The Nine Hells

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The Nine Hells of Baator form the outer plane of lawful evil. It is a structured realm of tyranny, order, and punishment. Unlike the chaos of the Abyss, the Hells operate through strict hierarchy, unbreakable contracts, and absolute control. Every soul here has a place, and every action serves a purpose. The plane is organized into nine descending layers, each ruled by an archdevil and each embodying a distinct aspect of infernal order.   Avernus is the first layer and the outermost battlefield. It is a blasted wasteland of scorched iron, rivers of fire, and constant warfare. It serves as the frontline of the Blood War against the Abyss, where devils and demons clash in endless battle. The skies burn red with falling embers, and the air stinks of blood and ash. It is the most accessible of the Nine Hells, and often the first place mortals encounter.   Dis is the second layer, a city that spans the entire plane. The Iron City of Dis is an endless, shifting metropolis of obsidian and steel, ruled by Dispater, the Lord of the Second. The streets twist upon themselves, buildings reshape, and the oppressive heat of molten metal seeps from every surface. Paranoia rules here, and every word may be recorded or used against you.   Minauros is the third layer, a fetid swamp of decay and filth. It is a place of constant rain, rotting sludge, and oppressive gloom. Archdevil Mammon governs this domain from a sinking fortress of gold and muck. Greed, corruption, and disease permeate the layer, and the souls here suffer under the weight of their own vices and the collapsing mire.   Phlegethos is the fourth layer, a realm of volcanic activity and rivers of lava. It is a land of heat, passion, and cruelty. Fire dominates all things here, both physically and symbolically. Fierna and Belial rule together in a precarious partnership, mixing seduction with pain, and punishment with beauty. It is a place where temptation is wrapped in flame and suffering is a work of art.   Stygia is the fifth layer, a frozen ocean of black ice and dark water. It is a realm of betrayal, cold ambition, and suffocating silence. Massive glaciers drift through the dark sea, holding fortresses and tombs within. Levistus rules this layer from within a block of ice, imprisoned yet still influential. Stygia is a place where nothing moves quickly, and everything hides something worse beneath the surface.   Malbolge is the sixth layer, once a mountainous region, now a descending slope of jagged stone and metal. It is a realm of constant upheaval, collapsing terrain, and grinding machinery. It is ruled by Glasya, daughter of Asmodeus, who mixes charm with cruelty. The environment itself resists stability, and souls here are punished through endless adaptation and falling ambition.   Maladomini is the seventh layer, a realm of ruins, decay, and failed empires. Cities lie abandoned or in the process of being rebuilt endlessly. Bureaucracy reigns, and progress is a false promise. Baalzebul rules here, an archdevil of lies and ambition, surrounded by corruption that mirrors his own fall. The layer itself seems to resist improvement, always slipping back into ruin.   Cania is the eighth layer, a howling frozen wasteland of deadly winds and blizzards. It is colder and more dangerous than Stygia, filled with treachery, espionage, and the harsh rule of Mephistopheles. Magic is studied here with clinical precision, and betrayal is as common as the ice. Cania is the place where even devils fear the minds of their peers.   Nessus is the ninth and deepest layer of the Hells, a realm of bottomless chasms, ancient ruins, and impossible depths. It is the throne of Asmodeus, the supreme ruler of Baator. His fortress, Malsheem, rises from the depths as a black tower surrounded by pits filled with the bones of failed devils and ruined plans. Nessus is absolute authority, refined deception, and the end point of ambition.   The Nine Hells are built not on fire or punishment alone, but on contracts, structure, and purpose. Souls are currency, and laws are weapons. Devils obey authority because they must. Mortals are manipulated, not hunted. Nothing here is accidental. Every consequence is written, and every punishment is earned.   In the larger cosmology, Baator stands as the perfect expression of lawful evil. It opposes the chaos of the Abyss and reflects the dangers of law without mercy. It is not madness. It is reason without compassion. The Nine Hells do not offer false hope. They offer exactly what you asked for, with no illusions about the cost.