Hell

The Fire Below

Far below the surface of Tarea, there is a city aflame. The skyline of hell rises up from the sulfurous ground, it's jagged megastructures forming fingers pointing blasphemously at the surface above. The streets, absent from the light of the sun, are an inferneon drenched kaleidoscope of pain and punishment. Above, infernal sky engines weave through the spires of the upper city heading towards skyports carrying valuable souls for trade. Below, the River Styx winds it's way down, from the mortal realm above to the deepest pits of Nessus below.

The Screaming City

Many believe that Hell has existed as long as the world of Tarea has. In truth it may even be older, but found a new purpose when mortal souls began appearing in the Styx. Mortal Souls are a powerful substance. When used as a fuel, they can power technology the surface world can only imagine. The souls of Tarea have led to untold inventions in the screaming city, and now the city has advanced from the tales of a blasted landscape dotted with citadels to a giant modern megacity, with skyscrapers extending to the sky at impossible angles.

The Soul Matrix

Hell is a place that exists in two dimensions. The physical world, called fleshspace, is the twisting streets of a Flaming City. Beyond this though is the Soul Matrix, an invisible, ephemeral realm which is used by the Devils of the city to control buildings, simulacra and other fantastic inventions. Certain denizens of the city have become adept at entering and controlling the soul matrix, and by extension controlling many of the systems that power the city around them.

The Revolution

Long ago, hell had a king. Lucifer ruled from the tenth district, and under his iron rule the other princes of Hell bided their time. When the power of the mortal soul was discovered, Lucifer was hesitant to utilize it. This was all the Devil lords needed to rise up in revolt. The battles continued for thousands of years, but in the end the royal family of Hell were exiled, and the Devil lords took their place as the de facto leaders of the city. Now, Those same Devils that once bowed and scraped at Lucifer's feet hunt him across the worlds, seeking for his final destruction/

The Soulcorps

After the end of the War in Hell, the Devil lords retreated to their districts and began experimenting with the mortal soul. Each found unique and powerful ways to use souls, and so the Soulcorps were born. Each district is ruled by an organisation called a Soulcorp, which in turn is ruled by a Devil Prince. The Corps control almost every aspect of Hell, and are constantly engaged in a game of shadows and subterfuge with the other Corps. For this war, they often utilize small groups of adventurers, either Devil born or captured from the surface world, as strike teams to complete dangerous and off contract missions called shadow runs.