---

Spider led the stunned group outside. The Warlords were still busy tweaking or relaxing near their vehicles. Feonor was studiously ignoring everything but herself, as expected, but the Horned and Chained devil watched closely. A banner fluttered atop the Chained devil’s ride, a figure eight made of chain on a red Avernian background.

---

“We’re going to need help getting to Elturel,” Spider said, “And I’m thinking one or all of these guys could be a big help delivering us there.”

“We’ve taken on the mantle of Warlords,” Torgrun mused, “So I imagine the same tensions exist between us and them as do between themselves. An uneasy truce that can break at any time.” He eyeballed each, noting there was no love lost and assuming that they may choose to attack, or may be comfortable biding their time here until the Elturel situation was resolved. Clearly they had decided it was safer here than out there where the Blood War had escalated to a peak.

“There is one we could get on our side - namely Feonor,” Albert said. “Here’s the argument: we can’t kill you, you can’t kill us, so why not help us rather than die here if we fail?”

“And also she would have a major spot in the next regime if she is on our side,” Morad observed.

“Why would she die here if we fail?” Torgrun said doubtfully.

“Because everyone could die,” Albert answered.

“There could be a lot of unknown consequences from what is going to unfold in the next twelve hours,” Morad added. “If we were to succeed, if I was a Warlord, that might be someone I’d like to have on my side.” It was strange hearing such strategic thinking from a blindfolded golden-skinned god, but it was also comforting that Aziz Morad was still Morad in some fundamental way.

“I still can’t see any of these Warlords coming over and seeking parlay,” Torgrun said.

“If they want to get on board, let’s give them the opportunity,” Albert countered.

Aziz Morad returned. “Shall I go talk to them,” his voice boomed out, then strode over toward Feonor. Everyone quickly followed a few steps behind Aziz Morad’s aura. Albert kept his eyes on the other leaders, and they returned the stare. Torgrun was happy with this plan, figuring that just by approaching her she was implicated - increasing the chances of success.

“Hail Feonor,” Aziz Morad said, demanding attention.

The pale-faced Archmage stared into the middle distance, unmoved, raising her skeletal umbrella to block Morad’s line of sight.

“Feonor. We are going to attack Zariel.” Albert noticed the other Warlords react with surprise to Morad’s blunt declaration. “You might want to help us, and then you would assume power and land once we are victorious, or anything else you are interested in,” Morad continued.

Feonor let out a small yawn.

“Feonor, honey, don’t pout,” Albert interjected. “Come on, play the game.”

The Archmage sighed deeply. “Why would I risk myself for your war?”

“You know why, Feonor?” Spider jumped in, tired of her attitude. “Because if we lose you’re gonna' get killed anyway by Zariel.”

“Why would I be killed?”

“Because you’re here with us right now. Zariel now knows. All of these people are my allies,” Azid Morad said firmly.

Feonor glanced at her rivals. “None are your allies. I will not fight for you. If you lose, I will be a Warlord in Avernus. If you win, I will be a Warlord in Avernus. Nothing changes here.”

“You could be the only Warlord,” Morad tempted. “We could kill those two and leave you to stand alone.”

The Chain devil started whipping her chain through the air at this insult. Aziz Morad turned and peeled off his blindfold, revealing his glowing golden eyes. “I see you,” he declared.

“And I see you, angelic one,” the Chain devil hissed.

“If that is all you can see, you are seeing nothing.”

“I see one who would beat back the demon tide. Is that not true?”

“That is true of anyone.”

The devil laughed. “No-one here would. But I can see you would. As would I.”

Morad was surprised, he had not expected so clear a declaration from a fiend. “Perhaps we have an ally.”

“What is your intent?” the devil asked. “I am not interested in destroying Zariel. I am interested only in stopping the demonic horde - as is Zariel.”

“We can give you power,” Morad said.

“What power?”

“Territory. Spoils of war. There will be a vacuum after we leave.”

“I lead the Eighth Remnant. I command a force beyond these walls. We have one goal and that is to drive the demons back to their foul realm. Zariel is failing. I will not.”

“We will help you,” Morad said again.

“How?”

“Clearing Zariel from your path,” Torgrun responded.

“You will lead,” Morad added, “Replace her.”

The Chain devil shook her head. “I have abandoned the Infernal Hierarchy, and that is not my ambition. I am not a politician, I am a warrior. I will call my banners and fight with you on one condition: we must take down a Demon Lord.”

“So be it,” Torgrun responded quickly. Morad nodded agreement too. Both holy men figured destroying a Demon Lord was a noble goal either way. “Do you have one in mind?” Morad asked.

The devil spat. “Kostchtchie would be ideal. He slaughtered my old regiment thanks to foolish and weak leadership. But any of the great demons will do. Let us sign a contract. I will fight with you, you will bring me a head. A simple agreement.”

“No,” Aziz Morad said simply. “I do not sign.”

“You may not, angel, but will no other?” the chain devil said looking directly at Torgrun.

“Tell me of your banners,” Torgrun asked warily. “How many do you have?”

“Dozens.”

“And you will stand beside us as we try to achieve our goal? And we will bring down a Demon Lord for you.”

“I will fight beside you to reach and destroy the Demon Lord, yes. I will not fight Zariel, nor any other devil unless they get in our way.”

Torgrun turned to the group and raised a questioning eyebrow. Albert and Mak nodded. “We’ve got to get through the horde to get to Elturel,” Spider shrugged.

“I think this is a boon for us,” Torgrun agreed.

“Though what I am hearing is a guy about to make a deal with a devil saying ‘what could possibly go wrong’,” Albert observed wryly.

Torgrun looked around and saw a group of friends that had signed already.

“Show us the contract - and don’t sneak in anything stupid,” Spider said. The Warlord summoned a stone tablet with chains embedded in it spelling out the terms. Spider and Sam scanned it carefully.

Princeps Kovik and the undersigned, agree to join forces to assault the demonic horde, and defeat a Demon Lord. In return for this task, Princeps Kovik will fight alongside said undersigned. Any betrayal of this agreement renders it forfeit."

As promised, it was straightforward and direct. “Do we need to add a stipulation that the alliance holds until the end of the active engagement after the Demon Lord is killed?” Spider asked Sam.

“It would be a good idea,” Sam said. Princeps Kovik agreed to the addendum.

“And/or when Torgrun and his allied forces choose to take leave of Avernus,” Spider added.

Kovik frowned. “As I have stated, I will not fight Zariel. If you extend this battle to her, this contract will not be valid.”

“Put a clause in that you won’t fight her - that’s our job,” Spider said.

“I will support you until such time as you turn on Zariel.”

“By Zariel, do you mean just Zariel herself or Zariel’s forces?” Albert asked, getting in on the negotiations.

“Either.”

“I think we can’t expect any more,” Torgrun agreed.

“Aren’t all the forces Zariel’s?” Morad asked.

Spider was sceptical too. “They’re all Zariel’s forces, so, you know, that’s a bit of an iffy clause.”

“You won’t fight a devil, is what I’m hearing,” Albert clarified.

“That is right,” Princeps said.

“So we flank into the battle via the demonic side,” Torgrun said. “We don’t have to face the devils that way.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Albert nodded. How he gotten himself into a position where attacking an endless horde of demons sounded like a good idea, he wondered ruefully.

Torgrun was satisfied once Spider and Sam were. There was no mention of souls, and the contract was a blunt statement of intent. “This is an agreement between Warlords,” he said, “I scratch your back, you’ll scratch mine.” He stepped forward to sign it, justifying it for the same reason he still had the shield strapped to his arm. Because the greater good demanded it.

Princeps Kovik ripped an iron nipple ring from her breast, placing it on Torgrun’s finger - it resized immediately and locked into place. She slipped a mirror onto her finger. “It is done. I will start rallying my forces. Some fight below Elturel, I will call them as we approach.”

---

The Hobgoblin gang were huddled together with their Horned Devil leader gesticulating toward Kovik. The biggest of them stepped forward, settled its massive shoulders, and beckoned.

Albert started walking over, pushing the newly contracted Torgrun in front.

Before heading over himself, Spider turned to Feonor. Her eyes were narrowed as she watched what was unfolding. Spider grinned and held up a single finger, mouthing “That’s one,” as she glanced at him. Fenor snorted and looked away as Spider shrugged his shoulders. Her loss, he chuckled to himself.

The hobgoblin captain sized himself up Torgrun. “You’ve signed with Princeps, I see.”

“Our paths align.”

“And what have you agreed with that pathetic remnant?”

“To fight the demon horde. Would you not like to join us?”

“The demon horde interest us not. My Lord, Bitter Breath,” the captain said looking back at the Horned Devil, whose mouth was wisping smoke, “My Lord seeks Zariel.”

“We should’ve come to you first,” Albert laughed.

“Speaking of our paths aligning,” Torgrun grinned.

“We will join anyone who fights Zariel! My Lord was betrayed by Zariel, who took his wings and his voice, and vengeance is all he seeks, and all we seek.”

“We do not seek vengeance, but we seek Zariel for the same outcome. For redemption.”

“How many are your forces?” Spider asked.

“All of us!” the hobgoblin boasted, indicating the gathered dozan. “This is our force. We gather power, and we will attack!”

Torgrun covered Spider’s stifled laugh, realising any ally was better than none. “Ride with us! We will approach Zariel via the demon horde. First we slay a Demon Lord, but our purpose - as yours - is Zariel. And we will free the city.”

The hobgoblin looked confused. “We’re taking her prize,” Spider explained, understanding the hobgoblin mind would respond better to a simpler appeal than Torgrun’s redemption song.

The leader’s eyes brightened. “We will help with anything to causes her to suffer,” he grinned.

“Zariel’s reign will end,” Morad added.

“Yes! And we will stand in her place!” the hobgoblin said, visions of grandeur rising. “But - we have a small price that we ask for our assistance.”

“These guys and their transactions,” Spider muttered.

“My Lord must be restored to his former glory. Reinstated as a Pit Fiend! That is the price.” The hobgoblin captain looked at the Horned Devil for approval, who nodded assent.

“We cannot guarantee that, but we will have some sway over the people who take over from Zariel. And we will say ‘can you please do this’, and they will do this because we have helped them retain power,” Morad explained ponderously. “But I cannot promise it.” The Hobgoblin frowned again, getting lost in the explanation.

Albert jumped in. “Yes! Yes we can do that! Why are you equivocating,” she scolded Morad gently.

Morad raised his eyebrows. “No but we cannot-”

“Yep, we can do that, that’s perfect acceptable!” Albert said, hastily drowning out Morad.

The hobgoblin looked with relief at Albert. “You can do this? You are sure?”

“Once Zariel’s gone, all bet’s are off. Surely you know that.”

The Horned Devil nodded once again. The hobgoblin turned back to Albert. “Very well.” He glanced back at his Lord again, then quickly crouched down in front of Spider, who took a step backwards. In whispered Goblin the big captain quickly added his own demand: “Also new warmachines for all of us each of us all of us hobgoblins and gold lots of gold we want lots of gold,” he rushed out before standing and smiling nervously at the Devil.

Albert relayed the message quickly to Spider who hadn’t understood a word. “I think you might be their god,” Albert laughed.

Spider got it. Greed-driven mercenaries were no strangers to him back in Baldur’s Gate. “When we go we probably won’t have any use for the Demon Grinder outside, so we can chuck you the keys.”

“Just one?”

“Just one,” Torgrun said firmly. The hobgoblin grimaced.

“What about the gold?”

“No gold. The deal’s off - go and tell your boss,” Torgrun glared.

The hobgoblin frowned, outsmarted. “Just the Demon Grinder then,” he said bitterly. “We have an agreement! You must sign.” From his tattered armour he pulled out a crumpled, stained, and dirt smeared piece of parchment. He scrawled a rough X on it, then handed it to Spider. “Sign,” he demanded.

Spider smirked. He held it up to Sam who was already shaking his head. “Just a crumpled piece of paper, right?” Spider asked anyway. “Just a crumpled piece of paper,” Sam confirmed. Spider pulled out his special quill, and signed his name in calligraphic Infernal. The hobgoblin clearly had no idea what was written there so he held it up for the Horned Devil, who confirmed.

The hobgoblin clapped his hands. “The deal is signed! And you must not break it, for you have signed the contract. Lead us to Zariel and we will do the rest!”

“Stand by our side and follow our path, and we will lead you to Zariel,” Torgrun said.

Albert leant down to Spider. “Are these guys cousins of yours?” she teased.

“Hey you can’t talk about bad deals,” Spider shot back, “Miss ‘I made a deal with Feonor that was totally one-sided’”

“Oh Feonor, we will talk to her in a minute,” Albert sighed.

Spider turned back to the Archmage and held up two fingers this time. She held two fingers up in return, then drew them across her neck. Spider laughed.

---

Albert strolled over to Feonor. He knew all the posturing wouldn’t work on her. “Feonor, honey.”

“You’ve changed,” Feonor observed.

“We’ve all changed. You’ve changed.”

“Oh no, I am exactly the same. That’s the problem with this place. Nothing ever changes. You’ve been the only interesting things in a long time. Especially you,” Feonor smiled warmly - an unsettling sight, Albert shuddered. “Why do you stay with those others?”

Albert took a deep breath. “It’s a long story. Why do you stay where you are when there is so much on offer?”

“Oh, boredom I suppose.”

“Right. Well let’s fix that. I know you like to sulk, be all mysterious-”

“We are twins in that way,” Feonor interrupted.

Albert laughed sadly before continuing. “There is an opportunity here. Look, you can see what’s happening here, things are going to change whether you like it or not.”

“So you seem to believe. You’d be surprised how little changes down here. The demons come and go, the devils come and go, forever locked in the Blood War.”

“But there is something you want, right? Is it change?”

“The only thing I want, the one thing - and you did not bring it to me - is something good.”

“I’ve brought you something good twice now,” Albert replied.

“Oh yes? I see it not?”

Albert glanced over at Morad.

“Ah. Yes. He shines. But he is not mine,” Feonor said sadly.

“We cannot have everything we want, but you can gaze upon him, as I do.”

“He is rather fascinating,” Feonor agreed. “Tell me what do you see?”

“What do I see? I see the greatest man I have ever known.”

“Greater even than Mahadi?”

Albert burst into laughter. The very idea of comparing them! “I would tread his face into the earth if I had the chance.”

“Mahadi’s?”

“Yes.”

It was Feonor’s turn to laugh. “Yes, I tired of him too. He is an arrogant, powerful, besotted fool.”

“I have to admit that I was mistaken about you,” Albert said. “I had thought that you would say the thing you wanted most was Mahadi strung up.”

Feonor raised her pencil-thin eyebrows. “Oh, no, that’s not necessary.”

“Well then we are not as similar as you think.”

“It would be entertaining to see that, or play a part” Feonor mused.

“Perhaps we have no common ground,” Albert sighed, tiring.

“Oh we have plenty. What do you intend to do with that one?”

“Morad? He’s his own beast, I won’t do anything with him. I couldn’t, even if I tried.”

“You just want to follow him?”

“Yes,” Albert said, realising it was true. He wanted to watch what Morad became.

“As I once wanted to follow Mahahi, equally entranced. They are rare creatures, both. So you see - common ground,” Feonor smiled.

Albert was feeling confused. This was the Feonor, a Warlord of Avernus, who had tricked him into signing a dangerously one-sided contract. But what she said made sense. Feonor followed evil, Albert good, both equal obsessions. Albert was exhausted having found and freed Madam Electra, and Feonor was obviously just as strung out. He felt a strange bond with the pale Archmage.

“You will tire of him, as I tired of Mahadi.”

“Maybe. In the meantime, wouldn’t it be diverting to follow him with me for a little while?”

“What would you have me do?”

“Wreak havoc on those that stand before us,” Albert said quietly.

“I do enjoy havoc… and afterwards?”

“In truth? Back to your boring life I guess. Until you found your next diversion.” Albert felt a strange sense that he was talking to himself in a mirror. “But in the meantime - what fun.”

“When do you leave?”

“Very soon.”

“And will you ride with me?”

“I will.”

Feonor reached for Albert’s warm hand and held it between her cold. “Consider it done. I will prepare a seat for you.”

---

Discussions begain in earnest about the best way to approach Hellturel, and get close enough to teleport the Holy Terror II onto the earthmote hanging above the Styx. An approach was agreed, and technicalities passed on to Princeps Kovkis and Bitter Breath’s crew.

During the discussion the shield spoke to Torgrun. “Don’t forget I can help. You would fight with Bel alongside you, you should fight with me alongside you. Bel will not commit to this fight - I will. If you free me I will be by your side, and I can sway this battle.” Torgrun smiled to himself, not swayed in the least. He didn’t respond, but he also didn’t let the shield go. He was reconciled now to carrying it only as a weapon, keeping the Pit Fiend constrained within.

Lulu waited for pause in the decision making and fluttered into the air. “I have yet to hear how we are going to redeem Zariel. That is why we are doing this.”

Spider looked up. “The whole point of all of this, and the whole point of freeing Elturel - aside from it being a good thing to do in and of itself - is that Zariel wants it. And us trying to stop it will be enough to get her to engage with us.”

“Of that there is no doubt. She fights the demons to keep them from Elturel, and she will fight you too. But how will you appeal to her better self, if there is anything left?”

“Well that will be when it is decided if you, and Torgrun, and Morad, and Mak, can turn her from her path.”

“Why would she not just destroy you, as she has all that stand in her way?”

“Well she can give it a go,” Spider shrugged.

“So you intend to fight?”

“It’s on the cards,” Mak grunted.

“No,” Morad disagreed.

“We will lay down the paths of her redemption before her,” Torgrun said. “She can choose. We can not compel.”

“She might not have the strength to choose,” Albert said.

“But the sword,” Torgrun said. “The sword is the tool through which redemption shall be achieved.”

“And Lulu is as well,” Spider reminded everyone. “You were her boon companion.”

“Now that you have recovered your full capacity, can you, at a moment of possible redemption, take your true form?”

Lulu looked downcast. “I cannot. I know that I should be able to, but I cannot do it.”

“Then we all have uncertainties ahead of us,” Torgrun said kindly. “Nothing is certain.”

Lulu nodded. “I just fear that we will lose her,” she said quietly.

Aziz Morad walked over to the tiny holyphant and removed his blindfold, holding her in his arms. “I swear to you - the first option will be her redemption, not her destruction. It will be her choice in the end, but we will offer it to her. We will do whatever we have to. I will sacrifice myself for her if needed.”

Lulu looked Morad in the eye, tears welling. “Thank you, Aziz Morad. I heed your word, and believe you. We cannot force her, but so long as she has the chance.”

Morad replaced his blindfold. “Torgrun is right, we might be able to remind her of what she once was.”

“That’s what we owe,” Mak agreed, and he felt the sword agreed.

“The sword connects the past with the present and the future - you also do so,” Torgrun said.

“You are all right. And Aziz Morad too has a role to play - his transformation was not by chance.”

“And then there is Olanthius,” Torgrun smiled, breaking the tension.

Not for long. The big Death Knight stepped forward. “What is my role in all of this?”

“Your role is to cut a swathe through that demon mass, and to be at our side when redemption is laid down in front of her.”

“That is nothing, I have done that for centuries,” Olanthius rasped. “As I have sworn to you - I will not be redeeming Zariel.”

“We know,” Morad nodded.

“You will have a problem if you intend to offer her that escape. There will be no offer from me.”

“I will be offering it to her, and then we will see her decision,” Morad replied.

“Then the moment this comes to pass, will be a moment of conflict,” Torgrun said.

“As long as you understand that.”

“You have made your point clear,” Torgrun agreed.

“In which case I will fight with you until that momemnt. And if at that moment we come into conflict, so be it.”

“So be it,” Torgrun agreed.

“So be it,” Morad nodded.

It was time.

---

Session played: 30 Nov 2021