Purgatory

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Purgatory
Original Name	炼狱
Type	Plane / realm
Status	Active
Ruling Will	Purgatory Will
Known Layers	Avernus, Dis, the eighth layer, Nessus

Overview

Purgatory is a multi-layered realm ruled by a powerful world will and inhabited primarily by devils. Its society is hierarchical, contract-driven, and sustained by warfare, soul exploitation, resource extraction, and political struggle. Devils who enter its New Land fight the Abyss for territory, with successful pioneers receiving blessings, rule fragments, and status from the Purgatory Will. 506 513 686

The realm is also the principal battlefield of the Eternal Blood War. Avernus, its first layer, is Purgatory's foremost defensive front against the Abyss; its Bronze Citadel guards the route into deeper layers. 1099

The Purgatory Will

The Purgatory Will is the realm's governing cosmic force. It contests Abyssal Wills for control of newly connected worlds, rewards devils who secure territory, and grants access to Purgatory's laws. 478 506 513

Infernal Blessings

When the Purgatory Will defeats an Abyssal Will in contested New Land, devils may offer demon corpses in a sacrificial ritual. The Will then descends through pillars of black light containing magic power, runes, and fragments of Purgatory laws. 513 571 686

• The strongest contributors receive the greatest share of rule power and magical enhancement. 513 571
• Remaining energy disperses as luminous mist, allowing lower-ranking devils to grow stronger without active cultivation. 513 686
• Blessings can grant devils opportunities for racial advancement without requiring the usual expenditure from either the subject or ritual presider. 686
• Pioneers who independently establish territory receive especially significant rewards. 514 563

Titles Bestowed by the Will

Title	Recipient	Effects
Purgatory Servant	Huo Ling	Increased efficiency in deciphering Purgatory laws by roughly ten percent; reduced expenditure when presiding over devil advancements; served as a requirement for a non-devil seeking Greater Devil status and a noble title. 514
Purgatory Pioneer	Huo Ling	Evolved from Purgatory Servant during a later Infernal Blessing after Huo Ling's successful defense and sacrifice. 686

Laws and Territorial Corruption

Purgatory's laws become easier to perceive where its Will is actively invading or has recently secured territory. During a clash between the Purgatory Will and Abyssal Will, the exposed laws can be analyzed with much less effort. 478 506

Once Purgatory fully occupies a region, its lords can use territorial authority and ritual tools to convert it into Purgatory soil. This process is referred to as Purgatory corruption. 652 667

• A territorial scepter lets its holder mobilize laws within their domain, including laws they have not personally mastered. 652
• Corrupting land makes nearby Purgatory laws easier for the lord to analyze. 652
• As corruption deepens and territory expands, the scepter associated with that territory becomes stronger. 652
• Purgatory's corruption can be removed by someone capable of wielding complete Purgatory laws. 610

Geography

Avernus

Avernus is the first layer of Purgatory and the primary front line of the Blood War. Visitors from other planes arrive here first; none can directly bypass it to reach deeper Purgatory layers. 1099

• Bronze Citadel — Avernus's strongest defensive position and the protected passage toward Dis. 1099
• New Land — A frontier region where connected Abyssal Worlds merge into Avernus and are contested by devils and demons. 667 682
• Plain of Infinite Portals — A major battlefield associated with the Bronze Citadel and large-scale devil deployments. 831 939
• Wace City — Huo Ling's Purgatory territory and later an extensive devil city with thirty-four districts, directly administered towns, small cities, mines, and defensive infrastructure. 652 823

Dis

Dis is Purgatory's second layer, described as a vast world of steel cities, metal spires, and iron-built territories. Its devils favor political struggles and the torment of souls over Avernus's constant warfare. 953 1099

Eighth Layer

The eighth layer is a frigid realm inhabited by Ice Devils. Ice Devils can only live there, and their advancement path is unavailable to other devil types. 513

Nessus

Nessus is Purgatory's ninth layer. It consists of a vast plain broken by innumerable ravines and contains Malsheem, a colossal fortress filled with elite devils, legendary powerhouses, and legions. 955

Devil Society

Hierarchy

Devils are governed through rigid rank, noble status, contractual obligations, and superior authority.

• Pit Fiends occupy the highest position among ordinary high-ranking devils. 513
• Ice Devils and Pleasure Demons stand near Pit Fiends in status, but their advancement paths are restricted to specific devil bloodlines. 513
• Archdevils stand above Pit Fiends. 513
• Devils may also hold noble ranks, including baron, count, duke, and archduke. 649 652 958
• The Eight Devil Generals' positions can change through death in battle or backstabbing. 831

High-ranking devils are more politically minded than lower-ranking ones. Purgatory's laws and formal hierarchy constrain subordinates until they choose to openly betray or replace their superiors. 939

Advancement Rituals

Devil advancement requires rituals, resources, and the authority of sufficiently powerful devils or noble scepters.

• Count Lovisa used a rune-covered metal scepter to elevate middle-rank devils into high devils; subjects disintegrated and reformed while absorbing Purgatory magic and soul power. 372
• A noble scepter can promote mid-rank devils to high-rank devils and elevate several high-devil types further, including War Devils to Pit Fiends. 652
• Scepters periodically accumulate enough energy to promote some devils without consuming additional resources. 652
• A title from the Purgatory Will is required for non-devils, such as evil dragons and certain demonkin, to acquire Greater Devil status and noble standing. 644

Souls and Punishment

Purgatory's Styx carries tangible soul shells from many worlds. Captured souls are tortured by devils for soul power before being discarded back into the river. 384 400

• Barbed Devils capture souls from the Styx and extract their soul power through prolonged torment. 384
• Soul shells can belong to humans, goblins, kobolds, lizardfolk, orcs, barbarians, trolls, and other creatures. 400
• Powerful souls are regarded as especially valuable because they can endure suffering for extended periods. 740
• Soul Prisms may be used to hold the souls of those who die in Purgatory. 740

Economy and Industry

Purgatory's economy uses Calamity Coins and relies heavily on demon materials, military production, slave labor, and territorial trade. 411 463 823

• Demon materials are comparatively cheap due to their abundance, though they remain necessary for weapons, equipment, and devices. 463
• Purgatory Iron can be refined into equipment and weapons rather than sold as raw ore. 411
• Consumable military goods—including Infernal Fire Crossbows, ballista bolts, and firebombs—are among the most profitable products because they are expended continuously in war. 415
• Lemures are used as tireless basic laborers in construction, transport, and industrial work; large numbers die during such projects. 822
• Frontier towns serve simultaneously as defensive nodes and trade hubs, generating taxes for their controlling territory. 823

The Eternal Blood War

The Eternal Blood War is Purgatory's ongoing conflict against the Bottomless Abyss. The war is concentrated in Avernus, where devils defend the Bronze Citadel against invasions from Abyssal Worlds. 1099 1101

• The Abyss vastly outnumbers Purgatory in demons and powerful combatants, making a decisive Purgatory victory widely regarded as unrealistic. 1099 1103
• Demons and devils can each gain advantages when their respective world wills control contested territory. 485 506
• Demons entering Purgatory lose the major territorial enhancement that Abyssal Lords possess within their native Abyssal Worlds. 651
• Asmodeus and Demogorgon are bound by an agreement not to leave Purgatory and the Abyss respectively, helping maintain the war's long-term stalemate. 1104
• Purgatory worlds may be compelled to supply troops for Avernus under threat of punishment from Huo Ling and Asmodeus. 1101

Notable Rulers and Figures

• Asmodeus — Lord of Purgatory and ruler associated with Nessus; invests devils with high noble authority and maintains Purgatory's order through strict punishment of traitors. 958 1101
• Zariel — Former Archduke of Avernus who granted Huo Ling a count's title, a scepter, and the materials for a territorial tainting ritual. 649 652
• Bael — Devil General who later became acting Archduke of Avernus after Zariel's disappearance; commands the Bronze Citadel's defenses. 831 939
• Huo Ling — A red dragon necromancer who became a Purgatory noble, later a Duke of Avernus and a Dark General. His territories combine devil administration with massive undead forces. 652 958 1046
• Count Lovisa — A great devil who presides over high-devil advancement rituals and controls an established Purgatory territory. 372 652