The Outer Planes

The outer planes lie within the astral sea, and are the home realms of the celestial kingdom of life. The celestial organism superior to the humanoid is possessed of a compound moral nature, and similarly to the humanoid organism, separates its individuals into ethical-moral strata within its native world. However, due to the differences between physical matter, which forms the body of the humanoid, and the much more refined and responsive astral matter which forms the body of the celestial, whereas the moral nature of a man does not create significant or even noticeable change in his appearance or that of his immediate environment, the moral nature of a celestial, does. A celestial being's body and surroundings alter greatly depending upon its own moral-emotional state, as their world is the world of the dream. As such, different moral strata of celestials inevitably set up strata of separation within not only the individual being's appearance, but also within the astral environment itself. Whereas the criminal class of humanity might as best distinguish its presence in a society through the expression of a "rough part of town" alongside more civilised areas in close proximity to it, the criminal class of celestial beings automatically create the existence of an environment entirely dedicated to the expression of its fallen inclinations. Such worlds within the astral sea are often conceptualised by mystics as being stacked one on top of the other, like plates, and will be referred to here as "outer planes" - those which, like the astral sea itself, both interpenetrate and surround the matter which we call physical reality.

The Upper Planes - Elysium and the Nine Heavens
The upper planes are the astral sea proper, their grades of refined matter forming a bridge by which pure qualities of Deity can filter down through the emotional nature of creatures.

The Lower Planes - Phantasm and the Nine Hells
The lower planes are the portions of the astral sea which have become entangled in negative energy, the emotional bridge between Deity and its creatures having been perverted through excessive attachments.

Autonomy and Spontaneous Authority
Phantasm, although considered a Hell in the sense that it is the first of the lower planes, is not considered to be a part of the Hells proper, but rather the lower purgatorial realm. The infernal life-form dwelling upon this plane is the nehemoth, or "whispering mephit".

Worldwide Persona
Minos is the first layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the ogiel, or "impious mephit". Here are punished the souls who allowed appetite and desire to sway their reason and purpose. Shivering cold, grey snowy winds causing wear to one's skin over time and exposure. The landscape is of terrible heat, with beings suffering from merely standing on the ground. Lava flows dominate, and frequent conflicts break out amongst the souls. The distinguishing feature of this layer is the ongoing, terrible windstorm which buffets souls back and forth, in a howling darkness of helpless discomfort.

Patchwork of Persona and Authority
Cerberus is the second layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the theuniel, or "wailing mephit". Here are punished the souls who degenerated into solitary self-indulgence. It is cold enough here that one's cold blisters ooze blood and pus. Fiery emanations from the lava here seem to cut at the bodies of the tormented, leaving them blackened. The distinguishing feature of this layer is that souls languish and wallow in a vile slush produced by a ceaseless, foul, icy rain. They are also mauled and flayed as they howl like dogs, sightless and heedless of each other as they grovel in the mud.

Spontaneous Tyranny
Plutus is the third layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the Theumiel, or "foul mephit". Here are punished the souls who materialistically deviated from all reason. It is so cold here that beings cannot help but to shiver uncontrollably. Huge, burning masses of fiery stone and other materials collide with beings here, crushing them into pulp. The distinguishing feature of this layer is that horrid echoes of profane despair fill the air, and the souls seek to hoard piles of empty trinkets while attempting to bludgeon each other to death with their baubles. The beings here hate others as they hate themselves, and most sense of individual self has been lost - all is blame and jaundice.

Worldwide Authority
Stygia is the fourth layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the Zomiel, or "black asura". Here are punished the souls who became possessed of savage self-destruction. It is painfully cold here, such that beings vocalise their frozen misery in compulsive sound. The ground here constantly burns and melts flesh upon contact, so beings run wildly about, trying to escape in caves, etc. This never works as heat comes from within. The distinguishing feature of this layer is the river Styx, a swampy, stinking body of sluggish water which contains the damned. The actively hostile fight each other viciously within the slime, while the passively wrathful lie at the bottom of the morass, gurgling and unable to even express themselves for the rage that chokes them. Evil here gives way to inclination towards destructive retribution.

Patchwork of Authority and Tyranny
Carceri is the fifth layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the Usiel, or "burning asura". Here are the souls who rejected Deity in its entirety. The cold here is so intense that beings find it impossible to keep their teeth from chattering painfully. The heat of this layer is so intense that beings are constantly blackening and being gnawed upon by horrid beasts. The distinguishing feature of this layer is that souls are locked inside tombs of fiery perdition for their inability to be present to themselves, and suffer endlessly without ever knowing why.

Spontaneous Barbarism
Phlegethon is the sixth layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the Azariel, or "fanged asura". Here are the souls who enacted repeated violence against neighbour, nature or Deity. The freezing temperature here causes the skin of beings to turn a dull blue, stopping circulation. This layer is so hot that beings are blinded, impaling themselves upon great spears of rock which are everywhere, flames then issuing from their mouths as they burn within. The distinguishing feature of this layer is that the souls of heinous plunderers of life are immersed in a river of burning blood and fire. Murderous, suicidal people have their souls take the form of trees, and can only speak is broken and bloody. Disordered and depraved, wanton souls race hysterically through the trees, harming themselves and the suicides. Burning sands scoured by flakes of fire, harbour the weeping souls of those who disgraced Deity, art and nature.

Worldwide Tyranny
Malebolge is the seventh layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the Sheireil, or "horned devil". Here are punished the souls who falsely perverted the very fabric of their society in life. The skin of beings exposed to the awful blizzards here begins to crack open and bleed heavily. This place is even hotter and more spiky than Phlegethon, and beings here find their blood evaporating even before impalement. The distinguishing feature of this layer is the appearance of a huge city in a state of complete social breakdown and dissolution, wherein all levels of the hierarchy have succumbed to perversion. Unspeakable tortures are meted out here upon the souls which are responsible for the downfall of civilisation from within its own structures and institutions, such as sorcerers, corrupters and sowers of war and discord.

Patchwork of Tyranny and Barbarism
Cocytus is the eighth layer of the Hells proper, home to the infernal life-form of the Ghagiel, or "hollow devil". Here are punished the souls who were traitors to those whom held them in closest confidence in life. Exposure to the cold here causes the body to freeze solid and crack into pieces upon attempted movement, spilling organs which then also freeze. The heat is impossible and souls are immolated over and over within a vast body of pure hellfire, being reduced to ash. The distinguishing feature of this layer is its division into two halves - a grand inferno hanging interminable in the sky and an eternal frozen lake far below. Souls here were in life devoid of all love and common warmth, and are now held immobile in excruciating suffering for their total disregard for other living beings' welfare.

Spontaneous Apocalypse
Avici is the ninth and lowest layer of Hell, home to the infernal life-form of the Cathariel, or "broken devil". Here, only souls who sought to utterly sever themselves from the substance of Deity are condemned to an unimaginably horrific exposure to the Void. Here, heat and cold are so intense at either pole that neither is felt, only the raw entropy of empty space; temperature is indistinguishable alongside everything else. The distinguishing feature of this layer is the dread silence - an unutterably unholy and awful expanse of lightless, still, nothing. Here, souls are said to become things of profane monstrosity. This is where the astral plane touches upon the Void, and is the Oblivion from which demons are spawned of fear.