In the cosmology of the Planescapecampaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragonsfantasyrole-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells, is the Outer plane where the souls of people of Lawful Evil alignment are sent after death, suffering whatever torments are determined by their gods and beliefs. Baator is also home to the devils, fiendish extra-dimensional creatures of pure Lawful Evil; the most populous variety of devils are the baatezu, a race which effectively rules the plane. The devils are in constant conflict with the Chaotic Evil demons. The ultimate rulers of Baator are the Lords of the Nine, also called Arch-Devils; each one rules absolutely over one of the layers.
The layers of Baator are configured as a descending cone, with each layer successively lower than the one before it, as opposed to the Upper Planes of good alignment, where one goes higher to enter deeper into the plane. These layers are, from topmost to bottom:
Avernus is a vast wasteland over which the iron towers of the Dukes of Hell stand; from these towers the devils send out and respond to summonings and communicate with mortal wizards and cultists via astral projection. Lord Bel rules here, and Tiamat, queen of evil dragons, stands watch over the way to the next layer.
Dis is the second layer, dominated by the Iron City of Dis, the greatest city in all of Hell, which reaches far into the sky and deep beneath the earth. Dispater rules here.
Minauros
Phleghethos is a fiery wasteland filled with active volcanoes and rivers of molten lava.
Stygia is a murky ocean fed directly by the River Styx.
Malbolge
Maladomini is a barren landscape scarred by countless forgotten ruins, abandoned mines and gruesome subterranean dungeons. The city of Malagard is the layer's primary settlement.
Cania (or Caina) is an icy waste, ruled by Mephistopheles.
Nessus is a pit virtually uninhabited even by the devils. Here, Asmodeus rules over the entire plane, and thus the entire race of devils.
The topography of Baator is broadly derived from the Hell described in Dante'sThe Divine Comedy, although the arrangement and names of the layers of Baator differ greatly from the circles of Hell described by Dante. The Outer Plane of Mount Celestia is likewise loosely inspired by Dante's depiction of Heaven.
External Links
Layers of Baator (jpg) (http://www.wrg.ru/img/baator.jpg)
The OuterPlanes are typically represented in a ring, with the Upper Planes (the planes of Good alignment) at the top, the Lower Planes, or Underworld (the Evil planes) at the bottom, the Lawful planes at the left, and the Chaotic planes at the right.
Theories of organisation of the OuterPlanes vary according to culture.
Some Oriental lands see the planes not as separate regions, but as a single mass throughout which are scattered different agencies of the Celestial Bureaucracy, with the Celestial Emperor residing on one plane, and his Minister of State on another.
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