Hell City

Culture

In Levantis, Hell is very real, and the people know this. The souls of those who do evil in their lives are corrupted, and when they die these corrupted souls go to one of the Nine Hells to continue their existence as a Devil. Which of the Nine Hells they go to however depends on how they lived their lives. The question then becomes, why would anyone risk such a terrible fate? The answer is quite simple, those who deliberately make deals with Devils to do evil are usually promised power and wealth for when they do go. This can be quite enticing for some, especially because in Hell, power and wealth are everything.
Hell is structured, everybody is regimented and it is necessary to learn the extensive legal system, and how to break it without getting caught to even survive out here. Everyone has a role and a superior to answer to, who has another superior and so on for thousands of steps. Of course there are plenty of others who share your position and have the same boss, and every single one of them is out to screw you over for their own gain. The smartest, most ruthless and luckiest have a chance at incredible wealth and power, while thousands of others have given up and become grey, empty husks that serve those still trying.
Those who succeed gain wealth and power, which allows them to advance through the layers of Hell if they want to take the risk. The lower the layer, the more powerful and wealthy the inhabiting Devils are in general. Some prefer to stay in a certain layer and become a major force there, however this is quite risky as the most powerful of that layer do not suffer intrusions on their territory.

Geography

The Outer Plane of Hell consists of a giant, multi-layered metropolis that widens around the middle layers, colloquially known as Hell City. This sprawling city is the size of most countries on the Prime Plane and each layer is quite different, which is speculated to be the influence of the ruling Archdevils. In the center of the city are five large circular towers that pierce the layers and are the only means of travel between the layers. Of course to be allowed to use the tower to travel, one needs the permission of the office of the appropriate Archdevil, which is difficult to obtain. Bribery, wits, charm, backstabbing and bargains will be necessary to gain the necessary wealth and influence to scale the layers.

First Layer - Limbo

The first layer of Hell is where the Devils dump who they consider to be the worst scum, lawbreakers. Those who are caught breaking the law, or those who managed to antagonize someone powerful enough end up here. It is a desolate, rocky plane with little to no vegetation. The city consists of an expansive cavern system with little comfort. There are many mines with rare minerals and gems here, where the imprisoned are forced to work for little to no pay. It is very rare for a prisoner to escape or work himself up from this layer, while the ruling class who stay here are exorbitantly rich from the gem trade. Their only hope of escape is to be sold as a slave to some other place.

The layer seems to be perpetually covered in a thin layer of bone meal, serving as a reminder of what happens to those who do not work. Limbo is populated not just by devils and other slaves, but by a myriad of ghosts, specters, banshees, poltergeists, shadows and other incorporeal dead whose brutal deaths have left them unwilling to pass on or escape from this hellhole.
Limbo is also home to the largest slave market in all the planes, with wares from all realms of existence, many of them undead as mentioned earlier, driven by desperation or bound by unfortunate deals. The undead know that if they are killed here once more, their souls will be truly destroyed and they will no longer exist, so they choose eternal servitude instead. Some would call it a macabre parody of life, but to many this is a preferable idea compared to the oblivion of final death. The market is driven by chain devil slavers and rakshasa merchants belonging to Alastor's personal cadre of favored servants.

Archdevil: Alastor

Second Layer - Abaddon

The violent and aggressive enter Hell in this plane, where their natural talents are either put to good use, or they lose their aggressive tendencies allowing them to better fit in with Devil society and move on to the next planes. While Devils hate having to resort to violence because it means trickery and diplomacy have failed, war and military strength are a necessity even for them if they want to ward off Demons and Celestials. There is large focus on learning procedures and maintaining discipline to keep the recruits in line, but there is still plenty of backstabbing and scheming going on. Senior officers will often deliberately give wrong orders or incorrect messages to make others fail and many try to claim the accomplishments of others as their own. Those who manage to rise through the military ranks will eventually be able to advance to the next layer if they so wish. The games that await them there are vastly different however, so not everyone even wants to do so.
Abaddon appears to be an endless desert landscape that is extremely flat, providing no shadow to hide from the burning sun. The sands here are the crumbled souls of sinners and those who have fallen, crumbled into a fine, black dust. The sand can be melted into tough "soulglass" that is light as a feather but as strong as steel. It is used in much of the armor and weaponry of Hell's legions.
The heat is also so intense that in the outer parts of the layer, the black sands melts and turn into rivers of molten glass that stream between the dunes. The fairly frequent sandstorms are a combination of not just sand, but also glass and fire. The buildings here are small and wide and intended to provide as much shade as possible. The only oasis found in the layer is located in the center of the city and it is heavily taxed.


Archdevil: Nergal

Third Layer - Marduk

The third layer is where most new Devils start out as powerless Lemures, which also means it has the largest population of all the different layers. The city widens around here, but even then this layer is still jam-packed with slums. Most houses are little more than stones stacked on top of each other as a makeshift wall and a wooden pallet or piece of cloth as a roof. It is a dangerous layer, with acidic rains, plenty of sinkholes and many nasty, small insect-like creatures that cause a myriad of magical diseases.
The enormous population means there is an extremely cut-throat competition for any job at all. Most are poor and what little they can scrape together is spent on shelter and bribery to improve their position. Contrary to what one would expect at first glance, there are actually rather strict building codes. And since no one follows them, bribery is a necessity and frankly, the cheaper alternative. To obtain some security individuals band together in gangs lead by ruthless slumlords. The requirement for getting out of this layer is actually the simplest of all layers: pay the required fee. Unfortunately this fee is rather high and few manage to obtain this amount before they are knocked down.

Archdevil: Melchom

Fourth Layer - Amon

Devils sustain themselves on souls, which are both the source of their power and nutrition, as well as their currency. However the sensation of eating still remains and they love feasting on delicious foods just as much as they did in their previous lives, if not more. The layer of Amon contains rows upon rows of farms, orchards and menageries. The farms do not grow regular foods, instead they grow all kinds luxury foods, ranging from plants unique to Hell, to strange cross-breeds, to magically produced amalgamations. Regulations are strict and constantly changing, which means the farm estates appear to be in a constant state of disrepair as they are constantly being broken down and rebuilt. Those who manage to please one of the Archdevils or their sycophants with their creation can be elevated to the next layer, but they can be whimsical and having your project stolen is an ever-present risk as well.

Archdevil: Nisroch

Fifth Layer - Kalir

After the beautiful parts of plants and nature, the fifth layer is a particularly rough transition. Also known as the Shifting Jungles, it is a tropical layer where everything is constantly changing and a new danger awaits around every corner. It is filled with poisonous clouds that cause hallucinations and memory loss, making people constantly doubt what they are seeing and thinking. Staying alive and well is a challenge here and many learn to either craft useful tools here or a basic form of medicine. These things are traded for mutual survival, but mostly the survival of those who can haggle for a better deal. There are many small guilds and organizations here that protect the interest of its members, and further the advancement of its leaders. Those who show excellence in their craft may even be allowed to advance if they can show a product of considerable value to Kalir's tribunal, which is made up of Chamon's most trusted advisors.

Archdevil: Chamon

Sixth Layer - Astaroth

The sixth layer is where rising Devils first encounter a properly built city. The roads are paved, there is a dedicated sewage system and there are plentiful stores. It is more pleasant-looking at the surface level, but the corruption here runs deep. After the harshness of the previous layers, many are tempted to mellow out here and dabble in the available entertainment. There is good food and booze, pleasures of the flesh and betting on races, but also plentiful drugs and illegal pit fights. Those who lower their guard here however quickly find themselves taken advantage of and stripped of their wealth. This can be especially problematic since most will have gotten addicted to one of the many pleasures that drew them in. Many come up here, only to be wrung dry for everything they have and kicked down a few layers with no possessions to speak of.
This layer doesn't just filter out the sloppy ones that dropped their guard, but also those who lack ambition. After all, for those smart enough to avoid the scams or to be the scammers, this is an enjoyable place to live. Those who are prone to thinking that something is good enough will often stay here, having lost their ambition to move further up the ladder.

Archdevil: Ishtal

Seventh Layer - Typhon

The seventh layer is where the ambitious are truly tested on their capabilities. In Typhon the city is spanned almost in its entirety by one large maze-like castle comprised of thousands upon thousands of little hallways, corridors, libraries, archives and office rooms. This is where most of the laws of Hell are written, albeit at a terribly slow pace. The logistics are maddening, each paper needs to be approved and signed by multiple offices, most of which do not get along at all. And after collecting dozens of stamps and signatures, it will then turn out that one small sub-article was signed by the wrong department and it will all have to be done again. The bureaucracy here is downright malicious, each Devil trying to make life for the others as difficult as possible, just to see them fail. Everyone tries to do as little as possible while still following the laws, all the while bribing, plotting and trying to attain favors from other so they can get out before the next mega-annum. Unfortunately, most end up being overwhelmed here and become either hollow husks or accidentally break a law and are damned for all eternity to the first layer.

Archdevil: Verdelet

Eighth Layer - Adramel

Here is what the most ambitious and ruthless have all been aiming for, the Courts of Adramel. A luxurious realm rife with balls and parties where the rich and influential show off, plot and scheme. The amount of backstabbing, blackmail and worse is unlike that of any mortal court. Those who managed to get here had to survive the countless horrors and challenges of the previous layers and they are thus all intelligent, experienced and completely unreliable. The layer is comprised of countless small islands and within the city these islands are connected through canals and bridges. These islands are dominated by large castle-like mansions bustling with activity. Each noble has hordes of slaves and servants that see to their every need. These nobles also control many of the industries in the lower layers from which they derive the wealth required to continuously throw these lavish parties. Many however end up either being taken advantage of or realizing they are not good enough to keep up, and they resign themselves to being lesser nobles that provide support to larger nobles in exchange for protection. In the end however, only those chosen by Thamus himself are allowed on to the final layer. The general assumption is that those who show enough cunning and wit are invited, but there is no clear pattern.

Archdevil: Sephiran

Ninth Layer - Balaam

The final layer, the last station, as luxurious as possible and excessive in every single way. The area consists of mountains with outstanding views, crystal-clear lakes and fields of beautiful flowers. This dazzling terrain is covered with villas and gardens, one even more luxurious than the other. Everyone is served the best food, wears the finest clothes and they do not lift a finger as all work is done for them by their slave servants. Only the smartest, most ambitious and evil individuals end up here and they scheme to no end. They pretend to be others to damage their reputation, blackmail whoever they can and the web of lies has become so complicated that no one can keep up. Only Thamus himself appears to be completely impervious to these schemes, or anything else for that matter. There is one thing that limits those who get to this point however, they have to spend nearly all their time just deflecting all the schemes directed at them to retain the status and wealth that they have. Technically, everyone who reaches this layer is free to leave whenever they want to terrorize the mortal world or whatever other plane. But they don't want to. They can't afford to. Leaving means losing everything and thus everyone continues to play their role, all tiny cogs in the machine. Maybe that is what Thamus intended all along.

Archdevil: Thamus

Alternative Name(s)

The Nine Hells, Plane of Infernal Rule

Wealth and Power

There is a reason Devils make many deals with humans, because much like Demons, souls are their lifeblood. Unlike Demons however, Devils would feel ashamed for taking it through violence, instead they prefer trickery and diplomacy. Consuming souls nourishes them and increases their power, which makes souls exceedingly valuable to Devils. It should be no surprise then, that souls are used as a premium currency within Hell. This allows Devils to attain more power without having to deal with mortals, but it also means that they can lose their power quite literally. A failed bet could turn a Spined Devil to a weak, little Imp as they can no longer sustain the more powerful form due to a lack of souls. Within Hell, wealth is quite literally power.