil's Fee and instructs the party to prepare for a three-day journey involving planar travel, advising them to pack their own food and meet back at dusk.

Kaela

Seris's adopted daughter and apprentice who is left in charge of the shop during the party's absence.

Quillbit

Velessa's imp familiar who disguises herself as a calico cat while moving through the city. She expresses genuine fear about returning to the Hells, where she could die permanently, and is assigned to keep Velessa's apprentices busy while the party is away.

Locations

Rat's Run

A tavern in the Seatower district of Baldur's Gate where the party was relaxing before being confronted by Thayan assassins. The brawl left furniture in splinters and corpses on the floor.

Eomane Estate

The party's current base of operations, where they reside with the remaining Eomane daughters, Nysene and Russora.

Imravel Exchange

A Thayan trade enclave in Baldur's Gate mentioned as the official, lawful presence of Thayans in the city. Séantal notes that the Thayan attackers at the Rat's Run would be in blatant violation of the trade agreement that established the Exchange.

Counting House

A massive, elaborate stone building located on an outcropping in the river Chionthar in the Steeps. It is a bustling hub of financial activity managed by Duke Rakath Glitterbeard, with vaults running deep beneath the surface of Baldur's Gate.

Devil's Fee

An infernal curio shop in the Lower City run by Helsik, where the party meets with Korrilla to arrange their upcoming planar journey.

Moon and Measure

The establishment or home where Velessa's family resides. She visits here to announce her upcoming journey to the Hells.

Items

Calamus Pactum

A powerful infernal quill that the Thayan intruders were desperately seeking. The party suspects it emits a notable unholy energy signature that may have helped the attackers locate it. It is unwrapped and shown to Duke Rakath Glitterbeard before being locked away in a high-security vault at the Counting House.

Bag of Holding

A magical storage item discussed by the party as a potential solution for concealing the Calamus Pactum. Velessa notes she could craft one over ten days for 200 gold.

Wine from Waterdeep

A fine vintage imported from the City of Splendors, found in Duke Rakath Glitterbeard's office cabinet. Velessa helped herself to it while waiting, and the Duke joined the party for a glass upon his arrival.

Spells

Celestial Revelation

Seris activated this transformation, emitting a ten-foot radius of radiant light that damaged enemies nearby, though it inadvertently affected allies as well.

Eldritch Blast

Used by both Séantal and Mol to fire beams of crackling magical energy at the Thayan warriors throughout the tavern brawl.

Shield

A magical barrier manifested by Velessa to deflect incoming sword strikes during the brawl.

Death Ward

A protective spell placed on Velessa by Reigra Clawcroft with a touch of her fingertips, preventing Velessa from falling in battle.

Cloud of Daggers

A localized vortex of spinning blades conjured by Séantal that was repositioned during the fight to trap and heavily damage Thayan warriors caught within its area.

Heroism

A spell cast by Seris to bolster her own resolve during the height of the tavern brawl.

Starry Wisp

A radiant mote of light launched by Séantal that struck an enemy, causing them to glow.

Lay on Hands

Seris used her divine touch to heal herself during the tavern brawl.

Unseen Servant

Velessa employed this spell to create an invisible force that assisted the staff of the Rat's Run in cleaning up the debris after the battle.

Spectral Clothing

Used by Velessa to prepare her appearance before heading to the Counting House.

Message

Used by Helsik via a tiny sending stone to communicate with Korrilla when the party arrived at the Devil's Fee.

Minor Illusion

Used by Velessa to create a tiny illusory drumstick for Quillbit to chew on during their conversation about the upcoming journey.

Dismiss Familiar

Velessa used this to temporarily send Quillbit away to her pocket dimension, suggesting she could remain there rather than travel to the Hells.