Realizing she still had a bag of Caltrops from their adventures prior to Hell, Fran would shrug to herself. She’d hurl them out into the path of the grinder.

Grinder Dex Save: 12  (19 )

Smoke covered vehicle slammed into the small  field of caltrops with both forward wheels. The wheels immediately got the look of two giant hedgehogs attached to the armadillo, the Grinder made a few unsure turns left and right and finally stopped - you could see one of the boar fighting (successfully) the smoke, that (unfortunately for the were-band) allowed Polly to land her spell. ( 11 or 7 ) The cursing from the Demon Grinder was loud enough to carry over the two working engines.

The chase seemed to be over, unless the group wants to return and finish the band off (you are pretty sure the Grinder can still move and stopping was more of a choice than necessity).

As the distance widens, Ordrag calls out "Eat dust, hell-scum!"

Choir cheers and makes 'Vroom, Vroom' engine noises which are eclipsed by the noise of the real engine.

Adrey reaches his arm out the window and flips the bird as they speed away.

Fran cackles and fist pumps.

     Polly hops up and down excitedly before suddenly remembering she was on a moving, terrifying machine.  As such, she plops down onto her butt and grabs whatever she can for safety!

Tormentor continued to run across the sinking hot desert to the hill straight ahead. The strange structure to the right became more visible now - a gigantic sac of wet, papery material is floating high above the surface of hell. Angelic figures with feathery wings stick to its surface like flies in amber, their bodies struggling futilely underneath layers of gunk. Iron chains at the bottom of the structure tether it to the hellish landscape. "Hellwasp nest," explained Lulu. "Now I see why they are so frightening". She looked at the horrific display with sad expression but lowered her ears: "We can not help, they are all dead there."

The hill itself is not so far now and with a quite beaten road too, even decorated - wrought iron trees (metallic, every branch of them) line the trail that leads to the summit of a steep hill. Anguished knights - some still in armor - are impaled on the trees’ metal branches, their bodies writhing in torment as bloated stirges feast on their blood.

The road goes up.

Adray sets his eyes on the road and tries not to look at anything else.  It was all to horrible and likely the even the smallest glimpses will haunt his dreams in years to come.  Still though he drove on at that steady pace.

     On the other hand, Polly tries to soak in every sight, every detail.  She knows the images will haunt her for the rest of her life but she believes knowledge is always best taken in rather than avoided.  Besides, those lost should not be ignore or forgotten.

Ordrag has seen his share of dead bodies, but these give him the shudders. From his position on the harpoon turret he watches as they pass each one. It is like a horrid version of a guard of honor for their passage

Fran would almost deflate at the sight. She’d glance down at her feet to pay some respects before turning her attention to see if there was something to fix and if she could fix it.

Choir keeps her eyes on her holy amulet, muttering prayers to Akadi for the lost souls here. And a few prayers that they would not share their fate.

Maybe they deserved it, ponders Ordrag. Still he wouldn't like to be in their shoes.

"Mercy!..." The barely heard plea came from the tree near the summit of the hill - one of the largest iron trees. The one who called looked like a very pale elf warrior,or what's left of him after an obviously very long time of suffering.

"Jander?!" Lulu looked as if she suddenly remembered something terrible (even more terrible than the gruesome display in front of you) and gave him a pitiful look. "Haruman... I... Understand now. Jander sealed the portal behind those Hellriders that fled from here. Haruman stayed. This is how he is punishing the souls of traitors."

It seemed Jander recognized Lulu as well, the glimpse of hope died in his eyes, all he answered was "I payed the price of my sins" and went silent. Stirges continued to swarm back and forth from Jander’s body and the bodies of his traitorous companions.

     Polly sees all this but just doesn't know what to say...  What to do.  What could possibly help?  What could they possibly do?  

     "Is there any good to be done here?" Polly asks quietly, almost to herself.  "Any worthwhile deed besides trying to finish out goal quickly?"

"End...Hell?" says Choir, awkwardly. "Can it be done?"

Looking at the elf's pale face, Ordrag says: That fella looks like he's lost a lot of blood. Them stirges really suck. Then turning to Lulu he says: Us don't wanna cause any more trouble than us need to. Who is this fella and what did he do?

Fran would look to Lulu. That little golden bundle of joy had witnessed so much, and was having to relive it all again. She was truly at a loss for words, but wanted to provide all the support she could. Even with Polly and Choir's questions, she had no answers. The artificer could only straighten her posture, standing tall in preparation for what tasks they may have to face next.

"He is a vampire," answered Lulu Ordrag's question in the saddest tone you ever heard from her but Jander raised his head again "I was a vampire, cursed to an eternity of undeath, but the one who tried to redeem his corrupted soul by swearing to hunt down his own kind. I volunteered to join Zariel, because I believed in her her crusade into the Nine Hells and hoped that will redeemed my soul." His rough dry voice was raising and falling as he was talking. "After we charged through the portal into Avernus... we panicked and fled back to Elturel. Yes, I was the one who betrayed our braver comrades by sealing the portal behind them. We never revealed their shameful retreat and betrayal of Zariel. It was a badge of shame that we - the Hellriders - would wear in secret until the grave. But did not we pay enough?! After years and year of this shame I chose to face the sun and throw myself on Lathander’s mercy. He never answered... my soul was condemned to the Nine Hells to suffer for my sins".

"If there is a drop of mercy in your souls - kill us, cut us down from that trees. If not me - at least them!" He motioned with difficulty toward the others. "Help us to move on from this accursed place!"