Descent into Avernus

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
Zariel pulls a single golden feather from one of her

wings and hands it to the character closest to her. A


creature that holds this feather can cast planar ally as


an action, calling Zariel and Lulu only, after which the


feather dissolves into a ray of sunlight. If the two are


called to aid the characters, they do so for up to 1 hour,


with no payment asked for in return.

With her gift given, Zariel inclines her head, unfurls her
wings, and soars into the sky. Lulu turns to wrap you all
up in a massive hug with her trunk. When she lets you
go, she smiles warmly and says, "We'll see each other
again. Someday."
The golden mammoth then flaps her wings and soars
into the sky. You watch her silhouette dwindle until it is
swallowed by sunlight.

Characters who return with Elturel can find plenty to
do in the city, aiding survivors and helping restore order
in the aftermath of so much death and destruction. In

addition to the leadership and magic the characters can


lend to the people of Elturel, the planetar once bound

within the Companion remains in the city for as long as


it is needed, using its ability to raise the dead to restore


as many of those lost to the destruction as it can.


In the longer term, the characters might also have


loose ends in Baldur's Gate to take care of, especially if


any villains in chapter 1 were left alive to continue their

dark plots.


Even if the tale of the two cities has bee n successfully


completed to the characters' satisfaction, the events


of the adventure continue to play out in Baldur's Gate


and Elturel after the fact. In particular, if Grand Duke


Ravengard survives and returns with Elturel, the survi-


vors of the city will be greatly in bis debt. Ravengard's


efforts to defend the city should dramatically change

the political landscape of Baidu r's Gate and El tu rel,


ushering in an era of detente, if not full friendship and


alliance, between the two cities.

Z ARIEL'S WRATH


If the characters fail to redeem Zariel and don't make
a deal with her (see "Making a Deal with Zariel," page


153), she attacks. Her first goal is to destroy the adven-


turers who dared insult her, after which she means to


erase from existence all those whom she once loved.


At this grim juncture, the characters' only hope is to


defeat Zariel or to bend the knee in fealty. Killing Zariel


frees the citizens ofElturel from infernal bondage. The


characters might choose this endgame intentionally,


or they could be forced to fight Zariel if they fail to

redeem her.


Defeating Zariel is easier said than done. At her full


power, the archdevil is more than a match for most mor-


tals. Adventurers who hope to lay her low must scheme

like a devil. Forging an alliance with a powerful, super-


natural being such as Bel, Gargauth, Tiamat, or one of


the demon lords besieging Avernus could grant the char-


acters the power necessary to cast down Zariel.


CHAPTER 5 I ESCAPE FROM AVERNUS


BAPHOMET, KO STCHTCHIE, OR YEENOGHU

Baphomet and Yeenoghu are fighting to claim Avernus


for themselves, and Kostchtchie (assuming the charac-


ters released him in chapter 3) wants his hammer back.


None of them can be trusted. Demon lords are savagery


incarnate, and they take orders from no one.


The extent to which Baphomet, Kostchtchie, and Yee-


noghu are present in Avernus makes it easy for charac-


ters to commune with any of these demon lords using


contact other plane spells or similar magic.


BEL

Bel rankles at Zariel's rulership of the layer of the Nine


Hells that was once his, but he won't challenge her di-


rectly as long as he thinks Asmodeus supports Zariel.


Bel's aim is to let the characters try to redeem Zariel

by helping them retrieve her sword. Bel knows Zariel's


redemption is a long shot, which is why he also gives
characters a means to unlock the Companion. Freeing
the planetar trapped within the Companion denies

Zariel her latest prize-the city of Elturel-and makes


her look inept, which is the best Bel can hope for.

GARGAUTH

The pit fiend Gargauth would like nothing more than to


be released from its prison and replace Zariel as Lord


of Avernus. If the characters possess the Shield of the


Hidden Lord, they can free Gargauth as described in the


item's description (see page 225).

Tf released, Gargauth thanks the characters through


tears of mirth. The pit fiend's first act is to produce a


contract out of thin air, claiming that it will aid the char-

acters in their quest to destroy Zariel if they sign it. The


contract is full of convoluted text, and is summarized
in its final clause:"], the undersigned, agree to form a

compact with Gargauth, joining with it to destroy the


archdevil Zariel. While bound by this compact, no inten-
tional harm shall befall either party by the other party's
hand, without voiding this agreement."
Gargauth takes joy in subverting ill-worded contracts
and betraying those bound by them. Notably, the con-
tract presented lasts only until Zariel is destroyed, after
which point Gargauth intends to tear the adventurers
limb from limb. Clever adventure rs can subvert the pit
fiend's betrayal by ensuring Zariel's capture, banish-

ment, or some other nonlethal defeat.


In that event, though, Gargauth has left itself an easy


out. The only consequence for harming an ally under


the terms of the contract is the contracfs immediate


negation- leaving Gargauth free to do whatever it


sees fit. The pit fiend hopes that it can sneak this ruse


through unchallenged, and argues fiercely if the char-


acters spot this tricky phrase and demand its removal


from the contract.

TI AMAT


The queen of evil dragons is mighty and aloof, and she


rarely acts unless her triumph is assured. Challenging


an archdevil directly is risky, and Tiamat stands to lose


a great deal if Zariel prevails. Fortunately, Tiamat has a


champion she can send in her stead: Arkhan the Crue l


(see page 111 for his stat block).

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