Map17 - Hellscape

## Hellscape

Hellscape is the seventh level of Hedon Bloodrite, and the only level set in perpetual motion, following the Blue Baron Fleet's escape from the Demon Port Town. The action takes place upon the Sea of Fire which separates the Underworld from the Core of Hell - an archipelago of islands that serves as the homeland of the Demons. Legends claim that the Sea of Fire lies at the very bottom of the Underworld although the presence of gravity and survivable pressure levels indicate it is still far above the core of the planet.

When the Iron Division attacks the Demon Port, Nithriel and the Blue Baron make their escape at sea with the aid of a small demonic fleet. After Zan reaches the port, Eraanthe welcomes her aboard an Experimental Speedboat left behind, which the two use to eventually catch up to the Baron's Flagship and the rest of his fleet.

## Baron's Fleet

### Experimental Speedboat

Before the Blue Baron united the Demons, the Sea of Fire was rife with naval conflicts between the squabbling demon lords. Seeing the opportunity to dominate the Underworld's trade, many lords invested resources into upgrading the performance of their ships, which resulted in designs such as the one of the Experimental Speedboat. With a sleek and dynamic shape, it can brave even the thickest pockets of magma with ease, while the powerful experimental engine allows it to outspeed any other boat.

### Transport Ships

Few outsiders have ever had the chance to even witness the Sea of Fire, and even fewer can imagine that a typical boat could ever be used to cross it. Although Demons have historically flew or teleported over the fiery liquid mass, the increasing presence of the Cult in the Underworld and the need to move large amounts of supplies across the Sea has led the demon lords to design a new means of transportation.

The Transport Ships resemble the ones used by the sailors in the Overworld for the most part, although they are a lot more front-heavy in order to be able to pierce through thicker pockets of magma and protect the interiors from fiery wave splashes. They are built from a mixture of steel and wooden parts, designed in such a way so that the ship doesn't outright combust from the surrounding heat, instead funneling it into the turbine engines inspired by Dwarven technology. Although they weren't designed for combat, some of them are armed with cannons or draw bridges that allow the crew to board an enemy vessel.

### Speedboats

Designed for peak maneuverability , Speedboats are small and fast, usually made entirely out of steel and heat-proof dark iron. Traditionally, the demon lords used them to secure or attack Transport Ships, and many Speedboats are equipped with one or more turrets that would allow their crew to fire from behind cover. However, since the coronation of the Icon has brought peace to the Sea of Fire, Speedboats have been assigned to transport additional supplies and passengers over.

### Barges

Knowing that the design of the Transport Ships does not suit the Sea of Fire as well as they would suit the regular waters of the Overworld, many demon lords have attempted to create new types of ships that could effectively transport goods. These ideas have materialized in various types of Barges, not two of them ever looking alike.

Barges not only vary in size and shape - some of them are also equipped with their own engines and helms while others are a mere floating platform pulled by a different ship. Most of them, however, employ modular designs in order to maximize the weight they can carry and prevent the goods from being damaged by the Sea of Fire.

### Submersibles

When studying the technology of the Dwarves, Demons devised blueprints not only for heat-powered engines that would allow them to explore the surface of the Sea of Fire, but for entire Submersible ships that could descend into the deadly magma and explore the depths beneath.

Only the richest lords could afford enough dark iron to insulate a submersible well enough to prevent the crew from being cooked alive. However, this versatile type of ship allowed them to not only move supplies safely through the cavern's jagged reefs, but also attack unsuspecting ships with deadly effectiveness or trail them while submerged with the aid of a periscope.

## Baron's Flagship

### Main & Upper Deck

As the largest ship across the entire Sea of Fire, the Baron's Flagship was built to transport and entertain his distinguished guests, being very lightly armed and relying on an escort to defend it in the unlikely case of a pirate raid. The presence of lifeboats at the rear sides of the Flagship further demonstrates that it was designed to carry important passengers, and the way in which the Main and Upper Decks have been dedicated to recreational purposes further speaks to its non-combatant design.

Aside from the helm and crew access at the front, the Main Deck features an elegant restaurant with a stage large enough to keep the visitors entertained during the journey. Although it wouldn't be as impressive to see in the Overworld, the sizeable water pool at the back is certainly a sight to behold, making one wonder of what magic prevents the water from evaporating completely or boiling an unfortunate bather alive.

The very top deck is reserved to a lavish observation room that also opens up to the guest bedrooms. During the journey, Nithriel and her Warlocks use the premises to carry out some magical rituals, as suggested by the pentagram in the middle and the rearranged furniture.

### Lower & Bottom Deck

The lower half of the Flagship is inhabited to the crew operating it, with the massive engine also taking up a large portion of the lower deck. The frontal part of the Lower Deck serves as a general storage space, followed by the crew quarters and the mess hall, with the kitchen located below, on the Bottom Deck.

Almost a third of the rear space is taken by the engine, which is divided between multiple chambers. A part of the technical space surrounding the main pistons is dedicated to powering the bulkhead doors that secure the Flagship's corridors. A pair of furnaces at the back provide enough energy to keep the pistons running and direct additional power to the turbines.

The engine creates a significant amount of noise, which Nithriel makes use of in order to prevent the Blue Baron from reading her mind during the journey. However, this also weakens her own grasp over Reaver Tiati, who manages to procure one of the toxic gas potions used by the Demons to kickstart the Flagship's pistons. When Nithriel ambushes Zan, Tiati throws the potion into one of the running furnaces, causing a massive chain of explosions that blows the entire Flagship apart, as can be seen by the chunks of debris which wash ashore in the Core of Hell.