Gis a job

The monk spotted in the distance the raven steering the flying carpet, with the mentally disturbed woman on board, towards the tower. Desperately the party set off after the escaping bird and caught up at the gate, leaping on to the carpet and issuing contradictory commands to ensure it went no further. The full weight of the paladin's camel finally pinned it to the ground.

While the raven escaped, changing into a diabolic form as it did, the bearded devils performing manoeuvres at the gate took an interest. The scout convinced them that, as they weren't on real guard duty, there shouldn't be a problem over admission. To sweeten the deal, he allowed them a "see if you can stab me repeatedly in the stomach" contest. A combination of the monk's calming aura and the scout's desperate dodging meant the devils let the party in through the gate.

In the tower, the flying carpet was returned. A deal was also struck that, for 666 pieces of gold, the rescued woman would be healed of her mental illnesses. Thirdly, a claim form was submitted for the barbarian's equipment that had been scavanged from the battlefield.

Strolling along The Strip, the party recruited an ogre to replace their recently lost barbarian. They also gate-crashed a discussion of a trip into the Black Sands that their reputation really didn't allow them to engage in. Neither the devil conducting the negotiations nor the group of tieflings offering their services were too pleased.

Charge!

While party engage the diabolic forces, the Imp (in raven form) used it's magical influence on the mentally unstable woman and stole the carpet. An opportunity to ingratiate itself with its masters was not to be missed.

Elsewhere the monk intercepted the swashbuckler to calm the runner down and return him to the battle. The paladin charged in on camelback and, with the cleric, startimng hacking into the nupperibos. The cleric summoned a wasp to assist.

Part-way through the melee, a spinagon flew in to tell the cleric to make her party stop interfering but to no avail.

With some vicious blows, the barbarian and the scout killed an orthon which promptly exploded, showering the pair in flesh-eating maggots.

The cornugon in command of the forces being attacked by the adventurers was incensed. His rival, controlling the red forces and cause of the trouble, laughed in response.

A detachment of nupperibo were sent in to attack the swashbuckler and paladin. The rest of the party approached the cornugon and the monk did his best diploming to try and rescue the situation. In the air the wasp was fighting the curnagon's messenger spinagon.

In a rage, the cornugon fireballed the party. Skillfully the scout and monk evaded the flames but the less nimble barbarian and cleric sustained severe burns. The cleric collapsed to the ground and the scout raced over to assist.

The cornugon then started lashing out with its chain at all within range - the wasp, barbarian, and monk. Of the three, only the monk was able to escape and flee with the remaining party members. Behind them, the cornugon turned to offer surrender to his opponent.

"Attack Unit B? Hell, yeah!"

Having handed in one flying carpet to the Station garrison, the party moved on to the Tower to return the second and also report the success of their mission. The group had one extra member - the monk had decided to bring the mentally disturbed woman from the harpies' larder with him to see if he could return her to health.

As the adventurers approached the Tower towards the end of the day, they could see that there seemed to be military manoeuvres underway outside the walls. Several groups of devils, each up to fifty in size, were marching through the sand in precise formation - or at least as close to such a thing as Nupperibo could manage.

The good aligned members of the party dropped back whilst the more unsavoury adventurers moved on to get a better view - a hundred yards or more from the edge of the battlefield seemed appropriate. From here they could also see that getting into the Tower would not be practical as the Gate was also being used by Barbazu for practicing defence work.

The onlookers soon drew the attention of one of the diabolic commanders and a Spinagon was soon dispatched with orders.

Waving a red flag the flying devil commanded the adventurers - or "reinforcements" - to attack Unit B. Having noticed that the combatants on the field were either daubed with red or black paint (the same colours as the Tower overshadowing them), and that the Spinagon was obviously supporting the former colour, the party soon worked out that Unit B must be "whoever red was fighting". With barely a moment's hesitation, they charged into the nearest black Nupperibos.

The ugly footsoldiers were no match for the four adventurers and soon the scout and barbarian were after more challenging opposition in the shape of the hulking Orthons that were the core of the fighting units. These large devils took exception to the intrusion and launch bolts of hellfire at the party before being engaged.

Just as the Nupperibo were being to drop in numbers, the Swashbuckler finally baulked at what he was fighting and fled back the way he came.

On the level

Level 1 is the Pit Fiend’s lair.

Level 2 is the hot jungle home of his armies (both diabolic and mundane).

Level 3 is the battlefield where the pit fiend’s armies attack the hordes of chaos. The level is unproductive - desolation stretches from edge to edge - so all supplies are brought from above and below.

Level 4 is the more temperate home of the chaotic forces.

...

Level 9 is the distant home of the paladin and scout.

Harpies' Map

Drawn lovingly with excrement and blood.