Baator, also called the Nine Hells, is a remote planar location populated by devils and ruled by a being calling itself Asmodeus.[1] Knowledge of its existence is only remembered among a few mortals faithful to the Sovereign Host as well as the dragons of Argonnessen.[2]
History[]
Baator is a planar prison said to have been first constructed by the Sovereign Host when they walked the planes to serve as an eternal prison for fallen immortal spirits.[2]
Legend says each of the nine layers of Baator was constructed by one of the nine gods of the Sovereign Host. Gradually, the demiplane filled with rebellious angels from the planes, and they changed to reflect their new prison.[2]
Asmodeus once ruled all of Daanvi, the Perfect Order in the name of Aureon, the Sovereign of Law and Lore of the Sovereign Host. But Asmodeus was not content with his place in the order of things, and sought to be worshiped as a god in his own right.[2]
His hubris led him and his servants to rebel against the other angels and beings of Daanvi. This insurrection occurred simultaneously with the events of the Sundering of Sarlona. The Chamber of Argonnessen saw this eventuality within the branching paths of the Draconic Prophecy, and the combined might of dragons and the host of angels defeated Asmodeus and his forces. Eventually, Asmodeus was defeated, and he and his servants were sentenced to eternity in Baator for their transgression.[2]
Asmodeus was sentenced to the Ninth Circle of Baator, the prison built by his former master Aureon. He soon dominated the politics of the hells, and started whispering to those who might accept his dark bargain for power on Eberron.[2]
The planar prison recently fell under new management after the bonds of the devils' imprisonment were weakened during the Day of Mourning. Now Baator is a dream for its twisted prisoners; a prison where the prisoners are free of their shackles and can engage freely in infernal intrigue. Still, Asmodeus lords over the devils and souls they gather through their bargains to appease his own divine ambition.[2]
Asmodeus seeks to harvest the souls of those he ensnares with his infernal pacts. Following his twisted view on the Sovereigns and the Silver Flame, he believes that when he has gathered enough souls he can fuel his ascension to join the ranks of true divinity.[2]
Appendix[]
Behind the Scenes[]
In the original Eberron Campaign Setting for 3.5 edition, Baator did not exist in Eberron. It was included in the Eberron Campaign Guide in 4th edition to bring the setting cosmology more in line with the new core D&D assumptions and include a common plane for all devils.[3][2]
With the advent of 5th edition's Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron and Rising from the Last War, however, Baator has been removed from the diagram of the planes, and it is not listed as being in Eberron's cosmology.[4][5] It appears that Baator as a whole has been removed from the setting's canon in 5th edition.
External Links[]
- Nine Hells article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 261. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Keith Baker (February 2012). “Eye on Eberron: Baator” (PDF). In Steve Winter ed. Dragon #408 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 40–43.
- ↑ James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Ruty Rutenberg (2018). Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Jeremy Crawford, & James Wyatt (2019). Eberron: Rising from the Last War. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 228–232. ISBN 0786966890.
Connections[]
| The Planes of Eberron |
|---|
| The 13 Major Planes: Daanvi · Dal Quor · Dolurrh · Fernia · Irian · Kythri · Lamannia · Mabar · Risia · Shavarath · Syrania · Thelanis · Xoriat Fundamental Planes: Astral Plane (Siberys) · Material Plane (Eberron) · Elemental Chaos (Khyber)
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