"If it is safe for the creature, then I will aid in this conjuring." Kaelani replies.

Anyone else before we continue?

After making some preparations, Mad Maggie creates a fiendish circle on the ground, and arranges several comfortable black cushions at the center. She orders Lulu to rest on the cushions, which the hollyphant does with a bit of trepidation. Maggie then places two skulls on the circle, noting that she’s sure her sisters won’t care if she picks their brains about this problem. The hag instructs the rest of you to take up places within the circle. Mad Maggie tells you to close your eyes and keep them closed, that the ritual should last about ten minutes, and that during the ritual all within the circle will be joined by a telepathic bond. If anyone leaves the circle, the ritual is interrupted and she’ll be forced to start over. 

As the hag initiates the ritual, you sense the telepathic bond forming between each other, the hag, and Lulu. Your eyes still closed, you sense a brilliant flash of light, then darkness. A tingling sensation sweeps over your bodies as vibrant rainbows appear within your minds and you see Lulu’s first dream unfold. Mad Maggie isn’t in the dreamscape with you, though you can hear the hag’s disembodied voice whenever she speaks.

As the rich, radiant light of a hundred dancing rainbows slowly dissolves, warm sunlight fills the area. Within that space, Lulu flies lazily in a lush meadow at the shoulder of a beautiful, blindfolded angel. As the pair strolls through the tall green grass, the voice of the hag fills your mind, “Push through this vision. It only represents what Lulu wishes was true. We need to see more.”

Everyone make a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw.

Kaelani Int Save: 20

Tibi intelligence save = 8

Drabash intelligence save = 5

 Darvin INT save: 12

The sunny meadow fades to black as the dream sequence progresses toward the next dream.  

A flame-encircled battlefield appears on a barren hellscape. At the center of the circle, Lulu and the angel lie unconscious and prone, horribly injured. You see yourselves standing in defense of Lulu and the angel, facing outward as six small, spine-covered devils creep closer. In the distance, a formation of battered and retreating human warriors disappears through a portal.

“The devils!” hisses the hag’s disembodied voice. “You must defeat those devils!”

Leaping to action you spread out and enter into combat with the small winged fiends.  But your experience and knowledge of their tactics allows you to quickly overwhelm them and as you finish off the first three the others flee and the dreamscape changes again.

Now a landscape filled with thick, black smoke and the smells of death and decay expands to encompass everything.

The three small devils that survived the previous dream kneel before you and offer to serve you if you spare their lives.

Kaelani will attack without pause. Dreamscape or not, his angelic blood and celestial master will not abide to let any  devilspawn survive!

Seeing Kaelani attack, Tibi mutters "in for a nib, in for a dragon - I guess" before yelling out "TALLYHO" as he launches himself in to the air at the devils. In complete contrast Drabash doesn't say anything he lets his axes do the talking as whiling them above his head like a cheerleaders pom poms he quietly also moves to attack.

As you launch your attack against them the devils fade away into nothingness.  The dream ends and fades to black as the dream sequence continues with the next dream. 

Now you wander a vast, barren landscape of utter devastation. Black sludge rises rapidly out of the ground, enveloping your feet and gripping you tightly, overwhelming you with a horrible sense of loss.

“Don’t let the sludge consume you!” says Mad Maggie’s disembodied voice. “You must push through her defenses. She must look!”

You suddenly find yourself restrained by the black sludge as it climbs up your legs.  

With a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check you can free yourself from the sludge.

Kaelani attempts to pull he legs out of the muck, straining every muscle to break free! (Athletics: 19) "Must...Fight...Through!!" Kaelani says through gritted teeth.

Tibi attempts to dodge the black sludge (DC15 & 16 rolled) whereas Drabash just tries to bull his way through (DC15 & 22 rolled). Despite his inherent nimbleness Tibi just manages to evade the sludge whereas Drabash continues forward as if he was walking on solid ground.

Desludging attempt (Athletics): 16

Each of you gets free of the sludge and rises up into the air and quickly shakes off the sense of horrible loss.

The dream shifts again.

Lulu rests on a black cushion at the center of an inky void. She is unconscious and alone, a beam of brilliant white light shining down upon her. Next to Lulu, a large gleaming brass spyglass rests atop an ornately carved tripod.

Lulu awakens and looks peacefully around her. Seeing the spyglass, she approaches it, pressing one eye against the eyepiece. Lulu then steps back suddenly, eyes wide, mouth open, her face alight with excitement. She cries out, “The sword, the sword! I know where it is!”

As the dream ends, you and Lulu wake up in the ritual space. Lulu can barely contain her joy at rediscovering what she believes is the location the sword and reveals it to be a place called the Bleeding Citadel, and she impatiently begs you to start the next leg of your journey.

Mad Maggie, experiencing the agonies of such pure suffering within the dream, oozes contentment.

"So where is this Bleeding Citadel? Anyone know anything about it?"

“Can’t say I’ve ever heard of it either but it sounds like a bit of a mess!”  He turns to Mad Maggie “perchance Marguerite you could tell what you know of said haemoglibinic castle.”

As you discuss this you recall that you have a map given to you previously.

The map depicts a region of Avernus, a wasteland of dizzying proportions that has been warped by eons of demonic invasion. Travelers face a hellscape that disorients the senses and defies attempts to map it accurately. No scale is marked on the map, and the placement of locations is based on the memories of an intrepid yet insane cartographer. The map is riddled with strange imagery and unique iconography. These are the cartographer’s artistic impressions of Avernus, and their meanings, for the most part, remain a mystery. 

Looking at the map you are unsure where you even are on it.  Mad Maggie, however, is able to point out several locations on it for you and remarks that you are about near the center of the right side of the map.

Lulu gets excited as she tells you that she recalls the sword is hidden at Haruman’s Hill.  It doesn't appear to be that far.

"So, just past the mountain with horns and some kind of dragon, maybe? The past a line of trees to a path and straight on up to Haruman's Hill. Sounds easy enough, right? Not...Well, let's be off. We have a sword to find and a city to save!"

Darvin sighs wearily. "Yes, I suppose we'd best be off. Sooner we find this sword the sooner we can get out of here."

“Let’s go then!” Tibi says to the others - in a vain effort of retaining some sort of control - to the others as they are already making their way to find the sword. Ever respectful of Tibi’s leadership role - unlike the others - Drabash waits until Tibi makes the go decision.