The Hells
The Hells is a demonic plane, which few dare to tread without a extremely high need. It is home of many Devil, archdevils, other Fiend, and other evil creatures.
This plane embodies Evil, whether Lawful, Chaotic or Neutral. Ruled by the most powerful of those archdevils.
The Abyss is a chaotic evil universe unto itself with uncountable layers of infinite variety connected haphazardly, home to Demon. The Abyss that is connected to The Hells, and also is on the path of the River Styx.
The Colour pools in the hells are various shades of Ruby. The Tuning fork to reach The Hells is made of Iron - F♯ tone.
Those of the Tiefling race are considered to be connected with The Hells through their bloodline. Not necessarily meaning they are of evil alignment nor born of a Devil. They can be unfair treated by many other races who reside in Esau.
The Hells is a plane of sinister wickedness and institutional cruelty, its denizens are mostly types of Fiend, in some layers organised into a strict caste system with a very rigid chain of command. In other layers, the chaotic natural of the place can be some frightening and unsettling. Each of the Nine Hells has its own physical laws or properties of matter, but all are very inhospitable or potentially deadly to outsiders.
Those people who find themselves in The Hells after death are considered wicked and cruel.
If a Devil or Demon from The Abyss find themselves inside The Chamber of Torment, they are aware they have displeased their Master. People who have died and been sent to the hells for punishment rarely find themselves in The Chamber of Torment. Only those who are nasty and dislike other people, come to be in such a place.
NATIVES
+ Devil+ Fiend
+ hell hounds
+ phase hounds
+ night Hags
+ nightmares
+ bonespears
+ gathra
+ haraknin
+ Jungle Fish
+ imps
+ maelephants
+ Marilith
+ kytons
+ rakshasas
+ a few mortals
THE RIVER STYX
The water flowing on the River Styx has a foreboding dark colour resembling dark wine that constantly exuded a putrid odour. The river is so deep and swift, a torrent that should not risk be forded. The water at the surface moves slowly and sluggishly, hiding a dangerous subsurface current that can quickly pull boats and swimmers to the bottom.
Some branches of the River Styx flows into The Abyss. Pazunia is the first layer of the Abyss - a barren, dusty place baking under a colossal red sun, broken only by great iron fortresses, huge crater holes in the ground, and the River Styx. The river of blood flows down the holes - which were conduits to the various layers, where Demon reside - some of these holes supplied water to the river Styx in reverse waterfalls.
The huge and stinking river flows deep and fast - making it uncrossable for most people and other creatures - even those who do dare, are likely to be attacked by the brownish green coloured Jungle Fish - 'dots' of luminescent on the female fish.
Its banks are lined with the rotting remnants of battles fought throughout its course, and those drowned trying to cross.
The silt at the bottom of the Styx is rumoured to contain the memories of all the souls who have lost their identities to the river. The shadar-kai (Shadow Elves) are always interested in obtaining the material from adventurers, and who sometimes seek to collect vials of the sediment, to take back to The Shadowfell, in order to offer it to The Raven Queen in exchange for a boon or divine favour.
The shallow headwaters, in The Hells, of the River Styx are inhabited by giant versions of freshwater wildlife, such as quippers, eels, lampreys, snails, and crustaceans. The river is not only inhabited by Jungle Fish, but also Styx Wyverns, who tend to build lairs along its banks, and stygian linnorms.
Travelers who must cross the River Styx are advised to only do so in The Hells (never in The Abyss or other planes and realms). In doing so they should use the boatman Charon, or his servants, the merrenoloths, to navigate the river. (If called via spells such as summon monster VIII, holy word, or blasphemy, a merrenoloth typically answer the call within seconds.) They charge a fee of 100 gp in advance per passenger and never carry cargo.
Despite being the most reliable navigators of the river, they have been known to sometimes lead their passengers to traps laid out by another paying party. It is advisable to increase the payment to a merrenoloth to avoid such a terrible inconvenience. Baatezu often employ osyluths as boatmen.
In addition to these Fiend, some petitioners and, more rarely, select mortals work ferrying creatures across.
Whatever they are, these sinister ferrymen are adept in navigating the chaotic currents and eddies. They are willing to take travelers between the planes in which the Styx flows, but for a price. When traversed by competent navigators, any point along the banks of the Styx can be reached within a single day
Once across they are likely to face the hound Mishap with two massive heads - from the litter of Kerberos a three headed Hound from the Shadowfell and Desirosa a Phase Hound from The Hells. Mishap has black and tan fur, and a mane of snakes can phase into and out of the various levels of The Hells. Mishap's imposing size, powerful, muscular build, vicious, intense, focused eyes, and a perpetual scowl make him intimidating. He has a larger head in proportion to his body size, and larger canine teeth than most hounds.
It is Mishap who helps guard The Hells from intruders.
Archdevils by Layer
Avernus
Zariel = The ruler of the first layer named Avernus of The Hells - commander of the diabolical armies in the Blood War - Zariel is a fallen angel who had been appointed to her archdukedom by Asmodeus. Bel = A general under the command of Zariel.Dis
Langsdon = Known as the Iron Duke - the ruler of the second layer of The Hells - he ruled the Iron City from within his Iron Tower, and was legendary for his impregnable layers of defense.Lilis = The loyal consort of the Iron Duke.
Titivilus = Although not very powerful personally, Titivilus is Langsdon's closest adviser.
Makai
Morrigan = the ruler of the third layer named Makai of The Hells.Minauros
Mammon = The ruler of fourth layer of The Hells - patron of greed.Glwa = Mammon's consort after Glasya left him.
Bael = A powerful general in the service of Mammon.
Melchon = A duke of Minauros
Stygia
Levistus = The ruler of the fifth layer of The Hells - an archdevil in charge of this cold frozen sea hell is trapped in an iceberg - imprisoned in an iceberg by Asmodeus for past crimes - therefore forced to telepathically relay instructions to his minions - he also has to deal with his predecessor's continued existence.Krampus = each Enjils Aura Sitaare travels through Pandemonium to punish the evil people of Esau
Geryon = The deposed ruler of the fifth layer - Geryon was a savage archdevil who continually seeks to reclaim his former position.
Agares = A vassal and duke under Geryon's reign - he has a new position as a commander under Levistus's rule.
Machalas = The weakest duke who served Geryon - he has a new position as a commander under Levistus's rule.
Malbolge
Glasya= The ruler of the sixth layer of The Hells - daughter of Asmodeus.Tartach = loyally serves Glasya.
Lilith = Glasya's duke and general alluring Consort - Baalzebul's past lover.
Zombata
Hexta = The ruler of the seventh layer of The Hells.Zepar = A duke and general of Zombata - loyal to Hexta.
Baalzebul = the Lord of Lies - a repulsive fallen angel who was once called Triel - longs to overthrow Hexta and become ruler of Zombata - past lover of Lilith.
Baftis = The voiceless Consort of Hexta - although loyal to Baalzebul.
Sheol
Gravus = The ruler of the eighth layer of The Hells.Donices = The steward of Sheol.
Farcus = An archdevil who served Gravus as chamberlain.
Nessus
Asmodeus = Lord of Indulgence - The ruler of the nineth layer of The Hells - The King of The Hells - Asmodeus is considered a deity to all Devil .Adramalech = The Chancellor of Hell and Keeper of Records - Adramalech answered only to Asmodeus.
Phongor = The dreaded Inquisitor of Hell.
Buer = A duke of Nessus.
Bune = A duke of Nessus.
Morax = A duke of Nessus.
Rimmon = A duke of Nessus.
Zagum = A duke in the service of Asmodeus.
Geography
The Hells a lower plane linked to The Abyss by the River Styx. Located near to Acheron plane: The Infernal Battlefield.
Each layer of the nine Hells is a different infinite layer interconnected at barriers much like a layered cake - the lowest points of one layer manifests barriers that exit high above the surface of another lower layer.
* The river Styx flowed through the first layer, Avernus, and also the fifth layer, Stygia.
Each of the nine Hells is unique and usually mirrors the malevolent characteristics of its ruler, or perhaps the controlling archdevils and the other Devil are shaped by their domains, which they schemed to reside.
The relationship between layers and circles is not fully known. The descriptions of the nine Hells have been reported by various cosmologists working under different cosmological models, gathered, collated, and summarized.
LAYERS
1st
Avernus+ a blasted hell-scape with rivers of lava, barren hills, terrible battlefield, and low, rocky mountains as far as the eye can see.
2nd
Dis+ a flat barren plane containing little more than black, stagnant rivers, stretching for thousands of miles until it reaches some rolling hills. The sky is a cloudy muted green shot through with silent lightning. In the centre rises the Iron City of Dis, several miles in height and hundreds of miles wide. The foul rivers radiate from a moat big enough to be considered a lake surrounding the Iron City. Far from the Iron City is a expansive Labyrinth of high walled stone corridors, with desired items and success always just out of reach - constant vicious mockery whispers in travellers and dwellers ears - a place where Envy multiplies
3rd
Makai+ a vast dead forest. The Morrígan encourages warriors to do brave deeds, to prove their worth in sight of her greatness, and gives them poisonous kisses in return. She delivers a series of terrifying warnings, a painful death to those already dead.
In art, Makai is portrayed as a vast dead forest, where Devil washing the bloodstained clothes of those deceased.
4th
Minauros+ a layer was described as an endless bog of vile pollution, decaying bodies, and rotting marsh, repeatedly drenched by rain, sleet, and hail storms. The soggy, bone-strewn, disease-ridden swampland made movement very difficult and was only broken occasionally by serpentine ridges of volcanic rock.
5th
Stygia+ a layer formed completely of a frozen sea scattered with huge icebergs. The river Styx cut across the ice forming a channel with salt crystal banks.
6th
Malbolge+ a gargantuan tumble of angular black stone blocks, each block ranging in size from a small city to a large metropolis, that form a pile hundreds of miles thick. The randomly tilted and ill-fitting blocks are honeycombed with angular passages and caverns causing non-flying travellers to frequently need mountaineering skills and risk avalanches. Stinking clouds of vapour rose up from the depths and lit the sky with the colour of blood, causing cosmologists to speculate that the blocks of Malbolge may rest on an infinite sea of lava. Most habitations in Malbolge were copper-clad fortresses built from black stone.
On the edges of Malbolge, black rocky formations formed by molten lava, reach into a sea of red waters - which move beneath a fiery sky.
7th
Zombata+ a maze of rooms, where dead necromancers are sent when they die, and the dead Undead are sent out of the Darklands within the Shadowfell, to become uncontrollable zombie versions, that constantly attack the necromancers.
8th
Sheol+ an abyss far below the 1st hell of Avernus - the place of severe punishment of an individual's soul and spirit. There is a lost distinctness of self and environment - nothing matters.
9th
Nessus+ a featureless plain with jagged edges, which links to The Plane of Void - a land of extremes temperature and effects of the 6 elements. There stood a massive citadel in the deep centre - Malsheem, the Citadel of Hell.
Ecosystem
Fiend such as Devil feed on the seven deadly sins (especially of those originally from Esau) - pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. They delight in making deals and build fear in others.
Night Hags
FiendThe most vile and nightmarish of the Hags, are connected to The Hells as well as the nightmare part of The Dream Realm . Night Hags are Fey turned fiends, so vile even compared to the rest of their kind that they are unable to enter The Feywild Realm . These fiendish degenerates are soul-mongers who traded in The Shadowfell and the Nine Hells for power and wealth.
Natural Resources
Seven Deadly Sins
History
The nine layers of Hell are each ruled by an archdevil of great power, but The Hells are also the home of other powerful beings, Devil, and various other Fiend, at various points in the history of the Realms.
Zariel once was a Solar in Celestia, an angellic warrior of Lathander/Amaunator. Their transformation to an archdevil, amd ruler of the first layer Avernus, marked the start of The Blood Wars.
Asmkodeus' once loyal general is Arioch, The Duke of Chaos - who was once cast out of The Hells after attacking Hexta the ruler of Zombata (7th layer). Arioch is a powerfully built, winged, four-armed humanoid, standing 11'6" with silvery gray skin covered in tiny scales. His eyes are a horrific yellow and his countenance is distinctly draconic. He typically wears a sleeveless long coat of deep blue leather and dull gray iron scale mail and four over-sized, obviously magical spiked gauntlets which are his favoured weapons.
Arioch and his minions walk the mortal world in many guises - within the last century have infiltrated nearly every culture and civilization on Esau.
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