Zariel's Duel

Zariel’s Duel (level 16)

The Lathanderian Order of Aster has prophesied a meeting of the Archdukes of the Nine Hells in the deepest layer of Nessus. They have determined that when the devil lords meet their castles and fortresses will be vulnerable to entry. What they’re sending you to do is provide divine justice to the infernal betrayer, Zariel. The know that this mission is dangerous, but they’ve acquired some valid information from the Morning Lord himself; Zariel has lost her angelic ability to see through illusion, the radiant power of the celestial plane can stop her wounds from closing, the archduchess is very magically capable so beware her magical abilities! You have been contracted to ambush her in her Basalt Citadel so you can kill her once and for all but even with a blessed magical armory the fight will still be difficult.


Every contracted adventurer will have 5 magic items up to very rare in quality. The priests have concocted superior healing potions to give to each member of the party. Once they get this rundown, a powerful cleric of Lathander casts a plane shift to bring the whole party into the highest level of her citadel which is shaped like a circular balcony that circles a single ladder. The cleric tells them “I give you an hour until the meeting is over and she’ll come right back to that teleportation circle! Good luck, there’s always another dawn!” and he’ll plane shift away.

Room Details

The teleportation circle is across from the ladder. The rest of the floor is a 10-foot-wide catwalk

The entire level is a 50-foot diameter circle with 300-foot walls and a closed, painted-glass ceiling

8 cells off to the side that contain various monsters to be used for warfare, they’re trapped behind indestructible walls for force, but root for Zariel’s defeat

Fight Stages

An hour passes giving the party plenty of time to prepare but then Zariel, the Angel of Avernus explodes onto the teleportation circle muttering annoyed about Asmodeus. If the characters are trying to hide (there’s not much to hide behind) but she’ll quickly spot them. With a flap of her flaming wings, she will hover off the ground, draw her sword and say, “I am Zariel! Blade of Asmodeus. And I have never known defeat” then attacks.

Up close and Personal: (580-400 hp.) Zariel spends most of her turn on foot making two-handed longsword attacks. She only uses her wings to close the distance between distant party members and uses her Teleport legendary action most.

Infernal Spellcasting: (400-200 hp.) Zariel flies or teleports 50-feet away from the catwalk and proceeds to spend her turns casting walls of fire, fireballs, and blade barriers. She is enraged but will only use her javelin as attacks of opportunity against flying heroes. Her preferred legendary action now is Immolating Gaze.

Touch of Death: (200-0 hp.) Zariel is desperate, wounded and necrotic energy comes from her wounds instead of blood! She flies close to each party member to perform one-handed longsword attacks until her Horrid Touch power recharges. During this final stage of combat Zariel will also use every finger of death against a different party member.

Finale: (0 hp.) When Zariel finally dies, she looks up and prays for atonement from her former god, Lathander, and is met with a divine column of sunlight that disintegrates her and her gear. Now that the archdevil has been slain permanently the column of sunlight expands to encompass the whole party (living or dead) to transport them back to the temple of Lathander the adventurers started in!