Hades' Second Chance

The Underworld

Damp and dark, the underworld was not the ideal place for a home.

But Hades had drawn the shortest stick, and thus was confined to it's cold corridors, whilst Zeus and Poseidon enjoyed the realms of the sky and the sea. He was quickly appointed to ruler of the dead, which were dreary and confused. The Underworld was not quite "on track" and Hades was forced to make changes, including appointing judges for the spirits of the dead, among whom's ranks were King Minos, King Aecus, and King Rhadamanthys, all sons of Zeus.

They were required to judge the dead based on their deeds over the course of their life, but they must also take in how they died, and if they redeemed themselves at death. After judgement was passed, the souls were sorted into three areas of the Underworld: Elysium, Asphodel, and the Fields of Punishment. 

Elysium was reserved for those with just and righteous lives. It was a paradise of large manors and villas, with lovely gardens, and the streets were paved in gems and gold. For those who chose to be reborn, and made it into Elysium thrice more, they were allowed eternal paradise in the Isles of Blest, a group of tropical islands centered in the lake within Elysium.

Asphodel was the most crowded area of the Underworld, as most souls ended up there. It was a barren and empty field, except for a few ghostly white flowers. It was empty of any true life, and held the souls who had neither sinned, nor gained in their life, being undeserving of Elysium, but also undeserving of Punishment. The souls of Asphodel had simply lived.

The Fields of Punishment was by far one of the worst places in the underworld, aside from the Pit. It was barren like Asphodel, but screams of horror and pain filled the air, as it was where those who had committed awful sins in their lives had been placed, if they had not redeemed themselves. Punishment was inflicted often by the Furies, Hades three monster minions. The very air of Punishment smelled of decay and blood, and being so, Hades avoided it as often as possible, leaving the ideas of Punishment to his brother, Zeus, and the three Furies.

Perhaps Elysium was nice, and Asphodel wasn't terrible, but nonetheless, as he looked over the cavern of the dead, Hades still thought that it was not the ideal place for a home.