Hell

Few know of its existence, but Hell does exist. It is a frightening and bewildering realm with many distinct (and not-so-distinct) princedoms and strongholds. It has been described by various sources as “an alternate Web inhabited by demonic creatures”, an “endless domain of pure and rampant evil” and “the place where the souls of the damned are sent to endure eternal torment”. Those with enough knowledge to have an informed opinion assert that Hell is no mere “alternate web”, though it seems to operate somewhat like one.

Inhabitants

The most numerous population segment in Hell is the spirits of deceased mortals. The means by which these spirits are divided among Hell’s ruling parties is not known. What is known is that they are tormented to release some sort of mystical spirit-energy, known in Hell as “essence”. This essence is used as fuel, raw material for production and currency in Hell, making it the only commodity that is worth anything. The souls of the damned are the most plentiful source of essence, but even en masse, they are no match for those on the next rung up the ladder, Demons. Demons are subdivided into demonlings (imps and gremlins not yet fully “grown”-- most barely more powerful than a single mortal soul), servitor demons and Demon Princes. The Princes split the domains of Hell among themselves and rule them through their servitors. The third and final tier of Hell’s population is made up of mysterious beings whom the Paladin Uriel refers to as “the Powers” (this may only be euphemism--it‘s hard to tell with him). How these creatures fit into the Princely power structure has not been made clear--it seems that perhaps they do not “fit into” it at all, but are entirely above it in some way. There are perhaps two or three dozen Princes in all, but only a handful of “powers“. Their nature and motivations can only be guessed at for the time being (though Uriel seems to know something).

Lay of the Land

Hell is divided into various ‘domains’, each with a distinct flavor. Known domains include Abbadon, Stygia, Perdition and Shal-Mari, and there are known to be others. Abbadon is mostly an undeveloped wilderness haunted by primates, canines insects and all manner of unhappy creatures in the middle of which sits its prince’s fortress, the Tower of Bone. Stygia seems to be a wandering, confusing and constantly shifting maze of corridors, stairways, false doors and sudden dropoffs (rather like the Winchester mansion in California). Perdition (what little has been seen of it) looks like an abandoned city. Shal-Mari seems to be a teeming metropolis (if reports can be believed, it is shared among several Princes). Domains appear to be connected to one another through means of portals--which can take the form of doors, boxes, arches, mystical circles drawn on a floor or virtually anything else. The “substance” of Hell is mutable, to a degree. While mortal souls cannot affect it in more than “ordinary” ways, Demons (especially Princes) can.

Hell can only be reached by traveling down a Hellmaw--which is often a long, dangerous and harrowing experience even for the most stout-hearted. Only one Hellmaw is known to exist (it is located somewhere in the Gate dimension), but there may be others. Uriel has put forth the theory that there is one Hellmaw per dimension, and then only in the Core. However, he emphasizes that this is only a guess. Since Uriel is considered the foremost mortal authority on Hell, if he doesn’t know for sure, it’s safe to assume nobody does.