The Pit Flame

If Phlegethos is the crucible of Hell, the Pit Flame is its most distilled and merciless embodiment. This volcanic abyss churns with a lake of boiling filth and molten stone, erupting with colossal columns of white hellfire that sear even the immortal flesh of devils. Pain and pleasure blur into one here, for its flames are not merely hot... They burn the spirit, corrode the will, and reshape the mind.   Suspended above the infernal lake are vast iron spheres, each imprisoning a condemned devil. Maintenance of these prison-orbs is a shared duty among the archdevils, who pay for the privilege of consigning rivals or offenders to the Pit. Even osyluths are granted the right to condemn lesser devils to its agony, while devils of all ranks sometimes volunteer for the ordeal, seeking redemption, proof of resilience, or the twisted euphoria that only such suffering can bring.   Barbazus operate the great iron beams that lower or hoist the prisons, their actions often lubricated by bribes that shorten, or lengthen, a sentence. It is assumed that thousands of vigilant cornugons patrol the surrounding platforms to ensure that no prisoner escapes.   The Pit Flame is more than punishment; it is a forge. From its fires, devils may emerge elevated in rank, their power tempered by suffering, or diminished, their former strength burned away. In Phlegethos, the flames do not merely destroy, they transform.