Baator is the classical
hell of the
AD&D Planescape universe. The plane of utter
Lawful Evil, its politics resemble those of
George Orwell's
1984, and its ruler is
Asmodeus, the
king of hell. Also known as the
Nine Hells, Baator is home to the
baatezu or
devils, and takes its descriptions from
Dante's Inferno. The layers are:
Avernus: This is a blasted wasteland, ruled by the
devil Bel, and scorched by fire from the sky. The description resembles Circle VII, ring I, from
Inferno.
Dis: The
Iron City of Hell, this
city is ruled by
Dispater, and takes its imagery from
Inferno, Circle V.
Minauros: This is a realm of filth, murk, and iron chains.
Inferno, Circle III, provides the images, as I recall.
Phlegethos: A realm of fire, influenced by popular ideas of Hell.
Stygia: The icy waters of the
River Styx.
Malebolge: A realm of chasms and rocky slopes, this layer is influenced by, though not copied from,
Inferno, Circle VIII.
Maladomini: 'The ill-ruled'. This is a barren wasteland of red rock. It is said that something ancient and yet more evil sleeps below the earth here.
Cania: From
Dante's
Caïna, which is Circle IX, ring II. This is a frozen desert, cold and hard and bitter.
Nessus: The heart of hell, containing the citadel of the
arch-fiend himself.
See also:
Outer Planes