Hades
Ervenian Era, 1051 AB
Hades, also known as Abaddon is a bleak and somber plane poised between existence and oblivion, a shadow-haunted realm of fading twilight and muted colors. It is the destination of souls unclaimed by divine judgment, those who linger unremembered, or whose faith in life led only to despair. Here entropy reigns supreme, gradually unraveling spirit and matter alike.
It is said that every visitor leaves a fragment of themselves behind in Hades—an emotion, a memory, a flicker of hope—until nothing remains but hollow echoes wandering the ashen wastes. Even the air whispers loss, and the sky perpetually looms grey and heavy, forever on the edge of storm but never granting the release of rain.
Hades bridges several other planes, primarily through the River Styx, connecting directly to the Abyss, Carceri, and other Lower Planes. Numerous portals, —often concealed within ruins or chasms, lead to Shadowfell, Material Plane graveyards, or forgotten temples, making it an accessible but dangerously unpredictable crossroads.
Hades is composed of three layers, known collectively as the Glooms: Oinos, Niflheim, and Pluton . These realms are devoid of sun or stars, marked by pale skies and a desolate sameness of gray. Color drains from all things here: banners bleach, gems dull, and even the memories of the dead begin to unravel into monotone forgetfulness. Those who linger too long may find not only their presence, but their very purpose, slowly eroded by the plane.
Oinos
Oinos is the uppermost and most ravaged layer of Hades, known across the planes as the First Gloom. A land of ash-gray soil, cracked plains, and low rolling hills, Oinos serves as both threshold and tomb to countless souls lost in endless struggle. The colorless wastes, where the river Styx flow, are thick with the stench of disease and decay, and what little plant life endures here is either blighted, trampled, or petrified in death.Niflheim
Unlike the corpse-strewn plains of Oinos above, Niflheim cloaks its dread beneath boughs of pale pine and fog-drenched bluffs. The silence here is not broken by war, but by the slow corrosion of will.Pluton
Pluton, the third and deepest gloom of Hades, is where all things slowly wither, not in agony, but in gentle, inescapable decline. Known as Olympian’s Gloom, it is a realm of dying groves and forgotten power. Its sorrow is more hushed than that of Oinos or Niflheim, yet no less corrosive.
Geography
General Regions within the planes of Hades
The Ashen Expanse
Endless fields of grey dust and soot cover vast swathes of Hades. Underfoot, ashes of forgotten souls drift silently, stirred by chill winds. Occasionally, forlorn ruins rise from the dust cities once glorious, now monuments to hopelessness.Rivers of Silence
A network of slow-moving rivers carves through the landscape, their dark waters absorbing sound. Legends tell that whispers submerged here disappear forever, carrying secrets into eternal silence. Some say these rivers eventually feed into the River Styx, bridging Hades to other Lower Planes.Forest of Evergloom
An expansive woodland perpetually cloaked in shadows, where leafless trees with bark resembling petrified bone rise skyward. Within its shadowy depths, lost spirits wander eternally, whispering futile regrets and bitter laments.The Hollow Cities
Forgotten realms of marble and stone, inhabited by souls who have surrendered all hope of redemption. These spectral cities rise from the gloom, their architecture blending into the twilight. The streets echo with faint cries and weary prayers that never find answer.The Court of the Raven Queen
Dominating a large part of Oinos, the Raven Queen’s domain appears as an immense citadel of obsidian spires and cold marble halls, surrounded by flocks of spectral ravens. Here, she presides over the natural transition between life and death, judging souls in quiet contemplation and protecting the cycle of existence from disruption. Her agents, cloaked and solemn, guide spirits through their final journeys.Citadels of the Mezzofiend Lords
Dotting the bleak landscape are dark fortresses belonging to the daemons, each stronghold ruled by powerful mezzofiends lords who seek dominion over unclaimed souls. The daemons endlessly contest control over these wandering souls, weaving schemes and betrayal as they seek to devour or enslave the vulnerable spirits of Hades.Psychopomp Bastions
Hidden within mist-shrouded valleys stand solemn sanctuaries maintained by Psychopomps, agents tasked with guiding departed souls. These mysterious figures, neither fully divine nor fully mortal, believe themselves the true custodians of Hades. They watch silently, intervening only to guide lost souls toward their destined afterlife or away from the claws of daemons and Kytons.Chains of the Kytons
Throughout Hades, deep fissures and labyrinthine chasms conceal enclaves of kytons, entities obsessed with sensation, suffering, and transformation. Their subterranean temples resonate with the whispers of pain and pleasure intertwined. Kytons often capture wandering souls, twisting them into living art or binding them in eternal torment.Inhabitants
- Mezzofiends are the primary contenders for control of Hades, these malevolent beings thrive on entropy, feeding on the despair and oblivion of mortal souls. They frequently scheme among themselves and war openly against psychopomps.
- The Psychopompsare Inscrutable and impartial and act as stewards of soul migration, serving neither evil nor good. They exist to maintain the balance, guiding spirits to their appropriate destinations and striving to protect the cosmic cycle.
- The Kytons, craft macabre shrines and labyrinths to explore the boundaries of flesh, spirit, pain, and ecstasy. They dwell in secret places beneath the surface, patiently awaiting souls to shape and remake.
- Petitioners: The souls dwelling here are often drained and hollow, carrying only faint echoes of their former selves. They wander endlessly unless guided or claimed, eventually fading entirely into oblivion.
Afterlife
Most souls that arrive in Hades become larvae, sickly, human-headed worm-spirits, that are harvested by the night hags as a commodity for Lower Plane commerce.Localized Phenomena
Entropic Decay
Unattended objects and unattended souls in Hades slowly erode, gradually losing cohesion and purpose. This decay even affects memories and identities over prolonged exposure. Over time, days or weeks, depending on the soul’s strength, visitors begin to feel a creeping void where thoughts once lived. Despair, fatigue, and emotional numbness take hold, eventually leading to a complete spiritual collapse. Once a mortal succumbs, their soul becomes a larva: a pale, mindless husk, ready for use in the currency of the Lower Planes.Aura of Despair
Visitors must resist Hades’ oppressive gloom. Each day, non-native creatures risk succumbing to apathy and hopelessness, which slowly strips away their will to continue.Rivers of Oblivion
Water taken from the plane’s rivers can erase memories and identity, similar to the River Styx. Drinking or prolonged contact causes forgetfulness or permanent loss of self.Ashen Wastes
Extended exposure to the drifting ashes may cause spiritual exhaustion, sapping vitality and emotion until victims become mere shades.Color Decay
All hues fade to gray within days. Magical items or divine relics may resist this erosion temporarily, but nothing escapes it forever.Trait Type |
Description |
|---|---|
| Gravity | Normal |
| Time | Changes by layer |
| Shape & Size | Infinite, composed of countless layers |
| Morphic Traits | Divinely Morphic (Only deities, or demigods can alter terrain) |
| Elemental Energy | None Dominant |
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| Magic | Apathy and despair are enhanced, while Resurrection magic fails unless cast by divine proxy or planar artifcat; |
Alternative Name(s)
Abaddon
Type
Plane of Existence
Inhabiting Species
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