# 2026-06-18 — Nine Hells Ambush & the Shattered Soul Coin > [!quote] Session Hook > Through the refuse-choked halls of the Wandering Emporium and out into the burning wastes of Avernus, the party pressed on — only to be ambushed by chain devils and a horned devil commanding a war-sluice of broken captives. --- ## Overview The party advanced through a vast refuse chamber within the Wandering Emporium and into the Nine Hells, where they were ambushed by devils near a forked approach and a hazardous war-sluice. Their mission was to locate the lost soul of the child [[Fhet'Ahla]] while defending their companions, rescuing captives, and surviving a multi-front assault led by chain devils and a horned devil. --- ## Key Events ### 1. The Refuse Chamber The party entered a vast chamber of junk within the Wandering Emporium. [[The Party|Casanova Frankenstein]] examined a pool of viscous dark liquid and collected a sample he called *"trash juice."* He then loudly warned the others away from a suspicious patch of ground — his raised voice drew the attention of unseen creatures. Canine-like devils with mauls stirred in the junk-heaps. An ice devil and horned devils watched from the refuse. A chain devil emerged to shadow [[The Party|Casanova Frankenstein]]; [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] stepped between them. ### 2. The Devil's Bargain The chain devil offered a grim bargain: surrender weapons and come willingly, to be made *"fine fodder for the war sloths."* When [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] refused, the devil conjured an illusion of a child asking, *"Are you coming to find me?"* — an echo of the party's search for [[Fhet'Ahla]]. [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] saw through the deceit. The devil attacked, lashing chains. ### 3. The Ambush at the Forked Approach The party pressed into the Nine Hells near a forked approach. Chain devils rushed the line — one seizing [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] in chains, another striking from behind. [[The Party|Tahara Rahma]] advanced to support [[The Party|Casanova Frankenstein]], invoking radiant authority: *"Unhand her, demon."* ### 4. Ara-Ara Avannatto Revealed [[The Party|Lilly Pallywally]] spotted a satyr hiding nearby who signaled for silence and indicated the devils had come from further ahead. [[The Party|Lilly Pallywally]] warned [[The Party|Celeste Valentin]] that [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] was bound by *"chained demons"*; [[The Party|Celeste Valentin]] replied she was engaged with *"a big red thing with horns."* The satyr — [[The Party|Ara-Ara Avannatto]] — revealed she had come to rescue her brother, who stood near the horned devil in poor condition. The devils were forcing captives into the war-sluice to retrieve valuables they dared not recover themselves. ### 5. The Conclave Mission Affirmed The party reaffirmed their alignment with the Conclave to locate and destroy the Unmaker in the Nine Hells, with aid promised in finding the lost souls they seek. ### 6. Ara-Ara Avannatto's Brother Executed [[The Party|Ara-Ara Avannatto]] rushed forward — the captive near the horned devil was her adopted brother. The horned devil taunted her, struck her brother down, produced a soul coin, trapped the brother's soul within it, and **shattered the coin** — dispersing the soul into the Hells. > *"You should have just came with me when I asked. Then your brother would be alive. But now... who knows where his soul might be?"* > [!note] Soul Status > Ara-Ara Avannatto's brother's soul was dispersed into the Hells after the coin was shattered. The party believes recovery may still be possible. ### 7. Two-Front Battle Combat escalated across two fronts: - Timmy loosed a firebolt at a chain devil holding [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] — it glanced away. - ⚠️ Unknown Character's fire did not affect the horned devil. - [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] broke free of one chain devil with timely aid; another grappled ⚠️ Unknown Character. - [[The Party|Unit-NULL]], still restrained, struck her captor with divine-infused shortsword blows. - [[The Party|Celeste Valentin]] charged and grappled the horned devil by the horns, landing heavy blows. ### 8. Spirit Guardians [[The Party|Lilly Pallywally]] rode forward atop [[The Party|Celeste Valentin]], raised her lance **Longinus**, and invoked spirit guardians — radiant figures swarming the battlefield. [[The Party|Ara-Ara Avannatto]] also summoned spirit guardians, creating an overlapping ward of radiant harm. ### 9. The Horned Devil Falls The horned devil — grappled by [[The Party|Celeste Valentin]] and burning in the overlapping radiance — missed her repeatedly under disadvantage and was worn down until it **fell**. ### 10. Chain Devils Press On The chain devils animated four nearby chains as additional environmental threats and continued advancing through the radiant guardians, suffering for it. [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] — still grappled — channeled divine power and smote the holding chain devil with consecutive radiant strikes, leaving it severely wounded. ### 11. Celeste Valentin Enlarged [[The Party|Dr. Herbert Who]] flew into position and enlarged [[The Party|Celeste Valentin]], swelling the centaur to massive size. [[The Party|Lilly Pallywally]] repositioned atop the enlarged mount for a better angle. The party held their defensive line with overlapping wards; the chain devils continued to take radiant punishment. --- ## Notable NPCs | NPC | Type | Notes | |-----|------|-------| | Chain Devils ×2 | Enemy | Grappled Unit-NULL and others; animated environmental chains | | Horned Devil | Enemy (defeated) | Commanded war-sluice; executed Ara-Ara's brother; shattered soul coin; brought down by Celeste Valentin | | Ice Devil | Unknown | Observed from the refuse; did not engage | | [[The Party|Ara-Ara Avannatto]] | Ally (joins party) | Satyr cleric; sought to rescue her brother; witnessed his soul shattered | | Ara-Ara's Brother | Deceased | Executed by horned devil; soul shattered into the Hells | | [[Fhet'Ahla]] | Quest Target | Lost child's soul; referenced through the devil's illusion; not yet located | --- ## Locations - **Wandering Emporium — Refuse Chamber** — Interior chamber choked with junk; site of first devil contact - **Nine Hells — Forked Approach** — Corridor where chain devils ambushed the party - **War-Sluice** — Hazardous ingress the devils avoid; captives compelled to retrieve valuables within; source of the devils' leverage - **[[War Slough — Infernal Map Player Handout|The War-Slough]]** — The broader region the party is navigating toward --- ## Decisions & Consequences | Decision | Consequence | |----------|-------------| | Casanova Frankenstein collected "trash juice" | Gained an unknown foul liquid of uncertain use | | Casanova Frankenstein loudly warned the party | Alerted nearby devils; drew them out | | Unit-NULL refused to surrender | Chain devil attacked; opened combat | | Tahara Rahma confronted the chain devil | Set conditions for Unit-NULL's escape and counterattack | | Lilly Pallywally invoked spirit guardians + flanked on Celeste Valentin | Horned devil pinned by radiant guardians; contributed to its defeat | | Celeste Valentin grappled the horned devil | Fiend failed to land blows; worn down and killed | | Unit-NULL smote while grappled | Chain devil severely wounded | | Dr. Herbert Who enlarged Celeste Valentin | Lilly Pallywally gained commanding position; enhanced battlefield control | | Ara-Ara Avannatto confronted the horned devil | Devil executed her brother and shattered his soul coin; party's resolve hardened | --- ## Open Threads > [!warning] Unresolved > - [ ] **Ara-Ara Avannatto's brother's soul** — Dispersed into the Hells after the coin was shattered; is recovery possible? > - [ ] **Chain Devils still active** — Two chain devils + four animated chains; combat ongoing at session end > - [ ] **Ice Devil** — Observed but did not engage; likely to return > - [ ] **[[Fhet'Ahla]]** — Child's soul still not located > - [ ] **War-sluice purpose** — What are the devils gathering captives for? > - [ ] **⚠️ Unknown Character** — Present in combat; identity unconfirmed --- ## Party This Session | Character | Highlights | |-----------|-----------| | [[The Party|Unit-NULL]] | Grappled early; broke free; smote chain devil with consecutive radiant strikes | | [[The Party|Casanova Frankenstein]] | Triggered initial encounter with loud warning; collected "trash juice" | | [[The Party|Tahara Rahma]] | Invoked radiant authority to pressure chain devil; supported Casanova Frankenstein | | [[The Party|Lilly Pallywally]] | Spotted Ara-Ara Avannatto; invoked spirit guardians; rode Celeste Valentin; repositioned on enlarged mount | | [[The Party|Celeste Valentin]] | Grappled and defeated horned devil; enlarged by Dr. Herbert Who | | [[The Party|Ara-Ara Avannatto]] | Joined the party this session; summoned spirit guardians; witnessed her brother's soul shattered | | Timmy | Ranged firebolt support | | [[The Party|Dr. Herbert Who]] | Enlarged Celeste Valentin mid-battle | | ⚠️ Unknown Character | Fire attacks (ineffective vs. horned devil); grappled by chain devil; identity unconfirmed | --- *Session recorded on Plaud · File ID: `9a0e792b49d5355f119acd429cabbbde` · Duration ~2h 03m*