Welcome to hell. I only wish I knew who was doing the welcoming. It started like the quake that brought me into the empire last year, but ended up with me getting dumped on the ground from a chain. A very informative chain I might add, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

I wasn’t alone in hell, though I was the only new arrival. Za’har, Admatha, Sahrit, and Arwel preceded me. Za’har was working on hatching a red dragon’s egg. I’m not sure what the rest were up to, but it must not have been that important. Apparently Naxk and Vashir were ripped away in the same manner as I arrived.

Hell is an interesting place. We were in the 5th hell. I never knew such a place existed, and while I’m very happy to know about this place, I have to say that I don’t feel a driving need to see more of it. I’m very curious about what happened here, though I would be happy to find out second hand.

I don’t know about the other layers, though from what I gathered from the others, the other layer that they visited was similar though not identical to this one. The creepiest thing about hell is that it is very similar in general layout to the world I know, except that everything is dead.

There is no flow, no nexuses. We traveled to where the Tower of Sigil is located on our world, and while it’s still a very important location, the tower was not there. In it’s place is a black factory of souls. We’re guessing that it takes the souls of the damned and creates the devils that are crawling all over the place. Their screams permeated the air. We were tempted to assault it, but there were too many devils, and we had more pressing matters.

Just being there is very strange. There is no flow. I thought the empire was stifling, but here the effects were even more oppressive. I remembered doing things that I hadn’t done, seeing things that I haven’t seen. Different possible versions of me all collapsed into one. This is one thing I wish to experience more of. I do wonder greatly about the decisions in my own past. I guess that’s one thing to look forward to if I ever end up here again.

What’s more important is what the existence of the hells mean. It has the feeling of a failed and conquered world. This looks to be the fate of our world if the nexuses are all destroyed. We just can’t let that happen!

The other item of curiosity is that there are believed to be nine hells, though I am only aware of one living world. I wonder if a new world is created each time one falls, or if there were ten worlds once, and nine of them have fallen. I’m guessing that Joseph’s past, and possibly Kith’s and possibly Isaline’s pasts as well may lead to some clues.

I know this battle that rages on in our own world is a big deal, though I get the feeling that this one is more important. Maybe it is the last world standing, or maybe this war can tip the scales in a battle among the gods, or among the hells. I would just like to kick them all out and let our world be.

After all of this, and I haven’t even mentioned what happened to me since I’ve been there. From the chains, I received three visions:

Man Dressed in grey robe carrying a staff -- Looks like vance with no missing eye, face looks whole
talking to a 10 ft creatures, vaguely woman shape wrapped in chains with a featureless mask covering her face.
Man smugly says: There is a task that you must perform for me if you wish me to keep your secret. Melora has become... an obstacle. We shall pay her a little visit...

A woman I recognize as the woman from the vision of the spire - bruises, dark hair, armor - wearing dented armor, + holy symbol that wasn't recognized (spiral)
she's crying and bound in chains. As best she is, she's embracing a bald human man in chains. Lined features. She says "I love Tharisdun" And he returns the hug

Same woman in battle. Her allies getting cut down by a dwarf in regal armor + hammer and rapier. She works her way to him. He grins in anticipation.


What’s strangest about these visions is that I received them at all. At no other time in hell could I get a reading off of anything. I was walking around blind. But they are very important, especially the name Tharisdun.

Levistus had this to say about Tharisdun:
While the temple stands, it should have been impossible for you to even learn it!
I am oathbound to say nothing of the matter other than to say it is utmost importance that you do not pursue the matter further. Nothing less than the fate of the world is at stake. You will be opposed from all sides!

We left the hell near where the portal they took to get here was located, which is by a frozen lake. Arwel had a way to return us to our home world. We all piled into the portable hole for the trip. This was her first attempt at this, and we wanted to make sure we all ended up in the same place in case anything went wrong.

We made it back to our world, and we did appear next to the frozen lake, though there were also tracks in the snow. Vance had performed some kind of ceremony on the lay line. It involved the sacrifice of several followers and withdrawing the handprint from “evil” Sahrit. This caused him some pain, but it’s unknown if he survived or not.

We followed and found an ornate ziggurat shaped building. It must be tied to Vance somehow, but I’m not sure how. Again we felt that this was too much of a deviation, and we could divine no additional information about Sahrit’s brother’s location.

We returned to the lake. Sahrit spent some time learning what he could about the portal. Arwel tried digging through the lake towards the portal, but make little progress. Once Sahrit was ready, Za’har used a few shots from his fire wand to melt a path to the portal.

Admatha made us all invisible, among other spells before we reentered hell number 5. Once through we made quick work of the ice demons guarding the portal, but feared that they had alerted others. We moved quickly and despite a wrong turn or two, found the frozen body of Moradin.

Levistus was also there, standing next to a sizable ice elemental. I was in back and around the corner, so I couldn’t see exactly what was going on. Levistus advised that freeing Moradin would be disasterous. He claimed that the blessings of the empire were being fed from Moradin’s power, and if he were freed, those in the empire would quickly wither.

This may sound harsh, but I’m okay with that outcome. May parents would be affected as well, though they seem mostly dead inside, just like most of those in the empire. I don’t want to see them all become withered undead, but that would be better than prolonging the “life” of the empire further.

Za’har might agree with this, or he may have faith that Moradin cares enough for his people in the empire to continue powering the blessing. Za’har raised his firewand and tried to free Moradin. Unfortunately, Levistus countered with an equivalent ice wand.

I don’t want to think that Levistus is crafty just because of this, but he knows the game, and seems to have a fairly pragmatic view of things. This makes him dangerous. But in the short term at least, it also makes him someone we can work with. We struck a deal with him. We would bring Vance, and he would release Rebin. The hope then is that Rebin could reason with Moradin, and at least calm his anger towards Levistus so that he can aid against the more pressing threats. Vance’s power would then be used as a replacement to Moradin and would then power the empire’s “blessing”. Blah

I hope the truth of the situation will help the empire decide to ween themselves off their dependence on stolen power. They should regain appriciation for the nexuses, quit destroying them, but leave a few inverted for the sake of those in the underdark.

We learned a few other choice nuggets of information. Rebin is actually Moradin’s son. Somehow he managed to get enough power and conciousness to use an avatar for a period of time.

Asmodeus is a common enemy. He takes over worlds once they have lost all of their nexi. He’s a tricky one, but not as old as Levistus.

Levistus played Moradin in the little play they put on for the group in Sigil. Other gods were played by other demons or devils. Though those that entered later may have been true.

Bacaab stole Vecna’s power, and it has taken him millennia to restore it. The insinuation here is that Vecna became Vance, and will become Vecna again.

Then there is the question of Tharisdun, and the woman from the visions. And the mention of Melora. Need to remember to ask Kith about her.

I thought I had a nice arrangement with the gods. I ignore them, and they ignore me. They don’t seem to be upholding their end of the bargain. There are so many gods, and histories, and stories, and plots, and alliances, and feuds that I can’t keep them straight, especially when I have very little background to work from. I really need to learn about the gods, what they do, what their followers are like, etc. I need to know the stories behind those that are depicted in Sigil, and those who are not. I can’t remain in the dark any more.