Stygian Realm

The Stygian Realm, or Greek Underworld, is the shadowed domain of Hades and Persephone, where all souls go after death. It lies deep beneath the earth, divided by the five rivers of the dead, including the River Styx, which separates the living from the afterlife.

Here, souls are judged and sent to their destined realms—Elysium for the virtuous, Asphodel for the ordinary, and Tartarus for the damned. Cerberus, the three-headed hound, guards its gates, ensuring none escape.

Neither hell nor heaven, the Stygian Realm is a place of balance and finality, where every soul meets the truth it earned in life.

Land, climate, and notable features

The Stygian Realm is a vast and shadowed expanse beneath the earth, where mist and darkness stretch endlessly. The air is cold, still, and heavy, untouched by sun or wind, and the only sounds are the whispers of the dead and the flow of the underworld’s rivers.

Its landscape is shaped by five great rivers—the Styx (oaths), Acheron (sorrow), Lethe (forgetfulness), Phlegethon (fire), and Cocytus (wailing)—each marking a passage or boundary within the realm.

Notable places include the Gates of Hades, guarded by Cerberus; the Judgment Hall, where souls stand before Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus; the Fields of Asphodel, a gray meadow of wandering spirits; Elysium, a paradise of eternal peace; and Tartarus, a fiery abyss of punishment.

How the Stygian Realm is run

The Stygian Realm is ruled by Hades, the stern and just god of the dead, alongside his queen Persephone, who brings a touch of life and renewal to the land of shadows. Unlike the living realms, it is not ruled by conquest or ambition but by order, judgment, and balance.

At its core lies the Court of the Dead, where three ancient judges—Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus—weigh the deeds of every soul. Their verdict determines whether a spirit is sent to Elysium, Asphodel, or Tartarus.

Hades himself oversees the laws of the underworld, ensuring that no soul escapes and no living being enters without cause. Thanatos, the spirit of death, and Charon, the ferryman, enforce these rules, maintaining the sacred divide between life and death.

Trade, rivals, and heraldry

Trade:
The Stygian Realm is not a place of commerce but of exchange and passage. The only true trade is the fare paid to Charon, the ferryman, in the form of a coin placed upon the tongue or eyes of the dead. Offerings and sacrifices from the living—blood, gold, or prayers—can briefly reach the realm, serving as tribute or summons. Souls and oaths are the currency of the dead, each carrying weight and consequence.

Rivals:
Hades has few direct rivals, but tensions linger with Olympian gods who meddle with mortality—especially Zeus, who rules the skies, and Poseidon, who governs the seas. The Stygian Realm also holds uneasy ties with Thanatos and the Fates, whose control over death occasionally overlaps with Hades’ domain. Mortals who defy death—heroes, necromancers, or tricksters—are seen as the greatest intruders.

Heraldry:
The symbols of the Stygian Realm are somber and sacred: the black scepter of Hades, the pomegranate of Persephone, and the crescent helm representing dominion over death. The River Styx itself serves as its divine emblem—a dark mirror reflecting unbreakable oaths and eternal silence.

Who lives here

The Stygian Realm is inhabited by a vast array of gods, spirits, and mythic beings, each bound to the eternal order of death and the afterlife.

At its heart rules Hades, the god of the underworld, and his queen Persephone, who divides her time between the living world and the dead. Together they preside over the souls of mortals, ensuring that every life finds its rightful place beyond death.

The Judges of the Dead—Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus—decide the fates of souls, while Charon, the ferryman, carries them across the River Styx. Cerberus, the three-headed hound, guards the gates, ensuring none leave their appointed rest.

Countless shades (spirits of the dead) wander the Fields of Asphodel, while heroes and the virtuous dwell in Elysium’s eternal light. The damned and the Titans suffer below in Tartarus, watched over by monstrous wardens like the Erinyes (Furies)—avengers of blood and oathbreakers.

Other beings—nymphs of the underworld rivers, shades of forgotten gods, and wraiths of memory—drift through the shadows. Together they form a realm both feared and sacred, where every soul, divine or mortal, eventually returns to the quiet rule of death.

Money and Status

In the Stygian Realm, wealth and status hold no mortal meaning—gold and titles fade at death’s threshold. True power is measured in divine authority, ancient oaths, and the weight of one’s soul.

Money exists only symbolically—the single coin for Charon’s passage is both toll and offering, marking respect for the laws of death. Beyond that, material riches have no worth in a land where all are equal before judgment.

Status is determined by deeds in life and purity of spirit. Heroes and the righteous rest in Elysium, honored for eternity, while the wicked are cast into Tartarus, stripped of all former glory. Even among the dead, memory and legacy are the only lasting measures of worth.

Power belongs to Hades, Persephone, and the divine order itself. The gods and judges command obedience not through fear or riches, but through eternal law—a hierarchy written into the fabric of existence.