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The Fifth City: The Neath's Lore Wiki
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Hell

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"I saw it! Ask anyone! ...except her. Don't ask her."

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Crypticsecret

"There are some things we were not meant to know, they say. But you wouldn't be down here if you took that seriously."

Beyond this point lie spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, or Sunless Skies. This may include midgame or minor Fate-locked content. Proceed with caution.

You can find out more about our spoiler policy here.


Hell is the home base for the majority of devils. It is located west of London.

Ideology, History and Trade[]

After the Season of Revolutions, when the old Princes of Hell were overthrown,[1] Hell declared itself a republic[2] - though an odd type of republic, since it was only a democracy for a single afternoon.[3] It might be more accurate to think of it as a giant bureaucracy.[4] Most unusually, however, Hell's laws are constantly being changed and reforged by the numerous Law-Furnaces in the city.[5] Its doctrines are ever changing, and history does not matter. Anyone who defies this commandment is branded a traitor.[6] With such an ever-evolving system, opinions considered radical in London are seen as reactionary in Hell;[7] that said, Hell itself does have its radical elements. One of these is a group known as the Dynamite.[8]

Hell has a a civic religion, but it does not concern itself with the worship of one or many deities; in fact it is considered gauche to do so. The worshippers simply pray in Hell’s direction.[9] A core tenet of their religion insists upon the death of all tyrants.[10]

Underhanded means of gaining social currency, like betrayal and manipulation, are seen as more respectable among devils than among humankind[11] - although there is certainly still plenty of this in London. Hell is fraught with infighting, and the popularity of its various factions ebbs and flows.[12]

Both the Fourth City[13] and London have tried to invade hell; both have failed. During London's attempt in 1868, Hell would only release its prisoners of war in exchange for souls; most prisoners were forced to labor on infernal triremes. And there were many prisoners indeed; the campaign went very poorly for London, and was ended by a treaty between the two cities.[14] Nowadays, Hell exports brass, hydrogen, devilbones, and other goods to London, and imports souls in exchange.[15] The Brass Embassy is the diplomatic office of Hell in the Fifth City;[16] it had a similar establishment in the Fourth City, called the Celestial Embassy.[17]

Hell lies west of London,[18] with the Hinterlands in between;[19] many rivers flow toward the city.[20] Hell also shares a border with Parabola,[21] and their brass triremes can even navigate the river near the Far Shore.[22]

Previously, a single railway ran from Moloch Street to Hell,[23] with Marigold Station as a major stop between the two.[24] This is used to bring the damned (whatever that means) to Hell,[23] though if the train arrives late, all souls onboard are freed.[25] In 1898, with relations between London and Hell far less strained than they used to be, then-Lord Mayoress Virginia negotiated the opening of the Hinterlands to Londoners, and created the Ministry of Upper River Development. This chain of events led to the foundation of the Great Hellbound Railway, which constructed a second rail line between London and Hell.[26]

Hell has a colony in the Neath: the Iron Republic, south of London. There, all laws, both of society and nature, have been abolished,[27] and new laws replace the old ones every day.[28]

The Book of Pilgrims[]

It is quite difficult for ordinary visitors to describe Hell, thanks to the Law-Furnaces constantly at work within;[29] sometimes, it appears as a book more than a city.[30] That said, we can say some things with certainty.

Hell is a walled city built of white stone, with massive gates at its main entrance.[31] Between Marigold Station and the gates, the road to Hell is paved with the same stone[32] (not, fortunately, good intentions). The air is thick with smog from its Law-Furnaces,[33] but through the haze one can see the Square of Heroes and Martyrs, whose statues occasionally are left to crumble because "all things fall in the end."[34] Other known locations within Hell include the Clarity of Bells,[35][36] the Manse of Sacrifice,[34] and the Sanctity of Saviours;[37] the city also is known to have a garden and a greenhouse.[38]

Real Life Inspiration (unconfirmed)[]

The civic religion of Hell might be inspired by the First French Republic's state religion, the Cult of Reason.[39] This, however, is disputed among the fanbase.

References[]

  1. ↑ The Diabolical Diplomat, Fallen London ’The Season of Revolutions brought an end to thrones in Hell’
  2. ↑ Argue the Monkey's case, Fallen London
  3. ↑ Prove Virginia's motives (The Waswood), Fallen London
  4. ↑ Perform Outreach for the Church, Fallen London
  5. ↑ Trial and Error, Fallen London ’Could this be a law furnace? In Hell, such devices sit in great factories, forming an integral but obscured part of their legal system.’
  6. ↑ The Destiny of the Marigold, Fallen London "This Knight of the Marigold earned the enmity of Hell [...] Hell rewrites its doctrine regularly: [...] This Knight, [...] was once a historian. [...] attempted to create a comprehensive analysis of the revolution. They were given to the Marigold for their trouble [...] return only when they had found Truth."
  7. ↑ Ask her about prior winners of the Marvellous, Fallen London
  8. ↑ Speak to the Ambassador, Fallen London
  9. ↑ Visit the Diocesan Church of Hell at Burrow, Fallen London
  10. ↑ Engage in a little light preaching, Fallen London
  11. ↑ Trial and Error, Fallen London ’Backstabbing and jockeying are a natural feature of the Brass Embassy, and Hell at large.’
  12. ↑ Trial and Error, Fallen London ’The letter is curiously neutral when it mentions that cabals fall in and out of fashion in Hell.’
  13. ↑ Investigate the Fourth City's War against Hell, Fallen London
  14. ↑ The Brass Grail (Story), Fallen London ’ The contract is valid according to the laws of Hell, and therefore binding here due to the treaty signed after the war.’
  15. ↑ A trade in souls?, Fallen London
  16. ↑ What is the Brass Embassy?, Fallen London
  17. ↑ What is the Brass Embassy?, Fallen London
  18. ↑ Involved in a Railway Venture, Fallen London
  19. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’You are leaving London. Beyond are the outskirts of the Empire, and further still, the hinterlands of Hell.’
  20. ↑ Analyse the fauna of Hell, Fallen London
  21. ↑ The Bishop of Southwark 2, Fallen London ’But Parabola shares a border with Hell.’
  22. ↑ Caught Up in a Soldier's Heartbreaking Tale (Story), Fallen London ’"Are you familiar with the place? There are worse things on that river than the dead […] When I awoke, I was in a boat on a dark river. You may be familiar with the river."’
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 An Exceptional Story: An Infernal Interview, Fallen London
  24. ↑ For All the Saints Who From Their Labours Rest, Fallen London ’ I'll arrange for the train to make a brief stop at Marigold Station.’
  25. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’"The train does not stop. There is a simple reason for this – if the train arrives late, all souls aboard go free. An ancient accord that predates us all." He smiles ruefully. "Though there is a margin of error."’
  26. ↑ Advertisements of a New Venture, Fallen London
  27. ↑ Debate the Republic's law, Fallen London
  28. ↑ Day 1, Hurled from High Places, Fallen London
  29. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’A ruddy fog seeps out: smog from the law-furnaces.’
  30. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’ Book of All Hours 6:19: The traveller was distressed to find themselves back at the beginning. The Emissary was commanded to turn the pages.’
  31. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’ Hell's walls rise before you. They are high and misshapen, scarred by sieges. The gates tower above you.’
  32. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’There is only a simple platform a short set of steps, and then the road to Hell: broken and cobbled in white stone.’
  33. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’[…] the Gates open, just a crack. Beyond, you glimpse a slabbed square, forested with statues. Each depicts a hero of Hell's revolution[…]’
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Enter Hell once more, Fallen London
  35. ↑ Return to Hell, Fallen London
  36. ↑ The Twelve-Fifteen from Moloch Street, Fallen London ’The traveller departed, following an incident with the cartography in the Clarity of Bells.’
  37. ↑ Enter Hell for the first time, Fallen London
  38. ↑ Deliver Mr Transport to Hell, Fallen London
  39. ↑ Cult of Reason, Wikipedia
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