The Nine Hells

World Overview: The Nine Hells Unbound HIGH MAGIC For millennia, the Nine Hells of Baator were bound by ancient pacts—cosmic laws enforced by gods, primordials, and the balance of the planes themselves. Devils schemed endlessly, but their wars were fought in shadows, contracts, and whispered temptation. The Material Plane was a prize to be harvested slowly. That age has ended. Now, the Nine Hells are invading the world as it exists today, not as conquerors alone, but as corrupters, occupiers, and lawmakers. Cities still stand, nations still argue, and people still wake up to ordinary lives—but hell has begun to overlay reality, transforming the familiar into something infernal. The Breaking of the Seals The invasion began with the Shattering of the Concordance, a forgotten set of planar seals embedded deep within the world’s leylines. Whether broken by mortal ambition, divine neglect, or Asmodeus’ long game is unclear. What is known is this: Each layer of the Nine Hells now anchors itself to the Material Plane, one by one. Where a seal falls, reality warps. Skies bruise crimson or burn brass. Time slows or contracts around infernal strongholds. Devils manifest not as summoned outsiders, but as citizens with legal standing. The Hells are not merely invading—they are colonizing. The World as It Is Now The world resembles the one people remember—modern cities, governments, religions, and technologies—but infernal influence has woven itself into every layer of society. Hellish Zones exist where entire regions have become reflections of a specific layer of Baator. Devil Contracts are now enforceable across planes, often recognized by mortal courts and governments desperate for power or stability. Infernal Infrastructure—fortresses, factories, soul-forges, and administrative citadels—rises alongside highways and skylines. Faith is fractured, as some gods have withdrawn, some fight openly, and others are suspiciously silent. Mortals are not enslaved en masse. Instead, they are managed. The Ninefold Invasion Each Hell invades in its own way, expressing its philosophy upon the world: Avernus (War and Conquest) Battlefronts erupt around cities, refugee corridors, and militarized zones. War becomes permanent. Devils act as “peacekeepers.” Dis (Oppression and Surveillance) Megacities transform into iron labyrinths of bureaucracy, omnipresent watchers, and infernal law. Minauros (Greed and Decay) Financial districts rot into flooded wastelands where wealth literally sinks into hellish bogs. Phlegethos (Pain and Indulgence) Pleasure districts and media empires become engines of addiction, sensation, and despair. Stygia (Frozen Tyranny) Polar regions and isolated nations fall silent beneath infernal ice, ruled by paranoia and fear. Malbolge (Punishment and Collapse) Failed states and disaster zones are claimed by endless torment and grinding ruin. Maladomini (Exploitation and Industry) Endless construction, pollution, and soul-harvesting factories choke the land. Cania (Arcane Domination) Research hubs, universities, and tech centers are twisted into laboratories of cold infernal intellect. Nessus (Absolute Control) The deepest corruption occurs invisibly—world leaders, global systems, and cosmic truths bend toward Asmodeus’ final design.

Major Kingdoms & Nations The Sword Coast & the North Waterdeep – The City of Splendors; the largest, richest, and most influential city in Faerûn. Baldur’s Gate – A ruthless merchant city-state driven by wealth and ambition. Neverwinter – A resilient city rebuilt again and again; a symbol of hope and renewal. Luskan – Pirate-ruled city with strong arcane influence. Amn – A powerful mercantile nation where gold outweighs morality. Tethyr – A feudal kingdom recovering from civil war. Ten-Towns – A fragile confederation of settlements in Icewind Dale. The Heartlands Cormyr – The Forest Kingdom; a stable, lawful monarchy protected by the Purple Dragons and War Wizards. Sembia – Wealthy, mercantile, and politically ruthless. The Dalelands – Independent farming communities with strong traditions of self-rule. Zhentil Keep / Zhentarim – A shadowy, expansionist mercantile-military power. East & Southeast Faerûn Thay – A magocracy ruled by the Red Wizards; undead labor and arcane tyranny. Rashemen – A fierce land defended by berserkers and witch-queens. Aglarond – A free nation resisting Thayan influence. Mulhorand & Unther – Ancient, god-ruled empires inspired by Old Earth mythologies. South & Exotic Lands Calimshan – A land of deserts, genies, slavery, and ancient wealth. Chult – A jungle peninsula filled with dinosaurs, ruins, and deadly magic. Halruaa – A floating-city magocracy of powerful skyships (often isolated). Iconic Cities (Beyond the Obvious) Silverymoon – The Gem of the North; a bastion of magic and cooperation. Candlekeep – The greatest library in the world. Neverwinter, Myth Drannor, Suzail – Each a former or current symbol of civilization’s height. Major Geographic Features Mountains & Ranges The Spine of the World – Massive, frozen mountain range in the far north. The Sword Mountains – Home to giants, dragons, and ancient dwarven holds. The Sunrise Mountains – Bordering Rashemen and Thay. Forests Cormanthor (Elven Woods) – Once the heart of elven civilization. High Forest – One of the oldest and most magical forests in Faerûn. Wealdath (Forest of Tethir) – Fey-touched and dangerous. Deserts & Wastelands Anauroch Desert – A magical wasteland formed by the fall of Netheril. Calim Desert – Home to ancient genie empires and ongoing conflict. Seas & Waterways The Sea of Swords – Major trade route along the Sword Coast. The Inner Sea (Sea of Fallen Stars) – The political and cultural heart of Faerûn. River Chionthar – Lifeline of Baldur’s Gate and the western Heartlands. The Underdark A vast subterranean world beneath Faerûn, filled with drow cities, mind flayers, ancient horrors, and lost civilizations.

Faerûn is the primary continent of the Forgotten Realms, a classic high-fantasy world of ancient magic, powerful gods, and constant adventure. It is a land of diverse cultures and regions, ranging from the bustling trade cities of the Sword Coast, to the harsh deserts of Anauroch, the mystical forests of Cormanthor, and the frozen wastes of the North. Kingdoms rise and fall, often shaped by wars, magical catastrophes, or divine intervention. Magic is common but dangerous, wielded by wizards, sorcerers, clerics, and ancient orders like the Harpers and Red Wizards of Thay. The gods are active and real, granting power to their followers and occasionally reshaping the world through events known as cataclysms (such as the Time of Troubles and the Spellplague). Faerûn is populated by humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, orcs, dragons, and countless other beings, all competing for survival, power, or peace. Beneath its surface lie ancient ruins, lost empires, and Underdark realms, while planar threats constantly test the fragile balance. In Faerûn, adventure is everywhere, and the actions of a small group of heroes can change the fate of the world.

The World as It Is Now The world resembles the one people remember—modern cities, governments, religions, and technologies—but infernal influence has woven itself into every layer of society. Hellish Zones exist where entire regions have become reflections of a specific layer of Baator. Devil Contracts are now enforceable across planes, often recognized by mortal courts and governments desperate for power or stability. Infernal Infrastructure—fortresses, factories, soul-forges, and administrative citadels—rises alongside highways and skylines. Faith is fractured, as some gods have withdrawn, some fight openly, and others are suspiciously silent. Mortals are not enslaved en masse. Instead, they are managed. The Ninefold Invasion Each Hell invades in its own way, expressing its philosophy upon the world: Avernus (War and Conquest) Battlefronts erupt around cities, refugee corridors, and militarized zones. War becomes permanent. Devils act as “peacekeepers.” Dis (Oppression and Surveillance) Megacities transform into iron labyrinths of bureaucracy, omnipresent watchers, and infernal law. Minauros (Greed and Decay) Financial districts rot into flooded wastelands where wealth literally sinks into hellish bogs. Phlegethos (Pain and Indulgence) Pleasure districts and media empires become engines of addiction, sensation, and despair. Stygia (Frozen Tyranny) Polar regions and isolated nations fall silent beneath infernal ice, ruled by paranoia and fear. Malbolge (Punishment and Collapse) Failed states and disaster zones are claimed by endless torment and grinding ruin. Maladomini (Exploitation and Industry) Endless construction, pollution, and soul-harvesting factories choke the land. Cania (Arcane Domination) Research hubs, universities, and tech centers are twisted into laboratories of cold infernal intellect. Nessus (Absolute Control) The deepest corruption occurs invisibly—world leaders, global systems, and cosmic truths bend toward Asmodeus’ final design.

In a D&D world, magic is a natural force woven into reality, often called the Weave. Arcane magic is shaped by knowledge, talent, or instinct (wizards study it, sorcerers are born with it, warlocks borrow it). Divine magic is granted by gods or cosmic powers in exchange for faith or service. Primal/nature magic flows from the world itself, wielded by druids and rangers. Spellcasters don’t create magic—they channel and shape it, and when the flow is disrupted, magic becomes dangerous or unpredictable.