Dis (layer)

Little is to be said about Dis of the Iron City, the second layer of Baator, as a separate entity from the city that shares its name. The city of Dis takes up nearly the entirety of the layer, barring a few minor locations beyond its walls. There are only two ways of viewing the land beyond the city: either entering the layer from Avernus via Azharul, or leaving via the city's one gate. In either event, one will see the unworked landscape of the layer: an unending badlands encircled by massive, spine-like mountains. Along this landscape stretches great roads formed of skulls in place of cobblestone passing from City to edge, winding amongst spurs of blackened iron that look to have thrust out of the dead ground as though spearing through its surface, reaching towards the sickly-green skies above. Far more common castes than in other layers, here can be found the homes of both the kocrachon, spawned within the hidden Knoll of Blades, and the erinyes, their oft-rumored communities found within these endless wastes. In these small towns away from mortal and baatezu alike, they raise liveborn families under the protection of Dispater, in exchange for service in his name.

There are few recorded landmarks of note here beyond the city's walls, however, largely due to the odd properties of the layer and its city, similar in some ways to Travelers' Way. Those traveling along the skull-paved roads towards the distant City (for it always appears to be on the horizon while one is outside) without question eventually find themselves in the midst of the City proper, walking open land one moment and metropolis the next without any awareness of the transition between. Those walking away from the City eventually reach the massive iron doors that lead back into Azharul and the layer of Avernus. And those traveling off the roads never reach anywhere, neither the distant mountains nor the City ever growing any nearer nor further away. Here, entire prides of bezekira stalk the dry lands for prey, feeding on what little fiendish animal life can eke out existence here as well as those foolish enough to stray too far from the paths of Dis.

Location

• Cities
  • Dis
• Sites
  • Knoll of Blades
• Realms
  • Retreat of the Fallen (Druaga's realm)

References

• Dragon #75 - The Nine Hells: Part I, pp.21-24
• Fires of Dis, pp.34-36
• On Hallowed Ground, pg.64
• Planes of Law - Baator, pp.14,16-17