Descent into Avernus

the Devil's Ride are missing. The Tormentor is missing

its harpoon flinger, and its armor plating is corroded as

though eaten by acid, reducing the vehicle's AC to 15.

If the characters earn enough gratitude from Mad

Maggie, one or both of these war machines might be

gifted to them. Chukka and Clonk can attach wheels

to the Devil's Ride and a weapon to the Tormentor, if

Mad Maggie instructs them to. Replacing the armor

on the Tormentor can be done as well, but only after

efforts are made to salvage scrap metal from the battle-

fields of Avernus. Any such salvage operation is likely

to attract unwanted attention from other warlords
(see page 90).

In addition to the war machines described above, Mad

Maggie has several infernal war machines in drivable

condition that are undergoing regular maintenance and

upgrades in her garage under the hill. These vehicles

are not for sale or trade, though brazen adventurers

might try stealing them. These vehicles include two

Devil's Rides, three Tormentors, the aforementioned

Demon Grinder (which Chukka and Clonk have been

trying to repair), and a Scavenger that Mad Maggie uses
for salvage operations.

LuLu's DREA_ M_Q....,...._u_E_ST ____ _

Before they can retrieve the Sword of Zariel, the char-

acters must learn the location of the Bleeding Citadel,

which is trapped in Lulu's hidden memories. When

Mad Maggie becomes aware of the characters' inter-

est in accessing these hidden memories, she offers to

perform a ritual that creates a dreamscape in which

the hollyphant's memories can be perceived. For Mad

Maggie, the ritual is its own reward, as the hag longs to

know everything Lulu knows about the fall of Zariel.

After making some preparations, Mad Maggie creates

a fiendish circle on the ground, and arranges several

comfortable black cushions at the center. She orders

Lulu to rest on the cushions, which the hollyphant does

with a bit of trepidation. Maggie then places two skulls

on the circle, noting that she's sure her sisters won't

care if she picks their brains about this problem.

The hag instructs Lulu and the characters to take up

places within the circle. Mad Maggie tells the characters

to close their eyes and keep them closed, that the ritual

should last about ten minutes, and that during the ritual

all within the circle will be joined by a telepathic bond.

If anyone leaves the circle, the ritual is interrupted and

she'll be forced to start over. An incomplete ritual yields

no insight into Lulu's memories.

As the hag initiates the ritual, the characters sense

the telepathic bond forming between themselves, the

hag, and Lulu. Their eyes still closed, the characters

sense a brilliant flash of light, then darkness. A tingling

sensation sweeps over the characters' bodies as vibrant

rainbows appear within their minds and they see Lulu's

first dream unfold. Mad Maggie isn't in the dreamscape

with them, though characters can hear the hag's disem-

bodied voice whenever she speaks.

Within this conjured dreamscape, characters can

take psychic damage from hostile dream-creatures and

other effects. A character reduced to 0 hit points by this

psychic damage is unconscious but stable, and unable

to proceed to the next dream in the sequence. If all the

characters fall unconscious, the dream quest ends. Mad

Maggie can start over once the characters have regained

consciousness and recovered from the ordeal.

DREAM 1: RAINBOW ANGELS

Read the following boxed text when the characters first

enter Lulu's dreamscape:

As the rich, radiant light of a hundred dancing rainbows

slowly dissolves, warm sunlight fills the area. Within that

space, Lulu flies lazily in a lush meadow at the shoul-

der of a beautiful, blindfolded angel. As the pair strolls

t hrough the tall green grass, the voice of the hag fills your

mind, " Push through this vision. It only represents what

Lulu wishes was true. We need to see more."

Each character must make a DC 10 Intelligence saving

throw. If one or more of the characters succeed, the

sunny meadow fades to black as the dream sequence

progresses toward the next dream.

lf all the characters fail the saving throw, each char-

acter takes 11 (2d 10) psychic damage. and all of them

must attempt the saving throw again. If at least one

character succeeds the second time, this dream fades

and the next one begins. If everyone fails the save again,

all the characters take the psychic damage again. This

process continues until at least one character succeeds

or everyone falls unconscious.

CHAPTER 3 f AVERNUS

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