Shattered Wastes of Abaddon
Abaddon is an accursed realm that lingers on the brink of annihilation — an infinite wasteland where reality itself seems to wither and fade away. The plane’s very nature is antithetical to the existence of life, corroding and warping the souls of those unfortunate enough to be touched by its evil. Though the land may appear barren and uninhabited, an assortment of fiends and other malevolent creatures dwell within every desolate crevice. These denizens are locked in eternal war with each other, perpetuating a cycle of violence that seems to hold no purpose other than to satiate their thirst for bloodshed.
Daemons, the harbingers of death and entropy, forever clash with embodiments of corruption called demons. These demons, in turn, seek to eradicate the qlippoth, evil spirits that have infested Abaddon since the early days of creation. But amidst this conflict, Abaddon is indisputably ruled by a group of vile entities known as the Four Horsemen, who bring apocalyptic ruin with them as they ride across the ashen plains, preparing for the end of all things. The presence of these dread lords casts a shadow over the realm, a constant reminder of the impending doom that hangs over the land like a shroud.
While the native daemons dominate most of the plane, the number of demons in the Multiverse has risen tenfold with the emergence of the Abyss — a great pit in the heart of the realm from which all demons are born. Among their ranks, powerful beings (with names such as Baphomet, Dagon, Orcus, and Pazuzu) occasionally take on the mantle of Demon Prince, clawing their way out of Abaddon to wreak havoc across the Nine Realms. In the past, threats such as these created allies out of nemeses, uniting even the forces of law and chaos in the face of their mutually assured destruction.
However, the rise of these Demon Princes was brought to a screeching halt by the actions of the archdevil Belphegor. Once the ruler of Hell’s Eighth Circle and most loyal lieutenant of Asmodeus, Belphegor willingly took on the role of warden for this forsaken place, singlehandedly stemming the rising tide of abyssal threats. From Catafalque, a great four-legged fortress that serves as the only true “city” in all of Abaddon, he patrols the artificial salt flats around the Abyss in a vain attempt to bring a semblance of order to the plane, all the while waiting for the Four Horsemen to grow tired of his company.
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