Enemy of My Enemy
A gargantuan volcano dominates the horizon. Clouds of fire and ash spew from its caldera, and the air trembles with its angry grumblings. A vast, multilayered fortress has been hewn into the volcano’s rocky slopes.
The heat is intense, bolstered by the rivers of lava flowing from the volcano. Creatures must make saving throws to resist exhaustion every half hour instead of every hour.
Tortured Demon
Along the Styx, about 500 feet from the fortress, 3 barbed devils and 2 bearded devils are torturing a captured hezrou demon. They use a long spear with a gleaming silver head to torture the demon by pressing it against its flesh and giving it small cuts. The spear head is a +1 weapon that inflicts 1d6 radiant damage to fiends. The devils are not very social except to creatures that want to join in the cruelty. The hezrou is restrained by having its arms chained to boulders sunk into the rocky banks of the Styx, and its feet are shackled. If it was freed, it could be convinced to aid its saviors, though not at any risk to itself.
Rest Break
Two fire giants and three salamanders lounge at a collection of rocks outside the fortress, about 100 yards away, roughly arranged like seats. They are all smiths working Bel's forges, taking a break. The giants consume a bitter and scaldingly hot ale, and the salamanders eat kebabs of a spicy meat that is poisonous to most humanoids. Eating the meat requires succeess on a DC 15 Con saving throw to avoid taking 10 (3d6) poison damage and becoming poisoned for 6 hours, unless the consumer is immune to poison. The ale can be safely consumed by anyone resistant or immune to fire, otherwise it inflicts 3 (1d6) fire damage to anyone drinking it. They can all speak infernal, Giant, and Ignan. The fire giants pay little mortals little heed, but respect a strong personality. They both owe Bel a term of service, the details of which they won't divulge. The salamanders freed themselves from efreeti slavery, and work for Bel of their own volition. They don't respond to Infernal, but anyone speaking Ignan to them will pique their interest. They have no reason to be hostile, but won't jeopardize their employment. They have a few soul coins they'd be willing to gamble with. Diamonds would be accepted as stakes.
The Gate
The gate is guarded by 4 merregons led by a bone devil, with 3 spined devil scouts and 2 imp messengers. Two horned devils stand watch on a palisade above the gate. When non-devils approach, the imps immediately turn invisible. The spined devils take to the air. If violence breaks out, these forces are immediately bolstered by the 2 horned devils and 4 bearded devils and 4 barbed devils that emerge from sally ports. Bel's forge houses an army, and there is no end to the forces that can be deployed against any attackers.
Only the bone devil will talk with anyone who approaches, speaking Infernal unless a creature doesn't understand, in which case it switches to Telepathy. It is suspicious and will ask many questions before letting anyone inside. It is susceptible to suggestions that its actions will improve its station or gain it glory. If satisfied that a creature has legitimate business, or that helping them helps itself, it will call on an imp to send word of the visitors. The imp returns in a few minutes to lead the petitioners inside. They won't allow mounts.
Negotiations
A wrought iron spiral staircase descends into a cavernous forge. Channels of bubbling lava wind through the complex, casting fiery light over huge anvils. Giants with coal-black skin and fiery orange hair hammer out weapons under the malignant gaze of a pit fiend seated in a flying throne. Throughout the forge, sparks fall like rain.
Bel is suspicious that the PCs are a trap set by some other archdevil to harm his standing with Asmodeus. He denies any ill intent towards Zariel, insisting he is her loyal vassal. His protestations are weak, though. A DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check can tell he's being disingenuous. If PCs openly express intent to defeat Zariel, he orders them to leave his presence on pain of death, but uses mislead to invisibly follow and converse with them telepathically. Similarly, if the PCs can subtly convince him of their sincere intent, he will use telepathy to conspire with them.
If the PCs successfully convince Bel of their value, he first sends them to steal nine adamantie rods, the keys to the solar insidiator (see Wrecked Flying Fortress), from Zariel's Flying Fortress where it is refuleing at its Stygian Dock. He does not tell them what the rods are for, only that if they reclaim them, he will tell them where to find Olanthius. Bel gives them instructions on how to enter the fortress, including a description of the roof hatch, and the sigil for a teleportation circle within a cargo bay a few floors below the bridge. When the fortress is underway, teleportation into the fortress is blocked. When it is docked for resupply, the protective magic is deactivated to allow easy loading of cargo.
Extreme Heat
When the temperature is at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the heat and without access to drinkable water must succeed on a Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. The DC is 5 for the first hour and increases by 1 for each additional hour. Creatures wearing medium or heavy armor, or who are clad in heavy clothing, have disadvantage on the saving throw. Creatures with resistance or immunity to fire damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures naturally adapted to hot climates.
Lava
Open rivers of lava are channeled through the forge to smelt ore and soften metal. Any creature that enters the lava for the first time on its turn or starts its turn in it takes 33 (6d10) fire damage. Increase the damage to 99 (18d10) fire damage if the creature is fully immersed in the lava.
Comments