Stygia

Stygia is the fifth circle of the Nine Hells. It's a vast frozen sea dominated by ice floes and icebergs. The River Styx flows through the entire layer. Stygia is also home to the divine realm of Sekolah.

Government

Levistus, the archduke of Stygia, is imprisoned deep within a massive iceberg known as the Tomb of Levistus, located in Tantlin's harbor. Despite his confinement, Levistus maintains control over Stygia, issuing commands and gathering information through telepathy. He can communicate with any devil within a 16-kilometer radius. Levistus also oversees all the amnizus, while secretly plotting to conquer another layer of the Nine Hells.

Rumors & Legends

There's a theory that Stygia was once a world on the Prime Material Plane that faced destruction. Its inhabitants made a pact with Ashmedai, pledging their world and souls for safety before Heaven and Hell Symphony. As a result, Stygia became one of the Nine Hells. This hypothesis is supported by the unusual variety of creatures native to the Material Plane found in Stygia. However, conclusive evidence remains elusive, and the possibility of hidden riches from the original world persists.
Stygia is believed to be the source of the River Styx, due to the river's prevalence throughout the layer and its potent memory-draining effects. These effects can erase an individual's soul, making Stygia an even more dangerous place.

Notable Locations

• Sheyruushk, realm of Sekolah, is located below the frozen surface.
• Tantlin, the City of Ice, largest city of the layer. It is built atop an ice floe on one of the banks of the Styx and is ruled by an unknown pit fiend.

Inhabitants

Beyond the wildlife, tribes of frost giants roam the icy landscape of Stygia, unafraid of the devils.

The devil population of Stygia includes abishai, amnizus, erinyes, gelugons, and spinagons. Unlike other layers of Baator, pit fiends are rare in Stygia. Hamatulas and succubi are also commonly found.

Geography

Stygia is a vast, frozen ocean, its surface covered in a dense layer of ice floes and icebergs. The only open water is the River Styx, which meanders through the layer, its dark, oily waters distinct from the surrounding saltwater.
Some ice floes are large enough to support cities, and the presence of the Styx makes navigation between settlements relatively easy. In certain areas, small arctic plants grow, creating slightly warmer swamps. These areas attract wildlife but are also more susceptible to ice breaking.
The sky of Stygia is perpetually twilight, constantly struck by lightning, making it dangerous for flying creatures. Thunder roars continuously across the land.
Unlike other layers of Baator, Stygia remains largely untamed. Its wilderness is inhabited by aggressive creatures like dire wolves, frost worms, krakens, mammoths, polar bears, sharks, and remorhazes, often used for military training by devils.

Location under

Nine Hells

Included Locations

• Sheyruushk