Descent into Avernus

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
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.

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