Vantian

The City of Open Windows

Vantian is the unholy domain of the demon lord of heresy. It is the 861st layer of the Abyss. It is comprised entirely of a sprawling city that is constantly crumbling. Earthquakes are frequent, and they take whole chunks of land into the black sea below. Sifkesh's citadel, Tower Doldru'um, stands at the highest point of the island. It overlooks the entire city.

Geography

Vantian is a sprawling urban metropolis located on a rocky plateau in the endless Sea of Lost Tears. The city is impressive in its architecture, but seems to be in a state of disrepair. No centralized government or organization of any kind exists here, and the streets are filled with the moans and wails of damned souls that occasionally interrupt the deafening silence. The city is home to countless churches and temples to gods from all over Arus and beyond, but these places of worship are perverted reflections of those found on the Material Plane. The influence of the heretical Sifkesh manifests in the temples, as they are all in horrible condition, as though they have been abandoned for eons. Stained glass windows are shattered, and great holy statues are desecrated and fractured. Statues depicting the avatars of deities are often covered in gruesome carvings of unspeakable profanity cursing the deity and their worshipers.
The city of Vantian is constantly wracked with disaster. Buildings may suddenly light ablaze, or tremors shake the entire realm as massive swaths of the infinite city crumble away into the black, oily waters.

Fauna & Flora

Vines, moss, and fungi grow over the abandoned buildings found here, and any trees in this realm are dead and withered. Tortured souls and fiends wander the vast alleys and streets in packs. Visitors must be on the lookout for these angry wretches, as their torment often causes them to lash out or become angry mobs that seek to destroy any building and maul any creature they see.
Animals that do roam Vantian are skittish and paranoid. When cornered, animals seem to immediately surrender. The aura of dolor here prevents most wildlife from fighting back.

Alternative Name(s)

City of Open Windows, the Unshuttered

Type

Dimensional plane

Owner/Ruler

Sifkesh