There are just so many comments that can be made about this session. Most of them involving questions about the various players' sanity. What is it that urges people to fight things that are so much bigger than they are? At least as far as this session goes, I can't blame it on Rusteen.

The session started innocently enough. The few characters available (Jack, Shazarr, Greymankle, and Zin) were getting together for dinner in Sigil, expecting to be receiving word from Augustus concerning their next mission. First, though, Jack had a surprise to present to the rest of the group. After hanging out with the group for a few months, Jack has realized that things are a bit dangerous on the planes. While not too concerned for himself - Jack is content to trust to luck - the gambler did desire to protect his familar from the various and sundry planar hazards. To that end, he revealed that he had found a "helpful" group of mages (and others) known as the Cabal of Metamorphosis.

It seems the Cabal specializes in transformations and augmentations, allowing paying customers to recreate themselves in whatever form they wished. Jack used their services to turn his rat into a planar creature, making it a native of their new home. More specifically, he had infused Maxx with the essence of the chaotic planes - rather fitting for the anarchic little beast. While Zin more interested in why Jack had done this, Shazarr and Greymankle were obviously intersted in the where, how, and how much. It seemed that both of these companions had been harboring such designs themselves.

After this introduction, a job opportunity presented itself. An aasimar introducing himself as Seraphistus approached the table, seeking Shazarr by name. It seems that news of the party's actions back in Heliopolis had made the rounds of the celstial grapvine, and some of the forces of Good sought the party's help. Specifically, Seraphistus wanted the characters to deliver a ransom to the baatezu so that a captured asuras warrior would be released. The planetouched thief wished the party do this because while the other asuras were willing the pay the ransom, the archons of Mt. Celestia who had possession of the ransom did not. Thus, Seraphistus stole the ransom from the archons on behalf of the asuras. However, the archons were closing in and the aasimar worried that he would be captured before he could deliver the payment. So, Seraphistus wanted Shazarr and his friends to make the delivery while he went and became a distraction elsewhere.

After some wheedling, the party - primarily through the influence of Jack and Zin - accepted the task. This was even after all of the complications were made known. First, the ransom was a powerful and evil artifact - an intelligent mace called Malefactor. Second, although the mace could be used to plane shift the party to the baatezu's front door, they'd have to leave on their own (if they turned the mace over, that is). Third, this task had to be completed before the end of the following day. Once the deal was concluded, Seraphistus gave the party the mace and left to go and mislead the archons.

Almost immediately afterward, a tiefling sat down at the party's table. Introducing herself as Kylie, she basically told the party they were leatherheads to deal with Seraphistus and offered them a chance to earn some real jink. The chance came in the form of an unexplained business card dropped on the table. Of course, if they wanted the money they'd have to act before the night was over. With that, she turned tail (literally) and left.

The party now had to choose - either work for the forces of good, or follow up on a potentially shady deal. Naturally, the followed the only course of action true heroes should choose - they decided to work for both sides.

They quickly gathered up the mace and headed for the Clerk's Ward and the address on the card (for one Balthazar Thames, some sort of planar private investigator). Arriving at the address, they quickly headed up the stairs to the office. However, they soon found their way blocked by an ogre mage who was sitting on the stairs. Introducing himself as Estevan, merchant lord of the Planar Trade Consortium, he mistook Shazarr for Balthazar and asked if he had time for a case. Shazarr, naturally, did nothing to disuade the ogre mage from his assumptions and agreed to hear the deal. The deal was that the "detective" and his "partners" should help Estevan recover a ledger that was stolen from one of his business partners - Dannerson Imports - and should "Balthazar" accomplish this, the merchant lord was prepared to pay three times the usual fee. (Which the party much later found out would total 2100 cage.)

Once the case had been accepted, the ogre mage left but not before informing the party that it looked like the office had been broken into. So, of course, the party proceed up the stairs and into the office. The reception area was a shambles, as if some air elemental had been ransacking the place. Once the party fully entered, it appeared as if this was indeed the case, as a windstorm blew up in the office and then the entire room became a portal.

The party recovered in the pitch black, on a rough floor that appeared to be made out of some weird alloy of stone and iron. Zin quickly determined that they were now in the Mines of Thuldanin, on the plane of Acheron. Jack recalled a bit of trivia he'd heard or read that said the Mines were the dumping ground of the multiverse - where everything broken or lost eventually ends up. This did seem to be case; the region the party was in seemed to be the area where the debris of war ended up. (The junk consisted of weapons, seige equipment, etc.) However, the vast majority of the debris had long since petrified into the same iron-stone alloy and fused with the rest of the plane. The party decided to get off the plane as quickly as possible.

But, they still wanted to explore as they choose not to use Malefactor to plane shift to safety. Leaving the archway that was apparently the entrance portal behind them, the party began to explore the dark junkyard. (NOTE: If I'd been paying attention to my own adventure, I would have put the Lord of the Rings CD in the player and used the music for the Mines of Moria.) After much exploring, the party really discovered only two things of importance.

First, they found a mysterious staff embedded in a pile of petrified junk. Beneath it, carved into the face of the hill, was an odd message written in Dabus-speak. ("Bow to the right; bow to the left. The first key turns, the last door bends.") Second, they eventually found a group of thugs who had both kidnapped Thames' assistant and had stolen the ledger. One mind blast and a couple rounds with the stone monk later, all the thugs were incapacitated and the two missing items rescued. (Jack did successfully make a date for some light bondage later.)

After this minor altercation, the party headed back to the gate. Along the way, they found an odd device which kept asking them "Are you mundane or wizard?" After a few moments, Zin decided to answer "wizard". To which, the device responded: "Input accepted. Enemy spellcaster targeted. Countdown begins. 5... 4..." Greymankle took off running immediately on 5, with everyone else on 4. Everyone, that is, except for Zin. He was under the impression that this rather obvious bomb was broken and wouldn't do anything - completely forgetting that *lost* things also end up here. In fact, he was so oblivious to danger that he picked up the bomb, so that he was holding it when it exploded.

Enter one of the first major strokes of luck in the session. Greymankle, with his movement, got out of range of the blast. Everyone else was on the very edge and took 2d10 points of fire damage. Zin, at ground zero, took 10d10 - and survived (let's hear it for a made saving throw). From there, the party continued on, almost literally tripped over the key to the portal, and made it back to Sigil.

They spent the night to rest, and then hurried out to deliver the evil artifact to the baatezu to secure the release of the asuras prisoner.

Knowing they were heading into the depths of Hell, the party wisely stocked up on some Endure Elements spells to help endure the incredible heat that they were sure to find. And, they did. It appears the baatezu in question - a cornugon named Felgelor - lived in an obsidian fortress that floated in the core of an active volcano. Upon arrival via the plane shift power of Malefactor, the party noticed a gigantic claw poking out of the volcano's rim. As this was the only landmark in the area, they headed for it.

Once there, a disemboided voice demanded that they place the mace on the palm so that the prisoner might be released. With some stubborn diplomacy (and Greymankle's successful resistance of a suggestion spell), the party convinced the invisible imp to bring them inside the fortress. Once there, they party successfully saw through another attempt at deception by the black abashi that served as majordomo. Seeing as how they party could not be intimidated, the devil led them into the throne room to meet with Felgelor himself. Yet more threats and magics and the like were used by the head fiend, and again the party would not give in. Greymankle proved to be the rock of iron will he was, while Zin (of all beings) took commanding lead of being intimidating and legalistically crafty.

In deference to the party's negotiating skills, the cornugon allowed the party to be escorted deep into his sanctum, to the "mirror room" where the prisoner would be handed over. The party arrived, and did not see anything resembling a celestial. Two other fiends (a hamatula and a barbazu), yes, but an asuras, no. Felgelor bade the party approach and receive the prisoner. They did so. That's when the cornugon revealed the mirror of life trapping. Greymankle and Shazarr were sucked into the mirror - without their possessions. That left Jack and Zin to take hold of the Lawful Evil artifact (and thus gain a temporary 3 negative levels) and finish negotiations. Zin managed to not only garauntee the release of the asuras, but also the release of his two companions as well.

With the deal made, Zin stepped forward and placed the mace in Felgelor's hand - without letting go. As soon as all three prisoners were released, Zin attempted to turn the tables on the evil fiend by activating one of the mace's other powers - that of destruction. It didn't work as well as intended. First, the mace refused to obey the good githzerai. Then, after Zin browbeat it into submission, the magic didn't affect the fiend. However, the cornugon noticed the attempt and obviously intended to return the favor. At this point, Greymankle made a spectacular flying leap and disarmed Felgelor of the mace. So, the cornugon instead dropped a very large fireball on the party.

Another stroke of luck. With some made saves and the endure elements spells, the party survived - although with about 10 hit points total between the four characters. However, the party was able to gather together in one place and then use the plane shift power of the mace to escape. (Seems Greymankle is of the right alignment to convince the mace to go along with his plans.)

So, the party successfully rescued the prisoner AND didn't let the mace fall back into the hands of the baatezu. This earned them the gratitude of the archons - which came in the form of a small token - and that of the asuras - which came in the form of money and the promise of an "air strike" should the party call for it.

This side adventure was actually longer and more involved and than a few regular adventures. But everyone survived despite what appeared to be several very stupid moves, and my main goal as DM was accomplished - give these characters enough XP for a level.

Authored by: Ken Lipka E-mail me: krlipka@yahoo.com

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