Erebus
Hell's third layer is known as Erebus, the Eternal Counting House of Mammon, and is an endless dungeon beneath the second layer of Dis. It is here that the archdevil Mammon keeps Hell's books, accounting for all that is spent in the infernal realm.[1][2] The majority of treasures seized by Hell's infernal legions or offered to Asmodeus and his archdevils find their way to Erebus.[3]
Geography
In the eternal darkness of Erebus are countless vaults holding incredible wealth. Vaulted ceilings, occasionally rising dozens of stories high, replace the sky, their unseen stonework dripping chill condensation and reeking seepage from above. Huge blocks of gray stone comprise the entire third layer of Hell. Attempting to dig through the walls, floors or ceilings will reveal only unbroken expanses of the dense rock even when other chambers should lie just beyond. Sewer-like channels wind their way through Erebus, carrying the filth of Dis. Kingly ransoms litter the floor even in the most disgusting of these passages, while in greater halls lie treasures whose splendor could blind an observer, were a light cast upon them. Great barriers of stone and iron, dark magic, and hungry bestial flesh protect the layer's greatest storerooms, forcing even the infernal elite to carry dozens of keys and talismans with them as they travel. In the depths of Erebus, through mazes of treasure halls each larger, more opulent, and grander than the last, lie the Dawn Vaults. Further still is Mammon's Bier, the very center of the third layer of Hell.[3]
Inhabitants
Judicators of the Golden Chain
The Judicators of the Golden Chain are fifteen devils chained together who are tasked with managing the affairs of Erebus, dealing with requests from mortals, and arranging the transport of valuables to other layers.[4]
Devils
Magadazes and hamatulas are common in Erebus, with hamatulas being Mammon's favorites.[5][6]
Petitioners
Most of the souls sent to Erebus face wealth-related torture or ritualized dismemberment to create soul-fragments for use as currency. The rest are chained to the ground and used to count and pass along each object that enters the vaults of Erebus. Essentially blind in the vast darkness of Hell's third layer, they keep mental records of impressions that their osyluth overseers tap to ensure accuracy and complicity. Once the contents have been counted and passed along to the devils who sort the valuables, the minds of the damned are wiped clean of the memory of the treasures before being given more to record.[4]
Typhilipedes
Typhilipedes are native to Erebus and considered a pest.[7]
Constructs
Mammon employs a variety of golems and constructs to guard his vaults. The constructs created for Mammon's service are usually made of precious metals or covered in gems to disguise them among the treasures of Erebus. Throughout the Lord of the Third's realm, constructs both common and unique are deployed, from gem-studded stone and brass golems to iron cobras of incredible size.[8]
Other
The eternal darkness of Mammon's demesne is also home to large populations of infernal mimics, darkmantles, oozes, and molds that the archdevil finds useful and has his servants breed and manage to serve Erebus.[9]
References
- ↑ Amber Stewart. (2009). The Great Beyond: A Guide to the Multiverse, p. 40–41. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-167-1
- ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2009). Princes of Darkness, p. 10. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-189-3
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 John Compton, Adam Daigle, Amanda Hamon Kunz, et al. (2017). Book of the Damned, p. 139. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-970-7
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Amber Stewart. (2009). The Great Beyond: A Guide to the Multiverse, p. 40. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-167-1
- ↑ Crystal Frasier, Eric Hindley, and Michael McCarthy. (2015). Bestiary. In Hell's Bright Shadow, p. 84. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-768-0
- ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2010). Mammon. The Twice-Damned Prince, p. 67. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-226-5
- ↑ Paris Crenshaw, Mikko Kallio, Jason Keeley. (2016). "Bestiary". The Hellfire Compact, p. 88. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-818-2
- ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2010). Mammon. The Twice-Damned Prince, p. 68. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-226-5
- ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2010). Mammon. The Twice-Damned Prince, p. 68. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-226-5
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