Styx
Geography
The River Styx wends it's way across the Lower Planes, twisting changing and unmappable. Getting lost while sailing the Styx isn’t the only risk a traveler assumes. Even tasting or touching its waters can forever destroy a creature’s intellect and personality, as well as strip away its memories. Certain fiends are immune to the river’s effects, but most creatures have no chance of resisting its effects.
Generally speaking, the Soulflow appears to flow from Pandemonium and empties into the Nine Hells of Baator. Along it's route, the river branches into each of its adjacent planes, allowing souls Judged for damnation to be ferried to the appropriate lower plane.
Generally speaking, the Soulflow appears to flow from Pandemonium and empties into the Nine Hells of Baator. Along it's route, the river branches into each of its adjacent planes, allowing souls Judged for damnation to be ferried to the appropriate lower plane.
Ecosystem
No creatures live within the deepest blood-red waters of the Soulflow. In the shallow head waters, giant varieties of freshwater creatures can be found such as eels or fish, and even Styx Dragons who build lairs in caves with hidden entrances just under the shore.
Typically, travelers seek a fiend called a merrenoloth to ferry them across the river, but occasionally souls of the dead become ferrymen themselves. Evil mortals who have been cursed or who are seeking the favor of a fiendish power, although it is rare, can assume such a position for a time.
Magic can be used to walk or fly across the river, but travelers should beware this may attract the attention of hydroloths or amnizus. Gorellik, the long forgotten former ruler of Pandemonium comes to the Styx and drowns his sorrows in its waters to forget his troubling past.
Typically, travelers seek a fiend called a merrenoloth to ferry them across the river, but occasionally souls of the dead become ferrymen themselves. Evil mortals who have been cursed or who are seeking the favor of a fiendish power, although it is rare, can assume such a position for a time.
Magic can be used to walk or fly across the river, but travelers should beware this may attract the attention of hydroloths or amnizus. Gorellik, the long forgotten former ruler of Pandemonium comes to the Styx and drowns his sorrows in its waters to forget his troubling past.
Localized Phenomena
Hellish Water
Unless immune to the river’s effects, a creature that drinks from the Styx or enters the river is targeted by a feeblemind spell (save DC 20). A creature must repeat the saving throw whenever it starts its turn in the river, until it fails the save. A feebleminded creature can drink from the Styx and swim in its waters without suffering any additional deleterious effects.If a creature fails its saving throw and remains under the spell’s effect for 30 consecutive days, the effect becomes permanent (no save) and the creature loses all its memories, becoming a near-mindless shell of its former self. At that point, nothing short of a wish spell or divine intervention can undo the effect.
Natural Resources
Water taken from the River Styx loses its potency after 24 hours, becoming a harmless, foul-tasting liquid. However, arcanaloths, night hags, and other fell creatures might know rituals that can prolong the water’s potency.
History
The shores of the Styx and even the river itself have been instrumental in the Blood War. Demons from the Abyss sail along its waters into Avernus, and Devils have built fortresses along the river to defend against them.
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