The Hells

"They came in the night, the demons, took half the world 'fore we knew what hit us."

Geography

The Hells are a sprawling, surreal expanse of chaos and beauty, a plane where the laws of nature warp and twist under the weight of magickal influence. The landscape is a blend of extremes: vast molten wastelands seethe with rivers of fire, while shadowed forests of bioluminescent trees stretch endlessly, their glowing canopies casting eerie light over darkened ground. Towering stalagmites pierce the air, some larger than mountains, while massive caverns connect the scattered kingdoms. Upside-down trees grow from the cavern ceilings, their roots forming eerie webs, and floating islands drift ominously above, their massive shadows engulfing the cities and lands below. These Hellish kingdoms are as diverse as their terrain. Some rise as fiery citadels atop jagged cliffs, while others spread through sprawling caverns of ice and shadow. Roads of obsidian and bridges of bone connect settlements, winding through landscapes of unearthly beauty and danger. The rivers—some glimmering with glowing waters, others flowing with viscous, magick-infused fluids—serve as vital lifelines, though their strange properties are often as much a threat as they are a resource.


Among its more peculiar exports, the Hells are the birthplace of oranges, their trees thriving in the bioluminescent woodlands. These fruits are surprisingly sweet and vibrant, serving as a rare and valued delicacy in Gaiatia. Roads and bridges connect the plane’s sprawling cities, while its rivers—some glowing with luminous water, others carrying strange, viscous fluids—serve as vital lifelines, despite their occasional danger.

Ecosystem

The ecosystems of the Hells are as volatile as the land itself. Creatures adapted to fire, shadow, and frost prowl the plane, from winged predators that lurk in the skies to shadowy beasts that stalk the forests. Flora includes glowing fungi, carnivorous plants, and trees that drip sap imbued with magickal properties-Thriving in unexpected ways: glowing fungi that thrive in darkness, carnivorous plants with snapping maws, and immense trees with bark harder than steel. These ecosystems are sustained by the chaotic energies of the plane, creating an uneasy balance of life and destruction.

Ecosystem Cycles

Unlike the structured cycles of Gaiatia, the Hells experience erratic shifts dictated by the volatile magick that flows through the land. Fiery regions may suddenly freeze, while shadowed forests can burst into glowing flame without warning. Creatures and plants have adapted to these cycles, with migrations, hibernations, and rapid transformations common among the denizens of this ever-changing plane.

Localized Phenomena

The Hells are a realm of constant, unpredictable phenomena. Rivers defy gravity, flowing uphill or looping into impossible spirals. Floating islands shift positions seemingly at random, while storms of ash, lightning, and flame sweep through the land with little warning. Caverns pulse with eerie magickal light, and gravity often bends, causing objects—and occasionally people—to drift unnervingly into the air before crashing back down.

Climate

The climate of the Hells is extreme and mercurial. Scorching heat and bone-chilling cold can exist side by side, and the air is thick with sulfur, smoke, and magickal residue. Seasons are non-existent, replaced by chaotic surges of environmental energy that can turn a region from lush to lifeless in hours.

Fauna & Flora

The Hells are home to creatures and plants as strange and dangerous as the land itself. Fire-resistant beasts roam the lava plains, shadowy predators blend seamlessly into the gloom, and enormous serpents with scales like molten metal coil through the forests. Plants are equally bizarre: luminous vines, massive carnivorous flowers, and trees that drip glowing sap. Despite the danger, these resources sustain the kingdoms and their inhabitants, offering food, tools, and materials for survival. Bats, originally native to the Hells, have spread to other realms, becoming an invasive species known for their rapid reproduction and adaptability.

Natural Resources

The Hells are rich in resources, though harvesting them often comes at great peril. Magick-infused minerals, glowing tree sap, and volatile liquids from the rivers are vital to the survival of the plane’s kingdoms. These resources are also highly sought after by outsiders, though few who come to extract them ever leave alive.

History

The Hells are as ancient as Gaiatia itself, their existence predating recorded history. For millennia, they remained unknown to the mortal realm until the catastrophic events of The Fall-following Vile’s betrayal and the collapse of his armies, the Hells were left defenseless. In a grim act of revenge coinciding with desparation, the survivors of Gaiatia ransacked the plane, looting its treasures, destroying its kingdoms, indignifying the women and children the sundered demon armies left behind and annihilating much of its history and culture. The Hellish people, then and now broken and scattered, still bear the scars of this invasion, their once-thriving societies reduced to shadows of their former glory just as they did to us, not that it accomplished anything really aside spiilling more blood but as the saying goes;

"A hand for a hand leaves none to till the fields."

Tourism

Few visit the Hells willingly. Scholars and adventurers may risk the journey in search of lost knowledge or rare resources, but most who enter never return. The glowing forests, floating cities, and strange rivers offer unparalleled sights, but the dangers lurking in every shadow ensure that survival is far from guaranteed. For those daring enough to survive, however, the riches and wonders of the Hells are beyond compare.

Alternative Name(s)

Also known as The Infernal Plane, The Burning Realm, The Shadowlands, and The World Beneath.