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Cania was the eighth layer of the Nine Hells of Baator. It was a relentless realm of seemingly living cold.[4]
“Not all the hells are places of fire.” — Valthrun the Prescient[7]
Geography
The layer was marked by moving glaciers and icebergs that drifted as fast as a running person, constantly colliding with one another and with surrounding mountains of enormous sizes. Snow avalanches were common and violent.[1][4]The weather was dominated by snow storms that howled with incessant winds. Thin layers of accumulated snow often hid deep crevasses that could engulf incautious explorers.[2]
The supernatural cold of Cania was substantially stronger than in Stygia,[1]reaching temperatures of −60 ℉(−51 ℃),[3]comparable to those in the Frostfell.[8]It could quickly penetrate nonmagical clothing, freezing unprotected creatures within minutes and killing even those wearing gear designed to withstand cold temperatures in hours.[1]Unsheltered creatures ran a constant risk of freezing to death. Preserved corpses were frequently uncovered after collisions between glaciers, while other glaciers seemed to hold unknown frozen creatures at their very centers. Some of the shapes within the ice suggested that they were archons or devas fighting unknown spined creatures, while others seemed like entire alien cities.[4]
The layer contained scattered laboratories and libraries within isolated citadels.[9]
Government
The layer was ruled by the archdevil Mephistopheles, Lord of the Eighth.[2]His rule consisted of overseeing endless experiments with arcane magic and the nature of the planes, conducted throughout the wastes of the layer. Government duties were often filled by Hutijin, allowing Mephistopheles more time to focus on his experiments.[9]
Defenses
The layer was constantly patrolled against spies that might pry on the secrets of arcane spells, magic items, and magic theory that were developed in its laboratories. Arcane spellcasters and other devils occasionally risked braving the cold wastes in search for knowledge. In particular, spies from Dis were common, since Dispater worried that Mephistopheles might acquire more information than him.[9]
Rumors & Legends
“Let all who enter this home without the consent of its owner burn for ninety-nine years in the depths of Nessus and freeze for a thousand more in the icy wastes of Cania.” — Destiny Agganor's front door runes[10]
The tiefling midwife Destiny Agganor from Nightstone had a set of runes burned onto her front door to ward off unwanted visitors. It contained a prayer that included damning any intruders to freeze for a millennium in Cania.[10]
Notable Locations
Kintyre, an enormous uninhabited city of strange architecture that was buried deep under the ice.[1]
Mephistar, home of Mephistopheles. A heated citadel carved out of the ice and located atop the giant glacier Nargus, whose movement was controlled by the Lord of the Eighth himself.[4]
The Pit, a dark and windy shaft several hundred feet in diameter. It was heavily guarded by ice devils, and ended in a lake of frozen slush. At the bottom of the lake, at a depth of 1,001 fathoms (1,831 meters) lay a portal that was the primary access point to the ninth layer, Nessus.[1][4]
Inhabitants
The main inhabitants of Cania were gelugons, whose activities in the layer remained largely unknown. The environment was so inhospitable that even other devils avoided visiting the layer.[1]
“Don't you know you're not allowed here?” — A gelugon guard of the portal to Nessus.[6]
Geography
The layer was a featureless plain with jagged edges that extended 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from east to west and 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) from north to south, floating in an endless red void.[2]The plains were scarred by chasms and ravines several thousand miles deep,[4]and were frequently ravaged by fiery storm winds.[3]
Geographical Features
The River Styx trickled down into Nessus through a little-known, small offshoot. It was heavily guarded by devils who slew any unauthorized visitors on sight.[1]The river drained into a shallow pool known as the Forgotten Lake, then continued at the bottom of some of the crevasses before percolating through the earth and continuing its course into Gehenna.[2]
The River Lethe also flowed across Nessus, occasionally also falling into its trenches and ravines.[6]
Government
The layer was ruled directly by Asmodeus, who presented himself as an illusion of a tall, red-skinned, slender man. He was assisted by a court of archdevils that included the Chancellor of Hell Adramalech, Inquisitor Phongor, and several commanders. His pit fiend generals included Executioner Alastor, Asmodeus's majordomo Baalberith, and Constable Martinet.[2][3]
History
Asmodeus allowed Zariel to recover in Nessus from the wounds sustained by her fall before assigning her as Duchess of Avernus.[7]
Rumors & Legends
“Let all who enter this home without the consent of its owner burn for ninety-nine years in the depths of Nessus and freeze for a thousand more in the icy wastes of Cania.” — Destiny Agganor's front door runes[8]
The tiefling midwife Destiny Agganor from Nightstone had a set of runes burned onto her front door to ward off unwanted visitors. It contained a prayer that included damning any intruders to burn in Nessus for almost a century.[8]
Notable Locations
Malsheem, the largest city in all of the Outer Planes and home to Asmodeus. Located at the bottom of an enormous trench directly below the portal from the Pit in Cania, it was inhabited by millions of devils held in reserve for an unknown cataclysmic battle. Asmodeus's citadel of Fortress Nessus rose far above the plain from the bottom of the rift.[2][4]
The Serpent's Coil, the deepest rift of the layer, said to have been blasted as a result of Asmodeus's fall into the Hells. It was home to his true form as he healed from the wounds sustained by his fall. The blood shed by Asmodeus's wounds constantly sprouted new devils, perfect specimens of pit fiends and cornugons.[1][4]
Tabjari, a citadel made of copper that stood along the walls of Reaper's Canyon. It contained one of the three copies of the Pact Primeval―the other two remaining in Mechanus and Mount Celestia.[2]
Inhabitants
Nessus was inhabited by a majority of greater devils, including Asmodeus's legions of amnizus, pit fiends, and cornugons, among others.[2]
In addition to Devils, Fiends of Gehenna are often known as a Daemons and Yugoloth.
The basic General unit of Gehenna is a Greater Nycaloth. The basic unit of the Armies is a Mezzoloth. They use mindless Larve for cannon fodder. Gehena's basic legion unit strength 5,000-11,000+.
“Life is an exercise in will. Now hold still while I exercise mine.” — Monteirus Cherif, a student of Gehenna's lessons.[15]
Description
The four layers of Gehenna were infinite planes with gravity at a forty-five degree angle to the ground, making travelers feel as if they were on the side of a mountain with no base or peak. Anyone losing their footing could tumble for miles/kilometers before finding enough purchase on the slope to halt their fall. Nearly all terrain that was not a river of water or lava was slightly slippery to quite slick. All structures were either built onto or carved into the slopes. Heat and light came from the ground, much like Tarterus, but the source was volcanic: lava flows, vents, fumaroles, and mud pots were very common. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occurred often, tearing the land apart. On the hotter layers, unprotected flammable items and creatures would catch fire from the glowing ground or superheated gases being ejected. The barriers between layers were always underground, usually in dead end corridors.[10]
The uppermost layer, Khalas, was the most livable of the four planes[10]with many waterfalls cascading down the slopes, the largest being the river Styx. The Styx followed a rough path down the slope, fell for thousands of feet/meters, ran through twisty rapids before finally disappearing into underground passages. Steam rose into the infinite and empty black sky. making the horizon glow a dull red. Khalas touched the Astral Plane and had connections to Hades, the Nine Hells, and Concordant Opposition. The portals appeared as black chasms in the floor of deep underground caverns. While there was no way of telling where these would lead, intelligent travelers had made markings on the walls by many of them to indicate the portal's destination, if one could read them.[1]
The second layer of Gehenna was the most violently active layer with lava cascades thousands of miles/kilometers wide and city-sized volcanoes yawning open on the slopes. The air was foul with acrid smoke for 10 miles (16 kilometers) above the surface and would cause blindness to unprotected eyes and had the effect of a stinking cloud on the lungs. Below ground the air was fresher but stank of burning flesh and hair.[1]
Mungoth was a land of falling ash and burning snow. The furnaces of this layer were fewer and farther apart, allowing ice and snow to build up in the darker places between active areas. Travelers had to brave the never-ending avalanches of wet snow and fiery rock. Underground passages were relatively safe.[1]
The fourth layer was devoid of any volcanic activity, even underground. All was dark and cold. The name of this layer meant literally "dead furnaces".[1]
Cosmography
Mount Olympus connected to Gehenna at randomly changing locations throughout the plane. It was unclear why the mountain had a connection at all to the plane, but some sages speculated that the mountainous character of the plane attracted the planar conduit there.[16]
Inhabitants
The only creatures known to be native to this plane were the barghests,[1] running through the rifts of Khalas and occasionally found in smaller number on the other layers, and the pyroclastic dragons.[2] All the other creatures originally came from the adjacent lower planes, mostly to hide from more powerful beings that wished to enslave them. Gehenna was often a plane of exile for the less powerful archdevils and daemon taskmasters.[1]
Realms
Even lesser deities tended to avoid Gehenna. Those that leaned toward Law were recruited into the hierarchy of the Nine Hells and those that favored evil tended toward Hades.[1] Here is a list of the Powers known to have called this plane home at some point:
Main article: Chamada
