Zariel

Overview

Zariel was once an angel, but her impetuous nature and love of battle led to her fall. In her previous life, she was charged with observing the battles on Avernus and tracking their progress. From this exposure, she grew obsessed with the Blood War, and a thirst for battle grew within her that she couldn’t ignore. In time, she became frustrated that she and the other angels were forced to remain spectators while the demons and devils battled. The hosts of Mount Celestia, she believed, could descend upon Avernus and wipe both hordes of evil from the cosmos if they so desired.
After her repeated requests to join the fray were denied, her frustration overtook her, and she launched herself into the Blood War. Accompanied by a mob of mortal followers, she cut a swath through a legion of devils before their numbers overwhelmed her. A delegation of bone devils later dispatched to the site by Asmodeus recovered her unconscious form beneath a small mountain of her slaughtered enemies. After allowing her to recover in the depths of Nessus, Asmodeus installed her on Avernus as his champion and new lord of that layer.

A Fighting General

When Zariel supplanted the pit fiend Bel as the ruler of Avernus, that change signaled a major shift in the devils’ tactics. Zariel’s fiery temperament and reckless maneuvering stand in stark contrast to Bel’s approach, which relied on his expertise in logistics and defensive tactics to make steady but slow advances. Bel remains one of her chief lieutenants, and he doesn’t discourage her reckless tactics in the hope that she will overextend her forces and suffer a defeat that leads to her removal.
For now, though, the devils are fighting with a berserker fury under her charge. Zariel leads their offensives herself, and her unyielding resolve coupled with the fighting skill of her underlings has pushed nearly all the demonic invaders out of Avernus.

The Warrior's General

Zariel is no politician. She lives to fight, and she bases her assessment of those she meets on a combination of their combat skills and their willingness to use those skills. In Zariel’s eyes, zeal and fury are as important in a fight as iron discipline and extensive training.
That outlook has made her something of a political pariah, since she has spurned overtures of alliance from other Lords of the Nine and elected to swell the ranks of her armies through the aggressive recruitment of mortal souls. Her agents offer gifts of martial skill and courage to any who are willing to bargain. Zariel needs souls that yearn to prove their worth on the battlefield.

Zariel's Lair

Zariel makes her lair in a basalt citadel that rises up in Avernus. From nearly a mile away, one can hear the screams and moans coming from the burned victims chained to the stronghold’s wall, the dying remains of those who failed to impress the archdevil. The stronghold, covering five square miles, is surrounded by walls reinforced with high turrets. Devils of all kinds crawl over the structure, ensuring that no intruders breach their defenses.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Zariel can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; she can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Zariel casts major image four times at its lowest level, targeting different areas with the spell. Zariel prefers to create images of intruders’ loved ones being burned alive. Zariel doesn’t need to concentrate on the spells, which end on initiative count 20 of the next round. Each creature that can see these illusions must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the illusion for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Zariel casts her innate fireball spell.

Regional Effects

The region containing Zariel’s lair is warped by her magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• The area within 9 miles of the lair is filled with screaming voices and the stench of burning meat.
• Once every 60 feet within 1 mile of the lair, 10-foot-high gouts of flame rise from the ground. Any creature or object that touches the flame takes 2d6 fire damage, though it can take this damage no more than once per round.
• The area within 2 miles, but no closer than 500 feet, of the lair is filled with smoke, which causes the area to be heavily obscured. The smoke can’t be cleared away.

If Zariel dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.

Zariel CR: 26 (90,000 XP)

Large fiend (devil), lawful evil

Armor Class: 21

Hit Points: 580 (40d10 + 360)

Speed: 50 ft , fly: 149 ft

STR

27 +8

DEX

24 +7

CON

28 +9

INT

26 +8

WIS

27 +8

CHA

30 +10

Saving Throws: Int +16, Wis +16, Cha +18

Skills: Intimidation +18, Perception +16

Damage Resistances: Cold, Fire, Radient, as well as Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered

Damage Immunities: Necrotic, Poison

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhausted, Frightened, Poisoned

Senses: Darkvision 120 feet, Passive Perception 26

Languages: All, Telepathy 120 feet

Challenge Rating: 26 (90,000 XP)

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede Zariel’s darkvision.
Fiery Weapons. Zariel’s weapon attacks are magical. When she hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 8d8 fire damage (included in the weapon attacks below).
Innate Spellcasting. Zariel’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 26). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

• At will: alter self (can become Medium when changing her appearance), detect evil and good, fireball, invisibility (self only), wall of fire
• 3/day each: blade barrier, dispel evil and good, finger of death

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Zariel fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Zariel has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Regeneration. Zariel regains 20 hit points at the start of her turn. If she takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of her next turn. Zariel dies only if she starts her turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.

Actions

Multiattack. Zariel attacks twice with her longsword or with her javelins. She can substitute Horrid Touch for one of these attacks.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 feet, one target. Hit: 2d8 + 8 slashing damage, or 2d10 + 8 slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 8d8 fire damage.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 feet or range 30/120 feet, one target. Hit: 2d6 + 8 piercing damage plus 8d8 fire damage.
Horrid Touch (Recharge 5-6). Zariel touches one creature within 10 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or take 8d10 necrotic damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target is also blinded and deafened. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Teleport. Zariel magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing and carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.

Legendary Actions

Zariel can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Zariel regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Immolating Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). Zariel turns her magical gaze toward one creature she can see within 120 feet of her and commands it to combust. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 fire damage.
Teleport. Zariel uses her Teleport action.

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Gender

Female