In the Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

, Gehenna (in the current edition of the game, the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna; also, The Fourfold Furnaces or The Fires of Perdition), is a plane of existence

Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)

The planes of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game constitutes the multiverse in which the game takes place.In the earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, the concept of the Inner, Ethereal, Prime Material, Astral and Outer Planes was introduced; at the time there were only four Inner Planes...

 of neutral evil/lawful evil alignment

Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of people, creatures and societies....

. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Plane

Outer Plane

In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as godly planes, spiritual planes or divine planes. The Outer Planes are home to beings such as deities and otherworldly creatures such as...

s that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape

Planescape

Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...

, Greyhawk

Greyhawk

Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...

and some editions of the Forgotten Realms

Forgotten Realms

The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...

campaign settings. It borders the Gray Waste of Hades

Gray Waste

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Gray Waste is a strongly evil aligned plane of existence...

 and the Nine Hells of Baator

Baator

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...

.

Inhabitants

The yugoloth

Yugoloth

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, yugoloths are neutral evil natives of the lower planes of the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna and the Gray Waste of Hades...

s call Gehenna home, and are its primary natives, though they originally hail from the Gray Waste

Gray Waste

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Gray Waste is a strongly evil aligned plane of existence...

 - they dominate both planes, but in Gehenna their rule is more overt and in the Waste more subtle. The Tower of the Arcanaloths is also found on Gehenna. The leader of their race, known only as the General of Gehenna

General of Gehenna

The General of Gehenna is a powerful yugoloth, in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Publication history:The General of Gehenna was first mentioned in Hellbound: The Blood War .-Description:...

, moves his Crawling City from layer to layer according to his will. The City moves on thousands of fireproof legs and may climb the face of any cliff.

Structure

Gehenna consists of four planar layers; each layer consists of a pair of huge volcano

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

s floating in space

Space

Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...

, joined at the bottom to form massive "earthbergs", hundreds of thousands of miles tall. Smaller mountain-shaped and -sized chunks of earth also float through Gehenna, occasionally colliding with the primary earthbergs. The first layer, Khalas, is a hot and fiery place, but the volcanos gradually grow colder as one passes through the layers; the third layer, Mungoth, is a cool place, while the fourth, Krangath, is icy and dead.

Khalas

Khalas is the location of a number of godly realms, including the kobold

Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)

Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...

 deity Gaknulak

Gaknulak

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Gaknulak is the kobold deity of Protection, Stealth, Trickery, and Traps...

's realm of Aknuthrak, the wererat

Wererat

A wererat is a fictional lycanthropic creature akin to a werewolf, but shapeshifting into the form of a rat instead of a wolf. This type of therianthrope is rare in historical legends, but has become common in modern role playing games and fantasy fiction inspired by them...

 god Squerrik

Squerrik

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Squerrik is the wererat deity of thievery, disguise, and concealment. He normally appears in his hybrid humanoid rat form.-Publication history:...

's realm of Cheisin, Math Mathonwy's realm of Corriegrave, and Sung Chiang's realm of Teardrop Palace.

Chamada

Chamada is the location of a number of godly realms, including the giant deity Memnor

Memnor

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Memnor is the giant deity of pride, honor, mental prowess and control. His symbol is a thin black obelisk.-Publication history:...

's realm of Thraotor and Sargonnas' realm of Palace of Deception. It also contains the realms of dead gods Iyachtu Xvim (Bastion of Hate), and Maanzecorian

Maanzecorian

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Maanzecorian is the illithid deity of knowledge and philosophy. His symbol is a silver crown set with a red gem....

 (Rictus). The town of Nimicri can also be found floating above the second layer.

Mungoth

Mungoth is the location of the lich

Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...

 god Velsharoon

Velsharoon

Velsharoon the Archmage of Necromancy, also known as the Vaunted, is a fictional deity of the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. Velsharoon is the undead demigod of necromancy, necromancers, evil liches, lichdom and undeath...

's realm of Death's Embrace and Loviatar's realm of Ondtland.

Krangath

Krangath is the location of the orc

Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...

 god Shargaas

Shargaas

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Shargaas is the orc deity of darkness, night, stealth, thieves, and the undead. His symbol is a skull on a red crescent moon.-Publication history:...

' realm of The Night Below. It is also home to Hopelorn, Mellifleur

Mellifleur

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Mellifleur is the god of lichdom and magic. Mellifleur is also known as the "Lichlord."His symbol is a crystal vial held in a skeletal hand, with a ring on its fourth finger.-Publication history:...

's obsidian citadel.

Fauna

• Phiuhl
• Pyroclastic dragon
• Vaporighu

In other cosmologies

In the revised cosmology of the Forgotten Realms

Forgotten Realms

The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...

, the infernal plane of Gehenna was the home of the dark god Bhaal

Bhaal

Bhaal, Lord of Murder, is a deity of the fictional Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting.-Publication history:Ed Greenwood created Bhaal for his home Dungeons & Dragons game, set in the Forgotten Realms....

, lord of murder and death, before he was killed in the Time of Troubles

Time of Troubles (Forgotten Realms)

The Time of Troubles, also known as the Arrival, Godswar, and Avatar Crisis, is a fictional time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game...

.

Historic influences

Gehenna is based on the use of Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna , Gehinnom and Yiddish Gehinnam, are terms derived from a place outside ancient Jerusalem known in the Hebrew Bible as the Valley of the Son of Hinnom ; one of the two principal valleys surrounding the Old City.In the Hebrew Bible, the site was initially where apostate Israelites and...

 as a synonym for Hell in Judaism

Judaism

Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

.