Descent into Avernus

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
Lt:FT TO RIGHT: CHARGE OF ZARIEL ANO THE HELLRIOERS, T ... E \VAR ON AvERNUS, ANO ZARIEL'S SURRENDER TO ASMOOEUS

EVENT 7. ZARIEL'S ARRIVAL


This event overlaps with the end of the previous one.


Read the following boxed text to the players:

The cackling demon lord shuts his maw and narrows his
eyes, gazing up toward the sky as a beam of radiant light
pierces the haze. A powerful angel streaks down from
above, followed by a gold-furred mammoth with feath-
ered wings. The angel slashes her sword across Yeeno-
ghu's chest and utters a spell. A portal opens behind the
demon lord as the mammoth rams its head into Yeeno-
ghu. The demon lord is sent tumbling through the portal,
which quickly closes behind him.

The angel is Zariel (use the solar stat block), and the


winged mammoth is Lulu th e hollyphant (see page


237) in s hapechanged form. After ridding Tdyllglen of


Yeenoghu, Lulu and Zariel introduce themselves to the


characters, healing them as best they can. While these


introductions happen, the original Hell riders (knights)


appear on warhorses and ki!J any remaining demons


and gnolls. One of these Hell ride rs, a woman in her thir-


ties with a fresh, deep cut on her cheek, thanks the char-


acters and introduces herself as Yael. She gives a wink


before lining up to join the rest of the battalion. The


characters might also recognize Olanthius, Haruman,


CHAPTER 4 I SWORD OP ZARIEL


and other original Hellriders they have come across


during their travels in Avernus.

Zariel can cast the resurrection spell up to three


times. She uses this magic to resurrect as many dead


characters as she can.


As Zariel prepares to lead her forces through the por-

tal into Avernus, all other creatures except for her, Lulu,


and the characters stop moving and responding as if


frozen in time. Zariel turns to the characters and says,


"Yeenoghu slaughtered those I swore to protect. I can


stop him and others like him. I might have to give up all


I stand for, but I could stem the tide of chaos and save


many lives from the demonic terrors of the Abyss. Were


you in my place, would you risk it all to save others?"

Zariel lets each character answer her question in


turn. She thanks them for their responses, then utters


a blessing to Lathander over the characters. Characters


who answered that they would risk it all as Zariel did


each gain a charm of vitality. Characters who answered
that they would not risk it all to stop the demon lords
each gain a charm of restoration. (See "Charms" in
chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for the benefits

of these supernatural gifts.) Characters who can't or


won't answer the question receive nothing.


Once Zariel bestows her supernatural charms, Lulu's


ldyllglen memory ends. A flas h of light brings all the
characters (including dead ones) back to the Bleeding

Citadel so that one of them might finally claim the


Sword of Zariel.

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