(Game Date: January 11th, 2015)
Having made all their preparations, the Planewalkers ventured through a portal in Sigil to Orthrys, the first layer of Carceri. They emerged in the ruins of a temple in the midst of a swamp. Wasting no time, they used their magical compass to point them in the directions of the Bastion of Last Hope and began their journey.
They trekked through the bogs of Orthrys for four days, before the sound of human voices screaming in the distance caught their attention. Charging towards the source of the noise, they discovered two men being attacked by horrifying swamp creatures. After a battle against the beasts, the surviving man thanked the Planeswalkers profusely for their help, and begged them to come to the aid of his fellows who were enslaved by a small band of Blood War fiends.
But not all was as it seemed. Bishop von Figaro was quick to sense something amiss with the man's story, and his hunch was confirmed when, after being led to the camp of two Barbazu and a host of Nupperibo, they were betrayed by the man seeking to curry favor with the Baatezu.
A tense and difficult battle ensued, but after skating dangerously close to death, the Planewalkers defeated the Baatezu and freed their slaves. Sadly, the slaves proved to be equally treacherous, lying at every turn and seeking to take advantage of their saviors' generosity. With some members of the party keeping them at bay, they plumbed the basement of the ruined tower and discovered the Baatezu's stash of Blood War loot. They also found signs of a Demonhive tunnel, and decided discretion was the better part of valor. Packing up the loot, they gave what little clothing and food they found to the freed Petitioner slaves and struck out once again, continuing their journey towards the Bastion of Last Hope.