Hell
The concept of an afterlife in many cultures includes the idea of a hell, or a place where the eternal soul is punished for misdeeds in their living days. Beyond the realms eternal, even-- places where gods rule and demigods hold court-- there is a place where only the profoundly wicked and cruelest of souls end up.
Many cultures have the concept of a punisher, or an 'adversary'. Most religions embrace the concept that cruel or hateful people will be punished.
There have been many entities who claim the role of Satan, such as Chthon, an ancient First God. Another one, a dark New God named Mephisto, rules over his own dark dimension and styles himself as a Shai'tan to bargain power and lure the cruel and the wicked to him. He offers power and gifts to people willing to grant him their souls-- but he is not the ruler of Hell. He is merely in possession of a realm close to Hell, over which he has absolute rule.
The concept of a place of eternal suffering resonates with all cultures, each with vague or specific ideas of what this 'hell' would be. If there is one constant among the universe, it is is that Hell is on the road to nowhere, but all roads potentially lead to Hell. Many cultures have a concept of Hell, but that is still a part of their culture. Hell-- real Hell-- is the lowest of low places. No other dimension is furthur from the seat of Creation. No other realm attracts the cruelest and most destructive.
Despite all the places that style themselves as Hell, there is only one that exists in the base race memory of all sentient beings. This is the Hell of collected legend-- a place where the wicked and cruel find their soul deposited.
Hell is a non-place. It was not created as a torturous realm, but rather it reflected the spirit of the first entity to occupy it. Lucifer Morningstar, the Dawnbringer, the Left Hand of God, was the original rebel. His rebellion against Heaven was struck down and Lucifer fled that place. He found a dimension that was infinite and empty, and filled it with his shame and cold and loneliness. He grew that dimension to reflect with his shame and anger and injustice, and it grew to reflect his spirit. Those who die with fixations of selfishness and cruelty find their souls often attuned to that place, to a realm that resonates with suffering and hate.
Hell is a place that would be otherwise empty, save for it becoming a reflection of Lucifer's pain and penance. As other entities found Hell and occupied the land, it began reflecting their visions and personality as well. Some were members of the failed resistance led by Lucifer-- Asmodel, Abaddon, and Azazel, angels of light and grace turned to hate and malice. From their bloody wounds sprouted up Hellions, creatures that bickered and fought for power and position. A caste system rose up quickly, creating a hierarchy with knights, nobility, lords, and areas of responsibility. Wherever a city dwells, a Hell Lord rules over an infernal echo of that realm. As a city descends into chaos and depravity, the Hell Lord's power grows. Petitioners-- mortals who choose to embrace Hell's cruelty-- form the lowest of ranks, alongside the demonic slaves and monsters that grow like wild fungii out of the blasted dirt.
Parts of hell burn hot, and others are cold and sorrowful as ice slicking over a headstone. Some prefer Hell as a place where might *does* make right. Others hide there to avoid punishment, or even because they believe they are worthy of it. The only real power in hell is in subjugation, and the mightiest of the Lords of Hell rule their individual kingdoms and fight constantly for the souls that arrive in that land.
No one is actually ever sent to 'hell'. But spirits and entities that are unbound by physical tethers find themselves drawn to it, to a place that perfectly reflects their basest desires and opinions. Someone greedy in life might find himself drawn to his city's infernal echo; someone given to sadism might be drawn to a Hell Lord who rules over the cruel. Hell is ultimately a home for narcissists, and narcissists invariably see themselves as better than anyone else. It is a rare person who can surmount their own ego and recognize that they are punishing themselves because they are unable to let go of their own ego.
