The Ring of Bones
The Ring of Bones is the fourth layer of the Nine Hells, a haunting and treacherous realm ruled by Lathrea, the god of evil dragons, draconic creatures, betrayal, and lies. Though he takes the form of a massive undead dragon, Lathrea is not a god of necromancy—he embodies the treachery and corruption of dragons and the devastating consequences of deceit. His domain is a reflection of these aspects, where the skeletons of ancient creatures and dragons tower over the landscape, and the condemned souls here are doomed to endure the constant threat of betrayal and the suffocating weight of their lies.
Description
The Ring of Bones is a desolate, jagged landscape littered with the skeletal remains of long-dead dragons and colossal creatures that once roamed the mortal and infernal realms. Massive ribcages from ancient draconic beasts arch across the sky, forming natural bridges and spires, casting dark shadows across the ground. The bones of treacherous souls, who now serve as a foundation for this realm, are woven into the landscape, their twisted forms a grim reminder of the fate that awaits those who fall into the clutches of Lathrea.
The earth itself is cracked and broken, with deep chasms filled with the whispers of lies and betrayal. These voices echo across the land, haunting the minds of those who wander the layer. The sky is a sickly grey, perpetually overcast, and no sunlight reaches this realm. Instead, a dim, ghostly glow seeps from the bones of fallen creatures, casting an eerie, pallid light over everything.
Lathrea's dominion in the Ring of Bones is one of treachery, where deception and falsehoods have become tangible forces. Souls condemned to this layer are trapped in a web of lies and deceit, constantly manipulated by others, unable to trust anyone around them. Even the ground beneath their feet betrays them, shifting and crumbling without warning, causing them to fall into deep pits of bone and darkness.
Lathrea, the Broken Tyrant
Lathrea appears as a massive undead dragon, his skeletal form towering over the realm he rules. His bones are blackened with the corruption of betrayal, and his hollow eye sockets glow with a cold, malevolent light. Despite his appearance, Lathrea is not tied to necromancy—his undead form is a twisted reflection of his nature as a god of deceit and betrayal, a reminder of the devastation caused by lies and treachery. His presence is suffocating, his wings made of bone and sinew stretching wide across the sky, casting the entire realm into shadow.
Lathrea thrives on the suffering of those who have been deceived or have betrayed others. He relishes the collapse of trust and the chaos that follows in the wake of lies, feeding on the despair and hopelessness that come from betrayal. His voice, when heard, is a deep, resonant hiss, dripping with false promises and veiled threats. Those who hear his words are often seduced by them, only to find themselves trapped in a web of deceit from which there is no escape.
The Betrayers and the Betrayed
The Ring of Bones is home to souls who, in life, were marked by their deceit, betrayal, and falsehoods. These souls are doomed to wander the desolate landscape, haunted by the lies they told and the lives they ruined. The punishment in this layer is not just physical, but psychological—souls are trapped in an eternal game of manipulation, constantly deceived by those around them, never knowing whom to trust.
In the Ring of Bones, alliances are fleeting, and betrayal is constant. Souls are often pitted against one another in cruel games orchestrated by Lathrea’s minions, forced to choose between self-preservation or loyalty to others. These choices inevitably lead to betrayal, as no one in the Ring of Bones can be trusted. The condemned are often betrayed by the very ones they believed were their allies, leaving them broken and paranoid, questioning every decision they make.
The Dragon Betrayers, draconic creatures twisted by Lathrea's influence, serve as enforcers of his will. These creatures, once proud dragons who turned on their kin or hoarded power through deceit, now roam the land as skeletal, corrupted versions of their former selves. They hunt down those who attempt to rise above the endless cycle of treachery, dragging them into the depths of bone-filled chasms where they are forced to confront their betrayals in life.
The Labyrinth of Lies
One of the most infamous places in the Ring of Bones is the Labyrinth of Lies, a vast, shifting maze of bone and shadow where deception itself becomes a living force. The walls of the labyrinth are made from the bones of traitors, their skeletal hands reaching out to grab and pull at those who pass by. The labyrinth constantly shifts and changes, leading souls deeper into its tangled web of falsehoods. Those who enter the Labyrinth of Lies are confronted with illusions, half-truths, and false paths, all designed to confuse and mislead them.
At the heart of the labyrinth lies the Throne of False Promises, where Lathrea often holds court. Here, he weaves his greatest deceptions, enticing souls with promises of power, redemption, or release from their torment—only to shatter those hopes with devastating betrayals. Those who seek out the throne in the hope of escape often find themselves trapped deeper in Lathrea's web, their lies and betrayals mirrored back at them in ways they cannot escape.
Punishments in the Ring of Bones
The souls condemned to the Ring of Bones are those who, in life, thrived on lies, betrayal, and treachery. Their punishment is to endure an eternity of the very same. In this layer, they are surrounded by others who are just as deceitful and manipulative as they were in life, forced into constant paranoia as they never know whom to trust.
One of the most feared punishments in this layer is to become part of the Chasm of the Betrayed, where souls are cast into deep pits filled with the whispers of their own lies. Here, they are forced to relive every betrayal they committed in life, the voices of those they wronged echoing in their minds. The weight of their deceit slowly crushes them, their bones breaking and fusing with the very earth itself, until they become part of the skeletal landscape.
Another punishment, reserved for the most treacherous souls, is the Mark of the False Dragon. Souls who receive this mark are hunted by Lathrea’s draconic minions, who see them as prey. The marked are constantly pursued and torn apart, only to be resurrected and hunted again. Their fate is a never-ending cycle of betrayal and destruction, forever at the mercy of the very forces they once sought to control.
Worshipers of Lathrea
Lathrea’s followers are those who embrace deception, manipulation, and the pursuit of power through any means necessary. His worshipers include evil dragons, draconic creatures, and mortals who are skilled in the arts of lying and treachery. In life, these individuals often use deceit to rise to positions of power, betraying allies and loved ones in pursuit of their ambitions.
Temples dedicated to Lathrea are hidden, secretive places where betrayal is honored as a path to strength. His followers conduct rituals of manipulation, offering sacrifices of trust and loyalty to their dark god. These temples are often adorned with the bones of those who were betrayed, and his priests teach that the only truth is power, and power comes through the mastery of deceit.
Worshipers of Lathrea are drawn to his ability to twist truth into lies, and many seek his favor to gain power over others. However, even his most devout followers know that Lathrea himself cannot be trusted—betrayal is his nature, and those who serve him must always be prepared to turn on one another to survive.
Legacy of the Ring of Bones
The Ring of Bones is a realm of treachery, deceit, and betrayal, where souls who thrived on lies in life are condemned to endure the same in death. Under the rule of Lathrea, this layer of the Nine Hells is a place where trust is a dangerous illusion and where those who seek power through deceit are consumed by their own lies. The skeletal landscape and the undead dragon god who rules it serve as grim reminders of the consequences of betrayal, where the only certainty is that no one can be trusted.
In the Ring of Bones, souls are trapped in an eternal game of manipulation and deceit, where betrayal is the only constant and Lathrea's influence pervades every corner. Those who enter this realm soon learn that there is no escape from the lies they once told, and no redemption from the betrayals that shaped their lives. Here, treachery reigns supreme, and the consequences of deceit stretch on for eternity under the cold, watchful gaze of Lathrea.