Hell

Hell is the refuge of the exiles of Heaven, a burning cyst of terrible engines and nameless torment run by the bitter angels and meant to forever incarcerate the souls of dead mortals. Its original purpose as a place of purification and transcendence has been perverted by the warping of its engines, and now a soul that falls into its maw can never hope to escape. The original warden of Hell, the arch-angel Sammael, was driven out by the exiles. He and his remaining loyalists hide within the labyrinths of Hell, aiding those who come to free the souls of the dead or oppose Hell’s new masters. While his love for humanity is strange, his rage at the perversion of his former domain and the defilement of its holy purpose makes him a Godbound’s best ally amid the infernal flames. Hell can be reached in two ways; either through hidden Night Roads in places of forgotten torment, or through the simple expedient of dying without soon after receiving the benefit of effective funerary rites. A soul that is not safely anchored to the dreamless sleep of death or that lacks a Godbound patron’s Paradise to escape to will inevitably spiral downward to Hell, there to suffer without end. Only certain faiths have effective rituals for anchoring the dead to the sleep of their own realm. The Unitary faith of many realms is effective, as is the ancestor worship of the Ren peoples of this realm. Other nations have their own customary and effective means, though not all work so well as they promise. Infiltrating Hell is not difficult, as few Night Road entrances are known and guarded by the inmates. Leaving it, however is a much more difficult enterprise, particularly if the heroes mean to escape with some rescued soul.

Type

Dimensional plane