Allynna seems too tired to react much to Yoska's reassurances. The first night, she rolls herself into her bedroll the moment they camp and sleeps straight until morning, dead exhausted from the energy she'd expended that day, although anyone who tried to shake her awake for a watch might notice she seems to be running a fever. The rest of the trip, she's quiet and stays to the back, not looking at anyone and speaking the absolute minimum possible, her fever persisting-not that you'd know it unless you actually touches her, as she seems to only be staying quiet, and shows few of the signs you'd normally associate with such an illness.

Jill listens to Persephone when she explains what happened what she saw with Allynna. To be honest, Jill didn't understand half of what Persephone was talking about, since magic was always something that she very vaguely understood when it wasn't related to her blood powers. But still, her stabbing Gargauth in the heart sounded like a good thing, even if the whole 'murder in a fit of passion and rage' thing sounded like something out of a cheesy melodrama. But Jill was also the tiniest bit unnerved about Persephone going around and spying on other people's business. "Do not spy on me. Ever. Please."

When Corrin asked to play with some of Jill's toys, she allowed her to do so, pulling out the paddle-ball, a kaleidoscope, a top, a Rubik's cube that Jill had visibly struggled with on the journey to Baldur's Gate, and a top. Jill also volunteers to teach Corrin some Cormyrish, although she makes sure to not teach her the dirty words.

Meep remained lost in her notebook, mumbling softly to herself as she wrote quietly. Occasionally she would glance at a photo at the front of her notebook and sigh. She would bring herself away from her notebook for anyone who wished to converse with her at the moment. 

Misha heard what Seph had said, but didn't understand much of it. The fact that Allynna appeared sick did nothing to change her opinion of her, and spent most of the trip in silent prayer, being on the lookout, or keeping to herself in focus determination.

 The moment it became clear Persephone had chosen the art of duplicity to garner her knowledge, Yoska blatantly refused to hear another word of it. Despite clear curiosity having crossed his face in the beginning, the druid held fast to some unspoken code, and would as gently and politely as possible request Persephone leave his presence without another word on the matter. Once she left -- or at least appeared to, in anycase -- the aasimar tried to quietly while away what free time remained to rest, smoking a pipe, and banish from mind further temptation of stolen knowledge.

But what little did reach his ears -- of Allynna following through with confronting an avatar of her patron -- would continue to dog the back of his mind. Nevertheless, he would not later press Allynna over the four day trip; merely keep a passive eye on her, as he did all the others of his new found troupe. Perhaps as a result, it is days into the trip prior to him noticing the fever, despite being something of a healer and mender for his branch of the Vistani. The front was good, but Allynna sluggish movements and one too many misteps gave the game away.

Eventually, and with a click of the tongue, the druid prepared and would try to palm her forehead with a green glowing hand, casting lesser restoration upon her while glaring all the while.  "You are not alone anymore." He would affirm, expression softening in the moment. From there he would let her speak her piece. But if she did not, or even refused the rather forceful treatment, Yoska would continue to monitor more closely, but not press her.

In fact, even if she did not feel the need to say anything after the treatment, Yoska simply accepted the silence as answer enough.

CANDLEKEEP

Over the past four days, the weather on the Coast Way has gradually worsened. Dark clouds release heavy rain until the road runs thick with mud, yet you trudge on, passing by friendly merchant caravans heading north. On the morning of the fifth day, the rain subsides but the dark clouds remain. Ahead, you see a path branch from the wider road, heading to the sea. A raven perches solemnly on a leaning post bearing two signs that point like arms toward the west. One says “The Way of the Lion.” The other says “Candlekeep.”

You arrived on the fifth day, mid-afternoon. The afternoon sun shines through the clouds to illuminate the gray walls and pale spires of a timeworn fortress that stands majestically atop a rocky promontory overlooking the sea. The trail leads straight to it.

Candlekeep is a fortress perched on a spur of rock overlooking the Sea of Swords. It is reached by a single road, the Way of the Lion, which branches west off the Coast Way. Candlekeep is always open to visitors and boasts one of the finest libraries in Faerûn. The monks of Candlekeep also preserve the predictions of Alaundo the Seer, a singular sage whose prophecies have proved correct over long years. Upon the seer’s death, Candlekeep became a haven for both the veneration of his prophecies and the accumulation of all knowledge. If there’s a secret to be learned, the clues to finding it can probably be found in Candlekeep.

At the gatehouse, you are greeted by three monks in purple robes: a human, a shield dwarf, and a sun elf. Around their necks hang holy symbols of Deneir, god of writing, whose symbol is a lit candle above an open eye.

“Welcome to Candlekeep,” says the elf in Common. “A gift is required from those seeking admittance. You must donate a book or scroll that isn’t already in the library’s archives. Please present your gift for inspection.”

In response to Yoska's words, Allynna merely gave a tired nod towards Misha and said "I assumed you were all with her." Her voice is absent of accusation or anger, merely stating a fact.

Allynna's fever seems to have lowered by the last day, whether from Yoska's spell or just natural recovery. She remains at the back of the group, slowly recovering from the amount of unfamiliar power she expended and getting used to having...no voices in her head.

One morning she woke up early, feeling a little more rested. She watched the sunrise, when she spotted a small winged creature sitting on a flower doing the same thing. She blinked. "Aah...hi?"

The sprite jumped and waved. "Oh, hello there! I...may have been following you. You don't look like you're doing so great, by the way."

Allynna shrugged. "I...did something a few days ago. I've never done it before. It...really exhausted me." She closed her eyes. "Plus...my group is kind of mad at me right now."

"Yeah, I noticed. Need a friend? I'm Riannis. I used to hang out with an elf named Alexia, but...well, she wasn't even on this plane! Now I'd like to hang out with you, if that's cool." He placed a tiny hand over his heart. "Just to hang out. Sprite's honor."

Allynna considered for a long time before nodding. "Okay, Riannis. You can hang out with me for a while. As long as the group doesn't decide to kill you out of suspicion..."

Riannis giggled. "I'd like to see them find me if they decide they want me dead!"

For the remainder of the journey, Riannis rode on Allynna's shoulder, a constant stream of chatter issuing from the sprite. 

Jill reaches into the toy pouch and pulls out a short,thick book. "This is a first edition Sudoku puzzle book. Made by Thoum Alabaster. I guarantee that your library does not have it."

"Indeed." The sun elf says, slightly disbelieving, yet takes it anyways, gently flipping through the pages looking at what's inside. Reluctantly, he allows you all to pass based on being handed a book that doesn't even exist in this world.

"I am glad that they accepted that." Jill remarked as they entered into the city. "That book cost me 10 gold pieces. The gnome that made it would not give me a ride to Waterdeep unless I purchased that."

THE MAIN KEEP

The Main Keep is where Falaster told you Sylvira would be, the tiefling who can possibly decode the infernal puzzle box. The main keep, is a towering edifice housing hundreds of monks and wizards, and thousands of books and scrolls. As you meander through the keep, helpful monks stop to offer them directions to where Sylvira is - located in one of Candlekeep’s spires. The walls of this circular tower chamber are punctuated by arched windows that are currently shuttered. Bookcases filled with eldritch volumes stand between the windows, while tables are crowded with specimen jars, alchemical equipment, and other clutter. Engraved into the floor of the chamber is a large, nine-pointed star. A middle-aged tiefling dressed in wizardly robes stands by one of the windows, caught in a fugue of intense contemplation. Perched on the corner of a table nearby is a spindly little demon with warty green skin, buggy eyes, thin black horns, and a whip-like tail.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see you,” says the tiefling. “What have you brought me?”

Meep can't help but snicker a little in amusement at Jill's words. "Stuborn gnome then. Send him my regards as thanks for getting us inside if you ever see him again. Although that book was quite curious. What other wonders do you have on you? I've seen you pull plenty out of that pack of yours." Meep eyes Jill curiously with happy interest. 

I can't wait to tell Dean all about this... When I see him again he will be so proud. 

"That was it. There are no more wonders in this pouch."

And when they reach Sylvira, Jill hands the Tiefling the puzzle box. "We were told by an employee of yours that you would know how to open this."

On Allynna's shoulder, Riannis makes a face as he looks at all the books on the walls. "Books are boring," he whispers to Allynna, who smiles briefly for the first time in days, but shushes him.

Misha does a double take looking at the..thing..on Allynna's shoulder, but doesn't say anything. Instead, she growls at the little quasit familiar.

“I’ve been suspicious of the High Overseer of Elturel for a long time. But no one wanted to hear my concerns, because Thavius Kreeg was widely regarded as a hero who saved his city from an undead scourge, giving rise to the holy nation of Elturgard. Hailed as a savior, Thavius made all citizens of Elturel swear an oath called the Creed Resolute, which binds them to defend the nation of Elturgard. I met him years ago, and my instincts told me he was a charlatan. Afterward, I grew to suspect that he had cut a deal with one or more powerful devils, using the Creed Resolute to bind all Elturel to his dark deal. I wish to prove my theory, and I believe the evidence is locked inside the puzzle box.”

Sylvira is an expert on magic puzzle boxes, having made and sold a few herself. She examines it, asks Jezebel, her quasit, to fetch her a flask of dark liquid, and pours a small amount into the mazelike troughs carved into the box’s surface. She then tips the box so that the liquid flows in certain directions through the mazelike patterns — until the box’s horn inlays pop loose and it breaks apart. Inside the box is a stack of nine chain-linked plates, each three inches on a side, cast of dark iron, and stamped with Infernal runes. Anyone who understands Infernal can translate the runes as follows:

Be it known to all that I, Thavius Kreeg, High Overseer of Elturel, have sworn to my master, Zariel, lord of Avernus, to keep the agreements contained in this oath. I hereby submit to Zariel in all matters and for all time. I will place Her above all creatures, living and dead. I will obey Her all my days and beyond with fear and servility. I recognize the dispensation of the device called the Solar Insidiator, hereafter called the Companion. In my capacity as High Overseer of Elturel and its vassal territories, I acknowledge that all lands falling under the light of the Companion are forfeit to Zariel. All persons bound by oath to defend Elturel are also considered forfeit. I further recognize that this dispensation will last fifty years, after which the Companion will return whence it came, taking Elturel and its oath-bound defenders with it, if that is Zariel’s wish. All this is my everlasting pledge.

"By Bane's Feest.." Misha mutters to herself, reading it.

"Did you have something else to show me?" she asks eagerly. "Do you have the shield?"

"Yes. Show her, Misha."

Misha unwraps the shield from a large blanket and hands the shield to Sylvira.

“This shield is a symbol of good’s triumph over evil. Gazing at such beauty, one can easily overlook the terrible force bound within it. Gargauth is, I believe, its name, though it calls itself the Hidden Lord. It was a pit fiend sent by Asmodeus to corrupt mortals on the Material Plane, and there it amassed such a following as to rival that of gods. In that way, Gargauth became a sort of demigod, and having worshipers increased its power exponentially. My, how the mighty have fallen! This shield has the power to corrupt everything around it. The Hhune family of Baldur’s Gate has kept it for years now. Doubtless they’ll want it back, but this shield should not be taken to any place where thousands of mortals reside. It needs to be locked away in an extradimensional space, away from corruptible souls.”

"Yes." Misha said, deadpan, folding her arms across her chest. "I totally agree."

"So what do we need to do?"

"If you intend to save Elturel, I can provide you all with a map of Avernus — the only such map known to exist in Candlekeep." She takes out the map and shows it to you all:

Sylvira then gives you all a word of caution: “This map might not be entirely reliable,” warns Sylvira. “Its creator went mad making it.”

"Although I could prepare the plane shift spell, there’s no point, as magical wards placed on Candlekeep prevent creatures from using such means to go to or from the library. Instead, I present an alternative plan for sending you to the Nine Hells. A wizard named Traxigor lives in a tower twenty miles from here. I’ve loaned him a spellbook or two, so he owes me a favor. I can have you delivered safely to his tower, and he can use a plane shift spell to take you straight to Elturel. Even more importantly, Traxigor is looking after an old friend of mine — someone with a history of battling devils in the Nine Hells. I think you’ll enjoy her company very much. Her name is Lulu.”

Allynna reads the inscription, a frown appearing on her face. "That is problematic..." she murmurs. Upon hearing the Shield's story, her frown deepens. The Hhunes...so Gargauth has been meddling for longer than I know. She gives the scholar a serious look, flatly ignoring Misha and moving to the front. "A few questions. One, do you know if the Hhunes were guards of Gargauth, or his servants? Two, he is indeed very dangerous, as is the creature within. Where do you have in mind to place the Shield, and why was it not placed in such an extradimensional vault before? Three..." Her eyes narrow. "I have connections with the Hhunes, and suspect they will not take kindly to losing the Shield. Perhaps to allay a violent response on their part to get the Shield back, some sort of fake could made to distract them for long enough for the Shield to be hidden and them to...no longer be a problem?" She folds her hands. "Four, what should we get to prepare to enter the Hells?"