Chapter 1: The Avernus Job [First Layer of Hell]

[Vardaen]

"Hold a moment."

Tome lifts a rock from the ground and throw it into the inner circle.

He stands considering. "Are we certain there is a dome of energy over the place. Are we certain this isn't a trap by this woman to trick us into touching the cursed stones?"

[Shurijo]

Tome's rock passes through the area and lands within the inner circle.

"Objects can enter the area. I entered the area. Now I cannot leave." She says in reply to Tome's suggestion. "Fine," she sighs, "Don't try the rocks. If you want this wayfinder, then you'll still need to find out how I can escape this dreadful trap."

[ManWithDoor]

"It will have been a shorter career for myself than I had hoped, if that would occur. But my faith is strong, I fear not death." He makes ready to make the synchronized effort. "I am still committed to this action."

[Othniel]

"Wouldn't be here if I weren't willing to take chances," Morneth quips. "I'm ready."

[RorytheRomulan]

Ryld looks around for any signs of people who have been there before them. His weapon won't remain concealed as it is, so he lets go of keeping it so. "Me three. Assuming there's nothing out of the ordinary around here."

ooc

Survival check for signs of anyone who was here before us, and I'm going to stop hiding my weapon. It's too bad I immediately just rubbed some demon goo on it.

[Shurijo]

OOC

Ryld scans the area, but finds nothing
With the winds, strange creatures, etc. there's nothing you can find other than your own footprints. Not even Jez or anyone else's footprints, which isn't too odd. You see her footprints all over the inside.

With the party split, they decide...

OOC

We can move on, try it with all 4, try it with just 3, try something else, or just move on? Let me know

[RorytheRomulan]

Touch the stones

I'm ready to do the all-at-once plan with Jez helping. I didn't mean to hold us up, I just wanted to be thorough.

Here's what I'm thinking. With a different character, I'd be like "no way", but Jez's behavior for a creature native to the Nine Hells seems to fit someone desperate enough to incentivize us according to our goals/vices to get out of her predicament, plus Log'thar's soul coin is going crazy. She's telling the truth, or her own version of it. The fact that there are no tracks outside her prison could also be an illusion, to ward off wily passersby from believing the entrapped.

Also, backing out now would look silly, and even if this does screw with us early on in some manner, I'm all for it anyway. Technically, Ryld has already been screwed with (locket). That's Hell, baby.

[Shurijo]

OOC

Jez isn't native to hell. She comes from the same realm as most of you Forgotten Realms/Faerun. She was recruited same as you to find the same thing. Her group failed/didn't return, so now you're here. She has been trapped here for a while, which as stated, could have screwed with her head.

Also, Logthar's coin is going crazy because its close to the other coins aka wayfinder.

Lastly, it's more of her untested theory. She isn't lying or telling truth - she has never been able to do this test before.

Hopefully that clears up any confusion

[Vardaen]

"Acceptable."

Tome will join the others in attempting to break the trap by touching the stones. He locates the spheres of ones he most familiar with.

[Shurijo]

The four gather around the stones. Some are more doubtful than others, but they accept the risk of the unknown. Anything can happen in hell...

Jez stands by with a smile. She hopes this will work so she can be free of this trap. As their hands hover over the stones, Jez begins to chant. The air fills with ozone as lightning sparks fly from the obelisk and courses down to the standing stones electrocuting each touching the stones.

lightning damage

-----------------------------
Log'thar Rolled:

5d8: (1,2,3,3,1)
Totaling: 10
76-10=66
-----------------------------
Ryld Rolled:

5d8: (3,5,8,3,4)
Totaling: 23
51-23=28
-----------------------------
Morneth Rolled:

5d8: (1,1,3,3,8)
Totaling: 16
59-16=43
-----------------------------
Tome Rolled:

5d8: (4,8,7,1,6)
Totaling: 26
50-26=24

As they remove their hands from the stones, each of them feels strange magic flowing through and around them. Jez quickly moves to try to escape the barrier, but she fails to leave the circle. Cursing, yet again, she yells an indecipherable curse at the sky.

Log'thar, the paladin, had placed his hands on the stones of Enchantment and Transmutation. When he opens his eyes from the lightning strike, he notices his skin has turned blue. His mind becomes twisted as he begins seeing delusions and having urges of uncontrolled action. After wrestling with the delusions for a few moments, the paladin draws upon his willpower to stave off attacking his fellow team members and regain he's senses.

Ryld sought out the Illusion and Conjuration stones. When the half-elf recovers from the lightning strike, he notices a swarm of bats flying in circles above his head along with a flying monodrone seeming watching him. Noone else seems to notice the swarm of bats. However, the others do take note of the monodrone, a medium sized, simple spherical construct with two mechanical arms and two legs, a single eye, and rudimentary (but functional) wings.

Monodrone

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/monodrone
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Monodrone

Morneth chose the stones of Evocation and Necromancy. After her recovery from the lightning strike, she is once more attacked. Five magic missiles shoot out from the obelisk and strike her. Additionally, as she lifts her hands from the stones, she suffers additional pain from the necromancy stone as it drains life from her.

Magic Missiles

5 (d4+1): (2+1,2+1,2+1,2+1,4+1) = 17
10 necro
43 - 17 - 10 = 16
Sorry, you got hit the worse with the stones

The warforged Tome was reluctant. He chose the Abjuration and Divination stones. When he recovers, he feels changed. His docent speaks to him and confers with Tome's feelings. Nothing outward changes or seemingly affects the warforged. Tome recognizes the monodrone as a barely intelligent creature and the lowest of the modron hierarchy.

stones effects

Log'thar - Enchantment and Transmutation
* Confusion spell - rolled 9, you can move and act normally, you're "confused" and see delusions for 1 minute. Dice rolls, 9, 20, It lasts for 2 turns (so 20 seconds), then your will overcomes its effects
* Your skin has turned blue (will last for 24 hours)...

Ryld - Illusion and Conjuration
* An illusory swarm of harmless bats flutters over your head for the next hour. A dispel magic cast on the swarm ends the effect.
* A monodrone appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you and follows you around until it’s destroyed. It is indifferent toward all creatures, including you.

Morneth - Evocation and Necromancy
* 5 magic missiles
* 10 necro dmg

Tome - Divination and Abjuration
* You gain a +2 bonus to AC for the next 24 hours.
* You gain the benefits of a true seeing spell for the next hour.

Like with the others, Jez is struck by lightning and rendered barely conscious. Her trap doesn't allow her to die, so it brings heals her just enough so she can suffer the pain of her injures without allowing her to become free of the trap by means of death.

With the failed experiment over, the wounded group ....