Dis

The second layer of Hell is Dis (pronounced DIHS), the Infernal City, a prison for the souls of those who used the law to prey upon those around them. Dis is ruled by the archdevil Dispater who rarely leaves his city, except to the summons of Asmodeus .
A magnificent, yet twisted mockery of a mortal palace, the court of Dis supplies a constant supply of soldiers to the other infernal layers of Hell. It is within the burning walls of Dispater's garrison-cities that the mortal dead, wrathful and vengeful, are trained and transformed through combat.

Government

Archdevil Dispater, undisputed king of Dis, rules from his palace as both a cruel fiend and perfect courtly king; there is no building block in Dis that is not arranged according to his prescription. Below Dispater is a complex hierarchy of fiendish nobility, who all have underlings of their own, all the way down to the lowest petitioner. Insubordination is punished swiftly and harshly. The city's authorities, particularly Dispater, can remake or repurpose Dis' buildings at will. However, Dispater has become mostly bored of the routine of rulership, and often delegates his responsibilities to his wife Erecura without asking her. Erecura has the right to exercise power as she sees fit, and is often called upon to arbitrate disputes between her husband's minions. Adventurers can even ask her to overturn a decision made by Dispater himself if they are particularly desperate.
A major exception to Dispater's rule is the Queen of the Night Eiseth. She operates outside of Dispater's hierarchy and defies him when she sees fit; her realm functions more like an independent state rather than as part of Dispater's.

Inhabitants

All kinds of fiends, most often devils and velstracs, as well as planar travellers from across the entire Great Beyond, flock to Dis. Everyone with valuable wares is welcomed to do business in the Market of Breaths, regardless of origin, under the watch of the fiendish blue dragon Erzylian. Others come to Dis to take their place in the city's hierarchy, or to do business with one of Dispater's dukes. Even powerful non-evil creatures sometimes visit Dis under Dispater's protection, for purposes unknown to everyone but him and his wife. Dis has an especially sinister reputation, as many who come end up shackled here for eternity. Nonetheless, the city sees many greedy and desperate visitors whom the resident devils gleefully exploit. Countless barracks housing standing armies of levalochs can be found in the Outlands, where they prepare for or recover from battles against Hell's enemies. The ruling elite of Dis encourages this activity to augment the city's importance within Hell.
The largest concentration of erinyes in Hell lives and thrives in Dis.

Geography

The centre of Dis is the Iron Scepter, the palace of Dispater. The city fans out concentrically from the Iron Scepter, and can be divided into three districts: the Iron Heart, the Oppidan Maze, and the Ghetto of Outcasts. Surrounding the walls of Dis is the blasted plain known as the Outlands. The skyline of Dis is a series of jagged towers the size of entire settlements, made of steel, iron, brass, obsidian, and solidified souls, connected to each other by suspension bridges. The sky is flat and sickly, like smoke rising from burning flesh. The entire city is permeated by a sickly sweet smell like that of searing blood, and in some places, masses of rotting corpses render the air virtually unbreathable.
Dis is home to two canal systems: the Andramal, which runs with liquid fire; and the Lethe, which guides the River Styx through the city. Both wind through the most wretched slums and the most affluent neighbourhoods of Dis alike. In such decadent areas, fountains of still-living, petrified angels silently scream.
Any time Dis' layout changes, all maps of the city will magically change to match its current layout. Such changes can even happen right before an onlooker's eye.

Places of interest

• The Outlands
• Ghaunapthal
• The Ghetto of Outcasts
• The Oppidan Maze
• The Andramal
• Broken Chains
• The Lethe
• The Market of Breaths
• Widow's Cry
• The Iron Heart
• Eleusys
• The Demagogue
• The Fallen Fastness
• The Iron Scepter
• The Pyrite Vault

Alternative Name(s)

Infernal City

Type

Dimensional plane

Location under

Hell

Owner/Ruler

Dispater