CHAPTER 1: A TALE OF 1\vo CITIES
For characters of l evels^1 -Pressed into service by the Flaming Fist, the char-
acters seek out and destroy Dead Three c ultists
who are threatening Baidu r's Gate. As the mach-
inations of the Vantha mpur family come to light,the characters have a cha nce to confront Thavius
Kreeg, the architect ofElturel's downfall, before
traveling to Candlekeep to unlock a mysteriouspuzzle box and gain safe passage to the Nine Hells.
I
CHAPTER 2: ELTUREL HAS FALLEl
For characters of levels 5- 6
After befriending a hollypha nt named Lulu, the
characters help survivors in Elturel, a city an-
chored by chains above the Rive r Styx on the first
layer of the Nine Hells, and search for Grand Duke
Ulder Ravengard of Baldur's Gate.
____ _.)CHAPTER 3 : AVERNUS
For characters oflevels 7- 10
The characters venture across the wastelands of
Avernus in search of allies, face off against war-
lords and fiends, and search for a way to destroy
the Companion or break E lturel's chains.
r CHAPTER 4 : SWORD OF ZARIEL ~
For characters of level s 11 - 12
The Sword of Zariel might be the key to Elturel's
salvation, but to get it , the characte rs must find the
Bleeding Citadel- a litt le slice of heaven trapped in
hell. Afte r they unlock Lulu's memories and claim
the s word, the characters must decide who is fit to I
wield s uch a powerful weapon of good. ____)I
I.
C HAPTER 5: ESCAPE FROM AVERNUS
For characters of levels 13 and higherThe characters use the treasures they've acquired
and the deals they've made to free themselves and
Elturel from Avernus. Will they use the Sword
ofZariel or strike an infernal bargain to free the
planetar trapped in the Companion? Will they coaxa de mon into breaking Elturel's c hains? Or will
they c ut a deal with the archdevil Zariel? J
______.DIAGRAM 0 .1: ADVENTURE fLO W,t<l\RTABOIJT THE ADV£NTUllETo T H E NINE HELLS!
Chapte r 2 opens with the characters' arrival in Elturel,
which is anchored by enormous chains and trapped un-
der the baleful light of the Companion. If the characters
do nothing, the city will be pulled down into the River
Styx and bound to the Nine Hells forever. Lulu tries herbest to serve as the party's guide in Avernus, but the hol-
lyphant's memories are fragmented. It becomes clear,
howeve r, that Lulu has a personal connection to Zariel,
dating back to the archdevil's former angelic existence.After scouring Elturel for s urvivors and clashing
with the denizens of Avernus, the characters en-
counter the valiant Ulder Rave ngard, who has been
placed in the most unusual s ituation of defending a
city he has long opposed. The beleaguered Ravengard
urges the c haracters to do whatever they can to free
Elturel and return what's left of it to FaerOn. To do so,they mus t scour Avernus for the means to destroy the
Companion or break the enormous c hains that shackle
that city, as described in chapter 3.
Avernus has long bee n a battlefield in the never-end-
ing Blood War. Apart from clashing demons and dev-
ils, petty warlords scour the Avernian wastelands insearch of treasure. salvage, and fuel for their infernal
war machines. Characters who forge an alliance with
one warlord risk alienating the others. By acquiring
an infernal war machine, characters can travel quickly
across Avernus-a domain rife with tortured souls, war-
mongers, and devils eager to tempt would-be heroes into
soul-corrupting deals.The more time she spends with the characters, the
more Lulu begins to re member long-lost memories of
the Sword ofZariel, an angelic weapon with the power
to destroy the Companion. After Zariel's fall from grace,
the sword was hidden in a stronghold called the Bleed-
ing Citadel-a celestial sanctuary trapped in Avernus.
The quest for the sword forms the crux of chapter 4,
leading to the revelation that Zariel can be redeemed.
The c haracters' success doesn't hinge on acquiring
the Sword of Zariel or helping Zariel find redemption,as Gargauth is quick to point out s hould the characters
consult with him. There are other ways to free Elturel,
but only if the characters are willing to c ut deals with
Avernus's most evil denizens. The characters might
broker a deal with the deposed archdevil Bel, wholongs to supplant Zariel and regain his title as ruler of
Avernus. They might stoke the rage of a horrific demon
called Crokek'toeck and trick it into gnawing through
Elturel's c hains. They might come to terms with an evil
dragonborn paladin named Arkhan the Cruel, usinghim to broker a deal with Tiamat. By returning her sto-
len treasure, characte rs can convince Tiamat to break
Elturel's chains.As te mpting as such purs uits can be, the characters
must be careful, for devil deals, demon lords, and Tia-
mat's rage number among the multiverse's greatest