Infernal War Machine

The Infernal War Machine rumbles forward on massive iron treads, each link the size of a shield and groaning under the weight of a fortress's worth of blackened steel. Its hull rises in tiers, bristling with riveted plates that weep a thin, oily smoke. Twin fire cannons jut from the forward gunports, their muzzles glowing like baleful eyes as they build toward a scorching discharge. Along its flanks, infernal runes pulse in rhythm with a deep, subsonic thrum that vibrates through the ground and into the marrow of those nearby.

The machine's prow carries a heavy steel ram, its surface scorched from countless impacts, and the whole structure is crowned by a crenellated turret where devils crouch, shouting orders in their guttural tongue. As it moves, it emits a symphony of sounds: the grinding of gears, the hiss of steam, the sharp clang of internal mechanisms, and the occasional roar of its cannons as they belch fire in a thunderous blast.

The air around it shimmers with heat haze, and the smell of burning oil and brimstone clings to it like a shroud. Despite its bulk, the machine moves with deliberate, unstoppable purpose, its treads churning through rubble and earth alike, leaving scorched furrows in its wake. Sparks occasionally cascade from its joints, and a faint, baleful red glow emanates from every seam, betraying the infernal furnace at its heart.

This construct is a singularly focused engine of destruction, driven by the will of its devil crew and the infernal contract that binds its existence. It does not act on its own accord; rather, it responds to commands from its devilish operators with mechanical precision. In any engagement, its primary motivations are the demolition of fortifications, the suppression of enemy formations, and the protection of its crew. It will methodically advance toward a target, ignoring all but the most immediate threats, and use its fire cannons to devastate clustered defenders from afar.

If melee combatants close in, it will swivel its ram and meet them with crushing force, though it prefers to keep its distance and rain down fire. The machine does not parley, nor does it show mercy; it is as indifferent to the pleas of its victims as a landslide. When not commanded, it stands dormant, a silent monument of menace, its cannons cold and its runes dim. Only the destruction of its internal core—a red-hot furnace of elemental fire—can truly stop it, and even then, the devils aboard may attempt to flee, sowing chaos in their desperation.

The Infernal War Machine is not a natural creature but a manufactured construct, forged in the brass foundries of Avernus and animated by a spark of infernal fire. It requires no sustenance and does not reproduce; instead, it is assembled from iron, brass, and the souls of those who served the Emperor's Legion, trapped within its frame to grant it a semblance of malevolent purpose. It is typically deployed in sieges, where it can use its heavy ram and cannons to breach walls and scatter defenders.

Its relationship with other creatures is purely functional: it is used by devils as a mobile fortress and weapon, and it inspires terror in mortals who witness its advance. In the campaign 'Ashes of the Banished: The Avernus Return,' this particular machine was dragged from the Nine Hells into the Material Plane through a rift torn open during the Battle of Emberhold, and it now serves as a centerpiece of the Emperor's Legion's assault. It has no place in natural ecosystems, and its presence warps the environment, leaving scorched earth and dead magic in its wake.

The Infernal War Machine before you is a relic of the Blood War, constructed centuries ago by the master smiths of Avernus to break the stalwart defenses of rival infernal legions. It has participated in countless sieges across the Lower Planes, and its hull bears the pitted scars of celestial blades, demonic claws, and the desperate strikes of mortal defenders. It was brought to the Material Plane during the catastrophic events of 'Ashes of the Banished: The Avernus Return,' when a desperate follower of the Emperor's Legion sought to summon reinforcements from the Hells.

The machine crashed through the ruins of the Emberhold, obliterating the city's outer walls in a single, terrible assault. It has since become the nightmare of the siege, and its presence has shattered morale among the defenders. Adventurers who seek to end the siege must first disable or destroy this engine, either by infiltrating it to sabotage its core from within or by using siege magic to breach its adamantine hull. Some claim that the machine contains the imprisoned soul of a once-heroic paladin, enslaved by infernal runes, and that freeing it might turn the tide of battle.