Legions of the Nine Hells - Dungeons and Dragons Lore

Time to return to the armies of the Nine Hells.

Grab a tasty beverage and settle back; it's time to get deeply nerdy.

In the cosmology of Dungeons and Dragons, the Nine Hells is a plane of lawful evil, divided into layers, each ruled by a powerful archdevil or duke of hell. Avernus, the first layer, sets the stage for the infernal drama that unfolds across this nightmarish realm.

As one descends into the fiery depths of Avernus, the air thickens with the stench of sulfur and the distant sounds of infernal machinery. The landscape is a vast, desolate wasteland, scarred by war. The ground seems to writhe with malice as if the very essence of the plane rejects the presence of the unlawful souls still touched with innocence or redemption and claimed by some other celestial power.

Avernus is a staging ground for the Baatezu devils, where vast armies assemble in immaculately maintained formations. The ground trembles beneath the march of countless devils, their banners adorned with symbols of their infernal lords. Training grounds echo with the clash of weapons and the barks of demonic commanders, honing the skills of the damned.

Scattered across Avernus are colossal barracks, each with a rich history and traditions etched in blood. These barracks house the infernal legions between campaigns as strategic strongholds and repositories of diabolical lore. The walls witness countless battles, and the air is thick with the weight of centuries of demonic history.

As the shadows of Avernus stretch, so too does the influence of its rulers. Archdevils scheme and plot, their machinations shaping the destiny of the Nine Hells. In this infernal ballet, the devils, including the Orthons and Merregons, play their roles ruthlessly, ever vying for dominance in the eternal struggle for power.

Within the frigid and calculated depths of Cania, the eighth layer of the Nine Hells, Mephistopheles, the Archduke ruling over this icy domain, maintains his infernal research labs. These labs testify to his cunning intellect and a nightmarish fusion of magical experimentation and diabolical innovation.

Mephistopheles' labs are brimming with infernal artifacts, twisted magical experiments, and alchemical concoctions that defy mortal understanding. Devilish researchers, under the Archduke's command, tirelessly work on unlocking the secrets of the cosmos and harnessing the raw energies of the Hells.

Mephistopheles is known for his fascination with souls, and his research often involves manipulating and refining these tormented essences. Devices powered by captured souls hum with dark energy while the screams of the damned echo through the chambers of the infernal labs.

 Mephistopheles' labs are responsible for developing specialized weapons like the Hellspears and Hellfire Crossbows used by the Orthons. These instruments of destruction are imbued with the essence of Hellfire, making them particularly effective against the forces of chaos and the demonic hordes.

The barracks within the Nine Hells, including those found in Avernus, are architectural marvels of infernal efficiency and intimidation. The design serves practical and symbolic purposes, reflecting the hierarchical nature of a devilish society.

Barracks are often built with multiple layers of security, from enchanted gates to infernal wards. Only those with the proper authority, typically higher-ranking devils or trusted allies, can navigate the labyrinthine passages leading to the heart of the barracks.

The barracks are crafted from blackened obsidian and adorned with grotesque sculptures depicting scenes of damnation. Infernal sigils etched into the walls serve as symbols of power and as wards against unwanted intrusion.

The barracks are structured to reflect the hierarchical order of the Nine Hells. The chambers of higher-ranking devils are opulent, while the lower ranks are assigned more austere quarters. This design reinforces the rigid social structure that defines a devilish society.

one of the most renowned barracks for Orthons is the "Obsidian Spire." This towering fortress is not made from obsidian stone but some darker material and the foundations and landscape around the tower is just a thick bed of crumpled old bones. It is said the inside of the Obsidian Spire is larger than the outside and the secret training grounds of the orthons include portals to distant worlds in the prime material plane.

The most famed barracks of the Merregons is the Crimson Legion Citadel of course. The most revered barracks, adorned with blood-red banners and the walls splashed with melted gold, it is a sprawling fortress packed with the Legion devils and their hive mind, recounting the lessons from countless battles in endless battle formations and training drills, stopping only to torture and eat something, repair equipment, heal wounds and stand in formation for inspections.

The training of Orthons and Merregons is a relentless process designed to mold them into disciplined and effective soldiers for the infernal legions.

Orthon training includes rigorous physical conditioning, enhancing strength, agility, and endurance. The Orthons endure grueling exercises that push their physical limits, preparing them for the harsh realities of the Nine Hells' battlefields. Orthons can see invisible creatures, create portals, teleport, and have the power to negate all portals and teleportation within a 20-foot radius, also, they can gate in others of their kind, providing instant reinforcements to help absorb initial heavy battle damage in ground assaults, gated in Orthons charge first, before they have to return.

Orthons, while not known for strategic thinking, undergo tactical drills to ensure they can effectively execute the orders given to them. These drills emphasize coordination and teamwork, allowing Orthons to function as a cohesive unit on the battlefield.

Merregons, a legion of identical soldiers, undergo indoctrination to instill fanatical loyalty to their infernal masters. This process involves intense psychological conditioning, creating a deep-seated allegiance that surpasses individual desires.

Merregons refine their telepathic abilities through specialized training. This telepathic hive mind allows them to share information seamlessly, creating a collective consciousness on the battlefield. It's a skill that enhances their coordination and responsiveness to commands.

By now, you know of the Bearded, Barbed, and Horned devils that comprise a significant number of the armies, but other branches of these forces look similar and perform different roles. When it comes to stormtroopers and headhunters, those roles are handled by the Merregons and the Orthons; you can distinguish them from the bearded, barbed, and horned devils by the lack of huge writhing beards, wings, cloven feet or pointed tails and the presence of large tusks growing from the Orthons lower jaw and the identical appearance of all the Merregons, moving in lockstep with each other. The Orthons are also giants, standing eight and a half feet tall and weighing at least 500 lbs (230 kg) with armor plates bolted painfully and directly into their bones; the Orthons are not strategic thinkers; what they are is highly organized and well-practiced at what tactics they do employ.

The Merregons, also known as the Legion Devils, are very much like a clone army of stormtroopers; they all stand 6 ft tall, weigh exactly 170 lb (77 kg), have deep red skin, sharp teeth, their featureless face covered by a bolted on the iron mask, wearing plate mail, mail coif, studded leather and knee high boots, carrying a shield, longsword and longbow, all manufactured in bulk somewhere and the metal face plates have their unit and assignment location stamped right into the iron. Legion devils are cruel; wicked individuals kept in rigid order by their even harsher masters, to whom they are fanatically loyal. Legion devils act together as a unit that forms a telepathic hive mind. A group of legion devils also share each other's vitality, allowing an individual to keep fighting far after it should have fallen. At the same time, harming one legion devil debilitates the whole group, which is less handy when facing devastating strikes from war machines but a formidable advantage in massed infantry combat. 

While Legion devils move together in tight clusters to enhance their attacking power and swarm over enemies, teleporting short distances to flank enemies is a signature specialty of theirs. The Orthons also use teleportation and being out of phase with reality to devastating effect in combat. Orthons have been on duty in the nine hells for so long; most of them are equipped with potent magical weapons; some have the Hellspears and Hellfire Crossbows invented by Mephistopheles along with other armor and weapon innovations. They spend a lot of their time fighting demons, and are mainly used by the archdevils and pit fiends as trusted guards when they are not out hunting down and exterminating demon spawn or leading the legion devils in massed combat action.

If the Orthons are sent after you, expect a squad to track you down quickly as Imps relay your location through their spy network. The Orthons work with other specialists, such as Wasp-like Advespa, who work exactly like drones that are also capable of swooping out of the sky and grabbing people, the multi-armed Archer devils have excellent visual tracking skills and make excellent snipers, the freezing and emaciated Fimbrul devils sell their services as hunter-killers. The Archer devils are particularly handy when the Orthon devils face down any Armanite Demons, one of the most hated foes of the Orthons. Armanites are the heavy cavalry of the Abyss, larger and faster than the Orthons; their hatred for each other is very mutual.

If you have further interest in the forces of the Nine Hells and other Infernal topics, hit that like button, subscribe to the channel, let me know what you want to know in the comments section below and as always, My name is AJ Pickett, thanks for listening and I will be back with more for you, very soon.