Avernus, The War-Torn Wasteland

(Also known as 1st Layer of Hell, The Battleground of Zariel)

Avernus is a lawful evil plane that embodies conflict, oppression, and the relentless pursuit of power, where brutal warfare and tyranny dominate every facet of existence. This infernal realm is defined by its harsh and unforgiving landscape, where charred wastelands stretch endlessly beneath a blood-red sky. Rivers of blood and fire cut through the terrain, and the air is thick with the stench of brimstone and sulfur. The plane is shaped by the essence of corruption and relentless militaristic order, constantly warping to reflect the infernal hierarchy’s need for conquest. It pulses with an atmosphere of despair and dread, drawing its denizens into an endless cycle of brutality, betrayal, and ruthless survival.

TRAITS

Avernus exhibits the following planar traits:

• Morphic: The plane is divinely morphic, primarily influenced by the whims of its ruler, Lord Bel, and the constant conflicts between infernal and abyssal forces. The battlefield landscapes shift depending on the intensity and location of combat, creating craters, trenches, and devastated fortresses as battles rage on.
• Gravity: Gravity is normal, but massive fireballs frequently erupt from the sky, causing localized gravity shifts and explosions. These fireballs are believed to be manifestations of Zariel’s lingering rage, punishing the land and its inhabitants indiscriminately.
• Time: Time flows normally, but those caught in battle often experience a disorienting effect, where moments seem to stretch endlessly in the heat of combat. The trauma of war can make time feel suspended, and some who die on the battlefield are reborn seconds later, trapped in a loop of eternal warfare.
• Size: The plane is boundless and seemingly infinite, extending into desolate plains, mountains of jagged rock, and bottomless chasms. It is impossible to measure the full scope of Avernus as it bleeds into the larger cosmos of Hell.
• Structure: Avernus is an ever-decaying plane, where cities, fortresses, and battlements are continuously built, ruined, and rebuilt by the devils engaged in the Blood War. Nothing remains intact for long, as siege engines and magical bombardments reduce even the most fortified structures to rubble over time.
• Essence: The plane’s essence is corrupt and tainted by infernal magic, the very air brimming with malevolent energy. The taint of evil is palpable, staining both the landscape and the souls who enter it.
• Alignment: Avernus is deeply lawful evil, and the plane’s influence seeps into the minds of all who reside here. It fosters a mentality of ruthless ambition, leading to betrayal, power struggles, and a willingness to subjugate others to survive. Over time, even neutral or good-aligned individuals may find their morals eroded, turning towards evil to maintain control.
• Magic: Magic on Avernus is warped and twisted by its infernal nature. Spells of destruction, control, and fire are greatly enhanced, while healing magic and abilities meant to bring hope are diminished or corrupted. Divine magic from good-aligned deities is especially hampered, as Avernus itself rejects benevolent forces.

DIVINITIES

Avernus is ruled by Lord Bel, a former pit fiend who ascended to power by betraying the plane’s previous ruler, Zariel. Bel is a cunning and ruthless strategist who embodies war, treachery, and infernal authority. His influence pervades every aspect of Avernus, from the organization of its infernal armies to the fortifications of the Bronze Citadel. He rules through fear and military might, commanding absolute obedience from the devils beneath him, constantly expanding his influence to solidify his hold over the plane. However, Zariel’s presence still lingers, as some devils remain loyal to her cause, leading to a subtle undercurrent of rebellion against Bel’s reign.

• Tiamat, the five-headed dragon goddess of greed and tyranny, resides on the fringes of Avernus in the Dragonspawn Pits of Azharul, where her draconic minions guard the passage to the second layer of Hell. Tiamat’s divine influence embodies avarice, power, and ruthlessness, and she maintains a tenuous alliance with Bel, though her ultimate goal is to reclaim dominion over the lower layers of Hell for herself.

OUTSIDERS

The denizens of Avernus include a wide variety of infernal beings, each embodying aspects of the plane’s brutal nature. Among them are:

• Baatezu (Devils): The infernal legions of Avernus, led by pit fiends, cornugons, and amnizu, are the primary residents of the plane. These devils are strategists and soldiers, representing the ironclad order of Hell’s hierarchy. They are locked in an endless war with demons from the Abyss, as well as constantly scheming for power within their own ranks.
• Abishai: These dragon-like devils serve Tiamat and are among her most trusted lieutenants. Abishai patrol the Dragonspawn Pits and nearby regions, embodying draconic might and infernal servitude. They are fiercely loyal to their queen and maintain a separate hierarchy, rarely interacting with Bel’s forces unless necessary.
• Zariel’s Rabble: These devils, once powerful figures within Hell’s hierarchy, have been cast down and stripped of their names as punishment for losing favor. They wander Avernus as disgraced exiles, plotting for ways to regain their status or simply survive in a world where they are hunted by their former allies.
• Infernal War Machines: These massive constructs, piloted by devils and infernal engineers, roam the battlefields of Avernus. Fueled by souls and powered by infernal energy, these machines crush everything in their path, embodying the technological side of Hell’s war efforts.

PETITIONERS

Souls who are drawn to Avernus after death are those who embraced war, tyranny, or betrayal in life. These petitioners are transformed into lemures, the lowest form of devil, and are often drafted into the Blood War, forced to fight and die endlessly. They exist in a state of eternal suffering, constantly dying and being reborn in the plane’s infernal fires, their existence a twisted mockery of life. Over time, some petitioners may rise through the ranks of the infernal hierarchy, but this path is fraught with peril and demands unswerving loyalty to the devils above them.

INFUSIONS

As a result of the plane’s corrupting influence, those who attune to Avernus may experience various boons:

• Basic Infusion: Those attuned to Avernus gain a resistance to fire and a heightened ability to withstand pain, making them more durable in combat.
• Improved Infusion: Over time, attunement to Avernus grants increased martial prowess and the ability to channel infernal flames into their attacks. Weapons wielded by those infused with Avernus’ power burn with the fires of Hell.
• Greater Infusion: Those fully attuned to Avernus can command lesser devils and manifest fiery wings, allowing them to take to the skies. Their mastery of infernal magic grows, enabling them to summon and control fire with ease.

DENIZENS

The inhabitants of Avernus are as varied and dangerous as the plane itself. Common creatures include:

• Lemures: Wretched souls transformed into the lowest form of devils. They are shapeless masses of flesh, endlessly tormented as the foot soldiers of the Blood War.
• Hell Hounds: Infernal beasts used by devils to hunt down escapees and intruders. They patrol the wastelands and the gates to the deeper layers of Hell.
• Nightmares: Demonic steeds ridden by higher-ranking devils and commanders in Bel’s army.

Powerful entities like Lord Bel and Tiamat dominate the plane, ruling over their domains with an iron fist. Their goals are often centered around military conquest and the accumulation of power. Bel’s ultimate aim is to maintain his control over Avernus and stave off any attempts by Zariel or other rivals to reclaim it, while Tiamat seeks to expand her draconic influence across Hell and beyond.

SPECIFIC LOCATIONS

• The Bronze Citadel: The heart of Bel’s power, the Bronze Citadel is a vast fortress city continually under construction. Spiked towers rise above its battlements, while infernal war machines and legions of devils move in and out, preparing for endless battles. The Citadel is protected by mote-filled ditches and gigantic defensive walls, making it one of the most secure places in Avernus.
• Darkspine: A ruined city on the outskirts of Avernus, Darkspine is a haven for refugees and exiles seeking to escape the baatezu thought police. The city is torn between dimensions, shifting closer to the realm of Hades as its inhabitants desperately try to do good deeds in the hope of salvation. However, the grip of Avernus is strong, and most are inevitably drawn back into the plane’s oppressive cycle.
• The Dragonspawn Pits of Azharul: Tiamat’s domain, the Dragonspawn Pits are vast caverns filled with her draconic minions. It is said that massive eggs lie within these pits, hatching powerful, infernal dragons. Tiamat herself guards the entrance to the second layer of Hell, and only those willing to face her wrath dare approach.
• The Pillar of Skulls: A macabre monument to the countless souls lost in the Blood War, the Pillar of Skulls stands over a mile tall, composed of the skulls of fallen warriors and fiends. Each skull still retains some fragment of its former consciousness, and it is said that the Pillar can offer knowledge to those brave enough to converse with it, though the answers are often cryptic or misleading.

FINAL OVERVIEW

Avernus stands as a place where war, betrayal, and corruption rule. Those who enter find themselves drawn into the plane’s violent energies, transformed by its infernal influence or consumed by its endless battles. The plane’s oppressive nature changes all who pass through, marking them with the indelible scars of Hell’s eternal conflict, either empowering them with infernal might or leaving them broken and lost to the chaos of war.

---

The first layer, Avernus, is a vast charred wasteland of rubble over which the iron towers of the Dukes of Hell stand. Legions of devils march across the plains in continual readiness for the next battle. A red light suffuses the sky and huge fireballs fly across the layer, randomly exploding wherever they hit. Beneath the blood-red sky balls of fire burst unpredictably. They are said to be embodiments of the rage of the imprisoned Lord of the First, Zariel.

The River Styx flows through this layer, as does the appropriately named River of Blood. From the gate in Ribcage the nearest site is the ruined city of Darkspine, where refugees desperately try to avoid the baatezu thought police while trying to do enough good to shift their town back to hades.

The Bronze Citadel is a huge fortress city, housing massive numbers of devil troops and war machines. It is constantly being added to in the form of new fortifications against attacks. Lord Bel, formerly a powerful pit fiend before his ascension to noble status, is the current ruler of Avernus, having betrayed the former lord, Zariel, to obtain the position. He resides in a personal fortress at the center of the Bronze Citadel.

The largest series of astral conduits on Hell lead to the Maggot Pit, a sea of squirming infernal larvae, beyond which the Dragonspawn Pits of Azharul sprawl in a cluster of tall hills and mountains. Tiamat, the five-headed deity of evil dragons, stands watch over the way to the next layer with her draconic and abishai servitors. Nearby exists the Pillar of Skulls, a hideous landmark of trophy-skulls of those killed in the Blood War that reaches a height of more than a mile close to the entrance to the second layer.

A number of unique devils cast from the hierarchy of the Hells also dwell on Avernus. Known as the “rabble of devilkin”, these exiles number roughly 50 former consorts, dukes, vassals, and other unique devils who lost favor with their masters. To prevent them from being summoned, they have been stripped of their names.