108 rooms · levels 50–53
This is a barren, dusty place. The terrain is rocky and harsh. When the sun does appear, it casts ugly red rays across the blackened terrain. A small path extends to the north. It doesn't appear inviting, but nothing really does in this place.
The black, rocky terrain appears to be the main feature here. Smoking pits of scorched earth can be seen everywhere. The trail in the rocks splits here to form a T, with exits to the south, east, and west. An enormous gulch lies to the north. Looking down one sees a trace of a black river.
This rocky outcropping gives a magnificent view. Toward the north a large ruined palace stands. Away to the far east and north lie the Styx and its tributaries. Strange things fly around to the east. Blackened pits billowing up foul smells dot the land. Although this location does provide a great view, the smell leaves something to be desired.
These are the banks of the River Styx. The desert leads right up to the dark black waters. It is said that those who drink of the water lose all memory. The first sign of real life begins to take form as plants appear to be growing under the harsh blood-red sun.
The dark waters of the river Styx flow to the north. Blackened desert meets up with the dark waters. The Styx appears to be quite calm here. Every now and then, in the distance, boats can be seen crossing the channel. Who or what propels these objects remains a mystery.
Dry gulches and smoking pits fill the land here on the shores of the dark river. Across the Styx one can see the faint ruins of a castle. The path continues to the west and east, and to the south there is nothing but endless blackened wastes.
The uninviting dark waters of the Styx lie below. Ripples in the water show it heads eastward. There is a ruined castle somewhat to the north, but a large towering wall of bones prevents entry. The river Styx extends to the east and west.
The Styx here slows to a gentle trickle. The waters are almost without movement and are calm and at peace. A small path leads to the north to the ruins of the castle. The Styx makes a turn to the south and the waters flow east.
The blackened, rocky path extends to the west, but a hideous sight comes into view here. A large wall made entirely of broken bones prevents access to the River Styx. What's worse is that the bones appear to move slightly and bite or scratch anything that tries to come near it. The path extends to the west and east.
The soot covered path ends here at a large, broken gate. Black ash and soot covers the remains of the gate. To the north is the entrance to a ruined castle. The Wall of Bones blocks the way south, and a path continues to the east.
This huge courtyard heralds the entry to the ruined keep. Battered and broken stones are present here. Many demonic skeletons are lying about the courtyard here. An evil presence is about, although the castle is strangely quiet. A large fountain lies to the north.
This large fountain is really an enormous dark pool of water. The pool is large and takes up the majority of the courtyard. The water itself is dank, and smells as if something rotten has been into it. The courtyard extends in all directions, making this area smelly. A huge broken statue of Demogorgon probably is all that remains of the mighty demon's power here. The statue blocks the way north.
The courtyard extends to the north and east here. Brittle bones and crumbling stones crack with each step. A large pool of decaying water is to the east. A large shed is to the west, and an iron door bars entry.
The eerie courtyard extends here. Black, crumbling stones mark the path here. The stench of decay is almost overwhelming. The courtyard continues to the east and south.
The sight of this room truly disgusts the kind hearted among you. Dead demons are strung up here and put in various odious positions. The decaying bodies of dead storm giants are put together in a sordid act of sodomy and fornication. This is truly disgusting and it would take a very cruel and evil mind to think up something like this.
The courtyard of the damned ends here. A strange metal door lies to the north. The ground here is cracked and broken, much like it is everywhere else. A bad smell emanates from the eastern and western passages. And a huge, broken statue of Demogorgon blocks the way south.
A pool of ichor resides here, spreading its ooze all over the stone floor of the courtyard. The smell from it is more than a little bit appalling. The ichor stems from the body of a strange creature that hangs here impaled on a large stone spike. The courtyard extends to the north, and a large stinky pool is to the west.
The black rock of the ground is relatively unmarked here. The large, semi-intact keep lies to the north, the courtyard continues to the west and south.
This stone corridor leads into the ruins. The corridor is black and dark. The walls are dank and smell of death. Whatever action happened here happened a while ago. The castle is quiet.
A huge pit sits in the center of this vast room. The pit is filled with the bones of dead things. Skulls and limbs and fingers have been cast into the pit. A not so grand hallway extends to the east, and a cracked and broken spiral staircase is to the north. To the south is an entryway.
A monstrous spiral staircase is here rising upward into darkness. At the base of the room is an enormous skull. It is cracked and broken, battered and hammered. The skull's remains are a testament to the mighty power of the Demon Lord, Orcus. This mighty demi-lich is now nothing more than trampled bones.
The majestic staircase ends here at a landing. Stairs continue to go up and down. A large tapestry of demogorgon has been ripped down and burned slightly. A large door is built into the side of the landing here.
This crumbling room is open on one side to the rest of the plane. The view shows a dull, barren desolate place, with the River Styx meandering through it. The stone walls here have been battered and broken, as if a large object were propelled through it with tremendous force.
This desecrated room contains nothing but trash. Excrement lies about an altar. Its broken bowl was obviously used for sacrifices, but now it lies cold and dead. A small offering table is also scattered about. Evil begets evil.
This western tower contains a rather large twisting hallway. The tapestries which had depicted scenes of the Lich are tattered and destroyed. A stone hallway extends to the south here and the stairs lead down.
There is a sense that nothing lives here. The quiet halls echo with the slightest sound. The stone walls are slightly crumbly and stained. There is very little else here. The crumbling walls continue to the east, north and west.
Something very large was forced through here. The walls have been bowed outward by the force of something larger than the hallway moving through here. Whatever it was it seems to have stopped and either exited or entered through a large hole in the ceiling here. It is difficult to say with all of the rubble strewn about.
Everything in this room has been burnt, blasted and ground into dust. The remains of an opulent throne room is here. Black ash and soot cover the place and rocks have tumbled from the ceiling to crush things that were here. The ground does look disturbed recently. Perhaps something lives in the remains...or doesn't live.
This room has apparently remained untouched by Orcus's minions. This chamber is plain and dull. The room contains almost nothing, except what treasure might be lying about.
The broken and twisted corridor lies buried in the ash and soot. Bits of frescoed walls extend in both directions. The mural that was once here is now gone, however. To the east and west the blackened corridor continues onward. A large, gaping and protruding hole in the ceiling is here and one can go up there as well.
Standing on top of the castle keep one can see large smoking pits and a blasted desert which extend in all directions. The River Styx bends across the dusty land. The ruins of the keep rise up like a dead finger. Two towers are visible from this point, although the eastern tower looks like it's seen better days.
This inky chamber contains a strange thing indeed. A large table is here with straps at the head and feet. The table is about the size of an average half-giant. Large vats filled with strange smelling liquids fill the room. Strewn cloth is also present in the room and the cloth is sticky to the touch.
This room is a welcome change from the everpresent darkness. A large brazier lights the room with a bright, but not cheery, glow. All manner of flaming things fill this room. A fireplace and several lamps provide light as well. The door to the west provides egress from this room.
Tomes, Librams, Codexes, and many other books lie neatly arranged in this room. A small crystal ball in the center of the room provides light, and small chairs and tables dot the room. A large, iron box dominates the center of the room.
This entry room is cold and dark. A large winding staircase winds its way up to the top. The remains of a staircase head downward, but nothing is left of them but a gaping hole. The room itself is empty of adornment, save for the odd scratch marks on the wall.
A winding staircase heads up and down from this landing, and a strange light emanates from the walls here. A large, broken statue is here, its head is chopped off and has rolled to the corner of the room. The statue appears to have been that of a small greenish goblin. Whatever that thing was for remains a mystery.
This strange room seems to be a treasury of some sort. The room seems to be intact, and large tapestries are here decrying the power of the lich who used to rule this place. Apparently, this place was missed.
This is the top section of the tower. Four large, imposing, adamantite doors are in the four cardinal directions, with a trapdoor above. Strange, unlike the rest of the tower, these doors look new and unbattered. Perhaps this is a gathering place of some fell evil force, or it could just be a strange coincidence.
This stone room has the word Doom inscribed on the back wall in a black pus-like substance. The ceiling is coated with the black, crusty substance, and the smell of the room is horrible. Every now and then the crusty stuff drips down, landing on the stone with a decidedly soft splat.
This is the apex of the ruined castle. A large pool of dark liquid sits in the center of the room surrounded by four large statues. The statues seem to be staring into the dark pool. Above the pool, floating in mid-air, is a raised stone dais. The dais is made of a glowing green substance and looks rather ominous.
Smoke issues up from a large dark hole here. The smoke stinks like a thousand rotten eggs. The stone walls seem to absorb the smell, intensifying it to an infinite degree. Something seems horribly amiss here. This might be the entrance to a very...very bad place indeed.
The River Styx flows here at a gentle pace. Dark ripples in its dark waters show that it moves with a fair quantity of speed over the barren, desolate, rocky desert that makes up most of the first layer of the Abyss. To the northwest can be seen the ruins of a large castle. The Styx moves to the east comes from the north.
This part of the River Styx flows rapidly to the east. Boulders and rocks jut out from the dark waters. The river broils and foams here through the rapids. In the distance to the east there looks like there may be something there, and to the west, the ruins of a castle can be seen jutting out like a thumb.
This part of the River Styx flows rapidly to the east. Boulders and rocks jut out from the dark waters. The river broils and foams here through the rapids. In the distance to the east there looks like there may be something there, and to the west, the ruins of a castle can be seen jutting out like a thumb.
This river makes a sharp bend northward as the chasm bends that way. The water has slowed to a gentle trickle here, and the Styx seems wider. Every now and again dark shapes cross the dull red skies. What these things could be remains a mystery.
The blasted desert meets up with the river here to the east. The river flows north and south across the dusty rocks. Far to the east is a strange structure, and to the west is a castle surrounded by a wall of bone.
Blackened, dusty rocks can be seen in all directions, winding through various sulfurous, smoky pits. The air is hot, and there isn't a trace of moisture in the air. The path continues to the east and to the west is what looks like a dark river.
The rocky desert path is scored through here. Every now and again waves of heat erupt in the area causing occasional discomfort. The air is stiflingly hot. Two large objects can be seen from here. The first is some kind of strange rocky outcropping to the north, and to the east is some sort of metallic shape.
The Fort of Adamantite looms to the south, and buzzes with activity. Medium sized humanoids crawl around the walls. Larger things look like they may be inside. Strangely, what looks like a large umbrella hangs over the entire structure in shadow. The ground here is rocky and unpleasant.
These gates to the fortress are cloaked in the shadow of the great umbrella. The gates are open and easily accessible. Two large platforms stand on either side of the mighty gates. Beady Drow eyes look down on you. To the south is the city-fortress, and to the north lies the black rocks that make up most of this layer of the Abyss.
The drow are here and have built this small fortification in the rock. Every now and again the shimmering umbrella lets loose a massive bolt of energy, striking dead whatever foul being attempted to harm it, or the peoples of this place. Not known for their friendliness, the drow have set up this little city and peaceful travelers are not usually accosted here.
Seller of Weapons to demon and Drow, this is the shop of Arvid. A large glassteel display case shows the current wares of this wicked drow. Let the Buyer beware as shops are expensive here in the Abyss. A large sign is here and a strongbox holds the money of the store.
This is the main road into the city. To the west lies the Shop of Weaponry, and to the East lies Tol'umtir's mystical stuff. A large temple rises from the south and the main gate is north of here.
Tor'Umtir's shop is a strange thing indeed. Although labeled mystical artifacts, he sells a variety of mundane objects, most notably water, for which he charges a fortune. The shelves are stocked with food and other stuff necessary for human or humanoid survival. He buys nothing yet his business is a very prosperous one.
The Temple of Lloth is here. It stands as a mighty edifice of power. A large statue of the Goddess in all her radiant glory is here. The Beautiful Drow almost seems to smile at you. The Umbrella rises from the top of the temple to the skies above. A pair of large golden doors allow access to the temple.
The outer temple leads up to a large altar dedicated to Lloth. A translucent curtain of energy surrounds the dreaded altar. A shimmering door is in the field pulsing. Above, in the darkness, is the inside of the Umbrella. It is covered with webs. A powerful spider indeed must guard the temple.
This is the dreaded Altar of Lloth. It consists of a large, raised dais. The golden altar is covered with gem-like spiders. Two large spiders make up the top of the altar. The Altar is covered with engraving of symbols of the various houses of the Drow. Blood collects in a small hole in the altar. The thing pulses with a wicked light.
There is a split in the road here. To the west the road heads to a large animal pen. To the east the road meanders around, and the shops of the drow are to the north. The road buzzes with activity, every now and again someone is dragged off screaming to the west. Stand here long enough and perhaps you'll share their fate....
This large area leads up to the pens of the Achaierai. The flightless birds give off a foul odor even from here. Black smoke comes from the pens. The road goes back to the east, and the pen is to the west.
These fetid pens hold the achaierai that the drow use as steeds. Most of them have been charmed or bullied into submission and are dying to get out and escape drow servitude. The high walls of the pens show much damage as the flightless birds many escape attempts. The dead carcasses of the zookeepers lie strewn about. Of course being a Zookeeper isn't exactly a desired position and it's usually reserved for an unfortunate who has displeased Lloth in some manner.
The road forks here as drow and the occasional demon come from the Temple of Lloth to the south. The umbrella rises from this temple and even from this distance it looks imposing. To the north is a watchtower where bolts of energy occasionally streak, blasting the ground, or perhaps something in the air.
The watchtower stands here. There doesn't seem to be any ladder or any way to get up to it except by flying. The base of the tower is made of adamantite and it rises to a large loft. Something sinister must be up there as there isn't a guard.
This guard post overlooking the city is the home of Maxwell. Maxwell lives in a clean neat room. Pictures adorn the walls, yet the sky is open to the environment. The room is very sparse save for a spiked cot which Maxwell sleeps on. A set of slashes on the wall marks its number of kills. The umbrella hangs far overhead casting darkness across everything.
A group of drow see you dawdling and figure you are up to no good. They are too many to fight. You are dragged before the judge of the Drow.
You plead your case. It does no good. You are found guilty....
You are sentenced to be Birdkeepers for a day. If you survive you get to live. If not you've helped feed the birds.
The canyon walls rise high above, yet, this is not the largest sight. High above, demons fight one another in a continual war. It appears as if the vrocks of the area are fighting a huge battle with the insect-like chasme. The chasme seem to be more numerous, but the vrocks are slightly larger and more powerful. The canyon here offers relative safety from the view of the horde of demons.
The canyon twists and turns here. The walls rise almost a half mile high. Above, the battle rages on. Every now and then stones fall from the nearby canyon walls. The canyon floor heads to the east and south. Something seems amiss here.
The canyon floor breaks here. The high walls tower over most everything here. The floor here is rocky, yet flat and seemingly well traveled. A great demonic war rages overhead. Neither side seems to be winning, yet neither side appears to be losing either. The path heads to the north, south, and west.
The canyon narrows to a point and creates this overhang here. This is obviously the home of some creature, as there is a crude stone table and boulders for chairs here. Scratches have been carved into the ground and there is evidence of habitation here.
The canyon floor is here winding its way through the canyon. The battle rages overhead. Something must be fighting on the land above the canyon because rocks fall from the steep sides. This path is well traveled, apparently many creatures don't like to be caught out in the open.
The enormous flat top sphere floats above the fetid plain, radiating a dark power. Dark things fly around it. Occasionally one of them dives downward to snatch up unsuspecting travelers. The only way up to it appears to be by flight. Although, a flight to it would be a terrifying journey indeed.
The enormous flat topped mountain lies directly above. Small craters cover the lower half of the sphere. It is difficult to tell, but it looks as if a large tree rises from the center of the mountain. This seems strange but anything would be a welcome change from the desolation that makes up this place.
This is the lower entrance to the hemisphere. A large metal door set into the rock lies to the west. It seems pretty solid. There is a magnificent view here. Far to the east is what looks like a large umbrella. Immediately below is a deep, dark canyon. In the skies nearby a battle rages between two mighty demon hordes. In the distance the dark waters of the Styx twist.
A plain stairwell is here. The stones are a little wide for your average humanoid. The stone corridor is very wide and looks like it can hold any number of large creatures. The stairway heads up, and a passage runs east to a large metal door, the way out to the lower entrance.
The dry stone corridor is here. A dull reddish light is emitted from the walls, floors and ceiling of this hallway, and the hall echoes with a persistent, low, almost humming sound. To the south comes a gurgling sound. A fair amount of heat also comes from there. It seems to be a fairly busy place indeed. The rocky walls lead down a stairway here.
This is the room where the Manes live. Barely intelligent, these things attack anything they don't recognize as being more powerful than themselves. Mostly that includes just about everyone. They roil and rot in a huge smoking pit at the bottom of this room. Manes are the principal food source for the demon races. Evil begets evil.
The dry passageway slowly heads up to the north and down to the west. A large, heavy, stone door lies to the east. The passageways here are fairly hot, although demons themselves don't radiate any heat.
A very large contraption dominates the room here. It seems to be a mass of levers and gears. Strange lights pulse over the machine, and it makes an awful racket. A large tube filled with some strange glowing substance flows from the top of the room to the bottom. It seems extremely complicated and probably shouldn't be tampered with.
The passage emanates a dull red light, casting ugly shadows across the hall. A door is to the north, it is made of the same stone as the rest of the place. The passage ascends to the west and descends to the south.
The lesser demons who seem to run the place down here hang out in this room. This huge room contains overhangs, beds, poles and other strange stuff. It seems an odd collection of objects, but as you look at it, you can picture demons lounging about.
A large trapdoor opens up from the ceiling here, and a large ladder climbs up to it. The ladder itself is very difficult to climb as the rungs are spaced fairly far apart. A passageway heads east back down to the depths of the unknown. The room here glows with a dull red light.
A dark hole is here leading downward through the planes to another layer of the abyss. The hole is obscured by a shimmering curtain of energy, although it can be pushed through. This room is eerily silent and there is only one choice to make.
Standing on the flat topped hemisphere one can see many sights. This place provides an excellent view of the Abyssal sky and the surrounding area. Jutting out from the center of this ball is an enormous tree. The tree is tall and grand, easily as tall as the radius of the hemisphere. Although tall, the tree looks withered and sickly, yet its roots must be strong as it is the only tree around.
The weeping willow stands here in all its huge glory. The huge branches sway overhead in the prevailing winds. Carved into the trunk is a large hole. The hole has a slight curtain covering it up. The remainder of the hemisphere can be gotten to the south.
This is the edge of the great hemisphere. The ground here is made of solid rock, much like the rest of the Abyss. From here one can see a far distance. A huge demonic battle rages nearby and the circling vrocks don't think to look inward.
The wooden walls of the passage are smooth and carved to the touch. The wood is also warm. From inside here one can hear that the tree itself has a beating heart evidenced by a constant low thumping sound. The passage is dark. There is a passage out to the south and the hallway heads northward.
It looks like something has damaged a large part of the wall here and the wooden wall is spurting red blood. It appears to be slowly patching itself up. The blood hits the floor and seems to be slowly absorbed back into the wooden floor. The passage breaks here and there are passages to the north, west and south.
There are two doors in this corridor in the tree. The first door to the north is nicely decorated with carvings. It seems like whatever would be behind it would be warm and friendly. The second door to the south glows with a weird light and a bad smell comes from it.
This large chamber is decorated in a beautiful and grotesque way. Beautiful divans, wonderful paintings and magnificent tables are present here. They are made from the most exquisite of materials. Unfortunately what is depicted on the paintings, and statues makes it seem as if something most evil lives here.
This room looks like an alchemist uses it. Strange pots and cauldrons bubble and roil. The smoke and smells have absorbed into the wood here intensifying the odors. A small carved branch-fireplace leads the smoke outside. The glassware is strewn about. Whoever does work here isn't very tidy.
This must be the center of the trunk. A hole above goes upward into darkness. The wooden halls of the willow echo with the sounds of a huge beating heart. An acrid smell is coming from somewhere close by.
Two large corridors extend from here. The first one to the east and the second to the south. The trunk continues both upward and downward. More blood is carried through the tree trunk here.
To the north is a prison cell. The wood here is rotting, yet infinitely strong. It appears to just be a taunt for the prisoners. A large, strong cell door blocks entrance to the north. To the west is a passage.
This is where Pazuzu keeps the good people he is trying to corrupt. Often as part of the bargain he holds them down here and starves them. If they beg and perform evil acts they will be freed and fed and killed. If they die. They win.
This is an awesome sight. A huge beating heart pulses in the center of the room. Four tube like structures suspend the heart in the center of the room as the blood courses through it. It floats here, glowing in all its majesty. It looks strong and, when cut, heals instantly. The sound that this thing makes is deafening. Casting spells would be impossible.
Two large branches exit from holes in the trunk here. The twin branches exit to the east and west to the outside. They are excellent places for flying creatures to alight. The trunk continues to the top of the tree upwards, and spirals downwards to the heart of the tree
The branches form an alcove here. Small holes can be seen in many, many places. Occasional bits of debris also lie about the branches. Other than the decaying leaves there doesn't appear to be anything here.
A large nest made up of the bones is here. The bones come from all manner of creatures and many are broken and twisted. Whatever lives in this nest must be extremely large, and probably fearsome too. The nest can be exited to the west.
The long upper branches of the tree extend here to the south and upwards. A glowing aura of energy surrounds the branches to the south. It looks like it would not be able to be entered without magical means and is quite solid. The trunk can be entered here downwards.
The branch twists and knots here causing this particular area to be enclosed. The knot twists above and settles to a perch above. To the north and all around is a strange aura which encloses this entire upper branch area.
This outer branch extends upward to this place. This is the perch. From here one has a most spectacular view of almost everything. Pazuzu can command his demons telepathically and have them do his bidding. The winds howl and blow but don't affect this branch very much.
The Styx flows into a very narrow gorge here. Consequently it speeds up dramatically. The gorge looks only large enough for a few people to get through. It looks like a large platform is jutting out from the gorge walls. This seems sort of odd.
The blasted rocky desert moves up to the Styx here. This seems like a good place to get one's bearings. The river Styx lies to the west and south. A strange dark stairwell also descends from a deep hole in the blasted terrain.
The mighty river Styx forks here. To the west, the Styx flows into a large tunnel, this prevents further exploration of the mighty river. To the north the Styx heads past some sort of strange dock.
This is the dock of Charon, Boatman of the lower planes. For a modest fee Charon will take you anywhere that the Styx travels. A large black Skiff awaits here in this bend in this fork in the river. The river Styx heads north to the unknown and comes from the west.
Charon propels the skiff forward into the dark waters of the Styx. His skiff is unmolested for many many leagues. He then comes to a large fork in the river. Charon utters one word.
"Choose"
He then waves his bony finger around asking you to move toward the side of the skiff you wish to travel. To the east the river descends into a deep pit. While to the west it seems to grey and get gloomy.
Charon turns his skiff eastward and the skiff plunges downward toward the east. Charon continues to propel his skiff through the water. The river Styx then takes forks. To the left the river Styx continues on its infinite journey. To the right the water plunges into a lake of fire.
With an evil grin the skiff rises up dumping you into the lake of fire. The lake starts rising up at you extremely quickly....
Charon turns his skiff westwards on the Styx. The dark waters part before his greatness. As the skiff travels, the land gets gloomier and begins to turn grey. Colors become muted and nonexistent. After a time, Charon, parks the skiff beside a large deep hole.
Charon then shuffles you out and speeds away down the river. Looking into the hole a dark path heads downwards. Since you cannot go back you begin to head downwards through the convenient staircase rising from the hole.
2 43608 Future connection to Demonweb pits (Danlis) 43554 Future connection to Skeletal Palace of Orcus (Armande) 43644 Possible connector for other areas of abyss 43650 Direct connection to Tiamat's Hell