the Plant

The Plant is as old as the world, maybe the universe, maybe older. The Plant made the Gods, who run the world. It isn't a god. It's not even truly sentient. But it's still smart enough to make decisions, and it chooses who gets its fruit. If someone is given its fruit and eats it, they become a god. If someone takes its fruit without its permission, they often get some benefit--like full healing--but they don't become a god, at least not that way. Most people don't know it exists; those that do often only know if it's more minor power. But some beings, ancient and powerful, know of its true potential, and for that reason, it protects itself. The Plant, aka the Tree of Life, though it is not a tree and does not grant life (at least, that anyone knows about) but healing, has learned that it must protect itself. Therefore, there is a layer of the Abyss, the 8,649th layer to be exact, at the moment anyway, that exists solely to hide the Plant and protect it. The plane is a giant maze, and if you are arrive at the beginning, you must enter, because outside the maze is Nothing. The plane itself ceases to exist, and the edge is visible. You can go into the Nothing, by walking off the edge and falling forever, or by flying, but you cannot come back from the Nothing. The only way to the Maze is the entrance; the only way to the entrance is magic. You can leave the Maze via magic only at the entrance. The only other option is to go in, and if you find the Plant, you may be able to leave. Taking a piece of fruit from the Plant returns you to wherever you were before you entered the plane. Sometimes the Sphinx who guards the Plant will send Good people back to where they were before, or even back somewhere else, such as the material plane. Most who enter, however, never leave, and are lost either forever, or until they die. Spirits can leave to the afterlife, but if they do, they cannot return. The Maze, being of the Abyss, is full of terrible creatures. They tend to be either wild or hateful or both, and many of them are various kinds of demons. Sometimes other creatures enter, either to join the hordes or to find the Plant, and sometimes these creatures become corrupted by being in the Abyss and become part of the trials of the Maze. The Maze also has environmental effects. There are puzzles and traps, thin edges and molten lava, and all sorts of other things that make travels difficult. However, each of them is possible, and possible, specifically, by a humanoid mortal. This is on purpose. Despite each obstacle being possible, getting through all of them is nearly not. This is another reason why many fail. Most of the creatures in the Maze are evil or wild. There is one exception. Hasili, the Sphinx who was made to guard the Plant, is a lawful good creature who has been there for the millenia that the plane has existed, which is as long as the Plant has been there. She asks riddles and sometimes poses other tests to those who would partake of the Plant, and those she deems unworthy are slain. There is a small pile of treasure next to the Plant from those who made it that far. Thus far, no one has made it through and been offered fruit. Once someone has been offered fruit, for whatever reason, the Plant will very quickly wither away, to be reborn somewhere else with a different set of protections.

Item type

Miscellaneous