Layers of the Abyss

Pazunia
By Eli Atkinson, Will Church, Serge W. Desir Jr., Marley Sage Gable, John Harris, Sam Peer, Adam
Silva-Miramon, Sean Surface
Currently Recognized Layer Number: 1
Name: Pazunia
Ruler: None
Normal Gravity
Normal Time
Avernus. Oinos. Lunia. These are all names for the first layers of their respective realities. Much to the
sorrow of the rest of Creation, the Abyss is no different in having a single layer which allows access to
the deeper and more nightmarish terrors that lie beneath. In the case of The Abyss this first layer is
known as the Plain of Infinite Portals, or theLayer of a Thousand Closets. However, in the common
tongue it is generally named Pazunia. For the vast majority of those that dare to enter The Abyss it is
the first layer they encounter. For those who are particularly foolhardy it is the last layer they
encounter instead.

History
Pazunia appears to be relatively unthreatening at first glimpse. Although there is neither sun or moon
above, a heatless and faded orange light emanates from the sky and illuminates the landscape with no
discernible day or night cycle. Reddish-orange dirt the color of rust crumbles and scatters underfoot.
Outcroppings of dun-colored stone stained with blood, bile, and viscera from endless warfare break
the surface of the ground. Save for the wastelands closest to the lakes of molten iron, Pazunia is
otherwise relatively though not uncomfortably cold to mortals and demons.
Like many of the other notable layers of The Abyss, Pazunia has a far more ancient history than any
would suspect. The seeds of the layer in a recognizable fashion were first created in the sundering of
The Abyss from The Mortal Coil as a congealed set of possibilities in which worlds remained forever
burnt. As The Primal Coil developed, these possibilities were incarnated in a layer forever composed of
molten matter, yet connected to other layers through vortices which could be passed through in order
to reach other regions. The demise of The Primal Coil and its shattering into The Abyss as well as
portions of The Mortal Coil transformed the vortices into regions which represented in a minor way
each layer to which they connected. This phenomenon allowed those who held power in these other
layers to extend a miniscule fragment of their power into Pazunia around each region, making it
resemble the larger territory that they controlled.
When Pazunia was first discovered by the qlippothim they used their ability to mold Abyssal layers and
their prodigious mental powers to transform these minor representations into massive iron fortresses.
From these citadels the metal molten substance could be channeled into their own layers. There it was
fused with demons in order to create powerful hybrid weapons against the Vaati and their myriad
other enemies (which, quite often, meant each other as well as the rest of Creation). Nor was Pazunia
during this time the first layer of The Abyss. Rather, it was regarded as a layer of intermediate number
and minor importance in those ancient tomes which record Abyssal geography during and before
the Second War of Law and Chaos. The unique property of Pazunia to mimic in a minor way the
properties of other layers led to its alternate name as the Palace of a Thousand Closets (which is
admittedly a crude translation from beings whose views upon language were quite distant from any
mortal standards, and even most immortal ones).
Pazunia only became the first layer of The Abyss at the end of the Second War of Law and Chaos.
When the Rod of Law was triggered it did far more than slaughter most of the prominent qlippothim
and force the Vaati into relative insignificance. It also altered the connections of those Realms Beyond

most affiliated with the Vaati's nemeses. The Abyss was sundered into two separate Realities and the
smaller among them became Pandemonium, while the more significant portion was partially
rearranged. As a consequence of this nearly unimaginable catastrophe Pazunia became the first layer
of The Abyss and the entry point from which those foolish enough to attempt to reach greater depths
would enter the Torments. However, even this interplanar disaster was insufficient to force it into its
current state. This instead required the actions of Eltab, the Demon Lord of Ruin, in one of the most
brilliant stratagems ever devised in the eternal battles of demons against demons.
Eltab was the first demon to realize that in shifting the relative location of Pazunia to the rest of The
Abyss, the molten layer not only became closer to The Grand Abyss, but it also became vulnerable to
dramatic changes in its basic geography. Both layers were qlippothic strongholds during Madness and
Bile. As a consequence of this proximity, Eltab came up with a strategy that turned the qlippothim
against themselves while destroying several of his balor rivals and granting him access to The Grand
Abyss. First, Eltab convinced the balors that there was an artifact that would result in freezing
Pazunia, or would freeze so much of Pazunia that it would irrevocably lose its power as a qlippothic
stronghold. The Lord of Ruin then allowed knowledge of the artifact to leak to his enemies, who in
their attempt to both defy and set back Eltab for their own gain, stole it from The Hidden Layer.
Afterwards, Eltab's balor pawns brought the artifact to Pazunia where the qlippothim attacked it as
well as its balor defenders as the latter attempted to activate it. However, the real triumph of the
battle was that the artifact itself was a ruse. It distracted the ancient demons as well as the mazza'im
from realizing that their true menace lay in the artifact's defenders and not the item itself. Each time
the balors died their death throes, which had been magically modified by their contact with the artifact
instead, destabilized the boundaries between Pazunia and The Grand Abyss. When the final balor died
a miles-long gash opened up between Pazunia and the latter layer.
Within moments billions of tons of white hot metal began pouring down from Pazunia into The Grand
Abyss. Even beyond being crushed by the weight of the liquid iron the heat involved vaporized an
unbelievably vast number of qlippothim decimating The Grand Abyss as their stronghold and as one
of their major remaining holdings after the Second War ended. Upon Pazunia, only a few of the molten
iron lakes remained after the layer had mostly drained, and they were woefully insufficient to keep
supplying the qlippothim in their war against the mazza'im. This molten foundation of Pazunia
eventually cooled and rusted over to form soil from the corrosion giving the layer the appearance
that it retains into the present day. The vortices that led to deeper layers of The Abyss similarly
changed form, turning into black pools that resembled oil in appearance and viscosity that still led
elsewhere in the Torments with a proper portal key. The metal itself was too valuable a resource to be
allowed to remain in The Grand Abyss; it in turn was moved elsewhere throughout The Abyss by
various factions where it was used for other vicious purposes.
Although the current form of Pazunia was forged through klurichir-originated cataclysm, in no way did
this moment of destruction have lasting influence upon its rulership. The ravages of strife and
factionalization affected the klurichir as much as they affect anyone else in The Abyss-and in many
ways, the transformation of the Layer of a Thousand Closets into Pazunia represented the high point of
Eltab's influence within The Abyss as compared to the Mortal Coil. Between the other klurichir
challenging The Lord of Ruin's power, and even those other mazza'im who simultaneously loathed the
qlippothim, but also sought the destruction of the klurichir (particularly Kardum), Eltab lost ground to
his competitors and those who otherwise sought his downfall and destruction.
Pazunia is currently the single most fractured layer of The Abyss in terms of who can be claimed to
control what at any given time. More powerful beings can manage to control both a single iron fortress
(or in the case of Graz'zt, several which he has managed to consolidate into Malevolus) and the
territory around it. However, not since the Second War of Law and Chaos has any single demon prince
managed to control or, for that matter, destroy much more. Even Eltab only succeeded in fragmenting
Pazunia by bringing the strife of Madness and Bile to the layer. Furthermore, the presence of so many
mortals and demons that get stuck upon the layer has resulted in the formation of massive destructive
mobs. These hordes roam the land destroying all in their path that cannot defend itself from their
attacks. On occasion they are paid or misled into attacking a rival's iron fortress to cannibalize them
for resources, fresh meat, or far worse things. This fractious state also allows for the presence of
beings that are otherwise extremely uncommon within The Abyss as spies and representatives from

the other Realms Beyond seek to either learn more about The Abyss from Pazunia or descend deeper
into its malign depths.

Properties
Pazunia is one of the least innately hazardous layers of The Abyss, and possesses no especially
menacing properties. Mortals which die upon Pazunia arise as manes within a day of their death, but
there are no special limitations against their being slain again and resurrected back as a mortal.
Pazunia's ease of access also means that several archfiends that believe in being comparatively
accessible (much to the sorrows of those who encounter them) are relatively likely to be encountered
there. In particular, the nether fiend Charon, Ferryman of The Styx, and the demon prince Pazuzu are
infamous for their relatively frequent presence within Pazunia.
Pazunian geography is generally discussed with reference to its three most prominent features: the
Styx, The Grand Abyss, and its borders with Carceri and Pandemonium. As Pazunia becomes closer to
Pandesmos the outcroppings and bluffs of stone grow more common until the landscape is completely
broken apart, forming labyrinthine canyons and regions closed over by bridges of rock until eventually
nothing is left but tunnels. In comparison, when Pazunia approaches Carceri. the Styx becomes
abnormally wide as compared to the rest of the layer. The ground itself becomes increasingly worn
down and swampy, with little change in altitude until it eventually becomes indistinguishable from
Othrys. In either case, the transitions to both adjacent Realities take place over a landscape of twenty
to one hundred miles, depending on whether travellers are more or less attuned to the nature of their
destination.

Hazards
Molten Iron Lakes: Some of the only extant remnants of Pazunia's ancient history consist of lakes of
white hot, molten iron scattered throughout the layer. As a ready source of raw material for weapons
they are highly prized by multiple factions throughout The Abyss, whether the faction consists of
demon atrocities involved in The Blood War all the way to Demogorgon itself (who controls
Deathshore, one of the largest lakes, indirectly, which is located mere hours away from the portal to
Gaping Maw). Generally all of the lakes are guarded although the natures and powers of such
guardians vary wildly depending on the beings involved. They range from heavily ravaged red or
pyroclastic dragons (Draconomicon), bizarre, qlippothic monstrosities that are sentient relics of that
ancient era, or even lakes where through long lost magicks, the molten metal itself has been invested
with some minor degree of sentience and will erupt to immolate potential victims that do not appear
to share its fickle loyalties or simply becomes bored and desires amusement. Still, in a realm in which
everything is fought over by everyone many lakes either have their guardians defeated or co-opted.
Practically every faction constantly scours the layer looking for unguarded or ineptly guarded lakes
which they can conquer for themselves.
Pazunian molten iron does not necessarily count as a special material and apparently infuses no
unique bonuses or curses materials created from it. The qlippothim, during the period of time when
they ruled Pazunia, had special techniques that were capable of extracting far greater power from the
molten iron than anything subsequently done by any of the mazza'im or surviving qlippothim after
Pazunia was drained. If these techniques still exist, they are apparently lost deep within the layer or
remain untold secrets held by the qlippothim.
Close proximity to a lake of molten iron (within 20 feet) deals 4d6 points of fire damage per round and
forces a Ref save DC 20 in order to avoid catching on fire within the superheated air and taking 1d6
points of fire damage per round. Direct contact (much less immersion) in a lake deals 20d6 points of
fire damage per round instead.
Most of the major powers of The Abyss and several atrocities have either direct access to Pazunia's
molten iron lakes or have minions that are responsible for them. Among the notable controllers of one
or more of these lakes are Alvarez, Flauros, Graz'zt, Kardum, Lissa'aere The Noxious, and Ter-Soth.

The Styx: Although the Styx is one of Pazunia's most distinctive features, it also at its least
destructive there. Within Pazunia, the Fort save DC for avoiding amnesia is 20. Victims of the Styx
who make the save only slumber for a day upon touching or falling into its befouled waters. The Styx
has no discernible source within Pazunia, and extends across the entire layer. There are several
notable branches of the River of Sin, with one of the smaller among them leading directly into the left
bank of The Grand Abyss and another, far larger branch leading to Durao instead. It provides endless
cruel humor to demons and other fiends to restrain beings, toss them into the river in flimsy rafts, and
then watch them fall over the edge of The Grand Abyss while screaming in terror. The Styx is also
notable in Pazunia for its navigability. At its widest away from the border with Carceri is nearly two
hundred feet wide across most of the layer while it can be only fifty feet wide in some of its more
obscure tributaries.

Menaces
Pazunian Hordes: One of the most unique of Pazunia's hazards comes in the form of its petitioners;
chaotic evil mortals who, upon dying, were resurrected in a twisted form upon Pazunia as manes.
While individually, a mane presents little threat except to the weakest of demons, the prospects of
facing hundreds or even thousands of them simultaneously are far more daunting. The smallest
hordes do not last particularly long in Pazunia. They are devoured by nalfeshnee and molydeus raiding
parties in order to acquire fresh ammunition for The Blood War, for food, and for other, far more
malevolent purposes. In comparison the largest of the hordes are serious threats. Hundreds of smaller
settlements, and even some of the demonic camps around the lakes of iron or lesser known iron
fortresses have fallen to the largest and most dangerous hordes, their demons slain and any living
creatures found torn limb from limb for meat.
Fortunately, hordes are easily visible in the distance due to the din they create and the clouds of dust
formed by their passage (Perception DC 20 allows for the detection of one within five miles and its
direction). As they are comparatively slow, they are for the most part easy to avoid. The fastest
Pazunian horde ever noted by those surviving such observations travelled at a rate of nearly two miles
an hour, while the slowest (and much more massive) took nearly three hours in order to travel a single
mile. Fixed locations are more difficult to defend from petitioner hordes, but typically spells and other
means of dealing sufficient amounts of massive damage will deter them, forcing them to search for
easier prey.
Portal Oozes: Virtually no form of life cannot be twisted and perverted by The Abyss, from mortals
relentlessly tempted to guarantee their souls fall into it to animals subtly incited in such a manner as
to destroy life around them. Even oozes are not immune to The Abyss' mutations. One of the better
known and infamous-although not particularly dangerous to those aware of them among the Togarin
(Abyssal oozes) is the portal ooze. A portal ooze devours any living creature, demonic or mortal,
foolish enough to fall into one, and in all physical semblances looks almost exactly like one of the
normal black pool portals within Pazunia. Even upon magical examination, a portal ooze can be
difficult to detect as they subtly emanate an mind-affecting aura that suggests to those that get within
20 feet of one that they possess the proper magical auras and properties of the portal that one is
actually looking for (Will save DC 21). Falling victim to a portal oozes' deceptions and attempting to
use it allows the ooze to devour its prey, dealing 3d6 points of acid damage per round to such
creatures (Ref save DC 21) and requiring a CMD check DC 30 in order to escape from its digestive
slime.
There are two nearly foolproof methods of detecting portal ooze. The first is to have a being present
that is sentient yet immune to mind-affecting effects. Most hordes of demon lords, princes, and
atrocities that explore and war upon Pazunia typically carry at least one sentient undead creature with
them that can detect a portal ooze's weak trickery (and typically annihilate the troublesome creature
for forcing them to waste time). The second is mere patience. Portal oozes move across the plains of
Pazunia at an incredibly slow, yet perceptible rate (Perception DC 25). However, patience is in short
supply on a layer in which most beings desperate enough to flee into a portal randomly rarely bother
to check where they are going-ensuring that the oozes are well fed and stably populated, despite the
better efforts of most demons to destroy them. Unfortunately for most of the denizens of The Abyss,
efforts to transplant the oozes to elsewhere in the Depths Below have so far failed. Portal oozes are

believed to have been a mildly successful attempt by Zuggtmoy to reduce the utility of Pazunia to her
enemies among the mazza'im.

Notable Locations
Iron Fortresses
Pazunia has few permanent settlements and it does not possess the demonic or undead metropoli of
other infamous layers such as Az'zagrat or Thanatos respectively. Aside from its relatively small towns
and those settlements affiliated with the molten iron lakes or The Blood War, the most populous
locations in the layer are its iron fortresses. Some are remnants under continuous control since the
days of the qlippothim, while others are affiliated with newer Abyssal lords. What all of them have in
common is that they have at their centers guarded portals to other layers of The Abyss-and that for
those entities given to casting or manifesting the spell, they provide ready access for those who seek
to use astral projection to reach The Mortal Coil or other Realms Beyond.The specific details to open
each iron fortresses' respective portal or portals are generally described in the appropriate chapter for
the demonic personage that currently controls it.

Towns
Broken Reach: For those beings lacking sufficient power to planeshift directly to their destination
(or who wish to take a more circuitous route for the purpose of deception), their first sights of The
Abyss come in the form of Broken Reach. The gate-town connecting The Abyss to the Concordant
Domain of the Outlands, its current ruler (who insists that she has always ruled Broken Reach-and few
would seek to challenge this claim to her face) is the ambitious succubus and skilled poisoner Red
Shroud.
Broken Reach
CE Large Town
Qualities notorious, strategically located
Demographics Races mixed (demons 80%, mortals 10%, half-fiends 5%, other 5%)
Government magical overlord (Red Shroud)
Notable NPCs
Red Shroud (CE female 22 HD succubus/gestalt sorcerer)
Ygrax Skullbiter (CE male 18 HD nalfeshnee)
Notable Imports: food, poisons, weapons
Notable Exports: incubi, succubi, weapons
When seen from the surface of Pazunia Broken Reach looks singularly unimpressive. Multiple
fortifications surround the entire town save for a couple of safe passageways that are heavily guarded.
Towers of decrepit and cracked gray stone emerge from the ground, none of them scarcely taller than
fifty to a hundred feet tall. What other buildings are visible are squat and ramshackle in construction.
Most of them seem to have little purpose except for watchtowers and lower priced flophouses for
those beings uncomfortable with subterranean dwellings. This is a deliberate misdirection encouraged
by the succubus herself-as most of Broken Reach is underground. Although Red Shroud has done
much to expand Broken Reach's subterranean spaces, much of the gate-town still remains as her
predecessors excavated it thousands of years ago.
Broken Reach's far more extensive dwellings consist of an interlocking series of caverns and buried
halls that range from fifty feet below the surface of Pazunia to as far down as three hundred feet.
There is no organizational system whatsoever in terms of what is stored where in the town. Red
Shroud finds it personally bemusing that some of the most expensive quarters and meeting-halls can
be located near a room storing ale, overripe cheeses, and relatively live meat for more adventurous or
bestial demonic customers. A side advantage of this approach, not lost upon the succubus at all, is
that lacking fixed locations also makes mapping the gate-town nearly impossible and far more difficult
to viably invade.

The most important series of caverns contain the portal to Plague-Mort in the Outlands itself. It is
located below the main hall, and can be sealed with but a word from Red Shroud herself anywhere in
the gate-town with a ten-ton single slab of basalt which rises from the ground into a ceiling alcove and
completely conceals its twenty foot diameter and height. As those particular chambers also contain
Red Shroud's personal residences, they can also be sealed off if necessary from the rest of Broken
Reach, and then re-excavated after a threat has passed or battle won. Otherwise, the portal itself
requires no gate-key and can be used by anyone with little training in the ways of the planes.
Broken Reach produces little in any conventional sense. It also lacks dedicated access to any of the
molten iron lakes of Pazunia, although maps indicating how to find them are sold within the gate-town
(truthful and/or current information as to their guardians requires extra cash, naturally in advance).
However, its proximity to the Outlands, as well as those other layers which serve as battlefields
for The Blood War make it an invaluable crossroads between varying groups both planar and mortal.
Not surprisingly, Broken Reach has acquired has a significant and very well-deserved reputation as a
weapons trading station, although Red Shroud personally has very different tastes in terms of what
appeals to her in terms of personal goods and still takes a cut off of profits made in the gate-town.
Red Shroud herself is a master poisoner and is not averse to either personal discounts or 'encouraging'
resident traders to grant discounts if she is presented with a particularly toxic venom or secretion.
Red Shroud trades in far more appalling quanitites than mere information, weapons, and poisons. In
order to supplement her income (and prevent them from becoming potential rivals without the
boundaries of her keep), Red Shroud has taken to selling off her succubus daughters by her current
nalfeshnee consort, Ygrax, to those interested in them for pleasure or for augmenting their personal
armies. Rumors persist that Red Shroud has found some way to keep track of her offspring sold off at
Broken Reach's auctions and using the knowledge gained to augment her power and influence. If so,
none but the most foolish and short-lived speak of this within Broken Reach's boundaries.
Red Shroud has an extremely strict yet naturally informal rule against fighting within the boundaries of
Broken Reach. However, fights which take place outside the boundaries of the gatetown are tolerated
(provided that neutral parties are not accosted), and sometimes even goaded on by Red Shroud either
for her amusement, or towards the end of indirectly removing someone who she detests or got in the
way of her whims on that particular day. Furthermore, although many of the hidden deals and
schemes of The Blood War are planned within Broken Reach's boundaries, fights between factions are
similarly not tolerated.
Similarly, Red Shroud and Broken Reach in general have little patience for internecine conflicts
between mazza'im and qlippothim, or mazza'im and maleidolon. Otherwise and regardless of subtype,
those demons that do not interfere with the scheming succubus' mercenary interests are tolerated.
Those that are too disruptive, whether by inducing insanity upon her guards or through other, more
subtle means, are made into examples. The fields and wastelands immediately outside of Broken
Reach are strewn with the corpses of many such exemplars. Molydei 'recruitment' efforts and chasme
spies in support of them are equally unwelcome. Although the former are allowed within the
boundaries of the gatetown they are specifically disallowed from coercing new recruits within its
boundaries, or getting so enthused with kidnapping or victimizing potential visitors in the area that
their actions impede Red Shroud's otherwise profitable businesses. The two-headed mazza'im that
break her rule find themselves used as experiments for the succubus' epic poison developments-or
subjected to molydeus venom themselves.
Broken Reach is sponsored by no power of The Abyss directly. No atrocity more powerful than herself,
demon lord, or demon prince, is directly responsible for Red Shroud's power and Broken Reach's
success in terms of remaining at the planar crossroads of The Abyss and the Outlands. However, those
who assume that this implies weakness on the part of Broken Reach or Red Shroud herself are fatally
underestimating both the town and its ruler. Red Shroud explicitly expects all guests, regardless of
competence or affiliation otherwise, to defend the city in the event of attack. Broken Reach also has
multiple caches of weapons, potions, and an excellent collection of epic and nonepic poisons including
both molydeus venom and several unique products commissioned from the Carcerian glabrezu and
master poisoner Sinmaker. Each cache has been independently provisioned and designed so that no
being, not even Ygrax, knows the full extent of Red Shroud's resources.

Beyond physical and magical violence, the succubus merchant has additional resources at her
disposal. In those cases where Red Shroud has to deal with a threat nonlethally she has a simple, yet
effective nonlethal means of doing so. She casts a modified bestow greater curse spell on her targets
that makes them permanently incapable of passing through Broken Reach's portal. Most of such
victims, forced to explain to those more powerful than them why they were unable to get to their
destinations reliably, end up being slain-and in this way Red Shroud is never directly responsible for
their fates.
Broken Reach faces many of the normal threats common to those who dwell within Pazunia, including
petitioner mobs, rogue molydei desperate to empower themselves and keep more powerful demons
somewhat satsified, demon atrocities attempting to bolster their armies, agents of goodness
attempting to sabotage The Abyss in some minor way, and infernal saboteurs. Furthermore, Red
Shroud and Broken Reach's mercenary attitudes have attracted the malign attentions of multiple
factions, including a githzerai sect and a demon lord whose attacks on the town were defeated.
Despite these ongoing threats, so far Red Shroud has managed to maintain control over her gatetown. This is a situation that seems unlikely to change in the near future.
The gate-town is kept in The Abyss through the numerous paradoxes of Red Shroud's mannerisms;
strict and yet disordered, deliberated and yet maintaining a sufficient amount of disorder. By such
means Broken Reach has not shifted appreciably from its location, despite efforts by devils to quietly
infiltrate it on numerous occasions and increase the amount of law within its boundaries, and
analogous efforts by some of the more bizarre slaad towards parallel ends through far more bizarre
means.

Styros: Broken Reach is not far from the only town within Pazunia, although it is the largest and the
most amenable to visitors and rival factions. Far less welcoming than Broken Reach, Styros is a vital
marshalling point in The Blood War and a chronic menace to all that either approach it or find
themselves noticed by its demonic denizens.
Styros
CE Large Town
Qualities notorious, unfriendly
Demographics Races mixed (demons 90%, mortals 5%, other 5%)
Government magical overlord (Litradaceus)
Notable NPCs
Tarnshaff The Grim (CE male 20 HD molydeus)
Quoba (CE male half-elf sorcerer 19)
Littradaceus (CE male 18 HD nalfeshnee)
Notable Imports: dretches, manes, shipbuilding materials
Notable Exports: dretches, manes, ships
One of the most deservedly ill-reputed locations in Pazunia is Styros. A sullen marshalling point
for The Blood War, Styros is located on the shore of a relatively placid bay off the Styx, seventeen
days travel afoot from Malevolus. Perhaps no place in Pazunia is as dismal as a perpetual oily rain falls
over the barracks-town and its environs, turning the streets of into constantly churning mud deep
enough to swallow an unwary soul or dretch. Even the demonic overseers of the garrison town must
watch their steps (several continually stay in the air, atop floating platforms or by their own devices or
powers). Surrounded by crowded barracks that are little more than corrals, Styros reeks with the
torment of conscripted souls and the cruelty of the overseers, a stench that whips the demons into a
frenzy of unholy glee.
Babau and moldyei swarm the regions around Styros, herding conscripts they have chosen and
branded into private press gangs to sweep up further deserters and heedless travelers into the
embrace of Styros. The conscripts thus chosen might be said to have a slightly better lot than those
marshaled from Styros, except that they end up as meals or fodder for their demonic sergeants more
often than not. Even so, a few have attained a certain level of respect (such as it is in The Abyss) and
have control over their own gangs; these are extremely few, and invariably headed by figures whose
malice and cruelty are the equal of their Abyssal peers.

Styros, like most of the purely Blood War-related camps and settlements, is not under the control of
any of the primary Abyssal factions or powers; the molydei, the Dooms of Darkness and Flame, and
even the Lords of Woe take a dim view of interference with the conscription and embarkation of souls,
and quickly launch reprisals against those foolish enough to try. The gangs themselves zealously
defend their purpose, and when roused by raiders or attackers (mostly from hag or daemonsponsored expeditions) they tend to cause serious trouble for nearby citadels and fortresses, forcing
these to sullenly try to keep such attacks from occurring to avoid the headache of dealing with the
gangs.
Littradaceus (18 HD nalfeshnee) is the token lord of Styros, though his leadership boils down to very
little more than ensuring that conscripts come in and are mustered out without rousing any of the
Abyssal generals ire over replacement troops. This he accomplishes well enough, despite the fact that
his technical position of leadership makes him a scapegoat more than anything else. Littradaceus has
nevertheless managed to gain a measure of prestige due to his efforts, attracting the attentions of
several more powerful demons, including Ter-Soth, who has invited the nalfeshnee to take over
similar duties under him exclusively. This he has cautiously refused because he has a more personal
reason to maintain his modicum of authority. Littradaceus is fascinated with using his deform ability to
create statues of creatures locked in the moment of their deaths and has built what might be called a
museum of these masterpieces, a tapestry of deaths; he calls it a true chronicle of The Blood War. In
addition, he uses this ability to sculpt camp improvements, quartering for more potent demons and
guests forged of reshaped dretches and soulstuff.
Styros can be said to have a thriving industry in shipbuildingif one considers a ramshackle raft a kind
of ship. Conscripts lash together what materials are on hand into simple barges and platforms to take
them down the Styx to the battlefields. Those materials required from elsewhere are gathered through
raiding nearby, weaker iron fortresses or otherwise waylaying weaker groups of travellers or demons
through the layer (which adds considerably to the amount of loathing possessed by all against the
marshaling point). More than half perish in the sluggish waters due to the shoddy craftsmanship,
though this is an acceptable level of attrition for the most part and provides the demonic inhabitants
of Styros a great deal of amusement. On a handful of occasions, the Dooms of Darkness and Flame
have commissioned squadrons of minor warships at Styros before major operations when the greater
shipyards elsewhere are incapable of producing all of the needed craft.
Littradaceus maintains his power and his reputation by manipulating the gangs and playing them
against each other. The babau-led gangs are at a natural disadvantage against the mighty molydei,
and both despise the few gangs led by non-demons. Littradaceus keeps the less powerful gangs a
threat to the others, supplying them with weapons or other payments to keep them firmly under his
thumb while placating the molydei with the demonstrated success he has had with keeping the front
lines supplied through his efforts and the occasional aid when their efforts cause trouble with the other
towns and fortresses.

Press Gangs: There are literally dozens of known press gangs haunting the regions surrounding
Styros and possibly just as many that ply the trade secretly. Some are endorsed or patronized by
demon lords and princes (one of the more infamous molydei, White Shadow, is in the pay of Graz'zt),
but most are independent of official status. Around 50% of the gangs are led by molydei, 40% are
headed by other demons (mostly babau), and 10% by daemons, other outsiders, or mortals. Several
of the more notorious gangs are listed below. The leaders of these gangs possess unique brands which
mark the thralls with symbols that cannot be simply erased. Treat these brands as an arcane mark
with a DC equal to the leaders HD to successfully erase.
The Black Hooks: The largest and most vicious band of babau surrounding Styros, the Black Hooks
are led by three individuals; Davisaut (barbarian 8), Vaolkis (sorcerer 5), and Luyox (rogue 6). The
horde is composed of over 200 babau, a few scattered tieflings, and a solitary goristro named
Jhavolud that serves Davisaut unquestioningly for some unknown reason (it is the primary reason
Davisaut maintains overall command and keeps his band competitive). Jhavolud carries an enormous
cage of cold iron on his back to hold the conscripts the Hooks find, allowing them to spread
themselves out into several smaller gangs to cover more territory instead of wasting their forces

corralling and guarding their captives at a central point. Littradaceus, offended by the arrogance of
White Shadow and the other molydei, lured the Hooks into the conscription business by providing the
three leaders with modestly potent magical items and the enticement of further riches. Davisaut
gained a magical trident, Vaolkis gained a bauble that creates illusions that only molydei can see
(despite their true seeing), and Luyox owns a bracelet that allows him to become invisible at will.
Littradaceus can destroy any of these items if he wishes as long as they are on Pazunia.
The Hooks range along the Stygian riverbanks and fens, stalking rutterkin, Stygian-drowned zombies,
and other minor horrors that lurk there. On rare occasions the Hooks have been known to ambush the
barges that have left Styros, recapturing and reselling as many souls as possible to pad their profits;
the potent brands of most of their competitors are generally too difficult to remove, but even when
there is nothing worth reselling to Styros the Hooks find someone else to sell to. They have contacts
with two different hag covens, a representative of Pazuzu, and recently have begun to trade with
Malevolus.
The Hooks brand is quite naturally a hook, with a three-pronged fork pointing down at the base of the
curve.
Tarnshaff the Grim: One of the most successful herders in Pazunia, Tarnshaff is infamous in part
because he is far more stoic than most of his brethren; he brooks no nonsense and is less impulsive in
the zeal his brethren display in their endless task of promoting The Blood War. He also ranges farther
out from Styros than almost any other conscription officer, occasionally showing up briefly on the
streets of Broken Reach and the wastes beyond. His long forays bring him extremely large and diverse
herds that tend to be much more desirable than those procured by others while also limiting his
clashes with the other molydei and the babau press gangs (particularly his bitter rival White Shadow,
the Black Hooks, Serpenem, and Quobas Band). His tasks include both the general herding of souls
and deserters to Styros as well as replenishment of materiel, particularly the ever-in-demand molten
iron. This mandate is a general one issued from Littradaceus, and even when Tarnshaff takes orders
from another warlord or power he tries to ensure a cut of both supplies and souls to hand over to the
dock masters of Styros.
Tarnshaff is served by 130 minions. Most of them are tiefling and rutterkin guards. The guards are
supervised by bar-lgura and a dozen vrocks, with a hezrou named Yoi overseeing the recruitment
effort. Tarnshaffs lieutenant and sometime-consort Edriza, a succubus, manages the cauldron wagons
and resupply missions particulars. Tarnshaff never employs minions that he believes have avoided
serving on the battlefield, and has occasionally followed the careers of some of his conscripts in order
to eventually buy or kidnap them back after they have experienced the glories of combat in The
Blood War.
The molydeus has unusually good relations with Red Shroud despiute her limitations otherwise. This is
due to his elimination of several major threats to her reign that had menaced him as well. He has
taken several successful contracts for both Vehnaremne and Kardum; he avoids dealing directly with
Grazzts minions or those of his allies, as he despises White Shadow tremendously and assumes that
his rival is being supported by his home layers master (which is only partially true).
Tarnshaffs brand is a wavy circle, with two sets of fang marks (lupine and serpentine) in the center;
the irons are molded from his own teeth.
Quobas Band: Though rare, some mortals thrive on Pazunia. The First Torment is certainly one of
the safest layers of the Abyss for mortals strong and tough enough to survive dealing with demons.
Spellcasters, for instance, find it useful to take charge of a press gang both to surround themselves
with demonic guardians and to gain access to resources to further their research into The Abyss or to
gain a reputation to peddle for influence with demonic lords and princes. This is particularly true for
those with a specific interest in The Blood War and its generals, because the soul impressment
machinery is the foundation for gaining power and notoriety among the commanders.
Quobas Band began this way, with the sorcerer Quoba (CE male half-elf sorcerer 19) arriving from the
Mortal Coil to hide from his more righteous brethren after betraying his people to the drow. A
molydeus challenged him, and after slaying the demon Quoba found himself in possession of a small

mob of conscripts. They included a crippled glabrezu named Xocx and several fellow mortals who
survived a party of mercenary adventurers that had found itself out of its depth. Quoba used his magic
to set up a defensible position in the ruins of an iron fortress somewhere between Gallowsgate and
Styros (the location is cloaked with illusions and other magic), and with information provided by Xocx
started making inroads into the conscription trade. Quobas Band manages to survive because of
Quobas magic and the tactical brilliance and sheer hate of Warrick Dvaltok (NE male dwarf ranger
16), a vengeful sociopath with a particular hatred for demonkind. The Band is entirely led by mortals,
supported by the advice of Xocx (who actually has found working with Quoba mostly pleasant for the
moment). They are approximately 100 strong, mostly mortals and a few contracted daemons (Warrick
only grudgingly allows Xocx to be part of the group as far as demons go), with a contingent of six iron
golems to provide extra muscle.
Quobas intention is to use conscription to bolster his forces as well as turn a profit for now as he tries
to establish his own kingdom in Pazunia. Although a passable scholar, he is not specifically interested
in The Abyss as anything more than a secure (to his tastes) place to gather power for his own desires.
He has no grand delusions or ambitions beyond ruling his own realm (which may eventually bore Xocx
into manipulating him), and though intelligent and charismatic as things go he has yet to make an
impression on any of the powers in Pazunia, other than arousing the hatred of the other press gangs.
Quobas Band raids other gangs regularly, especially the Black Hooks and White Shadow (Warrick is
hesitant to attack Tarnshaffs servants overmuch due to his power), and this is their primary means of
gathering souls and conscripts.
Quobas brand is a crescent moon surrounded by two circles.

Other Locations
The Cage of Songs: In the time before Malcanthet triumphed over her rivals, other succubi vied for
power against each other in what came to be called the War of Ripe Flesh, in which lesser succubi also
found themselves either following their more powerful brethren or inadvertently sucked into their
schemes. Among them, the succubus Neshema found herself drawn to the siren song of Lynkhab. Like
the Lady of Regrets, the succubus Neshema lived to fulfill the lusts of others, but her own desires felt
forever out of reach. Vainly she searched for the sinful embrace that would satisfy her wretched soul,
but her efforts were fruitless. Eventually, her heart-pangs led her to the Sighing Cliffs, where she
came to believe that her agony was the result of unrequited love-that as a mortal, her soulmate had
denied her advances, dooming her spirit to eternally hunger for intimacy, but never feel its satiation.
Seeking to find the creature that had so cursed her, Neshema followed a fleeting trail of evidence that
suggested that the fabled Harmonica of Pandemonium would grant her the name she so desired.
Yet, like so many before, her quest failed and she neither found the legendary site nor the identity of
her former love. Lost, she wandered among the Windswept Depths until eventually the howling winds
blew her into the Cage of Songs. Drawn to the cacophonic cries of the oiled steel and stretched skins
upon its spherical frame, Neshema became enthralled by it.
Since that time, Neshema has tended to the Cage and its howling song with an almost religious
devotion. Much of what tenuous sanity she had, she lost lost during her stay in the Windswept Depths.
Now, the mad succubus only half-remembers her reason for entering Pandemonium, for like an addict,
the song of the Cage assuages the worst of her soul's anguish, numbing it like a man burrowing his
sorrow in wine. Neshema clung to it even when the Cage of Songs migrated to Pazunia for some
unknown motive shortly after the layer changed shape.
A number of fiends and similarly tortured souls have flocked to Neshema and her wailing cage.
Included in this rag-tag flock are a band of vrocks hiding from The Blood War's call, a sorrowsworn
demon (Monster Manual III) named Avelemet, a pack of fiendish gargoyles, and even a pair of harpies
that were originally part of a group Neshema overthrew. Except for Avelemet, Neshema largely
ignores the rabble, leaving them be so long as they do not disturb her and her maddened attempts to
manipulate the Cage's song.

In her place, Avelemet leads the motley band. Beyond defending the Cage from would-be-usurpers,
the sorrowsworn demon directs Neshema's minions to seek out and capture new prey to place inside
the cage, as the succubus is ever eager to supply the Cage with a growing chorus of screaming souls.
When not so engaged with Neshema in her experiments with the qlippoth's craft, Avelemet finds the
company of the succubus its own prize -the demoness' melancholic soul a feat to its fiendish appetite.
However, Avelemet is not the only creature interested in the demented succubus and her singing cage.
Not so easily forgetting the vrocks that escaped it and its master's need for troops, the scheming
molydeus Ghoskenai (20 HD/gestalt ranger) was still searching for the runaway demons until he
discovered the possibility of a much greater prize: the Cage itself. Since the Cage has vast powers to
attract attentions and command beings for from its physical proximity, Ghoskenai has also ascertained
that it could perhaps be used to attract massive numbers of dretches and other, lesser mazza'im in a
similar manner. With such numbers at his disposal, he believes that he could either ravage or
transform himself into a much greater form as well as use their numbers to bolster his increase in
power. However, such ambitions as he has are quite a distance from completion-given that he would
need to slay or control those beings affiliated with it currently, as well as figure out how to control the
Cage himself without becoming another of its myriad prisoners.
Concurrently, the eye of Pazuzu himself has been caught by the recent activities of the Cage. For now,
the Lord of the Abyss' Skies simply watches and waits, unaware that Abraxas is also interested in
Neshema and her efforts to unravel the secrets of the cage and Pandemonium's cries, especially since
it was the Guardian of Names that was responsible for directing the succubus to the Harmonica in her
fruitless search for her past lover's name. Meanwhile, Lynkhab listens from afar, her dark thoughts
increasingly turning to the demoness and the possibility that the Cage's power might unlock more
than one succubus from its imprisonment.
A fantastically ancient artifact even by the reckoning of the qlippothim, the Cage of Songs had vast
powers of imprisonment both spiritual and physical. The least of its powers involved ensnaring a being
within its spherical form, drawing intended victims into it through songs of temptation and
dissatisfaction. Within 600 feet the lure of the Cage is far stronger than the norm, requiring a Will save
DC 40 in order to resist its powers. However, even at a greater distance, the Cage can sing to those
that may be vulnerable,detecting thoughts of beings within eight miles of its physical form, and
making suggestions to beings within four miles of it instead unless a Will save DC 32 is passed
instead. Greater powers allowed it to steal the voices of victims nearby, using them to further its own
deceptions or to guarantee their return to the Cage and personal corruption.
Deathshores: Although all of the molten iron lakes of Pazunia are prized, even when they are
unguarded, one of the best known and most infamous is the one controlled by the Devourer of Souls:
Deathshores. Deathshores' most prominent demon is the quicksilver-scaled marilith Xllistn (24 HD),
who has been given unique power over the metal of the lake, as well as metal in general by the
Devourer of Souls itself in order to ensure both that its control is maintained and that the lake's metal
is always accessible for crafting. It is also rumored that should she attempt to betray Demogorgon, the
ancient magicks cast upon her would cause her to melt away into nothingness and that it is only
through its will that her life is preserved.
Molydei rarely attempt to raid Deathshores itself and its demonic defenders, including a team of fireimmune glabrezu 'smiths', are more than adequate to defend against petitioner hordes. If they are
independent then no power would protect them from the wrath of Demogorgon as expressed through
the actions of minions or allies such as "Saint" Kargoth or even worse, Daegoros. If they attack it
under the aegis of a demon lord, then such a lord would face reprisal from Demogorgon personally.
Furthermore, the swarms of lava and fire mephits aiding its demonic crafters make poor fodder
for The Blood War. However, rival demon princes, particularly Orcus openly and Graz'zt through more
subtle means, as well as some bolder demon atrocities, have little compunctions about hijacking
caravans or diverting teleportations away from Deathshores in order to steal its weapons for
themselves. Deathshores is located three days away from the left bank of the Styx and ten days away
from The Grand Abyss. Minions of Demogorgon or those otherwise foolish or depraved enough to seek
him out can find it in a day instead.

Glimpse: In the most distant regions of Pazunia is rumored to exist a region of insanity. Few beings
search it out, and those few that are claimed to have actually found it typically end up in the Bleak
House of Pandemonium eventually-both insane and homicidal in ways that seem to be unique to each
individual and far beyond the power of mortal magic to cure. This region is generally called the
Glimpse. Although there are fewer sources of information regarding this particular region than there
are survivors of its effects, what little has been pieced together indicates that at one time there was
an iron fortress over the region and that this stronghold was far more oriented towards keeping
whatever was beneath it contained as compared to allowing any kind of connection. As far back as the
discovery of Pazunia even before the Second War of Law and Chaos, there was apparently some kind
of blockage in order to protect the layer from whatever is responsible. Those other details have been
pieced together indicate that there is a sentient creature immobilized at the other end of the portal
and that its powers appear to be far beyond even the qlippothic might in terms of inflicting madness.
Although it lacks sufficient power to free itself, it still possesses enough power to drive into madness
any being that gets too close to her at largely random intervals. Given the incessant state of conflict
upon Pazunia, these disappearances and suicides have often been overlooked.
Although the exact location of Glimpse remains unknown (and in fact, might actually shift slightly
through the inherent chaos of Pazunia), there do appear to be a couple of guidelines that help beings
either find or avoid it. No survivor of Glimpse has ever been encountered closer than two weeks' travel
from the Styx by land in any direction. It seems to be closer to the border between Pandemonium and
Pazunia, as its rare survivors have mostly found themselves in the Windswept Depths.
Furthermore, those who attempt to find Glimpse often encounter a bizarre phenomenon called the
Interminable Valley; a geological feature or an illusion in which beings appear to travel for six days
only to find themselves exactly where they entered it, or dozens or even hundreds of miles away.
Avoiding the Glimpse instead quite thankfully is apparently a good bit easier, and there are two
methods by which this can be accomplished. The first is through a single planeshift, even if such
involves a brief step into the ethereal plane-which implies that the connection from the Glimpse has
mental elements. The second is through backing away from the Interminable Valley.
Fortress Malevolus: It is called The Jewel of the Abyss and it is one of the strongest and most welldefended of all the scattered outposts that litter the face of Pazunia. Built of the black timber of
Azzagrat and ebon stone carved in secret from the Infinite Labyrinth, it is proof to nearly any assault,
despite the uncounted devils (among others) that have thrown themselves against its walls. Most
famous of all is the fact that it is considered as neutral as any place in all the Torments can be so
called; though the fortress is claimed by Grazzt, it is part of his policy that almost any lords thralls
may be admitted to Malevolus as long as they declare their allegiances openly and in no way try to
disrupt the operations within the fortress.
This view may seem nave considering the nature of demons in general; despite this, the intrigues
fostered within the walls of Malevolus have never threatened its strength. Malevolus is perched on top
of a particularly large nexus of portals, seventeen in all, that reach to all of Grazzts possessions,
Hollows Heart, and those of several other princes generally not hostile to the Six-Fingered Lord (in
theory) or those with no central authority but large numbers of lesser demons and resources valuable
to war. These portals were discovered by Grazzt, and the fortress was constructed in part to stabilize
them permanently. It is therefore both strategically important to the enemies of Grazzt and a
singularly difficult target for the same. Within Malevolus there are individual servants and embassies
of many beings. Not all of them are of Abyssal origin. Only those of Demogorgon, Pale Night, and
Orcus are specifically barred although some agents of all three exist quietly nonetheless, saboteurs
and spies that seek a method to undermine the fastness or its true purpose.
Malevolus is no center for what passes for demonic diplomacy, however, nor is it truly anything more
than its forbidding appearance implies; it is a marshaling ground and strongpoint in The Blood War.
Lord Grazzt may not have his full attention solely focused upon the eternal struggles between
Perdition and the Torments, but he recognizes more than some value to investing in its outcome (and
certainly he has a more significant investment than Orcus currently). To this end he laid the
foundations for Malevolus very early in his rise to power, with the specific intent of crafting an
impregnable hold against the incursions of Hell. For the most part he succeeded, a feat in and of itself
in the ever-changing Abyss.

This stability is not perfect, naturally; Malevolus has had a long series of governors and lords, most of
them balors of modest power and cunning chosen as much for their lack of dangerous ambitions as
they are for their ability in battle. The last such, Zaranhar, was of no particular note among this long
roster except for two facts; he was slain in the only seriously damaging attack ever attempted by the
Dark Ministry, and thus that his death ushered in the only truly illustrious master of the mighty
fortress: Zaxarus, Hero of The Blood War.
Zaxarus (half-fiend human rogue 17/assassin 7) is a cambion, considered by many before his rise to
be a fairly talented spy and agent for Zaranhar but otherwise of no great standing. The powers
granted by his fiendish parent, a marquis gloom serving Eldanoth, secured him personal power
enough to rise into his modestly important position. It is said, however, that he had one failing; his
perverse love for Zaranhars mistress and chief tactician, the marilith Alamanda. Many saw it as a
weakness from his human mothers side; his skills, however, kept most of the inhabitants of the
fortress from attacking him out of spite, and Zaranhar tolerated his spys feelings with cruel
amusement.
The half-fiends love for Alamanda nearly spelled disaster for Malevolus, when at an arcanodaemons
advice he unwittingly betrayed it to an unknown celestial that sought to ensure a successful attack by
an army of Hell against the fortress. In return, however, the angelic creature also betrayed itself. Upon
releasing Zaxarus, it granted the cambion an aura of heroism and inspiration, and branded him with
the title of Hero. He returned to Malevolus too late to save Zaranhar and Alamanda but he
nevertheless rallied the remaining demons of the fortress to victory. His spirit, however, was shattered
by loss.
Now the half-fiend, formerly despised and held in contempt, is lauded as an invincible warrior and
hero by all demons that come across his path; this charisma has swelled Grazzts already huge forces
and attracted many powerful fiends to his service, all of whom have sworn utter loyalty to the death
for the great hero. Zaxarus now rules Malevolus, but he takes little joy in his exalted station. Haunted
by his betrayal and the death of his beloved, he has no drive to lead or govern but cannot bring
himself to leave what he considers his just punishment. Indeed, he has been changed in more ways
than just his almost visible charms; his demonic blood has begun to repel his mortal side, causing his
appearance to marble, consisting of swirls and random patterns of black, red, and white upon his skin.
By his newfound powers, Malevolus has become more invincible than ever.
Malevolus is defended by a multitude of demons of many kinds, most particularly babau, armanites,
and chasme. In charge of them are twelve generals, the Nightmare Lancers, that have been restored
since their predecessors were slain in Zaxarus betrayal. These lancers, led by Kausharon the BloodyHanded (armanite barbarian 18), were chosen by Grazzt but have had their allegiances switched to
Zaxarus. With their lords melancholy they focus with blind faith on defending Malevolus until and
unless Zaxarus stirs himself to some plot demanded of him by Grazzt.
More than demons guard the fortress, however and some of the oldest and most powerful of Grazzts
viper trees are planted outside its gates in twisted groves. Demonic engines of innumerable designs
line the walls and the outer fortifications. Some dating back to the ages when the qlippothim ruled
while others are built and designed in Az'zagrat expressly for Malevolus defense. Blackstone gigants
(Fiend Folio) carved into the forms of goristroi and forged of demonic iron and rock patrol the
perimeter of the fortress in endless bloody circles, Last and most dreadful of all, the fortress is
guarded by twin horrors in the form of Violent Spite and Murderous Grief (nabassu rogue
7/shadowdancer 10). Both were chained to Malevolus by Grazzt himself with cold iron bindings that
supernaturally allow them access anywhere within the fortress and out to a limited space beyond the
walls.
Malevolus is located approximately six days' travel by conventional means from the left bank of The
Grand Abyss. The frequency of travel to the Fortress means that there are typically caravans carrying
supplies to it which can be found with little complication on a daily basis.

Recurring Slaughter: Pazunia has been marked by war and strife since Madness and Bile first came
to the layer in ancient days. One of the most bizarre and infamous locations epitomizing turmoil upon
Pazunia is Recurring Slaughter.
Some time after the defeat of Turaglas by Orcus and Demogorgon both sent armies to Pazunia in
order to claim as much of its territory for themselves as possible. Each of them used bizarre magicks
upon their respective forces in order to prolong the lives-and unlives-of their minions. In Orcus' case,
he used the Lash Embrar to actually create undead with a semblance of true regeneration so that
unless they were totally destroyed they would eventually reassemble themselves back into corpses
and skeletons. Demogorgon's tactics were similarly unusual if more powerful and it created a mobile
region that depending on how many of his demonic minions were present within it, would allow them
to heal themselves and even warp those who did not follow Demogorgon until they were either
completely incapacitated or even destroyed.
Neither demon prince's tactics worked as they intended. When the battle took place towards the
boundary of Pandemonium, their magicks were recombined and altered by The Abyss in an unique
manner. Both armies utterly annihilated each other-but instead of the combatants on either side
remaining permanently dead they were trapped in a loop-forever condemned to repeat their battle but
with no possibility of either final victory or utter defeat. To this day at sporadic intervals the demonic
corpses and broken bodies reassemble themselves, pick up their weapons, and proceed to slaughter
each other until they are all dead again-only to repeat the cycle at some later time. Even attempting
to escape the location provides little relief for those trapped within it as those that attempt to do so
are teleported back into it if they get 1d4 miles away or use planeshifting. It is a physical incarnation
of the hatred that Demogorgon and Orcus possess for each other.
Although Recurring Slaughter is extremely dangerous, it is still raided irregularly by those attempting
to steal the ancient magicks of the demon princes responsible for its creation for themselves-as well
as those seeking more mundane treasures in terms of the artifacts of the combatants or even pieces
of their bodies for spell components. Although the latter types of efforts have generally proved more
successful, there is still a hidden risk to such acts of theft. On occasion the artifacts taken from the
location are tied to it to such a degree that they may actually draw whoever currently owns them back
to the battlefield-even across planes and from The Mortal Coil. In such cases a Will save DC 36 is
required to prevent the inadvertent planeshifting.
There is no obvious pattern as to what will trigger a recurrence. Beings that have been able to explore
the battlefield safely upon one occasion have found themselves hacked down the instant they set foot
upon it or teleported into it upon other occasions. Still, the rewards acquired from the region continue
to tempt those either clever or foolish enough to attempt to probe it.
The Scarlet Promontory Rising high from the Pazunian wastes near the borders of both the Outlands
and Carceri is an enormous red mountain and one of the only notable mounts in this region of the
layer, the rocks stained in a series of swirling crimson colors sometimes seeping and flowing like blood
down the sides of the mountain and surrounding bluffs. The Scarlet Promontory is topped by a
smashed dome and a series of massive ruins that extend deep within the mountain. The ruins are
made of stone cut from Carcerian rock which makes them secure from divination and Abyssal quakes.
The Promontory is inhabited by numerous draconic undead. They range from massive spectral wyrms
to half-draconic skeletons; among the most dangerous of all are the bodaks, for every reported
specimen of these horrid undead is of uncommon size, malevolence, and power. Even those terrible
monsters are dwarfed by silent ghosts of dread majesty, dragons that in life must surely been old and
powerful. All of the draconic undead encountered in the area around the Promontory thus far have
been of red heritage, but there is no indication of their former identities or affiliation. No creature that
rises in the area of the Promontory is capable of communication in any way, and it is obvious that this
constraint infuriates the already maddened unliving creatures, enhancing their maliciousness and
spite.
The Scarlet Promontorys rock and soil are stained a deep red in marbled hues that speak of a great
downpour of blood that once rained down and seeped permanently into the area. In ages past, when
Tiamat inhabited The Abyss and fought in the Second War on the side of the Queen of Chaos, a great

many of her wyrms were slain by the vaati over the Promontory, their blood staining the ground below
and seared into its fabric by the Dragon Queens wrath. For many ages the Promontory was ignored
and uninhabited in its relatively remote corner of Pazunia. This period of silence ended some centuries
before the Great Fall when an army of red dragons and their minions occupied the mountain and its
environs, ignoring their demonic neighbors as they built the massive edifice which housed their
nameless lord, a red dragon of great size and power. With their powerful magic and skilled soldiers
they rebuffed all attempts by nearby powers to investigate but they never made a move beyond the
bounds of their small realm. Several years after the draconic fortress was completed some terrible but
unknown catastrophe occurred that slew every inhabitant and shattered the structure, raising all the
dead residents to guard its secrets in eternal silence. Since that time, no creature has managed to
penetrate the undead perimeter and enter the ruin, though flyovers have revealed swirling vortices of
energy and more undead within the dome and its broken outbuildings.
The Promontory is modestly obscure, having sparked little interest in general among the demons. The
occasional attempts to sift the ruin invariably prove too costly and unproductive, and since the undead
do not stray beyond the limits of the area or seem to have any agenda it is mostly left to itself. Aside
from the implications of draconic hoard wealth hidden among the ruins, there is nothing to tempt most
of the Pazunian warlords into daring further investigation. The Promontory is several weeks travel
from the nearest significant iron fortress across mob-filled barrens and the increasing perils of the
planar boundaries as factors which render any expedition a largely unprofitable exercise but one still
attempted sporadically for the rewards of treasure and knowledge.
In more recent centuries the region has been the focus of some attention, as dragons serving Tiamat
have established a small outpost just beyond the Promontorys influence to discover what occurred
within. Led by Yuhorruluk (female great red wyrm/unholy ravager of Tiamat 10), the group is made up
of ten other red dragons of mature adult and old age, roughly a thousand soldiers (mostly Spawn of
Tiamat and half-draconic mortals), and a small clutch of four umbral dragons whose expertise in
dealing with the undead made them a valuable asset to the expedition. Yuhorruluk has augmented her
minions with any demons she can bully into service, but she has taken pains to do this beneath the
notice of the molydei and any nearby warlords and thus has very few to call upon currently. Whether
Tiamat or her servants know anything about the former inhabitants of the Scarlet Promontory or the
circumstances that befell them is a well-kept secret. What seems clear is that the Queen of Evil
Dragons pursues this without any apparent mandate from Perdition.
Aguledeljan, a red dracolich (32 HD), was attracted by the necromantic aura of the Promontory more
recently, and has been carefully watching Yuhorruluks activities to find a means to explore the
Promontory without her interference. So far, he has had no success in subverting or controlling the
undead of the region. This has piqued his curiosity but he has currently rejected contacting Falazure
for guidance. Because of the unusual nature of the Promontorys effects, he has been reluctant to
raise minions of his own or bring those he has from his lair elsewhere in Pazunia.
Another silent watcher is the arcanodaemon Siumon (18 HD/master enchanter 6). A representative of
another draconic power (though he has no knowledge of his true master, being a mercenary bought
for the task), Siumon is tasked with divining precisely what occurred at the Promontory, while
simultaneously frustrating the attempts of Tiamats expedition. It is the latter task that Siumon finds
appealing; after losing most of his minions in the first foray into the Promontory, he has decided
against further attempts on his own part and focuses on sabotaging Yuhorruluks progress. He has
been attempting to wheedle the service of other daemons and even demons to undertake the more
hazardous side of his mission, with little success.
Within the ruins lies only one creature that is not undead; the fiend Quesatchk (24 HD glabrezu
necromancer 18). Once a far less unique glabrezu, Quesatchk has acquired ravages that have made
him far more 'draconic' in nature such as a breath weapon, relevant immunity, and a more potent bite
than normal-implying that The Promontory itself is being partially assimilated by The Abyss into
becoming a ravaging circumstance in its own right.Quesatchk is able to sense things outside the ruin
through the undead, and can command them at will. As yet Quesatchk has kept himself hidden from
the factions observing his demesne, though he is more than aware of them and what their intentions
are.

Vendetta Aerie In a distant past the Plains of Gallenshu (Layer 377), once belonging to the
varrangoin, was completely and utterly overrun by the mazza'im known as the armanites. Not all of
the varrangoin were present there and scattered survivors maintained colonies throughout The Abyss
and The Mortal Coil when possible. The largest colony of them present within Pazunia have established
a place where they scheme towards the destruction of those mazza'im that annihilated that which they
had built; Vendetta Aerie. Beyond keeping the varrangoin alive and allowing them to regenerate their
numbers, albeit slowly, the immediate goal of Vendetta Aerie is otherwise quite simple: slaughter as
many of the armanites throughout Creation as possible in vengeance for their act of mass slaughter.
The aerie is strong enough to pick off sporadic groupings of armanites that are unfortunate enough to
find themselves alone within Pazunia and without any significant support (or witnesses) that could
report their annihilation to other concerned parties. However, the preferred method of Vendetta Aerie's
operation consists of taking assignments indirectly for the slaughter of particular armanites well known
for their actions upon the Plains of Gallenshu-who in turn arrange it so their intended targets are
waylaid within Pazunia at a sufficient distance from the Aerie to prevent its location from becoming
known. These sorts of arrangements are mostly made within Broken Reach, where the marquis halffiend Therrez (human rogue 6/Abyssal bloodline sorcerer 14) holds court and pays for his remaining
within the gate-town with items and poisons acquired from The Mortal Coil and sent to him by
varrangoin supporters of the quiet war effort.
The current rulers of Vendetta Aerie are a triad of arcanist varrangoin (Fiend Folio) named Llx, Vull,
and Sxaj. The two most potent among them, Vull (Enchanter 20), and Sxaj, (Illusionist 20) are both
accomplished enchanters, while the third is Llx (Evoker 18) is a potent evoker instead-who is called
upon to destroy any creatures that the others' spells have failed to deter (a circumstance that given
the remoteness of the Aerie has thankfully for them occurs infrequently at best). The remaining
population of other varrangoin consists of arcanist and lesser varrangoin with less power and a
comparatively small number of controlled rager varrangoin.
The structure is protected by a combination of aerial magicks which deflect attempts by flying
creatures to reach it as well as potent enchantments, given that illusionary magicks are of dubious
utility against a form of demon well known for its ability to true see. The nature of these spells is twofold. First, they dissuade any being that is not a varrangoin from travelling further towards the Aerie.
The second element of these enchantments consists of an extremely powerful spell that convinces
beings that even if they have actually seen it, or any of its varrangoin residents, so long as the
varrangoin themselves do not physically attack whoever is in the region, they have actually seen
nothing instead. So far these spells have been sufficiently powerful to deter the vast majority of
wayward demons that have stumbled upon their sanctum-and those few that have not been dissuaded
have either been undead or other creatures that were little trouble to kill and otherwise dispose of the
remains. Beyond its magical defenses Vendetta Aerie is one of the most remote locations within
Pazunia and is thirty days away from the right bank of the Styx towards its border region with
Pandemonium.
The schemes of Vendetta Aerie extend far beyond avenging themselves upon what armanites they can
catch and kill in The Abyss. The most significant issue that they still possess is that although they are
capable of procreating independently, it takes place at a much slower rate than upon the Plains of
Gallenshu anywhere else in The Abyss. Ultimately, their goal is to device a massive magical ritual
capable of allowing them to breed freely throughout The Mortal Coil. In this way they would be able to
replenish their numbers at a much greater rate-and eventually become a much more powerful faction.
Such a ritual is of interest to many demons within The Abyss (particularly the qlippothim) and so this
goal is the most closely guarded secret possessed by the leaders of Vendetta Aerie.

Pazunia Knowledge (the planes) Table

Knowledge
(the planes)
DC

Sample Information Acquired

10

Pazunia is the first layer of The Abyss. The pools of oil upon the layer are
portals leading to lower layers of The Abyss.

15

Many of the better known layers that have specific rulers have iron fortresses
which guard their portals.

20

Not all of the pools of oil are actual portals. Some of them are instead a form of
ooze found only in Pazunia that impersonates portals to lure prey.

25

Pazunia has not always looked like it does currently. It was originally controlled
by by the qlippothim, who prized the layer for its myriad connections
throughout The Abyss and the molten metal which could be used to make
weapons. Only the lakes of molten iron now remain of this original state, and it
was changed partially by Eltab.

35

You are aware of some of the more obscure and/or menacing locations within
Pazunia-and just as importantly, how to potentially avoid them.

The Grand Abyss

Currently Recognized Layer Number: 4
Name: The Grand Abyss/The Cesspool
Ruler: None
Normal Gravity
Normal Time
Although Pazunia is the best known means by which lower levels of The Abyss may be accessed, it is
hardly the only layer with extensive connections to the rest of the Torments. A far more ancient
method is The Grand Abyss; a vast chasm dating back to the period in which the power of the
qlippothim was at its peak both in The Abyss and within the rest of Creation.

History
The Grand Abyss was first excavated by Tharzax, the Demon Lord of All That Crawls at the beginning
of the qlippothic dominance. The acts of expanding the layer physically also expanded its possibilities
spiritually until it became simultaneously a boundless chasm and yet one which had the potential to
connect myriad other layers to itself, allowing Tharzax to flood those other layers with tides of insectile
and qlippothic monstrosities to expand its power. However, it did not retain control over the layer for
particularly long despite its ambitions. Others both among the qlippothim and those rare yaldabaoth
that survived the Circle of Law's efforts effectively diminished its power. Given a choice between
challenging the still vast power of Obox-Ob, the Demon Prince of the Lost, and the rising power of
both Chaos and the Queen of Chaos, given that both factions wanted a much greater role in The
Grand Abyss, Tharzax chose to retreat from it to preserve both its own life and its own power. As
Chaos and his consorts gained power in The Abyss, The Grand Abyss was a powerful weapon for them
and those qlippothic lords and princes on their 'side'. It gave them great advantanges in reaching new
layers of The Abyss, and slaughtering rivals or otherwise convincing them to attack law instead of
slaughtering each other.
During this period, the layer was given much of its current form, as iron doors and other protections
were inlaid into the dull, reddish-black simulated rock to block access to the portals by rivals where
the insectile horrors of Tharzax had once used bare tunnels with no ornamentation. However, The
Grand Abyss has always been contested. Vast battles were fought there even during the qlippothic
period.
The end of the Second War of Law and Chaos ended much of the struggle surrounding The Grand
Abyss temporarily with the deaths and inactivity of most of the qlippothim that had previously used it
to such great effect. When a single qlippothic demon prince briefly became capable of controlling the
layer they placed a klurichir of exceptional power, the Guardian of Gates, within The Grand Abyss.
Unfortunately for them the Guardian of Gates was one of the most notable demons to join in Madness
and Bile, defecting to join others of its kind and ostensibly abandoning its responsibilities to conceal
his intended treachery. After Eltab flooded the layer with molten metal the Guardian of Gates quickly
took advantage of the slaughter to decimate the survivors-especially any affiliated with the demon
prince he once served. From that time onwards, the other klurichir used The Grand Abyss to attack
whatever qlippothic layers remained connected through the chasm layer. However, the control of the
rebellious klurichir, even with the aid of a demon as potent as the Guardian of Gates on their side, was
also short lived. Once the Guardian of Gates became a merely random terror, as compared to a
focused opponent of all qlippothim, this provided enough marginal safety to allow The Grand Abyss to
be generally used by all demons and travellers to those farther depths of The Abyss.
The Grand Abyss is a chasm so vast that from within its boundaries it is apparently bottomless.
Although it can be infinitely deep, it is only ten miles long and two miles wide. It is divided into three
regions known as Voragos. The Upper Vorago is the region closest to Pazunia, while the Middle and
Lower Voragos are those regions that are further and closer to the Cesspool at the bottom of The
Grand Abyss respectively. Direction is further indicated by the fact that there are two sides, or banks,

of The Grand Abyss depending on whether one is either facing towards or away from The Styx when
looking at it from Pazunia. Standing on top of the right bank of The Grand Abyss and facing away from
the chasm ensures that the Styx is visible, while standing on top of the left bank of The Grand Abyss
and facing away from the chasm means that the Styx cannot be seen instead.
Due to the fact that portals from The Grand Abyss tend to be far more exposed than those from
Pazunia procedures for opening doors tend be both far more elaborate and affiliated with far deadlier
mishaps if accessed improperly. Often demons establish doors upon portals only to have these
protections sabotaged by ambitious rivals or underlings in order to destroy them and take their place.
In some cases as demons slaughtered predecessors in order to control layers, door controls have been
established over previous door controls to the point where multiple sets of controls have made doors
either inoperable or even worse, set off death traps, Abyssal rifts, or otherwise react horribly to
attempts to open them. Layers are not limited to possessing single apertures within The Grand Abyss.
Several of the more infamous layers possess three or four ways into them from the layer (often
magically mismarked, or made to look identical to each other) that deposit those foolish enough to use
them into different locations within a given destination.

Properties
While many portal entrances are heavily and lethally trapped, The Grand Abyss, like Pazunia,
possesses no special hazards that impede survival. Although The Grand Abyss is extremely dark by its
nature, its darkness is not unnatural or magically produced and normal light sources function.
Furthermore, its vast size means that at any given time, it is comparatively improbable to encounter
any of The Grand Abyss' more dangerous (and rare) permanent denizens-in particular the ancient
klurichir Guardian of the Gates.

Hazards
Falling Souls: The sheer number of petitioners which fall into The Grand Abyss, attracted by the
bizarre properties of its aperture upon Pazunia, make the risk of encountering a falling soul ever
present, although more often than not, it is not actually lethal to those so unfortunate to have a
dretch or a mane actually land on them. Falling souls deal 3d6 points of damage upon impact (Ref
save DC 15 for half).
Leap Into The Chasm: One of the most bizarre properties of The Grand Abyss is not present within
its boundaries as much as it is present in the region above it. The Grand Abyss attracts petitioners
that get within a 10 mile radius of it as a consequence of the consolidation of the Cesspools into a
single Cesspool at the bottom of the layer. Petitioners so affected find themselves compelled to travel
to the best of their abilities to the edge of the chasm and throw themselves into it. They receive a new
Will save every 10 minutes that they are under The Abyss' influence. The Will save DC begins at 16
and increases by one for every hour that a petitioner is within range of the effect, reaching a maximal
DC of 32. The property of Leap Into The Chasm is present within The Grand Abyss itself, and as a
result falling petitioners that survive colliding with bridges, landings, or other beings (assuming they
are not slain for the inconvenience) will often recover themselves-only to cast themselves back into
the chasm again.
Styxfalls: A branch of the Styx falls into The Grand Abyss on its left bank. Although for obvious
reasons it is untraversable even by marraenodaemons, it is still a significant hazard within the layer as
various promontories and shelves serve to fragment it further. Since the Styx in The Grand Abyss is a
minor diversion from the main course of the river upon Pazunia, the Will save DC to avoid amnesia is
the same (DC 20). In some places, the Styx itself is aerosolized and it is treated as an inhaled poison
instead of slightly lower difficulty in terms of avoiding its effects given its diffused nature, and the Will
save DC is 15 instead. Fortunately, these regions are recognizable through their unnatural opacity
(Perception DC 25).

Notable Locations

The Brittle Bridge: An unfortunate quirk of portal creation in The Grand Abyss put a bridge between
Furnace (the layer of Garyx) and The Iron Wastes ruled by Kostchei. The bridge is locked in a constant
struggle between fire and ice as frost giants and red dragons vie for a foothold and beachhead on the
other side. The bridge itself is wide but brittle (hence its name) due to the extremes of temperature at
each end but it continually regenerates and cannot be utterly destroyed despite the dedicated efforts
of minions from both powers. It has a 40% chance of collapsing underfoot each time it is walked upon
by a being, and each 10 foot by 10 foot square section can be treated as having hardness 1d6. The
Brittle Bridge is found in the Middle Vorago.
The Devouring Door: In most cases when beings use a portal within The Grand Abyss and never
return it is generally assumed that they met their end as a consequence of their destination. In a
disturbingly significant number of cases, this assumption is false. These individuals have instead fallen
victim to a creature known as The Devouring Door. In a manner analogous to the Portal Togarin of
Pazunia spawned by Zuggtmoy, Ugudenk created a vast, wormlike creature that mimicked almost
identically one of the valid portals in The Grand Abyss. Physically, it resembles a portal to another
Torment and it is able to project images of these other Torments to lure in potential travelers that get
within 100 feet of it (Will save DC 30 to resist), which it promptly consumes. As these images are
directly implanted within the minds of potential victims, standard protections against illusions are not
effective against them, although mind blank and similar methods are effective if the potential for such
deception is detected. The Devouring Door wanders throughout The Grand Abyss with no apparent
preference for any particular Vorago. Thus far it has avoided the Guardian of the Gates (who may or
may not know of the beast).
The Hallucination Gate: One of the most bizarre portals within The Grand Abyss does not lead to
another location within The Abyss as much as it leads into a fragment of time itself. This portal was
named the hallucination gate by the first mazza'im and mortals to discover it, and it was one of the
many innovations of Cabiri at a time when the qlippothim were both stronger and far more numerous
than the present.
Peering into the hallucination gate allows those who use it to have a brief vision of The Grand Abyss as
it once existed during the qlippothic domination. As esoteric a power as this may seem, it has in fact
proved invaluable both to the surviving qlippothim as well as their enemies, when the former attempt
to reclaim layers that may have been lost or become inaccessible after Madness and Bile, while the
latter seek to expand to new layers and territories. The visions of the hallucination gate provide a +10
profane bonus on Knowledge (the planes) and Spellcraft checks in order to identify the proper
functioning of any Grand Abyss gate,and a +4 bonus on caster level checks when casting either
divinations or planar spells towards the end of opening one. However, as befitting the bizarre and
lethal 'blessings' of Cabiri, those visions provided by the hallucination gate eventually prove fatally
detrimental to their beneficiaries if a Will save DC 30 is failed while attempting to use it. The initial
symptoms of hallucination gate insanity appear as visual overlays that grow more distracting and
disturbing. These are accompanied by phantom telepathic noises, inflicting a cumulative -1 penalty to
visual and auditory Perception-based checks as well as 1d4 points of Wisdom damage per day. After a
time, the visions of The Grand Abyss as it existed in the past come to completely overwhelm the
senses and memories of the being who used it in the present. The ultimate result is a self-withdrawn
state of insanity not unlike the solipsism spell, except far more difficult to eliminate. The mental
damage inflicted by the hallucination gate can only be cured in an Reality not tainted by chaos and
mazza'im are just as vulnerable to it as mortals. Normal protections against mind-affecting effects are
sufficient to prevent its damage, however, but they also render a being incapable of acquiring the
dubious benefits of its ancient knowledge. It is only through the risk of madness that insight can be
gained. Qlippothim are an exception to this rule and can use the hallucination gate without a required
sacrifice or other troubles.
The hallucination gate is located on the right bank of The Grand Abyss and in the Lower Vorago. It
possesses no platform whatsoever. It instead has a couple of clawholds and apertures hewn out of the
rock and designed for the anatomies of creatures that were very different from the mazza'im-much
less mortal forms. Flight and spells which animate rope or other attachment devices are common
means of holding oneself in place while the portal is accessed. Activating the hallucination gate
requires telepathic contact.

Six Tricks: This broad, circular platform is suspended on bridges over the vast shaft, and around the
edge of the platform are arrayed six portals with three on each side and reachable by slender spans
across the void. The portals seem to connect to The Gaping Maw, Pazunia, Twelvetrees, The Infinite
Labyrinth, Smaragd, and Shedaklah. All of these, however, lead to Hollows Heart instead. Whenever
any of the portals to FrazUrbLuus layer is activated, a half-fiendish copy of any non-evil traveler is
spawned on The Grand Abyss side, formed from Abyssal substance by an ancient spell of the Prince of
Deception. These copies seek out the places dear to the original and embark on campaigns of deceit
and destruction there, until and unless the original manages to escape Hollows Heart (the portals are
one way only); the copy senses if the original has left Hollows Heart, and tries to find and kill the
original at all costs so that it can continue with its evil acts. Six Tricks are found in the Lower Vorago.
Although Fraz 'Urb Luu has constantly sought to make Six Tricks migrate throughout The Grand Abyss
or even worse, make most of the portals of The Grand Abyss actually lead to Hollow's Heart instead,
his endless search for the Rod of Fraz 'Urb Luu has forced him to temporarily set aside this scheme
along with many of his other deadly and annoying innovations.
The portals of Six Tricks have a minor degree of sentience which enables them to detect the desires of
those who approach them, and to present the most appealing falsehood in response. It is this minor
vestige of intellect which enables them to be avoided. One method for detecting them is through the
use of the psionic power detect hostile intent(which will correctly perceive a lie), as well as by casting
divinations such as commune in order to figure out whether the portal is a valid one or a creation of
Fraz 'Urb Luu's deranged imagination.
Grand Abyss Portals: The layers that are accessible by The Grand Abyss tend to be far more ancient
than those connected to Pazunia. Those that have known Abyssal lords as rulers also have a higher
proportion of qlippothic control than those accessible from the former layer. Some of the more notable
entrances are the following:
Cogerron (Layer 444): The most frequently accessed portal to Cogerron exists within The Grand
Abyss. It first appeared in the vast chasm shortly after the end of the Second War of Law and Chaos,
and seems to have been discovered by Abraxas shortly afterwards. However, as Abraxas wished to
keep all knowledge of Cogerron to himself (even denying his 'allies' among the other klurichir
knowledge of it), the then Demon Prince of Mysteries did his best to obscure both the location of the
portal as well as the means by which it could be entered.
The Cogerron portal is distinctive through the incredibly elaborate drawings and markings carved into
the stone surrounding it. These provide a vital hint as to how to open the portal, which is otherwise an
iron wall without crevice or joints, and is otherwise nigh-unassailable. The portal key consists of the
drawings themselves-which when looked at from the right angle, form a vast labyrinthine image.
Whenever they are expanded by those wishing to enter Cogerron from The Grand Abyss, then the
portal itself opens, allowing such beings ingress. As with many such portals, there is a significant and
lethal trick to operating it correctly. Any additions to the labyrinth-drawings must significantly make
the drawing in its entirety more complex and more difficult to solve. Failing to add to the complexity of
the drawing forces the beings making the attempt to make a Fort save DC 35. Those who do not
succeed at making this save are trapped in the drawings as the spell imprisonment and the labyrinth
redrawn slightly in order to record their durance. Making the save instead does no outwards harm to
the potential victim, but also renders them incapable of using the portal for the next 1d6 days without
accidentally being sent to a random layer of The Abyss instead.
Although vital, it possesses no immediately threatening guardians located upon the platform. However,
it is monitored by an advanced and highly modified blackstone gigant (Fiend Folio) from an adjacent
platform. It was placed there shortly after the Cogerron portal was first discerned to have been
opened by a wide array of Abyssal powers, leading many to suspect that either Abraxas or one of his
minions during the height of his power was responsible both for its construction and placement.
However, it has been effectively subverted by Vuron, and will either follow beings leaving through the
Cogerron portal to other destinations throughout The Grand Abyss, or will try and kill them in order to
take anything for the Alabaster Demon instead if they are sufficiently weak.

Dispersion (Layer 93): One of the more bizarre and treasured layers controlled by Demogorgon is
Dispersion. Its value to the Devourer of Souls consists of its ability to dismantle virtually all creatures
foolish enough to enter the layer into their components-their minds, their anatomy, and even
fragments of their souls-and then allowing whoever controls the layer to reassemble them in far more
bizarre ways. Through such means, Dispersion has proved an invaluable tool to the Devourer of Souls
as he continues to create artifacts, new forms of life, and even new forms of demons, as well as and
destroying its rivals. The Dispersion portal can be opened by a being that is simultaneously in two
physically distinct places at once, or otherwise possesses a multiplicity of mindsets. Its protections
include a magical device prototypical to the retrievers in that it projects an array of devastating
eyerays against opponents, dealing 15d8 points of damage each time it is triggered of either fire, cold,
electricity, or acid (Rev save DC 30). The device also senses which, if any, attacks have been
successful against opponents; if none of them are successful then within 1d4 rounds it alerts the
denizens of Gaping Maw of the attacks against it unless it is otherwise stopped or bypassed.
While Dispersion is an apparently fairly old layer, the portal is located on the right bank of the Upper
Vorago-as one of The Grand Abyss' myriad anomalies defying any generalized rule to the chasm.
Although there was once a bridge connecting the Dispersion portal to another on the left bank of The
Grand Abyss, it was apparently destroyed in ancient times. There is no current evidence that there
was ever a door on the other side-or for that matter, that there was ever a battle or other conflict in
which it was destroyed.
Driller's Hives (Layer 2): The qlippothic monstrosity Tharzax, Demon Lord of All That Crawls still
retains a portal with The Grand Abyss. Unlike most of the other demonic survivors of the Second War
of Law and Chaos, in Tharzax's case, the portal is actually relevant to his current ambitions. Without
either the Queen of Chaos and the incipient rivalry of the qlippothim, or the irritations of the klurichir,
Tharzax now covertly seeks to reclaim that which was originally his. This is an ambition that is tacitly
supported by Rahab, as by aiding him (as sporadic and random as such assistance might be), should
Tharzax gain sufficient power, The Grand Abyss would no longer be an entry point into The
Unfathomable Depths. The ambitious and ancient demon lord accomplishes this through finding those
portals that have not been used for hundreds of millenia and permanently sealing them or respecifying
their opening conditions so as to make them only accessible to Tharzax. In this manner, it hopes that
it can make The Grand Abyss increasingly insignificant to the rest of The Abyss' denizens-while giving
Tharzax more power over the layer in its entirety until he can eventually control it.
The Driller's Hives portal is a pustulent mass of swollen flesh nearly twenty feet tall and at least as
wide which appears as if it had been stung untold millions of times and was entirely formed out of
twisted regrowth. It is accessible with a summoned or actual swarm, whose multiplicity of separate
entities can sting or bite the door in the random patterns necessary to open it. Failing to open the door
properly or in a timely manner (within three minutes of intruders being detected within 80 feet of it)
causes it to spew digestive bile and rot on targets until they either depart from the portal platform or
have been killed, dealing 30d8 points of acid damage and 2d6 points of Con damage on targets within
80 feet of it (Fort save DC 30 halves both). It is located in the Lower Vorago on the left bank of The
Grand Abyss.
Fleshforges (Layer 558): Dwiergus was a frequent target for the klurichir during Madness and Bile and
the portal to Fleshforges reflects this due to the difficulty involved in entering it. The portal key is a
circle set upon a landing upon which a being heavily modified by qlippothic fleshcrafting must stand.
As the qlippothim had little use for the most part for mortal languages, what minor details of the
portal's nature are indicated through telepathic visions in one's head, and a mild sympathy effect (Will
save DC 30) which attracts beings that possess any qlippothic modifications whatsoever that wander
within a hundred feet of the portal's platform. The correct portal key is a living creature that has been
fleshcrafted in a sufficiently bizarre way by the qlippothim to stimulate the portal's opening. If
successfully activated, then the ground opens up beneath them and any other beings present and
swallows them piecemeal in a series of grotesque, peristaltic motions that are extremely nauseating
for bystanders to observe, but are not actually harmful and transport them to the layer. If the pattern
of fleshcrafting is incorrect, then the floor below them forms a chrysalis around the victim or false key,
secretes acidic fluid which deals 20d8 points of acid damage per round to victims (Fort save DC 30 for
half), and dissolves them until there is nothing but gelatinous, semi-liquefied flesh and fragments of
bone, or a puddle of highly ravaging bile in the case of demons. Creatures encased through failing to

open the Fleshforges portal can attempt to escape by breaking through a chrysalis, which has 200 hp
and hardness 5, but it otherwise possesses no special immunities except against acid. The portal to
Fleshforges is located in the Lower Vorago on the right bank.
The Forgotten Land (Layer 3): As befitting the paradoxical nature of its ruler, Zzyczesiya, a demon lord
infamous for her anonymity, and about whom increased knowledge of her powers confers ignorance,
the portal to the Forgotten Land can only be seen by those who can see practically nothing else. It is
only visible to amnesiacs, whether the mental condition is induced temporarily or permanently through
spells such as programmed amnesia, psionic powers such as mind leech, or through poisoning with
Styx-water. The area around the portal appears as a plain stone platform which is only visible when
seen with peripheral vision, or through an indirect means of sight such as a mirror. Successfully
opening the portal requires the destruction of a unique piece of knowledge (such as burning the single
scroll of a spell otherwise only known to the being that wrote it, or erasing a single unique memory
from a being within a 30 foot radius of the door itself). Tarrying around the portal by being within 100
feet of it without actually opening it in a fifteen minute time period inflicts 1d8 points of Intelligence
damage (Will save DC 32) which can only be cured outside of a 100 foot radius of The Forgotten Land
portal's door. The Forgotten Land's portal is located in the Upper Vorago on the right bank, and is
otherwise an entirely unmemorable circular, cold iron door ten feet in diameter.
Incarnations of Iniquity (Layer 120): The portal to the depraved layer of Heramael, The Demon Lord of
Flesh is a device known as a lascivious orifice. The lascivious orifice has telepathic properties like the
qlippothim themselves and reforms itself into the object or personage of the most intense carnal
desire of the beings before it, although it never has a singular appearance if a group of beings look
upon it simultaneously. Opening the lascivious orifice then requires mating with the orifice. The portal
is nastily addictive in the worst way, and those who have touched it once are quite likely to find
themselves returning for further satisfaction, if not catching the malign attentions of Heramael himself
should he find their lusts to be potentially useful. An initial Will save DC 20 allows one to resist these
temptations. If the original save is failed, then the save DC increasingly compels beings to return to
the orifice, increasing by one point per day until it reaches a maximum of DC 30. The Lascivious
Orifice is located within the Lower Vorago on the left bank.
Iyondagur (Layer 399): One of the more frequently visited layers of The Abyss is Iyondagur, the
bizarre and eternally shadowed layer of Elazalag. Although Iyondagur possesses a portal upon
Pazunia, Elazalag as well as most beings that regularly trade with her actually prefer to use the
opening located in The Grand Abyss instead because it is more obscure against mortal and divine
intervention.
The portal to Iyondagur is a deceptively easily opened door with two layers of protection. The first is
that the door, ebon and rectangular, requires an onyx key. In reality, the exact pattern of notches and
ridges on the key is totally irrelevant as compared to the intent to reach the layer. Any onyx key
specifically made for Iyondagur is sufficient provided that it is never used for another purpose. Once
this layer is opened, the second protection upon the door comes in the form of an apparently unending
hallway under the effects of a damning darkness (BoVD) spell, dealing 2d6 points of damage to any
good-aligned creature that travels through it each round they are inside the passageway. Any creature
that takes more than eight steps into the darkened tunnel can walk forward without reaching
Iyondagur or retrace their steps without ever reaching The Grand Abyss again until they satisfy the
second procedure for accessing Iyondagur-and realizing that the portal always requires a trade in
order to be opened. If there is no attempt to make such a deal with the portal, then the portal itself
chooses something to take from the being that attempts to access it once every five minutes. In the
case of mortals, this usually results in Elazalag claiming their soul, while demons may find
themselves imprisoned by the portal until one of her subsidiary abat-dolorin can collect them from it
for their malevolent purposes. In either case, the Fort save required in order to involve imprisonment
begins at DC 20 and increases by 1 point per every five minutes until it reaches a maximal DC of 30.
Walking from The Grand Abyss to Iyondagur takes a minimum of thirty minutes, with
teleportation and magicks such as dimension door blocked by the nature of the portal itself.
The Lightless Depths (Layer 89): Rahab is one of the oldest demon princes still active within The
Abyss, and its layer is a reflection of almost incalculable age. Given The Lightless Depths' extremely

ancient history in The Abyss, the primary portal to enter the layer exists within The Grand Abyss
instead of upon Pazunia. The Lightless Depths' portal is located in the Lower Vorago. Although The
Lightless Depths has never been successfully invaded (despite multiple disastrous attempts
during Madness and Bile) as compared to infiltrated, Rahab still despises the concept of any point by
which its layer can be entered that it doe not totally control. As such, Rahab makes point of making
this entry to his layer as difficult as possible. The portal to his layer consists of a horizontal tunnel of
rippling water, as black as the depths of the seas themselves, which never flows outwards from the
portal. The water is sentient and in addition to being capable of extending tentacles to drag intruders
into it, can also spray jets of itself outwards, dealing 10d6 points of pressure damage and knocking
them off of the ledge so that victims plummet to their deaths (Ref save DC 35). Beings that are
dragged into the water instead take a far larger amount of pressure damage (20d6 points per round),
and find themselves imploded as the spell (Fort save DC 35) if they are stuck within the water for
longer than 4 rounds. Triggers for the portal's defenses include, but are not limited to, the presence of
mazza'im nearby, a wide array of qlippothic species that Rahab detests (including golab), as well as
several other more obscure factors. Mortals ravaged by qlippothim and interaction with the
myrmyxicus can safely enter-although practically none that do so ever return.
Sabraoxot (Layer 363): Abraxas made specific efforts to create a portal to his layer after the
qlippothim were defeated in The Grand Abyss as a means of increasing his prominence throughout
Creation. As the Demon Lord of Mysteries is dedicated to restoring his former glory, he actually
encourages those who still follow him to use the portal to Sabraoxot in The Grand Abyss-especially
since its distance from Baphomet's iron fortress upon Pazunia makes attacks from the rival demon
prince far less frequent.
The Sabraxaot portal is a cold iron, circular door which appears permanently open, revealing vistas of
Sabraoxot that while false, are also tempting to those who look upon them. It can be opened by a sigil
granted to Abraxas' worshipers which must be placed into a series of alcoves in a seemingly random
order that, in actuality, can be deciphered with a Spellcraft check (DC 66), although any being that
follows Abraxas or possesses a magic item constructed by Abraxas himself will also be able to enter
successfully. It is located in the Lower Vorago on the right bank. Attempting to open the door
improperly triggers far more potent versions of both the symbol of death and greater sign of
warding spells, with the Fort save for the former to resist death as DC 35, and the latter dealing 30d6
points of damage. The names of all who attempt to improperly open the portal becomes known to
Abraxas as well, who is well known for taking further action against trespassers.
Shedaklah (Layer 222): The elimination of the klurichir (for the most part) as a menace to Zuggtmoy
liberated her to direct more of her efforts, unfortunately, towards restoring her once significant and
devastating influence upon The Mortal Coil. One element of this scheme consisted of making her layer
more accessible while also ensuring that it could not easily be invaded. The portal to Shedaklah in The
Grand Abyss is a minor, if disturbing, reflection of this ambition. As compared to Zuggtmoy's mobile
and predatory fortress upon Pazunia, the gateway to Shedaklah is comparatively easy to open. It is
made of a unique species of fungus that pulsates and writhes, irregularly growing and shrinking. As
the portal was created during the time in which Zuggtmoy was influenced by and in turn influenced
the cults of Elemental Evil, it is accessible through casting any elemental spell that has been corrupted
or otherwise marred by evil (such as corrupting it, violating it and causing it to do vile damage, or
using an evil spell component to otherwise augment it such as a soul or Bile).
While deceptively simple in form and function, the portal is also alive and somewhat sentient. It is
capable of recalling which beings have transgressed against the Fungal Crone and acting lethally
against them. This is accomplished by inflicting upon them horrible and semi-sentient contagions
which both infect and eventually liquefy those foolish enough to provoke her wrath. The attacks of the
Shedaklah portal are treated as breath weapons with an 80 ft. range (encompassing not only the
platform itself, but the immediately adjacent region), and Fort a save DC 40 is required in order to
resist these diseases. Furthermore, the semi-sentience of the portal enables it to detect which
creatures are and are not infected by its defenses. It adapts by blasting potential intruders with
different diseases until one or more are found against which opponents are vulnerable. Initially, such
diseases are only those that are relatively common. However, for particularly persistent or menacing
intruders, the diseases take effect more rapidly after 5 minutes, and after 10 minutes of intrusion the
portal will begin attacking them with epic diseases.

The Swallowed Void (Layer 68): One of the best defended portals within The Grand Abyss leads to a
layer whose original name and residents have been lost to Creation. This is not due to the fact that
anything particularly valuable seems to have been contained within the layer as much as it is due to
how it was destroyed and who destroyed it. The Swallowed Void is believed to be one of the first
layers that was annihilated by Apollyon, The Demon Prince of Destruction.
The destruction of what became The Swallowed Void was an event which initially went unnoticed until
a deranged cultist of The Dark Angel managed to open its Grand Abyssal portal some time afterwards.
An akrusid horde swarmed into The Grand Abyss, killing thousands of other demons and nearly
creating a rift between layers large enough for Apollyon himself to enter the chasm. The effort to
destroy The Grand Abyss failed. The akrusids were slaughtered by demonic hordes affiliated with rival
demon princes and the portal sealed by the efforts of the Guardian of Gates, as well as a wide array of
demons both personally summoned by him or otherwise linked to him in those ancient days before he
came to plague the layer. As Apollyon takes no sides in seeking the end of all existence, practically no
faction present within The Grand Abyss or for that matter, beyond it, has any interest whatsoever in
seeing the portal open once more and letting the akrusid swarms of Apollyon be unleashed throughout
The Grand Abyss or Pazunia. After that day, virtually every demon prince, demon lord, and atrocity
that made use of The Grand Abyss or what lay beneath it agreed upon one issue: The Swallowed Void
portal should never be opened again.
The result is a situation in which multiple factions have placed multiple layers of traps upon the door in
order to keep it from ever being opened. Upon several occasions emissaries have even been sent to
the Guardian of Gates in order to try and convince it to keep watch over this particular door over all
others. However, the horrible deaths that have come to all such representatives have disabused all
demons, even Graz'zt, from making any further attempts. Currently, there are at least ten different
layers of traps upon the door, each appearing as a slightly different door which only becomes active
when the previous layer of traps is bypassed. Among the more notable of them are the following:
The most recently applied layer of protections was created by one of the most otherwise intransigent
demon princes with regards to most of the other powers of The Abyss: Lolth. In her rage after
Apollyon destroyed a Mortal Coil world with several of her favorite priestesses (and whose denizens
she had been manipulating towards their destruction for millenia), Lolth has placed multiple unique
curses the portal aimed against anyone who sets foot on the portal's platform. The most obvious
reaction of this trap is that itsummons bebiliths. Once every 1d4 rounds after the portal is
approached, a new, summoned, advanced (24 HD) bebilith will appear within 100 feet of it. By itself,
this would not appear to be exceptionally devastating save for the fact that proximity also triggers a
devastating curse (Will save DC 40 to resist). Not only do the summoned bebiliths attack any creature
near the portal, dragging them off through planeshifting to devour them, but the victims are
permanently penalized with a -4 penalty on both their armor class and saves against bebiliths, with a
Will save DC 40 to resist this effect. Furthermore, they also attract bebiliths for the rest of their most
likely drastically shortened lives, with all bebiliths within a 6600 foot radius forced to make a Will save
DC 40 or else be compelled to travel to the cursed victims and attack them as well. All elements of
this curse can only be eliminated with a wish or miracle spell, but it is rumored that Lolth sends her
yochlol after those poor fools that both survive these curses and have them lifted-as well as anyone
with the audacity to challenge the Demon Queen of Spiders in her wrath by assisting such wretches.
Orcus has taken a similar approach.The portal traps he has placed also summons creatures, causing a
new array of undead to arrive once every 1d4 rounds as the spell summon undead IX. Even if these
creatures are defeated, once every 8 rounds, the trap that Orcus has laid also emits a massive wave
of negative energy which deals 30d6 points of damage to all creatures within 100 feet of the door and
forces a secondary Fort save DC 40 for half damage, both healing any surviving undead that are
adjacent and further damaging any beings foolish enough to defy Orcus' will.
The portal to The Swallowed Void is located on the right bank of the Lower Vorago and the bridge
connecting it to the other side was destroyed during the original battle to reseal it. The landing for
flying creatures has been spiked with twenty cold iron and mithral spines that are wickedly barbed.
These grow up to twenty feet away from the landing during a single round and impale creatures that
approach them, with a Ref save DC 25 to avoid them and dealing 6d6 points of damage per round and

per spine. Its appearance beyond a 50 foot radius has been obscured by multiple layers of illusions
and anti-divinatory spells cast by the same atrocities and demon princes that have trapped the portal.
Outside of this radius the landing is not even visible. Divinations will refuse to recognize either the
proximity of the portal or provide any answers as to its status or existence except upon a successful
caster level check DC 50.
Torturous Truth (Layer 57): Although Alvarez, the Demon Lord of Torment, is largely itinerant through
The Abyss as he seeks more victims his armies have grown sufficiently vast for him to control a layer
in his absence. Originally belonging to a minor qlippothic atrocity, the portal to it can be found in The
Grand Abyss. The portal key is a physical representation of suffering destroyed upon the platform, and
the entrance to Torturous Truth is an arched, iron doorway ten feet tall around which spiked metal
chains are wrapped. One of the most alarming elements of the entrance to Torturous Truth is that it
does seem to possess some minor degree of sentience to the point where it detects beings that alight
upon the landing to enter it. If they do not scream to enter the portal of their own volition within a
minute of close proximity, the entrance can create dancing chains that implant themselves in the flesh
of beings upon the portal, dragging them towards to door and squeezing into their flesh until they are
ground into nothing and their dying screams open the portal without any willful effort. The portal is
found in the Upper Vorago on the left bank.
Twelvetrees (Layer 12): Although Twelvetrees has a portal upon Pazunia as well, the dominant portal
used by those beings who wish to try and ensure that Gaping Maw is not immediately aware of their
arrival is found in The Grand Abyss instead. Located on the right bank of the Lower Vorago, the
Twelvetrees portal can be easily found due to the fact that it emits waves of suffering and agony which
can be felt by any good-aligned creature that gets within 500 feet of it (Will save DC 25 or else take -4
to all saves as long as they are within the area affected). The Twelvetrees portal platform is made of
wood that will never burn regardless of the strength of the fire applied to it. Opening the portal itself is
both simple yet subtle. It requires a scream of genuine anguish from a good aligned creature within
twenty feet of its simple and unadorned wooden doors nearly thirty feet tall. However, given the rarity
of good aligned creatures (despite the enjoyment that demons would have in otherwise tormenting
them merely to open the portal), the most common method consists of recording a good creature's
scream with a mimir and then directing it to scream before the aperture.
Vudra/The Doorway To Obliteration (Layer 531): When Vuron imprisoned Shaktari in the Wells of
Darkness, he understood quite clearly that it was insufficient to merely render her obscure and
contained. He needed to also deprive her and those mariliths inclined to follow her of as many
resources as possible. One way in which this was accomplished was by heavily trapping the portal to
Vudra, Shaktari's extraordinarily toxic layer, that was located within The Grand Abyss, along with all of
its other entrances. A couple of these other defenses have fallen by the wayside through the vagaries
of The Abyss as well as Shaktari's efforts now that she has been freed. However, The Grand Abyss
portal remains a source of infuriating frustration for the klurichir and a menace to those foolish enough
to approach it willingly, or do so inadvertently because they were unaware of its history. The traps laid
by Vuron have proved so lethal that regardless of what name the portal was originally known by, its
infamy have earned it another title instead; one which is best translated from Abyssal as the doorway
to obliteration.
The Doorway to Obliteration richly earns its title through both its extreme sensitivity to tresspassers
and its lethality. Creatures that get within three hundred feet of it trigger its initial response. A shaft of
light emanates from the portal, illuminating the entire area for many times that radius and bathing the
unfortunate future victim in its cold, yet intense, glow. Neither invisibility or any type of other
protection against divination has so far proved effective at preventing this initial reaction, and it
appears to react in the same way regardless of whether nearby beings are demonic or not. Typically
demons and other creatures flee as quickly as possible from anyone that has been marked by the
Doorway in order to avoid what occurs shortly afterwards.
Five minutes after the Doorway to Obliteration has detected and reacted to a potential tresspasser,
they are immolated in a brilliant burst of light, taking 60d6 points of disintegration damage (Fort save
DC 40 for half). Furthermore, not only are they affected, but those beings that are either physically or
politically proximate take half of this damage as well, although at a much lower save DC if they are
within 300 feet of the initial target (DC 20). The only method so far discerned for avoiding this

damage consists of a rapid series of planeshifts away from The Grand Abyss, and five or more escape
attempts before this five minute period ends has allowed beings to survive the Doorway to
Obliteration's reaction.
Neither Shaktari's servitors or Shaktari herself have had any success so far in eliminating Vuron's
deathtraps although they have attacked the problem in various ways. The doorway to obliteration
remains consigned to another purpose instead: providing one of The Grand Abyss' most reliable ways
of annihilating beings that are either diverted near it or deliberately misdirected there so a lethal
accident will erase them from existence.
Xhoul (Layer 663): As Obox-Ob is one of the most ancient active denizens of The Abyss, it should
come as little surprise that his layer, Xhoul, can be accessed from The Grand Abyss instead of Pazunia.
In his case, the entrance to Xhoul within The Grand Abyss is a bizarre structure known as the
Carapace. It consists of an overlapping series of insectile scales inscribed in the wall, which in turn is
encircled by a ring of compound, insectile eyes and evershifting arthropod limbs, growing and altering
to appear in one second mantid-like, while in another similar to those of a housefly. Those who
attempt to attack the Carapace discover that it is amply capable of defending itself through modifying
its limbs into a multitude of venom-injecting scorpion stingers (Atk +30, Fort save DC 40 Con
damage), spewing corrosive poison (dealing 16d6 points of acid damage), or sending waves of
insanity (Will save DC 40, 100 ft. radius) from the layer itself outwards to derange its attackers.
Obox-Ob's portal can be opened by any being that possesses both insectile and qlippothic aspects to
their nature. Many forms of qlippothic grafts are sufficient to trigger the aperture, and attaching them
to other creatures is the most common means by which it is opened by non-ekolid. Whether they
survive the procedure or not is largely irrelevant.
The Carapace is located on the right bank of the Upper Vorago, despite Obox-Ob's best efforts to
actually make it more obscure. Interestingly, both Obox-Ob as well as his pre-eminent minions seem
to be unaware of both Rahab and Tharzax's efforts towards a similar end-although for entirely
different motives.
The Cesspool:
The Abyss is a place of myriad paradoxes; of realms with interwoven paths such as the Demonweb
Pits or infinite labyrinths beyond mortal comprehension such as The Endless Maze. One of the best
known among these paradoxes is the truth concerning The Grand Abyss; that although a being may
fall into it for an infinite length of time, the unfortunate, the malign, and the foolish, may actually
come to the bottom of The Grand Abyss. The Grand Abyss' lowest point is known as the Cesspool.
The Cesspool is where those chaotic evil souls that are not specifically claimed by a power of The
Abyss arrive. They plummet from the impenetrably darkened sky, dealing 4d6 points of damage to any
creature that they land upon (Ref save DC 20 for half) and arrive stunned for 1d4 rounds. The threat
of having a falling soul land on a being is not particularly dangerous to most beings. What is far more
hazardous instead is that because of the presence of so many fresh evil souls, the Cesspool is overrun
with mazza'im in the thousands, if not millions.
The Cesspool is an endless scene of horror. Although it not an area inherently connected to multiple
layers like either The Grand Abyss proper or Pazunia, it is filled with nalfeshnee from throughout The
Abyss that are sufficiently gifted at planeshifting to reach it. From within The Cesspool these mazza'im
claim the fresh souls those chaotic evil mortals that are sufficiently insignificant to not have an
inherent claim from a demon prince. The ground of the Cesspool is covered with writhing, screaming,
manes as well as those other mortal petitioners that have yet to be claimed.
Like much else about The Abyss, The Cesspool was originally a conceptual incarnation of disunity.
There was not originally a single Cesspool but rather multiple Cesspools; scattered and interlinked
throughout an Abyss that was both composed of that which most recognize as The Abyss proper in
current times as well as Pandemonium. Each of the Cesspools was controlled by a different faction of
the qlippothim. Despite the dedicated efforts of Chaos and his Consorts to achieve greater control over
them and so better control the lesser qlippothim during the Second War of Law and Chaos, this was
something that was beyond even their ferocious power. The amount of warfare necessary to wrench a
Cesspool away from the most potent of the qlippothim would render them useless against the vaati.

Even in the cases of those weaker qlippothim, other Cesspools would arise depending on the vagaries
of the war against law in all its forms.
In a manner similar to Pazunia, The Cesspool's current form is strongly tied to the rise of the mazza'im
in The Abyss. One of the effects of Rod of Law was unknown to all at the time to draw the
Cesspools into a single location. Only one demon prince among the qlippothim correctly ascertained at
a later date how the Cesspools had changed-and unfortunately for it, its pre-eminent minion was
Eltab. Once Eltab realized how he could turn this discovery to his own ends he sought to
simultaneously claim it for himself and for the Guardian of Gates through his scheme of draining
Pazunia and devastating The Grand Abyss. However, when Abraxas discovered Eltab's scheme-and just
as importantly, quickly realized that Eltab's machinations would allow the Lord of Ruins to control
access both to Cogerron and Sabraoxot as well, massively undermining his power, Abraxas schemed to
have Laz'bralthull 'discover' the Cesspool for himself-denying Eltab his prize. Instead, The Butcher as
well as hundreds of molydei and nalfeshnee that followed him dragged untold qlippothim there en
masse during Madness and Bile, slaughtering outright those demons who proved too much trouble for
impregnation, and transforming the rest in order to bolster their hordes against the still-massive
numbers of the surviving qlippothim. This was an arrangement that was naturally loathed by much of
the rest of The Abyss. Only the power of Laz'bralthull, the Demon Lord of Butchery, as well as those
other mazza'im and molydei in particular more personally 'loyal' or more terrified of him than they
were of his rivals, managed to hold it together. As with most such situations in The Torments, it was
short-lived due to two factors.
Foremost among these factors was Laz'bralthull's defeat by Zuggtmoy. His incarceration in the Wells of
Darkness removed the immediate threat that disloyalty would be punished by The Butcher personally.
However, by itself, this would not have been sufficient to change the nature of power within the layer.
Eltab, still allied with the Guardian of Gates, acted to reclaim his discovery. He quickly took over where
Laz'bralthull left off, and ensured that most of The Cesspool's resources continued to be focused
towards slaughtering the qlippothim. If anything, his power actually increased at first without the
threat of The Butcher extorting some measure of his power and strength from him.
Far more important, as it gave most of the atrocities and rising demon lords and princes of that
ancient time motive to change the situation, was the rising significance of The Blood War in The Abyss.
Those molydei most influential in The Cesspool were those most invested in Laz'bralthull's deranged
extermination of the qlippothim-and to them, any mane, any dretch, that went to The Blood War was
a soul not used to slaughter their predecessors. In comparison, to those mazza'im that rose to power
after the klurichir, those manes and dretches that were lost on a largely irrelevant internecine conflict
meant defeats in The Blood War. A growing array of Abyssal powers detested this situation. Among
them Kardum, already infuriated by Eltab's trickery upon Pazunia, proved most successful in his
schemings to overturn the klurichir lord's power. His plots against the surviving molydei affiliated with
Laz'bralthull were two-pronged in nature.
The first aspect of Kardum's successful overthrow of the klurichir came in the form of finding allies
that loathed The Cesspool's current molydei almost as much as himself. After some searching, Kardum
was ultimately successful in reaching an accord with the nalfeshnee of Woeful Escarand. For their
assistance in devising weapons that would allow them to infiltrate and subvert their rival nalfeshnee
that still followed the klurichir, Kardum aided them with by providing them with the first of the Judges'
Gavels; the signature artifacts of the future Lords of Woe that not only augmented their already
ferocious power to warp the fresh souls of the chaotic evil dead, but also allowed them to 'judge' those
mazza'im that would attempt to challenge them upon the layer-giving them a way of defending
themselves from all but most powerful form of reprisal against their whims.
The second aspect of Kardum's schemes came in the form of actually encouraging strife among his
opponents. It hardly took much effort from him in order to do so, and once the molydei began fighting
amongst themselves, bloodshed spread like a rapidly moving conflagration throughout the region.
Battle quickly ensued in The Cesspool, as molydeus turned on molydeus, and nalfeshnee turned on
nalfeshnee. At the end of this second era of vast conflict, those demons that followed Eltab or the
klurichir in general in Madness and Bile were slain or they were turned into manes and sent against
their own brethren or the front lines of The Blood War.

However, Kardum himself did not retain control over The Cesspool much longer than the molydei he
annihilated through treachery and power. In actuality, his control was even more brief than theirs was,
as Kardum's success convinced others to attempt to follow the same path towards gaining power in
The Cesspool as he himself did. Shortly afterwards, demon princes who realized the power the
Cesspool had to augment their armies started sending nalfeshnee of their own to claim souls from it.
Both Orcus and Demogorgon claim to be the first to discover this for themselves and overthrow
Kardum's influence-a claim which most beings will wisely choose not to challenge while in their
presence. Their initial successes soon inspired further imitators both from their rivals, and from the
demon atrocities also involved with The Blood War who wished to augment their own forces. Within
mere years, The Cesspool came to be dominated by the nalfeshnee that became its most obvious
influences-even while still supplying those atrocities, demon lords, and demon princes on their
respective layers with a constant stream of fresh dretches, manes, and rutterkin.
Entering The Cesspool is deceptive both in its simplicity and the ease by which one can fail to enter it
at all. Reaching The Cesspool merely requires that one either possess a chaotic evil soul (whether in
the form of a petitioner or a stored soul), or else be chaotic evil themselves, and simply fall
downwards in The Grand Abyss. Petitioners or those who desire to deliberately reach it crash-land on
the 'ground' in the Cesspool. In comparison, beings that attempt to enter the Cesspool without
meeting either criterion simply fall forever in the former layer unless they either stop themselves
through teleportation, land somewhere, or collide with a bridge across The Grand Abyss. In such
cases, the Voragos actually warp themselves around the failed attempt of the being to enter the
Cesspool. Some unfortunates have been known to fall for hundreds or even thousands of years on end
between the Middle and Lower Voragos before either dying, colliding with something else, or being
slaughtered. Death often comes as a blissful release to such unfortunates, given that for those beings
that do not starve or meet their end through dehydration, their environs typically drive them insane.
Otherwise, falling through The Grand Abyss to land in The Cesspool takes 10d4 minutes with no factor
apparently able to either make the descent slower or faster.
Aside from the endless mane-swarms, the predominant demons found within The Cesspool are
chasme, nalfeshnee, and the occasional molydeus. Most other forms of mazza'im eventually visit The
Cesspool at least once-particularly if they are trying to extort further fresh souls out of one or more of
the nalfeshnee that reside there.
Escaping from The Cesspool is more difficult. The most reliable, yet bizarre, means of getting out of
The Cesspool consists of 'cleaning' an area around the attempted planeshift, ensuring that there are
no petitioners within a 50 foot radius of it for at least 5 minutes. If this is successfully done then the
planeshift proves successful. Typically this is accomplished by specialized repulsion or antipathy spells,
although other, far more unusual methods have been developed by a multiplicity of demons. The most
direct approach is for demons to kill or otherwise force to flee the creatures surrounding them long
enough for them to depart. It also possesses a portal to Woeful Escarand (Layer 400), the layer of the
nalfeshnee Lords of Woe. The portal key is a symbol of judgment or examination, such as a gavel,
balance, or spectacles-although few would claim that entering Woeful Escarand is in any way an
improvement over the chaos and terror of The Cesspool.

The Grand Abyss Knowledge (the planes) Table

Knowledge
(the planes) DC

Sample Information Acquired

20

The Grand Abyss possesses portals to layers that are generally older and
more obscure than those upon Pazunia.

25

The most notable permanent denizen of The Grand Abyss is the potent
and amnesiac klurichir known as the Guardian of Gates. Fortunately, he is
only encountered relatively infrequently.

30

The Grand Abyss, while excavated by Tharzax, was contested even

among the qlippothim. Most of the qlippoth residing in The Grand Abyss
were killed either by the Second War or by the chasm's flooding with
molten iron.

35

You are aware of which portals are so heavily trapped as to be menaces

not only to those beings that attempt to open them, but those beings that
are close to such attempts.

40

At the bottom of The Grand Abyss is a region known as The Cesspool,

where hordes of nalfeshnee squabble about acquiring fresh evil souls for
their own foul purposes or those of more powerful demons.

45

You are aware of the requirements necessary to open most of The Grand
Abyss' portals-both well known and obscure.

Wells of Darkness
By Eli Atkinson, Will Church, Serge W. Desir Jr., Marley Sage Gable, John Harris, Sam Peer, Adam
Silva-Miramon, Sean Surface
Currently Recognized Layer Number: 73
Name: The Wells of Darkness
Ruler: None
Normal Gravity
Normal Time
When most beings think of issues such as freedom and incarceration as concerning The Abyss and
chaotic evil, they think of demons as 'free' only in the sense that they are liberated to destroy,
pervert, and slaughter unless restrained or focused by those more powerful than themselves.
However, even without the concept of law (much less an obligation to promulgate law), demons do
have a concept of incarceration and they certainly possess the willingness to use it against those who
threaten their ambitions and their power. The Abyss itself also has its own version of a prison. This
prison takes the form of an entire layer, and is known as the Wells of Darkness.

History
The Wells of Darkness are believed to have formed shortly after the end of the Second War of Law and
Chaos, given that many of its earlier prisoners such as Shaktari and Laz'bralthull have more to do with
this particular era in Abyssal history than any other. In fact, its history is far more interesting and
bizarre than most believe-for the Wells of Darkness are an almost-living layer, and an example of
Demogorgon's horrific experimentation upon the matter of The Abyss itself.
Shortly after The Devourer of Souls stirred from its slumber it began to bend demons back to its foul
will. To discover the state of the creation that it had lost control over during its prolonged inactivity, it
sent lesser demons throughout The Abyss to discover what portions of its former creation as The
Demiurge remained within its boundaries and their current locations. Several among these demons
discovered a bodak spawning layer with a cold and distant blue sun. It was filled with black pools that
appeared superficially similar to those of Pazunia, but were far different in that they could trick beings
into entering them and in turn devoured those who did so. These pools were not independent, living
creatures like the portal oozes of Pazunia. Instead they were the interconnected maws of an entity
that without drastic intervention, could self awaken until it became a true rarity within The Abyss: a
fully sentient living layer.
Travelling there personally Demogorgon was able to subjugate the layer and interrupt its evolution
before it reached full sentience. It then subjugated The Wells of Darkness until it became something
far more useful. The layer retained some of its entrapping instincts to the point where it was capable
of imprisoning powerful demons without necessarily consuming them. However, it was trained to only
use these instincts when the proper ritual had been performed upon it, and only within the immediate
proximity of a single portal, not much unlike a hunting predator trained only to capture prey without
devouring it. Furthermore, Demogorgon added additional protections to ensure that in the extremely
unlikely event that it was somehow manipulated, it would be difficult for prisoners to be released
simply. This protection consisted of devising the Ritual of the Wells, a potent magical incantation that
contained within its casting a means to specify a unique counter-ritual to free the same specific
prisoner. Even for Demogorgon, a mere brutal attack upon the Wells without the proper counter-ritual
would prove difficult to liberate someone contained within them.
The first prisoners of the Wells were either enemies of Demogorgon or experiments that it wished to
temporarily store outside of Gaping Maw. During this time it was populated by the likes of ShamiAmourae and others. Even beyond those prisoners that were placed there for either serving The
Devourer of Souls' rivals or for eventually coming to be seen as an inconvenience to it, Demogorgon
also placed prisoners in the Wells that were intended as subjects for further experimentation, or

whose release would prove so lethal to the beings that liberated them that doing so represented a
trap.
For all of its investment in creating and stocking the layer, The Wells of Darkness did not remain in
Demogorgon's control for very long. Challenged both by The Dark Prince and by The Goat, it was
Graz'zt who figured out how to do what was done only once in The Wells of Darkness' history: conquer
the entire layer without provoking its full wrath. Although Demogorgon had sent other defenders to
the layer, they were slain by demons following Graz'zt while The Devourer of Souls was pressed
against both Apollyon and The Goat elsewhere. However, as Graz'zt quickly realized the utility of the
layer and that its existence actually supported his portfolio through the potential for demonic
cooperation (as well as his standing within The Abyss), the Demon Prince of Shadows refrained from
either freeing Demogorgon's prisoners (and in this manner avoided the trapped and cursed prisoners
that it had placed there) or alternately, attempting to establish permanent control over the Wells
himself. Instead, he placed his own array of prisoners within the layer and largely left the Custodians
alone. Graz'zt gambled that by giving other powers of The Abyss more motive to leave The Wells of
Darkness intact, they would actually help him preserve largely unconsciously the Wells' status. This
was a brilliant guess on Graz'zt's part that has for the most part been correct.
As more demonic personages discovered The Wells of Darkness and as the ritual of the Wells became
more commonly known, the composition of the Wells' prisoners became a surreal menagerie of
enemies and nemeses from practically every major faction within The Abyss and even several beyond
it. All of these beneficiaries had their own independent (and often contradictory) motives for throwing
beings into the prison-layer. Practically none of them, with rare exception, had any reason for
attempting to totally disrupt the operation of the layer. This is a bizarre situation that remains largely
constant to this day with few exceptions.
The most overt threat to The Wells of Darkness comes from Apollyon. The Dark Angel is completely
unaware of its elaborate history and is relentlessly apathetic to the machinations of both its prisoners
and those who incarcerated them. He merely sees the layer as another region he can destroy in his
quest to annihilate The Abyss as well as Creation in their entirety. Paradoxically, it is because Apollyon
is such an obvious threat that he is less likely to actually be responsible for causing The Wells of
Darkness to tumble into Abaddon, The Bottomless Pit or otherwise subsuming the layer into his
control. No other power of The Abyss will ever aid Apollyon as far as The Wells of Darkness are
concerned. Not even Diabolos, the Demon Prince of Prophecy, supports him in this ambition. He fears
that even if the Dark Angel was successful, it would unify the other demon princes of The Abyss in
their wrath to such an extent that they would attack him as one, subverting Diabolos' prophecies for
The Gathering Darkness by either resulting in Apollyon's death or more likely, the deaths of those who
challenged him who might still have roles to play in the final unraveling of all Creation. Similarly,
known Apollyon cultists are the only exceptions to the Custodians' somewhat uncaring attitudes
towards visitors and are killed on sight. The maleidolon servitors of Apollyon known as akrusids were
also banned from entering the Wells when Demogorgon first controlled it. This layer property is one
that Graz'zt and all who came after him wisely chose to leave unaltered.
In comparison, Baphomet is deeply involved with scheming to claim the layer himself with an attack
upon The Wells of Darkness that has been unusually subtle and deeply counterintuitive. Instead of
actually trying to send an army to The Wells of Darkness and conquer it directly, Baphomet has been
using various intermediaries to trap enemies of his in The Wells, in the process expanding it in a more
labyrinthine fashion. In this manner he hopes that the paths of the Wells of Darkness will become
sufficiently convoluted that the entire layer itself can be absorbed wholesale into The Endless Maze in
the future. At that point, Baphomet can use his own control over a layer in order to devour all of the
prisoners of The Wells of Darkness, fueling his ascension into a far greater Demon Prince than he is
currently. Simoultaneously, Baphomet is unaware of the risks involved in his plan and the true nature
of The Wells of Darkness origins as a living layer.

Properties
The Wells of Darkness can be reached by a simple and unadorned portal located in Pazunia and no
more than five days' travel from the left bank of the Styx and three days away from the right bank of

The Grand Abyss. It takes the form of a pool of black oil which, while viscous to the touch, does not
actually adhere to any being that does touch it or any being that travels through it. The portal key is a
prisoner intentionally carried by a group attempting to enter the layer, and without the intention to
leave a being within the Wells attempts to use the portal are not successful. They need not be
physically restrained, however, and the form of the prisoner is not predetermined. Successful variants
that have activated the portal have included polymorphed victims, dominated mortals or other
demons, or souls stored in gems. Nobody can leave the Wells without leaving a prisoner behind and all
attempts to planeshift or exit The Wells of Darkness fail otherwise. However, this incarceration need
not consist of the full ritual of consigning a being to a Well. In the case of immobilized prisoners, mere
abandonment is sufficient to satiate the Wells' imprisoning instincts and allow other beings to depart.
When an attempt is made to leave the layer, a prisoner must be within 30 feet of the beings that
intend to abandon it for the layer to correctly ascertain that a prisoner is present to satisfy it and allow
their unhindered departure.
Prisoner of the Wells: The Prisoner of the Wells ritual is necessary in order to entrap a being within the
Wells of Darkness.Technically, the ritual itself does not possess the requisite power to actually imprison
any being beyond an atrocity, much less the array of deities, abominations, and Abyssal powers
currently interred there. What it does instead is allow for a limited awakening of the mouth of The
Wells of Darkness to the extent where the Wells itself finishes the ritual and devours the intended
prisoner, enveloping them in a membrane of black, viscous fluid which leaves as the only remnant of
its activity a brief imprint of the terrified face of its prisoner in its surface for several minutes after the
act. For the purposes of entrapping victims, the Wells of Darkness is considered to have rank 16 for
the purposes of making rank checks. Failing to perform the ritual correctly places the being that has
performed it at risk of being imprisoned themselves. They must make a Will save DC 66 and a neutral
rank check against the Wells (DC 16). Succeeding at either ensures that the individuals responsible for
the failed ritual escape from the layer unharmed. Failing both saves incarcerates all involved a Well
with the layer itself determining randomly the conditions for their release. Despite the dire
consequences of such failures they are in fact comparatively rare. Most entities that intend to throw a
prisoner into a Well have sufficient power and acumen to ensure that their initial attempt succeeds.
The first Ritual of the Wells was devised by Demogorgon itself and used upon the original prisoner that
he committed to the prison layer. However, between the treachery of Ahazu and the brilliance of
Graz'zt in devising other versions of it (and often distributing these versions to other Abyssal lords and
atrocities for personal gain), the Ritual has become known to a wide array of Abyssal powers, a
significant number of the more powerful atrocities within The Abyss, members of several different
pantheons, and even a couple of notable mortal demonologists. Although the details of the Ritual of
Wells depend greatly on the specific nature of each prisoner, there are some commonalities that hold
true. Generally, the Ritual takes one minute per hit dice of the target. Most successful castings of the
Ritual take place with at least three ritualists, although some demon princes such as Demogorgon and
Zuggtmoy have sufficient might to perform it unaided, even when their targets were rival Abyssal
powers such as demon lords or other demon princes. The Ritual of the Wells always requires at least
one prisoner as well. If a prisoner is not provided, then the layer itself randomly selects one of the
ritualists and imprisons them upon the same conditions that would otherwise be set forth for release.

Hazards
Custodians of the Wells: The Wells of Darkness are well guarded by an array of beings known as the
Custodians of the Wells. An average Custodian is a 54 HD bodak. Custodians do not intervene against
visitors to the Wells unless they are attacked, or unless an attempt is made to free a prisoner from the
Wells that does not match up with the proper ritual (which they can sense instinctively, even though
they do not know the specifics of the rituals themselves). Furthermore, Custodians seem to have an
uncanny sense as to when a being is brought to the Wells for the purposes of guarding a prisoner, and
will not attack such called or even created beings in situ based on the implication that they are, in a
sense, prisoners of the Wells in their own right. However, their deadly gaze has been known to
inadvertently slaughter visitors to the Wells and the Custodians seem to be unaware of the lethal
effects of their eyes against those who view them.

In comparison, when Custodians are attacked, the Wells themselves respond in a prompt and deadly
fashion. Eight additional bodaks are created and teleported around any threat each round. If these
defenders prove insufficient, then the Wells responds by sending further Custodians which may be
treated as possessing varying arrays of innate class levels until a combination is found which can
defeat the threat presented to the Wells. However, the wrath of the layer does not extend to taking
sides in battles between different demons or visitors. Provided that no Custodian is harmed or the
substance of the layer substantially damaged (area effect spells and powers are allowed, while
wholesale and deliberated destruction of the layer is not), the Wells will not get involved in any such
conflict. In the battles in which Graz'zt overthrew Demogorgon's control of the prison layer, as
Graz'zt's demonic army had been warned in advance by Ahazu not to attack the layer's spawned
bodaks, no Custodian came to the defense of those demons and undead following Demogorgon and
The Dark Prince was able to conquer the Wells with relatively few casualties. Furthermore, Custodians
can not interact with prisoners that are already within a Well-a loophole that Ahazu again has
massively used to his advantage.
Custodians are creations of the Wells' power as a living layer. They possess no independent existence
or knowledge save for what is given to them when they are created. They are deleted when the layer
decides that they are no longer necessary, liquefying into a puddle of Bile which is absorbed rapidly
into the layer's cold, grey rock. As such, Custodians are incapable of pursuing attackers off of the layer
and in fact disintegrate into a pool of liuquid and a skeleton the instant they are removed. This is true
even if the Custodian is somehow transmuted and then taken off of the layer by other means. One of
the more notable attempts consisted of trapping a Custodian in a gem-which when taken off of the
layer, gushed black blood until it was nothing left but a hollowed, ruined shell-and the demons that
attempted it were instantly attacked the next time they tried to enter the Wells. Custodians also
transmit whatever knowledge they gain to the Wells. This ability enables them to remember for an
apparently indefinite period of time the appearance, powers, and weaknesses of any being that
attempts to damage the layer, defy its power, or has attempted to do either in the past.
Although their status as creations of the layer gives them the ability to both comprehend and speak
languages, the bodak Custodians betray as little comprehension of any tongue as possible. They
demonstrate through their actions both their stature and their power to defend the layer. Nor do they
speak, save upon those occasions of necessity where a Custodian is created that must be capable of
spellcasting.
Innate Defenses: Beyond the Custodians of the Wells the layer has multiple ways of defending
themselves from those who would attempt to either conquer it or improperly free its prisoners. The
geography of the paths can rearrange itself in order to interfere with attempts to escape, and typically
the layer rearranges itself in order to send 'hints' to beings that attempt to leave the layer without
interring a prisoner in a Well by placing an empty chamber within sight of any visitors. It can also alter
pathways to block them off in both directions, shifting them in a manner analogous to the bizarre antiteleportation properties of Lolth's Web. Custodians are immune to these blockages and they can
surround hazardous intruders by physically appearing both in front of and behind them.
Furthermore, the layer can locally alter the rules of existence in particular locations to disallow flight,
generating the effects of a wingbind spell that can only be overcome through the successful use of
Alter Reality and a rank check against the Wells itself (DC 16).
Finally, and as a last resort, the Wells themselves can also rearrange spatial geometry around those
who prove particularly offensive against it, completely encircling victims without actually devouring
them or placing them in a Well. When this occurs, the victims of the layer find themselves trapped
either upon the pathway or in the space between Wells in which they were physically
located. Teleportation is not directly blocked as much as it is simply rendered utterly useless, as the
Wells of Darkness merely creates a destination for its transgressors that looks physically identical to
their previous location. Similarly, the air and ground around such entrapped victims is created at a
sufficient rate as to totally impede motion, resulting in either flight or burrowing apparently providing
no meaningful progress. When the Wells resorts to these sufficiently drastic measures, there are few
methods that are successful at allowing egress from the layer. Alter Reality, wish, and miracle, along
with analogous psionic powers, are capable of creating an escape-but only if the intent is to escape
from the spatial rearrangement. In such cases the layer interprets the intent of the casting or supernal

ability in such a way as togreater planeshift those involved back to their previous location outside of
the Wells.

Locations
Overlook: Only one hill or bluff exists within the Wells of Darkness. Three hundred feet tall, at its
peak is the ruined fortress of Overlook. Overlook is the sole remnant of the Cult of Ahazu, which was
annihilated by The Goat in an attack upon the layer during the period in which Graz'zt maintained
some nominal control over it. Now all that remains of it are blasted and partially disintegrated stones,
and mere imprints of where the former followers of Ahazu were destroyed by Orcus in his wrath.
Burnt out and completely sacked, there is no notable treasure that anyone has managed to find within
it-even after untold thousands of years of scrupulous examination, as tampering with Overlook is
allowed given that it is not a Well proper. However, besides its strategic position, which has been
highly advantageous in those circumstances where the Wells were attacked, Overlook also has one
extremely unique property. Any being that stands atop the highest spire of Overlook can make a
concentration check (DC 30) and see the shortest path to any given prisoner's particular Well.

Prisoners of The Wells

Although the ruins of Overlook are valuable for their bizarre ability to respond to the will of whoever
stands within the ruins, it is the Wells of Darkness proper that are the layer's most distinctive
locations. Most Wells have a small group of defenders either incarcerated with each prisoner or in the
area around them. Among the layer's most notable prisoners are the following:
Ahazu The Seizer: Graz'zt's first and most potent prisoner consigned to the Wells is Ahazu the
Seizer. A particularly scheming abat-dolorin of far lesser stature than Elazalag, Ahazu The Seizer was
imprisoned within The Wells through Graz'zt's deliberated efforts in order to create a spy or agent
within the layer against Demogorgon's machinations. This element of the plot succeeded in fact far
beyond Graz'zt's original intentions. Initially, Graz'zt merely intended to use Ahazu to try and ascertain
the true nature of Demogorgon's schemes for the layer. However, the Dark Prince also came to realize
that there was a distinction between the nature of the layer itself and the Custodians endemic to it as
compared to the minions of Demogorgon. Those demons that Demogorgon had placed upon the layer,
who were tolerated within the Wells but not spawnings of it, could be slain without provoking the
wrath of the former. When Graz'zt finally invaded the Wells of Darkness in order to wrest it from The
Devourer of Souls' control, he did so with almost minimal losses on his part and the defenders of the
layer that Demogorgon had placed were slain without mercy or quarter. However, shortly after the
apparent triumph of Ahazu and Graz'zt, the former began to grow increasingly overextended in his
power. In his hubris Ahazu ran afoul of The Goat. While Orcus had little interest in taking over the
Wells, he responded to the affront delivered to him by Ahazu lethally and dramatically. The Overlook
was destroyed, and throughout Creation, all beings that formerly followed Ahazu were butchered.
Ahazu would have followed his minions into nothingness save for the fact that The Seizer made two
important discoveries, and by doing so found a means for preserving himself.
The first of these discoveries was that although Ahazu never fully understood the nature of the Wells
as a subsumed and partially living layer, he grasped that it was capable of quietly devouring prisoners.
Those victims chosen by it were never the most important-as on some abstract level, belief actually
impeded its digestive processes. However, there were times when the Wells themselves would devour
such unfortunates, rearranging the layer so as to make invisible and nearly impossible what it had
done.
Based on his initial discovery, Ahazu figured out how to become a vestige-and as a vestige, he gained
the capability of moving between the Wells without necessarily ever freeing himself. Although Ahazu
cannot free any particular prisoner of the Wells, he can certainly encourage the layer to devour themand by so doing, gain some sliver of power for himself. Perhaps once every two or three millenia,
Ahazu feasts upon a lesser prisoner of The Wells, and in this way, he forestalls the layer itself doing to
him what he has done to so many others.

Alba Simeul, the Rose by Another Name: Roses are fascinating flowers, abundant with symbolic
connotations among many mortal races, many of them noble or amorous or both; the Six-Fingered
Prince, ravager of love in all its forms, could not resist the notion of taming this very symbol. Grazzt
seduced one of the fey Hesperides, the elder sister-kin of the dryads, and sired Alba on her while
disguised as a satyr. The Rose by Another Name was born as a bud in the shape of a mortal heart, and
was abandoned by her flighty mother due to the unnatural shape of the offspring and its disturbing
nature. Grazzt took the bud back to The Abyss, and planted her in Abyssal earth among Az'zagrats
viper orchards. In time she grew into an enormous and beautiful rose with petals of pure white and
thorns as sharp as a sword; at the center of the bud she emerged as a wholly beautiful, white-skinned
woman merged just below the hips with the flower. Grazzt was at first thrilled, then disappointed,
when the Faux Purity began to leach Abyssal essence from the ground, and feasted on the blood of
anything that approached her. Untameable, poisonous, and nearly unapproachable even by her father,
Grazzt was forced to transport an entire portion of his realm into The Wells of Darkness in order to rid
himself of his daughter until such a time as he could find a means to use her (he has some notion of
turning her loose on Zuggtmoy someday).
As the Dark Prince intends for his daughter to someday be unleashed upon Creation, her guardianship
partially consists of ensuring that she is well fed. Although Alba Simeul cannot extend her full
presence outside of The Well, based on his studies of Ahazu, Graz'zt has figured out how to use Alba
Simeul's hunger as a defense of her own imprisonment. Any being that attempts to liberate her finds
themselves ensnared by spiny rose stems and dragged into the Well where she devours them. Given
the circumstances of the Faux Purity's incarceration, her Well is also encircled by a ring of emerald
green fire analogous to the fire ovens of Az'zagrat but intensified in its severity. The Custodians and
Graz'zt himself do not take any damage from the green fire ring, but all other beings that attempt to
pass through it must make both a Ref save DC 32 or else catch on fire, taking 24d8 points of fire
damage per round (half of which is vile), as well as make a further Will save DC 32 or else be held
within the ring, ensuring that they burn to death. The ring itself requires three rounds of travel in
order to pass through it and it blocks both teleportation in any form as well as planeshifting.
Areex: One of the most bizarre prisoners of the Wells is the long-forgotten (by multiple deliberate
intents) demon prince Areex. The only two beings believed to have any clear recollection of who he
was or his portfolio otherwise were Zzyczesiya and Abraxas, both near the peaks of their relative
power when Areex finally began fading from Creation. Although little in Abraxas' archives speaks to
the bizarre punishment heaped upon Areex, and Zzyczesiya speaks to practically none at all, a
fragmentary account of Areex's horrific fate can still be pieced together.
Though Madness and Bile greatly diminished what power the qlippothim had left in The Abyss, it could
hardly be claimed that they failed to fight back. It was towards the end of the war, in a time of
desperation for the surviving qlippothim, the greatest might of the klurichir, and the rise of mazza'im
powers and the reawakened Demogorgon that the downfall of Areex took place. Over the course of
these brutal conflicts, Zzyczesiya, the Demon Lady of Ignorance, while only affiliated with the
qlippothim, sought to fight against Abraxas, then the Demon Prince of Mysteries. One of the victims of
these conflicts was the demon prince Areex, when in a contest between her and Abraxas, he sought to
bring Areex over to his side by divising a name by which he could be manipulated. The yaldabaoth
against which both Areex and Abraxas fought, in comparison, reacted with an even more bizarre
tactic. She attempted to erase Areex's name and all details of his life entirely, in the process
eliminating any possibility of a foothold by which the holder of Power could triumph over her intended
victim.
In the contest between them, Areex found himself worse off from both tactics and ill-prepared to
defend himself from either of them. Even beyond hemorrhaging worshipers and minions to the point
where even his greatest servitors could barely remember him, the idea of being both something within
Creation while being nameless within it attracted the attentions of a monstrosity far more alarming
than either of his nemeses; Bolothamogg, an Abhorrent One from the Void beyond Creation itself.
Besieged on all sides, Areex ultimately resorted to the most bizarre tactic he could envision and
consigned himself to the safest place he could find.
He willingly condemned himself to the Wells of Darkness-where he remains to this day.

Although the Wells may protect Areex himself, they do not protect those few remaining beings that
were once affiliated with him. Bolothamogg itself apparently seeks to find a way of freeing Areex from
the wells in for some purpose simultaneously nigh-unfathomable yet most likely horrible. One element
of the Abhorrent One's schemes apparently seems to be sending messengers of its intent through
Creation from The Void. The most notable of these is a group-entity of gibberlings found in The Abyss
which eventually found their way into the ownership of a personage in Sigil. However, they are not the
only servitors of Bolothamogg in Creation. Periodically, bizarre aberrations are seen around Areex's
Well-and although they are slain on sight by the Custodians, even with slight ebbs and gains in their
frequency, as the millenia pass, they grow ever slightly more numerous.
The Well of Areex is difficult to find because it can only be sought intentionally and not discovered.
Those approaching the cul-de-sac upon which its path is located must make a Will save DC 25 in order
to even find it. Otherwise the memory of even seeing it slips out of the mind. Areex's Well also has no
apparent decoration or ornamentation whatsoever. Instead, Areex's obscurity has become so strong
that every mind that sees the Well must make a Will save DC 25 or else see precisely what they want
to see, but no viewer ever sees the same thing unless they are all immune to this bizarre side effect of
Areex's disappearance. The most reliable means of finding it consists of having a being with
augmented sight stand upon Overlook (which is curiously unaffected by this particular property), and
then directing other beings to follow the exact path required to find the Well. Areex's Well has no
guardians otherwise, as any charged to the responsibility would eventually forget it and wander the
layer idly. The conditions for opening Areex's Well are known only to Areex (who designed his
incarceration this way so nobody could come back and later free him). In this way aside from a direct
attack on the layer's prisons only a being that has developed means of contacting Areex can possibly
learn how to liberate him.
Cabiri, The Eyes of Madness: Some say that to peer into The Abyss is to allow The Abyss to peer
into you; to allow oneself to become vulnerable to its myriad taints and temptations, and ultimately, to
put oneself at risk for all eternity for the sake of knowledge of its fell depths. Few beings exemplified
the potentialities of these sayings to a greater degree than Cabiri, The Eyes of Madness. A qlippothim
of great and nightmarish knowledge, Cabiri was bizarre in both appearance and portfolio, demanding
both mutilations of soul and sanity in exchange for visions and sights of The Abyss that brought
similar potency of foresight and ultimate destruction to their alleged beneficiaries. To those doomed
seers foolish enough to call upon his knowledge, much less summon him to their worlds, he granted
them both insight and eventual insanity.
For all his power, the abstraction of Cabiri's concerns ensured that there were few beings that followed
him willingly, or even survived the distortions of mind and soul that such acts required, and Cabiri was
a demon atrocity (although an exceptionally potent one) throughout most of the Second War of Law
and Chaos. His power gave him the ability to survive power shifts throughout The Abyss on multiple
occasions; he even managed to survive both the Rod of Law and Madness and Bile relatively
unscathed. However, what finally resulted in his imprisonment were the schemes of Pale Night-and her
then consort, the rising demon prince Baphomet.
Baphomet hardly needed encouragement to imprison Cabiri, as he already saw The Eyes of Madness
as a potential enemy in his own rise to power. However, Baphomet was hardly alone in these desires
and a far more powerful and ancient being than him had a similar agenda in mind for entirely different
motives. In the case of Pale Night, the Eyes of Madness' vast longevity and unique powers caused her
to believe that he was one of the only beings that might be able to perceive some fragment of her
massive schemes, both during the qlippothic dominance and well after Madness and Bile. However, as
was her way, she found a suitably pliant intermediary to do her work for her: Baphomet. Cabiri was
imprisoned by Baphomet at the subtle urgings of Pale Night-as well as a significant amount of personal
assistance, in order to ensure that the Eyes of Madness remained unaware of the attack upon its
person until it was far too late for it to flee, or triumph against the Father of Knowledge.
Once Pale Night abandoned Baphomet, choosing Pazuzu as her current Consort, Baphomet slowly
began re-evaluating many of the acts he committed when she resided within The Endless Maze.
Among these decisions was why he imprisoned Cabiri, and what (if anything) Pale Night gained from
the decision that he once assumed he made independently.

Although the motive that some of Baphomet's more devious cultists have guessed is that he intends to
assimilate the Wells to augment his own power, a hidden layer of the Labyrinth Lord's agenda
unknown to all save him consists of revisiting all beings that may be connected to Pale Night.
However, Baphomet's changing attitudes in no way extend to actually freeing Cabiri. Instead, should
Baphomet's schemes to incorporate the Wells of Darkness into The Endless Maze be completed, he
seeks to absorb all of Cabiri's knowledge wholly into himself without ever risking the qlippoth's
liberation.
Originally, the Well of Cabiri was guarded by a triad of three ghours far more powerful than the norm
and chained in place around the border of the Well. They have been rumored to be Baphomet's
offspring by the Mother of Darkness but this has never been confirmed. However, Baphomet suspects
(probably correctly) that the monitors which he placed over Cabiri's Well have been subtly corrupted
by Pale Night, and that they would warn her that someone is attempting to speak with the Eyes of
Madness. Although he has not replaced these guardians so as to not potentially confirm Pale Night's
suspicions as to whether he detects their potential for treachery he has made plans for killing them by
tricking them into attacking the Custodians-eliminating a couple of the layers' defenders while
concealing his own role in causing their deaths-which if discovered might also alert Pale Night, as well
as causing more serious questions to be asked concerning Baphomet's ambitions by his rivals.
The conditions necessary for opening Cabiri's well are sufficiently complex as to give even most beings
that are aware of them pause in making the attempt. Those beings making the attempt must leave
three prisoners behind by throwing them into Cabiri's Well and leaving them in Cabiri's stead. Each of
the prisoners must in turn be an individual cured of blindness by the servants of a power of prophecy.
Although Diabolos only became a figure in The Abyss some time after Baphomet rose to power and
imprisoned the Eyes of Madness, he is somewhat aware of this opening condition, and is curious as to
the Father of Knowledge's recent interest in Cabiri's now long-standing imprisonment-as well as the
consequences were Diabolos to free the qlippothim in order to provide a setback to Baphomet.
Ebulon: The offspring of Graz'zt are both nearly countless and infamous. Even those lesser children of
his, such as Rule-of-Three, are some of the best known and shadowy figures within the Realms
Beyond and the Depths Below, while his more potent offspring such as Iuz The Old are menaces to
their entire worlds, or connivers sufficiently deceptive to ensnare beings far more potent than
themselves, such as Athux's eventually lethal manipulations of Adimarchus. One of Graz'zt's earliest
offspring, and one of the earliest prisoners of the Wells of Darkness, is Graz'zt's son Ebulon.
Ebulon was born as a result of a coupling between The Dark Prince and a long-forgotten goddess of
war, whose affair with Graz'zt not surprisingly marked the beginning of her end as she was conquered
by both her bedmate and her son, he was one of the first successful marquis offspring that Graz'zt
produced. As Graz'zt's power expanded throughout Creation, Ebulon became increasingly infamous as
one of Graz'zt's most potent demonic servitors. Beyond thriving in the lethal internecine politicking of
Graz'zt's innumerable sons, Ebulon successfully managed to defeat several of Demogorgon's lesser
servitors as slaughter and bloodshed between the rising Dark Prince and the Devourer of Souls came
to shape much of the current history of The Abyss. Eventually, Ebulon's rising power was sufficiently
noted by Demogorgon to the point where it sought to defeat Ebulon personally, taking the field against
him upon the ruined layer of Vallanshan.
Weighing the odds of confronting Demogorgon at that time, Graz'zt opted to simply abandon Ebulon to
his fate at the Devourer of Souls' tentacles. The Demon Prince of Shadows refused both to show up
personally in battle or to send any further reinforcements into what would clearly have been a
devastating rout. Every other demon and creature that did not serve Demogorgon upon that day was
slaughtered, annihilated in Demogorgon's maw, or completely remade. The only survivor was Ebulonand for him, Demogorgon concocted a special terror.
Ebulon was thrown into the Wells of Darkness. However, even this was insufficient to satiate
Demogorgon's bizarre impulses and so as is normal for it, The Devourer of Souls thought of something
far worse to do to him. Demogorgon instead sought to devise a new way of utterly consuming Ebulon
that in the process, would not only result in the total annihilation of Ebulon, but would in a manner
analogous to how The Devourer of Souls could derange all followers of a power by destroying that
power, also slaughter all of Graz'zt's half-fiendish children everywhere in Creation largely

simultaneously. Not only would this prove a devastating blow to the Dark Prince, but it would allow
Demogorgon to surge forward in his vicious rivalry against Orcus. Both Demogorgon and The Goat
sought to deliver setbacks to the Demon Prince of Darkness through perverting and slaughtering his
offspring. It was only mere millenia earlier in which Orcus had created the first atropal from one of
Graz'zt's daughters, inciting The Devourer to devise a tactic even more vicious and malevolent.
Demogorgon's schemes for Ebulon failed to come to fruition within any reasonable time period. When
Graz'zt conquered the Wells of Darkness The Twin Terror's schemes concerning him were shattered.
However when Graz'zt took over the Wells of Darkness, annihilating those beings specifically affiliated
with Demogorgon while leaving the Custodians untouched, he quickly realized that he had a problem.
He could not afford to release Ebulon given that his resentment of Graz'zt had grown to the point
where he could feel it outside of the Well, and as much as he loathed himself for feeling such, he could
not bring himself to slay Ebulon either. Even though the period of Graz'zt's outright control of the Wells
has also long since passed, Ebulon still remains in his Well-alone and if anything, even more enraged
by Dark Prince's unwillingness to aid his captured son. At the same time, Graz'zt, aware of Ebulon's
ever-increasing resentment, realizes that the best outcome for him would be Ebulon's death, and he
has slowly been goading Ahazu into devouring Ebulon in the near future.
The original guardian of Ebulon's Well has long since been disposed of by Graz'zt during the brief
period in which he conquered the layer. Now, his Well is instead guarded by a pair of eyes as green as
Graz'zt's own. They hover over the center of the Well, even while providing the impression that they
are staring at whoever approaches the Well regardless of which direction they do so from. An
extremely sophisticated illusion that combines elements of a programmed image and an eye of power
(Spell Compendium), these eyes allow Graz'zt to personally monitor any being that approaches
Ebulon's well, as well as take limited actions against them directly. The other ornamentation
surrounding Ebulon's Well consists of an imprint for a six-fingered, Large hand inlaid vertically in a
waist high onyx caern, and the touch of Graz'zt is required to free Ebulon. However, so far in the entire
history of The Wells no being has attempted to liberate him. If anything this further contributes to
Ebulon's rising fury.
Hacamuli, The Grey Horse: A powerful servant of Orcus was the tenebrae Hacamuli. Alternately
known as the Grey Horse or the Messenger of The Goat, Hacamuli was closely associated with the
concepts of unnatural senescence and decrepitude. Through luck at first and then skill, he escaped the
slaughter in Thanatos and Kiaransalee's subsequent purges throughout Creation. When Tenebrous
arose, Hacamuli was one of the first beings that he contacted, and based upon the stark motive of
self-preservation, Hacamuli remained one of the Shadow-That-Was' staunchest supporters and agents.
Although Hacamuli found himself successful in his campaigns alongside the Shadow-That-Was and the
visages his loyalty was unrewarded. The resurrected Orcus rapidly came to despise Hacamuli and
turned what other champions he had upon him. Barely escaping, the Grey Horse managed to slay
them (further infuriating The Goat), but he was also forced to think of a potential solution to alleviate
the demon prince's wrath. The option that Hacamuli settled upon was attempting to placate Orcus by
delivering to him another, rival, minion that had also drawn Orcus' ire: Eldanoth, the former assassin
of The Goat.
Hacamuli sought to capture Eldanoth and bring him to Thanatos. The first half of Hacamuli's plan
succeeded in that he was able to find and enter Eldanoth's layer, The Arc of Eternity. However, where
Hacamuli failed was that he underestimated Serpentfingers. Although Eldanoth was an extremely
potent atrocity when Orcus was assassinated, during the time in which Eldanoth was independent he
awoke the spark of cosmic power within him and rose in status to become a potent, if recent, demon
lord. Hacamuli barely escaped from Eldanoth's layer with his life when he, in turn, had the wildly bad
luck to encounter another demon that had largely similar ideas for avenging a past wrong: the balor
Ter-Soth The Despoiler. In Ter-Soth's case, he assumed incorrectly that Hacamuli had information that
could allow him to track down and slaughter Glyphimhor for betraying him. The Grey Horse told TerSoth the truth as best he knew it about Glyphimhor; that the balor had been restored to existence by
the resurrected Goat, and that when the three of them still resided within Thanatos, he had not
thrown in with Glyphimhor to cause Ter-Soth's death. Ter-Soth refused to believe him and cast the
tenebrae into the Wells of Darkness in his misguided wrath. Eldanoth, eager to finish slaughtering
Hacamuli, only found the Well scant minutes after Ter-Soth had finished the ritual necessary to

imprison the tenebrae. As Eldanoth does not know the ritual required to free Hacamuli, Eldanoth
merely left Hacamuli in the Well until he can figure out how to free him, but he intends to kill him
personally the instant that the tenebrae gets out.
Although Eldanoth probably had the power to ensure Hacamuli's permanent death, should he fail the
most likely outcome would be for Hacamuli to reform himself on Thanatos. Should this occur, then The
Goat would not only be know how to reach the Arc of Eternity, but he would also know how successful
Hacamuli was at bypassing Eldanoth's defenses and warnings against invaders.
The Well of Hacamuli possesses two distinct layers of protection placed there by Eldanoth
Serpentfingers and by Ter-Soth before him. The former consists of three advanced glooms (35 HD)
sent by Eldanoth disguised as otherwise inert and petrified statues. These are located in a crudely
triangular formation around the circumference of Hacamuli's Well, and are only released from the
prison of their petrification if anyone attempts to disturb the Well or takes actions which may liberate
Hacamuli from their Well. Ter-Soth's layer of defense is both simpler and more insidious. The key to
the Ritual necessary to liberate Hacamuli is to use Ter-Soth's vorpal sword to slice open the membrane
holding Hacamuli in his Well. However, using the wrong weapon of any type, or even a vorpal sword
belonging to another balor, causes the membrane to swallow up the being that performed the ritual
incorrectly-trapping them with the imprisoned and infuriated tenebrae unless a Ref save DC 52 is
passed. Hacamuli's Well possesses no significant ornamentation otherwise.
Laz'bralthull, Demon Lord of Butchery: The acts of slaughter and bloodshed committed by
Laz'bralthull during Bile and Madness earned him the well-deserved reputation as one of the most
destructive and lethal klurichir ever spawned. He resisted capture, much less destruction, for hundreds
of thousands of years. His end finally came when out of all of the rival demon lords and princes that
despised him, Zuggtmoy, outraged at his slaying one of her favorite creations, the vast demon tree
Malgarius, caught up with him and personally dragged him screaming to the Wells mere millenia after
Graz'zt freed it from Demogorgon's control.
Ever since that day Laz'bralthull has remained within his Well. Although there was one being foolish
enough to attempt to free Ma Yuan, none have come to the Well of the Butcher to make any attempt
to free him. In fact, the most frequent visitors to the Well are those qlippothim and maleidolon that
appear in order to gloat at his misery and enjoy his howls of impotent wrath and fury. These are
telepathically broadcast to any being within 300 feet of the Well and can also be heard by mundane
sensory capabilities by any being within 100 feet proper of the edifice around it.
The Well of Laz'bralthull is guarded by a sentient and modified genius loci (Epic Level Handbook) which
is disguised as the twenty-foot tall tower and spiral staircase leading up to the aperture from which
the Well can be reached. The bizarre ooze not only allows the Demon Queen of Parasites to monitor
anyone who approaches the Well by treading upon the territory around it but also devours anyone that
attempts to free Laz'bralthull. This was allowed by the Custodians of the Wells because the creature
does not disturb anyone or anything else in pursuit of its 'responsibilities'. The ritual necessary to free
Laz'bralthull incorporates imbibing a potion created from Zuggtmoy's unique spores which causes the
drinker to liquefy (dying in the process), and then pouring the residue into the Well proper. Only if the
drinker is fully digested is the ritual successful and in all other circumstances, the guardian of
Laz'bralthrull's Well animates to destroy them.
Ma Yuan: One of the most dangerous prisoners of the Wells of Darkness is Ma Yuan. Also known as
the Killer of the Gods, the superlatives used to describe his misdeeds, if anything, underestimate the
horrors for which he was responsible when he was freed upon Creation.
One of the few elements of those tales told concerning The Killer of the Gods is that he is ancient.
Beyond this detail nigh-universally agreed upon, further details become far more nebulous. Some
claim that he was created by the gods in order to punish hubris among their own kind (which leads to
disturbing implications about Creation with his incarceration). Others claim instead that he was a
weapon born of the qlippothim that, as many weapons created in such ways are wont to do, became
independent and menaced his creators nearly as much as the rest of Creation. In this particular case,
the truth itself, as elusive as it is, is vital both to understanding him as well as freeing him from
imprisonment.

The original events believed to have been responsible for the origins of Ma Yuan are so surreal as to
defy most mortal comprehension of the history of the planes. On a world now long-obscure and
empty, it was not a single overgod that arose to attempt to determine the formation of a world in its
most fundamental elements as much as it was three. Each of them once held domain over one sphere
of existence, and they were of roughly equal power over their particular element, although vastly
more powerful than those lesser godlings that their deeds (and misdeeds) spawned. However, strife
came even to them over their world and from their struggles eventually there were no clear victors.
Two of them died in the conflicts, while the third in turn came to slumber within the nature of the
world itself. It was a conflict best forgotten prior to the Dawn of the Gods.
In actuality, the war would have been forgotten-save for the fact that thousands of years afterwards,
when the world had become a settled place recovering from such interdivine tensions as best it could,
developing entirely new faiths among the mortals present, a horrible monstrosity arose. Spawned by
the tensions of that world's inert or deceased overgods, the most potent tenebrae created by The
Abyss returned to stalk the place responsible for its creation. None of the world's mortals could stand
against it. Even the gods themselves seemed to not be capable of defeating it, and in fact, it seemed
to have an even more significant grudge against them, and greater efficacy in terms of utterly
destroying them than it did against mortals. In its wake, it left a largely depopulated and ruined world.
Only its name, Ma Yuan, seemed to survive its passage as other denizens of the Realms Beyond pieced
together what had transpired.
Far worse was that its trail of devastation hardly ended there. After Ma Yuan departed the ruined world
where it was created, it spread across Creation, slaughtering dozens of deities. It proved so
nettlesome that eventually, those powers related to those that it slaughtered called upon the then
holders of the Mandate. the Vaati, in order to devise a way of containing and controlling the tenebrae.
They proved no more successful than other efforts to eliminate Ma Yuan. Even worse, the
shapeshifting weapon that they had intended to use against the demon was captured by it,
empowering its already vast and ferocious might. When the Vaati were forced into insignificance by
the end of the Second War of Law and Chaos, even this potential check against the Killer of the Gods'
power was eliminated.
Ma Yuan was finally imprisoned during the era of the Dawn of the Gods, shortly after Graz'zt became a
less overt presence upon the Wells. In fact, no deity or power of the original group that once fought
against Ma Yuan was responsible for his incarceration, as none survived his attacks. Instead, the final
responsibility for his elimination belonged mostly to two unrelated powers, who fought him into
submission, took the Vaati weapon away from him to claim it for themselves, and then threw him into
the Wells of Darkness.
When Ma Yuan was free his physical appearance was that of a ten foot tall creature that was a hideous
amalgamation of reptilian, demonic, and mortal features. His head was that of a tyrannosaur while his
body was covered with black and blue scales that shifted in both position and form every second. His
eyes were the most telltale clue as to his true nature as they were filled only with a distant red
pinpoint that seemed to emanate from the lowest depths of The Abyss itself. His very presence
inspired flight and brought terror in a manner analogous to the klurichir although the source of Ma
Yuan's power was very different from theirs.
Ma Yuan's well is guarded by three stone monoliths that are bound to the act of imprisoning Ma Yuan,
and are carved in the forms of three of Ma Yuan's victims. So long as Ma Yuan is still imprisoned, the
monoliths are capable of reassembling themselves back into their current forms. This is true even if
they are disintegrated, as the dust from them will eventually coalesce until they are completely
reformed. However, as Ma Yuan is one of the most infamous prisoners within the Wells, even the
events surrounding Vucarik's intrusion did not disturb Ma Yuan's guards-a fact for which many within
and without The Abyss are grateful. Although all of them are no taller than twenty feet tall, they
possess the hit points and powers of Stone Colossi (Epic Level Handbook), save that those crushed
under their feet are simultaneously utterly pulped by the forces involved, killing any creature with a
discernible anatomy instantly unless it makes a Fort save DC 60 as well.

Otherwise, the well of Ma Yuan is ornamented by a caern into which his ancient weapon can be
inserted. It is six feet tall and is composed of stones upon which symbols and glyphs which translate
to 'death of the gods' have been written in a multiplicity of languages, many of which are long extinct.
A single keyhole is otherwise the only significant marking or alteration present upon it.
There is no complex ritual required to open the well of Ma Yuan. Instead, it requires the Vaati weapon
upon which the true history of Ma Yuan must be inscribed. By changing forms while placed within the
keyhole in the proper sequence, the Well of Ma Yuan can be opened by the device. However, if the
wrong sequence of transformation or a counterfeit device are used, the caern reacts by annihilating
the being attempting to free him, fusing them to the fake device (or the real device) and dealing 60d8
points of disintegration damage (Fort save DC 65) per round until they are dead, in addition to
triggering the wrath of the Guardians and the stone statues. Furthermore, the weapon must be
wielded by a sentient being that holds it in their hand (or other appropriate appendage) and cannot be
released until a sequence of at least two formshifts have been entered in the keyhole. So far in the
entire history of Ma Yuan's incarceration, this has only occured once when a particularly foolish demon
attempted to counterfeit the Vaati weapon.
Shami-Amourae, Demon Lady of Pleasure: Malcanthet's first notable victim in the War of Ripe
Flesh, the potent succubus Shami-Amourae was her initial obstacle to becoming the ruler of the
Razored Throne-and if anything, the single obstacle that was dealt with more definitively than almost
any opponent that came afterwards. Shami-Amourae was defeated by Malcanthet when the latter
succubus convinced Demogorgon that the former was scheming to betray and subvert him. Refusing
to take any chances on the potential of her betrayal, The Devourer of Souls threw her into the Wells of
Darkness instead of consuming her-placing Malcanthet one step closer towards her ultimate ambitions,
and requiring only the elimination of Lynkhab. The Lady of Pleasure has remained imprisoned ever
since, and even Graz'zt apparently took no steps towards freeing her for reasons that remain
undiscovered by all.
Shami-Amorae's Well is guarded by a wide array of bizarre defenses placed there by Demogorgon
personally, which include, but not limited to, an advanced and highly intelligent retriever and several
other bizarre creatures. Next to Ebulon, she is one of the oldest prisoners within The Wells of
Darkness, having been imprisoned during its first period. The Well of Shami-Amourae is otherwise
fairly undistinctive, as even when the Devourer of Souls controlled the Wells, he did not wish to draw
attention to it.
The Well of Shaktari: During Madness and Bile, Shaktari was one of the most vicious champions the
klurichir possessed. After abandoning the layer and personal power of Vuron, she was one of the first
to join Laz'bralthull in his deranged campaign to annihilate his demonic predecessors. Leading massive
armies of mariliths, each of which in turn was tens of thousands strong, she decimated the qlippothim.
Shaktari's trail of bile, amputations, and decapitations ended abruptly when during an unusually illconceived raid on a layer where Vuron, the Demon Prince of Light, was present, she confronted her
creator and was soundly defeated. However, as Vuron detected a hint of a far greater being's
machinations in Shaktari's actions (as well as being curious how Shaktari reached the extremely
obscure layer where the Alabaster Demon was currently located), Vuron opted instead to imprison his
former klurichir in the Wells of Darkness instead of killing her. There, for thousands upon thousands of
years, the Demon Prince of Light tormented her to get as much information as he could of any
potential threats to either him or Graz'zt-and in this way, many threats to their combined power were
eliminated.
This status quo only ended within the last century. As a result of one of his itinerant travels through
The Abyss, Vucarik managed to liberate Shaktari from her Well before he was driven off by the
combined actions of the layer and the Custodians. Although Shaktari has refused to take up her
former interests in mass slaughtering qlippothim again, finding the battles of The Blood War more
satisfactory, even those beings that were inadvertent beneficiaries of Shaktari's original rampages find
her current freedom disturbing in the degree to which Vucarik's involvement hints as to the possibility
that there may be weaknesses in the binding of the Wells of Darkness.

Shaktari's well was guarded by a permanently invisible araseroph, a now-rare form of qlippothim
dating back to the Second War of Law and Chaos. The fact that all mazza'im could see it with their
innate powers served as a warning as to the nature of both the prisoner and the power of the fiends
that placed them there. However, since Vucarik's arrival shattered its bindings to the Well and freed
Shaktari simultaneously, the araseroph was slain shortly afterwards by the Custodians as it proved
excessively destructive. Since that day, the Well of Shaktari has been visited by multiple beings for
various reasons, whether they are beings studying The Abyss proper, or various powers of The Abyss
whose portfolios themselves concern disastrous liberation. So far, however, most of those beings
investigating the Well are various pawns of Vuron, the Demon Prince of Light-and Graz'zt's closest ally.
Tulket na Ahm: The vast majority of the prisoners in the Wells of Darkness are not surprisingly
demonic in origin. However, as with most things within The Abyss there are notable exceptions which
defy normal expectation. Deities and cosmic entities unaffiliated with any alignment whatsoever have
also been imprisoned in the layer. The most infrequent of all are mortal prisoners. Tulket na Ahm
(better known as Ahm throughout Creation) is an extreme rarity within the Wells of Darkness in that
he is one of the only mortals deemed both sufficiently infamous to be thrown into a Well-as well as the
consequences of slaughtering him outright considered unacceptable.
The true story leading to Tulket na Ahm as well as the Books of Ahm is one of the most bizarre within
both The Abyss as well as The Mortal Coil. If anyone were to look at the early history of Tulket, he
would seem to be one of the least likely candidates for one of Creation's most infamous
demonologists. The highest levels of the Cult of Ahm actually believe that Tulket was originally not
even evil, and was only gradually corrupted by his own subject matter while he researched means by
which possessing-demons could be contained and identified within various hosts, although given their
own malevolent biases they are far more inclined to refer to his corruption as his enlightenment.
Instead, Tulket's first innovation was to find a spell that would not necessarily prevent demonic
possession, but would actually cause pain to any demon foolish enough to invade the spell's caster.
Although bizarre, and veering dangerously close to the limits of what would otherwise be considered
tolerable for beings of good to do even to the denizens of The Abyss, by itself, this would never lead to
any incident which would case Tulket's nightmarish descent into the world of demonology. An
individual casting that particular spell upon themselves could merely be rejected for demonic
possession, with little to no measurable mental or physical damage done to them.
Where Tulket instead began to go disastrously wrong was when he began using such spells to
experiment upon himself. From this initial spell, he invented a ritual that would actually torment a
possessing demon should it fail to answer the caster's questions. From that first incident others
followed, until what began as bizarre and horrific accident turned into something far worse: habit.
After Tulket's initial success, he became more daring and less reluctant to use himself as both
experimental subject and bait for the denizens of The Abyss, teasing and extorting more and more
information out of them in sessions that only took place once a month-because it typically took him a
month to attempt to heal the damage done both to his mind and body from the previous excursion.
Sometimes the results were transcribed in mimirs. Other times Ahm barely returned to consciousness
and a semblance of sanity only to find the walls of the summoning chamber covered in writing
composed of the blood of sacrificial victims. Over the course of years, Ahm pieced together almost
more of what was known about demons than practically any mortal before or since-and as he did so
his power grew in other ways as well. The spell protections he devised eventually allowed him to heal
at a vastly accelerated rate from possession and to ensure that even while possessed, no ability that
would allow him to be dragged to The Abyss could be successfully used upon him. He even devised a
way of ensuring that demons that he summoned into him were in some level bound to him, devising a
bizarre form of contingency that would actually kill a possessor long after they left him should he die
under their claws or from their spells. In this way, Ahm gradually became protected from the more
direct forms of wrath that would otherwise affect a mortal that used and manipulated demons.
Although Ahm knew better than to attempt possession by a demon prince, as even the least would
have been far beyond those powers he had access to, many an atrocity and even several demon lords
such as Bayemon (who nearly killed him in the process) fell victim to his bizarre tactics for learning
secrets best left to The Abyss.

Vengeance finally caught up with Tulket na Ahm when, out of the myriad foes that he had accumulated
in the brief span of his mortal lifetime, the balor Wendonai figured out how to trick him and lured him
to Pazunia. There, Tulket na Ahm was subdued and thrown into a Well-where he remains to this day.
Wendonai's capture and imprisonment of Tulket na Ahm represented a significant increase in
Wendonai's power within The Abyss-as by doing so, he linked Tulket na Ahm's release from his Well to
Wendonai's death. In this way, many beings that were otherwise isolated from Wendonai's growing
web of influence have been forced to subtly aid him in order to prevent Ahm's release or his death at
the hands of their opponents-which would in turn trigger far more severe consequences.
The Well of Tulket na Ahm's guardian is only visible when someone approaches the Well of Ahm, as it
is triggered by proximity to rise from within the Well. It consists of an apparently sentient yet
unspeaking sphere of black fire that acts as a living sphere of ultimate destruction (Fort save DC 54)
which also reflects spells cast upon it if they fail a CL check DC 50. To make matters worse, the Well is
also trapped with a chained disintegration (Fort save DC 51) trap which recasts the spell once every
1d4 rounds whenever a tresspasser is near it. Although Tulket na Ahm's well only possesses the
guardian sent by Wendonai, a wide array of powerful atrocities and demon lords have additional
monitoring systems around his Well. Tarrying around the Well of Tulket na Ahm is likely to attract the
attentions of these powerful fiends. To be within 50 feet of it for longer than 5 minutes carries an
increasing probability of one more of them noticing the intrusion and reacting to it. Initially, this
begins with a 20% chance of a response being sent, and increases every 5 minutes by 10% until there
is a maximal probability of 80% per 5 minute period that the intrusion will be dealt with harshly.
Otherwise, the opening condition for Tulket na Ahm's Well consists of the immolation of a mortal
wizard with Wendonai's incinerating bolt spell and scattering the still warm ashes upon the Well's
membrane. Incinerating bolt spells cast by any other balors only trigger its defenses, as well as the
attentions of the potent balor himself.
Wells of Darkness Knowledge (the planes) Table

Knowledge
(the planes)
DC

Sample Information Acquired

20

The Wells of Darkness serves as an informal 'prison' for some of The Abyss'
most loathed and unfortunate denizens.

25

While entering the Wells of Darkness can be comparatively easy, the portal
key to leave the Wells consists of a prisoner or other sentient being left
beyind in the layer.

30

You have a general grasp upon who the most notable prisoners of the Wells
are, and who was so aggravated by their behavior as to throw them in a
Well and leave them there.

35

The Custodians of the Wells are creations of the layer which are capable of
recalling all who give offense to them for an apparently indefinite period of
time. Furthermore, the layer resists those who give it trouble, but will not
interfere in fights between beings upon the layer as long as they do not
disturb either Wells or Custodians.

40

Ahazu the Seizer possesses a unique history and status with regards to the
Wells of Darkness.

45

The Wells of Darkness is a semi-sentient layer modified into its current

form by Demogorgon, The Devourer of Souls.

Thanatos
Currently Recognized Layer Number: 113
Name: Thanatos
Ruler: Orcus
Properties: minor negative-dominant
Death is easy to find in The Abyss, even if its ultimate cause can be subtle. It can come about through
mere physical destruction, whether from being frozen within the Iron Wastes, utterly dissolved
within Shedaklah, annihilated in Abaddon, The Bottomless Pit, or simply ripped apart and devoured by
demons. However, there is one layer of The Abyss most prominent among those that offer far worse
than death of the body. There, death is merely a transition into a more deplorable state. There, an
endless morass of hatred and suffering is aimed at reminding its victims of the one thing that they will
never truly have again: life. There, the living are an alien presence greeted with nothing but loathing
and raw hunger. Only the most twisted mortals and demons that are themselves purveyors of the
curse of unlife truly consider this place home. It is both the dwelling place of undeath's creator and its
epitome: Thanatos.
Every aspect of Thanatos represents implacable hostility towards the living. The air is too thin to
sustain mortal life in any conventional sense yet it carries the moans and hisses of the dead with ease,
as well as the occasional screams of living prey that is captured and devoured like a fine delicacy at
best, and preserved alive in order to be used or transformed by the undead at worst. The chill of the
grave quickly makes itself felt upon flesh and soul. Thanatos, often referred to as the Belly of Death or
the Mausoleum of Hate, is a vast, shattered land consisting of fields of rubble and barren rock,
labyrinthine graveyards, and catacombs only interrupted by sanguinary glaciers and rivers, causing
the layer to stink of the coppery aroma of fresh blood and death.
Overhead, a blood red moon fills most of the sky, changing phases randomly, providing rare and
spotty moonlight to the layer and barely breaking its darkness. During the few hours of the day
when it is missing, a baleful, heatless light emanates from above, bathing Thanatos in crimson
illumination that allows one to see the layers most distinctive and deadly feature: its nighuncountable varieties and swarms of undead. Restless dead of almost every conceivable variety, some
of which are unique to the dwelling place of The Goat, can be found here. The least powerful or
intelligent among them often gather in hordes numbering many thousands, creating valleys of ghouls,
legions of shambling zombies, and clouds of shadows and other incorporeal undead large enough to
blot out the moon itself. The more powerful and willful of the restless dead build bizarre necropoli
where they engage in quests to extract ever more necromantic power for themselves.
Thanatos is apparently a fairly old layer of The Abyss, although scholars fail to agree as to its origins.
The earliest tomes that describe a layer vaguely resembling it record a vast, rocky plain haunted by
cloudlike demons whose attacks were tainted by oblivion itself. Once Orcus spawned as a demon
prince, one of his first acts in controlling Thanatos was allegedly to cause the skies themselves to rain
freezing blood for untold years, until the layer came to resemble its current form, if only as a
foundation from which he would extract even greater horrors later. Other scholars claim that Thanatos
was spawned from the first worlds that Orcus condemned to the suffering of unlife in their entirety.
Direction in Thanatos is indicated relative to three different major landmarks: the Final Hills, the Sea
of Blood, and the River Styx. The Final Hills encircle Everlost where The Goat mostly resides and the
Bone Meal Desert, also known as Oblivion's End. However, as one of the more bizarre geographical
features of a Realm Beyond where the terrain itself can respond to the whims of its twisted masters,
no matter how far any being travels parallel to the Final Hills, they seem to extend themselves so as
to maintain the same separation between The Goat's necropolis and the rest of Thanatos. The Styx
flows from a subterranean source in the Final Hills down to the Sea of Blood, and direction is generally
indicated as to whether a necropolis or location lies on the left or right bank of the River of Sins while
facing the Final Hills.
Unfortunately for its untold victims, Thanatos is comparatively easy to enter. The majority of portals
into the Belly of Death can be freely accessed by the restless dead; living creatures can also freely

enter if they are in the presence of at least one undead creature. Another common means by which
Thanatos portals can be opened is through blood spilled with murderous intent in their immediate
vicinity (50 ft.). Finally, portals may also be entered by beings that have used magic to simulate
undeath, possess undead grafts, or are otherwise infused with the energies of the unliving. In addition
to philosophical reasons, the ease of entering Thanatos also makes it a popular destination for the
Dustmen and groups of similar interests particularly if they are hunted and need a place to hide
where most would fear to follow them. Generally, these personages have little involvement in the
fierce and lethal rivalries of the Mausoleum of Hate and exist on either the physical or political margins
of the necropoli, understanding quite well that they are barely tolerated.
Thanatos can be considered to possess the following geographical features and properties:

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
The Final Hills: Though flight and teleportation are easy methods of entry, Everlost can only be
reached by land in two ways, both of which are extremely dangerous. The best known consists of
traversing the Final Hills; a low mountain range composed entirely of broken and shattered
headstones and filled with a series of narrow passes infamous for their sheer number and variety of
incorporeal undead. Beyond the greater shadows, dread wraiths, umbral creatures (LM), crimson
death mists (MMII) and other horrors residing within the Final Hills, these paths are also threatened
by the Reality of Oblivions touch more than almost any other place in the Mausoleum of Hate. A
constant stream of minor earthquakes and fumaroles from which clouds of disease-inflicting gas
infused with negative energy constantly vent are the results of this influence. Any living creature
which inhales these vapors, in addition to taking 6d6 points of negative energy damage per round,
must also make a Fort save DC 60 or else catch life blindness (see Book of Vile Darkness). Reaching
Everlost through the Final Hills typically takes three days by mortal reckoning, and living creatures
that die within The Final Hills arise from the dead as greater shadows of equivalent hit die to their
class levels, or as umbral creatures.
Sea of Blood: Although Thanatos proper does not connect to the Styx throughout its entirety, the
places where the blood-seas are exposed to the frigid air but have not frozen solid present their own
dangers. Horrible undead monstrosities live within the blood; a physical manifestation of the death
and suffering that The Goat has spread throughout Creation as he slaughtered the living. Corpse Styx
dragons (Draconomicon) and far worse things that may even be older than Orcus' dominion over the
layer swim within its opaque depths, bent to his will since his rise to power. In addition to the normal
dangers presented by drowning in the blood, it deals 5d6 points of negative energy damage upon
direct contact, and 20d6 points of negative energy damage upon full immersion (Fort save DC 60 for
half damage) per round. Half of the damage inflicted by either contact or immersion is pure vile
damage, and cannot be healed except upon consecrated ground. Undead creatures are immune to the
Sea of Blood's power to inflict vile damage upon all other beings. Mortals that die within the Sea of
Blood arise as drowned (MMIII) with full hp and equivalent HD to their original total character level,
drenched in ever-dripping blood.
The Styx: A branch of The Styx enters Thanatos and meanders across much of its territory until
finally entering the Sea of Blood about a day's travel away from Naratyr. Due to the layer's geography,
normal means of Stygian travel are typically unavailable. Orcus generally despises daemons, and icing
the Styx over throughout most of its course in Thanatos was an act he performed relatively soon after
establishing total control over the Mausoleum of Hate. Still, in some places where the Styx flows
underneath the glaciated blood and through catacomb-grottoes, rare marraenodaemons can offer at
least some transport to those who can afford their rates, and piscodemons have been known to use its
foul waters to spy either for those serving The Goat or for his enemies depending on who is currently
offering them more wealth. The Styx is not unusually potent within Thanatos and the Will save DC in
order to avoid memory loss is 25.

NECROPOLI
The City of Corpses
Everlost
Golmin Thur
Lachrymosa
Lash Embrar
Vadrian

HAZARDS
Chill of the Grave: The chill of the grave threatens to overwhelm all but the dead themselves in
Thanatos. The layer is treated as unearthly cold to living creatures, dealing 2d6 points of cold damage
per minute without a save.
Minor Negative Dominant: The vast majority of Thanatos is minor negative-dominant, dealing 1d6
points of negative energy damage per minute to any living creature within its borders. However, this is
not always the case. In certain areas usually, but not always, those of great importance the Belly
of Death is major negative-dominant, while in other locations often those places (few as they are)
Orcus finds it necessary to allow mortals or positive energy access the layer is not negativedominant at all. The Demon Prince of the Undead can change the degree of negative-dominance in a
particular area at his whim. Such changes take one minute per square mile and gradually take effect
2d4 minutes after Orcus' will influences the layer.
Thin Air: Thanatos is treated as high peak terrain for the purposes of inflicting altitude sickness and
fatigue upon creatures that need to breathe, save that the Fortitude saves must be made once every
hour instead of once every six hours.
Undeaths Dues: Any mortal that dies within Thanatos arises as an undead creature within 1d6
minutes of death. Any attempt to bring an undead creature back into life within Thanatos requires a
caster level check (DC 76) in order to be successful. Far more disturbing and lethal is that bringing a
living creature back from the dead within Thanatos also alerts every undead creature within a 14 mile
radius of the successful resurrection. The restless dead will almost always send minions to punish
those responsible for not only bringing the hated presence of life into Thanatos, but undoing the
layer's efforts to expunge it. Preventing this secondary effect requires a successful rank check against
Orcus. Failing such attempts causes the mortal to instead arise from the dead as a mane adapted to
the layer's hostile conditions. These wretched souls are usually herded by the chasme also capable of
surviving Thanatos and loyal to Sleepless to the nearest Blood War battlefield. As a manifestation of
Orcus' massive power over undeath, not all regions condemn those who fall within Thanatos to arise
as the same types of undead. Each necropolis, valley, and sea has its own unique combination of
undead creatures that arises as a consequence of death within its bounds. This is denoted in each
specific entry.
Citadel Osteous: Perhaps the most infamous passageway into The Goats realm is found within the
Plane of Infinite Portals. Like most of the prominent portals in Pazunia, it is surrounded by a massive
fortress. This fortress, known as Osteous, appears as a half-buried skull constructed out of bone,
submerged up to the upper jaw in the rust-red soil of The Abyss' first layer. The eyesockets and other
apertures are closed by peculiar, rippling windows made of magically enchanted blood. These macabre
barriers reflect bizarre, undead semblances of any beings that gazes within themif not far more
disturbing and morbid imagery. For those foolish or mad enough to brave the malice of Osteous'
guardian and the power of its other denizens, it is always located at least six days travel from the
Chasm leading into The Grand Abyss; thus, only the truly powerful or truly desperate use mundane
physical means to reach the portal. While there are many paths into Thanatos besides its primary
portal in Pazunia, one thing remains constant regardless of which path one takes: few do not quickly
regret their decision to enter, and even fewer escape to tell the tale.
Ptaliss: Because of Pazunia's connections to the Land of Dreams, Osteous possesses a unique
guardian: an ancient and vicious ghost whose identity has all but lost to the living save its name:

Ptaliss. Trapped against its will to remain within the fortress for all eternity, Ptaliss was believed to
have been cursed to haunt Osteous as punishment for a long-forgotten transgression committed
against Orcus in a distant past.
So tenacious was her presence and malice, that even Kiaransalee's attempts to get rid of the ghost
were met with overwhelming disaster. Whenever the Revenancer attempted to purge Ptaliss, the ghost
simply reappeared, for while the demon that was Orcus was dead, the sins of her son still persisted as
well as her tortured existence. Unable to sever Ptaliss spiteful grip on realityand ignorant of the
source of the shades angst, Kiaransalees attempts to destroy the fortress likewise failed when it
somehow managed to rebuild itself through the ghost's power. Incapable of permanently annihilating
either Ptaliss or Osteous, Kiaransalee eventually settled on building a fortress of her ownthough,
upon Orcus triumphant return to The Abyss, her fortress did not fare as well.
As one of the few survivors of the Revenancers Purge, Ptaliss, in a perverse way, is now accounted
as one of Orcus' most 'loyal' servants. Consequently, few and far between are those who make it to
Osteous portal, save it be the will of The Goatfor nothing short of his own will can shield those who
wish to enter from the ghosts dreadful wrath.

Knowledge
(the planes)
DC

Sample Information Acquired

25

Thanatos is ruled by Orcus. It is minor-negative dominant, and otherwise

deeply hostile to the living. The layer's portal on Pazunia can be accessed
through spilled blood or the presence of an undead creature.

30

The most prominent denizens of Thanatos reside in necropoli. Among the

better known necropoli are the City of Straight Curves, Everlost, Golmin Thur,
Lachrymosa, Lash Embrar, Naratyr, Orcusgate, and Vadrian.

35

Each necropolis presents special hazards even beyond their ability to create
specific varieties of undead from those mortals that die within their boundaries.
When you successfully make this check, you become aware of the specific
hazards of each necropolis, as well as the better known regions between them
such as The Bone Meal Desert or the Sea of Blood. You can also become aware
of what types of undead are produced by dying in each kind of region.

45

With the exception of Everlost (where Orcus himself resides) and Vadrian,
necropoli are factionalized. The pre-eminent beings in the necropoli are
Glursidval, Harthoon, Glyphimhor, and Nilos. Furthermore, you realize that the
necropoli themselves are not geographically unified either, and know the names
and approximate locations of the better known districts.

55

The two most prominent factions in Thanatos are the liches of Harthoon, and
the undead/demons of Glyphimhor. These two factions have minions within
most of the major necropoli, and spies or other beings to act upon their hungers
and lusts for power elsewhere.

65

With the exception of Vadrian, beings within each necropolis have rivals. You
are aware of their names, their general agendas, and have some idea where
these rivals can be found within their respective city of the dead.

Durao
By John Harris, Sam Peer, Calder Rooney, Sean Surface
Currently Recognized Layer Number: 274
Name: Durao
Ruler: Contested
Normal Gravity
Normal Time
Certain layers of The Abyss seem to possess no other value save for their connections to other, far
more important locales. One particular layer that comes very quickly to mind is Durao a layer with
absolutely nothing in its favor unless the din of fighting demons and foul Styx water could be said to
have value. At the same time it is one of the most crowded layers in The Abyss, and invaluable to The
Blood War because it is a branch-point for the Styx, providing easy access to many different
battlefields throughout The Depths Below.

Description
Durao has comparatively few natural hazards for a layer of The Abyss. The hue of the sky is a sickly
yellowish-green vaguely reminiscent of bile or discolored spittle. While the Styx has flooded most of
the layer and what parts of Durao that are not flooded are a boundless fetid swamp, the sweltering
and humid air is at least tolerably breathable, although foul from the stenches of decaying vegetation,
warfare, and rotting bodies. For the most part, the layer itself does not contribute immediately to the
demise of any beings that reach it. It is, however, profoundly decrepit. Rickety docks and scaffolds
connect those remaining pyramids, towers, and other structures jutting out of the blackish-brown
waters of the River of Sin. Occasionally (and without being actively sabotaged), they collapse into the
polluted, amnesia-inducing waters, sending those unfortunate enough to be treading upon them at the
time to their deaths. Most structures newly constructed upon Durao are made out of ironmaw and
viper tree wood brought in from other layers, giving such buildings a disturbing, fleshy texture to the
touch. In those regions where atrocities and Abyssal powers with command over the restless dead
hold sway, zombies and constructs of necromantically linked bones form isles of the dead that
constantly writhe and shift underfoot.
Instead, the menace of Durao arises from the hordes of demons residing there. As one of the major
embarkation points for The Blood War, molydei endlessly treat any demon that they can find that is
not clearly on its way to a barge or ship leaving for elsewhere in the Depths Below as recruitment
material. This is usually accomplished by slicing into them at best, or biting into them until they are
nothing but mane cannon fodder should they prove too troublesome. The drones of ambitious and
vengeful chasme overhead are omnipresent. Wherever a being walks or flies within Durao, they always
feel as if they are watched and observed-whether by the skies, by their rivals, or by the monstrosities
lurking beneath the sickly and poisoned water.
Furthermore, with several major exceptions (Grazzt being the best known among them), most of the
major personages of The Abyss, whether Atrocity, Lord, or Prince, control some amount of territory
upon Durao in order to get whatever demons they control at the moment elsewhere in The Blood
War. Since many of them involved have fought each other as often as they have fought devils and
daemons, not surprisingly, Durao is almost as much of a battlefield between various demonic groups
as well. As a result-for those devious and potent enough to attempt to do so-Durao is one of the best
places where any faction can be sabotaged in The Blood War, by either attacking that faction's bases
within the swamp layer, infiltrating it, or by convincing its rivals to attack it either deliberately or
through misdirection.
Beyond constant physical combat, Durao is apparently fracturing under the strain of so many disparate
elements and Abyssal powers challenging each other. This is an element that remains poorly known to
virtually all in both its existence and its cause, much less used by any party to expand their power at
the expense of their rivals. To those who do have some marginal understanding of this issue, they

believe that it was the rising of the Styx that originally altered its composition, and only with the
origins of The Blood War, and Durao's importance to it did this degeneration accelerate as more and
more demonic factions sought to occupy the layer and claim its territory for themselves. The outcome
of this fragmentation similarly remains in doubt, with some planar scholars (particularly those
affiliated with Diabolos, who tend to see disaster in all futures) claiming that the layer would
eventually slough off those regions that are more strongly affected into myriad other layers, while
others claim that the layer itself would fade into nothingness.
No single faction rules Durao. So much of Durao is continuously contested that at any given time it is
practically impossible to map out who precisely rules what among the decrepit barracks, pens for
monstrous allies and live food, and rusted piers. Generally, 'direction' (to the extent that the concept
even exists) is determined through two different methods. What was formerly the most reliable means
consisted of a series of gaslights originating from the swamp vapors which would catch on fire in the
foul air of Durao, with the varying patterns of the flames produced indicating how to reach any given
location. However, even beyond the presence of will o' wisps throughout the layer, this technique was
problematic for other reasons. It is now increasingly unreliable except for the most obscure regions
within Durao as once one particular faction of demons started using fake lights to lead rivals to their
deaths or into ambushes the tactic gained so much credence among practically all factions that
nobody but the most desperate and novices even attempts it now. As with most such techniques of
pointless deception, Fraz 'Urb Luu was originally accused for devising this ruse originally although
more often than not, everyone blames everyone else for it now.
Currently reliable, although far more bizarre are means that utilize intent in order to find location.
Generally, these methods entail finding devices or body parts that bear a symbolic attachment to a
destination and using them to amplify personal desire to reach a specific place. Given that no demon
lord, prince, or atrocity rules much more than a miniscule amount of Durao's total surface area, this
method has so far proved impervious to means of fooling it.

History
Only a very small proportion of Durao is actually used by the demons that are typically described as
existing there. The rest of Duraos swamps and mires remain unexplored both because most demons
are forced to be focused on Blood War details, and because most demons are actually afraid of the
swamps surrounding the portions of Durao that are used as well as what may actually be submerged
under their claws. Those demons that escape from the well-known areas return insane if they return
at all. The occasional ambitious wastrilith has attempted to explore the submerged buildings in the
past. When this was last tried whatever it found allegedly triggered an epidemic of a particular disease
that hadnt been seen for the better part of a hundred millennia and killed millions of demons.
Otherwise, Vehnaremne seems to know the most about what lies submerged beneath the water's
surface-and she guards her knowledge with lethal jealousy.
This incident reveals an important truth concerning the layer. Durao, otherwise known as Iron Shores,
has a far older history than most would suspect. In fact Durao existed during the era of qlippothic
dominance. During this period it was far different and it was not flooded. Instead, Durao was a layerspanning city made entirely of enormous, iron edifices. The nature of what caused the transition to
its current flooded and swamped-out state remains unknown, although the one point that all sources
agree upon concerning Durao is that it occured shortly after the mazzaim started to become common
within The Abyss. Certain sources claim that the Styx was always present at the bottom of Iron
Shores ferrous chasms. According to this theory, the river simply began rising slowly and iron quays
and buildings, at first intended to be an adaptation against its insidious surges, eventually became the
only remnants of Iron Shores left above an ever-rising tide of amnesia-inducing water. Other sources
claim that the cause of Iron Shores current state was an extended battle between a long-lost Demon
Prince of water, and other entities of similar portfolio-with Charon being most frequently named. Still
other sources (most often affiliated with those mortal and immortal foolish enough to probe Durao),
claim that the layers flooding out was the result of a massive magical or supernatural backlash-and
that the power sufficient to transform the entire layer remains submerged and unrecovered beneath
its amnesia-inflicting depths.

Between the flooding of Durao and the general weakness of the qlippothim as compared to the
mazza'im after the Second War of Law and Chaos, the layer formerly known Iron Shores were one of
the first targets for the latter to conquer from their predecessors-especially given the strategic
importance of Durao in The Blood War. By the time that the initial waves of mazza'im invaders figured
out how to enter the layer en masse it was only weakly defended by what few qlippothim remained
and the conquest of its better known regions proceeded within a matter of months. The initial factions
that established a presence upon Durao, including such infamous figures as Shaktari, quickly were
joined by others until the layer reached its current and violently factionalized state.
The closest that Durao ever came to being ruled by a single demon prince was in the period after The
Great Fall. The rising power of Balan and his quest to become the first demon prince largely
synonymous with demonic victory within The Blood War induced him and his minions to control as
much of the layer as they could. During this period, even those territories controlled by such notables
as Orcus and Demogorgon shrank upon the layer greatly. However, as Balan's power collapsed after
The Four Cross most of his conquests were as taken back by various enemy factions, as well as those
that had formerly served Balan and wished to not be affiliated with his grotesque failures at the hands
of Perdition and Bael in particular. Balan had always been deeply resented, but his defeat, in addition
to devastating the personal armies of most of those forced to follow him, further instigated the
survivors to wrath and reprisal. Durao was the epicenter for most of these conflicts.
Despite Durao being heavily guarded it is actually far easier to leave Durao than to enter it. This is due
to multiple tributaries of the Styx currently branching out of it and leading to various other points
through The Abyss as well as the Depths Below as a whole, particularly Gehenna. Portals leading to
Durao however tend to be far more tightly guarded. After an unsuccessful infernal attack repelled at
enormous cost that used Pazunia as a beach-head after the Four Cross, the overwhelming majority of
portals leading from the Plain of Infinite Portals to Durao were sealed. For reasons that no demon
really comprehends, portals to Durao from Pazunia keep on re-opening at various new points upon the
latter layer despite their best efforts to seal, or even destroy them. Portal keys into Durao consist of a
small amount of bilge or Styx water poured onto the portal itself, or a piece of Iron Shores edifice-iron
or rust. Certain demonic weapons contain enough Durao-iron to inadvertently act as permanent
portal-keys, but Durao-iron is otherwise fairly useless. Otherwise, most layers that possess a
significant connection to the Styx can also access Durao as well.

Hazards
The Styx: The Styx is slightly more potent within Durao than it is upon Pazunia and the Will save DC
to resist amnesia is 30 upon Durao. One interesting observation about Iron Shores is that since the
layer's flooding, the Styx seems to be gradually becoming less potent. As this is largely unprecedented
it contributes to the theory that the current nature of the layer stems from the direct intervention of
Charon in ancient times.
Stygian Maelstroms: The Styx is affected by the randomness of The Abyss as well within Durao. Each
day, whirlpools spontaneously form within it, destroying weaker structures and Styx-craft as well as
crushing to death any being unfortunate or foolish enough to get caught in one (or for that matter,
tossed into one for amusement or to eliminate a rival). Stygian maelstroms deal 10d6 points of
damage per round and last for 1d4 rounds. In addition to the normal array of hazards involved when
vessels get caught in maelstroms, Stygian maelstroms also have a 25% chance of sending victims to
Pazunia or other Depths Below where a significant presence if they are sucked down to the bottom of
the vortex and are unable to escape from it (Ref save DC 25). Some of the layers of other Realities or
other locations in The Abyss are chosen from the chart below:

Dice roll

Plane

Khalas, Gehenna

Oinos, The Grey Wastes of Despair

Pazunia

Az'zagrat

Slugbed

Othrys, The Wretched Depths of Carceri

A Stygian maelstrom has a 5% chance of affecting any given area within a 200 foot radius upon a
single day (rolled once an hour).

Menaces
Abyssal Mosquitoes: One of the more common threats in Durao are massive swarms of Abyssal
mosquitoes. This vicious form of Abyssal fauna has found a new source of sustenance in the form of
demonic bile-making it one of the few life forms that can ingest it without being lethally poisoned in
the process. An Abyssal mosquito swarm deals 6d6 points of damage per round to all creatures caught
within it (8d6 per round to demons instead), and their attacks are treated as both magical and cold
iron for the purposes of penetrating damage reduction. Although efforts have been made to somehow
use them as a weapon against other demons or reliably direct them towards opposing camps they
have generally failed. The smallest Abyssal mosquito swarms are merely 10 feet in diameter as they
fly across the layer, searching for blood and Bile. The largest swarms in comparison can be nearly a
thousand feet wide and damaging enough that all demons save balors take cover against their
attacks.
Although Abyssal mosquitoes can be devastating to weaker masses of demons caught within them or
stronger demons incapable of using teleportation or flight to escape, they are less dangerous than
would initially appear. In no way are the swarms quiet and a Perception check (DC 15) will provide at
least 1d4 minutes' warning as to their approach. The nature of their lifecycle also provides some
indicators as to when and where a swarm is about to arise. Abyssal mosquito larvae are one of the few
life forms that can survive in The Styx and are dependent on it for their survival. Their blood red eggs
and rise to the surface when they are about to start hatching-causing the Styx itself to appear as if a
major battle had just took place at that particular location. Fortunately (or at least, so far), no Abyssal
mosquito swarm has ever been discovered that is immune to poison except for Bile. In this way,
regions that have been modified to exude poison, such as the Toxic Miasma, are unplagued by the
mosquitoes, and any spell such as cloudkill that can mass intoxicate them is sufficient to convince the
surviving insects to find less combative quarry.
Eight Fold Death: Few creatures incarnate the hazards of exploring Durao to a more significant
degree than a nightmarish creation whose name, best translated from Abyssal, is the Eight Fold Death
(Eight-headed Abyssal Dracohydra 30 HD). One of the largest dracohydras in existence, the Eight Fold
Death was first unleashed upon the layer shortly before The Four Cross. Although it cannot destroy
any of Durao's larger faction-regions or more significant armies, it is certainly capable of devastating
smaller groups of demons and demonic thralls, and possesses an uncanny degree of wariness in terms
of ambushing those beings that it can successfully slaughter without giving away its true location and
strength. Both Va'azhuun and Demogorgon are currently seeking it not to kill it, but to control it and
add it to their roster of defenders for Shipyards Macabre and The Maws and respectively.
Thlolluth: The flooding of Durao was not initially seen by all of the qlippothim as a loss for them.
Some of them took advantage of the growing difficulties of using Durao by the qlippothim and its loss
of landmass to expand their power. Among the most notable of these inadvertent beneficiaries was the

demon prince Rahab. He sent one of his most potent minions, the myrmyxicus Thlolluth (44 HD) in
order to wrest as much control over Durao as possible. In this manner, Rahab had intended to use the
Stygian connections of Durao to spread myrmyxici and other qlippothim not only throughout The
Abyss, but elsewhere in the Depths Below. However, Rahab's schemes with regards to Thlolluth were
not entirely successful. Through a series of machinations that neither Thlolluth or even Rahab fully
comprehend, the potent myrmyxicus found himself trapped not only within one of the pyramids of
Durao, but in a submerged edifice completely surrounded by waters that would be memory-sapping
even to the potent aquatic demon.
However, because Thlolluth was physically entrapped did not render it incapable of exerting any
influence over the layer. The myrmyxicus was not without resources when it began lurking upon the
layer. Even with its isolation, it was able to transform itself into a being that could remotely influence
those demons and living creatures unfortunate enough to draw its malign intentions. The most
fortunate would find themselves having horrific dreams from which they woke screaming or waking
visions, compelling and yet threatening their very sanity. The less fortunate gave in to Thlolluth's
magicks and were never heard from again.
Thlolluth slowly schemes to get himself released upon a layer that has changed dramatically since his
imprisonment-although his ambitions have not, and his powers have, if anything become more subtle
and devious using its desperation as their fuel. His ultimate goal is to become immune to the memorysapping waters which otherwise limit his movement and then to free himself. To this end, over the
course of the countless millenia in which he has become trapped, he has developed the ability to lure
potential victims into his prison with a wide array of bizarre mind-affecting effects (some of his own
devising). The weaker of these victims he devours in order to increase his chances of acquiring
ravages, while the strong among them may be released temporarily n order to do his bidding-and
after Tholluth steals everything valuable that may help him escape.
Togarin: Other common hazards that explorers are likely to face, whether those foolish enough to
seek out its secrets willingly, or beings attempting to flee the wrath of one or more of the swamp
layer's factions, are its wide array of Abyssal oozes. Durao possesses several unique species of aquatic
and Abyssal-adapted oozes. Among the more significant are the glowing stranglers, colossal oozes
which are named for their phosphorescent and corrosive tentacles which they shoot out of the water,
wrapping them around victims' necks and limbs, and then drag them into the depths of the Styx.
Another potent menace comes in the form of the drowning voices, which emit a telepathic suggestion
that causes beings to leap into the Styx water. After diving in, the ooze immobilizes victims not
immediately forced into slumber through altering the water around them and then devours its victims
at its leisure. Unlike the portal oozes of Pazunia, the togarin of Durao seem to be native to the layer
and were never placed there as a form of reprisal or means of extending any particular Abyssal lord's
power

Locations
The following are among the best known regions affiliated with potent demons upon Durao:
Boilmire: The territory controlled by Kardum, Boilmire is one of the easiest embarkation points to find
within Durao due to the fact that as one approaches it, the temperature gets both hotter, and the air
becomes filled with ever increasing amounts of steam. Within Boilmire proper and a mile around it, the
superheated water can actually harm creatures, dealing 2d6 points of fire damage per round, with the
stone quays and bridges connecting Boilmire dealing 2d4 points of fire damage (Ref save DC 15) upon
physical contact each round instead. Boilmire is controlled by one of Kardum's most ambitious and
clever molydei Grayscale (30 HD/gestalt warblade), who because of his competence is allowed to
manage a significant portion of the Lord of the Sixth Pyre's military campaigns-while keeping him far
too occupied and spied upon by Kardum's other minions to attempt to repeat Alzrius' successful
overthrow of his predecessor.
In addition to Grayscale, Boilmire's forces are all fire-warped or ravaged demons that can survive in its
environs without taking significant damage themselves. The most notable among them are the Ashen

Death, a massive horde of babau which generate toxic and acidic smoke in battle in order to dissolve
their foes, as well as using the cover to slaughter their hellish and demonic opponents. The Ashen
Death are by no means the entirety of Kardum's forces upon Boilmare, and they also include a wide
array of fire-adapted vrocks, mariliths, and even several balors of far lesser stature than the ambitious
demon lord.
Boilmire can be reached by placing a small amount of demonic bile or other excretion into a container
like a mortar, and then heating it until most of the liquid evaporates. The residue pattern remaining on
the bottom of the container will invariably point the correct direction in order to reach the territory of
Kardum.
Eight Blades: One of the newest regions within Durao is that belonging to the recently freed and
extremely infamous klurichir Shaktari. The territory formerly belonged to Asklariri, a Fallen that was
previously affiliated with Balan until the demon prince's defeat by Bael during the Four Cross. The final
defeat of those Fallen that survived death enabled "Malicious Luck" to eventually take it over for
himself-and by the time that anyone realized the true nature of the atrocity that the glabrezu mage
served, he was too deeply entrenched for practically any other power in Durao to dislodge except at
great cost.
The Eight Blades' most prominent demon is the extremely ancient glabrezu known simply as
"Malicious Luck" (28 HD glabrezu/gestalt sorcerer/fiend of corruption 5). It is often rumored that
Malicious Luck was actually one of the original demons affiliated with Shaktari during her original reign
of terror who wandered for endless millenia and with her liberation, has chosen to re-associate himself
with her for reasons of his own. An extraordinarily potent manipulator, he has been responsible for
restocking the Eight Blades with demons suckered into serving Shaktari's agenda, or otherwise
attracting those demons that are fleeing from other powers of The Abyss, and wish to use the
constant warfare of Durao and The Blood War to conceal themselves or increase their power.
Although the glabrezu has a long and infamous history ruining mortal lives, he is far more ill-reputed
within The Abyss for his preferred habits: tempting demons instead. It remains unknown precisely
how he came to acquire his powers-but those who serve him (and by extension, Shaktari) find
themselves benefitting from a nearly endless array of fortuitous coincidences that aid them in battle
and in their other taskings. In comparison, abandoning them, or merely acting incompetently leads to
a similarly endless and disastrous array of failures-which usually prove lethal for the demons involved.
Through these powers of temptation he has gradually accumulated an array of disparate mazza'im
minions for Shaktari.
The Eight Blades has not been part of Durao long enough to be affiliated with a novel means of finding
it-which has as both advantage and disadvantage that anyone who wants to find it, can do so-whether
their intentions are supportive of Shaktari's, or antithetical to her ambitions. However, it is generally
considered to be two days' travel away from a region called the Strangled Fen, a particularly
dangerous swamp overgrown with hostile Abyssal plant life that is in turn a day away from the main
Stygian branch into Durao.
Future's Ebb: Although Elazalag does not directly participate in The Blood War, many of her demonic
clients do so. Their iron ships need fresh souls in order to power the spells transporting them
throughout the Depths Below or The Abyss. Souls as spell components are always in demand for
future battles. Not surprisingly, Elazalag's minions participate in selling souls within Durao and in an
environment as prone to slaughter and betrayal as Durao, such sales must be guarded. The region in
which Elazalag's abat-dolorin ply their nightmarish wares to other demonic personages within Durao is
known as Future's Ebb.
Generally, Future's Ebb is the closest that Durao possess to anything approximating a market-although
the goods sold there are universally malevolent in both construction and utility, and geared towards
those purposes that are most immediate to the eternal conflicts of the layer's denizens. Future's Ebb
does not deal particularly heavily in weapons or dretches. The former are mostly handled by each
faction independently, while the latter would make Future's Ebb a competitor to the chasme and
molydei roaming the layer looking for 'recruits'. What it does trade instead are souls for spellcasting,
personal augmentation and transformation, negative levels for sustenance, Bile, and a massive array

of poisons-many of which have been specially crafted to affect devils, daemons, and other beings that
would otherwise be immune to such. While the poison markets of Future's Ebb are nowhere near as
diverse as those found in Az'zagrat, their convenient location with regards to the front lines of The
Blood War gives them a significant mercantile advantage-especially for those individuals and factions
that are otherwise barred from seeking more convenient resources.
A wide array of abat-dolorin lay claim to being the true rulers of Future's Ebb. All such claims are
false, and instead, Elazalag has placed a kelvezu, Fang Recurved (16 HD/Souleater 5) in charge to the
extent such matters. He also spies for Graz'zt since although Graz'zt is interested in other pursuits
than The Blood War, he still maintains a compelling interest in ensuring that it is directed away from
causing too much damage to his goals, and encouraging his most prominent and intransigent rivals to
fight each other with little hope of permanent victory (a not particularly difficult tasking), although he
does not participate in encouraging such strife directly. He has also been quietly informed to keep an
eye in particular on the rising power of Eight Blades and Shaktari's minions by Vuron.
Neither Future's Ebb nor Fang Recurved take any interest in siding with any faction in Durao, lest by
doing so they make themselves a target for rivals beyond the prospects of robbery and generalized
antipathy. The last 'ruler' in charge of Future's Ebb that did so (against Elazalag's wishes and in
pursuit of side profits for herself) found themselves facing the blades of Elazalag's most prominent
marilith, Viracthuth, as punishment and their corpse was carved apart and hung on stakes around the
borders of Future's Ebb as a very explicit warning against taking sides. Generally, Future's Ebb's forces
are relatively small, and they are oriented more towards either diverting potential combat challengers
away from the region or drowning them in the Styx as quickly as possible.
Future's Ebb can be reached through the use of a blood-stained coin carried by one or more of the
beings that are attempting to see it. As they get closer to the region shadows grow unnaturally longer
regardless of the time of day, and eventually bridges across the Styx and buildings will appear that are
otherwise invisible.
Hell's Bane: One of the few remnants of one of The Abyss' most ill-fated demon princes is the Durao
region controlled by Balan: Hell's Bane. Before the Four Cross, and before Balan's rise to power met
an abrupt end through the treachery of the then-Warlord Bael, Hell's Bane was one of the most
populous and potent regions within the layer. Balan's influence upon it was sufficiently strong that
infernal infiltrators and saboteurs found themselves drastically weakened by the very process of
approaching it, making them easy targets for those demons and Fallen that followed him.
Hell's Bane was heavily sabotaged even before the Four Cross, as Graz'zt found Balan's activities
against Hell largely antithetical to his own agendas. He did everything that he could indirectly to
frustrate Balan's ambitions with regards to The Blood War using minions that were not vulnerable to
Hell's Bane's power. The defeat of Balan at the culmination of the Four Cross not only left Balan
powerless for a time, but it also accursed him with a reputation of incompetence and a vastly
weakened army which his rivals eagerly pounced upon in the interests of both vengeance and
regaining their strength. Those few demons that still remain loyal to the Demon Prince of Carnage
(mostly because most other denizens of The Abyss will kill them even if they abandon him at this
point) are constantly occupied with defending themselves against attacks from demons and daemonic
mercenaries to the point where they have far less time to attack the denizens of Hell any more. Within
Durao itself, Hell's Bane is particularly threatened by Kardum (who often attacks it from Boilmire), The
Maws for some particularly obscure offense taken by Demogorgon, and the growing power of Illsender
and the Jade Ziggurat. Hell's Bane's increasingly despondent warlord is the fallen ophanim Rabdos The
Blind Strangler (18 HD/Reaping Mauler 5), a former champion of the Defender of Strength who
followed Balan in The Great Fall through the promise of combat in which to prove himself-and now
finds himself facing the prospect of endless slaughter when he will eventually be completely overrun.
Its forces otherwise consist of a variety of Fallen, as well as those minor demons (none more potent
than a nalfeshnee) whose power is otherwise insufficient for them to break away from Balan, or
otherwise know that their fates would be worse by abandoning him than by remaining with him
instead.
Hell's Bane can be reached with the severed head of any creature of lawful evil alignment. The mouth
will open up and moan when it is pointed in the correct direction to reach one of the few remaining

strongholds of Balan within The Abyss-or anywhere else in Creation for that matter. The region has no
specific property affiliated with it-as a reflection of the diminishing powers-and prospects for survival
of Balan himself.
The Jade Ziggurat: One of the choicest locations in Durao (as well as one of the more visually
notable) is the Jade Ziggurat. A vast structure constructed entirely of green stone long-scarred by
bloodshed and violence, it extends several hundred feet into the air and much further downwards
beneath the murky Stygian waters. The Jade Ziggurat once belonged to Laraie The Hunter, a potent
and chaotic Fallen that followed Balan both into The Abyss and in his lust for the annihilation of
Perdition's minions. However, with the revolt of the balor atrocity Illsender and those other notable
demons that lashed out against the broken power of Balan after the Four Cross, Laraie was forced out
of Durao and is still forced to flee from Illsender's efforts to hunt him down and slaughter him.
Illsender extirpated all traces of the Jade Ziggurat's former occupants shortly afterwards and took over
the Jade Ziggurat himself. Its value to the mighty balor atrocity consists of the fact that it connects to
some of the most continuously contested regions within Gehenna that are relatively proximate to The
Styx. It is for this reason that Balan and Laraie captured it relatively quickly in their rise to power-and
why those that came to loathe them for their incompetence took it back from them as soon as the
opportunity to do so arose.
Aside from Illsender himself, who enjoys rallying his armies of demons into Blood War battles
personally, Zsilist The Faithbreaker (marilith ur-priest 10) is the most common demon loyal to the
rising atrocity responsible for holding onto Illsender's territory, and defending it from all threatsdemonic and infernal. The forces of Jade Ziggurat are mostly composed of rutterkin, vrock, and
hezrou, with nalfeshnee and mariliths responsible for larger groups. Beyond Blood War involvement,
the demons of Jade Ziggurat mostly fights against Hell's Bane in an attempt to both annihilate any
remaining traces of Balan upon the layer and in to capture the portal leading to the demon prince's
layer for Illsender himself. Jade Ziggurat can be found by sticking a jade needle or blade into the flesh
of another creature, who will in turn feel a burning sensation upon their skin as they get closer to it.
Paths of Truth: Although Baphomet and his minions easily have sufficient power to create a semipermanent base for themselves in Durao, the Father of Truth has opted against doing so. Instead,
Baphomet and his minions embraced the fickleness of geography in Durao, creating a mobile region
simultaneously deadly and exceptionally difficult to assault known as the Paths of Truth. The Paths of
Truth are largely migratory through Durao, annihilating any lesser factions unfortunate enough to get
in their way when their demonic denizens are forced to serve Baphomet in The Blood War or against
Yeenoghu, or are simply crushed to death by the changes in spatial structure inflicted by the Paths of
Truth's proximity. This is entirely deliberate, as Baphomet announces his growing might-and also uses
his actions as a cover for getting closer to Reeking Larder and deliberately provoking Yeenoghu into a
confrontation within Durao.
The Paths are a vast, sporadically constructed labyrinth of wooden planks and bones. Gravity is
perpendicular to every surface, horizontal and vertical, which is otherwise large enough to support a
creature's weight. This has made the Paths-much to the increasing frustrations of both Yeenoghu and
Sgrox-a phenomenally difficult target for them to attack successfully even with Sgrox's army of
vrocks. They are also notorious for being one of the most mobile locations within Durao, as in order to
simultaneously avoid the other factions such as the Wrath of the Dead or The Maws and eliminate
weaker competitors, lagging areas of The Paths are destroyed while new areas are constantly
conquered and altered-making it an exceptionally dangerous region for those weaker demons and
factions unfortunate enough to be caught in its path.
The region does not possess any kind of clearly recognizable leader. Often it seems as if those
responsible for its expansion and deconstruction act without any external input whatsoever from
anyone or anything. At the same time, one of the most potent individuals affiliated with it is The Leer
(half-fiend giant fighter 15/barbarian 10), an bovine-horned giant whose face has been twisted into a
permanent, twisted smile and is one of the most potent combatants affiliated with the region.
The Paths of Truth's forces are mostly minotaurs and giants as far as their mortal components are
concerned, with a significant populations of ghours, glabrezu, goristroi, nabassu, and even some
balors. They can be found with any item, mundane or otherwise magical, carved out of the horn ivory

of a minotaur or ghour. Both creatures given their affiliation with Baphomet historically are capable of
finding the region innately.
The Recurved Scimitar: There are very few demons, mazza'im or qlippoth, that can claim to be
native to Durao or even close to such since the layer's immersion. One of the rare exceptions and one
of the oldest and most potent marilith atrocities in existence is Vehnaremne. After her extended
affiliation with Shaktari and the disastrous end which came to her mistress, she simply decided to
affiliate with no particular power of The Abyss whatsoever for any period of time, and easily had
sufficient power to support herself, betraying both the other demons that remained 'loyal' to the
klurichir faction after Shaktari's incarceration, and also ensuring through her victories that the Abyssal
lords that supported The Blood War found her survival preferable to her demise. It is thus not
surprising that she maintains a sizable region within Durao-which in fact, is some of the largest
territory that she controls anywhere in The Abyss. Vehnaremne's success in The Blood War and her
mastery of Durao's geography served her well for most of her history.
However, it was during the rise of Balan in which she was more sorely tested in her knowledge as
Balan sought to bring nearly all atrocities and other Abyssal personages under his claw in The Blood
War. Vehnaremne was seen as too unwilling to serve him and so she was targetted for assassination
by the Prince of Carnage. She only survived through hiding within a demiplane whose only entrance
was within Durao. With the collapse of Balan's power Vehnaremne freed herself, using the chaos of
Balan's retreats to carve out more territory and power for herself upon-or rather, below-Durao than
ever. This region is the Recurved Scimitar.
The territory generally recognized as belonging to Vehnaremne consists of a series of unassuming
limestone and obsidian towers, deeply encrusted with unwholesome growths and with little in the way
of connective piers or structures between them-and most of these are only used to release warbeasts
and other massive creatures for future battles. This is an entirely intentional deception-as Vehnaremne
is the only demon atrocity to succeed where no others have, and most of the Recurved Scimitar's true
strength of arms lies well underneath the water's surface and is even subterranean in nature. Caverns
hold supplies and troops, while tunnels dug into buildings from below and the buildings themselves
emptied of water allow the Recurved Scimitar to appear to be physically discontinuous, while in
actulaity forming a vast network where few can observe her actions-or her strategems.
The bulk of Recurved Scimitar's forces are composed of hezrou and babau, with the typically massive
numbers of rutterkin providing support in terms of sheer numbers for Vehnaremne's hordes. Stygian
water elementals controlled by one of Vehnaremne's magical items and various togarin are used to do
most of the excavating and to destroy vessels that may come to close to figuring out the secrets of
the regions. Besides the marilith atrocity herself the most notable personage is the wastrilith atrocity
Yleptist (30 HD), who abandoned Demogorgon and Gaping Maw shortly before Balan's rise to power,
whose ability to evade capture was deliberatedly aided by Vehnaremne, and whose continued
independent existence helped to exacerbate tensions between The Devourer of Souls and the Fallen
demon prince when Balan seized control of much of Durao.
Beyond participating in The Blood War, Recurved Scimitar's other notable interest is in spying on most
of the other factions. This is accomplished through Vehnaremne's unique methods of using the layer's
geography itself to her advantage, occuping buildings that are adjacent and unoccupied or abandoned
as vantage points. Such information that Vehnaremne gathered seems to be mostly used to aid her
allies upon the layer, which are primarily the Shipyards Macabre and the Jade Ziggurat. However,
those who know Vehnaremne suspect that her goals go far beyond merely winning victories in The
Blood War and bolstering other demon atrocities in the eternal conflict.
The non submerged region of Recurved Scimitar can be found with a knife or edged weapon with any
significant curvature stained with the blood of either Vehnaremne or a being that loyally serves her.
Approaching the region causes a personalized hallucination, slightly different for all who perceive it,
that the blood intensifies in color and freshness.
Reeking Larder: Among the few vaguely mortal clerics to have much involvement in The Blood
War is the cannibalistic champion of Yeenoghu Sgrox (marquis gnoll ranger 10/cleric 16/scavenger of
Yeenoghu 10). The offspring of a particularly potent gnoll sorceress and a vrock proxy with a long

history of association with the Prince of Gnolls, Sgrox earned the dubious value of recognition by the
Lord of Carrion by slaughtering and devouring most of his tribe for being insufficiently faithful to the
demon prince. Shortly afterwards, he was rewarded by being allowed to come to Maggot's Feast, and
clawed his way up into being powerful enough to participate significantly in Yeenoghu's campaigns in
both The Blood War and against Baphomet throughout the Realms Beyond.
The Reeking Larder is named as much for its stench as his Sgrox's 'trophy taking' habits-which largely
consist of taking corpses of prisoners from whichever rival factions or fiends are defeated in the most
recent battles, staking them, and then letting them rot until they are either properly edible or he
grows bored with seeing their suffering and reanimates mortals as ghouls in order to bolster his
armies. Sgrox is not known for his patience as much as he is known for his hunger. Few corpses last
longer than two weeks at best upon the wickedly recurved metal spikes and other implements of
agony draped across the blood-red, rusted iron structures of the region.
Reeking Larder's troops are composed of hordes of half-fiendish and even marquis gnolls (some of
which are rumored to be Yeenoghu's other vile offspring), Abyssal ravagers, armanites, vrocks, and a
wide variety of gruesome undead. Reeking Larder also possesses the second largest force of lacedons
(aquatic ghouls) in Durao after Orcus' Wrath of the Dead. These are often used to annihilate rivals that
stray too close to the region and to destabilize his rivals. Of late-given his lack of success at
destroying the Paths of Truth through conventional attacks and the increasing threat this presents to
his continued survival-he has begun to awaken the lacedons. His goal is to build a force capable of
attacking the Paths' troops and underlying foundations while remaining submerged in the Stygian
depths, and ideally causing the entire edifice to collapse into the sentience-stealing water. Should
Sgrox succeed where his precedessors have failed lethally, it would greatly raise his status in
Yeenoghu's yellowed eyes and significantly set Baphomet back.
Reeking Larder can be reached by any being that carries a piece of flesh carved living from their own
species (whether mortal or outsider), and the scent of Yeenoghu's territory will grow stronger as they
approach it regardless of the particular direction involved.
Serpent's Fangs: The territory controlled by the largest molydeus faction in Durao, The Serpent's
Fangs mostly hires itself out to whichever side is offering the most money-and which it determines,
largely through unknown means, to be having more success in The Blood War at any given time.
Beyond the molydei, all of which are competent champions of The Blood War, The Serpent's Fangs
controls a significant portion of the chasme in the layer not affiliated with any other faction and has
extensive reach elsewhere in The Abyss-particularly as far as finding individuals that it regards as
having abandoned The Blood War, or have acted particularly incompetently and so will be punished
lethally for their weakness.
The Serpent's Fangs were founded after The Four Cross by a core of molydei that had private doubts
about both Balan and Bael, but successfully managed to avoid both the debacle of Bael's betrayal-and
the subsequent reprisals by Balan against those who he could accuse of being responsible (save for
himself) and successfully get away with it. The most notable molydeus and chasme within the Fangs
are Pleriix (26 HD molydeus) and Xiz (18 HD chasme) respectively. Pleriix is the closest that the Fangs
have to a 'leader', although given that the other molydei among the Fangs are of roughly equivalent
power to her, she treads carefully around them far more than virtually any other being within Durao.
In comparison, Xiz is responsible for doing much of the spying-both for the Fangs' themselves and
against opponents-necessary to keep them from being subsumed into any of the larger factions. So
far, this arrangement has lasted for centuries and does not seem particularly likely to change in the
near future, although Xiz has been made multiple offers from other factions for aid in transformation
and ravaging that could make him even more powerful. That it has rejected them implies that it has
some greater scheme unknown to all but itself.
The Serpent's Fangs occupies a series of slender yet tall towers so as to allow the chasme to launch
themselves off both for ease of defending the region and looking for individual demons sufficiently
weak to be successfully accused. Although the Serpent's Fangs is one of the smaller territories within
Durao, they have influence far beyond territory that is physically controlled both by the vast spying
capabilities of the chasme and their willingness to withdraw support-or even inconveniently change

sides in Durao if they deem another faction's efforts to be insufficient. They can be found most
easily by any being that intends to pay one of the Fangs for troops and dretch 'ammunition'.
Shipyards Macabre: Given Durao's status as a nautical marshaling point for those Abyssal factions
that use the Styx extensively, shipbuilding does take place upon the layer. The most notable of its
facilities is known as the Shipyards' Macabre, based on the method by which these 'crafts' as well as
the shipyards are constructed namely out of virtually any material which can be dismantled and
carted there, demonic, living, dead, or undead.
The Shipyards Macabres extremely informal ruler is the nalfeshnee Va'azhun The Bilewright (28 HD
gestalt sorcerer), who is generally believed to have been thrown out of the Lords of Woe for being
overly obsessed with warping rutterkin and dretches into entertaining yet increasingly implausible
forms to the point where it interfered deleteriously with their efforts otherwise. His predecessor, also a
nalfeshnee who had a grudge against the Lords of Woe based on their attempting to spurn Balan,
provided Va'azhun a relatively safe place to practice his twisted arts. This relationship lasted right up
utnil the moment when Va'azhun decided that his sponsor would be better as ornamentation than as
mentor-and turned the nalfeshnee into the masthead of his personal vessel.
Va'azhun is notoriously mercenary (although to maintain business and self-preservation, he will not
typically break an assignment that he has already been offered) and has created vessels for virtually
every major faction within Durao. He expects payment for his knowledge and his work in the form of
other creatures which he can add to the ships or personally devour. Failing to offer sufficient payment
to him or attempting to go back on ones' tenuously valued word to him causes him to send out one or
more of the many potent molydei that follow him.
Although the Shipyards possess considerable forces of their own, as well as numerous molydeus run
raiding parties to pick off fresh 'material' and plunder weaker territories for resources, their most
potent defenders come from a grouping of atrocities and demon lords, particularly Kardum and
Vehnaremne, that agreed that it would be better for them to ensure that neither The Maws nor the
Wrath of the Dead claimed the Shipyards for themselves instead-and had sufficient force of arms upon
Durao to ensure that their threat is a credible one. The Shipyards are also notable for possessing
Durao's second largest force of wastriliths-who are either sent out upon raiding parties or otherwise
made into ship components depending on how willing they are to cooperate.
The Shipyards Macabre are one of the few stable regions within Durao, despite multiple attempts by
other factions to either displace it, conquer it, or in the case of both the daemons or the Denomination
of Espionage-to sabotage it with varying degrees of success. They can be found with a piece of
driftwood or other aquatic flotsam dipped in the blood or other bodily fluids of a demon. Approaching
the Shipyards causes the stains upon the wood to grow fresher and more intense with increasing
proximity.
The Maws:Most of Durao is largely under temporary control. As with most such rules, there is at least
one notable exception, and among these exceptions, the most infamous is the region known as The
Maws; the Durao territory controlled indirectly by Demogorgon, The Corrupt Creator. The Maws
consists of pair of Styx-water maelstroms each hundreds of feet wide, with a further massive area
encircling both in order to prevent the buildings from being sucked in, and an even more massive area
around both of these in which the demons embarked to The Blood War stay temporarily. The
destinations of The Maws is controlled by feeding the vortices in various ways. Furthermore, the area
on both sides of the portals can be affected by the creatures which are fed into The Maws are fed,
producing the effects listed below. Effects that take place on the other side of the portal affect
everything within a 300 foot radius of the portal, and the save DC is 32.

Maws Results Table

Sustenance

Destination

Result

Demon

Other layers
controlled by
Demogorgon in The
Abyss

Minions of Demogorgon arrive on the other side of the

portal with +4 Str and +4 Con for the next 2d6 rounds,
but are weakened for 1d6 rounds afterwards.

Daemon

The Grey Wastes

Daemons and other creatures of neutral evil alignment

must make a Will save or else be driven temporarily
insane for the next 2d6 rounds.

Devil

Gehenna

Lawful evil creatures on the other side of the portal are

weakened, taking a -4 penalty to their saving throws as
long as they are in the area affected.

Limbo

The area on the other side of the portal becomes

increasingly random. Targetted spells have a 25%
chance of redirecting and hitting an ally of the caster
instead of their intended target.

Slaad/Protea
n

By virtue of the fact that Maw destinations are controlled by feeding them, the demons associated
with this particular location are is also notorious for capturing other beings of belief deliberately to
manipulate its bizarre powers.
The Goat would hardly need a reason to attack The Maws given the mutual and legendary loathing
Orcus and Demogorgon possess for each other. However, the fact that The Maws possesses a stable
(and somewhat even controllable) portal to other destinations within The Depths Below further
motivates him to steal the artifact responsible for controlling The Maws and claim it for himself,
bolstering his power and weakening his rival. In the era of Orcus' first rise to power direct invasion and
reprisal was how he expressed his ambitions. Hardly a day passed without hundreds of corpses
spiralling away uncontrolled into The Maws from the constant bloodshed. However, as The Goat is far
more preoccupied now with avenging himself against The Revenancer and other priorities as compared
to fighting in The Blood War, his attacks against The Maws have turned into increasingly subtle and
bizarre forms of sabotage instead done through expendable intermediaries. Still, some direct conflicts
between The Maws against Wrath of the Dead occur periodically-creating miles long swaths of
devastation in the territory that separates both regions during massive, running battles.
Belcheresk tends to be found in The Maws on irregular occasions and on more sporadic occasions the
Ungorthiax are also here, inciting those demons affiliated with Demogorgon into ever greater horrors.
However, when none of them are present, the being most often affiliated with the maws is the flying
wastrilith Zophalar (35 HD). Otherwise, The Maws' forces consist of a massive array of heavily ravaged
wastriliths, practically all manner of aquatic and terrestrial demons otherwise, and smaller numbers of
aboleths and vampiric ixixtatichitl clerics.
The Maws can be found with any container filled with Styx water from Durao. Even a small cup is
sufficient for this purpose. As the Maws are approached, a pair of eddies will spontaneously form
within the foul liquid and begin rotating around each other with ever increasing speed with increasing
proximity, or slow down to the point of disappearing entirely by moving away from the Maws. Its
location with respect to the rest of The Abyssal Mire is about a day's flight away from the Wrath of the
Dead. The intervening territory in all directions is a no demon's land created by repeating battles and
by several incidents in which Balan incited minor factions to destroy the territory as part of a longer
range scheme to control more of Durao that never came to fruition.
Toxic Miasma: Barely visible through the shimmering heat of the layer, poisonous fogs, and clouds of
aerial vermin are the squat, acid-pitted grey stone towers and docks belonging to the atrocity
Lissa'aere The Noxious. A particularly infamous and bizarre champion of The Abyss, she tends to be
extremely ephemeral in her commands to her troops, depending both on their fortunes in battle
in The Blood War and their ability to defend themselves competently from rivals that are just as willing

to kill them as they are devils and daemons. Toxic Miasma earns its name through the wide variety of
corrosive and poisonous gases that erupt from its surface at the command of the region's
'commander', the viridian-eyed succubus Alyzrien (18 HD succubus), who is widely believed to be
Lissa'aere's daughter by an unknown father. The least virulent of its emanations are merely corrosive,
dealing 6d6 points of acid damage to any creature that inhales or otherwise contacts them (Fort save
DC 20). Responding to the will of its succubus leader or Lissa'aere when she is present, the Miasma
can exude mind-destroying vapors which deal 1d6 points of Wisdom damage per round instead, or far
more toxic acids which can selectively destroy certain creatures or can deal 18d6 points of acid
damage (half of which is vile) per round. The Toxic Miasma's Stygian access connects it to a series of
particularly foul volcanoes within Gehenna, and its troops mostly consist of aerial demons such as
advanced succubi and vrock atrocities, as well as some mariliths and balors.
Toxic Miasma can be found by placing the flesh of a being that died from poison in a bowl of water.
The piece itself will point in the correct direction in a manner analogous to a lodestone for an
impromptu compass. It also need not be fresh, and many of Lissa'aere's minions or those demonic
mercenaries closely affiliated with her use pieces of magically preserved flesh or viscera in order to
find the Miasma with relative reliability.
Tower of Bloodshed: The atrocity Farshantix is one of the most potent mariliths in The Abyss,
immortalized not only through the vast battles she has won but through her daughters: the infamous
Ungorthiax minions of Demogorgon, each nightmarishly potent in their own right. Within Durao, the
territory of Farshantix is equally infamous and is known as the Tower of Bloodshed. The Tower of
Bloodshed earns its namesake through the myriad corpses hung upside down from hooks and ropes
across the exterior of the building, their throats or other applicable anatomies slit so in this manner,
blood and other fluids constantly rain down upon those beings unfortunate enough to be underneath
them, or so twisted by Farshantix's influence as to consider their bloodsplatters a blesssing. The Tower
of Bloodshed is occupied by a horde of battle-crazed mariliths, and those lesser demons sufficiently
terrified of them to be responsible for maintaining the rust-red iron vessels transporting them from
battlefield to battlefield. The Tower of Bloodshed has no specific leader (although some mariliths are
naturally more potent than others), as Farshantix is there enough to supervise and defend it quite
often, and she responds lethally to the idea of any other demon challenging her power there. It can be
found by any being that has an open, bleeding wound-who will instinctively know the correct direction
to the location.
Wrath of the Dead: Wrath of the Dead is that region of Durao which is currently controlled by Orcus.
When The Goat was slain by Kiaransalee, Demogorgon and those other potent demons with significant
forces in The Blood War took the opportunity to either slaughter all minions of Orcus they could find or
'induce' them to switch sides upon risk of death instead of extended torment. However, with the
restoration of The Goat to power, he has reclaimed a region of Durao for the use of those demons and
undead that are prominent in his current, yet relatively minor pursuit of The Blood War. Wrath of the
Dead can be found by any undead creature, who can feel a pull attracting them to the region,
although this implies no particular compulsion to reach the region.
More than the hidden impulses of the restless dead to find the Wrath of the Dead, the region can also
be recognizable by one other notable yet hideous feature: the massive stench emanating from the
region. The charnel vapors generated by Wrath of the Dead can be detected by any creature with the
scent ability within a ten mile radius, and the normal array of mortal senses is sufficient to find it
within a five mile radius instead. Much closer (within a three mile radius), the smell of rotting bodies
and swamp gasses becomes so potent that they nauseate the living (Fort save DC 15), potentially
incapacitating them as well as making living creatures readily detectable by the ravenous ghouls and
vicious demons answering however indirectly to The Goat. Many of the dead bodies are reanimated as
lacedons which provide further defenses to the region. The most potent are instead reanimated as
drowned (MMIII) which join the ships of the dead or otherwise defend it.
Wrath of the Dead is ostensibly divided in control between the mature nabassu Grax (18 HD/gestalt
scout), and "Captain" Axsikor (corpse human sorcerer 16/sea witch 10). The undead mage controls
the All Hands Lost, the vast flagship of his undead fleet crewed entirely by drowned mortals from
Durao as well as those he creates when he brings the ship to The Mortal Coil, captures other nautical
vessels, and ritually slaughters their passengers and crew to augment his own forces. Axsikor spent

most of the period in which Orcus was dead upon The Mortal Coil to evade reprisals from Orcus'
myriad enemies but returned to Durao in particular once he learned of The Goat's restoration to
power. In reality, it is the single place within The Abyss where the Sleepless molydei exert the most
influence-as they can slaughter other demons here with few issues in terms of reprisals back in
Thanatos.
Vaults of the Qlippoth: The ancient nature of Durao means that there are extremely dangerous
creatures and artifacts located deep under the Stygian water, and in those pyramids that were sealed
by the qlippothim, as well as in those distant wilds of the layer where few creatures, even among the
demons, dare to go. Although no being is particularly enthused with finding these prisoners and
treasures, carefully cast divinations have revealed hazards including at least one other potent and
imprisoned qlippothim beyond Thlolluth, several major artifacts, and a portal leading to a layer upon of
which no other information, other than it is a layer of The Abyss, could be determined.
The immersion of Durao was hardly instantaneous or even fast, and the qlippothim had ample time
between when the Styx first began rising and its conquest by the mazza'im to remove most items of
value and minions from it. However, their efforts to evacuate the layer were hardly carried to
completion, much less coordinated. Within some of the flooded buildings and other remnants of the
qlippothim there still exist treasures that were either forgotten, or were not able to be moved easily.
Although most demons within Durao are too busy fighting with their rivals to explore these vaults, and
alternately, remember quite well the consequences of doing so, on occasion vaults either open
independently or are accidentally opened. In such cases, discoveries such as the bebilithmanipulating Limb of Isqilith have been made by those fortunate-or unfortunate-enough to be
responsible. Generally, reaching a qlippothic vault involves diving to the greatest depths of the Styx in
Durao (which can be anywhere from one hundred to five hundred feet downwards), attempting to find
a door, and then working out which conditions are necessarily to open it. Qlippothic vaults are
generally equivalent in difficulty of opening to those found within The Grand Abyss, as Durao originally
used many of its same techniques in construction.
Durao Knowledge (the planes) Table
Knowledge (the
planes) DC

Sample Information Acquired

20

Durao is a major marshalling point for The Abyss in The Blood War.

25

Durao can be reached through portals activated with small amounts of iron
taken from a Durao structure, or through pouring bilge or Styx-water onto a
portal.

30

Durao was flooded comparatively recently in Abyssal history.

35

You are aware of the most potent factions that control territory in Durao and
how to reach their respective regions-or just as importantly-how to avoid
them.

40

The qlippothim controlled a geographically distinct Durao during the period of

their greatest power and lost items of theirs may be below the waters.

45

Durao as a layer may be fracturing between its original change as a layer and
the constant struggles taking place between factions upon it currently.

Cogerron
By John Harris, Sean Surface
Currently Recognized Layer Number: 444
Name: Cogerron, The Pathless Nightmare, The Torment of the Unshaped
Ruler: None Currently Known
Variable Gravity
Normal Time
Secrets abound within The Abyss. A physical incarnation of secrecy as a concept is the labyrinth, with
the potential of hidden passageways and valuables long lost-and perhaps better off for having been
such. Among the many labyrinths of The Abyss, one of the most infamous and mysterious is the
maze-layer Cogerron. Lacking a known master, the conflicts that rage over Cogerron have sprung as
much from the great hatred between the demonic powers represented there as the tantalizing secrets
contained within the layers embrace. That it once was a part of some eminently powerful beings
domain is evident in the ruins that dot its landscape, in its terrible guardians, and in the incredibly
complex mechanism that lies beneath its surface. That this lord was also powerful, evil beyond
measure, and alien in thought beyond most demonic reckoning is just as obvious. In a plane of
manifold dangers Cogerron is one of the most perilous locations of all.

Description
Cogerron is anything but barren. Most of its surface is a limitless jungle covered in vines and growths
of impossible colors and shapes. This flora made seemingly of some manner of pulpy flesh rather
than genuine vegetable substance. It bleeds, it wriggles, and it is invariably malevolent. Even when it
poses no obvious danger, it moves of itself to hinder anything within reach. The roughly flat ground is
composed of similar material, though harder and denser; the landscape is broken up by numerous
depressions and sinkholes, many of enormous size as well as great mountains of black basalt that
stand alone, erupting from the ground as though they have no real connection to the simulated earth.
The layer seems to lack any volcanic activity, though the ground is known on occasion to heave,
opening and closing sinkholes at random or tearing open to spew out feculent gases or other horrid
discharges. Over it all a pale sea-green, half-twilit sky stretches, filled with alien celestial
arrangements, moons and stars and planets that collide and dance around each other; there is no
record of the phenomena in the sky resembling any known pattern of stars. To date few have
attempted to investigate the strange vista and none have successfully discovered its distance. The
horizons are illuminated by green aurorae shifting in maddening waltzes. The light of Cogerron is
always dusky and no actual sun has ever been seen to shed any bright illumination on the layer.
What quickly becomes apparent to even the most dull-witted observer is that there is no consistency
of shape, color, or activity in Cogerron other than it is all strange, and very little is even nominally
harmless. Everything is disconcertingly alive and menacing and there is an omnipresent and palpable
feeling of watchfulness and malevolent intention. Whether mortal or immortal, any visitor to Cogerron
likely feels an unending, mind-gnawing dread spawned by the unknown malefic presence that once
resided here.
Beneath the surface of Cogerron stretches a labyrinth arguably more intricate and vast than any so far
catalogued in Creation. Much of it has yet to be explored. On its surface are ruins such as freestanding
walls and occasional structures, many of extraordinary size and all of foreboding, twisted shapes.
Terraced pyramids, always constructed with uneven numbers of sides and steps and never quite
adhering to so simple a word as structure, huge edifices that appear to be shrines of some sort, and
mazeworks of basalt and the pseudo-vegetable life are most often observed, but again there is
perhaps no way to call any feature of Cogerron common in any sense. Vines grow over nearly every
ruin, piercing the walls and wrapped tightly around them, exposing only detailed mandalas and
multicursal patterns as if their very existence repels the plants. Intricate stelae are nearly everywhere,

many of them complex puzzles that can be arranged with little effort despite their incredible age;
these stelae manipulate the layer itself in ways that are rarely immediately apparent (when they are
not also immediately deadly); while some affect local factors, there are numerous examples of stelae
causing layer-wide adjustments and upheavals, or even implied changes that are clear only in the
shaking of the ground and the sound of the mechanism underground. The mechanism which affects
Cogerrons configuration has never been glimpsed despite numerous attempts at digging beneath and
around the stelae (an often suicidal act as such attempts almost invariably attracts the attention of
Cogerrons denizens).
The labyrinths beneath the surface drink up all light and strangle the soul almost from the first step.
The intricacy of its roughly hewn passages is staggering, and the halls themselves vary in size from
mammoth chambers to minute arteries impassable by anything larger than an insect. The vague
malevolence of the surface becomes an oppressive and all-encompassing presence, almost palpable,
almost as solid as the walls. The most immediate dangers besides its plant life are the vile hunters
that kill and eat anything they find roaming the halls called the Ones Blind Beneath. There are some
other denizens of The Pathless Nightmare. Squamous spewers (Draconomicon), chokers, and sentient
wooden statuary with powers similar to those of elder and rogue eidolons (Lords of Madness, MMII)
are among the most common. With the exception of the eidolons, none of the mobile creatures of
Cogerron seem to be nativ, although they all seem to be equally incapable of providing any meaningful
input as to when they arrived, or who or what was responsible for their settling within the layer.
Direction in Cogerron, far more than most layers, is a confusing and complex issue as it pays little
heed to mortal conceptions of such. The most overt representation of this comes in the form of even
reaching it in the first place. There is no central point where beings who planeshift into the layer arrive
even if they use its portals in The Grand Abyss or Pazunia. Instead, destination within Cogerron is
controlled by the composition of the group of beings intending to reach the layer, or if they possess
certain items which apparently specify where they are supposed to arrive. Teleportation within
Cogerron is similarly bizarre. The requirements to reach each location are included in each specific
entry.
Regardless of whether Cogerron is entered from Pazunia or elsewhere in The Abyss, the portal key to
enter Cogerron is an unsolved puzzle. The unsolved puzzle need not be particularly complex, however,
and it can be as simple as a child's toy left incomplete or as genuine as a riddle asked of another being
to which they are genuinely incapable of guessing the answer. The one holding the puzzle upon entry
must be unable to solve the puzzle itself; a minion may be used to open the portal in the place of the
one genuinely desiring entry, or spells or abilities which drain Intelligence in order to be accepted may
be used. Cogerron can be departed by making a contribution to the layer's complexity and then
planeshifting normally either through one's own power or through the aid of a magic item. This can
consist of anything as simple as adding additional information or even simply triggering any stelae and
departing within five minutes. However, given the potential lethality involved in triggering the stelae,
in practice there are a small number of stelae of limited influence used specifically for this purpose
that are also heavily guarded due to their utility.

History
One of the paradoxes of Cogerron is that for all its vast age it has only become known to the more
common array of Abyssal personages relatively recently. It is Abraxas that is credited with first
reaching Cogerron since whatever lost age it was ruled by its own prince, entering it via The Grand
Abyss Abraxas was amazed by the antiquity of Cogerrons features, which were ancient even to the
reckoning of his former qlippothic masters. In the ages since, he has never yet known of a single
qlippoth entering Cogerron until recently, nor have any of the remaining qlippothic lords seemed to
take interest in the struggle over the layer with the exceptions of Vuron indirectly (whose presence
may be an indication of general qlippothic disinterest or otherwise unique knowledge of the layer) and
Zuggtmoy, whose interest is extremely recent, furtive, and as yet unknown to the Lord of Mysteries.
Although Abraxas was the first mazza'im to enter Cogerron, he would hardly be the last. Abraxas
managed to conceal the existence and his knowledge of The Pathless Nightmare from what qlippothim
had survived the Second War of Law and Chaos. Some time afterwards, such surviving qlippothim as
existed eventually discerned through magic that Abraxas, as well as most of the other prominent

klurichir of Madness and Bile, such as Shaktari, Siragle, Laz'bralthull, The Guardian of Gates, and the
Guardian of Realms, all had visited the layer upon the same day and shortly before the major battles
of that titanic conflict began. Precisely what transpired upon that day remains unknown as well.
Despite Abraxas' great interest in the layer he was not able to devote all of his attentions to it
between attempting to maintain his power as a demon prince, ensuring that he was not betrayed by
the other klurichir during Madness and Bile, and fighting against the surviving qlippothim. Nor was he
ever willing to attempt to seize control of Cogerron directly and turn it into a second layer that he
directly ruled out of fear of some consequence that is as yet unspoken. Instead, he turned to an
ambitious, yet unfortunately for him, underestimated demon lord who had already developed a
portfolio related to labyrinths and those that spawn within them in order to protect Abraxas' holdings
with Cogerron: Baphomet. Baphomet, in turn, seemed to make his own array of discoveries upon
Cogerron which allowed him and those who followed him to evade any consequences of their betrayal
and made their own bid to claim the secrets of the layer for themselves, using a second entrance upon
Pazunia to covertly enter and leave it. Knowledge of this second entrance eventually became far more
common to the point where it could no longer be held by any single party reliably, and eventually the
array of factions that occupy the layer currently came to be present upon it. For all of Abraxas'
studies, he now only controls a small but potent force in the layer which is strong enough to maintain
a viable level of contention against even the forces of Demogorgon.

Hazards
Abyssal Flora: The least potent of Cogerron's 'flora' can best be represented as fiendish or even
Corrupted assassin vines. Stronger versions are actively ambulatory or worse still, can alternate
between ambulatory and sessile life cycles depending on which stelae and which beings are active
around them. The flora of Cogerron never actually attacks the Ones Blind Beneath (which again, is
another subject that is actively being researched as to how they are not recognized). Due to the
unique nature of Cogerron's 'flora' it rarely reacts to the normal array of spells and powers aimed
towards plants, and when it does so, such reactions are often random in nature. Some of the better
known spells that are successful, however, include the antilife shell, repulsion, and protection from
evil or other spells that incorporate elements of such. To the extent that there is an explanation for
this it seems to be that these spells work in the general case without assuming that the flora being
repelled is actually conventional plant life.
Average specimens of Cogerron's Abyssal flora slow movement down by 20 feet per round, down to a
maximum of ten feet per round when walking or slithering along the ground. They also deal 2d6 points
of damage to creatures that they constrict or bite at a minimum, although there are regions that are
far more dangerous and can even spew digestive juices and corrosive toxins upon those who trespass
upon its territory.
Cartographic Defiance It is not merely the substance of Cogerron that defies conventional mapping,
it is an innate property of the layer itself. Maps of Cogerron are literally incomprehensible to the point
of threatening the sanity of mortals and what vague tendrils of coherency are even present within
demons. A map that is made of any portion of Cogerron using a durable substance such as paper,
parchment, or even stone only lasts for 1d4 rounds before the writing itself becomes indecipherable by
any means. The single time in which magic was used to create a map it instead created a
living symbol of insanity (MMIII) spell.
Life and Death, One and the Same Everything on Cogerron appears alive. Any spells, abilities, or
effects which are meant to see life energies or differentiate between subtypes as one example kinds
fail because of the overwhelming and omnipresent influence of the layer. Detecting any creature,
specifically or by type, is impossible with the exceptions of divinations targetted towards a specific
individual by name, with personalized parameters and components, and any divination meant to
detect undead. The layer appears unable to respond to the presence of undead creatures, though the
Ones Blind Beneath, the All-Watcher, and all mobile indigenous creatures still track to their movements
or physical presence normally.

Living Sinkholes Throughout the vast majority of Cogerron the land itself is apt to open up beneath
any creatures and structures atop of it. The living sinkholes of Cogerron open over the course of a
single round, allowing a Ref save DC 21 to either get out of the way of the collapsing ground or take
flight in order to avoid falling into them and taking 16d6 points of damage in the process. The Ones
Blind Beneath seem to have no special invulnerability or preternatural senses as to when the sinkholes
will appear either and they are just as vulnerable to falling into them as everything else within
Cogerron. Beyond the innate dangers of the sinkholes they also present a secondary hazard in that
several forms of Cogerron's flora have adapted themselves to germinate and grow rapidly in the hopes
of devouring incapacitated or weakened creatures by their fall, and such sinkholes are often rapidly
concealed by such growths fertilized by the dead and wounded.
Madness Within In any place where the sky cannot be seen, whether within a structure or in the
mazeworks, the malevolent presence of the layer is most potent. Each round, any non-indigenous
creature must succeed at a Will save (DC 21) or be shaken. This effect takes place regardless of
immunities not derived from cosmic or divine status, and persists only in each round the save is failed.
The save DC increments by 1 point per hour until it reaches a maximal value of DC 42. A creature that
is shaken for three consecutive rounds becomes confused, and no matter what action it takes due to
this effect it begins to babble gibberish loudly, perhaps alerting nearby creatures (in the mazeworks,
the Ones Blind Beneath are almost sure to arrive within 1d4 rounds. If this initial insanity is cured
within a day or a victim temporarily leaves Cogerron, then this minor derangement disappears within a
day and leaves little further effect. After this period of time the insanity becomes pernanent, and can
only be cured through more drastic methods such as miracle or programmed amnesia (Spell
Compendium).
Malign Sentience One element of the madness inherent to Cogerron is its ability to impose itself
upon constructs. Although constructs that are already awakened, or possess some level of inherent
intellect such as demonflesh golems or most planar golems in general are immune to this effect,
otherwise mindless constructs are not, and they receive a Will save DC 42 and are not considered to
be immune to this particularly malicious effect. Golems affected by the Malign Sentience of Cogerron
are visually distinctive from unaffected statuary in that they possess insanity-inducing, ever-shifting
patterns and etchings across their exterior (Will save DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma
modifier). Insanityinflicted by the constructs infected by Malign Sentience lasts for one round per hit
die possessed by the construct involved.
The Incoherent Skies Above The further one flies into the skies above, the more reality itself-as
well as those who intrude upon this region of tenuous Creation-becomes incoherent. The farthest that
any being has gotten into the skies so far has been several dozen miles, even with teleportation. The
initial signs of this property appear beneficial in that this incoherency allows beings to affect larger
than normal regions. The space and reach for those affected increases by five feet for every two miles
upwards that a being travels until it reaches the point where a being is treated as two size categories
larger in terms of the territory they can affect. However, after this initial region the deleterious effects
become more readily apparent and even damaging. Beyond this region, all beings are slowed (Fort
save DC 35) as they are too scattered to effectively control their own bodies or even thoughts. Further
upwards, the effect starts to becoming damaging, forcing a Fort save DC 42 or else take 20d6 points
of damage per round as their bodies are annihilated by the skies themselves. This region can be
successfully scryed upon remotely. This is rarely done due to the improbability of encountering
anything within the skies-but it is still attempted from time to time.

Properties
Stelae: Scattered throughout Cogerron are innumerable stones with long-forgotten symbols,
mandalas, and puzzles of basalt, gem, and most disturbing of all, even flesh. These are the stelae of
The Pathless Nightmare.
The only discernible 'rule' is that successfully triggering a stelae always does something-whether it is
immediately detectable to the being that triggered it or if its effects become readily apparent through
their often bizarre lethality. Stelae have been classified by Abyssal scholars according to how
widespread the effects that result from their triggering are within the layer. Lesser stelae affect

everything within an 1800 foot radius while greater stelae affect everything within an 18 mile radius.
Major stelae take effect over the entire layer that is relevant to the nature of what is triggered by
them, even if the effects resulting from a major stelae triggering are extremely minor, such as only
moving the position of a group of stelae by one notch throughout the entirety of Cogerron. Any
sentient creature, including the undead, can trigger stelae. However, the restless dead cannot cause
passive effects or trigger portals. Some of the better known lesser, greater, and major stelae are the
following:
Itinerant Stones (lesser stelae): Some of the most dangerous lesser stelae are the itinerant stones.
When triggered, they create a small amount of an extremely short lived, yet portable substance that
can be used to trigger other stelae throughout Cogerron. By itself, this would not seem so dangerous,
save for the fact that itinerant stones have a nastily malign will which allows them to keep themselves
in existence by literally sucking the life out of every creature around them. Every being within a 50 ft.
radius of an itinerant stone must make a Fort save DC 42 or else take 1 negative level every 10
minutes. Each negative level taken by a victim of an itinerant stone helps to preserve its existence for
another 10 minutes. Furthermore, if an itinerant stone gets below 40% or 20% of its original hit
points, then it starts becoming capable of charming or even dominating beings within the same radius
(Will save DC 42), manipulating them into range of more potential victims until it heals itself. Once an
itinerant stone triggers a stelae then it becomes permanently inert. Although reactivating the material
of which itinerant stones are made has been a subject of much experimentation, so far none of these
efforts have proved successful.
Knowledge for Knowledge (greater stelae): Not all stelae in Cogerron have physically observable
consequences when they are triggered. One example of these more abstract stelae is generally known
as knowledge for knowledge. The knowledge for knowledge stelae offer hints and visions as to various
configurations of the layer and its labyrinths. Not surprisingly, this information doing so comes at a
potentially steep price. To trigger the stelae requires feeding it with a certain degree of knowledgewhich is in turn dependent on the power stela involved. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the
being that triggers the stelae ends up receiving the knowledge involved, and the stelae themselves
seem to have a certain array of bizarre limitations upon which beings can and cannot be their
beneficiaries at any given time. Once a being is within 30 feet of one of these stelae (which can take
many forms, making them particularly dangerous), it cannot again be departed until it has been
triggered. The least powerful stelae may only remove a day or a week's worth of memory, forcing the
being to sleep for a day as their mindset rearranges itself to accomodate the lost. The most powerful
of this type of stelae can instead totally erase the knowledge that its triggerer contains, leaving them
a catatonic husk unless they are cured with either a wish or a miracle-and doing so in turn results in
the loss of whatever knowledge was gained. The best known knowledge for knowledge stela is located
within the lower depths of the layer, and it is controlled by the Tetrad.
Living Key (lesser stelae): Living key stelae actually turn the triggerer or some other being into an
entity that can in turn activate further stelae. Demons or constructs are more often than not used for
this purpose, as the act of turning a mortal into a living creature seems to be incompatible with their
fundamental nature-driving them rapidly insane but also making the resulting living key inviable
through causing 1d4 Wisdom drain per hour (Will save DC 42 to resist). This is often cited as evidence
that the creator or creators of Cogerron distantly preceded mortal life altogether.
Restructure (greater stelae): A restructure stelae when triggered builds new walls and even edifices.
However, the manner in which such things are built makes restructuring stelae some of the most
dangerous within Cogerron. It is not through the wholesale creation of new stone and vegetation that
such things are built. It is instead constructed out of whatever is nearby-often including other demons,
which are horribly transformed once the stelae is triggered. Often, the only remnants of their
existence are faces hidden within the walls, arms protruding from floors, or minor craters where
beings with death throes were instantly slain by the stelae's triggering and exploded as a result.
Victims of restructure stelae gain a Fort save DC 42 in order to resist its effects.
Overgrowth (greater stelae): The triggering of an overgrowth causes all of the plant life within the
radius of its triggering to grow and mutate at a vastly accelerated rate. The best case scenario in such
cases is that the vines merely entangle the beings that are trapped within them. More vicious effects
that have been noted include actually awakening the plant life in a region, or even causing to grow so

quickly that the floral burst crushes those beings unfortunate enough to be caught within it, simulating
the effects of theverdigris epic spell but if anything, doing far more devastating damage. The most
potent of the Overgrowth stelae deal 40d10 points of damage (Ref save DC 42 for half). Given these
effects, it can be asked why these particular stelae are ever triggered? The answer comes in the fact
that these floral bursts are extraordinarily short lived, to the point where even beyond the massively
destructive effects that can be produced against rivals with them, when the plant life walks off or dies
back off, often new pathways into the labyrinths below are revealed. This leads those who trigger the
stelae to the possibility of new artifacts-provided that they survive the original effects.
Pattern Against Pattern (greater stelae): A pattern against pattern stela possesses the power to
destroy another piece of information within Cogerron. It can be used against a creature, in which case
they receive either a Fort save DC 42 if they are to be entirely destroyed, or a Will save DC 35 if a
piece of information is to be affected instead. In either case the target or targets to be affected must
be located within The Pathless Nightmare. Pattern against pattern stelae stelae are valuable because
they are the only known stelae that possess the power to actually destroy other stelae. However,
doing so invariably infuriates the Ones Blind Beneath to the point where they will relentlessly hunt
down any being that attempts to use a stela in this manner. More often than not, Pattern Against
Pattern stelae are used to instead reset other stelae or alternately, to hide information concerning
either the location or the triggering of stelae so they can be used exclusively by one faction or
another. Pattern Against Pattern stelae are unique in that they exist in all variants of major, minor, and
greater stature throughout Cogerron.
Given the power of Pattern Against Pattern stelae the effects of misusing them are particularly dire.
Triggering it against a creature that is not present within Cogerron, or for that matter, attempting to
eliminate a piece of information that is not entirely contained within the layer causes its power to
rebound upon the being that attempted to use it. The result forces them to make a Fort save DC 42 or
else be erased from existence themselves. This property has been used on occasion to slay rivals-and
it has been reversed through a successful rank check DC 13 only in one known incident in the entire
layer's history. That it requires cosmic power to reverse-and that the layer does seem to have some
way of knowing when the stelae has been misused-provides tantalizing hints as to the potency of the
being that once dwelled here.
Two Triggers (major stelae): One of the most potent and hazardous stelae, ironically, acts in a manner
that is most comprehensible to mortals. These are the two triggers stelae which as the name
suggests, simply adjust other stelae by two positions. Although two triggers stelae are among the
most obvious and easy to describe within the Torment of the Unshaped, they are some of the most
dangerous stelae because they can reshape much of the layer with minimal effort. Two Triggers stelae
are turned on by performing two separate actions upon the device largely simultaneously such as
turning one stelae clockwise and another counterclockwise, or linking two mandalas together in such a
way that their two patterns become linked into a single, pattern of lesser symmetry than the first. Due
to the massive destruction that some Two Triggers stelae have been known to wreak across the layer,
whenever they are discovered they tend to be exceptionally well guarded.

Factions
Abraxas: Not surprisingly, the Demon Lord of Mysteries retains interest in Cogerron. Abraxas seeks to
restore his fading power by finding artifacts upon Cogerron that aid him in his goals. Not lost on him is
that any power that he gains through from the layer is power lost to Baphomet in his ambitions to
become far more powerful than he already is. The presence of Abraxas upon Cogerron is not
significant in numbers; it more than makes up for this deficiency in terms of the power of the
individuals responsible: The Tetrad. This group of four glabrezu mages is so potent not only in normal
magic but also in the use of Abraxas' demonic names that two of them working in tandem have given
balors pause, and few have stood before all four without being bent to their power. The least among
them possesses epic might, and the most potent is rumored to be one of the first glabrezu ever
created and a student of Siragle himself; so adept at deceit and magic that they opted to reject
further transformation in order to continue to use their skills in the form for which they were best
known for them. The least powerful of The Tetrad possesses 28 HD, while the most potent among
them has 42 HD instead.

Although Abraxas and The Tetrad control some of the smallest amount of territory within Cogerron,
they are believed to know more about its intricate configurations than almost any other factions save
for Baphomet and Demogorgon (though these two know more precise information about certain local
factors while Abraxas knowledge is more generalized and comprehensive). For this reason, other
factions often seek to strike temporary deals with them (which are broken by both or either party as
soon as it becomes convenient) or, alternately, to steal their knowledge and treasure. The minions of
The Tetrad are glabrezu spellcasters and magi of lesser potency, babau, and bar-lgura, and they
specialize in using controlling and name-magicks in order to wrest information and loyalty out of the
minions of rival factions whenever they are captured alive.
Baphomet: Next to Abraxas, Baphomet is generally considered one of the most knowledgeable beings
concerning the nature and treasures of Cogerron. Morzax the ghour (20 HD/Blood War Champion 10),
an old and wicked spawn of the Beast, oversees the expedition. Baphomets break with Abraxas and
his revision as an abstract entity have afforded him a great deal of intuition regarding the secretive
aspects of Cogerron, allowing him to make quicker progress than most of his competitors. Through
Morzax and his other minions, Baphomet has learned a great deal about the basic functions of the
mechanism as well as the locations and features of a number of stelae and structures. Baphomets
forces have managed to remain intact to a much greater degree than his competitors, which benefits
him greatly given his status compared to many of them, as well as his divided attentions.
Baphomets forces are comprised of numerous teams of minotaur scouts; despite lacking the benefits
of demonic troops, their mortal-honed skills and strength are effective in defending the mobile
campsites, and they are excellent at cutting through the brush on the surface. Their intrinsic affinity
for mazes helps them in the mazeworks as well, and though the Ones Blind Beneath have exacted
their toll and Baphomet has made no discoveries equaling those of Demogorgon or Vuron, his servants
have a more complete knowledge of certain local networks of the maze.
Twelve ghours lead the expedition beneath Morzax, and with him provide guidance to the scouts as
well as correlate and analyze their findings. All thirteen are blind, each having plucked out its eyes at
the command of Morzax himself, who followed suit. Their blindness, when combined with Baphomets
power, somehow has made them supremely adept at negotiating the layers hazards. Morzaxs eyes
remain functional and he passes them along to the other ghours when sight is needed which allows
him to see what they see through his eyes. This was done not only to increase their effectiveness but
also as a practical measure. Cogerron has numerous symbols and other traps which are oriented to
sight, and three ghours were already struck dead or mad by them before blindness was instituted.
Moreover, their blindness gives Baphomet a further aspect of control; however powerful they are, a
blind ghour that was compelled to leave or betrayed its master would not be able to survive on its own
in the wilds of Cogerron.
Baphomet and Morzax in particular seem to be searching for stelae which control the general spatial
arrangement of Cogerron's labyrinths. In this effort they have been partially successful and they
control five Two Triggers stelae that allow them access to a significant portion to Cogerron's more
obscure depths, in addition to capturing several artifacts that have been sent back to The Endless
Maze for Baphomet's personal collections. Beyond these, Morzax's most notable discoveries so far are
include the Ivory Spire, a potent weapon which he uses as well as an artifact. It allows its holder to
transform its victims into statuary portions of the layer (Fort save DC 42 to resist), as well as allowing
its bearer to pass through the walls and stonework of Cogerron, but only Cogerron, unhindered.
Ominously, the Ivory Spire vaguely resembles a tooth or spine of some far more massive creature
even than Morzax himself.
Demogorgon: Demogorgon has always had a major interest in Cogerron. What this says about the
layer's origins as well as Demogorgon itself is a question that only Demogorgon seems to know the
answer to and it speaks of it to positively no one. Among his many significant findings within the
Pathless Nightmare is the horrific device known as the Soul Consuming Viscera-a particularly foul
artifact that literally dismantles demons of varying types and recombines elements of both of them.
Most of the results of such combinations are lethal. However, the few times that the combinations
have been viable have been particularly horrific and powerful, creating grudging satisfaction in the
Devourer of Souls and bringing devastation to his foes.

Similarly, the Devourer of Souls is always aware of the possibility of betrayal and independence among
those beings that claim to serve him. Demogorgon's instincts for horrific innovation have found a way
of solving this particular issue; create a minion without the flaws. This particular entity is one of the
more potent constructs in existence: Xulith (awakened 36 HD retriever). Although the construct has
been augmented in numerous ways, including giving it far more significant intellect and insight,
Xulith's most infamous modification from the Twin Terrors is the one that is the least likely to be
immediately lethal, but the most likely to be deadly over the long term. One of Xulith's eye rays has
been modified to planeshift beings to a random location in Gaping Maw, Demogorgon's pre-eminent
layer-a property that has brought many of Xulith's enemies to deaths that it finds particularly
amusing.
Even before Xulith was sent to Cogerron, Demogorgon had made great strides in understanding both
the mechanisms of Cogerron as well as extracting some of its more obscure artifacts and secrets.
However, Xulith's interests have been far more focused since his arrival: towards understanding and
eventually coming to control the Ones Blind Beneath. Unfortunately for Xulith's rivals, development
has progressed to the point where although the ruhin are not entirely controllable, they can at least be
temporarily immobilized in the presence of Xulith, and can even be redirected towards attacking
Xulith's targets. It is entirely possible that this is a minor achievement compared to what the Devourer
of Souls truly intends. If this is true, then it portends far more ominous developments to be made in
the future by a being whose innovations routinely horrify and mar Creation.
Most of Xulith's finds are sent by the bizarre construct back to Gaping Maw. Given Cogerron's intricate
history of betrayals and wayward minions, there are definite limits to how much the Devourer of Souls
would trust even a minion that he created himself. However, there are a couple of artifacts whose
immediate utility are such that Xulith retains personal control over them. Among the most prominent
is the Seven-Fold Eye; a graftable device which allows its recipient to benefit from the equivalent of
an anticipate teleportspell with regards to the Ones Blind Beneath, and furthermore protects them
with a localized equivalent of an antipathy spell effective within a two hundred foot radius. Beyond
Xulith's personal finds, his faction in general 'controls' an area of approximately twenty square miles
upon the layer (not continguous to each other), influences a far larger area in terms of territory
patrolled and scryed upon, and has ready access to twenty different stelae, including three Two
Triggers and an Overgrowth in addition to relatively reliable routes to dozens of others. Xulith's
'faction' contains a considerable number of bebiliths, vrocks, bar-lgura, mariliths, and other retrievers
of lesser but notable power, which use their mobility in order to gain advantage over and destroy their
rivals.
Fraz 'Urb Luu: Even more than aggravating his rival demon princes (even Graz'zt) into inchoate fury,
Fraz 'Urb Luu seeks to regain one of the most potent artifacts of The Abyss: The Rod of Fraz 'Urb
Luu. As a consequence, Fraz 'Urb Luu sent an expedition in order to search for it and determine
whether it is or is not present in Cogerron or not. Although desperation drives her quest, at the same
time, she is gradually coming to the conclusion that The Rod either does not exist upon Cogerron at
all, or it may have perhaps been destroyed. Fraz 'Urb Luu's minion in Cogerron is the kelvezu sorcererassassin Bluedagger (18 HD kelvezu/assassin 12), who has gained his knowledge of the layer with the
same level of subtlety and malice that has made his current paymaster infamous both within and
beyond The Abyss: by ripping it out of everyone else around him. His lack of success, although he has
managed to survive the layer itself and Akaris' constant attacks upon him, is increasingly convincing
him towards going completely independent like Klavikus, or even taking up with some other power
within The Abyss entirely and facing Fraz 'Urb Luu's wrath (however remote) as compared to returning
to Hollow's Heart and facing him directly.
Bluedagger is less interested in controlling territory than he is in gaining access to what the other
factions know about Cogerron-in the hopes that if his suspicions concerning the absence of the Rod of
Fraz 'Urb Luu are wrong, he would be able to act upon them quickly and acquire the Rod before any
other faction either can do so-or even realizes precisely what they have found. The faction is otherwise
mostly composed of vrocks and hezrous, and is magically supported by babau and glabrezu
spellcasters of varying types.

Graz'zt: Although Cogerron in its endless internecine warfare with little prospect of meaningful victory
represents much that the Dark Prince seeks to eliminate from The Abyss, he still maintains an interest
in ensuring that nothing that can overturn his lusts for sex and power emerges from the layer. As
such, Graz'zt has agents upon Cogerron, but participates to no significant degree in hunting for
artifacts there. Mostly, Graz'zt's agents prefer to waylay any beings that make significant discoveries
upon the layer-especially those that could potentially threaten his power. These hijackings and
murders are mostly accomplished through the power of k'Ssl (22 HD Tagheron) who answers primarily
to Vuron in Az'zagrat.
Klavikus: Even in the period of his decadence, The Goat still found an interest in Cogerron and the
artifacts discovered within the layer. Although the rumors that the Lash Embrar in fact originated here
are false, the fact that Demogorgon has often fought The Goat over possession over the device caused
him to be sure that Demogorgon could not find something upon the layer that might allow him to steal
the Lash Embrar, despite the layers of magical protection and devious traps that he had placed upon it
in order to prevent such. As a result, Orcus has almost always had minions sent to Cogerron to fight
for its spoils.
During this tumultuous period, a particularly ambitious balor known as Klavikus (35 HD/gestalt
necromancer) attached himself to Thanatos and The Goat in pursuit of greater power and influence.
However, his desires were frustrated by the presence of those of far greater might than himself in the
Belly of Death. Klavikus realized both that he could neither stand against Ter-Soth, or for that matter,
even Glyphimhor in his power. Based on this insight, he wisely chose to exile himself, as well as those
demons that were willing to follow him in the promise of greater power (and items) for themselves, or
simply attached themselves parasitically to his mercenary cause for personal gain or in the hopes of
betraying him to his many rivals later.
Although he had no way of predicting the end that came to The Goat, he was extremely well
positioned to take advantage of it. Once he heard of Orcus' assassination, Klavikus completely took
charge of the faction upon Cogerron, killing all beings that may have caused him trouble, or those that
might be inclined to betray him to his enemies. Since then he has discovered enough artifacts to
become an independent faction upon the layer. He worked mostly to serve his own power, and on
occasion, for those beings that could either pay him enough to be worth his (temporary) loyalty, or
who it might amuse him to betray whenever it became more advantageous for him to do so. Although
he had his share of near-escapes with the factions sent by Demogorgon and Graz'zt (both of which
had personal grudges against Klavikus), generally his tenure in Cogerron has been productive and
amusing, offering him both treasure and a more or less constant stream of foolish lesser demons for
him to feast upon and abuse.
Klavikus' pleasures lasted up until just about the worst possible thing that could happen from his
perspective actually transpired. Orcus came back from the dead, resurrected and if anything, more
wrathful than ever. Although The Goat has been primarily interested in regaining ground lost while he
was dead, Orcus still maintains an interest in claiming artifacts from Cogerron, if for no better reason
than to spite three of his most notable adversaries within The Abyss in terms of Fraz 'Urb Luu,
Demogorgon, and to a lesser extent, Graz'zt. That Orcus can simultaneously advance his own interests
and punish a traitor further motivates him upon Cogerron and against Klavikus, and gives the balor
pause as to how much of a future he has within the labyrinthine layer unless he can either find
support from some other power (unlikely) or find an artifact of such surpassing power as to allow him
to defend himself from Orcus' imminent attacks (which is slightly more likely).
Although Klavikus has made many notable finds upon Cogerron, the one which has helped keep him
alive (as best the term applies) is a horrific device that seems to be related in some way to the Soul
Consuming Viscera discovered by Demogorgon and the mazza'im spell called the mosaic of agony.T
his discovery is a particularly vicious antidemonic weapon that seems to operate in a way that parallels
certain qlippothic powers. It fuses any living creatures caught within each blast with each other,
slaughtering them in a manner so painful and dramatic that even other denizens of The Abyss are
often sickened by its grotesque displays of might. Beyond the artifacts which he possesses, Klavikus'
faction controls ten stelae, including a Pattern Against Pattern which he uses to eliminate information
upon his personal activities as well as those of his faction-and also accepts payment in order to protect
victims with sufficient wealth from the wrath of The Watcher.

Klavikus' faction contains the highest proportion of undead within Cogerron. These serve him as scouts
and warriors particularly in regions where the local flora and fauna will not tolerate an openly demonic
presence. These are created from the corpses of any mortals or other suitable creatures by Klavikus
himself (who has some measure of necromantic might) and his other more powerful minions-and in
general, providing Klavikus with fresh corpses is one of the easiest ways for outsiders to ingratiate
themselves to the otherwise justifiably paranoid balor. The most notable among them are a cabal of
six liches between Neonate and Magister in potency. They have dedicated themselves to Klavikus in
order to avoid being permanently slain by Harthoon as punishment for transgressions or for simply
annoying him in the past.
Zuggtmoy: After Zuggtmoy was liberated from the Temple of Elemental Evil, she returned to The
Abyss and Shedaklah in particular, seeking once again to establish her prominence after the debacle of
the Temple and the setbacks delivered by Madness and Bile. Increasing her influence in The Abyss is
one particularly vile tendril of this goal. Towards this end, Zuggtmoy has infested a small region of
Cogerron with the audacious goal of accomplishing that which no figure, demon prince or other, has
apparently succeeded at doing: taking over the entire layer and appending it to Shedaklah or
establishing direct control over it. Through such means, not only would her layer become far more
massive, but she would also have access to whole new lifeforms to modify as well as all of Cogerron's
deeply corrupting artifacts.
The endgame of Zuggtmoy's schemes has two parts. The first element is to control all of the
Restructure stelae of the layer simultaneously. As far as this particular element of her goal is
concerned, it could take centuries, if not millenia, to come to completion. Once this is done, she
believes that there is an underlying trigger that can be used to reshape the entire layer. Once the
entire layer is reshaped, she can mold it into life forms utterly amenable to her style of control and
manipulation. .
The Demon Queen of Parasite's presence, not surprisingly, is not what any being would consider to be
a conventional entity. Instead, it is a highly overgrown fungal disease called the Xytthys Infestation.
Among its other tactics, it lures beings into its presence with hallucinogenic spores, spellcasting, and
false indications of the presence of artifacts and stelae. Once they become close enough, they are
then immobilized either physically or through other means, infected with other types of spores (Will
save DC 38), and then quietly allowed to return to other factions. So far the Infestation has taken no
major actions beyond misleading several atrocity-led factions to their deaths in the labyrinths and
capturing minor members of other factions that will not be missed. However, this is not a situation
that is likely to last long into the future. The infestation so far can affect a region within 5 miles of its
central cluster of spores and growths but it does not control any stelae directly so far lest its
possession of them alert the other factions of Cogerron as to its presence.
Non-demonic factions: Although Cogerron is deep within The Abyss, the ancient nature of the layer
and the treasures contained within still attract attention from entities beyond the demonic. The
Desderain do not possess any permanent infiltrators upon the layer and the circumstances which
would attract their attention to rescue beings, or otherwise interfere with its conflicts, are rare to the
point of being unprecedented.
Anthraxus: Although most beings that think of daemons and their involvement with The Abyss
assume that they are all mercenaries fighting for one side or another, this is in fact a somewhat
incorrect assumption. Daemonic involvement extends to some degree deep within The Abyss itself, as
the daemons seek to either promote one faction or another, or set the demonic lords back in pursuit of
draining as much wealth and power out of as many sides as possible for their own selfish gain. One of
the most prominent daemons present upon Cogerron is the pawn of the disgraced former Oinodaemon
Anthraxus, the accursed Akaris the Bloated (20 HD yagnodaemon).
Yagnodaemons occupy a place of both power and peril within the daemonic hierarchy of treachery and
betrayal. They are only a minor step away from becoming nycadaemons with all of the power and
status that even the least of the greater daemons possesses. Simultaneously, they are constantly
threatened not only from those beneath them, but also by those that might support lesser daemons
against a yagnodaemon's control over a region. It was in such a situation that Akaris the Bloated

found himself. In vengeance for a slight (real or imagined) against a daemon of lesser power, but with
far more significant allies than himself, Akaris was horribly cursed by a Hag Coven with which the
more potent daemon had made alliance for its own malevolent purposes. The name of the curse was
the Patents of Stasis, and the nature of the curse was such that Akaris would never again be
promoted, imprisoning him in his position with little power and less influence.
When Anthraxus was ousted by Mydianchlarus from the Siege Malicious, his first priority was naturally
to regain possession of it. To this end he has ever since scoured the Cosmos for tools such as powerful
artifacts or forbidden lore to restore his lost power. His tenure as Oinodaemon offered him the
knowledge of many possible avenues to pursue, including Cogerron and its deadly secrets. The
question then remained as to what servitor to send that might survive the dangers to whatever degree
he considered daemonically reliable; at last he found such a minion in Akaris. Although even the
mighty Coven-Pacted daemons lore was no more complete than that of the lesser demonic powers in
Cogerron, he could insinuate to Akaris that a particular object could be found there, an artifact too
powerful for Akaris to wield (even considering daemonic ambitions) but strong enough for Anthraxus
to regain his seat. In return for the successful retrieval, Anthraxus would rescind the Patents of
Stasis and propel the yagnodaemon into a place of power in the new era of his dominance over Nether
politics. Thus Akaris was sent, and thus the daemon hunts for that most elusive of demonic artifacts,
implied to him by Anthraxuss poisoned lips: The Rod of FrazUrbLuu (Anthraxus is more than aware
of the Prince of Illusions interest in the layer).
Naturally they are both lying to each other. Their deceits are so transparent that at this point, for any
truth to pass between them beyond the most basically factual would be shocking, a level of falsehood
extreme even for their kind. Anthraxus knows that Akaris would have done or said practically anything
to get away from Gehenna and just as importantly, to stay away from the Furnaces. Similarly, Akaris
knows that Anthraxus will never actually lift the Patents of Stasis, and will probably kill him instead.
Still, Akaris was so willing to get away from the rest of the daemons that he willingly accepted what he
saw as escape from both the constant risk of death from the manifold conflicts of Carceri and the
daemonic hierarchy of The Grey Wastes.
Akaris has had no success whatsoever in finding The Rod of Fraz 'Urb Luu. In fact, Akaris thinks that
the Rod of Fraz 'Urb Luu has absolutely nothing to do with Cogerron and is stalling Anthraxus as best
he can (which isn't very competently at all) in order to avoid informing the Nether Fiend of his failingsor acting publically in a way that indicates that he is taking the wrong path directly, and risking being
slaughtered by one of his underlings by an ambitious underling. Akaris is quite likely to end up
abandoning Anthraxus entirely and becoming yet another independent faction. However, this betrayal
is not entirely due to his purely evil nature; it is also the direct result of contact with one of Cogerrons
enigmatic contents, a rough five-pointed star of porous grey stone found quite accidentally. This object
has altered Akaris to a horrific degree that he has thus far tried to hide from his master, even as the
stone whispers into his mind alien things that compel him to abandon Anthraxuss mission entirely and
join the darkness of the mazeworks below.
Akaris' hideously warped form barely betrays any trace of his true origins as a yagnodaemon. Instead
of the typical arm that drains the life from those that it touches, Akaris' mouth has been modified into
an insectile sucking mouthpiece which deals negative levels, needle-sharpened at the end like that of
a tick or other parasitic insect. He is barely humanoid and his bloated torso is covered with a black and
brown spotted carapace that leaks a foul ichor between its joints. Flightless, he propels himself on legs
that scarcely seem to be of sufficient size and strength to move him at all, much less with any
measure of speed.
Due to Anthraxus and Akaris' very specific interests, they control a comparatively small number of
stelae. The territory controlled by them is similarly diminutive compared to other factions. For the
most part its complement consists of those daemons that balance between being sufficiently pathetic
to be susceptible to intimidation by Akaris and the more distant threat of Anthraxus personally and
having enough might and knowledge to avoid falling to Cogerron's myriad traps and other dangers.
They include a sizable number of canodaemons, a few nycadaemons that are particularly disgraced
elsewhere in the Depths Below, and a massive array of derghodaemons that have been modified
through Anthraxus' magicks to be unusually potent within the layer.

Thphonis: Unity is a foreign concept to the Proteans for the most part, with little that they agree
upon except experiencing Creation in all its forms and varieties. One particular element of disunity
among the Proteans is the value of puzzles. One faction among them came to believe that solving
puzzles was in itself, a lawful activity by providing an implication that perhaps all puzzles, verbal,
physical, or intellectual, could have solutions and hence would support the cause of Order. Another
faction believed instead in the opposite tenet; that solving puzzles was nevertheless a form of
experience like any other-and hence worthy of being sought after. One of the most intelligent and
unorthodox among the Solvers (as the best appellation applied by those who use conventional
language) was Thphonis (26 HD Imentesh Protean). Eventually, she discovered the existence of a
layer that, according to all of her lore, seemed to be a puzzle in its own right. A puzzle which she quite
naturally felt the need to solve.
This need became her overriding (and vaguely infamous) obsession, leading to the formation of one of
The Pathless Nightmare's newest-and most bizarre factions. She seeks to eventually trigger all of the
stelae in Cogerron simultaneously, this 'solving' the entire layer itself. Towards this end she has settled
within Cogerron and dedicated herself to finding out as much about the stelae and when possible,
activating them. Few among the Proteans actually follow her. Still, there have been a few that think
that the issue of Cogerron's solution is sufficiently interesting that they have chosen to join her in The
Abyss. Thphonis has a loose conglomerate of two keketar, seventeen naunet, and a few dozen
githzerai laborers and skirmishers in her following. Although any demon or Protean seen as following
her is run off of or slain for approaching the major expeditions there are also several demons (notably,
an asakku obsessed with inflicting insanity) and even a couple of mortal mages that assist her in
solving what is indirectly referred to as The Conundrum.
To study The Abyss in such detail does not come without consequence. Exile would connote unity
through stigma among the Proteans and so no sanction could or will be applied against her by others
of her kind. Instead, it is the nature of The Abyss and of Cogerron itself that has made Thphonis and
those who agreed with her increasingly distinctive-and increasingly twisted. The Pathless Nightmare is
reshaping and malforming her as slowly and surely as some of the layer's less overtly malevolent
flora. She has already physically changed to some degree, acquiring Ravages from the layer through
circumstances that no one, especially her, has quite comprehended as yet. The changes in her mental
state, although less obvious, are if anything far more disturbing as her methods of studying Cogerron
have become just as cruel and vicious as any demon's. Thphonis is well on her way to becoming one
of the few Proteans in the history of the species to become utterly corrupted by The Abyss. She is also
the last being to suspect that this is happening.
If few Proteans will have much to do with her (especially given her recent changes), there are even
fewer among the normal array of Abyssal denizens that consider themselves in any way her
supporters. In some ways, the degree to which she is not believed in her ambition actually protects
her. If Thphonis' ambitions were taken more seriously she would either be seen as a threat and
eliminated or seen as a potential resource to be used until she could contribute no further to whoever
sought to manipulate her more efficiently.

Locations
The Frenzy: A wound-like gorge seven miles long from which spring rivers of black goo at each end,
the Frenzy is always full of the Ones Blind Beneath, crowding each other around a singular silver rock
at the center of the gorge. The creatures swarm over their brethren and the rock, tearing each other
to pieces or trampling them underfoot.
Despite the overwhelming hostility of The Frenzy the major factions have still made furtive attempts to
explore it for their own ends. In times past, a predecessor of Xulith attempted to lure The Frenzy in its
entirety out of its location and goad it to attack every faction that threatened Demogorgon's ambition
to control Cogerron. This direct attempt failed so badly that not only were most members of the
faction at the time slain by the Ones Blind Beneath, but as punishment for the failure, the barely
surviving demon who led the attempt was given over to the Ungorthiax and slain. Since then attempts
to both study or manipulate The Frenzy have been far more subtle-but even with increased subtlety,

fatalities still occur quite frequently. The Frenzy is an oft-used means of disposal for both enemies and
overly ambitious subordinates.
The most notable discovery with regards to The Frenzy has also been happened quite recently and it
was made by Abraxas' Tetrad. After they deciphered when The Ones Blind Beneath were both spawned
within it and were more active throughout Cogerron, they realized that The Frenzy is in some bizarre
way a timekeeping or coordinating system as to their creation and their attacks against interlopers.
This knowledge is naturally guarded quite jealously among them as it has enabled them to explore far
more of The Pathless Nightmare during the periods of relative maleidolon inactivity, or to divert their
enemies into regions where the Ones Blind Beneath are far more active. However, they have yet to
make any serious attempts to manipulate The Frenzy itself, lest they inadvertently alert their rivals
that they have figured out far more of its nature.
The Frenzy can be found by any being that is enraged or otherwise mentally disturbed when the
attempt to teleport to it is made. This disturbed state can be induced either by class features such as
rage or through magic.
The Lake of Scales: Not a lake at all, this depression is filled with a truly immense squamous spewer
(Draconomicon; 60 HD, Colossal+) that writhes in near-eternal slumber. The amorphous creature has
not been known to leave the sinkhole it lairs in but it has awakened to devour creatures that come too
close to its shore, and will breathe on creatures whose presence it finds overly onerous. Despite the
dangers, several expeditions have sought the means to force the creature to vacate the spot in the
event it is guarding some great treasure or important cavern entrance beneath its dwelling. So far
none of them have been particularly successful in this effort. The Lake of Scales is located near the
Slithering Vale and is about a week's travel away using the best known labyrinths and
passageways. Teleportationz or planeshifting directly to the Lake requires one being within the group
that is capable of damaging others with its breath.
Mar-Motah: So named for the word carved out in Abyssal letters into the stone arch that marks the
location (a word that has no known meaning), Mar-Motah stands in the middle of a still pond of thick,
grey liquid. Though the liquid is nothing like water, numerous assassin vines, mobile plant monsters
such as Corrupted (BoVD) tendriculoses, and teeming masses of insect-like pests swarm the area,
though what these last feed upon, if anything, is unknown. Mar-Motah is otherwise somewhat placid
and contains no immediately discernible menaces other than the indigenous life. However, it has
ceased for some time to be occupied. The All-Watcher also seems drawn to any activity in Mar-Motah
within a very short time, coming to investigate and kill anything it finds there not of the layers
indigenous inhabitants within a period of 2d6 minutes. Further, though it may also be due to the AllWatcher, several small garrisons have simply vanished without a trace when near to the pond, and the
various expedition leaders have all cut their losses and ceased trying to explore Mar-Motahs
significance-with one notable exception: Abraxas. The Lord of Names almost constantly observes MarMotah through the Tetrad at a minimum even though doing so may alert Baphomet's minions as to
their interest. Infrequently, he also rotates his minions there every few days for short periods to cast
divinations upon the arch before the All-Watchers invariable arrival.
There are also several other inexplicable elements of Mar-Motah. Abyssal as a language is
comparatively recent, and in fact, far postdates the apparent creation of Cogerron as a layer. However,
no investigation conducted through magic (and at a safe distance) has indicated that the construction
of Mar-Motah is any less ancient as than the layer itself. Beings that remain around Mar-Motah for
longer than twenty four hours find themselves the beneficiaries of a nondetection effect that is
virtually impossible to eliminate for around forty two hours afterwards. However, the effect itself can
be penetrated by other beings that have similarly benefitted from Mar-Motah at any other time during
their lives.
Mar-Motah can be reached through magic by any being that has had its name altered in a fundamental
sense. As the word magic necessary for such an alteration is rare (although not surprisingly, known to
The Tetrad) upon those occasions in which other factions wish to reach it, travel is typically a long and
arduous overland process. So far only the faction of Demogorgon has successfully made the attempt.

Piecemeal Menagerie One of the most disturbing locales in Cogerron, in a layer itself that often
stymies the bizarre thoughts of the Abyss' denizens, is the Piecemeal Menagerie. It is named as such
for two reasons. The first, and most notable, is that it consists of a series of displays of demons, none
of which have been found anywhere in The Abyss since the ascension of Flauros and the selection of
the Queen of Chaos as his Consort. The second is that those demonic prisoners of the menagerie are
not stored intact. Rather, they are preserved in various configurations of viscera, body parts, and
forms that are not physically connected to each other, but at the same time, manage to keep the
prisoners alive. It apparently utilizes techniques similar to those once used by the more bizarre
qlippothim, only far more ancient in order to keep creatures alive in a physically discontinuous format.
Opening the 'displays' is difficult and in all of the better known recorded history of the Piecemeal
Menagerie it has only been successfully accomplished by a former faction member that once served
Demogorgon and Abraxas himself during Madness and Bile-but before the layer became better known
throughout The Abyss. From what discoveries have been made of it, all of the hearts are missing, and
seem to have gone missing not long after the initial burst of discoveries once the secrets of reaching
Cogerron escaped the control of Baphomet. The Piecemeal Menagerie is located within ten miles of
The Frenzy and several hundred feet downwards into the subterranean labyrinths. There are multiple
pathways downwards to it of lesser or greater degrees of difficulty to access and the caverns are of
varying degrees of stability.
The Piecemeal Managerie can be reached by any being that is somehow physically disconnected from
itself yet remains sentient. Liches with their phylacteries present or zhedin possessing multiple hosts
(particularly ekimmu) are common means by which the region can be reached. In another oddity of
the Piecemeal Menagerie, attempting to open a display will almost invariably provoke the creation
and/or the attack of the Ones Blind Beneath. In comparison, carrying any artifact or item of Cogerron
will prevent such an attack, and in fact seems to inhibit the ruhin maleidolon from interfering with any
being proximate to those bearing such an item. This eccentricity has allowed for the extended
exploration of the Piecemeal Menagerie, although with little success so far.
The Pyramid: One of the only known complete structures aboveground, this five-sided pyramid of
violet, rank flesh is crowned with three withered, alien arms grasping clusters of eyes clouded over
with cataracts yet still moving beneath blinking purple sclera. The Pyramid is continually growing and
shrinking in no discernible pattern, but it is always more than large enough for a multitude of Colossal
creatures to dwell within. The entrance to the Pyramid is a great, puckered orifice that seems to
respond to any creature not of the undead type (it does not seem capable of detecting the undead)
that approaches it by opening with a horrid sucking sound. Sometimes this portal unleashes numerous
thorn-studded tentacles, torrents of poisonous feculence, or flocks of fanged maws on wings, but at
other times it has allowed creatures to enter the edifice unmolested or created portals to other
aboveground locations in Cogerron (never the underground mazeworks). The interior of the Pyramid
stinks of unbelievable rot and decay, and is lit by coursing streams of luminescent tumors that erupt in
series, leading creatures deeper into the bowels of the structure. Vast ulcers open in the walls and
floor, discharging poisonous gases or vicious beasts, and it is seemingly impossible to avoid the slimy
muck that coats every surface. The Pyramid, uniquely, seems to have no discernible method by which
it can be teleported to, although it is possible to teleport to any of the stelae nearby with
comparatively little trouble. What, if any, meaning this particular anomaly has remains unknown to
this day.
Slithering Vale: The closest approximation Cogerron has to any central location is the Slithering Vale
as it is within ten miles of most of the best known entrance points upon the layer. It is named as
such due to the presence of a unique and disturbing form of plant life present there: a unique form of
vine that resembles nothing else as much as a form of eyeless and headless serpent (they are not
seemingly related to Grazzts viper trees). These range anywhere from five to ten feet long and are of
various sickening colorations. They seem to be spawned by some phenomenon or origin located at the
bottom of the vale. However, such rare attempts as have been made to discover how this is
accomplished have only revealed that the vale is several thousand feet deep and that the slithering
vines seem to be spawned from all points from within the valley without discernible pattern.
The Slithering Vale is one of the most stable locations within Cogerron in terms of teleportation or
planeshifting. Carrying or bearing any kind of reptilian scale or skin, even a small fragment, is

sufficient to keep a group of beings using either means of transport together. Otherwise, the same
scattering effect applies, but will only move beings within ten feet of each other instead of far more
significant distances.
The Theater of Gouges: Appearing to be a round crater melted into the ground of Cogerron, the
pitted surface of the Theater imprisons numerous demons and other creatures that twitch in agony
and are unable to free themselves. Anything that treads on the solid-seeming stone of the Theater
may find the ground suddenly turn into liquid as it tries to add to the collection already being
tormented within its embrace. Every few moments, spurs erupt from the crater floor to impale the
imprisoned creatures (they also rise up to stab low-flying creatures, forcing a Ref save DC 42 in order
to avoid them, and they can reach creatures up to two hundred feet in their air), tearing them to
pieces over and over again; these stony spikes seemingly prefer to enter any orifices present in such
prisoners, and the resulting scenes of carnage defy all sane description, particularly on the rare
occasions that mortals have stumbled across the Theater of Gouges. No creature caught by the
Theater seems capable of dying despite the continual violations. At the exact center of the crater is
one of the stelae, though whether it created the Theater or is merely defended by it none can say (the
imprisoned creatures are unable to communicate through their eternal agony and their sufferings
impede attempts at normal communication).
The Theater, unfortunately, is one of the easiest regions to reach within Cogerron as it can be done
with the presence of any being that is physically suffering when the attempt
at teleportation or planeshifting takes place. For this reason it is often used as a means of 'disposal'
for those beings that are attempting to get rid of rivals whether within their faction or without-by
misdirecting them in such a way that the Theater will do their work for them, without ever being seen
as directly responsible for their demise.

Menaces
The All-Watcher: The All-Watcher is a Colossal tree-shaped construct of mottled gray and cyanotic
blue rubbery flesh covered with eyes, presumably under the perpetual control of the Malign Sentience
of the layer (or perhaps it is even the source of this effect), and resembling in many ways an overseer
beholderkin. It seems to roam the expanses of Cogerron at random and can appear anywhere on the
layer However, as yet, it has not crossed paths with the primary camps of the factions because of the
vastness of the Torment. The All-Watcher seems to be connected to the underlying mechanism of the
layer, resetting the stelae regardless of their specific criteria otherwise (it apparently has a
preternatural sense in terms of detecting when their mechanisms are disturbed, and can reset stelae
while ignoring any specific conditions required) wherever it can and killing everything that it comes
across. It can render itself invisible, moves effortlessly between spaces on the surface (and possibly
beneath), and seems to reappear shortly after it is destroyed. It is apparently without intellect or
speech and ignores all attempts to communicate with it. Whatever it is, whether a guardian or part of
the layer itself, it seems virtually if not truly invulnerable. Thus far, several of the factions, specifically
those with a mind to conserve their forces, have deployed multiple teams of servitors to divide the
attention of the All-Watcher by solving several stelae at once. The All-Watcher often interrupts its
course to address a new stelas change which has led to occasional cycles of causing the creature to
chase solutions in a circle for days at a time. Eventually, however, the creature will always break the
consistency of this behavior or another condition will alter the cycle (such as another factions efforts
or the actions of Cogerrons other inhabitants).
Ones Blind Beneath: The massive mazes below the surface labyrinths of Cogerron are occupied by
monstrosities known simply as the Ones Blind Beneath. Their appearance strongly implicates that they
are qlippothim because of their alien physiologies and the degree of terror and fear that they inflict
even upon other demons. In fact the Ones Blind Beneath are not qlippoth at all, but something far
more insidious and alarming. The Ones Blind Beneath are ruhin maleidolon unique to Cogerron that
are literally created by the interaction of the layer's visitors (or as Cogerron sees them, invaders) with
the layer itself. They are the congealed terror and fear of Cogerron's potential victims given physical
form in order to 'defend' it. The Ones Blind Beneath have no set appearance, but they are always
horrifying. Their only common behavioral trait is that they are vicious, near-mindless predators that
attack any living thing drawing their attention, especially in the mazeworks and areas such as the

Frenzy which they frequent. Once within the mazeworks, the Ones Blind Beneath will always arrive to
attack the invaders within 1d4+1 hours.
Cogerron Knowledge (the planes) Table

Knowledge (the
planes) DC

Sample Information Acquired

20

Cogerron is a labyrinthine layer fought over by most of the major

Abyssal factions because of the presence of valuable and rare artifacts
there.

25

Cogerron can be accessed from any of its portals with unsolved

puzzles, or items or situations with similar symbology.

30

You are aware of Cogerron's better known dangers-as well as the more
recognizable stelae and the means by which they are triggered.

35

The two powers of The Abyss that appear to have discovered Cogerron
first are Abraxas and Baphomet.

40

You are aware of most of the major factions residing in Cogerron and
the nature of their forces present within the labyrinth-layer.

45

Cogerron appears to predate the era of qlippothic dominance.