Torturus
It is well understood by those interested academics that when a Sapient life ends in Reality, if that sapience had a "core belief" that there was a "life after death" a new manifestation of that sapience simultaneously comes into existance in one of the thousands of "afterlife" dimensions. This manifestation is known as a Sapient Post Life Ontological Objectively Germaine Entity (SPLOOGE). SPLOOGEs are made up of an as yet not-understood ephemeral physical material that appears to be metaphysically bound to the dimension that it formed it and incapable of being removed from it's home dimension. A SPLOOGE typically retains most, if not all, of the memories of it's life, although with no more confidence or reliability than they exhibited in life. When a SPLOOGE manifests, it always seems to do so in the afterlife that the SPLOOGE's living incarnation most sincerely believes is correct. These dimensions are as many and varied as there are personal beliefs, but one is of particular interest due to not only it's ability to represent many of the "bad" afterlife dimensions but also as this is a place where more and more SPLOOGEs are finding themselves due to the decrease of religious domination but common religious iconography and mores. This dimension is known as Torturus.
This interesting extradimensional space appears to exist with the sole purpose of providing a facility of standard and ironic tortures for those SPLOOGEs that self-determine that a period of punishment is required for them after the termination of standard life, but were influenced by western Christian symbology and media and lack a sufficient core belief in a controlling deity to manifest into a more religious specific afterlife. The quantity of SPLOOGEs in Torturus has been increasing over the last fifty years as the religious adherence continues to decline, but religious dogma and iconography remains common.
Geography
Torturus consists of a solid land mass roughly the size of Pangea that loops back on itself in a oblate spheroid. The land is primary flat, although a large mountain range runs for several hundred miles and forms a half rim around a lake of liquid flame (Ignis Aqua) that holds a volume equivalent to all of the Great Lakes of America. Several small clusters of hills dot the landside and huge forests of razor-leafed trees and corpseflowers abound. Numerous smaller lakes of liquid flame are randomly scattered about the realm.
Ecosystem
The sky is pitch black, occasionally split by blue heat lightning or purple soul lightning that occasionaly erupts when a large number of SPOOGE manifests simultaneously. The only light comes from the burning ash tree and various firepits or other artificial light sources. Above the lightning layer the sky is completely obscure by the Cubes.
Each Cube is a personalize punishment scenario for the SPLOOGE that manifested inside. Most of the SPLOOGEs that appear in Torturus do so in a Cube, although some occasionally manifest in the great lake or in the razortrees. The Toturus Demons tend to all things needed to keep the each Cube operating fully, whether that is staff, torturers, actors, or supplies and do that work when a Cube descends to land.
Water does not exist in this dimension and is replaced in all cases by a unique form of liquid fire. All forms of life on Torturus treat Ignus Aqua as if it were water. Torturus Demons can also imbibe water, although some of them reporting that doing so makes them nauseus.
Ecosystem Cycles
There are no seasons in Torturus, only the regular descent and ascent of Cubes.
Fauna & Flora
The flora and non-sapient fauna of Torturus is very limited. Besides the razorwillows, corpseflowers, dragonhead orange trees, and numerous toxic and spiny weeds, the only common non-hostile flora is a plant that is very similar to earth cotton. This cotton offshoot is immune the flames and liquid fire prevelant in this dimension.
Fauna is limited to several large predatory species such as flamebadgers, daggermares, fleshrenderers, and bonesnappers. There are two avian analogs: the bloodzephyrs and the larger nightgaunts. The nightgaunts are often tamed as mounts used by the one sapient species native to the dimension, most commonly known as Torturus Demons or Cenobites although they prefer the term Instrumentum Deliberati Doloris or "Instruments of Deliberite Suffering". It is interesting to note that the Torturus Demons, while as presumably native to this dimension as any manifesting SPLOOGE is, they are made of a more permanent form of matter and are fully capable of leaving the dimension and existing in Reality or other dimensions. The other forms of fauna native to Torturus demonstrate the same incapability to be removed from the dimension, although byproducts from them (such as leather or meat) can transit to other dimensions or Reality.
History
The history of Torturus is not well known. For the average Torurus Demon, Torturus has always been here and always will be. Access to Torturus was first discovered by Gatekeeper in the 1987, and it is a difficult dimension for non-natives to leave once entered. Very few people actively travel to this dimension other than the SPLOOGEs that manifest here and the Demons. Because of this there has been little active exchange of culture between the dimension and Earth.
Alternative Name(s)
Tartarus, Gehenna, The Bad Place
Additional Rulers/Owners
Characters in Location
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