Zariel's Bridge

Zariel's Bridge is one of the few permenant crossings spanning the River Styx in Avernus. Its construction was one of the first projects undertaken by Zariel upon her ascension to archdevil in the early 15th century.

Purpose / Function

As the Styx is one of the largest obstacles for large armies in Avernus, crossing the river is often a major hurdle for military operations. While the Styx had been bridged before, the back and forth nature of the Blood War has meant that many previous bridges had been destroyed, either by retreating Blood Legions or advancing Abyss hordes.
Zariel's reign over Avernus was marked by a widly successful swing of the Blood War in Hell's favor. To keep supply lines up, Zariel ordered the construction of a large bridge to allow for easy access to both sides of the Styx. The location of the bridge is where another once stood, but that previous bridge was destroyed during the Rift War.

Architecture

Giant bas-reliefs cross both sides of the bridge, each telling the same story of Zariel's life. They are positioned so that the reliefs to ones right tell the story in chronological order.
The six reliefs depict:

• Zariel fighting in the Averniad, albeit as an archdevil instead of a solar
• A dedication to Zariel's allies lost over time that included Lulu, Yael, Haruman, and the five devils Zilannen, Tozromon, Brullmerath, Xilka, and Venthroxoth
• Zariel kneeling before Asmodeus in the moment she chose to fall
• Zariel in chains when she was captured by Tiamat during the Reckoning 
• Zariel rallying the Blood Legions of Hell during the Rift War
• Zairel being crowned by Asmodeus

Defenses

Both sides of Zariel's bridge are guarded by watchtowers that also serve as checkpoints to ensrue all crossers have permission to do so. However, these toll booths are famously corrupt and accept bribes to allow passage.

Type

Bridge

Parent Location

Avernus