Zariel declared that she would lead the cavalry into Avernus, destroying the infernal host that was amassing there, and striking a great blow against the forces of darkness. Zariel located the gate through which the fiends were entering the natural world, on the Fields of the Dead west of the city. The prayers of Elturel had been heard, and help had come. Her name was Zariel, which means Companion of Light.
To everyone’s astonishment, a mighty angel entered the city the next day. In 1354 the ruler of Elturel, the High Rider, asked his people to pray to the gods for aid. For every fiend they destroyed, it seemed as though two more appeared elsewhere. The city’s cavalry rode across the land, striking down fiends wherever they found them and suffering fearful losses. Fields were despoiled, livestock slaughtered, homes razed, and people dragged off to a terrible and unknowable fate. In the mid-1350’s DR, fiends roamed the lands to the north and west of Elturel. Any given point on any major road in Elturgard is passed by a Hellrider patrol every four hours, day and night, every day.
In addition to guarding and policing the city itself, they patrol the lands of Elturgard.
They are one of the most renowned and well-regarded military forces in the Realms. The Hellriders helped Elturel establish and maintain civilization in these harsh lands. The Hellriders are an elite cavalry unit who act as the primary armed force of the city of Elturel.