Malbolge

The Sixth Layer of the Nine Hells

Malbolge was originally an endless rocky slope where rock slides and avalanches of boulders were common. Numerous copper fortresses provided some refuge from the avalanches. Once ruled by Moloch, he was deposed during the Reckoning of Hell and replaced by The Hag Countess Malagard. Malagard has since died, her body expanding and imploding to the point that the entire layer is literally her remains, and Glasya, daughter of Asmodeus, currently rules Malbolge. Now, the realm is alive, being formed from the flesh and bones of the Hag Countess.
As "The Crushing Lands", Malbolge was a place of craggy, black stone and ash filled with stinking vapors, smoke, fire pits, and huge caves and caverns in which ancient Baatorians lurked. The air was hot and choking, and the whole layer existed at a steep tilt so that no flat terrain exists. Falling was a constant danger there, as were rock slides and avalanches.

History

The Sixth layer has had more known lords than any other layer of Hell. The earliest known ruler of Malbolge, the archdevil Beherit (along with his consort, Batna), was destroyed by Asmodeus for violating rules regarding the promotion of devils. Subsequently, the layer was ruled by Baalzebul through his viceroy, Moloch. When Moloch defied Asmodeus after the Reckoning of Hell, the former was exiled to Avernus, while rulership of the Sixth was passed on to Moloch's leman (leman: a lover or a sweetheart), Malagard the Hag Countess. Malagard's reign was short-lived, however, as she was deposed by Glasya, Asmodeus's daughter and current Lord of the Sixth. As of Fiendish Codex II, Glasya used the Hag Countess's body to reform Malbolge. Thus, the Sixth plane of Baator is in fact little more than the Hag Countess's innards and bones. The Countess is technically dead, though her life essence still remains on Malbolge. The tunnel made from the remains of her throat still expands and contracts, as if something immense was breathing shallowly.
Malbolge is now a noisy place populated by tormented lemures, cornugons, and the occasional spinagon. Large numbers of lesser devils on this layer are missing all or part of at least one limb, or have some other sort of disfigurement or infirmity—a testament to the days when Baalzebul and Moloch ruled here, both of whom delighted in the torture of their subjects.
The nobles of this layer once dwelled in copper fortresses, whose metal plating helps ward off the worst of the falling stones. The Hag Countess once traveled between these fortresses in disguise, testing the gentility of her subjects; she despised mindless brutality, and destroyed those who committed it.
After the Hag Countess' demise, those few nobles were not purged by Glaysa for treachery now live with the Princess of Hell in her palace, a grotesque, five-story building formed from Malagard's skull.

Glasya, Archduchess of the Sixth

Also known as the Lady of the Sixth, Glasya was a Princess of the Nine Hells and ruler of Malbolge, the sixth layer of Hell. She is noted as one of the most powerful and influential of the female devils for being the daughter of Asmodeus.

History

Glasya was once Mammon's favoured consort. However, this relationship changed when Mammon sided against Asmodeus in the Reckoning. Mammon slunk back to the Lord of Hell and Glasya was taken from him and appointed Queen of the erinyes, a position she absolutely despised. Since becoming Lord of the Sixth, Glasya has had a thriving friendship with Fierna, which frightens Belial as his 'loving' daughter may believe she no longer has any use for her manipulative father.
Glasya, unlike Bel, did not take the layer by force of arms. The Hag Countess, former ruler of Malbolge, was obsessed with gaining true divinity. After her attempted apotheosis went terribly wrong, the Hag began to grow and grow all at an uncontrollable rate. Her growth caused the layer to level as her bloated form encompassed her entire domain, effectively destroying the countess and ending her reign. With the Hag Countess no longer a concern, Glasya arrived on a palanquin carried by a multitude of lesser devils and took control of Malbolge.

Other Layers of Hell

• Avernus
• Dis
• Minauros
• Phlegethos
• Stygia
• Maladomini
• Cania
• Nessus

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Osseia, Fortress of Glasya

Osseia is made from the skull of the Hag Countess and has red eyes that can shoot flames. It is located on a rounded hill above a perfumed garden. The exterior is adorned with erotic statues and poisonous plants.
Inside there are five luxurious floors with well-guarded playrooms. A close inspection of the furniture and ornamentation reveals that it is all made from the lacquered bones of countless victims.

Ten Towers

Ten crooked towers, each being one of the Hag Countess's fingers. Now they are guard posts for erinyes. One of them is known as the Tower of Pain. Glasya imprisons and torments her most dangerous foes here. Lower levels hold adventurers.
It is believed that the Hag Countess’s inner circle and her nightmare, Bloodcurdle, are imprisoned here and tortured horribly. From what I can tell, her inner circle included 3 hags, at least one medusa and a corruption devil. In addition to Bloodcurdle, she owned a stable of nightmares.

The Forest of Sighs

The trees of this forest were once strands of the Hag Countess’s hair. Glasya impales those she is bored with on the branches. They don't die, the trees feed on them and nourish them simultaneously. The victims rot away over the course of decades.

Road of Perdition

A great marble boulevard lined with grotesque statues leads from Malbolge to Maladomini