D&D: Come Check Out These Amazing Avernus Previews
Over the weekend, Spoilers and Swag showed players the depths of the nine hells–or at least Avernus. Now see them for yourself.
More Avernus Artwork was on display this last weekend, sneaking a preview of the first of the Nine Hells through while Gen Con was fully armed and operational. Come take a look at the places you’ll go, and the fiends you’ll meet, including the only turtle more metal than Metalhead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMEsvlWbSRM
And that’s pretty metal. Without further ado, into Avernus we plunge.
via Wizards of the Coast
First up we have this utterly gorgeous map that depicts a wide swath of the plane–you’ll get to see the area whence the river Styx flows, as well as its surrounding environments. It’s very interesting to note that patch of green in the upper left section–a valley that seems lush and verdant compared to everything else. See how many other locations you can divine from the unfurled map as we descend further into Avernus.
Next is this thorned barrier that seems to stand guard near the river, likely to keep the ravening hordes of demons poised to attack. But Avernus is more than just the intricate and hellish details. This adventure looks to be full of larger than life personalities, with creatures great and small all having roles to play in the unfolding story. Central to it all are Zariel and Bel. Zariel is the current ruler of Avernus, a fallen angel who forsook the will of the Celestial Council to wage war on the demon lord Yeenoghu.
However in so doing, she began her descent…and now Zariel rules as a devilish queen.
Meanwhile it’s former master, Bel, plots and schemes elsewhere in Avernus. Working against the inscrutable mind of Asmodeus, who stripped him of his powers and cast him down even lower.
But devils aren’t the only foes you’ll have to contend with. Yeenoghu features heavily in this story, whose minions can be seen below. This horrific demon vomits up untold numbers of lesser demons–a truly vile transport/siege engine:
And you thought the zombie vomiting T-Rex had bad breath. But fiends aren’t the only creatures here. This is Slobberchops, a Tressym (flying cat) who has been outfitted with silver claws and a bad attitude.
Okay the cat probably came with the attitude, but the silver claws allow it to scratch up demons and devils and other things resistant to non-silvered weapons. Look at its expression–the epitome of feline superiority. Which is why Slobberchops appears as the Extra Life mascot for this year’s swag.
There’s also Joe Manganiello Arkhan the Terrible’s personal death cleric, Krull, the aforementioned tortle.
Krull is so metal, he’s got an honorary Norwegian citizenship.
For our last preview, we journey back to the place it all begins. A place tat features prominently in Avernus AND the upcoming Baldur’s Gate 3 compter game: Candlekeep, with a hot new look.
Happy Adventuring!
