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The Material Plane is just one of many dimensions in the world of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons. Visiting other planes of existence forms the foundation of countless adventures, but unless you're hoping to make an infernal pact or strike a blow for the forces of good, the Nine Hells are a place to avoid.
The home of diabolical devils who barter in souls and tempt mortals to acts of evil, the Nine Hells promise power to those ruthless enough to seize it... and damnation for everyone else. Here's everything you need to know about the realm of Lawful Evil.
Circles And Layers
The Nine Hells - the common name for the plane of Baator - are loosely based on the Christian interpretation of Hell in the real world, particularly as it's portrayed in famous poems like Dante Alighieri's Inferno and John Milton's Paradise Lost. Both are divided into nine Circles (sometimes called Layers), each one further than the last from anything good or wholesome. The deeper one travels, the greater the evil they'll encounter, and the lower the chances of escaping.
Most visitors to the Nine Hells from other planes of existence never venture deeper than the top layer, Avernus. Few, iܫf any, who go deeper return with their s🐻ouls intact.
Each of the Nine Hells is ruled by an arch-devil who commands the obedience of the inhabitants there. Theoretically, the arch-devils are themselves▨ subservient to the rulers of the Hells deeper than theirs, but they typically have autonomy within their own realms.
The Nine Hells
|
Realm |
Layer |
Ruler(s) |
Notable Characteristics |
|
Avernus |
First |
Zariel |
|
|
Dis |
Second |
Dispater |
|
|
Minauros |
Third |
Mammon |
|
|
Phlegethos |
Fourth |
Fiera and Belial |
|
|
Stygia |
Fifth |
Levistus |
|
|
Malbolge |
Sixth |
Glasya |
|
|
Maladomini |
Seventh |
Baalzebul |
|
|
Cania |
Eighth |
Mephistopheles |
|
|
Nessus |
Ninth |
Asmodeus |
|
Asmodeus, the ruler of the Ninth Hell, is the de facto lord of all devils, and his rule is unquestioned, though the other arch-devils would overthrow and supplant him in a heartbeat if they could. Indeed, a handful of rebellions have occurred over the millennia, but Asmodeus has always emerged victorious and punished the perpetrators accordingly.
What Is The Blood War?
The devils of the Nine Hells are locked in an eternal conflict with the demons of the Abyss. While both are forces of ultimate evil, their goals for the multiverse are at odd꧂s 🧸- only one can be victorious. As a result, Infernal and Abyssal forces frequently battle one another instead of the forces of good.
Demonic forces frequently raid and establish beachheads in the Nine Hells, but rarely make it further than Avernus. The frequency of these attac𒈔ks makes Zariel and her legions the first line of defense against the demons. For their part, the devils prefer well-planned, coordinated assaults, so excursions into the Abyss are much rarer.
As creatures of Lawful Evil, Asmodeus and his devils seek to enslave the other planes, creating a world of absolute authority, hierarchy, and obedience. The demons of the Abyss, as creatures of Chaotic Evil, seek instead to destroy the cosmos entirely, tearing reality itself to shreds.
Why Do Devils Collect Souls?
According to the D&D cosmology, the souls of Lawful Evil mortals travel to the Nine Hells after death and are remade into devils, bolstering the forces of whichever arch-devil is most closely associated with the wicked acts the person performed in life. Devils that visit the Material Plane attempt to bargain for the souls of the living, either to capture people of a different alignment or to claim the soul of a mortal who would be bound to serve a diffe🥂rent lord upon death.
Devils are able to grant boons including✅ riches, power (both temporal and magical), or anything else most mortals could imag🐻ine. The more powerful the devil, the greater the rewards they can offer to tempt mortals.
In most cases, the devil simply grants a wish then waits for the mortal to die, collecting their soul and binding it to their service in the Nine Hells. In other circumstances, particularly Warlock Pacts, the devil grants the mortal lifelong power, but reserves the right to claim their soul early if they violate the terms of the contract.
Devils are masterminds of contract law, and their pacts are usually ironclad and one-sided. However, it's practically a given that devils will leave themselves loopholes and exceptions to exploit, and rarely a moওrtal can find one of their own to escaಞpe an infernal pact.
Despite having infernal ancestry, tieflings are not inherently aligned with Lawful Evil, nor are their souls automatically bound f🔯or the Nine Hells. Their fate is shaped by their actions like ౠany other mortal species.
The Infernal Hierarchy
Devils follow a strict chain of command, from the lowliest lemures all the way up to Asmodeus himself. A devil's form is a rough indicator of their rank; becoming༒ promoted or demoted by a higher-ranking devil will 🐟cause a physical transformation.
Devils are typically promoted for loyal service, securing souls to transform into more devils, and winning battles in the Blood War. Since higher-rank devils are more powerful, it's much easier for a higher-rank devil to continue to grow while weaker devils struggle to gain power for themselves.
Most mortals who become devils according to the terms of their pacts become lemures, the weakest of devils, virtually ensuring that they will never rise through the ranks. It's much more likely that they will be destroyed on the battlefields of the Blood War.
Devils can be demoted💧, usually for failure or treason, becoming weaker in the process. If a devil commits a grave transgression, their overlord might lessen their punishment if they are particularly useful; this has happened to several of the arch-devils who have rebelled against Asmodeus. Hoꩵwever, if the offender cannot prove their worth, they are cast into the Pit of Flames to burn in hellfire forever.
Bargain with devils at your own risk, even if you're a devil yourself!