A volcanic mountain dominates each of the four layers of Gehenna, and lesser volcanic earthbergs drift in the air and smash into the greater mountains. The rocky slopes of the plane make movement difficult and dangerous. The ground inclines at least 45 degrees almost everywhere. In places, steep cliffs and deep canyons present more challenging obstacles. Hazards include volcanic fissures that vent noxious fumes or searing flames.
Gehenna is the birthplace of yugoloths, greedy and selfish Fiends that dwell here in great numbers.
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| Khalas |
Lava illuminates clouds of volcanic ash and steam from the River Styx. |
| Chamada |
Constant lava flows and eruptions make overland travel difficult. Iron zeppelins piloted by yugoloths drift through the constant gray ashfall. |
| Mungoth |
Acidic ash mingles with falling snow on this freezing layer. |
| Krangath |
The Dead Furnace is a great mountain suspended in silence and darkness, home to a coterie of liches. |
Gehenna is the plane of suspicion and greed, with no space for mercy or compassion. Adventures on this plane might be an opportunity to explore themes of betrayal, examining how characters behave when tensions run high and they can trust no one—perhaps not even each other. (See “Environmental Effects” in chapter 3 for one way this atmosphere can manifest.) Characters might encounter people in need who turn out to be yugoloths in disguise, pitting the characters’ growing suspicion against their empathy and compassion.
Characters might make their way to the Teardrop Palace on Khalas to purchase something they can’t find elsewhere, probably at a terrifying cost. This bustling market, crowded with Fiends and occasional mortal visitors, offers all manner of forbidden and sinister goods for sale. Its name comes from its shape: the point is on the palace’s uphill side so it diverts the ever-present lava flow to either side of the structure.
Or characters could try to infiltrate the Tower Arcane in search of some great secret from yugoloths’ ancient history. The tower, a sinister structure adorned with blades and spikes and guarded by arcanaloths, stands somewhere on Chamada. It is rumored to hold yugoloths’ history and the records of their contracts.