Dis is the second layer of Baator, dominated by the city of the same name. The city sits within a ring of jagged mountains and is characterized by its blackened, sizzling, and disorienting atmosphere. Dispater, the archduke and ruler of Dis, is known for his cautious and calculating nature. Recent events in Baator have made Dispater fearful for his power, leading him to retreat further into his fortress and increase his security measures.
In accordance with Baator's lawful essence, the realms enclosed within its borders often manifest as inexplicably vast. However, within Dis, an anomaly prevails. Despite the potential for boundless space, those navigating its confines experience a suffocating sensation, a sense of confinement and oppression. Traversing its blistering streets leads nowhere, an endless loop. Approaching Dis foreshadows its spatial anomalies. Travelers endure an arduous incline from a circle of jagged mountains. A path adorned with shattered skulls twists toward the distant city's black walls, the sole route to its eerie embrace. Gradually, the skulls morph into searing iron protrusions.
Regardless of the journey's duration, arrival at Dis always shatters reality abruptly. The walls loom larger until, suddenly, the traveler crosses them, enveloped by foreboding towering structures amid labyrinthine streets. Dis's layout defies consistency; every map differs as the city's configuration inevitably shifts before cartographers can complete their sketches.
Teams of lesser devils tirelessly labor, dismantling old structures and erecting new ones with remarkable speed. Yet, these alterations remain imperceptible, for the cityscape changes faster than any workforce could arrange. Supposedly, both mundane and magical modifications mirror the inner workings of Dispater's mind. Recent signs of his paranoia manifest in the city's increasingly cramped, maze-like streets. Scrying devices proliferate, turning Dis's walls into listening ears. Iron statues of Dispater, with their red, distrustful eyes, track passersby.
Dispater has changed his political course, attempting to make peace with all and befriend none. He is slowly clamping down on Dis's safe zones, gradually pushing out planar travelers and increasing surveillance. He is reorganizing his soul-harvesting operations on the Material Plane and rooting out potential traitors within his ranks.
The court of Dispater includes unique devils such as Lilis, Arioch, Biffant, and Titivilus. Dis is inhabited by various types of devils, including abishai, lemures, spinagons, and imps.
Inside the tower, resembling the rest of Dis, only Dispater and his servitors reside. His throne room appears to shift constantly, always seemingly just a corridor away to outsiders. Only Dispater's trusted advisors know the secret to reaching it directly. Rumors suggest that entering this inner sanctum leads to an even larger city, further from Dispater, though the truth remains unknown.
Harvester devils approach the living companions and families of those slain in Baator, offering Faustian pacts in exchange for the release of their loved ones' souls. Negotiations for the release and trade of souls are conducted by amnizus in Dispater's employ.
In accordance with Baator's lawful essence, the realms enclosed within its borders often manifest as inexplicably vast. However, within Dis, an anomaly prevails. Despite the potential for boundless space, those navigating its confines experience a suffocating sensation, a sense of confinement and oppression. Traversing its blistering streets leads nowhere, an endless loop. Approaching Dis foreshadows its spatial anomalies. Travelers endure an arduous incline from a circle of jagged mountains. A path adorned with shattered skulls twists toward the distant city's black walls, the sole route to its eerie embrace. Gradually, the skulls morph into searing iron protrusions.
Regardless of the journey's duration, arrival at Dis always shatters reality abruptly. The walls loom larger until, suddenly, the traveler crosses them, enveloped by foreboding towering structures amid labyrinthine streets. Dis's layout defies consistency; every map differs as the city's configuration inevitably shifts before cartographers can complete their sketches.
Teams of lesser devils tirelessly labor, dismantling old structures and erecting new ones with remarkable speed. Yet, these alterations remain imperceptible, for the cityscape changes faster than any workforce could arrange. Supposedly, both mundane and magical modifications mirror the inner workings of Dispater's mind. Recent signs of his paranoia manifest in the city's increasingly cramped, maze-like streets. Scrying devices proliferate, turning Dis's walls into listening ears. Iron statues of Dispater, with their red, distrustful eyes, track passersby.
Dispater
Dispater has changed his political course, attempting to make peace with all and befriend none. He is slowly clamping down on Dis's safe zones, gradually pushing out planar travelers and increasing surveillance. He is reorganizing his soul-harvesting operations on the Material Plane and rooting out potential traitors within his ranks.
The court of Dispater includes unique devils such as Lilis, Arioch, Biffant, and Titivilus. Dis is inhabited by various types of devils, including abishai, lemures, spinagons, and imps.
The Iron Tower
Dispater's fortress, at the heart of Dis, undergoes swift and dramatic alterations while maintaining a constant ominous appearance. Known as the Iron Tower, its shape changes rapidly, but it remains visible throughout the city, always seemingly one block away. Baatezu can navigate towards it instinctively, yet other creatures endlessly wander close but never reach it without devilish guidance.Inside the tower, resembling the rest of Dis, only Dispater and his servitors reside. His throne room appears to shift constantly, always seemingly just a corridor away to outsiders. Only Dispater's trusted advisors know the secret to reaching it directly. Rumors suggest that entering this inner sanctum leads to an even larger city, further from Dispater, though the truth remains unknown.
Garden of Delights
One notable feature of Dis is the Garden of Delights, an illusory oasis within the city. Managed by efreeti puppet-masters, the garden is designed to corrupt souls or kill enemies of evil. It is challenging to leave the garden due to its enticing illusions, and spending too much time there diminishes one's sense of self and motivation.Mentiri
Mentiri, a prison within Dis, is divided into two wings: the Bastille of Flesh and the Bastille of Souls. The Bastille of Flesh holds captured mortals who compete for survival and are subjected to deprivations. Those who become lawful evil are executed and transformed into soul shells. The Bastille of Souls houses the trapped souls of individuals who ended up in Baator without being lawful evil. Dispater holds these souls for ransom or exchange, using them as bargaining tools.Harvester devils approach the living companions and families of those slain in Baator, offering Faustian pacts in exchange for the release of their loved ones' souls. Negotiations for the release and trade of souls are conducted by amnizus in Dispater's employ.