The Infinite Layers of the Abyss
The Infinite Layers of the Abyss was the birth place of the demons, a chaotic evil universe unto itself with uncountable layers of infinite variety connected haphazardly. The Abyss' place in the cosmology shifted over time, but the nature of the plane remained fairly constant: a violent, malevolent place where the strong survived on the backs of the weak, the weak conspired to overthrow the strong, alliances only lasted while convenient, and the landscape itself tortured the mind and body of all who dared pass.
The Abyss was an Outer Plane connected to the Astral Plane, Pandemonium, Carceri, and the Outlands. Some estimated that the Abyss had 666 layers, while the Fraternity of Order claimed to have catalogued 679 layers. It was possible that the number of layers was infinite, but no one could be certain. The first layer, named Pazunia after the demon lord Pazuzu, was described as a barren, dusty place baking under a red sun, broken only by great iron fortresses, huge holes in the ground, and the River Styx. Some branches of the Styx flowed down the holes (which were conduits of the various layers) and some of these holes supplied water to the Styx in reverse waterfalls. The River Styx was renamed the River of Blood, and it flowed through all the fiendish planes (except the Supreme Throne and the Demonweb Pits) originating in the Abyss, passing through the Blood Rift - an unusual plane that connected the Abyss with the Nine Hells - bringing demons ever closer to their arch-enemies the devils, resulting in the Blood War. Cosmologists found evidence of portals between the Abyss and the Barrens of Doom and Despair, Clangor, the Demonweb Pits, and Hammergrim, with intermittent portals to Deep Caverns and Fated Depths. The Astral Plane connected all of the fiendish planes to the Prime Material Plane, but not directly to each other. LAYERS The number of layers in the Abyss was unknown and perhaps unknowable, but this article attempts to list them regardless of which cosmology model was in favour at the time of discovery. Each layer had its own characteristics, which were as varied as the demons themselves. All types of terrain, atmosphere, weather, gravity, and material composition were represented in the myriad layers. Some examples were:
There were myriad types of demons, too numerous to catalog here. Non-demonic life could be found in the Abyss but was most likely imported from other planes.
Beliefs about the journey of souls to the afterlife changed with the shifting cosmologies and the crystal sphere in which one resided. In some worlds, chaotic evil souls would travel directly to the Abyss and become manes, the lowest form of sub-demon. Manes were treated as slaves, cannon fodder, and food by the demon lords. For mortals of Realmspace, however, all souls would first go to the Fugue Plane and await transport to their final resting place. Greedy demon lords would open a portal to the Fugue Plane and conduct raids to steal souls and bring them back to the Abyss to become manes. After the Spellplague, Shar reshaped the Plane of Shadow and folded in what death energy did not get absorbed into the Elemental Chaos and created the Shadowfell. After that, souls on their way to the afterlife started their journey in the Shadowfell and most made it to the Fugue Plane to await judgment, but a few remained behind or were lost.
Relatively few greater powers carved out a realm in the Abyss because dealing with the ubiquitous hordes of demons and ambitious demon lords would require too much of their attention. Those deities for whom the chaotic evil nature of the Abyss was attractive at some point in time, along with the demon "royalty" whose names were not spoken openly in civil society, were:
COSMOLOGY
The Abyss was an Outer Plane connected to the Astral Plane, Pandemonium, Carceri, and the Outlands. Some estimated that the Abyss had 666 layers, while the Fraternity of Order claimed to have catalogued 679 layers. It was possible that the number of layers was infinite, but no one could be certain. The first layer, named Pazunia after the demon lord Pazuzu, was described as a barren, dusty place baking under a red sun, broken only by great iron fortresses, huge holes in the ground, and the River Styx. Some branches of the Styx flowed down the holes (which were conduits of the various layers) and some of these holes supplied water to the Styx in reverse waterfalls. The River Styx was renamed the River of Blood, and it flowed through all the fiendish planes (except the Supreme Throne and the Demonweb Pits) originating in the Abyss, passing through the Blood Rift - an unusual plane that connected the Abyss with the Nine Hells - bringing demons ever closer to their arch-enemies the devils, resulting in the Blood War. Cosmologists found evidence of portals between the Abyss and the Barrens of Doom and Despair, Clangor, the Demonweb Pits, and Hammergrim, with intermittent portals to Deep Caverns and Fated Depths. The Astral Plane connected all of the fiendish planes to the Prime Material Plane, but not directly to each other. LAYERS The number of layers in the Abyss was unknown and perhaps unknowable, but this article attempts to list them regardless of which cosmology model was in favour at the time of discovery. Each layer had its own characteristics, which were as varied as the demons themselves. All types of terrain, atmosphere, weather, gravity, and material composition were represented in the myriad layers. Some examples were:
- Air-dominant—zero gravity, no matter except air
- Ash—blowing dunes of ashes
- Battleground—Blood War or other
- City—warrens and slums to citadels and palaces, teeming with demons
- Earth-dominant—solid rock tunnelled by the inhabitants
- Fire-dominant—ever-burning flames with salamanders, etc.
- Delusion—appears to be Normal but the flowers are poisonous or the trees attack
- Desert—endless tracts of black, white, or red sand with no water
- Glacier—infinite black, white, or orange ice with few rocky peaks breaking the surface
- Hellscape—a burning mix of magma, rock, and belching brimstone
- Maelstrom—swirling, bubbling chaos like Limbo
- Mountainous—rocky crags, precipitous cliffs, soaring peaks
- Negative-dominant—major or minor
- Normal—similar to a Prime plane with various flora and fauna
- Ocean—a trackless ocean, with a surface
- Salt—crystalline badlands or desert
- Sea—of acid, blood, garbage, insects, oil, or worms, etc.
- Swamp—noisome bog inhabited by predators
- Undead—specters, spooks, and ghosts
- Volcanic—lava flows, earthquakes, volcanoes, and smoke
- Water-dominant—nightmarish creatures in the murk
INHABITANTS
There were myriad types of demons, too numerous to catalog here. Non-demonic life could be found in the Abyss but was most likely imported from other planes.
AFTERLIFE
Beliefs about the journey of souls to the afterlife changed with the shifting cosmologies and the crystal sphere in which one resided. In some worlds, chaotic evil souls would travel directly to the Abyss and become manes, the lowest form of sub-demon. Manes were treated as slaves, cannon fodder, and food by the demon lords. For mortals of Realmspace, however, all souls would first go to the Fugue Plane and await transport to their final resting place. Greedy demon lords would open a portal to the Fugue Plane and conduct raids to steal souls and bring them back to the Abyss to become manes. After the Spellplague, Shar reshaped the Plane of Shadow and folded in what death energy did not get absorbed into the Elemental Chaos and created the Shadowfell. After that, souls on their way to the afterlife started their journey in the Shadowfell and most made it to the Fugue Plane to await judgment, but a few remained behind or were lost.
REALMS
Relatively few greater powers carved out a realm in the Abyss because dealing with the ubiquitous hordes of demons and ambitious demon lords would require too much of their attention. Those deities for whom the chaotic evil nature of the Abyss was attractive at some point in time, along with the demon "royalty" whose names were not spoken openly in civil society, were:
Type
Dimensional plane
