G1. ADJUNCT COURT OF HELL
A tall, perfectly square tower filled with a Kafka-esque bureaucracy. Although lower staff members are devils of various sorts, the judges and upper management are Rilmani – perfect embodiments of neutrality who oversee and resolve disputes over infernal contracts.
These courts operate under the authority of Primus, as established in the Trial of Asmodeus. (The history of the Trial, along with “fun” facts like Zariel’s small part in that ancient history, can likely be established if anyone asks questions.)
Research at the court can also provide useful information about how infernal contracts (like the contract Zariel uses to hold Elturel in Avernus) can be broken. PCs might think to litigate the Elturian contract, but that probably won’t pan out unless the PCs go to truly extraordinary efforts of deception (which will almost certainly earn them the eternal enmity of the forces of neutrality if it is ever discovered): the contract is, legally speaking, impregnable.
G2a. DRETCH CRACK
- Encounters in Avernus, p. 8
One of the narrow cracks in the ground here leads to a large cavern filled with dretches.
G2b. STYGIAN RAMPS
- On River
There are a pair of ramps facing each other across the Styx. Those riding infernal war machines can leap the river here. (Although if you miss, of course, you’ll end up splashing down in the waters of the Styx, most likely ruining both your machine and your mind.)
G3. HARUMAN’S HILL
- Descent Into Avernus, p. 92
- On River
MEETING HARUMAN / QUESTIONING HELLRIDERS: See Part 6D-L: Questioning the Hellriders.
G4. POOL OF ICHOR
- Encounters in Avernus, p. 10
“The ongoing Blood War has left substantial pools of demon ichor all over Avernus.”
G5a. ZARIEL’S BRIDGE
A bridge spans the Styx here, guarded on each end by a Styx Watchtower (DIA, p. 124). The original bridge which stood here was destroyed during the Rift War and the new bridge was dedicated to Zariel’s glorious victory and ascension to Archduchess. Bas reliefs along the bridge depict various incidents from Zariel’s life, accompanied by infernal inscriptions:
- Averniad: Zariel is depicted (anachronistically in her fiendish form) in the midst of a lush, verdant paradise. (Inscription: “She served in the armies of the Lord of the Nine in the younger days, when Avernus had not yet become the Ninth.”)
- Zariel & Lulu: Zariel (anachronistically in her fiendish form) is depicted with Lulu, Yael, Haruman, and five devils. Their names are listed in Infernal cartouches (the otherwise unknown devil’s names being given as Zilannen, Tozromon, Brullmerath, Xilka, and Venthroxoth). (Inscription: “In memory of her comrades lost over the long eons of struggle.”)
- Zariel’s Fall: Zariel is depicted kneeling before Asmodeus, her wings aflame as her “impurities” are burnt away. (Inscription: “At the feet of the Archfiend her heart was opened to the truth, and she ascended to the ranks of the esteemed.”)
- Zariel’s Imprisonment: Zariel is depicted in chains. Above her are the five heads of Tiamat. (Inscription: “At the false word of the coward Bel, she was sealed in the prisons of the Progenitor.” Note: One of Tiamat’s titles is the Progenitor of Hell.)
- Second Avernian March: Zariel is on the front lines of a titanic battle between devils and strange creatures which seem neither demon nor devil. A DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognizes the creatures as baatorians. (Inscription: “In glory did she triumph where false Bel failed, in the name of the Lord of Nessus.”)
- Zariel Becomes Archduchess: Zariel is crowned by Asmodeus. (“All hail the Archduchess of Avernus, may she rule eternal at the left hand of the Archfiend.”)
G5b. PLAGUESHIELD POINT
- The Diabolical Dive
- On the Styx (under the river)
A drow citadel which was built around a magical geode (which now serves as a demonic prison) and was sucked into Hell, where it fell to the bottom of the Styx.
Commander Ljubomir, who now oversees the tower, is enjoying considerable prestige from the bargain he wrought which resulted in the tower’s capture. As it’s a recent acquisition, its function as a secure holding facility for demons near the front lines of the Blood War is only just being spun up.
Geode Prison: The large geode at the heart of Plagueshield Point contains multitudes. It’s not exactly larger on the inside than the outside. Rather, every version of its “inside” is out of phase with the others and can be accessed only one at a time. (However, gazing through different facets of the geode reveals the others.)
Demonologist’s Tower: When Respen (see Shadowswimmer Tower, Hex I6) worked here, he used a heartstone in his research and it can still be found here.
G6. WRECKED FLYING FORTRESS
- Descent Into Avernus, p. 118
The flying fortresses are built to a standard plan and have been for aeons. By thoroughly exploring the wreck, the PCs can learn the layout of the fortresses (which may assist them if they wish to mount a raid or heist on Zariel’s fortress).
H1. THE DUMP
- Infernal Insurgency
- On River
The Dump was once the Void Chateau, a strange house in Waterdeep owned by a mage known as Chalice Void. The chateau eventually vanished from Waterdeep and reappeared in various towns along the Sword Coast, before settling once more on a hill outside of the village of Amphail. One morning there was a terrible howling sound and the chateau vanished from the Material Plane forever.
It had somehow become embedded in the banks of the River Styx. It now serves as a munitions dump, supplying materiel to the frontlines of the Blood War.
The Dump contains an unkeyed keystone to the Arches of Ulloch (hex A4), which can be rekeyed with only 10 soul coins of raw materials.
H2. BEL’S FORGE
- Descent Into Avernus, p. 113
Bel’s Forge is too small. You should either:
- Revise the lore so that this is just one of many such forward-positioned forges that serve the front lines of the Blood War. (Bel could perhaps have been specifically banished to this demeaning frontier posting by Zariel, information which could be seeded into the rumor tables.)
- Significantly revise the Forge so that it is a much, much larger complex with tunnels and workshops riddling the entire volcano.
Bel’s Forge uses Phlegethosian sand to quench certain types of infernal blades.
H3. DOCK OF FALLEN CITIES / ELTUREL
H4. STYGIAN DOCK
- Descent Into Avernus, p. 123
- On River
Bazelsteen has a set of astral pistons that he keeps for repairing antique infernal machines, which he’ll exchange for assistance with Test Run 221 (DIA, p. 124).
50% chance that a flying fortress is docked. 1 in 3 chance that it’s Zariel’s.
Design Note: Developing the commanders of the other two flying fortresses currently making regular pit stops at this dock might be something worth pursuing.
H5. ELEMENTAL GALLEON
- Abyssal Incursion, p. 4
- On River
The Mirror’s Edge, an elemental galleon from the world of Eberron, has crashed on the shores of the Styx.
H6. MODRON OUTPOST
- Visible 2 (volcano) / Hidden (outpost, see below)
Clinging to the inside wall of a volcano’s caldera is a modron outpost. A huge geothermal spike thrusts down into the volcano below, powering a clockwork menagerie of technomantic marvels within the outpost. Upon occasion, the outpost extends an astral antenna above the rim of the volcano to take readings and also broadcast transplanar reports. The antenna can also provide access to the outpost.
(When this antenna is raised, it can be visible to a great distance. The outpost should otherwise be considered a Hidden location.)
The modrons use this outpost to monitor the Blood War. Its presence is known to the local Blood Legions and tolerated: partly because they’ve learned that if they destroy these monitoring outposts, the modrons just build more; partly because the modrons have also been known to trade valuable technomantic items upon occasion.
The modrons have a supply of Nivanan cogboxes.
For Bel’s Forge I went for the latter and expanded the forge into a bigger complex. It’s a giant volcano and takes up a fair chunk of the map, the players really wanted to go there (and Gargauth might have had a word in or two…), so I put a camp at the bottom and some winding paths up the mountain lined with smaller forges and watch towers. At the top is a giant metal platform that lowers down on chains (controlled by chain devils of course) like an elevator down to multiple levels, lots of walkways just jutting out from inside the walls of the volcano where they’re mining out the inside. Chains and clamps and spires sticking out of the walls for when Zariel’s fortresses need repaired. At the bottom is a lake of lava, lots of twisted metal spires jutting out of it, and a metal platform at the center called the Iron Isle where I placed (a modified version of) the map from the book.
In the end it was kinda a rush job, in retrospect should definitely have spent more time fleshing out Bel’s minions, but on playing it out the environment was enough to really build a sense of anticipation for the discussions with Bel. And Gargauth made a deal with with both Bel and the party for his release, so that was pretty awesome too.
@Alice:
Are you saying you made a map for the entire complex?? I would love to see that, its better than anything else out there potentially.
The court building in the middle of a wasteland seems a bit surreal. Do they get many visitors?