The ruined towers and walls of Dragonspear Castle swayed and shuddered as the heroes exited the Hold of the Battle Lions, which collapsed behind them. The ground heaved and shook beneath their feet; the stench of unburied brimstone was on the wind. Varien and Erwen spotted a hellish haze enveloping the southwest quadrant of the ruins. As they approached, they could see a pit opening up, slowly swallowing the flagstones and cobbles of the courtyard. A dull red glow was emanating from the depths of the ever-widening chasm. Fire and smoke belched forth from the pit, which measured some twenty feet from one jacked hemisphere to the other. Varien initiated a crimson rite on his sword and activated his mantle of flame as he approached the edge of the pit, balancing caution with the need to end the subterranean menace. Fiendsbane crackled with freezing cold energy as Varien moved closer. The edges of the hole continued to erode and crumble away, disappearing in swirls of red smoke and dust. The ground beneath the paladin’s feet grew uncertain and unsteady, and Varien prepared himself for the worst. With each crack of stone, a gout of flame licked out as if tasting the air. The ground fractured beneath his boots and a rockslide carried Varien into the devilish darkness. “Curse this infernal sinkhole!” Varien exclaimed as he slid down the hellishly-hot morass of boiling sand and burning rock. He threw down his shield and knelt upon it, balancing as he slid down the slope. He shielded himself from the worst of the gravel that was kicking up before him. The Trevelyans watched as Varien dropped out of sight. They approached the edge of the pit with caution and maintained their footing as they bravely slid down in after their companion. Erwen and his phalanx of wolves followed suit. Siegfried misty stepped into the void. The rocky slope gave way to a subterranean chamber. The adventurers dusted themselves off. “Ugh, I could have spent a minute and turned us all into clouds,” Erwen said, dusting himself off. “I will put a muzzle on you!” Siegfried snapped. Varien surveyed his surroundings. The chamber he and his companions were standing in was dome-like, dominated by a truly horrifying portal that looked like a giant human skull with its jaws stretched unnaturally wide. Flames, smoke, and cinders belched forth from the portal, which looked like a volcanic caldera tipped upon its side. Before the shimmering portal was a throne, upon which was slumped a wizened, desiccated human form clad in red robes. His arms gripped the arms of the throne. Varien thought he could see a sort of outline that towered over top of the humanoid seated in the chair, with horns and wings suggesting the shape of a ghostly devil. Varien’s mantle of flame crackled as he began to approach the seated figure. Pointing Fiendsbane at him, the paladin said, “Your throne is on my side of the portal!” The presence of strong evil registered in Varien’s divine sense , and he was convinced that the creature before him was a powerful undead, possibly a lich. The ghostly presence surrounding him like a protective shroud was definitely fiendish. The lich cracked a smile, the effort cracking its dried, taut skin and sending a wisp of dust falling from its face. “Oh, you mean my side of the portal, for this is my domain, not yours, interloper!” The undead creature threw its head back and cackled, the sound like paper crumpling in the fire. “I was not expecting a sacrifice so willingly offered, but please, do approach so that we may complete this portal’s opening ceremonies.” “Does that sacrifice need to be a living sacrifice?” Varien asked. The lich’s eye sockets seemed to widen. “Oh, by all means, try. I do love a show of defiance before the inevitable slaughter.” His laugh turned into a hacking cough. “Varien, you want me to put him in a box?” Siegfried asked. Hellish crimson flamed rippled in the portal, and the ghostly form of a huge winged fiend began to solidify. As it knelt, it gained more solidity, and the adventurers could see the jagged end of a broken blade jutting out from a festering wound in its chest. The winged fiend seemed to be between realities as it gazed down at the adventurers. “This intrusion is unexpected, but perhaps not unwelcome,” the pit fiend boomed. “Why are you here?” “To return to you to the pit from which you came?” Varien replied. “And how do you propose to do that?” The pit fiend asked. “Come down here and find out!” Varien said. The fiend laughed heartily and glanced down at the seated lich. “If I thought this vessel was capable of making such a journey, perhaps I would. However, this portal stands open regardless of whether you wish to sacrifice yourself or your companions. Perhaps there is a way I could be convinced to close this portal before untold damage is done to your plane.” “Why would you say that?” Varien said. “Why indeed?” Baazka replied. “I made, shall we say, a bargain with the one seated before you.” Its taloned claw swept towards the lich. “But perhaps I have not made the right deal with the right mortal , present company excluded of course.” The lich squirmed in its seat. “I am no mortal,” it hissed. “I did not spend decades studying the secrets of eternal life to be called a mere mortal.” Baazka continued. “You don’t want this portal to remain open, do you?” Suddenly, a pink, fleshy liquid began to spill out of the portal, spreading like an ooze across the stone floor of the chamber. Here and there within the puddle, humanoid forms suddenly reared out, shaking fists at the sky before splashing back down to join the collected liquid. Their horrid moans reverberated around the room as they spilled across it. “Lemures,” Fiendsbane hissed. “Why don’t you want this portal open?” Varien asked. “Why indeed?” Baazka replied. “Well, I don’t particularly need it, for one thing, but these Thayans, on the other hand…” “So what do you propose?” Varien asked. “Let us get down to business, then,” Baazka said. “Varien, he’s making a lot of excuses not to step into the ring with you,” Siegfried said. “He sounds to me like an abyssal chicken.” Baazka’s coal-like eyes narrowed as his smouldering gaze flickered towards the half-orc. “Perhaps you should choose your allies more carefully, paladin.” He said to Varien. “Oh! I have a question!” Siegfried put his hand up like a schoolboy. “Could a pit fiend on this side of the portal open the gate and drag you over here? Put your gold where your mouth is?” Baazka chuckled darkly. “You knocked on this door. Not I.” “But if you were on this side of the door, could you open it?” Siegfried pressed. Baazka did not answer. He turned back to Varien. “For those of you who care to listen rather than speak, I have a bargain for you.” He indicated the jagged sword jutting from his body. “Pull this blade from my chest and I shall shatter the Bloodgate for you.” Varien pondered this. “All right then, Baazka. I shall kill this lich, and then pull the sword from your chest.” “Varien, Baazka must agree to destroy the Bloodgate within thirty seconds of the sword being pulled from his body,” Siegfried said. “Yes, straightaway, within thirty seconds of my pulling the sword out,” Varien said. Siegfried cast message to Varien. We must have any agreement reviewed by a lawyer before agreeing to it. “How long would it take you to tear down this portal?” Siegfried asked. Baaka sneered. “It is but a trifle.” “Right, then you agree to destroy the portal immediately after having the sword pulled from your chest, or else you submit to having the sword immediately returned to your chest, by us,” Siegfried said. “Do I not get a say in this?” hissed the lich. “Quiet, the grownups are talking,” Siegfried scolded the Thayan. To Baazka he said, “it’s a matter of insurance – all contracts should have a clause that says what happens if they renege on the clauses.” “Withdraw the sword from my chest and I shall close the gate behind me in an instant,” Baazka snapped his claw. “With the clause that says you will re-bind yourself with the sword should you fail,” Siegfried said. “Just in case some nonsense happens, like this lich attempts to foil your efforts to close the gate. And likewise, we agree not to interfere with your efforts to destroy the gate. If we do, we agree to have the sword stabbed into our chest.” Baazka laughed at that. “I think that’s fair,” Siegfried said with a shrug. “Any violence after the portal is closed would be post-contract.” Baazka pointed at Varien. “You pull the sword out of my chest. I destroy the portal, closing this Bloodgate once and for all. You pledge not to raise arms against me while I do so. And I shall complete this task in a heartbeat. Should you interfere with my closing of the Bloodgate, all bets are off.” “And if you fail to complete the task in a heartbeat as recognized by the body of one Varien Aether, then you take the shard back into your own chest,” Siegfried said. “And you will take care of this Thayan problem first?” Baazka said. “No one speaks of Tarul Var that way!” the lich said. “No one will remember your name,” Siegfried said. “Even in a limited contract situation, I feel your souls should be on the table should you breach it,” Baazka said. “Stabbing you with the shard of this sword would indeed be entertaining, however.” Erwen’s wolves began to approach the oozing lemures, sniffing cautiously. “Baazka!” Tarul Var shouted. “We had a deal!” “I am altering the deal,” Baazka growled. “Pray I don’t alter it any further. Now then, all contracts, oral or written, should be witnessed by a qualified third party. Who shall witness our bargain on your behalf?” “I have a solicitor and advocate on retainer!” Siegfried said. “Alphanse Wolfram, of Wolfram & Hart.” Baazka nodded assent. “Summon him, so that he may bear witness.” Siegfried cast sending to Wolfram, and a few moments later, the infernal contract expert teleported into the chamber. Wolfram’s tall ears perked up as he surveyed his surroundings. “Oh dear,” he murmured, as he gazed at the portal. “Called me into some heated negotiations, have you?” Wolfram nodded respectfully at the nearest of Erwen’s wolves. Baazka waved a claw and a figure stepped through the portal. It was Lorcan of the Sinister Seven, his handsome face curled in the standard cambion’s sneer. Hope he brought that glaive I asked for , Siegfried thought to himself. “You’ll want a quick closing date on this one,” Wolfram said to Siegfried. The lawyer nodded to Baazka and produced a vellum scroll and a jet-black feathered quill. He dipped it into an inkpot that suddenly floated next to him and wrote in excellent calligraphy, outlining the details of the contract in the red ink that Varien was fairly certain was actually blood. “We just want to ensure our agreement is rectified according to the laws of the Nine Hells and all that,” Siegfried said to Wolfram. “Ensuring that Baazka can transport across to this plane, as is his wish, and in return close the portal fully and permanently as is our wish.” Baazka smiled, showing rows of needle-sharp teeth. “Oh, but I didn’t specify which side of the portal I’d be on when I closed it down.” “It’s only fair for Baazka to be on this side of the portal when he closes it,” Siegfried said, “in case of any breach of contract on his part, given that he would have to submit to a re-binding with the jagged sword blade.” “A fair point, wouldn’t you say, Baazka?” Wolfram asked the pit fiend. Baazka laughed. “After all, I wouldn’t want to have to summon you all the way back here again quickly, Lorcan,” Siegfried said to the cambion, who was watching the contract with disinterest. Lorcan shrugged. “I’m just here to do my duty.” “Heh, you said ‘doody’,” Siegfried chuckled. “Yes, get that out of your system,” Lorcan muttered. “So, we want the portal closed on this side because you could just re-open it from your side,” Siegfried said. Baazka glowered. “Do I come to your plane of existence and tell you how to do your job?” “You seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that I am as stupid as Brevindon Margaster,” Siegfried replied. Baazka chuckled, shaking his horned head. “Brevindon…” “Yeah, a shadowfelling idiot,” Siegfried continued. “We want the portal closed in such a way that devils have no power to reopen it.” “Of course,” Baazka waved his claw dismissively. “That was never in question. The portal will be closed from this side. On that we are agreed.” Wolfram’s pen nib scratched on the vellum, the sound like rending flesh. “And you’ll be on this side of the portal when you do it?” Siegfried pressed. Baazka threw back his horned head and laughed. “No,” he sneered. “Well, then it’s going to be difficult to come to an agreement, then,” Siegfried said. “Might just have to leave that sword in your chest, take the hilt back to the elves, and come back with a big load of cement so we can reconsecrate this place. You’ve done a lot of work to get where you are, I’d hate to have to bring in an army of clerics to put it back the way it was.” “Time is on my side,” Baazka said, shrugging his leathery wings. “Keep telling yourself that, buddy, it’s been a lonely couple of centuries,” Siegfried said. “I’m sure Asmodeus has moved on during your absence, with plenty of opportunities for others to advance up the hierarchy. You may not find your original job held open for you upon your return – you might have to,” and at this he looked at the expanding puddle of lemures, and then shook his head theatrically. “No, I’m sure there won’t be any talk of demotion after such a long period off work.” Baazka chuckled again. He turned to Varien. “Do you want this door closed, or not? Otherwise, I can allow legions to volley forth unhindered.” Varien, sword drawn, strode towards Tarul Var resolutely and began to channel divinity. “Yes, well I have seen negotiations fall apart amid arguments over codicils and clauses,” Wolfram said knowingly. “In this case, claws seem more appropriate.” “The only thing that’s about to fall apart is this lich,” Varien muttered as he approached the undead Thayan. “The sticking point is Baazka being available on our side of the portal to voluntarily re-bind himself should he go back on his word to close said portal, or should he prove incapable of closing said portal in a timely manner as previously agreed to,” Siegfried said to Wolfram. Lorcan sneered and rolled his eyes. “We must have satisfaction on all counts,” Siegfried continued. “And so should Baazka – we must be available on this side of the portal with Baazka in order to submit ourselves to similar binding should we break this contract’s clauses.” “Ah yes, contingency clauses,” Wolfram nodded sagely. “It is an unfair ask for the humanoid parties to this bargain to travel to Hell to verify that the contract has been fulfilled,” Siegfried said. “And we can’t trust you, Baazka, because if we could trust you there would be no need for the contract!” “Naturally!” Baazka thundered. Varien raised his sword overhead, breathed a prayer, and lunged at the lich. “Ah, yes,” Siegfried said. “Let Varien take care of this while we continue to negotiate.” Varien quickened the destructive wave spell and struck the ground mightily with his shield, unleashing a burst of divine energy that rippled out from him, blasting the flat-footed Tarul Var with thunderous and radiant energy. The shockwave obliterated the horde of lemures that were moaning on the floor, liquifying them and splattering them against the stone walls. Varien activated his Helm of the Regent’s Glare and roasted the lich with a fiery lance of radiance. The lich’s skin burned like dry paper as Tarul Var was knocked back against his fracturing throne. Varien pointed his sword at the undead. “Get. Up.” He snarled. Erwen crept behind Alec, his meat shield. Siegfried cast eldritch blast and shadows leapt out from around the lich, stabbing and knifing with skeletal blades at him. The lich recognized the skeletons as various humans who had had sacrificed during his long career as a necromancer. Tarul Var twisted and screamed in horror as the skeletal shadows did their bloody business. “Vengeance will be mine!” Var croaked as the last skeleton slashed his throat, laying the desiccated flesh open and cutting off his last words. The crumpling, disintegrating form of the lich sagged back into the broken throne. Baazka raised a fiendish eyebrow. “Impressive,” he said. “No, that was just a cantrip,” Siegfried replied. Baazka roared with laughter. “So, are we agreed to sign the deal?” Siegfried asked, taking advantage of Baazka’s humoured disposition. As the tattered remains of Tarul Var’s robes drifted slowly to the stone floor, Baazka swept down towards Varien in his ghostly form. “So mote it be,” the pit fiend growled. “This may be legal, but it is beyond sketchy,” Alec said. “I shall maintain plausible deniability.” Bob nodded assent. “Best not to bloody our hands with this indecent proposal.” Lorcan witnessed the signing of the contract for his interested party. Siegfried witnessed the signing of the contract for his interested party. Wolfram smiled a toothy smile. “Excellent, gentlemen. I believe we have a binding bargain. A hell of a good deal, as they say.” Baazka knelt before Varien, the sword shard jutting out from his immense torso. “If you please,” he said to the paladin. Varien held the broken hilt up to the shattered sword blade and placed his other hand on Baazka’s chest for leverage. The elven sword began to meld back together, fusing blade to hilt in a blinding flash of magical energy. Slowly, Varien began to pull Illydrael free from the pit fiend. Baazka’s eyes rolled back into his head in sick pleasure as the blade began to slide out, ichor dripping on the floor in acidic hisses that immediately stained and scored the stones. “This seems like a bad idea,” observed Erwen. “This seems like a great idea!” Siegfried replied. Baazka howled in triumph as Varien freed the sword from his breast. The pit fiend stood back up to his towering height as his form began to take on more solidity. The wound on his chest began to close up, as Baazka’s form took on a more reddish hue. The Bloodgate began to shudder and crack as the fiend materialized in its threshold. Baazka stepped to the gate’s high arches as per the agreement and reached out his massive arms, grasping the skull-shaped arch. With a massive show of force, the pit fiend tore the portal’s supports down. “Freedom!” Baazka roared. “Strength! UNLIMITED POWER!” True to his word, Baazka shattered the gate, rending it asunder. He bashed it with his fists and his mighty tail, shredding stone and wreaking rock. There was a massive gout of fiendish flame as the hellish portal imploded. “There,” Baazka said, dusting his clawed hands off triumphantly. “You shall be legendary!” he told the adventurers. “I will remember each and every one of you.” “That’s fine,” Siegfried said. “You only have a few more minutes anyway by my count.” Baazka rolled his eyes. Siegfried looked at Erwen and pointed at Lorcan. “Hit him,” he said. “WHAT!?” Lorcan said. Erwen peeked out from behind Alec and then ducked back behind him. Wolfram turned to Siegfried. “Would it be fair to say our business here is concluded, Young Master? If so, I shall draw up the usual invoice.” Siegfried turned to Wolfram, his eyes glowing darkly. “Run,” he growled. Then he subtly cast forcecage around Lorcan and placed a hexblade’s curse on Baazka.