07-chapter-3-avernus-other-locations

Chapter 3: Avernus - Other Locations

Source: Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus, p. 122

Some locations marked on the players’ map of Avernus lie outside the two quest paths. Others, like the Wandering Emporium and Zariel’s Flying Fortress, move around. These locations are summarized below and described in the sections that follow.

Stygian Dock. A river dock where flying fortresses can undergo repairs while siphoning souls from the Styx.

Styx Watchtower. One of several fortifications along the River Styx used by devils to guard against invasion.

Sundered Chains. Broken chains of Avernus that tried and failed to bind other cities before Elturel.

The Wandering Emporium. A mobile marketplace built atop infernal war machines.

Zariel’s Flying Fortress. Zariel commands her legions from this mobile headquarters.

Stygian Dock

The flying fortresses of Avernus need fuel, and what better fuel than the souls of the damned.

—The Cartographer

Zariel’s flying fortresses are serviced and repaired at this rusting repair dock. When the characters arrive here, read the following boxed text to the players:

Readaloud

A massive iron structure that appears to be a pair of docking arms straddles the River Styx and extends out over it. Hefty clamps, chains, and bars are fixed to the docking arms to lash large vessels between them.

If the players arrive here after meeting Bel, Zariel’s flying fortress is present (see “Zariel’s Flying Fortress”). If so, read the following boxed text to your players:

Readaloud

A gigantic basalt citadel shaped like a sword blade is moored at the dock. The flying fortress thrums as screaming souls from the River Styx are drawn up into it.

The Stygian dock is a 100-foot-high service platform protruding from the rocky cliffs of the River Styx. The clamps, chains, and bars fixed to the upper arms of the dock hold flying fortresses in place.

A horned devil named Bazelsteen manages the dock for Zariel but yearns for the freedom to carry out its mechanical experiments. To earn its aid, visitors must first serve as test pilots for the devil’s latest contraption.

Twelve barbed devils patrol the dock in groups of three devils each. If Zariel’s flying fortress is present, three bone devils also circle overhead. Intruders are attacked or warned away. If the characters try to negotiate with the devils, Bazelsteen swoops down to deal with them personally.

Dealing with Bazelsteen

Engine oil covers this horned devil, which constantly chews on a shard of smoking, red hot coal. Bazelsteen is more interested in machines than creatures and is willing to repair or modify any infernal war machine that the characters currently use. See appendix B for possible weapon replacements, armor upgrades, and magic gadgetry. Instead of payment, the horned devil requires that they help it complete a test (see “Test Run 221” below). If the characters perform this task well, Bazelsteen agrees to fully repair their infernal war machines. He also offers one free weapon swap, armor upgrade, or magical gadget.

Test Run 221

If the characters accept Bazelsteen’s terms, read or paraphrase the following boxed text to the players:

Readaloud

Bazelsteen takes you to a rusty barge anchored on the River Styx a few hundred yards from the dock. Hanging from the barge’s loading crane by a rusty chain is a ten-foot-diameter, spherical diving bell made of iron and glass. Suction tubes protrude from the diving bell’s lower hemisphere like flimsy arms.

Bazelsteen built the experimental bathysphere to dredge the bottom of the River Styx for silted souls. He needs to test it, but he’s unwilling to risk his devils. Bazelsteen’s bathysphere is a Large object that can fit up to four Medium creatures inside it. The hatch is located in the bathysphere’s upper hemisphere. Bazelsteen assures the characters that the device is airtight and watertight.

Bazelsteen asks the characters to secure themselves inside the diving bell while he uses the crane to lower them into the river. Their job is to use the suction arms to scoop up silted souls from the bottom of the river, which lies 40 feet below the barge. The diving bell is attached to 50 feet of chain—more than enough length to reach the river’s bottom. There are four “suction stations” inside the diving bell, each one equipped with a chair and some metal control levers.

Bazelsteen knows that the diving bell has enough air to sustain one occupant for 1 hour (or four occupants for 15 minutes each). To be on the safe side, he plans to keep the diving bell submerged for only 10 minutes.

If multiple characters participate in the experiment, Bazelsteen taps on the bathysphere before lowering it into the water and tells its occupants, “Whichever of you sucks up the most silted souls gets a soul coin.”

Tortured souls coursing through the River Styx claw and scream at the bathysphere as they pass by. Once the bathysphere is lowered to the river bottom, characters inside it can use its siphoning tubes to suck up the silted souls that lie there. At the end of each minute, a character operating a suction station makes a Dexterity check. The number of silted souls that the character siphons is equal to the check result. The silted souls are stored in tanks attached to the bathysphere’s underbelly, and dials on the tanks track the number of silted souls in each one.

Fiends dine on silted souls like ambrosia. Silted souls can also be formed into lemures once they’re “rescued” from the river’s depths.

Demon Attack

Ten minutes after the bathysphere is lowered into the river, ten vrocks swoop down from the sky and attack the Stygian dock. Bazelsteen is lured away by the attack, leaving the barge and its crane unattended. When Bazelsteen leaves, have the characters roll initiative. Characters in the bathysphere have no idea what’s happening on the barge, or vice versa, and the River Styx is so dark that visibility in the water is reduced to 10 feet.

Any character left on the barge can take control of the unattended crane. While seated at the crane’s controls, the character can use an action to try to figure out how to operate them, doing so with a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the check fails by 5 or more, the character accidentally drags the bathysphere 2d10 feet across the river bottom, dealing 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage to all creatures inside it. It takes three consecutive, successful checks to bring the bathysphere back onto the barge.

After the characters each take a turn, a glabrezu lands on the barge and rolls initiative. On each of its turns, the demon uses its action and one of its pincers to try to snip through the bathysphere’s rusty chain, doing so with a successful DC 20 Strength check. If the chain breaks, the bathysphere falls to the bottom of the River Styx and remains there until salvaged. Once the glabrezu has taken three turns, Bazelsteen returns and scares the demon away if it hasn’t been defeated by then. If the bathysphere’s chain breaks, Bazelsteen dubs Test Run 221 a failure and leaves the sunken party members to their doom. Otherwise, the horned devil uses the crane to hoist the bathysphere back onto the barge, dubs the experiment a success, and rewards a soul coin to the character who suctioned up the most silted souls.

Characters in the bathysphere begin to suffocate once its air supply is depleted. Opening the hatch while the bathysphere is submerged causes the River Styx to flood the compartment, exposing its occupants to the river’s effects (see “River Styx”).

Styx Watchtowers

The Styx is the demons’ gateway into the Nine Hells. The devils keep a watchful eye on its shores!

—The Cartographer

Along the banks of the River Styx stand guard towers spaced such that no demonic army can enter Avernus without being spotted. Each tower outpost is within sight of two others, and neighboring troops can quickly arrive to aid in crushing an incursion should demons emerge from the river. Zariel’s devils garrison these outposts, but in lean times when the souls of Avernus are dwindling, some of these structures remain vacant. Also, the mutable landscape of Avernus leaves outposts isolated from time to time.

Watchtower Features

A typical watchtower is a squat, 30-foot-tall, open-topped structure made of black basalt. Its other features are summarized below.

Garrison. Unless it has been abandoned, the tower is staffed by an amnizu commander, a chain devil subcommander, ten bearded devils (each one with a hell hound on the end of a short chain), and two spined devils (see “Watchtower Locations” for how these devils are deployed).

Bugles. Each devil on watch duty is issued an iron bugle. Blowing the bugle is a bonus action that blasts a hideous drone audible within 300 feet.

Exterior Grounds. The ground is free of cover in a 60-foot radius around the tower.

Wall Chains. Barbed iron chains hang at 10-foot intervals down the exterior walls. These chains are part of the tower’s defense, as the chain devil subcommander can animate them using its Animate Chains ability. Climbing a chain requires a successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check.

Gallery

Watchtower Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 3.7.

T1. Ground Floor

The door at ground level is a stone slab secured from within by an iron crossbar that lifts away easily but requires a DC 23 Strength (Athletics) check to break from the outside.

Readaloud

This level of the tower is drab and unadorned save for a plain, rectangular stone table set with a pair of stone benches. Spare polearms and scale armor, suitable for five Large and ten Medium devils, are stored in racks along the walls.

Ten bearded devils and ten hell hounds occupy this floor. There is a 30 percent chance that half of the bearded devils and hell hounds are out patrolling the perimeter at any given time, returning 1 minute after combat starts unless the fighting remains very quiet.

An iron ladder rises through a hole in the northwest corner wide enough to accommodate Large creatures.

T2. Second Floor

The tower’s amnizu commander and a chain devil subcommander reside here. These commanders enjoy having one or more sentient beings on hand to torture, to help alleviate boredom.

Readaloud

The floor of this room is strewn with hooked chains, and manacles are bolted to the walls. In the middle of the room, a spiked iron chair is bolted to the floor. The chair’s armrests and legs are fitted with iron shackles.

One corner of the room has gaping holes in the floor and ceiling, through which passes a large iron ladder leading to the tower’s ground floor and rooftop.

The devils like to chain prisoners to the walls and use the spiked chair for interrogations. The chain devil can use its Animate Chains ability to animate the chains.

T3. Roof

Two spined devils roost on the roof and act as lookouts and scouts. An opening in one corner grants access to the tower’s interior, with an iron ladder leading down to areas T1 and T2.

Sundered Chains

As close to a place of pilgrimage as you’ll find in this accursed place. A beacon to those seeking the missing link or looking for a way out.

—The Cartographer

When the characters arrive at one of these locations, read the following boxed text to the players:

Readaloud

Colossal spiked chains extend across the hellscape, their links partially buried under the ash and large chunks of masonry. Each broken chain is roughly a mile long.

Long ago, these giant chains tethered an abducted city to Avernus. That city somehow tore free, leaving behind its broken bonds and scattered chunks of masonry. The chains are similar to the ones that bind Elturel.

Characters who examine a chain can tell that some intense, supernatural force caused one or more of its links to sunder. Although the cause of the damage can’t be ascertained, characters can conclude that breaking the chains of Elturel is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Infernal Pilgrim

Chain devils often make pilgrimages to these sites. The first sundered chain the characters happen upon has a chain devil named Zartar performing a ritual atop it.

Zartar believes that the sundered chain can bestow great strength upon any chain devil that stands atop it while chanting prayers to Asmodeus. The chain devil is guarded by two bearded devils, Narg and Yangor. If the characters make any noise near Zartar, they disturb the chain devil’s concentration, causing all three devils to attack with fury.

The Wandering Emporium

Mahadi’s Wandering Emporium has a knack for showing up when you least expect it.

—The Cartographer

A traveling bazaar winds its way across Avernus—a wandering menagerie of merchants, artisans, and misfits who ply their respective trades and sell their wares under the direction of Mahadi, a rakshasa that claims Asmodeus as his patron.

Most merchants in the Wandering Emporium are indentured to Mahadi’s service until they pay off their soul debts. In many cases, the terms of repayment are vague enough to keep them in Mahadi’s employ for as long as he deems them necessary to the operation of the Wandering Emporium.

Story Hooks

The characters could arrive at the Wandering Emporium for one or more of the following reasons:

• The characters need supplies, weapons, or even an infernal war machine.
• The characters need a safe place to rest and perhaps get a good meal.
• The characters might have heard that they can sell demon ichor to a crazed wizard in the Wandering Emporium.
• The characters might have collected more soul coins than they feel comfortable carrying and need a place to spend them.

Mahadi, Emporium Master

Mahadi the rakshasa appears as a wealthy merchant lord. Though extremely powerful, Mahadi doesn’t believe in taking unnecessary risks, particularly in the Nine Hells where he can be permanently slain. Mahadi acts as the eyes and ears of Asmodeus in Avernus. As a deal broker and moderator, he’s privy to all manner of dealings that might otherwise escape the attention of his patron.

In his role as the master of the Wandering Emporium, Mahadi has received special dispensation from Asmodeus to travel freely between the Material Plane and the Nine Hells to operate his business, as well as to pursue information and broker contracts and other such arrangements as needed.

In addition to managing the Wandering Emporium, Mahadi is also the proprietor and host of Infernal Rapture, a restaurant and spa. Since the establishment exists within a demiplane, patrons can comfortably visit it at any time, even while the caravan is on the move. As long as they can pay for services rendered, guests need not fear being trapped within, since Mahadi is very serious about maintaining the contract between host and guest. Each guest must agree to this formal arrangement prior to gaining entrance.

Mahadi has a special collection of named soul coins, each of which harbors the soul of an enemy the rakshasa vanquished in the past. Mahadi consults with these souls individually, forcing them to provide insight on all manner of subjects.

Roleplaying Mahadi

Outwardly, Mahadi presents himself as a charismatic and gracious host. He makes each guest of Infernal Rapture feel as though they’re the most important person in all the planes of existence, catering to their every whim and desire. While he is equally cordial to all guests of the Wandering Emporium, those entering his establishment fall under a special contract and therefore rank most highly in his esteem.

Of course, guests leaving Infernal Rapture are expected to pay their bills in full prior to departure. If a guest cannot pay for whatever reason, the contract they signed on entry clearly stipulates their soul is forfeit. They’re required to pay off their debt through service. All such individuals fall under the effect of a geas cast as a 9th-level spell, which cannot be willingly broken by the affected individual until their debt is paid in full. What Mahadi does with such defaulters depends on their capabilities. Some become indentured servants, working at Infernal Rapture. If they possess a talent for sales, they might eventually obtain a business to run within the Wandering Emporium.

If adventurers inform Mahadi (and by extension Asmodeus) about Arkhan’s possession of the Hand of Vecna, Mahadi does everything he can to strike a deal with them, offering any of the gifts listed under “Mahadi’s Deals” in exchange for the artifact. This is in lieu of the terms normally offered by Asmodeus.

Mahadi’s Deals

Mahadi has the power to make deals at the direction and with the authority of Asmodeus as if he were an archdevil (see appendix A). All such deals must be presented to the other party without alteration, and they are not negotiable. In all such agreements, Asmodeus wants one thing only: a character signing one of these contracts gives up their soul forever. After the signing character reaches 17th level, if at any point they die, their death is permanent, with no chance to return from the grave. Asmodeus takes their soul and makes them a pit fiend, in his service for eternity.

Mahadi can offer the following gifts in exchange for a soul contract:

Magic Item. Asmodeus gifts the adventurer with a rod of lordly might, to which only the recipient and its direct descendants can attune.

Resurrection. Asmodeus sends one of his loyal priest followers to cast true resurrection on a deceased character.

Tiefling Transformation. Asmodeus transforms the character into a tiefling with a direct infernal bloodline to him. Substitute the character’s racial traits with tiefling racial traits.

Mahadi and Zariel

Zariel relies on Mahadi’s services to provide supplies, magic items, and other items of value necessary for continuing her campaign in the Blood War. Infernal Rapture has also been known to host meetings or high-ranking devils as a neutral and private space.

Mahadi is bound by contract with Asmodeus to not stage a coup in Avernus or directly assist others to do so. Nothing in the contract, however, states that Mahadi can’t indirectly assist others in attempting to overthrow Zariel or whoever else is in control, either by imparting information or selling goods.

Mahadi and Lulu

When Lulu arrives at the Wandering Emporium, its tantalizing sights, sounds, and smells are dimly familiar to her. Mahadi seems more familiar to Lulu than anything else in the emporium, but she can’t remember why.

Although Lulu has no memory of any prior visit to the Wandering Emporium, Mahadi is happy to remind her that he sheltered Lulu for a while after she became lost in Avernus. What Mahadi fails to mention is that, after earning her trust, he splashed Lulu with water from the River Styx to strip her of her spellcasting abilities and memories. Mahadi then sold Lulu to some devils who, in turn, delivered her back to Zariel.

Mahadi is surprised to see Lulu again but tries not to show it. He initially suspects that the hollyphant has come seeking revenge for the memory loss he inflicted upon her. Once he realizes that her intentions are benign, Mahadi pretends to be her friend once more.

Approaching the Wandering Emporium

The Wandering Emporium travels on the backs of nine Huge infernal war machines similar to Demon Grinders, but with Flamethrowers and Styx Sprayers instead of Chompers and Wrecking Balls.

When Mahadi finds an adequate location to set up shop, he orders his drivers to form a horseshoe-shaped defensive perimeter. As the infernal war machines grind to a halt, their crews (comprised of indentured humans, duergar, hobgoblins, salamanders, succubi, incubi, and assorted other creatures) disembark and begin unpacking tents and whatnot. All shops are open within the hour and remain open for business until Mahadi decides it’s time to pack up and move elsewhere.

If the characters come upon the Wandering Emporium while it’s open for business, describe it to the players as follows:

Readaloud

A collection of brightly colored tents stands clustered together, creating an oasis of comfort amid the dread landscape of Avernus. Huge infernal war machines form a horseshoe about the tents, with curtains made of small, rectangular iron plates and lamps dangling from chains strung between them. Soft, lilting music and wondrous smells drift across the hot winds, inviting a closer look.

The Wandering Emporium provides a haven for all who enter and is considered neutral ground for those that might otherwise initiate a conflict. A sign posted at the entrance, strangely understandable in all languages, simply states: “All are welcome here. No fighting! No spellcasting! No exceptions!”

Mahadi greets all visitors, directing them toward whatever establishments interest them the most while reserving the highest praise for his own beloved restaurant and spa, Infernal Rapture. There, he fulfills their every desire in an attempt to place them in his debt. If this doesn’t work, he isn’t averse to offering payment in exchange for services rendered. The characters are welcome to stay as long as they wish, until such time as Mahadi decides it’s time to pack up and go elsewhere. Characters indebted to Mahadi can stay on with the Wandering Emporium, but only as his servants.

Wandering Emporium Businesses

The characters are free to visit any establishment in the Wandering Emporium. You can create your own businesses and add them to those presented here.

Infernal Rapture

As the owner and host of Infernal Rapture, Mahadi takes his responsibilities very seriously. Every patron that enters the demiplane that houses his establishment must sign an infernal contract. It presents a very simple arrangement stipulating that patrons must pay for everything consumed and all services used before they leave.

Mahadi employs many servants, each of them under the effect of a geas spell to provide the best service they possibly can and appear happy while they work. Most of these individuals are former patrons.

Upon entry into Infernal Rapture, guests are escorted to a private chamber where they may lounge on pillows, cushions, and divans as they place orders for extravagant dishes from across the planes of existence and enjoy a variety of spa services that range from the simple and mundane to the exotic and bizarre.

Since Infernal Rapture exists in a demiplane, it doesn’t technically reside in the Nine Hells. If someone wanted to meet with creatures unable or unwilling to travel to the Nine Hells (or even just Avernus), this establishment provides a possible meeting location. Of course, entrance to the demiplane must be negotiated with Mahadi, with the promise of appropriate payment.

Each chamber that exists inside Infernal Rapture is created for a specific purpose. When that purpose ends and the occupants of the chamber leave, that room ceases to exist unless Mahadi deems otherwise.

Dining Services

The dining menu at Infernal Rapture changes daily, providing a fixed-price selection. Sample menus are provided as player handouts in appendix E. A full meal costs one soul coin. Unlike food consumed elsewhere in Avernus, which is uniformly terrible, the food at Infernal Rapture tastes delicious.

Special food requests can be filled, but they must be made weeks in advance and can be costly. Mahadi charges from five to ten soul coins for an exotic request, depending on the difficulty involved in fulfilling it. Consuming a meal at Infernal Rapture has the same benefits as a heroes’ feast spell, with the added effect that those who eat the food have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made against Mahadi.

Spa Services

Infernal Rapture offers a variety of spa services. Light spa amenities (body, foot, and hand treatments, massage therapy, skin care, general grooming and bathing) are included along with the standard dining menu at no additional expense.

Specialty services include dream therapy, whole body restoration, and longevity therapy, as well as a host of services for every appetite, both wholesome and degenerate. Each of these services costs an additional soul coin. Mahadi consistently and laboriously upsells further services to clients at additional expense. He seeks to take possession of such individuals and make them permanent residents of Avernus.

Firesnake Forge

This establishment is run by three salamanders named Rassh, Skids, and Slagg. The salamanders owe Mahadi a debt for taking them in and secreting them away after a bold escape from Bel’s Forge. They operate as indentured servants, maintaining Mahadi’s infernal war machines while also crafting wares for sale to visitors. From time to time, Mahadi sends them abroad to procure parts to refurbish the caravan. Nine magmins and eight suits of animated armor assist the salamanders with their work.

The salamanders’ infernal war machine has been cobbled together from a half dozen others. At a moment’s notice, the vehicle can separate into three smaller infernal war machines, each piloted by one of the salamanders. Treat these smaller vehicles as Tormentors.

Weapons and Armor

All metal armor and weapons listed in “chapter 5” of the “Player’s Handbook” are available for sale at this shop, at a 150 percent markup.

Infernal War Machine Repair

The salamanders can repair a damaged but functional infernal war machine at a cost of 50 gp per hit point restored.

Burney the Barber

Burney appears as a cheerful, well-kept Calishite woman. She provides all services any proficient barber might, up to and including medical attention for those with injuries or ailments. For healing purposes, treat Burney as though she has the Healer feat as well as proficiency with both the healer’s kit and the herbalism kit.

While she works, Burney tells all manner of stories, making them up as she goes along, but always with a moral at the end. Burney’s stories might point toward an achievable objective, if the customer is of good alignment and inclined to take direction from the chatty barber.

Burney is, in fact, an ancient copper dragon named Balarystul. Burney resides in Avernus on direct assignment from Bahamut, keeping an eye out for signs of increased activity among Tiamat’s followers. After the last time the queen of evil dragons tried to escape the Nine Hells, those who oppose her are taking no chances. Burney is particularly interested in any information about the activities of Arkhan the Cruel (see “Arkhan the Cruel”).

Burney has received several blessings in her service to Bahamut:

• Unless Burney decided otherwise, once any creature less powerful than a deity has taken three steps from her, they can no longer remember her or having interacted with her specifically.
• Burney is under the effect of a permanent mind blank spell, and cannot be detected by magical or mundane means unless she wishes it. In exchange for this blessing, Burney can take no direct action against the denizens of the Nine Hells, though she can certainly enlist the help of those who can.
• Burney always knows the location of the Wandering Emporium and can transport herself there as though by a word of recall spell. This explains why Burney simply seems to appear amid the fully deployed marketplace each morning it is active to provide service and tell stories.
• Once each day, when Burney so desires, she can instantly transport herself to the court of Bahamut via a powerful blessing akin to the plane shift spell.

Barber Pricing

Burney charges 1 gp for each service involving grooming. Burney can provide some small amount of magic healing, but only does so for good-aligned creatures, and at no cost.

If someone offers Burney a soul coin for any reason, she looks extremely disappointed and turns it down. She refuses even to touch one.

From Here to Avernus

Fhet’Ahla, an amnizu, provides imps as couriers as well as a variety of spellcasting services for transmitting information over long distances. The more secure the means, however, the more expensive the service. Additionally, Fhet’Ahla acts as an exchange for soul coins, offering 100 gp in coins or gemstones for each soul coin delivered, and can serve as an official notary for the signing of infernal contracts.

Fhet’Ahla failed a critical mission at some point in the past and gained the disfavor of Asmodeus. As a punishment, Asmodeus posted him with Mahadi. While Fhet’Ahla doesn’t owe Mahadi any kind of debt, he is on the wrong side of Asmodeus and has no idea how many centuries this service will last. The amnizu is also forbidden from challenging Mahadi’s authority in all matters pertaining to the operation of the Wandering Emporium or any other special assignments the rakshasa receives from Asmodeus.

Delivery Pricing

Fhet’Ahla charges a single soul coin for parcel deliveries weighing 5 pounds or less. For a larger parcel (up to 50 pounds), he charges two soul coins.

Notary Pricing

Fhet’Ahla charges a single soul coin for notary services and collects a single soul coin for exchanges that don’t involve the soul of a celestial. If a celestial is involved, he collects ten soul coins.

Ichor’s Aweigh!

Elliach, a lawful evil human mage, collects and sells flasks of demon ichor. Exposure to demon ichor has warped Elliach in the following ways:

• Elliach’s arms have become tentacles with fingers at the ends, increasing his reach by 5 feet.
• Elliach’s ears sprouted wings and flew away. Consequently, he is deaf. He relies on lip-reading and hand gestures.

Elliach met Mahadi while on the run from debt collectors. Mahadi saw the value in paying off Elliach’s debts and bringing him to Avernus to work in the Wandering Emporium. Thought to be insane by many of the other vendors, Elliach uses demon ichor in a host of magical experiments, none of which seem to have the intended results.

Demon Ichor Prices

Elliach sells demon ichor for 100 gp a flask and buys demon ichor for 25 gp a flask.

Z’neth’s Larva Farm

Z’neth is a bitter, old hobgoblin warlord who buys and sells larvae (see “chapter 2” of the “Dungeon Master’s Guide” for statistics). Mahadi facilitated Z’neth’s rise to power, helping him destroy entire kingdoms on the Material Plane. Z’neth’s conquests eventually caught the eye of the mighty god Maglubiyet, who offered Z’neth a command on the battlefields of Gehenna. Before he could wrack up his first victory on that plane, however, Mahadi collected on Z’neth’s debt and bore him away to Avernus, where he languishes in obscurity, far from the planar battlefield he had hoped to die on.

Z’neth procures larvae from yugoloths and sells them at marked-up prices to hags and other interested buyers, giving half his proceeds to Mahadi in exchange for food and other necessities. Z’neth’s wares are of little interest to adventurers. However, Z’neth is fond of using his profits to hire assassins to kill Mahadi, which the rakshasa finds endlessly amusing.

If the characters pay his establishment a visit, Z’neth offers them nine soul coins (all he has) for Mahadi’s head. A geas spell prevents the hobgoblin from divulging Mahadi’s true form. Mahadi greets Z’neth’s would-be assassins with a smile and is more than happy to accept Z’neth’s soul coins as payment for goods and services at his fine restaurant.

Larvae

At any given time, Z’neth has 2d6 larvae trapped in cages. He charges one soul coin per larva.

Zariel’s Flying Fortress

This 450-foot-tall structure is mobile and therefore doesn’t appear on the poster map of Avernus or on map 3.1. From this flying fortress, Zariel oversees the defense of her infernal realm.

Attempting to infiltrate the fortress while it’s on the move proves lethal due to the hundreds of devils onboard. While undergoing repairs and refueling at the Stygian Dock (see “Stygian Dock”), Zariel and most of her crew aren’t present, leaving the fortress with a skeleton crew that consists of the following hostile forces:

• An erinyes named Nariangela, who guards the bridge on the command deck (the fortress’s topmost deck)
• Eighteen bearded devils in plate armor (AC 18), patrolling the lower decks in pairs
• Three bone devils, circling above the fortress

Infiltrating the Fortress

Characters can enter Zariel’s flying fortress using any of the following routes.

Rooftop Hatch

Characters capable of flight can enter the flying fortress through an unlocked, 10-foot-square hatch on the flat top of the flying fortress. The hatch is watched by the bone devils that fly above the fortress and leads to a corridor just outside the bridge on the command deck. The corridor is not guarded while the flying fortress is moored at the Stygian Dock.

Signal Vents

Tiny hatches in the hull connect to 1-foot-diameter chutes that ascend to the vessel’s command deck. During battle, Zariel’s imp couriers use these chutes to enter and exit the flying fortress. Characters reduced to Tiny size or in gaseous form can navigate these narrow chutes to reach the command deck.

Soul Intake Pipe

Souls from the River Styx are drawn up into the flying fortress through a grilled vent at the bottom end of the fortress. This vent leads to a 5-foot-diameter, iron pipe that ascends through the body of the flying fortress to a 10-foot-diameter, spherical iron cistern directly below the command deck. The pipe is 400 feet long from top to bottom and has access hatches leading to each of the lower decks, but not the command deck.

Necrotic energy floods the soul intake pipe and cistern while the flying fortress is docked above the River Styx. While the pipe is siphoning souls out of the Styx and storing them in the cistern, any creature that enters the pipe or cistern for the first time on its turn or starts its turn in either location takes 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.

Moving the Fortress

Characters who defeat the erinyes on the bridge might try to commandeer the flying fortress. However, there are no controls for moving or steering the fortress, as its movements are controlled telepathically by Zariel, and only while she’s aboard. No one else can move the flying fortress.

Sabotaging the Fortress

Characters can sabotage the fortress by disabling or destroying a bell-like contraption on the bridge. This contraption is identical to the one in area W6 on the wrecked flying fortress, except that it’s not making any strange noises beyond a low, barely audible hum. This device keeps the flying fortress aloft and level. Encasing the giant bell in an antimagic field or destroying it causes the fortress to crash. The contraption is a Large object with AC 19, a damage threshold of 10, 45 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

Crashing the fortress destroys it. Any creature aboard the flying fortress when it crashes takes 70 (20d6) bludgeoning damage plus 70 (20d6) fire damage, and falls prone amid the twisted wreckage.

Stowing Away

Characters can stow away inside the flying fortress while it’s moored at the Stygian Dock, provided they sneak aboard without being detected. When the flying fortress is repaired and refueled, Zariel returns with the rest of her crew and takes the flying fortress to the front lines of the Blood War.

Whenever Zariel is aboard the flying fortress, its crew complement consists of hundreds of devils—too many for characters to defeat without an army behind them. Deck patrols are bolstered by erinyes using truesight to search for ethereal and invisible enemies, making it unlikely that stowaways will stay hidden for long.

If the characters allow themselves to get caught, they are hauled before Zariel on the command deck, where she is joined by a pit fiend general and six erinyes bridge officers, including Nariangela. A dozen bearded devils in plate armor (AC 18) stand guard. For advice on roleplaying Zariel, see chapter 5.

Poor Devil: Thavius Kreeg

If the characters killed Thavius Kreeg in chapter 1, his soul ends up in the Nine Hells, where it emerges from the River Styx as a lemure. Zariel instantly becomes aware of Thavius’s fate and retrieves him. After promoting Thavius to an amnizu devil for his faithful service, Zariel confines him until Elturel’s destruction. The characters find Thavius trapped in a cell aboard Zariel’s flying fortress, feeling sorry for himself.

Characters who search the lower decks of Zariel’s flying fortress hear sobs coming from an unguarded cellblock. If they investigate the sobbing, read the following boxed text to the players:

Readaloud

Through the bars of a cell, you see a sobbing figure huddled in the shadows. It appears to be a paunchy devil with small wings and horns, bound by shackles to the far wall. The walls of his cell are covered with blasphemous runes that glow with an infernal red light.

The pitiable figure in the cell is Thavius Kreeg, now an amnizu. If the characters met Thavius when he was human, they recognize him in his devil form with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. The locked cell door can be forced open with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check, or a character can use thieves’ tools to try to pick its lock, doing so with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check.

Thavius poses no threat to the characters in his current predicament, and his shackles aren’t long enough to let him get close to the cell door. Characters can kill him at range without even entering the cell, if they wish, by launching attacks through the bars. However, Thavius screams in agony whenever he takes damage, which might attract nearby patrols of bearded devils, at your discretion.

Once Elturel is pulled down into the River Styx, Thavius believes Zariel will set him free, but until then he’s content to wallow in self-pity. He didn’t expect to end up in the Nine Hells so soon. See chapter 5 for more information on how to roleplay the devil Thavius.

Symbols and Shackles

The symbols on the walls prevent creatures from teleporting into and out of the cell. For example, a creature can’t use misty step or dimension door to enter or leave the cell. However, the cell does not prohibit creatures from entering or leaving via altered forms. For example, a creature in gaseous form can slip between the bars to enter or leave the cell, as can any creature thin enough to pass between the bars.

Only Zariel can unlock Thavius’s shackles, though a creature can break them with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. The shackles can also be attacked; they have AC 19, a damage threshold of 15, hp 20, immunity to poison and psychic damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine.

Roaming Encounter: Smiler the Defiler

Characters can encounter Smiler the Defiler anywhere in Avernus. Where and when he appears is up to you.

This eladrin adventurer from the Feywild became stranded in Avernus after his companions abandoned him. He has spent the past seventy years roaming Avernus, making deals with fiends to survive. Smiler eventually sold his soul to a pit fiend, who gave him the means to topple a nycaloth warlord named Yarrasto. Smiler took control of the nycaloth’s warband and their infernal war machines. Smiler’s gang came to be known as Smiler’s Defilers, and their ferocity terrified the other warlords of Avernus for a while.

Three of Smiler’s rivals—Bitter Breath, Feonor, and Princeps Kovik—joined forces to wipe out Smiler’s Defilers. Smiler escaped and tears around Avernus on a Devil’s Ride, looking for adventurers willing to help him get revenge on the warlords who ganged up on him. Mad Maggie remains his only ally, though he refuses to join her gang.

When the characters first encounter Smiler, read or paraphrase the following:

Readaloud

You see an two-wheeled infernal war machine parked next to a large rock. Standing atop the rock, peeing into the hot wind, is a slender elf-like figure.

Smiler has an unnerving smile—hence his name. When he sees the characters, his smile widens as he leaps down to greet them.

A more apt name for this eladrin would be Smiler the Beguiler, as he’s constantly trying to intoxicate others with his relentless optimism and shocking recklessness. Smiler thinks he can accomplish anything with a positive attitude and some death-defying stunt. Although he admits others might end up getting killed by his actions, he believes he can bend the multiverse to his whims if he tries hard enough. He’s really quite insane.

One of Smiler’s favorite antics is to use a hallucinatory terrain spell to create a little bit of the Feywild in Avernus: a beautiful woodland glade in which to lose himself for a few hours while he meditates and plots.

Treasure

Smiler wears +2 leather armor. He carries seven soul coins in a bag and a +1 shortsword.