Lore and Background

[Drake704]

"Hell is forever, if you like it or not!"

- Adam

Notes on Canon

This is my interpretation of Vivziepop's world of Hell. She was inspired by abrahamic myth but did not stick rigidly to their depictions. I am attempting to make deductions about the world based on what has been observed in Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel.

Hell and the Rings

When Hell was created, Lucifer and his most powerful allies established the Rings.

Each ring is geographically distinct from the others. They are in approximately vertical order.

Each Ring of Hell is ruled by one of the Sins.

Lucifer is the Sin of Pride and the King of Hell.

Satan is the Sin of Wrath.

Beelzebub aka "Queen Bee" is the Sin of Gluttony.

Mammon is the Sin of Greed.

Osmodius aka "Ozzie" is the Sin of Lust.

Leviathan is the Sin of Envy.

Belphegor is the Sin of Sloth.

Each ring is further subdivided into territorial and population ruled by the Ars Goetia, the Princes of Hell. These vassals of the Sins have tasks that they perform on behalf of Hell, as well as leading its armies and paying tribute to the Sins and the King.

Technically beneath these demon royals are Overlords. These demons have, through personal ability and the allegiance of lesser demons, acquired power in Hell. Their power can be greater than demon royalty but is much more prone to fluctuation.

All demons below the Kings and Princes are referred to as lesser demons or common demons, though few would say this directly to an overlord.

Jurisprudence and Law Enforcement

The governance of hell is a laisse faire autocracy. The Sins have established a few major rules and many guidelines. The general attitude towards law and order is "avoid getting in the way of anyone more powerful than you." Disputes that cannot be solved by combat are brought before the Goetia for arbitration.

Each royal maintains a force of demons that enforce law, or at least maintain order. They are essentially mercenary soldiers with royal backing. They do not cross territorial boundaries lightly. The overlords tend to hire mercenaries and assassins of their own.

If a demon is arrested, they are generally thrown in prison without trial. They may be able to bribe their way out or escape. The typical way to gain freedom is to sign a contract with an Overlord with sufficient clout to free them.

Currency

Hell's money comes in a variety of forms. Several Sins mint their own currency. These are backed by the King and exchanged by the Bank of Mammon. There are a number of cryptocurrencies as well. Oddly, BitCoin is tradable in hell.

The Bank of Mammon offers credit cards at hilariously punitive rates of interest. Virtually everyone has one; you can sign up easily or even by accident.

The basic unit is the Dollar. It bears Beelzebub's image, and so are often called "queens," "Beelzebucks," or just "bucks."

Larger bills have other Sins on them. Notably, the largest bill bears Lucifer's image. They are sometimes called "Lux" and literally glow slightly. A big pile or stack of large bills gleams "luxuriously."

All coins bear Mammon's image, so they are often referred to as "clown-coins" or "clownies" or just "jokes." If you give someone a single coin as a tip, they might ask you, "is this a joke?"

In hell's rural regions, it is common to use gems or precious metals instead of currency. Bars of gold embossed with Satan's image are used for major purposes. When someone offers you a "Satan's Handshake," they are either going to give you a bar of gold or punch you in the face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Population 

Hell is populated by people falling into three groups. The first is fallen Angels. Most of these were allies of Lucifer during the War in Heaven. Very few have entered Hell in the intervening ages.
The second are Sinner Demons. When an 'evil' human dies on Earth, their soul is transferred to Hell. They arrive in a form that matches their internal identity. Sinner Demons cannot reproduce.
The third are Hellborn. These are the creatures native to Hell. They are born naturally and can reproduce. Some subspecies have emerged: Wrathian Imps, Succubi, and Hellhounds are just some examples. These varieties are not distinct species and can interbreed.

Hell is free of the curse of babel. All demons speak the same language, somehow. There are a lot of different accents and idioms from across humanity and in different realms of hell. It is considered gauche to mention: god; heaven; and holy things. People tend to swear by the Sins and by "evil" instead.

Most demons are gender fluid. Changing biological sex can be done fairly easily with commonly available rituals. If the circumstances are right, pregnancy can be induced in just about anyone, including those with male or neutral biology.

Family structure is somewhat erratic. Some sinner demons choose to adopt children from among younger demons, either to fulfill emotional needs or to exploit them. Hellborn often have natural families, but these often end up broken. Children might lose parents to violence or because their parents are terrible. Hellborn can easily end up with a sprawling family tree if they or their family members have multiple partners. Found family can be more important than blood relations.
Marriage doesn't mean much legally, but is practiced by some in order to secure alliances or successions.

Goods & Services

Demons need to eat, drink, and sleep. Most are compelled to seek out sex, drugs, and recreation.

All sorts of food and drink are available in hell. There are a variety of plants and animals, although most are strong and feisty. Prices are consequentially high. Anything other than a starvation diet is expensive. Overlords flaunt their status with rare and bounteous fare.

Acquiring goods is significantly harder and/or more dangerous than on Earth. Farms  and factories are often the sites of turf battles. Stores are frequently robbed or vandalized.

Art, including clothing, comes in a tremendous variety. Demons have entered hell throughout human history and from all over Earth. They have brought their native styles. These styles have blended together, and hell has developed a creative culture all its own. One of the best ways to gain prosperity is to entertain powerful demons who have lived for centuries and seek variety in their amusements. Art and performances are a favourite way for demons to distract themselves from their miserable existences.

Every Ring has its own natural resources. Now that Sinner demons can move freely between rings, the trades and industries are likewise diversifying. Transport within and between rings is becoming a major industry as well.

Flora and Fauna

Hell was populated by animals long ago. Many of the original animals were 'prototypes' that never made it out of the garden of Eden. Some were taken from Earth prior to the Flood. Others are the Sins' own creations. In any case, untold ages of evolution has turned most of the animals in Hell into ferocious, deadly creatures. Even the ones that have been domesticated retain defenses that should not be underestimated. The same can be said for plants. Some are the descendants of those brought to hell. Others have been created by the Sins for their own purposes. Most plants are poisonous or actively dangerous.

Every Ring has its own flora and fauna. Some are common throughout.
Common animals:
Insects, etc.: flies, mosquitos, fleas, ticks, cockroaches, and spiders.
Rodents: Rats are everywhere, and can get enormous. Metamice are mice that can eat anything and gradually take on the forms of what they eat. Bats are everywhere, but different species are more common on different rings.
Domesticated: hellhounds are sentient canines. There are a surprising number of cat-people among the demons. Unfortunately there are no dogs in hell; all dogs go to heaven.

Common Plants:
Miscellaneous green weeds grow everywhere they can get their roots in. Most turn black as a form of camouflage. Blood ivy grows on every wall if you let it; it tends to grab unwary people and grow around them, sucking out their blood and fluids. Mold grows virtually everywhere. All sorts of mushrooms grow; since demons will eat anything they think is hallucinogenic, these rarely grow wild due to selection pressure.

Technology
Hell has access to most tech that is widely used on Earth: Guns, cars, helicopters, and megaphones are only a few.

Most areas of hell get electricity, although the grid prioritizes the royals and the supply can be erratic. Fossil fuels are the main source of fuel, because, y'know, Hell.

Cell phones and computers work just fine. The main internet and phone service provider is VoxTek, owned by a cadre of Overlords (The Vees) committed to media domination. Anyone looking to stay off "the grid" will use radio casting.

Buildings are constructed of any number of materials depending on what is available in the Ring, and affordable to the owners. Most buildings are made of pretty destructible stuff; a lot of demons like to enter by blowing a hole in the wall. Overlords might build nigh-indestructible fortresses, and royals might reinforce their defenses with magic.

Magic!
Magic is one of the main sources of power in the world. However, its control is stratified by class. The royals use magic liberally to fulfill their roles and enforce their rule. Small magic is rare but not unknown among minor demons. Using powerful magic makes one a target by the royals, and the subject of jealousy among lesser demons. Some overlords use mastery of magic as the basis of their power.

War?
Most areas of hell are under constant threat of conflict. The royals do not (often) openly wage war, but engage in proxy conflict and maneuvering near-constantly. They also hold "war games" as a means of saber-rattling. They will even pit their troops against one another in real battles to sharpen their teeth and prove their power.

Almost all areas of the cities are subject of turf war. The overlords struggle with one another to control territory. New overlords rise and attempt to take on existing ones. When an overlord falls, their former territory becomes subject to a rush of conflict.

Conflicts between lesser demons can often trigger larger conflicts that rage out of control. You can never be sure who among a demon's friends is willing to clear holsters in their name until you start a brawl.

The worst belligerence in hell is Angelic Extermination. In order to keep hell's population under control, the Angels of Heaven regularly send an army to Pride. Once a year, the Exorcists have arrived to purge Sinner demons. This was the subject of a treaty between hell's rulers and heaven. However, recently a conflict between the leadership of heaven and hell has thrown this matter into question. Now, it is no longer clear what will be done.

Education
Hahaha, you're adorable.

Sinner demons retain the education they earned in life. Hellborn tend to get a rough-and-ready education from their parents and guardians. There are no formal education streams across hell. Some businesses offer specialized tuition such as horseback riding. Otherwise demons tend to learn on-the-job.

Health and Medicine

There are very few laws pertaining to drugs in hell. Most demons take recreational drugs to blunt their daily woes. Warrior demons use combat drugs to increase aggression and dull pain. Some demons use drugs to improve their mental acuity, or at least sooth their troubled minds. Most so-called medicines are snake oil, literally or figuratively.

Demons must pay for their medical care, obviously. Royals are given priority, and overlords pay retainers to have on-call access to medical care. Hospitals and clinics are major profit centers. They are among Sloth's most important features.

Health care centers are the rare neutral ground in hell. Health care is such an important resource that no one dares risk harming it. An overlord who finds themselves on the bad side of Sloth's doctors is at a disadvantage.

Cybernetics are widely available, though in varying quality. Some demons end up with near-complete body replacements after severe injuries.