Different modes of transportation (session 51-54 or 64-67)

Dear Nori,
It’s weird to write to you again, you know, after the whole Clove debacle. I still don’t like it that I left you behind. Even if it was your own choice to protect the people. At least I know Rons grandma is safe. Still, I wonder if I should have stayed with you. We could have done some real good. Then again, who would keep my idiots in check?
Anyway, when we last spoke we already told you we were going down into hell again, to find Zariels sword. But our first destination is Fort Knucklebone. We wanted to see what Mad Maggie is up to. Turns out it is quite a lot, actually. So much she had forgotten who we were. Except for Lulu, of course. Did I mention she is kinda obsessed with Lulu? I wonder if that’s because Lulu is from Celestia or because she used to know Zariel or something entirely different. You never know with Maggie…
Anyway, after some talking she kinda remembered who we are. We also learned she already got one of the parts for her memory machine herself: The hags heart. I wonder if she actually took it from her sister, or if she found another hag. I would like to see a battle between hags. There must be a lot of magical power at display.
Anyway, after Maggie remembered who we were she suggested we would get our bikes back, which are (probably) still hidden close to the modron outpost. When we were about to leave (quite unhappy about walking all the way) we saw Jim Darkmagics war machine docking. Maggie said she would entertain Jim for about an hour. I don’t think she actually said we should steal Jims warmachine, but she definitely implied it. To be honest, I did actually like the notion of stealing that warmachine. Ron casted invisibility on us and we entered through the service door.
Ghouls were moving boxes and such. They didn’t seem to notice us. Great start. Behind the ghouls was an elevator, and on both sides of it a door. Fenrir and Leo thought we had to go up. I was pretty sure the control room was in the front. So I decided to take the left door, Ron took the right and Fenrir and Leo took the elevator up. They had quite an interesting story to tell: When they exited the elevator they ended up in a long hall with many doors. They tried one of the doors, which was locked. So, they bashed it in. There was a ghoulish lady getting dressed, who screamed loudly when they entered (I’m kind wondering if she was startled from the door being bashed in or because she could see the invisible men running into her room) so they ran back into the hallway. They wanted to go back to the elevator, but all the doors looked the same. Good thing Leo notices everything, so he remembered which number the elevator door had. They still fell down, but the ghouls were still kinda oblivious so it didn’t really matter.
While that was happening, I entered through the left door. Unfortunately I don’t have any real stories to tell about that door. It opened into a servant corridor. It was also pretty long (I kinda feel like I never explained how big this warmachine actually is. I also don’t really know how to explain it properly. It’s the size of a village, but at the same time very tight and close quartered. And high like a wizards tower. It’s basically a small city on wheels.) with some rooms. I nicked something called infernal cola from the kitchen (I haven’t tried it yet. I’ll tell you what it is once I have) and that’s about the most interesting thing that happened. Servants didn’t see me, but I met Ron at what I guess is the front of the machine. Apparently the corridors behind the doors connect. We did see some stairs, so we decided to go up. On the first floor we met some giant flying eye who was securing the area. Since we were still invisible it didn’t notice us. We found some more stairs and an elevator which went to the control room. We messaged Fenrir, Leo and Luna that we had found it and then we started looking around.
The control room was kinda weird. First of all, there were no windows. Just screens which showed the outside of the warmachine. Secondly, there was a celestial all bound up. Ron quickly realised this celestial was the engine. When the others entered the room we first tried to unbound the celestial, at which we failed. Then we decided to drive and free the celestial later. I actually got a pretty good sense of how this machine works. And together with Ron, who actually understands it, we got the machine running. Unfortunately we were too late since Jim had already entered the warmachine and came upstairs with Jerome at his tail. Ron used magic to lock the door and another spell to keep the elevator down. I did whatever I could to make the machine go faster. Fenrir, Leo and Luna prepared for a fight. It took him a while, but eventually Jim broke through Rons defenses. But he didn't attack right away and somehow we convinced him to take us to our bikes. Unfortunately Jerome did take over the wheel from me. Which is really a shame, I quite enjoyed driving it. All it cost to convince Jim was the 2 gigantic tapestries I took from Elturel and Rom making a statue of Jim. We took a detour to get enough wood to actually make the statue (Ron thought it wasn't his best work, but it did please Jim) after which Jim did his part and actually brought us to our bikes. However, Leo annoyed Jim just enough to get turned into a cloud. Which was just as weird as it sounds. It’s a nasty piece of magic as well, lingering, but not all the time. Anyway, I’ll get to that.
After Jim dropped us off we decided we would go to Mordenkainen, since we had an appointment with him. To get to Mordenkainen we had to cross the Styx. When we were discussing this in the modron tavern a hooded individual approached us. This creature, called Shashi, offered to take us across the bridge for only one soul coin per crossing soul. We reluctantly agreed, but not before I could get a peak under his hood. I just don't trust anyone who's face I've never seen. To be honest, it was a mistake. Shashi took me aside (so he wouldn't upset the others) and showed me. Under the hood was a skull with maggots and stuff. It was disgusting and terrifying. I won't admit it to the others though.
We seemed quite popular in the tavern. People Creatures were watching us. To be fair, we are pretty interesting people. And they probably don’t see a lot of humanoids in a modron city. We befriended this cambion who invited us to his place in Dis. He seems nice, although it's also kinda suspicious. His place is called ‘Salecar manor of fleshy pleasure’. Yet he claims it's not a brothel. I wonder if it's this badly named on purpose, and what it is actually like.
Anyway, with our route clear we finished our drinks and made our way to the shore. Leo popped back into his elf self. Since he wasn't in the tavern when we made the deal we decided to smuggle him with us. He wild shaped into a snake and hung around my neck and we tried to convince Shashi he was my familiar. Shashi didn't put up with our bullshit, telling us the price was 1 soul coin per soul crossing. Somewhat defeated, we paid the due and Leo turned back into his normal self. The boat is quite small, but seems magical. It probably has to be magical to withstand the Styx. Our warmachines didn’t fit on the boat, so Shashi loaded them in a portable hole, and we left. Sailing the Styx is interesting. You can see the deceased in the water. And them trying to climb into the boat, which wasn’t nice, but nothing we couldn’t handle. When we were halfway over the Styx we got attacked by a dragon. Which makes me I wonder how many dragons actually live in Avernus? Do they all hate us? To be fair, for a dragon we are pretty snack-sized and probably better tasting than devils and demons.
Anyway, this was a white dragon, which apparently spits ice. It attacked us on sight without a reason. Luckily I still have the dragon sword we nicked from the previous dragon we fought. Did I tell you about that? You see, it has the power to protect me (and anyone standing behind me for that matter) from a dragon's breath (kinda makes me wonder why a dragon had it in the first place. Someone probably tried and failed to kill him). When the dragon came charging into us I used it to protect our party. Unfortunately, Shashi didn't stand behind me and got the full blast. We couldn't do anything to save him. We kept fighting and got the dragon fleeing from us. We would have killed him if we only knew how to sail a boat. I mean, eventually we figured it out, but the dragon was long gone.
Back on the shore Leo turned back into a cloud. I've the feeling this is something that's gonna keep happening. I just hope it won't happen mid fight. I kinda wish for Jim, so he can undo his mess, but I don't really want to see Jim again. I'm not even sure if he actually can undo it. Anyway, we weren’t sure what to do with Sashi’s boat. Because we did assume he isn’t from Avernus originally and therefore would eventually return, we left the boat on the shore, so he can pick it up once he returns. Ron did figure out how his portable hole worked, and after he took our warmachines out of it decided he would bring it with him. For safekeeping, or something. I never thought Ron would actually steal stuff. Then again, not letting it rot unused somewhere in Avernus isn’t really stealing, is it? I wonder how much it takes before Ron will actually steal something.
I hope you're safe in Elturel. No vampires taking revenge or anything like that. I know Elturel, or at least the Keep, is safe with you there. I know Heddy is probably the leader, but I trust you more than her. And keep an eye out for Rons nan. Even if he won’t say it, you will appreciate you looking out for her.
Your loving sister,
Caja.