Fans of Dungeons & Dragons who have ventured into the campaign Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus are well acquainted with the fate of the city of Elturel. Suspended above the first layer of the Nine Hells, chained in place and tormented by infernal forces, Elturel’s dramatic fall captured the attention of players and dungeon masters alike. But once the adventure begins to resolve, a lingering question remains: is Elturel still in Avernus? The answer depends on choices made during the campaign, lore interpretations, and how closely your group follows the canonical narrative.
The Fall of Elturel into Avernus
Background of the City
Elturel, a shining beacon of faith and justice in the Forgotten Realms, served as the capital of Elturgard. With its strong religious leadership, especially under the guidance of the High Overseer Thavius Kreeg, the city was long protected by the Companion a second sun that hung over it, believed to be a gift from the deity Lathander. However, this light was no divine gift. In truth, it was a devilish trap forged through a dark pact with the archdevil Zariel, the ruler of Avernus.
Thavius Kreeg, having bargained with Zariel, ultimately betrayed Elturel. This led to the city being dragged into the hellish plane of Avernus, bound by enormous chains and subjected to the horrors of the Blood War and infernal influence.
The State of Elturel During the Campaign
Chains, Devils, and Desperation
While in Avernus, Elturel is depicted as floating above a massive pit, slowly being pulled toward destruction. Demons and devils roam nearby, and the citizens suffer daily torment. The city’s holy forces are disorganized, many of its leaders either dead or corrupted, and the people are clinging to survival amid the chaos of the Nine Hells.
One of the central objectives in Descent into Avernus is rescuing Elturel from this damnation. The players are given a moral and tactical challenge: how do they save the city and its people, and at what cost? The campaign encourages creative solutions and tough decisions, often with long-lasting consequences.
Can Elturel Be Freed from Avernus?
Canonical Outcome in the Adventure
In the official adventure book, it is indeed possible to rescue Elturel. By securing a new agreement, restoring faith, and breaking Zariel’s grip on the city, the players can return Elturel to the Material Plane. A key part of this outcome involves influencing Zariel’s own redemption arc convincing the archdevil to reclaim her angelic nature and sever the infernal pact that bound the city.
Another possible path includes the destruction or neutralization of the Companion, thus ending its infernal tether and allowing celestial or magical forces to return the city to its rightful place. But all of this depends on the actions of the adventuring party. If they fail or if they make a dark bargain themselves the city may remain trapped forever.
Alternative Endings
Depending on how a Dungeon Master interprets the events, there are multiple alternate outcomes:
- Elturel is destroyed The city’s descent completes, and it crumbles into ruin, lost to the depths of Avernus.
- Elturel is abandoned The party saves themselves or a portion of the population, but the city is left behind.
- Elturel is redeemed With Zariel’s redemption or by severing the pact, the entire city is pulled back to Faerûn.
Each ending provides a different tone for the campaign’s conclusion and impacts the larger Forgotten Realms lore.
Post-Adventure Lore: Is Elturel Still in Avernus?
No Definitive Answer Without Player Decisions
There is no universal answer to whether Elturel is still in Avernus, because the outcome is dependent on campaign-specific events. Wizards of the Coast has not yet published a singular canonical follow-up in which the city’s fate is set in stone. In many homebrew campaigns, Elturel is saved. In others, it’s left behind or sacrificed for the greater good.
This storytelling flexibility is a hallmark of D&D. Each campaign shapes the world according to player choices and DM rulings. So unless your game world ties into official future modules or novels, the question remains open-ended.
Impact on the Forgotten Realms Timeline
If a campaign sets the current time after Descent into Avernus, the question of whether Elturel is still in Avernus becomes a key point in the timeline. A returned Elturel may be seen as a miraculous, holy event. A lost Elturel might become a dark legend, a cautionary tale whispered by survivors and feared by nearby cities like Baldur’s Gate.
Campaigns set later in the Forgotten Realms may include:
- Rebuilding Elturel A storyline involving the reconstruction of a traumatized but surviving city.
- Haunted Elturel A corrupted, half-ruined city brought back but spiritually scarred.
- Elturel’s Echo Rumors of the city still flickering between planes, half-stuck in Avernus.
Dungeon Master Tips for Continuing the Story
Using Elturel in Future Campaigns
For DMs who want to bring Elturel back into their narratives, its fate can be a powerful anchor for story development. Whether the city is saved or not, its connection to Avernus can spark political intrigue, demonic incursions, or divine interventions. The scars of infernal entrapment don’t heal easily, even if the city is physically restored.
Consider these narrative ideas:
- A holy order arises from the survivors, now sworn to prevent future planar corruption.
- Ancient devils still have claim to parts of the city due to lingering pacts.
- Portals between Elturel and Avernus randomly open, allowing glimpses into the Hells.
If Elturel Remains in Avernus
Should you decide that Elturel remains in Avernus in your campaign, it can serve as a permanent outpost of mortal resistance or even a hellish city-state. It might evolve into something darker a city adapted to infernal life, its people transformed over time.
This path can lead to compelling long-term arcs:
- Heroes venture into Avernus years later to recover a lost artifact from Elturel’s ruins.
- Descendants of Elturian citizens form a resistance movement against devils.
- The city becomes a central location in the Blood War, drawing all sides into its fate.
Is Elturel still in Avernus? The answer lies with you, your players, and the direction your campaign takes. Canon leaves the question open, offering storytellers immense freedom. Whether the city is saved in a blaze of celestial light or remains a trapped relic of a fallen world, Elturel’s story continues to resonate in the hearts of players and fans of the Descent into Avernus campaign. Its fate is a mirror of the choices made in a world where gods and devils fight not just for souls, but for the future of entire cities.