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40x30, Inkarnate. Descent Into Avernus

Historical Note:

The Mechanicus Celestius (now known only as the Demon Zapper) was one of Bel's many strokes of genius and its successful deployment in the Battle of Raziknix Valley was what earned Grand General Bel the promotion to Archduke of Avernus.

At its creation, the Mechanicus Celestius was far more powerful than it is today. Originally equipped with five captured unicorns, the device was capable of sustained fire and its beams of radiant energy measured 100 feet wide by over 1000 feet in length. The entire device, that of an infernal, clawed hand, its 30-foot-wide palm rolled back and held horizontally to the ground and its fingers arcing skyward supporting the enslaved unicorns, stood over 100 feet tall - 70 feet of which was buried deep into the parched, scorched soil of the Avernian wasteland. Powerful transmutation runes and formulae converted the unicorn's celestial essence into radiant energy, and complex evocation magics focused this energy into the device's destructive beams.

Each unicorn was imprisoned within an orb of force resembling a massive, ten foot in diameter gemstone. Each facet of this gem-like orb was heavily inscribed with abjuration and enchantment spells to not only bind the hapless creatures inside an indestructible shell, but to also force them to yield up their very essence to the device.

During the 30 days that the Battle of Raziknix Valley raged, the Mechanicus Celestius vaporized demons by the tens of thousands daily. A particularly astute observer would notice that in the last days of the battle, the device had lost some power - one of the gems dimmed, then vanished altogether, dropping the emaciated corpse of one of the unicorns to the ground. Bel noticed immediately, and the suddenly renewed assaults upon the Mechanicus Celestius proved that one of the Tanar'ri lords had noticed as well. When a second gem dimmed and guttered out, the bulk of the Horde of Chaos turned its

attention toward the device - intuitively knowing that if they could gain the western heights, they could finally bring their superior numbers to bear and defeat the Legions of Baator. Such was the press of demonic bodies that the small delay between firings allowed the demons to close to within a few hundred yards of the device.

Bel dispatched a Legion to protect the base of the device, and this is when the Grand General discovered the flaw in that which it had created: the Mechanicus Celestius did not differentiate between baatezu and tanar'ri. As soon as the Legion got closer than the pressing demons, it too was struck by the device's beam. Half the Legion was vaporized before they could withdraw, and still the hordes of demons pressed closer. 500 feet. 400 feet. 300 feet. Just as a third gem was snuffed out, the price the demons had paid to gain that ground proved too much and they began to splinter. Grand General Bel committed all of its reserves and personally spearheaded the cavalry charge that shattered the last of the demonic cohesion, claiming the head of one of the demon lords in the process and beginning one of the worst demonic routes of the Blood War.

In the millennia since the Battle of Raziknix Valley, the 'Demon Zapper' has steadily lost power. Now only a single unicorn remains and the beams that once vaporized millions have dwindled to less than a shadow of their former power. Even still, the shining light of that last unicorn continues its siren's call, and from the twisted trees lining the shrinking shores of the fetid lake of demon ooze that once filled the Valley, to the occasional flying scouts, demons from miles around are still drawn to their doom.