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In order to make their move to steal the Orphic Hammer from Rafael, they would first have to find a way to break into his domain in the Abyss. Fortunately, they now had a lead on that… From piecing together notes and information from Orin and Ketheric, they had learned that Gortash had stolen the Crown of Karsus from Mephistopheles! And he had been assisted in this matter by someone named Helsik – who apparently owned a shop in Lower Baldur’s Gate called “The Devil’s Fee” and traded in Infernal curios and artifacts.

At the shop, Jasper was able to talk Helsik into discussing “the Goratash business”. She was cagey about details, but apparently she was a Diabolist who served as a “lockpick to the Hells”. She could get you into almost *anywhere* for a price. Surviving and getting back out was your own concern.

For the “modest” sum of 20,000 gold she gave them the materials and information to construct a reverse summoning circle – which would send them to Rafael’s lair.

The Emperor tried to talk them out of it, telling them it was needlessly risky and that even if freed Orpheus would attack them for their Illithid corruption. But they had learned a lot about the “Emperor” lately. Including that he had been the great hero Balduran himself before becoming an Illithid! And had slain his own bronze dragon companion Ansur – the very companion who had rescued him from service to the Elder Brain. Because Ansur had insisted he either search for a cure or submit to being slain while the “Emperor” had decided he preferred his new “more evolved” form. His longtime partner in Baldur’s Gate – Duke Stelmane – had gone gradually comatose as a result of constant psychic “guidance” to keep her in line with his goals. Whatever the Emperor considered himself to be, Jasper saw little difference between him, Gortash, and the Elder Brain. The Emperor just wanted to be the one on top.

Upon entering Rafael’s ironically named “House of Hope” they met the spirit of “Hope” – a partially sane dwarven cleric who claimed that Rafael had built the location explicitly to trap and torture her. She would help guide them to the Hammer… if they would promise to use it to set her free before leaving. This was not a difficult bargain.

She warned them that the servants of the House were half-crazed trapped spirits who had either “defaulted” on deals made with Rafael or offered eternal service in exchange for his boon. To prevent them from being attacked by every resident in the House, she cast an illusion to disguise them as fellow inmates.

The Hammer was being held in Rafael’s archives, but while they located it easily enough it was encased in some form of impenetrable magical shell.

In the Archives they ran into Korilla – a dwarf agent working for Rafael with whom they had had contact before. She appeared surprised… but amused… by their presence. She told them that Hope was her sister, and Rafael was keeping her alive in return for her service. But he was torturing Hope to “break” her, because Hope refused to serve him as well. And he just couldn’t understand how Hope continued to have “Hope” – despite everything he did to her. She was the puzzle he could not unlock.

Jasper was able to convince the Archivist to help, upon impressing upon him what was at stake. He gave them a “pass” to Rafael’s private chambers, where he said they could find the key to bypassing the shell.

Rafael’s chambers were opulent… and deranged.

And in them they found an enslaved Incubus demon. He was all too happy to betray Rafael… but for a price of his own. A price Jasper was *not* willing to pay.

Afterwards a careful search revealed a hidden safe, containing a passphrase for the hammer.

When they returned to the Archives to retrieve the hammer, all Hell broke loose. Literally. Gigantic infernal orbs appeared summoning Infernal beasts in the halls, and Hope warned them that “the Master was returning!” The time for disguises was over.

They hurried down the halls, fighting their way to a passage down below the house. Where Hope’s corporeal body was being held.

The Orphic Hammer was able to free her, but not before they fought off her Guardians.

At which point Hope thanked them, but said Rafael had arrived. He was home. And he was…. angry.

Back up in the front Hall they found him waiting with Korilla. He was furious at them for “bringing the Chaos of the mortal world to his very doorstep”. As far as he was concerned he had offered them a fair deal, and they had elected to steal from him instead.

He snapped his fingers, and his personal guard ported into the room. Including an unexpected overseer – Yurgir – the Orthon they had met in the Sharran Temple under the Shadowlands.

Jasper and Hope both attempted to convince Korilla to join them, but she had already cast her lot with Rafael.

Yurgir, however, was a different matter. He was prepared to believe Jasper could win, and that by throwing in his lot with Jasper he could free himself from his own contract to Rafael.

Rafael threw down gouts of Hellfire, drawing power from his Soul Obelisks around the room.

Hope was kept busy mitagating the damage, and occasionally Banishing the odd Devil.

Jaheira set to work leaping around tearing down the Obelisks, in order to deny Rafael their power.

Lae’zel and Minsc set to work barreling into the masses of devil troops.

While Jasper kept Rafael occupied.

In the end, as the Obelisks fell and the devils were defeated, Rafael could not stand up to the combined assault. Until finally he was dismissed. Unmade in his home plane.

Hope was sad for her sister, but Korilla had made her own choice. Jasper offered to bring her back to Faerun, but she declined. She wanted to try to heal the other broken souls wandering Rafael’s House of Hope – turning its moniker from a mockery to a monument.

Upon their return to Faerun, the Emperor was furious. He angrily informed them that he would *not* allow them to enter the Prism to free Orpheus. He barricaded himself inside and refused to communicate further.

They met with Kithrak Voss, and he was elated at the news. He left to gather forces for a rebellion against Vlaakith – to begin when Orpheus was freed. But first he had a special gift for Lae’zel. A true Githyanki Silver Sword.

And now all roads looked difficult. They needed to take down Gortash to gain control of the Elder Brain before it broke free. But he was effectively ruling Baldur’s Gate, he had Wyll’s father and other hostages in a secret prison, and he had the Steel Watchers as incorruptible ground troops. And they did not currently have a way to force their way into the Astral Prism to free Orpheus. So the only way forward appeared to be turning Gortash’s own machinations against him. They would have to act quickly and stealthily, rescue his prisoners, destroy the Steel Watchers, isolate him – and only then take him on directly.

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And on that note, its going to be a bit before I can wrap up the last few chapters – as we’re heading off to cooler climes for the holidays. Should be back in mid-January to bring Jasper and his companions to their final climax.