Zariel

Archfiend

Zariel
Home plane:	Nine Hells
Power level:	Archdevil
Gender:	Female
Alignment:	Lawful evil

Zariel is an archdevil who rules Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells of Baator.

Description

Zariel is described as a female devil.

Relationships

When Zariel first ruled Avernus, her chief warlord was a pit fiend called Bel. She was also served by Amduscias and Malphas. Zariel was allied with Baalzebul, Belial, and Moloch during the Reckoning of Hell.

Realm

Zariel was ruler of Avernus until a few thousand years ago, when she was deposed by Bel.

The fireballs of Avernus were then said to be manifestations of Zariel's helpless rage.

History

Once a mighty angel charged with watching the tides of the Blood War, she succumbed to the corrupting influence of the Nine Hells and fell from grace. Asmodeus admired her passion for war and offered her rulership of Avernus. She accepted his offer, and he transformed her into an archdevil. The Reckoning of Hell began on Avernus: Zariel had prepared a great army, supposedly to lead an assault on the tanar'ri in the Blood War. At the last minute, she diverted her army to Dis and laid siege on the Iron Citadel of Dispater. Her allies continued the assault, although the faction of Mephistopheles organized a counter-offensive which turned the tide, and Zariel retreated to her home layer of Avernus.

When he deposed Zariel, Bel imprisoned her beneath his new palace and slowly drained her of her power. Bel actually got his power from removing and consuming pieces of flesh from Zariel herself who was imprisoned and continually tortured in the basement of the Bronze Citadel where the Lord of the First has his headquarters. He was the Lord of the First in all but name. She would be reinstated by Asmodeus when he grew wary of Bel's leadership of Avernus. To keep Bel busy and out of her sight, she tasked him with forging weapons, armor, and gruesome demon-slaying machines.

Bibliography

• Adam Lee. Baldur's Gate : Descent Into Avernus. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2019.

• Jeremy Crawford, Emi Tanji, Kate Irwin. Monsters of the Multiverse. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2022.

• Jeff Grubb, David Noonan, and Bruce R. Cordell (September 2001). Manual of the Planes. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.

• Laws, Robin D., and Robert J. Schwalb. Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.

• Chris Pramas. Guide to Hell. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999.

  Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Zariel (Archdevil)	Non-player character	Devil, Arch-Devil,	Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus, D&D 5e	All