Infernoland… only a wizard could ever come up with a twisted idea like that. Imagine, if you will, your local town’s fair with all its wonderful attractions. Now, grab it, put it in Hell and replace all the townsfolk with demons; that’s pretty much what Infernoland is. It’s a big deal among both mortals and immortals alike. Anyone with the arcane know-how to walk between planes has visited it at least once. While we paladins were more concerned with matters of the Overworld rather than the Underworld; The Order did send out someone to do an inspection every now and then to make sure the wizards had everything under control. This year that duty befell on me.

I stood in front of the shimmering portal. It was faint, but I swear I could hear the wailing of the damned emerging from it—Hell awaited on the other side. Boldly, I stepped through it; a few moments later, I found myself in a huge cavernous space that appeared to stretch out as far as the eye could see. The first thing I noticed was the unbearable heat. The air smelled like a mixture of ash and sulphur. There wasn’t much in the way of scenery except for lava pools and craggy black rocks here and there.

Judging by how long the line wending its way to the entryway was, it looked like many had come to see the wonders of Hell. Infernoland attracted a very particular kind of visitor, most were dressed up like magic users or had otherworldly equipment. My paladin armour earned me more than a handful of glares as I skipped the queue and went straight to the ticket booth. As usual, when dealing with the infernal, I wore my sternest expression and spoke in the loudest voice possible. “I’m a paladin. I was sent here on inspection duty,” I said. A rather surly fiend looked up at me from behind his desk. He didn’t seem to believe me until he saw the insignia on my breastplate. A few moments later, he gave me a bracelet and told me I had full access.

“We’ve been expecting you, enjoy your stay… paladin.” he emphasized on that last word and laughed a wicked laugh that lasted until he began coughing from a lack of oxygen.

I raised an eyebrow at the chuckling devil's comment and made my way to the entrance, a bridge built across a river of bubbling magma. On its end was a smooth, blackened stone archway decorated with skulls. The sides were flanked by statues of pit fiends, which added to the atmosphere of horror and impending doom. Above the gates was a sign carved in demonic runes which read, 'Infernoland: Hellish Fun' and below that it said 'Beware, ye lost soul who dares wander in, only torment and damnation awaits.' I rolled my eyes at the warning; it was all so overdone.

I emerged into a courtyard paved with grey marble tiles that radiated a constant heat. All around were stalls selling items such as torture devices I’d never seen before. Others had caged monsters on display. There were also booths offering magical tattoos, spells, and many more things which you’d expect to find at any good fair. There was nothing subtle about this place—every stall appeared to be designed to frighten and shock while still keeping a carnival-like atmosphere. As a paladin, I had a certain image to maintain and obligations to uphold. But I couldn’t deny there was a certain allure to the place. Maybe just for today, I could indulge myself and partake in a little bit of fun—it’s not like I was going to be able to do my inspection without experiencing some of what Infernoland had to offer.

A bored-looking demon girl stood in the center of the square, dressed in leather armour that left little to the imagination and holding a whip in her hands. She didn't bother putting on a façade; it was clear she would rather be anywhere else than here—but then again, any immortal being probably would, after spending an eternity putting up with the gawking stares of tourists.

“Mortal, I welcome thee to Infernoland,” she said in a monotone voice while giving a practiced bow. “How may we torment thou?” Her expression remained unchanged; neither happy nor sad. She just looked mildly annoyed. I guessed most demons here were used to humans and their stupid questions and requests.

“A guide would be nice. It’s hard to know where to go without someone telling me,” then I added casually, “Oh, by the way… do you have a name?” This time I did notice a flicker of emotion on her face; an almost imperceptible twitching of the lips. However, the next moment it was gone, and she returned to her normal flatness.

“Thou shalt call me Nox,” she replied, stone-faced. Then she continued to talk like an awful actor reciting a script. “In Infernoland, we have a wide variety of entertainments for those who wish to partake in the pleasures of sin,” then she gestured around at the surrounding area, “This place is divided into seven districts, each one corresponding to one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.” She looked me over with her glowing eyes and said. “If thou wouldst have a tour, might I ask what thy purpose of visiting our realm is?”

“I’m on inspection duty. I need to make sure everything is in order,” I replied quickly.

“Ahh! A paladin on inspection. That means thou hast full access to every area of the park and are able to do as thine will.” Nox considered her words for a moment. “But remember,” she added ominously and moved her hand towards the holy pendant I wore around my neck. “Infernal amusements have a tendency to be quite… extreme… I must caution thee not to stray too far beyond thy duties as a paladin.” With that she withdrew her hand and motioned for me to follow, her tail swaying with every step.