Descent into Avernus

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-dfameter. 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

lowe r 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 eithe r 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 (see page 122 ). 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 contrap-

tion is a Large object with AC 19, a damage threshold

of 10 , 45 hit points, and immunity to poison and psy-

chic damage.

Crashing the fortress destroys it. Any creature aboard

the flying fortress when it crashes takes (^70) (20d6) blud-
geoning 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 un-

likely 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.