Malbolge

Malbolge is the sixth layer of The Nine Hells of Baator. Ruled by the archdevil Glasya, the Tyranny of Turmoil, as it is otherwise known, is the prison of the Nine Hells where devils found guilty of breaking the law undergo years of torturous punishment under the supervision of Asmodeus's daughter. The Crushing Lands, sometimes titled the Crushing, is one of the most inhospitable of Hell's circles, its endless avalanches making it unpopular even among the devilry.

Geography

Malbolge is arguably the most treacherous of Hell's layers, and the hardest to traverse. The landscape is difficult to scale, slowing movement down to about half the normal rate even for those skilled in mountaineering and to a quarter for those without such aptitude. The entire circle exists on a tilt ranging from mild (about 10-15 degrees) to severe (can be beyond 70 degrees). There are no naturally-occurring horizontal planes to be found, making it difficult to rest or build, and making falling a constant danger, as one can plummet anywhere from 10 to 10,000 feet before smashing into stone. Most devils have the privilege of teleportation to mitigate this issue, while most travellers do not.
Those seeking to scale Malbolge also have to contend with the jagged boulders, if not dodging them to avoid being crushed then climbing over them when they are at rest. Frequently parts of the layer will break off and roll downhill, but ultimately no one knows where the boulders come from. They shift and roll down Malbolge, sometimes settling briefly but always moving on, seemingly at random but in truth they are following a prearranged pattern too complex for mortal minds to grasp. Every ten minutes there is about a 1 in 5 change that a boulder will crash through somewhere and every hour there is a similar chance of a rockslide, although these are somewhat forecast by the frequency of boulder encounters up until then.
Amid the smaller boulder of Malbolge are great "islands of stone", larger rocks that tend to be more stable. Even these however are not anchored to the mountain itself, and all attempts to build atop such boulder inevitably fail when their bases roll over during particularly violent landslides. Occasionally boulders stop moving long enough for dark tunnels to form through the piles, although exploring or idling in them is unwise since, despite offering protection from other boulders, the rocks that make up the passages could start moving at any moment and pulp their occupants. Sometimes the boulders shift enough to reveal passages to the underlying stone, although whether this is compacted granite or just another, larger boulder is itself a mystery. Beneath the relatively stable bedrock of hellish stone there is rumoured to be entrances to underground cities, strongholds, and other ancient places.
Malbolge does have something of a ground layer, but from it rises jagged shards of obsidian known as "the Knives", towering monoliths that lean against each other to form passages or jut out in great sheets. Though seemingly stable enough, attempts to walk across them reveal that even their foundations are unstable, and their sudden shifting drops travellers into the razor-lined pits below to be sliced and cleaved. The steaming sky above meanwhile is a firmament boiling with leprous colours that shower burning droplets upon those below.

Alternative Name(s)

The Tyranny of Turmoil, The Crushing Lands

Type

Plane of Existence

Location under

The Nine Hells of Baator

Owner/Ruler

Glasya