Descent into Avernus

Dungeon Master notes for running Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus.

Investigating the Murders

If the players elect to try to solve the murders without going to talk to Tarina (or give up on her), they can attempt to solve the murders on their own. The two obvious places for them to go are to talk to other refugees or to the place the bodies are being dumped.

  • Main: Descent into AvernusDescent into Avernus
    Links

    D&D Beyond Campaign

    Official Source Book

    Alexandrian Remix

    Players

    Forith (Simon)

    Ewan

    Bob (Devin)

    Withre (Tsukasa)

    Parts broken down by Alexandrian


    The Beginning

    The Road to Baldurs Gate
    Meeting Zodge


    Vanthampur Investigations

    Tracking Down Tarina
    Dungeon of the Dead Three
    Investigating the Murders
    Trafficking Amrik
    Poisoned Poseidon
    Vanthampur Manor
    Infernal Puzzlebox


    Part 3J: The Port...
  • Related: Vanthampur InvestigationsVanthampur Investigations
    This page describes the background of the murders of the refugees at Baldur’s Gate. It also gives an overview of all of the clues that can be discovered and how they go from scene to scene.

    Links

    Main: Descent into Avernus
    Official Chapter
    Alexandrian Remix
    Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations


    What is happening
    assets/img/vanthampur/vathanmpur-what-is-happening.png


    Amrik Vanthampur has set himself up as a black market resource for smuggling refugees into Baldur’s Gate. His ag...
  • Official Chapter
  • Alexandrian Remix
  • Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations

Scenes

Talking to Refugees

  • If you haven’t already describe Refugee CampRefugee Camp
    General Description

    Sprawling makeshift city outside be city walls of Baldur’s Gate
    Shadows jumping across the tents from the few scattered campfires
    Senses

    Sound: general hushed tones as people talking among each other creates constant background noise
    Feel: the air is still, as if everyone is holding their breath at once
    Smell / Taste: the scent of logs burning fills the air from the scattered fires


    Events

    most of the refugees are dirty fro...
    .
  • Refugees are scared. They will hesitate to trust players with the flaming fist sign showing off. Money or food will loosen their lips.
  • Refugees can give clues of canvassing the victims or tanner’s fluid or point the players to go check out Insight ParkInsight Park
    General Description

    A large portion of a steep hill
    Natural lighting, depending on the time of day

    Eternal Flame torches set up around the Drawing Tree see Aspects


    Senses

    Sight: see Aspects
    Sound: Squirrels skitter among the branches and bushes. There is the background noise of the city, but the park is mostly quiet.
    Feel: The ground is soft and has a spring to it, making your steps more careful as you move forward.
    Smell / Taste: The air...
    .

Insight Park

  • Decribe Insight ParkInsight Park
    General Description

    A large portion of a steep hill
    Natural lighting, depending on the time of day

    Eternal Flame torches set up around the Drawing Tree see Aspects


    Senses

    Sight: see Aspects
    Sound: Squirrels skitter among the branches and bushes. There is the background noise of the city, but the park is mostly quiet.
    Feel: The ground is soft and has a spring to it, making your steps more careful as you move forward.
    Smell / Taste: The air...
    .
  • Depending on the players’ approach they can learn any of the clues below except canvassing victims.

Secrets and Clues

  • Tanner’s Fluid: One of the victims has an alkaline solution of wood ash and lime staining her clothes, an alchymical used to rotten and loosen the hair of hides. (The nearest tannery is the Poisoned PoseidonPoisoned Poseidon
    The Poisoned Poseidon is a beached pirate ship turned tannery that is being used to conduct murders of the Refugees from Elturel. It does have a legitimate business, but the Cult of the Dead Three is operating out of here as well.

    Strong Start

    Rumors of how the Poisoned Poseidon, the pirate ship scourge of the Sword Coast, came to be perched so far inland vary. Common to most of the myths are the ideas that it was an infernal warlock captain who decided no one would ever sit at her helm aft...
    .)
  • Staking Out the Murder Scene: When the next corpse is dumped, the PCs can follow the murderers back to the Poisoned PoseidonPoisoned Poseidon
    The Poisoned Poseidon is a beached pirate ship turned tannery that is being used to conduct murders of the Refugees from Elturel. It does have a legitimate business, but the Cult of the Dead Three is operating out of here as well.

    Strong Start

    Rumors of how the Poisoned Poseidon, the pirate ship scourge of the Sword Coast, came to be perched so far inland vary. Common to most of the myths are the ideas that it was an infernal warlock captain who decided no one would ever sit at her helm aft...
    or question them.
  • Refugee Papers: Forged refugee paperwork found at the murder scene and on bodies in the morgue can be traced back to Trafficking AmrikTrafficking Amrik
    Links


    Main: Descent into Avernus
    Related: Vanthampur Investigations
    Official Chapter
    Alexandrian Remix
    Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations


    Strong Start

    Description of your strong start.

    Scenes


    Small scene description


    Secrets and Clues


    Amrik’s Paperwork: Correspondence from Poisoned Poseidon and notations on the genealogical reports. Amrik can also be questioned to this effect.
    Amrik’s Paperwork: Amrik is sending reports and receiving instructions from the Dead Th...
    .
  • Canvassing Victims: Those who knew the victims can report that they’d been smuggled into the city by Trafficking AmrikTrafficking Amrik
    Links


    Main: Descent into Avernus
    Related: Vanthampur Investigations
    Official Chapter
    Alexandrian Remix
    Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations


    Strong Start

    Description of your strong start.

    Scenes


    Small scene description


    Secrets and Clues


    Amrik’s Paperwork: Correspondence from Poisoned Poseidon and notations on the genealogical reports. Amrik can also be questioned to this effect.
    Amrik’s Paperwork: Amrik is sending reports and receiving instructions from the Dead Th...
    .
  • Questioning Killers: If the PCs stakeout Insight Park, they can question the cultists dumping the bodies who tell them they work out of the Dungeon of the Dead ThreeDungeon of the Dead Three
    This is a dungeon below a public bath house that is used by the Cult of the Dead Three. They should meet Mortlock Vanthampur who will lead them to other Vanthampur’s who are involved in murdering refugees with Hellrider ancestry.

    Links


    Main: Descent into Avernus
    Related: Vanthampur Investigations
    Official Chapter
    Alexandrian Remix: Design Notes
    Alexandrian Remix: Dungeon Key
    Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations


    Strong Start

    Description of your strong start.

    Map

    Level 1

    a...
    .

Fantastic Locations

  • Refugee CampRefugee Camp
    General Description

    Sprawling makeshift city outside be city walls of Baldur’s Gate
    Shadows jumping across the tents from the few scattered campfires
    Senses

    Sound: general hushed tones as people talking among each other creates constant background noise
    Feel: the air is still, as if everyone is holding their breath at once
    Smell / Taste: the scent of logs burning fills the air from the scattered fires


    Events

    most of the refugees are dirty fro...
  • Insight ParkInsight Park
    General Description

    A large portion of a steep hill
    Natural lighting, depending on the time of day

    Eternal Flame torches set up around the Drawing Tree see Aspects


    Senses

    Sight: see Aspects
    Sound: Squirrels skitter among the branches and bushes. There is the background noise of the city, but the park is mostly quiet.
    Feel: The ground is soft and has a spring to it, making your steps more careful as you move forward.
    Smell / Taste: The air...

Important NPCs

  • Torimesh the Druid
    • An elderly man, originally transformed the park from dump to park.
    • He is both furious and heartsick about the bodies being dumped in the park.
    • He’ll rage about the fact that the Flaming Fist has done nothing (“Nothing!”) to put a stop to it.
  • Victims - additional info for each one
    • Edmao Eduarda
    • Wemba Oshrat
    • Madhuri Akhila
    • Leiv Diomidis
    • Aneta Diomidis
    • Annika Silverleaf
  • Additional victims if they don’t solve the case in a day:
    • Shohreh Letitia
    • Iolanthe Oshrat (sister of Wemba Oshrat, the second victim)
    • Valeria Nuska
    • Weronika Nuska (sisters)

Potential Monsters

Potential Treasure

  • 1gp each

Next Steps

This could go in a couple directions.

  • Talk to Trafficking AmrikTrafficking Amrik
    Links


    Main: Descent into Avernus
    Related: Vanthampur Investigations
    Official Chapter
    Alexandrian Remix
    Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations


    Strong Start

    Description of your strong start.

    Scenes


    Small scene description


    Secrets and Clues


    Amrik’s Paperwork: Correspondence from Poisoned Poseidon and notations on the genealogical reports. Amrik can also be questioned to this effect.
    Amrik’s Paperwork: Amrik is sending reports and receiving instructions from the Dead Th...
    based on what they learn from other refugees.
  • Investigate the Poisoned PoseidonPoisoned Poseidon
    The Poisoned Poseidon is a beached pirate ship turned tannery that is being used to conduct murders of the Refugees from Elturel. It does have a legitimate business, but the Cult of the Dead Three is operating out of here as well.

    Strong Start

    Rumors of how the Poisoned Poseidon, the pirate ship scourge of the Sword Coast, came to be perched so far inland vary. Common to most of the myths are the ideas that it was an infernal warlock captain who decided no one would ever sit at her helm aft...
    .
  • Go straight to Dungeon of the Dead ThreeDungeon of the Dead Three
    This is a dungeon below a public bath house that is used by the Cult of the Dead Three. They should meet Mortlock Vanthampur who will lead them to other Vanthampur’s who are involved in murdering refugees with Hellrider ancestry.

    Links


    Main: Descent into Avernus
    Related: Vanthampur Investigations
    Official Chapter
    Alexandrian Remix: Design Notes
    Alexandrian Remix: Dungeon Key
    Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations


    Strong Start

    Description of your strong start.

    Map

    Level 1

    a...
    .