Seven Hells
The Seven Hells inflame the imaginations of travelers, the greed of treasure seekers, and the battle fury of all moral creatures. It is the ultimate plane of law and evil and the epitome of premeditated cruelty. The devils of the Seven Hells are bound to obey the laws of their superiors, but they rebel within their individual castes. Most undertake any plot, no matter how foul, to advance themselves. At the very top of the hierarchy is Asmodeus, who has yet to be bested. If he were to be vanquished, the victor would rule the plane in turn. Such is the law of the Seven Hells.
The first six are each ruled by archdevils that answer to Asmodeus, the Archdevil of Superbia, the seventh layer. To reach the deepest layer of the Seven Hells, one must descend through all six of the layers above it, in order. The most expeditious means of doing so is the River Styx, which plunges ever deeper as it flows from one layer to the next. Only the most courageous adventurers can withstand the torment and horror of that journey.
The seven layer go in the following order:
There is no documented portal that leads to the lower Seven Hells from outside. Conduits, portals, and gates exist from Luxuria to all the lower layers, some more secret than others, and this natural chokepoint makes accessing the rest of the Seven Hells a difficult prospect. The Archdevils have ways of creating one-way portals that lead out of their respective layers, but they all inevitably collapse or are closed deliberately.
Politics are a major component of devil existence in the Seven Hells, and new travelers – especially powerful adventurers – can tip the scales of balance in any one’s favor. Whether it’s being followed by agents of the layer’s archduke or another scheming devil noble, there are few places to go across the Seven Hells that isn’t watched or scrutinized. And the ones that aren’t are not particularly friendly to travel.
Telepathic communications via magic items such as sending stones or a helm of telepathy can be overheard by an archdevil as well. Communicating with a serpentine owl, an orb of dragonkind, or a sentient weapon also runs the risk of being overheard in the seven hells. Rings of mind shielding work the same as they do on any other plane and are highly valuable items in the Seven Hells, coveted by all fiends to avoid the prying minds of their masters.
Silver is harmful to devils. Nevertheless, devils trade silver to those wishing to eliminate rivals in their path. Most of the trades in the seven hells are made with gold coins, and when the value start to be over a few hundred gold, devil and fiends alike prefer to be paid with soul coins (worth 250 gp).
A character who agrees to the archdevil’s terms automatically rolls a 20 on their next death save. At the same time, the character falls under the effect of a geas spell (no saving throw allowed). If this spell ends prematurely, the character immediately drops to 0 hit points and is dying. The task that the character must complete is usually simple and straightforward, and always for the benefit of the archdevil who struck the deal. Sample tasks include delivering a treasure to one of the archdevil’s minions, refusing to help someone the character is fated to meet in the future, or destroying something the archdevil abhors (such as a holy symbol).
Geography
The seven hells holds seven layers, each with its own form of torture it inflicts upon all who tread upon its surface. More than almost any other plane, the Seven Hells themselves are alive with emotion and thoughts of torturous ruin. The plane doesn’t communicate directly with any being, save for Asmodeus, but that doesn’t mean it works in silence either.The first six are each ruled by archdevils that answer to Asmodeus, the Archdevil of Superbia, the seventh layer. To reach the deepest layer of the Seven Hells, one must descend through all six of the layers above it, in order. The most expeditious means of doing so is the River Styx, which plunges ever deeper as it flows from one layer to the next. Only the most courageous adventurers can withstand the torment and horror of that journey.
The seven layer go in the following order:
Getting There
Access to the first layer of the Nine Hells, Luxuria, is relatively straightforward. Many portals exist across the multiverse that lead to that first blasted broken land, with some spontaneous gates and other permanent portals. When a new portal is discovered by the devil forces of Luxuria, they move quickly to control it by building a fortress around it as soon as possible. One of the most well known permanant portal is in Mount Celestia in the first heaven, Lunia.There is no documented portal that leads to the lower Seven Hells from outside. Conduits, portals, and gates exist from Luxuria to all the lower layers, some more secret than others, and this natural chokepoint makes accessing the rest of the Seven Hells a difficult prospect. The Archdevils have ways of creating one-way portals that lead out of their respective layers, but they all inevitably collapse or are closed deliberately.
Traveling Around
Non-devils traveling on any layer of the Seven Hells attract the wrong kind of attention from the beings in charge. Beyond the threat of sky fireballs, hailstorms, flame eruptions, and more natural hazards unique to each layer, getting noticed by the wrong devil in the Seven Hells can create real trouble for those not looking for it.Politics are a major component of devil existence in the Seven Hells, and new travelers – especially powerful adventurers – can tip the scales of balance in any one’s favor. Whether it’s being followed by agents of the layer’s archduke or another scheming devil noble, there are few places to go across the Seven Hells that isn’t watched or scrutinized. And the ones that aren’t are not particularly friendly to travel.
Features
Telepathic Communications
Asmodeus and the archdevil ruling each layer can eavesdrop on communication spells such as message and sending sent from or within the seven hells. Because of this, those engaging in telepathic communication always have the feeling that they are being listened in on or watched by some infernal presence, even if an archdevil isn’t eavesdropping on their communication.Telepathic communications via magic items such as sending stones or a helm of telepathy can be overheard by an archdevil as well. Communicating with a serpentine owl, an orb of dragonkind, or a sentient weapon also runs the risk of being overheard in the seven hells. Rings of mind shielding work the same as they do on any other plane and are highly valuable items in the Seven Hells, coveted by all fiends to avoid the prying minds of their masters.
Food and Drink
Wisdom (Survival) checks to forage in the seven hells are made at disadvantage. Water exists, but it tastes foul and is hard to find. The denizen of hell tend to drink other liquid to satisfy their thirst, Luxuria is known for its wine consumption for example. Food can likewise be scrounged, but the flora and fauna taste revolting no matter the manner of preparation. Even rations brought to the seven hell taste bitter and ashen.Commerce
When it comes to the souls of mortals, the Seven Hells is always open for business. The main drivers behind this infernal commerce are treasure and soul coins. Treasure is only valuable to devils because of its efficacy in tempting and twisting mortals (humans in particular) toward lives of corruption, ultimately leading them to forfeit their souls. Because gold has been used for millennia in the seven Hells, adventurers can find ancient gold coins from the Orrin Empire.Silver is harmful to devils. Nevertheless, devils trade silver to those wishing to eliminate rivals in their path. Most of the trades in the seven hells are made with gold coins, and when the value start to be over a few hundred gold, devil and fiends alike prefer to be paid with soul coins (worth 250 gp).
Bargain-Based Death Saves
Whenever a character fails a death save in the Seven Hells, an archdevil may contact that character telepathically and offer its assistance. The character must agree to perform a task for the archdevil afterward. The nature of the task is not revealed until the character agrees to these terms.A character who agrees to the archdevil’s terms automatically rolls a 20 on their next death save. At the same time, the character falls under the effect of a geas spell (no saving throw allowed). If this spell ends prematurely, the character immediately drops to 0 hit points and is dying. The task that the character must complete is usually simple and straightforward, and always for the benefit of the archdevil who struck the deal. Sample tasks include delivering a treasure to one of the archdevil’s minions, refusing to help someone the character is fated to meet in the future, or destroying something the archdevil abhors (such as a holy symbol).
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