Nine Hells - eXputer Wiki

Key takeaways

The playable region is not all nine layers It is mainly Raphael’s House of Hope in Avernus.
Avernus is the first layer of the Nine Hells, ruled by Zariel in the setting Other layers such as Dis, Minauros, Cania and Nessus are referenced, but are not explorable regions in the base game.
Access is available in Act Three through Devil’s Fee in the Lower City, usually by negotiating with Helsik or performing the portal ritual yourself.
The House of Hope has no fast travel or camp access Prepare your party before entering.
The location is central to Deal with the Devil, Escape the Deal, Save Hope, Free Orpheus and Help Kith’rak Voss.
The most important rewards are the Orphic Hammer, Helldusk Armour, Helldusk Gloves, Gloves of Soul Catching and Raphael’s extensive treasure hoard.

About this guide

Scope: Base-game Baldur’s Gate 3, with the location boundary treated carefully. The game does not provide a freely explorable version of all nine infernal layers. In playable terms, the Nine Hells consist of brief cinematic travel through Avernus, the first layer, during the prologue, and the fully explorable House of Hope, Raphael’s demesne in Avernus, reached during Act Three. Devil’s Fee and Sharess’ Caress are access and story locations in Baldur’s Gate, not subareas of the Nine Hells.

Overview

The Nine Hells are the lawful-evil outer planes of the Forgotten Realms, arranged as nine layers ruled by archdevils and locked in the Blood War against the demons of the Abyss. In Baldur’s Gate 3, however, they are primarily a narrative destination rather than a conventional open-world region.

The only layer the player can enter directly is Avernus, the first layer of Hell. The party passes through Avernus aboard the nautiloid during the opening cinematic sequence, but cannot freely leave the ship and explore the landscape. Later, in Act Three, a portal opened by the diabolist Helsik transports the party to the House of Hope, a floating infernal mansion belonging to Raphael.

The House of Hope is a compact but unusually dense dungeon. It contains a prison, archive, boudoir, balconies, a ceremonial entrance hall, several infernal guardians, powerful unique equipment and one of the game’s most consequential optional boss encounters.

The Nine Hells as a setting

The Nine Hells are a single infernal plane divided into nine layers:

The game names or alludes to several of these layers, especially through devil lore, contracts, portal imagery and Raphael’s family connections. The House of Hope itself is located in Avernus, rather than in Cania or Nessus. Raphael is a cambion and the son of Mephistopheles, but his residence is not his father’s layer.

The Nine Hells as a setting: steps

01
Avernus, ruled by Zariel
02
Dis, ruled by Dispater
03
Minauros, ruled by Mammon
04
Phlegethos, ruled by Fierna and Belial
05
Stygia, ruled by Levistus
06
Malbolge, ruled by Glasya
07
Maladomini, ruled by Baalzebul
08
Cania, ruled by Mephistopheles
09
Nessus, ruled by Asmodeus

Verified Nine Hells layers

Avernus

What is and is not part of the BG3 location

Neighbouring or connected, but not physically in the Nine Hells

The Devil’s Fee is the practical entrance to the House of Hope, but it remains a shop in Baldur’s Gate. Likewise, Raphael’s appearances at Sharess’ Caress take place in the city before the party crosses into Avernus.

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Avernus is a scorched battlefield of the Blood War and the first layer of Hell. In Baldur’s Gate 3, the player sees its landscape during the opening sequence while the nautiloid travels between planes. The party cannot disembark and explore the wider battlefield during this sequence.

Karlach’s history provides the game’s strongest personal connection to Avernus. She was sold to Zariel and forced to serve there, eventually receiving the infernal engine that now powers her body. Her personal quest and several companion conversations refer to the layer’s war machines, devils and brutal environment, but these references do not open an additional explorable map.

The House of Hope is described as a giant structure floating above Avernus. Its rocky foundation is held aloft by mechanisms, including large infernal engines visible from the prison area.

Within the practical scope of “Nine Hells”

House of Hope

Avernus directory

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Avernus directory

Before entering

The party should complete preparation in Baldur’s Gate before opening the portal. The House of Hope is a mission-only planar destination and does not function like an ordinary city zone.

Reaching Devil’s Fee

Devil’s Fee stands in the northern-central Lower City. Helsik, its owner, is a diabolist and a warlock connected to Mammon, the archdevil of Minauros. Her normal stock includes magical equipment, alchemical ingredients, dyes, potions and scrolls. Do not assume that every infernal object displayed in the shop is a usable service or quest item.

The party can learn about Helsik through several routes, including:

Opening the portal

Helsik can provide the ritual materials in exchange for payment or an arrangement involving the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength. The documented payment routes include:

The party can also infiltrate the shop and gather the materials independently. Helsik’s room contains the ritual chamber and a blood-red heptagram. The ritual requires a skull, Coin of Mammon, diamond, incense and Infernal Marble. The accompanying instructions describe the arrangement as follows:

The order of placement does not matter, provided that each object occupies the correct position.

When the ritual is complete, interact with the centre of the circle to travel to the House of Hope.

Route directory

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The House of Hope is Raphael’s home, treasury, prison and theatre of manipulation. Its lavish red-and-gold interior contrasts with the infernal machinery and imprisoned debtors that sustain it. Raphael presents himself as a generous patron, but the house is built around contracts, ownership and controlled despair.

The party initially enters without immediately provoking the inhabitants. Hope, the house’s imprisoned spirit, uses projections to guide them and offers assistance if the party promises to free her. If the party accepts, Hope provides Debtor’s Attire, allowing them to move through much of the house without immediately turning its inhabitants hostile.

Opening the portal: steps

01
Place the skull on the point near the altar.
02
Place the Coin of Mammon on the next point to the right.
03
Skip one point, then place the diamond.
04
Place the incense on the point following the diamond.
05
Place the Infernal Marble in the centre.

Route directory

Route directory: The house has two broad phases

01
Infiltration, during which the party searches the building and gathers information or treasure.
02
Escape, after the alarm is triggered or after the party takes the Orphic Hammer, when Raphael confronts the party at the exit.

House of Hope directory

Important functional spaces

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Feast Hall and Main Corridor

The party arrives in the House of Hope’s entrance area and is introduced to the strange etiquette of Raphael’s residence. The Feast Hall contains food and decorative objects, but it is not a conventional inn or rest area.

The Main Corridor connects the central rooms and provides access to the Archive, Boudoir and prison route. Before the alarm, it is possible to move through parts of the house while disguised in Debtor’s Attire. After the alarm, the corridor becomes dangerous because Hell Spheres may pursue the party and several residents become hostile.

Chamber of Egress

The Chamber of Egress contains the portal used to return to Devil’s Fee. It is the natural destination for the party’s escape route.

Do not treat the portal as a general fast-travel point. Fast travel and camp access are unavailable inside the House of Hope. The party must return to the Chamber of Egress and survive the confrontation that follows.

Archive directory

Orphic Hammer

Boudoir

The Boudoir is Raphael’s private chamber. It is protected by a Mystic Force Curtain that normally requires a Boudoir Invitation. The room can also be reached by travelling across the exterior platforms from the Eastern Balcony. The final jump requires sufficient Strength or an equivalent mobility option.

Haarlep offers information about Raphael, but the interaction has serious consequences. The party can resist the encounter, accept it, or fight Haarlep immediately. Surrendering a character’s body and soul can lead to permanent death or a game-over outcome depending on who participates. Accepting the wrong bargain can also prevent the party from obtaining the Helldusk Gloves.

Eastern Balcony

The Eastern Balcony provides an exterior route to the Boudoir and a way down towards Hope’s Prison. The party can jump across narrow platforms around the outside of the building.

This route is useful when the Boudoir’s main entrance is sealed. Split the party before making the jumps so that one failed movement does not cause several characters to fall.

The balcony also offers a view of the infernal machinery holding the house in the Avernian sky.

Western Balcony

The Western Balcony is associated with the Eternal Rat and contains additional records about Raphael’s treatment of Hope. The Eternal Rat is notable because it remains neutral even when other debtors turn hostile.

Hope’s Prison

Hope is held beneath the main level of the house, restrained by two red crystalline anchors. The party must use the Orphic Hammer to break both restraints.

Once freed, Hope becomes an attached follower and assists the party during the final battle. She can use powerful support abilities, making her survival a major priority. If she survives Raphael’s defeat, she rewards the player with the Gloves of Soul Catching.

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Principal residents

Raphael

Raphael owns the House of Hope and uses contracts to bind mortals, devils and other beings to his service. His principal Act Three offer concerns the Orphic Hammer, which he will provide in exchange for the Crown of Karsus. Accepting his offer avoids the need to steal the hammer from the Archive, but creates later consequences for the Orpheus storyline.

If the party steals the hammer or otherwise violates the terms of his arrangement, Raphael confronts them during the escape. He is accompanied by Korrilla, Vengeful Cambions and additional infernal creatures.

Hope

Hope is the spirit or captive intelligence of the House. Raphael keeps her imprisoned because she can influence the house and its protections. She guides the party during the infiltration phase and becomes an active combat ally after being freed.

Hope’s survival is missable. If she dies during the final battle, the Gloves of Soul Catching are not awarded and her later epilogue outcome is lost.

Haarlep

Haarlep is an incubus sent by Mephistopheles and Raphael’s preferred companion. They occupy Raphael’s Boudoir and know the location of Raphael’s personal valuables. Their encounter can provide information, but the sexual bargain has mechanical and narrative consequences.

Korrilla Hearthflame

Korrilla works for Raphael and is connected to Hope. She appears at the House of Hope during the final confrontation. Her fate depends on the party’s choices and the result of the battle.

Yurgir

Yurgir is an orthon bound by Raphael’s contract. His presence during the final fight depends on the party’s earlier handling of his contract in the Gauntlet of Shar. If the party killed him there, he may appear as Raphael’s ally. A DC 30 Persuasion check can convince him to switch sides.

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The House of Hope’s non-boss inhabitants are mostly eternal debtors. They are not a normal civilian population. Their conditions range from servitude to monstrous transformation, and their behaviour changes when the alarm is triggered.

Named or individually identified inhabitants

These entries should not be confused with generic Eternal Debtor creatures. Some are scenery or dialogue-bearing inhabitants rather than vendors, quest-givers or combat encounters.

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Raphael’s household

The House of Hope does not have a formal civic government or ordinary law enforcement. Its security is personal and contractual. Raphael’s authority is enforced by:

The most important security rule is simple: the house tolerates the party only while its occupants remain unaware or persuaded that the party belongs there.

Alarm state

The alarm can be triggered through theft, hostile actions, failed deception or taking protected objects. Once activated:

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Common and special enemies

Many encounters are fixed, but the number and behaviour of some creatures depend on whether the house alarm has been raised. The House of Hope page identifies six Vengeful Cambions, five Vengeful Imps with additional possible imps, four Vengeful Merregons and four Vengeful Boars among its hostile creatures.

Raphael

Raphael is the main boss. He appears only when the party tries to escape after sufficiently disrupting the house.

The exact best strategy varies by difficulty, party composition and whether Yurgir changes sides.

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A reliable approach is to

01
Free Hope before activating the final escape sequence.
02
Have the party spread out before dialogue with the portal.
03
Destroy or disable the soul pillars quickly.
04
Use summons, crowd control and area damage on the cambions.
05
Keep Hope away from concentrated enemy attacks.
06
Save powerful once-per-rest abilities for Raphael.
07
Use radiant or force damage where appropriate, while avoiding careless fire-based attacks.

Major rewards

Some treasure is fixed, while other containers may hold ordinary randomised equipment, potions, scrolls or gold. Do not treat every container as a guaranteed source of a named item.

Major rewards

Major rewards
Item	Location or source	Importance
Orphic Hammer	Raphael’s deal or the Archive	Breaks Hope’s restraints and frees Orpheus
Helldusk Armour	Raphael’s personal chambers	Major legendary armour reward
Helldusk Gloves	Raphael’s personal chambers, with encounter conditions	High-level gloves tied to the Haarlep sequence
Gloves of Soul Catching	Reward from Hope after Raphael’s defeat	Powerful reward if Hope survives
Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength	House of Hope	Can be given to Helsik or kept
Boudoir Invitation	Archive	Opens the Boudoir’s main entrance
Infernal Marble	Devil’s Fee ritual materials	Opens the portal
Coin of Mammon	Devil’s Fee ritual materials	Opens the portal
Raphael’s contract	Archive-related quest material	Used in the contract storyline
Raphael’s diary and records	House of Hope	Lore and quest context

Acquisition checklist

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Before leaving, verify that you have

Orphic Hammer

Deal with the Devil

This quest concerns Raphael’s offer to provide the Orphic Hammer in exchange for the Crown of Karsus. The party can accept, refuse or later attempt to escape the arrangement. Raphael’s deal is not merely a shop transaction. It directly affects the Orpheus storyline and the possible endgame choices.

Escape the Deal

This quest leads the party through the House of Hope to locate and recover the contract. Hope explains that the contract can be found in the Archive. The party then has to escape the house, usually while Raphael pursues them.

Save Hope

The party must reach Hope’s Prison, use the Orphic Hammer to break the two restraints and escort Hope back to the portal. Hope becomes an attached follower after being freed.

Free Orpheus

The Orphic Hammer is one of the central tools in the Orpheus storyline. It can be obtained from Raphael through his contract or stolen from the Archive. The House of Hope is therefore optional in terms of map completion, but highly significant for players pursuing the Orpheus route.

Acquire the Gauntlets for Helsik

If the party promises Helsik the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength, the House of Hope becomes a retrieval mission as well as a Raphael operation. The party can instead keep the gauntlets and compensate Helsik with gold, refuse the arrangement or lose access to the deal depending on its choices.

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This order reduces backtracking and ensures that the party has the hammer before attempting to free Hope.

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For a thorough but safe run

01
Enter the House of Hope and speak with Hope’s projection.
02
Accept Debtor’s Attire if you want to explore without immediately fighting.
03
Search the Main Corridor and Feast Hall.
04
Visit the Archive first if the Orphic Hammer is your priority.
05
Deal with the Archivist through deception or combat.
06
Collect the Orphic Hammer and contract-related objects.
07
Visit the Boudoir through the invitation or exterior balcony route.
08
Resolve the Haarlep encounter carefully.
09
Collect Raphael’s personal equipment and treasure.
10
Reach Hope’s Prison through the hatchway or exterior passage.
11
Break both restraints with the Orphic Hammer.
12
Return with Hope to the Chamber of Egress.
13
Prepare the party before activating the portal.
14
Defeat Raphael and his allies.
15
Cross the portal back to Devil’s Fee.

No camp or fast travel

The House of Hope is a contained mission area. Enter fully prepared. There is no ordinary fast-travel network or camp access while inside.

The alarm changes the location

The house’s inhabitants are not permanently harmless. Theft, hostile actions and protected-object interactions can change the area from a stealth-and-dialogue dungeon into a combat zone.

Hope can die

Hope is vulnerable during the escape and final battle. Her death removes her reward and can change her later story outcome.

Haarlep’s bargain has consequences

Do not accept the encounter without reading the dialogue carefully. Surrendering the wrong character can lead to permanent consequences, and some choices can prevent the Helldusk Gloves from being obtained.

Yurgir’s appearance depends on earlier choices

Yurgir’s presence in the final battle is linked to the resolution of his contract in the Gauntlet of Shar. A hostile Yurgir can potentially be persuaded to change sides with a difficult Persuasion check.

Returning to Raphael’s deal

Accepting Raphael’s contract changes how the Orphic Hammer is acquired. Refusing the contract and stealing the hammer produces a more direct confrontation in the House of Hope.

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The House of Hope demonstrates how Raphael operates. His contracts promise solutions while converting the recipient’s need into permanent leverage. Hope is not simply a prisoner in a dungeon. She is part of the house itself, and Raphael’s control depends on suppressing both her agency and the possibility that the house can become a refuge rather than a trap.

The post-game outcome reinforces that possibility. If Hope survives, she sends the party a letter explaining that she has turned the House of Hope into a refuge for unwilling residents of the Hells. This is one of the clearest examples of the location changing according to the player’s choices.

Raphael’s wider ambition is also important. His interest in the Crown of Karsus is not limited to personal wealth or a single contract. He intends to use it to unite the Hells and expand his power beyond his current position. His defeat prevents that immediate plan, while accepting his bargain preserves a dangerous future possibility.

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Can I explore all nine layers of Hell?

No. The base game does not provide free exploration of Dis, Minauros, Phlegethos, Stygia, Malbolge, Maladomini, Cania or Nessus. Most are referenced through lore, character history, contracts and portal imagery.

Is Devil’s Fee part of the Nine Hells?

No. It is a Lower City shop in Baldur’s Gate that provides access to the House of Hope.

Is the House of Hope in Avernus?

Yes. It is a floating residence in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells.

Can I return after leaving?

The House of Hope is intended as a single Act Three expedition. The portal route is available while the relevant access remains open, but the area should be treated as a one-run dungeon and fully searched before leaving.

Do I need Raphael’s deal to enter?

No. The party can refuse the deal and later enter through Helsik and Devil’s Fee to steal the Orphic Hammer.

Can Yurgir help against Raphael?

Yes, depending on his earlier quest outcome. If he appears as an enemy, a DC 30 Persuasion check can persuade him to switch sides.

What is the most important reason to visit?

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This guide uses the playable BG3 interpretation of “Nine Hells”, not a complete tabletop gazetteer of every infernal layer. The game’s actual explorable content is concentrated in the House of Hope, while wider Avernus appears through cinematics, companion history and lore.

The House of Hope contains many decorative objects, generic containers and minor debtor variants. The named directories above include the individually identified characters and creatures verified in the researched location pages, but they should not be read as a guarantee that every unnamed decorative prop or randomised container has been catalogued. Random drops and ordinary container contents are therefore described separately from fixed named rewards.

Sources

Nine Hells - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Avernus - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
House of Hope - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Devil's Fee - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Opening a Hell Gate - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Hope - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
House of Hope - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Haarlep - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Raphael - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Escape the Deal - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Acquire the Gauntlets for Helsik - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki