Chains of Asmodeus

Encounters

After arriving in Dis, the players must either navigate the River Styx or follow the Iron Road to venture into the City of Dis. Their destination is the Agora of Floating Knives with Orishada's Palace at its center. Whilst on the river, journeying into the city, roll at least once on the Random Encounters in Dis table.

Locations

When the characters arrive in the city have Koh Tam provide information about the city and its different areas (see "Key Locations in the City of Dis" for a description). The players need to make their way to the Agora of Floating Knives, the trade district in the City of Dis. If the players decide to venture into any of the other areas of the city, you can use the information provided in this section to guide them on a short excursion. However, the conditions of these locales may quickly deter them from venturing there too long.

Koh Tam and Tiax

At the Agora, give the players plenty of time to explore. Koh Tam or Tiax can provide them with directions to the different areas of the Agora and its market stalls. If Tiax is accompanying the characters into the Agora, roll on the Troubles with Tiax table in chapter 1 to see if their outing with the gnome is eventful.

At this point, Koh Tam reminds the characters that his barge is able to Plane Shift to a layer of the Nine Hells above the current one, at any time. It requires a full action for him to activate the ability.

Objectives

Make sure you keep track of your players' objectives and lead them to the corresponding areas so they can complete their goals. Once the players have explored all the different areas within the Agora of Floating Knives, make your way to Orishada's Palace.

The following objectives can be attained in Dis:

Temptations

Have the characters encounter at least one temptation during their time in Dis. You can of course have them encounter more if you want. If the characters give in to temptation, use the information in appendix E to keep track of their corruption level.

The City of Dis

[image: The Iron Tower of Dispater Looms over the City of Dis.]

The city lies nestled within a fiery ring of mountains, with the only two ways in or out being the Iron Road and the River Styx. It is described by visitors as impossibly large and yet cramped at the same time. Like the Iron Road, its buildings are constructed from a mix of cobblestone and burning iron, both mined from the mountains of the realm. Because the iron is heated, it emits smoke and covers the city in a smog, making it difficult to see and breathe for mortals. Additionally, the city and the Iron Road are bathed in a warm light from the burning steel, with the surrounding mountains remaining dark aside from the lit mines. When the realm doesn't smell like smoke, it takes on the scent of burning flesh and blood.

Extraplanar travelers often stop in the city before moving on, due to its reputation as a hub for trade and commerce within the layers. Many bazaars and shops are set up offering strange wares from different planes, and Dispater encourages any on the plane to establish contracts whenever possible. These contracts usually involve souls and the greater devils, who make homes in the massive iron towers scattered throughout the town. Beneath the city lies a labyrinthian structure of dungeons, said to contain mortals from the Material Plane. Vents in certain areas of the city allow bloodcurdling screams to float up from below.

Leaving Dis

Unlike leaving Avernus, traveling deeper into the Nine Hells from Dis is quite difficult. The only two known passages are the Styx and a staircase, both of which descend to Minauros. Though the location of the staircase isn't publicly known, everyone assumes it to be located within Dispater's Iron Tower, making it difficult to find without connections. The Styx is especially dangerous, as the drop from Dis to Minauros consists of steep inclines, rapids, and waterfalls. It takes a seasoned captain or a large amount of luck to navigate the passage, leaving nascent souls or mortals without means of traveling deeper.

Features

Iron itself bends to the influence of Dis. Whenever a good-aligned creature touches nonmagical iron, they take 4 (1d8) fire damage. This includes armor or weapons that creatures might be using, ammunition, storage devices, keys, etc. A Protection from Good and Evil spell or similar effect allows creatures to resist this effect for the duration.

As the most lawful of the infernal planes, visitors to this plane become bound to their words and contracts. Any time a mortal gives a promise, enters into a contract, or otherwise ensures their end of a bargain, they find themselves magically compelled to follow. A creature that breaks such a bond while on Dis takes 32 (5d12) necrotic damage and gains a level of exhaustion.

The Iron Tower of Dispater

Though several iron towers decorate the city, none are as large as the Iron Tower, Dispater's fortress and palace. It is visible from anywhere in the city, and through enchantment magic always appears to be very close. Dispater maintains complete control over the tower—including the capability to shift its form and interiors to match his desires—and the tower can only be entered if he permits. If Dispater has no interest in meeting you, even reaching the tower requires tremendous effort and immense willpower.

If the characters decide to visit, they struggle to ever reach the tower. Wherever they're in the city, the tower always appears right around the next corner, but no matter how long they walk, it never gets any closer. If the characters succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom (Survival) check and spend 2d6 hours searching, they finally reach the Iron Tower. If they fail the check, they waste 2d6 hours and are no closer, but they do trigger a random encounter.

Unless the characters have business inside of the tower (and Dispater allows them entry) the characters can't enter.

The Garden of Delights

Devils from all layers are known to travel to Dis solely for the Garden, where all manner of luxuries and pleasures can be enjoyed. The Garden provides the income needed to improve Dispater's city and armies, and it keeps his citizens happy. The Garden also serves as a distraction for the denizens of the Nine Hells from the tortures of everyday existence in this bleak place. However, the characters are mortal beings and the illusions found inside overwhelm their minds. If they explore the Garden of Delights, they become enchanted by its beauty and may forget themselves. For considerable time they're unable to remember their mission and wander the Garden aimlessly.

The characters may pay 50 gp apiece to enter the Garden. Once inside they're handed cool and delicious (and illusory) drinks. Now roll a d100—this is the number of hours the characters waste, captivated by the illusory delights the garden provides. At the end of this time, a character must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw to even want to leave, if they fail the saving throw, they spend another d100 hours within and must repeat the saving throw. When the characters finally succeed on the saving throw and depart, each gains a level of exhaustion.

The Great Prison of Mentiri

Mentiri acts as a maximum-security prison for the criminals of the Nine Hells. Inside, inmates are tortured and indoctrinated to ensure they follow the rules of the Nine Hells. This secure prison is located deep within Dis and within its walls contains many different kinds of prisoners—outsiders, captives from the Blood War, and others who have broken the laws of the Nine Hells in one way or another. The only way into the prison is being captured and condemned to rot there. The characters are lucky that they've no reason to enter.

The Agora of Floating Knives

The Agora of Floating Knives is one of the largest trading hubs in the known planes and is welcoming to non-devils.

Advice from Koh Tam

Koh Tam (or Tiax) offers the following advice to characters, if necessary:

• They should hire an imp to guide them, or allow Tiax to do so, if he's willing.
• They might find what they're searching for in the markets. If not, then they might need to seek an audience with the ruler of the Agora, Orishada, a powerful amnizu (see Monsters of the Multiverse).
• They're likely to see many disturbing things, but if they let on to any discomfort it could lead to trouble.

This is a location well known to many travelers and Koh Tam can provide a standard map of the Agora (see appendix F) to the characters.

Approaching from the River Styx

Off the great runoff from the Styx, within the City of Dis, there is an artificial lagoon, square and shadowed by high walls. Here can be found the Agora of Floating Knives.

The Outer Agora Locations

Visitors relying on the services of the imps (for the small sum of 10 gp) should be very specific in giving their destination, as the diminutive gondoliers delight in malevolently misinterpreting instructions every bit as much as an archdevil bargaining for a soul.

The periphery of the Agora consists of a ramshackle of little boats and rafts that offer the sort of goods that might be found in a dozen dens of vice across Dis, most often from the clawed hands of those who have been barred from more respectable infernal haunts. Vendors from other realms bring goods not native to the Nine Hells in an attempt to tempt diabolic custom, whilst petty devils from lower layers haul up treasures and resources unique to the infernal realms to sell at the small shops located here. There is a lively trade in Condensed Order, a silvery powder that can be extracted from those of a lawful persuasion. Devils bound for the war fronts of Avernus take flasks and snuff boxes of the stuff to fortify themselves against exposure to the raw chaos of demons.

Some of the more common items that can be purchased are listed in the Items for Sale table:

There is also a thriving trade market. These items are readily available for anyone who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check. However, the buyer is only interested in trading for a magic item with Soul Coins as an additional cost.

The Inner Agora Locations

This is the Agora most visitors know, and it throngs with outsiders whose villainy, while it can't approach that of the devils themselves, nevertheless marks them out in their homes as exceptional. The Agora of Floating Knives is most famed as the center of the Nine Hells' murder trade. The four most popular destinations include the Barges of Theater, Market of Killers, Market of Victims and Orishada's palace.

An Audience with Aelvette

Using the iron knocker summons an imp that opens a slot just below. The imp promptly demands to know what valid business justifies the interruption. As long as a visitor describes the desire to purchase something that Orishada provides, then the imp permits them to meet with the majordomo of the palace.

Orishada's majordomo is Aelvette, an ancient night hag whose past has taken her in and out of the lower planes for longer than even most devils can recall. She has complete control of her appearance, able to decide for each viewer whether she should appear as alluring or hideous at any given moment. Her particular game is the Condensed Order trade; the silvery powder, highly valuable to devils, that can be extracted from those of a lawful persuasion.

Aelvette is sly, humorous and doesn't play by the rules in the way true devils do, which can make her either the best or absolutely the worst person to approach at the palace. The night hag attempts to discern if any of her guests are of an appropriate mindset to consent to have the Condensed Powder extracted, for a fair price. If she doesn't think this is likely, then she offers to play a game of chess or other logical exercise from an appropriate visitor. If the visitor agrees and loses the game, then this yields a gleaming phial of Condensed Order for Aelvette, but leaves the unwilling donor confused and off-balance (akin to the poisoned condition). The condition lasts for 5 minutes.

Corteso's Salon of Experience

Corteso's Salon of Experience is another peculiar service offered at the palace. Many devils have an infinite curiosity about what it is to be mortal. The illithid elder brain (see Monsters of the Multiverse) Corteso has accumulated a vast library of memories—specializing in experiences of sin and being sinned against. As well as counting for high entertainment to devils, students from the college of Maladomini flock here to refine their education on how to live among and manipulate mortals. Corteso is always in the market for a truly unique experience, and always has something to offer in trade. Its illithid spawn have been known to ensure that its offers can't easily be refused. Corteso's other racket is secrets.

The multitude of minds that it and its many broods have consumed grant the ancient intellect a vast storehouse of dangerous knowledge. Buyers come to learn exactly what they need to say, and to whom, to have some other murdered without getting their own hands dirty. Corteso specializes in jealous lovers, swindled business partners, ancient family feuds, anything that sows discord and inflames hatreds between mortals. Just what brought such a creature as Corteso to the palace and Orishada's patronage is a secret nobody knows, certainly one the creature has no intention of selling. Rumor has it Corteso created and then survived the destruction of multiple broods, evaded the attempts of many heroes to end its prolonged existence, and fled to the Nine Hells pursued by gith assassins and the agents of other elder brains which it had betrayed. Innately treacherous, it is 'loyal' to Orishada because only in the archdevil's shadow is it safe.

Corteso is always protected by a half-dozen mind flayers and their intellect devourer pets. If asked where he obtains his memories, the characters are told their suppliers are many, but recently high-quality memories have been obtained from a location known as the Ineffable Trove, located in Minauros.