Nine Hells
Overview
The Nine Hells, known to scholars as The Nether Plane, shortened to Hell or Hells, and named Baator in Infernal, is the home of the devils and demons. It is a plane of sinister wickedness and institutional cruelty, its denizens organized into a strict caste system with a very rigid chain of command. Nearly all the layers has their own physical laws or properties of matter, but all are inhospitable or deadly to outsiders."From the boiling rivers of fluid in Avernus to the mind warping layers of the Abyss, a body'd be hard-pressed to find a place that sums up the cold cruelty of the multiverse more than Baator does." - Archmaester Sinh, Vector Sigma
Geography
Each of the Nine Hells are very unique and usually mirrores the malevolent characteristics of its ruler, the domains of these overlords are described as territories or circles. The relationships between the layers and circles are not fully known yet. That's why, what follows are loose descriptions of the nine Hells reported from different cosmological models that have been collated and summarized.Styx
The Styx, also known as the River of Blood, is a cross-planar river that links all the layers of the Nether Plane. from Avernus to the top layer of the Abyss. Those who touches or drinks from the Styx could risks completely forgetting their past temporarily or permanently.Trade
Inhabitants of the Nine Hells produces goods and export these across the planes, including to the material plane. Green Baator ore and steel smelted is one such thing being mined and exported from Avernus. Another notable export is Baator's own whiskey. It is a pleasantly-smelling steaming-hot drink that resembles boiling goldflow. When consumed, it burnes one's stomach with sweet pain. Very few mortals can stomach even a single shot.Inhabitants
The principal inhabitants of the Nether Plane are the devils, and their offsprings in varieties too numerous to catalog here. They keep to the eight first layers of the Hells, while Demons keep to the deepest layer, the Abyss.In addition to the devils, this plane is the home to bonespears, gathra, haraknin, hell hounds, imps, night hags, nightmares, and maelephants. Also occasionally encountered here are achaierai, barghests, hellcats, mephits, rakshasa, and stench kows.
Afterlife
When souls journey to the afterlife, they first have to travel through the Fugue Plane. Here mortals await for their continued journey towards their final rest in the Upper Plane. Though not all mortals are judged, Lawful evil souls are automatically destined for the Hells and arrives there as mindless nupperibos or, if they are worthy, as semi-intelligent lemures. While waiting, devils are allowed to bargain with the other souls, playing on their fears and doubts to get them to agree that becoming a lemure with a chance for promotion will be a better option than their suspected fate. Strong or crafty souls might negotiate a deal that reduces their time as a lemure or bestow a boon or punishment on those they left behind.Other souls that are automatically sent to the Nether Plane are mortals that made deals or sold their souls while alive. Both devils and demons are known for their quests for power and status—scheming and plotting power plays, coups, and assassinations.
Hierarchy
The Nine Hells are governed by rigid systems of power, though the nature of hierarchy differs greatly between devils and demons. While both are fiends, their philosophies of rule stand in stark opposition.Infernal Hierarchy
The first eight layers of the Nine Hells are ruled by devils, whose society is defined by absolute law, strict rank, and institutional authority. Every devil exists within a precise chain of command, where obedience is enforced through contracts, promotions, and punishments.Authority flows upward through ranks of lesser and greater devils, culminating in the Devil Overlords supreme rulers who each command a layer or major dominion of Hell. All Overlords ultimately answer to Asmodeus, King of Hell, who rules from the deepest infernal layer, Nessus.
Infernal power is stable but ruthless. Advancement is possible, but failure results in demotion or destruction. Order, not chaos, is the guiding principle of devilkind.
Abyssal Hierarchy
The ninth and deepest layer of the Nine Hells is the Abyss, home to the Demons. Unlike the devils, demons reject law and hierarchy in favor of raw power, instinct, and endless violence. Demons exist in a loose and ever-shifting hierarchy where strength alone determines authority. At the top of this brutal structure are the Demon Lords, immensely powerful entities who rule through fear, destruction, and personal might. Their dominions are unstable realms constantly reshaped by war and madness.Demon Lords frequently war against one another, and their rule is rarely permanent. A demon that weakens is swiftly torn apart by rivals.
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