Hades is the neutral Evil plane of hopelessness. Though it is a natural paradise for yugoloths, demons, and devils, Hades is a poison to any other outsiders due to its supernatural aura known as the "Grey Waste".
History
Hades was the battlefield for the most prominent and dangerous conflicts of The Blood War between Devils and Demons.
At some point Hades was visited by Yggwilv in their Hut.
About
Hades is made up of three layers, known as "Glooms".
Connection to Other Planes
- Hades is one of many destinations on the River Styx
- Hades was on the list of "possible convergence planes", noted for having the possibility of cross contamination with eldritch powers of the Underdark Old Ones.
- Hades is also connected to Ysgard via the great tree.
Black Wave
As a result of the ever increasing chaos of The Abyss and its perpetuating spawn of demons, Hades after the Blood War is subjected to an unstoppable wave of abyssal energy known as "The Black Wave", carrying thousands of demons across the wastes. Towns and travelers caught in the black wave have almost no chance of survival, and the only sure-fire way to survive is to run.
Grey Wastes
Most of Hades is a wastelands, with little to no natural fauna or flora. These canyons and expanses of stone are subjected to an effect known as the "Grey Wastes", which slowly erodes at all that is good or hopeful in an individual. The Grey Wastes affect all creatures alike, with the only natural immunity to the grey wastes belonging to the Oinoloth, lord of disease. When a creature finally succumbs the grey wastes, one of three things might occur:
- Utter hopelessness. Resulting in a zombielike form cursed to wander the wastes.
- Loss of individuality, resulting in becoming a willing slave to a more powerful force such as a devil or yugoloth.
- The worst result: Pupation, in which the body and mind become a larva of the greys, to be devoured by others. The larva is a miserable fiend that retains the facial features of its previous form but has the body of a fat worm. A larva has only faint memories life of what it was before pupation. Larva also required energies of Hades (typically in the form of some hellgrass) to survive, leading to an unbreakable and inescapable bond to the plane itself.
Surviving the Wastes
The only natural solution to avoid the Grey Wastes is to stay within civilized boundaries. Walls, buildings, and constructed towns eventually become unaffected by the Grey Wastes, assuming the founders of the area lived long enough to build. Over 90% of towns in Hades originally were inhabited by Yugoloths.
Some creatures, such as Archdevils and Demon Lords, are powerful enough that they can naturally survive in the Grey Wastes forever, despite it's eroding factor. Imbibing the blood or other bodily fluids of an great being can grant temporary resistance to the greys.
Other myths and legends talk of fountains or bodies of water containing a natural anti-toxin to the greys, though like many rumors of the outer planes, it has yet to be confirmed.
Notable Locations
The Burning Oasis
The Burning Oasis was a small town operated by armies belonging to Mephistopheles. There is a tavern, a temple of worship, and living space for dozens of devils. It was a popular pit stop for travelers in Hades as it was enchanted to ward off the grey wastes.
Yugoloth Towns
Yugoloth Towns are natural havens for Yugoloths alone, who communicate telepathically with each other, giving the towns a barren and silent feeling. Taverns, bustling with fiendish patrons, only give the sound of clicking glass and the crackle of fire.
- Herelieth is an example of such a town.
