The Infinite Horrors of the Abyss

The ascent of modern society requires higher levels of organization from mortals in order to take full advantage of it. That's the conventional wisdom anyway. Work shops grow into factories. Corperations take the place of guilds. Cities that were home to thousands are now home to millions. Feudal kingdoms turn into nation-states. And distant lands become interconnected through trade. The result is a world that ancient peoples never could have dreamed of.

It is truely amazing, given how fragile it is.

An automobile grants wonderous mobile, but has the power to kill a family instantly. A line of code, written correctly, can rob fortunes and ruin lives. Fertilizer that grows crops are readily transformed into dangerous explosives. Aeroplanes built to bridge continents can be used to level high-rises. And nations that choose to trade goods can just as easily trade mayhem. Whether in the depths of the subconsious or intimately real, this is the horror or Modern Life: that any one component could bring the entire society crashing down.

In the Abyss, this horror is all that exists.

The Abyss is a universe of malevolent chaos. Travelers coming from bordering planes - the Outlands, Carceri, Pandemoium and the Astral -enter on a blasted and desolate plane. Hordes of nightmare-ish creatures surge across this broken land, attacking anyone they come across. More nightmares crawl up from the countless craters scattered throughout the layer. In the distance, mechanical behemoths rumble forward with the force of glaciers. This place, the Plain of Infinite Portals, is only the beginning of the Horror. Each crater is in fact a portal to a layer that uniquely exemplifies evil and chaos. Some layers are modern in appearance, others are bizarre and primordial. Some layers are instantly fatal to its visitors. Others seem hospitable, only to turn deadly in a flash. Still others are home to hordes of fiendish monstrosities eager for fresh victims. A scant few are safe to visit, and even these hide traps to ensnare the unwary. Despite the myriad of dangers, Primes and Planars alike come to this plane in droves. Whether mercenaries in the Blood War, invaders from Baator, crusaders, acolytes, entrepreneurs or cross-traders, they all believe they can give this plane the laugh. Almost all of them are proven sorely mistaken.

The souls of mortals who sated their darkest desires in life are drawn to this plane when their bodies die. Unless they worshipped one of the Abyss’s dark powers in life, their souls are twisted and perverted to suit the needs of the plane’s residents, the Tanar’ri and other demon races. The corporal manifestations of evil and chaos are driven to spread mayhem, corruption, and vice to every corner of the multiverse. The most common way they do this is through the Blood War, an endless conflict against the Lawful Evil Baatezu. To a demon, order is as abhorrent a weakness as goodness. Fiercely independent, only a constant demonstration of force and deft manipulation can keep a demon relatively in line. The only beings that are successful at this are more powerful demons, who in turn can only be commanded by the paragons of their race-the Abyssal Lords and Abyssal Princes. These powerful archfiends command great hordes of demons and are feared by even the Powers themselves. Several layers of the Abyss are, in fact, the personal realm of a Lord or Prince. Intelligent planewalkers know better than to attract their attention.

-The Plain of Infinite Portals

The most common point of entry to the Abyss is a desolate expanse of shattered rock, baked non-stop by a great, blood-red sun. Plant and animal life is scarce. The terrain is broken up by mesas, hills and fissures. Many of the fissures are so deep they have no bottom. These are in fact the portals leading into a layer of the Abyss. Any visitor should confirm where each fissure leads to, as they each have their own hazards. And some portals offer travel into a layer, but not out.

Cutting across this broken land are thousands of miles paved roads. These roads follow not discernable pattern, though they frequently curve around obstacles that make it impossible to see oncoming traffic. The roads vary widely in drivability. One stretch can be riddled with potholes, then suddenly become smooth for several miles, and then just as suddenly become broken and up-turned. Bands of Tanar’ri roam these highways. They usually travel in vehicles of demonic appearances, although a goristro or a swarm of manes can be equally hazardous. Adjacent to the roads are clusters of structures enclosed in a barricade. These ‘settlements’ (a term used in the loosest sense) are usually a base of operations for Tanar’ri raiders, although migrants from the rest of the Multiverse, particularly mortal races, can be found here too. Their size ranges from makeshift outposts to fortified towns that appear somewhat permanent. Inhabitants of this layer switch from sedentary to nomadic lifestyle pretty frequently.

Both settlements and raiders are ruled by strongmen through a combination of force, the threat of force, and manipulation. Outsiders are perceived to be either dangers to be eliminated or pawns to be used and disposed. Visitors are advised to be on their guard when dealing with locals, as any encounter can turn deadly.

The Plain of Infinite Portals is a congregating point for the armies of the Abyss. The massive hordes of demons and tons of equipment and fighting vehicles, destined for the front lines of the Blood War, are herded towards planar gateways or onto great Stygian Barges. Just as often, these armies are sent to fight each other-The Abyssal Lords and Princes constantly vie for supremacy. Whatever their mission, these demons destroy everything in their path. Part of the rationale for a semi-nomadic lifestyle is because the inhabitants might be forced to leave an area on little notice.

Path of Ruin: Planewalkers who enter the Abyss through the Gate Town of Plaguemort find themselves in the middle of a ruined metropolitan area. The metal skeletons of skyscrapers sway ominously overhead. Vehicles and burnt corpses, both mortal and demonic, litter the streets. Vermin scurry in and out of hiding places. The eerie silence is broken only by falling debris, reports of gunfire, guttural screams, and the sense that something is lurking just out of view.

The Path of Ruin sprouts up around the portal to the Outlands as it moves across the layer like a blind bubber. They extend about 5 miles out from the portal’s location and remain there after it has moved on. After a hundred miles or so, the trail begins to break up. Whether this is the result of passing denizens rearranging the debris or the layer reclaiming the landscape it produced, no one is sure. The speed at which the portal moves varies considerably. The longer it lingers in an area, the more urbanized the ruins usually appear.

Nothing that is found in the Path of Ruin is in working condition, and the salvage value ranges from meager to non-existent. Occasionally, an enchanted item will appear amongst the ruins. No one is sure where it comes from, but it happens often enough to attract greedy sods to these ruins. These scavengers, in turn, attract demons and fiendish predators to the ruins.

Despite the hazards, a few statisticians concluded that taking shelter in the ruins is a safer alternative to setting camp in the open or negotiating with settlement bosses. Of course, if planewalkers decide to take shelter in the Path of Ruins more often, then inhabitants are more likely to pick them as hunting grounds...

Ebonfire Citadel: Perched on a mesa overlooking several Abyssal portals, the Ebonfire Citadel is the largest stronghold on the Plain of Infinate Portals. It is also one of the few that does not look like it was built out of scraps. On the surface, the citadel is a black concrete structure that bristles with gun emplacements and turrets. The walls and roofs are marked with blast craters. Rather than repair any holes that develop, the defenders build extensions around them. The result is a giant network of bunkers and towers that have little rhyme or reason to its design. Remarkably, this hap hazardous structure has withstood several nuclear attacks from Baatoran forces seeking to control this strategic position.

The Ebonfire Citadel is in fact carved into the very rock of the mesa-large gun batteries dot the face of its walls. The 3 entrances to this fortress are steel-concrete gates large enough to allow two semis to pass through simultaneously. Inside is a giant, dome shaped cavern that has been carved out of the mesa’s heart. The cavern now holds a jumble of buildings and factories, and is high enough to produce its own condensation.

The citadel is a popular home for beings that would rather not be involved in the Blood War. Typically, this includes non-natives and lesser demons. Neither group tolerates Abyssal press gangs; any Babau or Chasme sent to the Ebonfire Citadel probably did something to upset its master. The population is divided into several rival gangs. Each gang controls a section of the citadel, even the defenses of that section. Fights between gangs are frequent, and usually involve military-grade weapons. Thus, while the gates of Ebonfire have withstood every attack on it, the streets are still a battlefield.

Manipulating the gangs from above is a cunning Glarbazu named Gezzrek. Gezzrek brought several groups of raiders together to build the Ebonfire Citadel on the promise of seizing control of the layer. Many doubt that this was ever his intention, though. Soon after Ebonfire was complete, the raider began shooting each other over petty grievances. Gezzrek, however, retained control of the citadel’s gates, which allows him to grow extremely wealthy from trade. Despite the failure of his initial goal, it seems Gezzrek has done well for himself. For some reason, Gezzrek is camera-shy, and will show extreme hostility to anyone who takes his picture or records him on video.

Ebonfire also has a sizable transient population. Planewalkers frequently make the citadel a stopping point before traveling deeper into the Abyss. While the place is necessarily safer than the rest of the layer, it does have the advantage of location and amenities. The most rudimentary items needed for survival-rations, fuel, guns, and munitions-are found here in relatively good supply. Mechanics in the citadel are also very adept jury-riggers. It’s recommended that you tip well; otherwise, the equipment they jury-rig has a nasty habit of breaking at the most inconvenient time.

Fel Crawlers: Recent additions to the Plain of Infinite Portals, Fel Crawlers are massive, intelligent constructs that lumber across the blasted landscape. They are at least as large as a soccer stadium and combine features of crustaceans, arachnids, and insectoids. Their shell is covered with weapon emplacements, causeways, and even small structures. Within the metallic beasts, a living factory churns out a lethal range of products. No one knows exactly how many Fel Crawlers exist, but estimates and observations place them between 5 and a dozen. Their origin is also in the dark. Abyssologist that have studied the Crawlers up close hypothesize they are creations of Demogorgon, though they have been unable to confirm the connection.

Fel Crawlers move between the portals that connect to the Abyss’ various layers. Once it arrives, the Crawler draws up planar energies through the portal and into a mouth-like collector. It may feed on these energies for as long as several days if left uninterrupted. While it feeds, a chaotic maelstrom is generated on the other side of the portal, devastating much of the layer. If you believe the chant, then a layer might be destroyed completely if visited often enough by Fel Crawlers. Powers and arch-demons have now set up defensive perimeters on the Plane of Infinite Portals to drive off attacking Crawlers. Even if the layer has no ruler, a feeding Fel Crawler will stir up the layers inhabitants, who will attack the intruder like a swarm of angry wasps.

The energy a Fel Crawler consumes is used to create the gears of war-guns, munitions, fighting vehicles, fuel, heavy weapons, and even dretches and manes. Fel Crawlers deposit these products inside flesh-like cocoons to be picked up by any interested demon and used or sold off. Non-demons should be careful when opening these cocoons, for the cocoons also contain neurotoxins that are lethal to anyone not native to the Abyss.

While its instinct is to attack any large group of creatures it encounters (especially Baatezu), a Fel Crawler will submit itself to a powerful Tanar’ri. The Fel Crawler will allow the new master to ride on its massive form and even construct battlements to house the demon and his or her minion. Any of these behemoths encountered will be hosting a small army. The demons defend the Crawler while it feeds on portals, and the Crawler serves as an unrivaled war machine for its guests. Frequently, the Fel Crawler’s master is either a Balor or unique demon aspiring to become an Abyssal Lord.

Despite their massive size and a horde of defenders, Fel Crawlers can be destroyed. It requires a tremendous amount of firepower, and casualties are guaranteed to be high. The remains of downed Crawlers are typically found at the bottom of a large blast crater. After the beast is brought down, the inhabitants of the Abyss will spend months fighting to salvage its remains. Those lucky enough to walk away with their lives and a component or the Fel Crawler can earn a hefty profit from selling off their booty.

-Orakinon (layer in progress)

In ancient times, this layer was the Grand Abyss, an infinately deep chasm lined with narrow bridges and unstable pathways. It was one of the first layers to be catalogued, and many believe it inspired the name of the entire Plane. Late in the Pantheon War, the layer was conquered by the Orc Pantheon. Gruumsh and his fellow powers reshaped the layer into their new Divine Realm.