The Crimson Steps

The great peaks and massive chasms of this land parallel the philosophy of the ruler of this realm. Life, death, and the points in between are a continuous, vicious struggle for supremacy. The journey to the summit of victory is long and filled with ambition, or so Verata would say. This realm embodies the bleakest, most straightforward path to power through violence and rewards those who comply with the ability to climb the red stairs of this realm and meet He who would reward their tenacity, or send them down again to try again if they are not prepared. One would presume that those with great physical abilities would excel here, but it is usually not the case. They may be more than a match for other petitioners, but few of them complete the pilgrimage to their new lords palace. Instead, usually those of strong mental fortitude are the ones who can endure the decades or even centuries it takes to reach The Precipice. There, they await judgement and will either be lifted to the ranks of The Heartseekers or be cast down the mountains again to begin their long trek anew.

Geography

The Landscape resembles a somber mountain range complete with hanging shrubs, the occasional withering tree, and many of the same dangers from mountain passes on the Prime. However, there are three distinct layers to the plane.

The Trough:

Contrary to popular belief, there actually *is* a bottom to this plane, though it may appear like the cliffs and mountains drop into a black nothingness, this is not the truth. At the very bottom of every mountain interweaving between them all is a red river, The Sanguinis, a branch of the Styx. Creatures and petitioners who fall in are rarely able to get out. There are some settlements along the banks and the city of Gullet. Here, the rabble scheme and prepare for the ascent, often hazing and harassing new arrivals.

Blackfang Range:

This region comprises the majority of the plane, the mountains, cliffs, and all the passages that interlace between them on the path up the Crimson Steps. The winding path isn't the only way through the mountains, though if one had to pick the "safest" route, this may be it. It does however have the highest chance of encountering other petitioners. Some enterprising souls hope to overpower and tame some of the winged beasts and fiends that fly through the air in this wretched realm, but that is often... not successful.
Howling winds rush through the chasms and across the jagged peaks that make up the majority of the Blackfang Range. Grayish red and deep burgundy skies filled with brow-beaten clouds, frequently lashed by lightning and thunder mark the skies of this gloomy realm. Unfortunate souls who make it here in the afterlife plummet from the sky and crash somewhere along the mountains or worse, directly to the bottom of The Trough. They must then walk a crisscrossing stairway that winds around and through the spires that dot the plane of the God of Murder, Verata. The plane takes its name from the fact that the stairways are coated red with the blood of those murderers who, in death, must fight their way up the stairs to attempt to make it to the throne of their God. Those far below the peaks are sometimes pushed down by large tides of blood that accumulate and sweep down the sides of the mountains or through some long tunnel that goes through them. Being able to see a peak, even at a distance, is an indication of how gifted in the arts of violence a petitioner has become.

The Peaks of Supremacy:

When one nears the top of any peak in the Red God's realm bridges connecting each peak to the other begin to reveal themselves to prospective pilgrims. The temperature drops considerably as petitioners near the peaks and stays frigid, with strong gales and frequent bouts of blinding fog or snow. This is truly where the final tests begin as when the storms clear for variable intervals, the final peak reveals itself. The Red Spire, the ultimate peak of the realm, is visible from any other summit. One might think that this layer would be sparsely populated, but many souls rush the bridges and many more are shoved or pushed off to begin again. The fighting on final bridge known as the Edge of Reason is a daunting expanse. Wide enough for most humanoids to walk with no room for error, the bridge is one massive chain that connects to a gatehouse situated in front of the final path up the Red Spire. Many have plummeted to untold depths while fighting atop this span, more have simply been blown off of the chain by the occasional gusts that rush over the chain.

If a petitioner makes it to the throne, they are greeted by the dark god himself and are bidden to drink from The Well of Sorrow. If fortune favors them they are reborn as a member of Verata's elite fighting force, The Heartseekers . If not, they are thrown to a random corner of the plane and typically land with full force, where they are soon set upon by other miserable creatures who make their home in this desolate place. However, unknown to most of them, on the rare occasion where Verata senses promise from those who arrive at his keep he may throw them down just as well. On this new journey the soul is marked with Verata's Tears, the same scars he bears across his eyes. If the soul comes forth to meet him again bearing these marks, they are appointed a leadership position within the ranks of The Heartseekers. Only the coldest, most objective-driven and stalwart of his petitioners rise to this position.

Fauna & Flora

Petitioners in this realm have to worry about more than just the others who walk the Crimson Steps to the Red Sheppherd. Many devils and fewer demons line the path up to The Precipice, both scheme and tempt the souls of those who make the climb, further obscuring the path and weeding out those of weak loyalty and drive. While the Red God invites many of these beings in as a form of additional screening for potential recruits for The Heartseekers, they are still careful to avoid incurring his wrath. They are only to tempt those who have gone some time without a kill, though that may vary greatly.
Due to their continued animosity for each other, it is not uncommon for petitioners to observe, and sometimes join, in random skirmishes between the two fiendish races, occasionally siding with one or the other if they promise some sort of shortcut or assistance in the climb. Verata does not condemn this, as he sees it as an extension of ambition and initiative. Buyer beware, however, as pacts made along the way tend to be exclusive and accepting a demon's or devil's help has many implications. The first of which is more immediate: demons along the way are liable to attempt to kill those who've sided with their nemeses. Additionally, the Red God has an agreement with a certain ruler of Baator to allow those souls contracted along the way to be used by the Nine Hells as mercenaries for 9 mortal years. By the end of that time, they are returned to Verata, usually even more refined in the arts of violence.

Natural Resources

Although its bleak scenery suggests the contrary, the Crimson Steps are home to some of the most coveted materials relating to the more cutthroat professions.
-BUILDING-

Alternative Name(s)

The Red Spires

Type

Dimensional plane

Owner/Ruler

Verata