The Ring of Copper
The Ring of Copper is the second layer of the Nine Hells, a massive, oppressive city that stretches endlessly in all directions, built entirely of copper. Unlike the brutal chaos of the Ring of War, no singular entity rules this layer, and its defining characteristic is the suffocating atmosphere of greed, corruption, and decay. The city itself is a labyrinth of narrow streets, towering buildings, and dark alleys, where the souls of the damned are condemned to an eternity of chasing wealth and status that they can never truly attain.
Description
The Ring of Copper is a sprawling metropolis with an air of grandeur that has long since corroded under the weight of its own greed. The buildings, though once magnificent, are now tarnished and crumbling, their copper facades greened with patina, a symbol of wealth lost and ambition turned to ruin. The streets are filled with the clamor of commerce, with vendors hawking wares of worthless value, merchants bartering endlessly, and souls desperate to climb the social ladder in a system that offers no escape.
The air is thick with the metallic scent of copper, a sharp tang that clings to the skin and fills the lungs, making it hard to breathe. Everything in the city—buildings, bridges, statues, and even the coins exchanged in its markets—is made of copper. The streets are paved with copper bricks, and towering spires of copper cast long shadows over the inhabitants below. Despite the city’s vast size, there is no sense of space or freedom; the city is claustrophobic, its streets winding endlessly in circles, trapping its inhabitants in a maze from which there is no escape.
The copper itself is cursed. The metal’s constant tarnishing represents the decaying moral state of the souls trapped within. No matter how much the denizens polish or clean the copper to restore its luster, it always corrodes again, reminding them that their efforts are in vain and that their pursuit of wealth and power is hollow.
The Curse of Greed
The souls condemned to the Ring of Copper are those who were consumed by greed and materialism in life—avaricious merchants, corrupt officials, and hoarders who cared more for wealth than for the well-being of others. Here, they are cursed to endlessly pursue riches and status, but no matter how much they accumulate, it is never enough. The city is a mockery of the mortal desire for wealth and power, and its inhabitants are driven by an insatiable hunger to acquire more, even though they know deep down that their efforts are futile.
The Ring of Copper is a place where transactions never end. Souls barter and haggle over meaningless goods, desperately trying to outdo one another in the pursuit of status. They exchange copper coins that tarnish and crumble to dust in their hands, sign contracts that hold no value, and make promises they can never fulfill. The more they seek to enrich themselves, the more they lose, as the very act of grasping for wealth only tightens the chains that bind them to the city.
The souls are not alone in their torment. The Ring of Copper is filled with devils who thrive on the greed and desperation of its inhabitants. These devils act as merchants, bankers, and traders, offering souls deals that promise wealth or power but inevitably lead to further corruption and enslavement. Souls who are tempted by these deals often find themselves trapped in contracts that bind them to servitude, forced to serve the devils in exchange for promises that will never be fulfilled.
Endless Commerce and Corruption
The city is a twisted parody of commerce and civilization. Its marketplace, known as the Grand Exchange, is the heart of the city, a vast bazaar where souls come to trade. The market is filled with vendors selling trinkets, false promises, and illusions of wealth. Every item in the market appears valuable at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the goods are revealed to be cheap, broken, or entirely worthless. Yet, the damned continue to barter for these items, convinced that the next deal will be the one that finally grants them the wealth and power they seek.
Corruption is rampant in the Ring of Copper. Souls constantly scheme and betray one another, making underhanded deals and forming temporary alliances, only to stab one another in the back the moment they sense an opportunity for personal gain. The devils who preside over these transactions take great pleasure in watching the souls degrade themselves further and further in their pursuit of wealth.
The Patina of Despair
One of the most insidious aspects of the Ring of Copper is the Patina of Despair, a slow, creeping decay that affects everything within the city. The copper of the city is constantly corroding, turning green and brittle. Souls who live in the city find themselves slowly succumbing to the same corrosion. Their skin begins to take on a greenish tint, their movements become slower and more labored, and their thoughts become clouded with desperation and despair.
The Patina of Despair symbolizes the ultimate futility of greed. No matter how hard the souls try to polish the copper or restore their former wealth, it is all meaningless. The more they struggle to escape their fate, the more they are consumed by the decay that surrounds them.
The Shifting Labyrinth
The Ring of Copper is not a static place. The streets of the city constantly shift and rearrange themselves, creating a labyrinth that traps the souls within. Those who seek to escape the city or rise above the endless cycle of commerce find themselves lost, wandering through alleys and side streets that seem to fold back on themselves. No matter how far they walk or how many deals they make, they always end up back where they started, trapped in the same fruitless cycle of greed.
This shifting nature of the city ensures that no soul can ever find peace or stability. The constant movement of the streets reflects the fleeting nature of wealth and power—what seems within reach is always just beyond grasp, and what was once certain crumbles into uncertainty.
Punishments in the Ring of Copper
The punishments in the Ring of Copper are subtle but profound. Souls are not subjected to overt physical torment like in other layers of the Nine Hells, but rather, they are trapped in an eternal state of dissatisfaction and desire. They are cursed to chase wealth and power for all eternity, but no matter how much they acquire, it is never enough. The more they grasp for, the more they lose.
For those who were particularly cruel or greedy in life, their punishment is to become part of the city itself. These souls are slowly absorbed into the copper structures around them, becoming statues or pieces of architecture. Their consciousness remains trapped, aware of their surroundings but unable to move or speak, forever watching the others continue their fruitless pursuit.
Worshipers and Devotees of Greed
The Ring of Copper, while not ruled by a singular entity, draws those mortals and devils who are consumed by greed and the pursuit of wealth. In the mortal realm, cults dedicated to greed often revere the Ring of Copper as the ultimate destination for those who seek to amass power and wealth at any cost. These cults see the pursuit of wealth as the highest virtue, believing that material success is the ultimate sign of favor from the Nine Hells.
Though no ruler presides over the Ring of Copper, devils often take advantage of its environment to forge pacts with mortals, offering them wealth and status in exchange for their souls. These deals often seem too good to be true, and they are—once the soul is claimed, they are dragged into the Ring of Copper, where they become part of the endless cycle of greed and corruption.
Legacy of the Ring of Copper
The Ring of Copper is a place of endless desire, where souls are condemned to chase wealth, status, and power in a system that ensures they can never be satisfied. It is a reminder of the dangers of unchecked greed, a realm where materialism and ambition lead only to ruin and decay. The souls who find themselves trapped here are forever caught in a web of corruption, their lives reduced to endless transactions and betrayals, all for the promise of wealth that will never come. The Ring of Copper stands as a testament to the ultimate futility of greed and the empty pursuit of material gain