Descent into Avernus

(Jeff_L) #1
Blood streams down from a gaping wound in the ceiling,
filling a large pool that covers the floor of this chamber. A
hunk of scab floats in the blood.
I

Three invisible barlguras cling to the walls of this


chamber, their claws digging into the soft walls. The


demons wait for prey to enter the room before attacking.
They hungrily pursue more elusive prey.


The barlguras tore the floating chunk of scab from


the center of the ceiling, causing blood to pour out of
the wound. A character who expends five uses of a
healer's kit and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Medi-
cine) check bandages the wound effectively enough to
stop the downpour. This process takes 5 minutes and
exposes the character to the blood's effects (see "In-


terior Features," page 135). A cure wounds spell or


similar magic cast on the wound closes it, stanching the
blood flow.


S5. FOOD FIGHT


When the characters enter this 30-foot-wide chamber,


read the following boxed text to the players:

Two fiends resembling scaly, 9-foot-tall, bipedal toads
stand waist-deep in a pool of blood, bellowing as they
claw at each other. Floating near them is the half-eaten
corpse of a bearded devil clutching a glaive. The pool is
20 feet wide and 40 feet long, with a horseshoe-shaped
ledge around it.

Two hungry hezrous fight over the devil's tasty corpse.


Unless they notice the characters, the demons battle un-
til one of them is killed. lf the characters allow the fight

to play out, one hezrou emerges victorious with 30 hit


points remaining. Characters have advantage on Dex-

terity (Stealth) checks made to sneak past the hezrous


while the demons fight each other.

Treasure. The half-eaten bearded devil clutches a


+1 glaive.

SG. TORTURE CHAMBER
When the characters enter this large. 30-foot-wide
chamber, read the following boxed text to the players:

Two iron chains attached to the ceiling end in hyena
skulls that bite into the flesh of a screaming devil with
sharp spines covering its thin, man-sized body. Jabbing
the chained fiend with their long proboscises are three
droning flies as big as horses.

The chained fiend is Alazub, a barbed devil with 25 hit


points remaining. The giant flies are three chasmes.


Characters who enter the chamber are susceptible to


the chasmes' Drone. trait. The chasmes cease their tor-


ture of Alazub to attack intruders.


CHAPTF.R 4 I SWORD OF ZARlfL

Trantolox caught Alazub sneaking around the scab


and wants to know if the devil knows anything about the


citadel that could help the demons break into it. Unfor-


tunately for the barbed devil, it knows nothing that the


nalfeshnee would consider useful.


Ch ains. The two chains that bind Alazub hold the


barbed devil 25 feet above the floor. Each chain has AC


19, 15 hit points, and immunity to cold, fire, poison, and


psychic damage.

The hyena skull at the end of each chain grips Alazub


by one arm, biting into the devil's flesh. A character can


use an action to rip a skull from Alazub's Resh, but do-

ing so deals 7 (2d6) piercing damage to the devil. This


damage is considered magical and therefore ignores


Alazub·s resistance to piercing damage. A character who


succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check removes

the skull-tipped chain from the devil without harming it.


Rolep/aying Alazub. Alazub came to the scab to spy
on Trantolox's progress for Zariel. If Alazub is freed. a

character who makes a successful Charisma (Decep-


tion) check against Alazub's Wisdom (Insight) check can

convince the devil that Zariel sent the characters to save


it. If convinced that the characters are on its side, a char-
acter who makes a successful DC 15 Charisma (Per-

suasion) check convinces Alazub to share the following


information:

Demons under the command of a nalfeshnee named


Trantolox have found the entrance to the Bleeding


Citadel but can't break in (see area 814).


A shadow demon has found Yeenoghu's lost pet, the


great demon Crokek'toeck, in the hard part of the


scab. It leads the crew of demons that is digging out


the enormous creature (see area S9).


If the characters refuse to free Alazub, the barbed

devil tries to make a deal. It can offer the information


it knows or anything else within its power in exchange


for freedom. If Lulu is with the characters, she urges


the characters not to make any deals with the devil


and grows despondent if her advice is ignored. Lulu re-


fuses to do anything but the bare minimum to help the


characters until her confidence in their good judgment
is restored.
If the characters mention their interest in the Sword

of Zariel, Alazub realizes they are Zariel's foes and


makes reporting that information to Zariel a priority.


After being freed and talking with the characters, the
barbed devil leaves the scab.

S7. TRANTOLox's LARDER


When the characters enter this 20 -foot-wide cavern,


read the following boxed text to the players:

Hordes of hellish flies buzz around this dark chamber,
which is strewn with mutilated devil corpses and gnawed
bones. A hole in the floor reveals another dark cavern
below this one.

Close examination of the mutilated corpses reveals that


they include three bearded devils, two barbed devils,

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