WHAT Is AVERNUS?
Avernus serves as tbe front line of the great clash be-
tween the evil forces of chaos and law known as the
Blood War. Demons from the Abyss use the River Styx
to enter Avernus, where they hurl themselves against
infernal legions of devils.
Avernus was not always the blasted, war-torn battle-
field it is today. Long ago, it was a plane of lush gardens
and bucolic beauty created by Asmodeus to tempt mor-
tals. The intrusion of the River Styx followed by endless
waves of slavering demons destroyed this paradise. leav-
ing layer upon layer of bones, ruins, and shattered war
machines. Pieces of cities stolen from other planes, tiny
remnants of Avernus's lost beauty, evidence of destroyed
celestial armies, and tombs of ancient travelers all dot
the Avernian wasteland.
Avernus is not a place expressly for the punishment
of evil souls; instead, it represents a "next level" for evil
souls after the end of their wicked lives as mortals. The
Nine Hells allows souls to exist in a concentrated form,
where they can work through their spiritual bondage to
express their dark desires such as cruelty, covetousness,
r FORT KNUCKLEBONE
For characters of level 7the need to control, the craving for power, and uncon-
trolled greed. Hell offers an eternity of fulfillment from
the most insignificant desires to the seven deadly sins.
Every shred of evil is used in the Nine Hells, and each
layer specializes in some way to accommodate and ex-
ploit the vices and weaknesses of mortals. The devils of
Avernus seek to exploit pride and wrath, promising the
aggrieved, enraged, and egotistical the power to fulfill
their darkest obsessions. Such fulfillment, however,
comes at a price.
Anyone entering Avernus finds a battlefield unlike
anywhere else in existence. Evidence of past carnage,
such as the ruins of enormous war machines and
fields of bleached bones, stretches across the horizon.
Through it all, the River Styx winds its way across the
plane as knots of demons and devils skirmish along its
fetid banks.
Most devils in Avernus serve Zariel, though other
Lords of the Nine send forces here to help repel de-
monic invaders. Devils who are not part of Zariel's
legions serve as emissaries from the other layers or as
spies for archdevils seeking signs of weakness that they
can exploit to further their dreams of power.
The adventurers question Chukka and Clonk, a
pair of kenku junk scavengers. A night hag named
Mad Maggie runs this outpost, overseeing the con-
struction and repair of infernal war machines.
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HARUMAN's HILL
For characters of level 7
After Mad Maggie helps restore some of Lulu's
memories, the hollyphant leads the adventurers to
where she thinks the Bleeding Citadel is, but ends
up at Haruman's Hill, a place of great evil.
THE WANDERING EMPORIUM
For characters of levels^7 and higher
This traveling market visits all corners of Avernus.Adventurers who happen upon the Wandering
Emporium can rest, trade goods, and dine at a
restaurant run by a rakshasa named Mahadi.
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HELLWASP NEST
For characters of level 7 1After a hellwasp attack atop Haruman's Hill, the
adventurers must rescue Lulu when she's abducted
and taken to a nearby hellwasp nest.
PATH OF DEMONS
For characters of levels 8-10If the adventurers choose this path to finding the
Sword ofZariel, a series of encounters leads them
to the demon lord Kostchtchie and a showdown
with Olanthius, a fallen Hell rider.
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PATH OF DEVILSFor characters oflevels 8-^10
If the adventurers choose this path to finding the
Sword of Zariel, a series of encounters leads them
to Bel, the pit fiend who ruled Avernus before
Zariel unseated him. Bel helps them for a price.
OlllGRllM 3 .1: CHllPTER^3 F LOWCHllRTCHAPTER 3 I AVERNUS
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