Rift War
The Rift War (1411 - 1414 CR) was a war in Avernus between the infernal legions of the Nine Hells and an army of baatorians, the native population of Avernus long thought to be extinct. Though the forces of Hell were initially overwhelmed by the baatorians' appearance, they rallied around the archdevil Zariel, whose victory in the war earned her the title of Archduke of Avernus.
The Conflict
Prelude
For millennia, the original inhabitants of Avernus, the baatorians, had been systemically hunted down and either exterminated or coopted into the forces of Hell, and it had long been believed that there were no independent baatorians left, or at least none that could post a threat to the forces of Hell. However, underneath the very ground of Avernus itself, hordes of baatorians resided in secret, slowly growing in number and in strength. During the early 15th century, the tide of the Blood War was decidely in the favor of the forces of Hell. The front line of the war had pushed far beyond the banks of the River Styx towards the Abyss. Because of this, many of the fortresses and strongholds dotting the Styx had been abandoned, as Bel, Archduke of Avernus, believed the resources spent maintaining those defenses were better spent elsewhere.
The Engagement
In 1411, the ground of Avernus began tearing into large rifts, a not unusual occurance. However, the rifts that formed this time revealed hordes upon hordes of baatorians that spilled out onto Avernus's aboveground. While it is unknown if the baatorians intended to invade at this time or were instead revealed by an unfortunately timed tearing of the landscape, they quickly proved their mettle in combat nonetheless, quickly overwhelming the understaffed and unused fortresses along the River Styx and throwing the forces of Hell into chaos.
For the next year, baatorian strongholds resisted infernal incursions, and the forces of Hell that were cut off by the baatorians appearing behind the front line found themselves sandwiched between their new enemies and the old enemies of the Abyss. Archduke Bel spent most of his efforts attempting to rally the routed legions, but was unable to mount any effective counter attack.
During this time, Glasya, daughter of Asmodeus and Archduke of Malbolge, arranged a meeting with Tiamat. The events of this meeting are unknown, but its ultimate result, whether through bargaining, trickery, or force, was the release of the archdevil Zariel from her imprisonment.
Zariel raced across the Avernian landscape, rallying the forces of Hell under her banner and reorganizing them to meet the baatorian threat. With her forces, she marched across the land until she confronted the baatorians on the banks of the River Styx. The resulting Battle of Lost Memories saw the two sides clash in the memory-erasing waters of the Styx, earning Hell's first true victory against the baatorians, though many devils lost their pasts in the process.
Zariel's forces continued to push the baatorians back, retaking stronghold after stronghold, until she forced them to the rift from which they emerged. The brutal Rift Siege slowly ground away at the forces of the baatorians until they broke. The forces of Hell descended upon the defeated baatorians, slaughtering them en masse, thus ending their threat.
Aftermath
Zariel's critical role in ending the baatorian threat earned for her the title of Archduke of Avernus, and Bel was demoted to the Dark Eight, a demotion that festured long-standing animosity between the two.
Though much of the momentum of the Blood War was lost by the baatorians' appearance, Zariel used the momentum from the Rift War to retake much of the ground lost to the Abyss, keeping the Blood War firmly in Hell's favor.
Zariel's militaristic approach to ruling would continue to be effective in operating the Blood War, but made her unfavorable to those well-versed in infernal politics and deal making. Many of the war-time decisions Zariel made during the Rift War never expired, continuing to fester resentment by some denizens of Avernus.
Historical Significance
Legacy
In honor of Hell's victory, along the banks of the River Styx where the Battle of Lost Memories was fought, a tower of baatorian skulls was stacked a mile high into the area, a constant reminder and threat against any that would oppose the infernal legions.
Many veterans of the infernal legions were forever scarred by the Rift War, particularly the Battle of Lost Memories, which erased the memories and personalities of scores of legionnaires. Even those that didn't have their entire pasts erased still occasionally stumbled upon holes in their memories.
Included under Conflict
Included Conflicts
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Extraplanar
Start Date
1411
Ending Date
1414
Conflict Result
Destruction of the baatorian forces; Bel demoted to the Dark Eight; Zariel proclaimed Archduke of Avernus
Location
Comments