Takhisis's Abyss

LocationBaator (see below)

CharacterScreaming, eternal fury. Service to darkness, might makes right but only success is rewarded; false pride and arrogance damn you as surely as any blasphemy.

PowerTakhisis, Queen of Darkness and evil Dragons. A greater power from the Krynnish sphere and master of its evil pantheon, Takhisis has schemed for millennia to dominate the world of Krynn. A cutter named James O'Rance said it best... "Not even fools or the Clueless speak her name lightly, for it summons darkness, destruction, and death."

DescriptionAn eternal, red wasteland dominated by Takhisis and as mutable as any layer of the Abyss. The sky and all scenery are flat, as though painted against a canvass of nothingness. Everything is overcast a dusty, blood red.

The heart of Takhisis's many-planed realm, it can only be reached through portals. The Orders of High Sorcery on Krynn have crafted many, although they are sealed and require a mage of black heart and a priest of pure faith working together to open. Slightly more accessible are the portals on the bottom of the Blood Sea of Istar and the portal in Tiamat's lair (leading further proof for some that both dragon-goddesses are the same being).

Principle SitesAt the heart of the realm is the black, twisted temple of Istar-a crown jewel of Takhisis's subtle seduction of the Kingpriest of Istar-once Paladine's high-up on Krynn, now a faithless petitioner that Takhisis delights in torturing. (Chant is, sometimes she lets a favored eyrines or kochracon take a turn at this burg, but the form's always one of Takhisis's common guises and even if it ain't the Dark Queen herself, she's never more than a thought away.)

Three other principal sites denote the Realm. The first (and oldest) is the proving grounds of the Dragon armies, Takhisis's oldest force and one that includes evil dragons of every type, petitioners, Draconians, and (or so I've heard) rogue Tanar'ri, given refuge here by the Dark Queen's will.

The second site of the Dark Queen's forces is a twisted mockery of the Tower of High Sorcery in the prime burg of Palanthalas. Here, black-hearted wizards from the Krynnish Orders of High Sorcery lair, crafting battle magics and enchanted weapons for Takhisis's Dragon armies.

From time to time these are sold to the Arcane or other planar merchants, but the blades that leave Takhisis's Abyss invariably are bound here, giving the Dark Queen (at the very least) an awareness of each blade's surroundings, no matter where on the planes it goes. Last, and most recently built, is the Citadel of the Knights of Takhisis. If there is a more fearsome military force on Baator, I haven't seen it. See, the Knights are divided into three orders in imitation of the Knights of Solamnia - but where Paladine's champions distrust magic and have a hierarchy among the Crown, the Sword, and the Rose, Takhisis's knights have neither. The Knights of the Lily are fighters, the Knights of the Skull are priests of Takhisis, and the Knights of the Thorn are wizards. Each order is equal in standing and work together in every mission. What's worse, the Knights of Takhisis have at least a score of blue dragons working with them as mounts and comrades.

(Details of the Knights of Takhisis can be found in the Dragonlance paperback "The Second Generation," an anthology of short stories detailing the children of the Heroes of the Lance and the discovery of the Knights of Takhisis.)

Special ConditionsAny mortal may Teleport Without Error at will by making a Wisdom/Willpower check at -4. However, this is limited to the Realm itself, and only those things that have previously been seen (such as the portal one used to enter the Abyss) can be teleported to. Otherwise, planewalkers have to journey through a landscape with a knack for throwing your own worst nightmares at you.

No gates, magical spells, magical items, artifacts, special abilities, or the like can take a mortal into or out of the Abyss. Takhisis does not hold with the standard "divine compact" and is constantly attempting to usurp the world of Krynn by any means necessary, and has physically manifested herself there (NOT an avatar) more than once. Currently her arch-nemesis, the Lawful Good Paladine, has devoted much of his power to keeping Takhisis locked in the Abyss.

See alsohttp://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/2894/ps/abthalom.html for James O'Rance's take on the Dark Queen's realm, (which inspired some changes to the chant here.)