ddited by Foxit POF Editor ‘opyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 | 5 For Evaluation Only.esi ited by Fo: Editor Copyright (Oy sit Software C Company, 2003 - 2009 r Only.Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. +THE* TRAVELOGUE CREDI+S Designers: Lester Smith and Wolfgang Baur * Editor: Michele Carter Project Coordinator: Dori Jean Hein + Box Cover Artist: Robh Ruppel Conceptual and Cover Antist: Dana Knutson ¢ Interior Artist: DiTertizzi Poster Cartography: Rob Lazzaretti, Dana Knutson + Interior Cartography: Robin Raab and Graphics Coordinator: Sarah Feggestad + Art Coordinator: Peggy Cooper Electronic Prepress Coordinator: Tim Coumbe + Typography: Angelika Lokotz Border Art: Robert Repp + Graphic Design: Dee Barnett, Dawn Murin Proofreading: Bill Slaviesek, Janis Wells, Skip Williams, David Wise Design Review: David “Zeb” Cook TSR, Ine. TSR Ltd. 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TABLE ef CON+ENTS WELCOME 10 Chaos 4 Traveling the Planes, 4 Covering the Distance A Surviving the Environment 6 Dealing with the Natives 6 Into Tut Anys 8 The Plain of Infinite Portals... Zrintor, the Viper Forest .. Naratyr 1. Anwonea’s Joys (ann Soekows) Grandfather Oak Mount Olympus The Gilded Hall Tite NATURE OF Lint The Anarch’s Guild The Converts... Limbo’s Natives The Slaadi The Githzerai.. Pinwheel PANDEMONIUM, Tit HOWLING L The Harmonica . The Sealy Dog Inn The Dispossessed The Legend of Shekelor Tite BAFTLEFIELDS OF YSGAR Yagdrasil the Ring-givers : The High Grove of AlMeim .... Breidablik The Infinite Staire BE G@@D IF CAN'+ 8© G@@D BE QUICK — MAS+ER NES@+ +He DARK Cn, “Rh : -Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 Withou. FOF Evaluation Only. Lady of Pain, it serves as a crossroads to all creation, drawing all sorts of creatures to its thorny bosom. Where else in the multiverse could a basher ever think 10 see a deva Wel Cope E FO vtec ising st apne on Sigil has the character to draw them both in... @} H @ S$ and the might to keep them both civil. A Desple Is woes hgh Wf teria tems with a desire to leave the city from time to time. For some, it’s wanderlust. For others, it’s expediency (like a price on their heads}. In either case, many of them find their way 10 the Chaos sidle of the Great Road, where laws are loose and every cutter’s his own boss . . . at least as long as he stays out of the clutches of some~ thing more powerful. This book's a guide for cutters who're about to hhead for the Chaos planes: Ir'll share a few secrets of the places they'll find there and the souls they'll meet. That means that this book is intended for both players and the Dungeon Master. The Book of Chaos and Chaos Adventures, on the other hand, should be read only by the DM — others should kecp their noses out of them, berk! TRAVELING +He PLANES Bloods know that when it comes to crossing the planes, a soul’d best be prepared. A basher can’t just expect to stroll from one place to another like on a prime-material world. For one thing, the planes are so big there's infinitely more ground to cover. For another, even in the most “normal” regions, the terrain itself — whether it's mountain, river, gorge. or whatever ~ is wrought on a grander scale. And, of course, many of the planes are just plain deadly in their own right. Clueless berks can be roasted, drowned, dissolved, frozen, crushed, or just plain killed before they even know what's hit them, if they don’t take a bit of care. Then there's the natives, many of whom have served for ages as the stuff of prime world nightmares. The moral is, a cutter’s got to know what she’s about before she sets out across the planes. —N MY S+AyY, +e +RAVELER! WELCOME . — A XA@SIFECH Named SIVAL « «+ Fon F@DAY C@VERING +HE DIS+ANCE Everyone knows that a body can't expect to get anywhere traveling planes cross-country. The planes are just too bleeding big, and there's lots of places that are far too remote to walk to. Sigil’s the best example of that, because it can only be entered by portal. But even outside of Sigil, portals, conduits, or spells are almost absolutely necessary for long-distance travel. ‘Course, that doesn’t mean cutters never walk amy- where. For one thing, if they're using a portal or the like, they have to walk to it to begin with. And it’s not likely to drop them exactly where they want to be, so there's some walking involved again on the other end, Ofien as not, that'll lead to another portal, gate, or whatever, which 4+Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only.cs ——- Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 takes the travelers closer to their destination but : For Evaluation Only. leaves them some ground to cover. For most cutters, then, a trip from their kip in Sigil to, say, the town of Windglum in Pandemonium, in- volves a series of short journeys to reach their next jumping off point. First, they'll have to walk across Sigil to the first portal they're planning on using. Unless they know of one leading directly to Bedlam ~ the town where Pandemonium’s gate is currently located — they'll have to settle for dropping somewhere else in the Out- lands. If they’re a small group with a powerful enough wizard, they can then teleport directly to Bedlam, as- suming the wizard’ familiar with the place. But like as not, they'll have to travel across the Outlands for a short bit, instead, looking for a local who can show them a conduit or other pathway leading closer to that town. Wherever that drops them, they'll probably have to walk a short distance to enter Bedlam itself, then across town. to Pandemonium’s gate. Once through the gate, they'll have to walk some more to find a passage to the plane's, third layer, then again to reach Windglum itself, And while the walks themselves aren't long in each case, a cutter still has to deal with each environment. The ironic thing is, there’s likely a portal some- where in Sigil leading directly to Windglum, if only the travelers could've got someone to point it out to them But given the politics of Sigil, that might have taken even longer. SURVIVING +H6 ENVIRONMEN+ Forewarning’s the secret to surviving on a plane with a hostile environment. Before crossing through a thresh- old to another plane, a basher needs to know how to endure its conditions. The trick to that is simple: Ask someone who's been there. If there's no one available before the journey who knows, a basher should be ready to ask some of the locals when he gets near the threshold. They've been dealing with the environmi for as long as they've been there, and they know its dangers. Even if they're naturally adapted to the condi~ tions and aren't threatened by them personally, the lo- cals have seen lots of adventurers come and go. They've had the benefit of seeing how those visitors survived or didn’t, and can pass along their secrets to those who ask. ‘Course, convincing them to help can be a bit tricky sometimes. But it's worth the trouble to avoid dying from ignorance. DEALING WI+H +e NAFIVES Naturally, travelers not only have to survive the plane itself, they also have to know how to deal with its na- tives. Here again, the main trick to getting by is to ask Usually, there'll be someone he can dicker with for the necessary knowledge. If nothing else, there'll be a basher who's set up shop on or close to the plane in question, and who makes a living by provisioning visi- tors and advising them. That advice includes knowledge of the natives a cutter can expect to encounter, and the niceties of getting along with them. Just be sure to bring along a lot of goods to trade with, because these information brokers can be expensive sometimes, espe- cially if they know they've got a basher over a barrel. If, despite asking ahead of time, a cutter meets up with something she wasn’t wamed about, the next best thing to being prepared is to stay calm, Not everything that meets a cutter wants to kill her, so staying cool ives it time to have its say. By the same token, those things that do want to kill a cutter on sight often mis- take calmness for confidence. That makes them hesitant to fight, at least till they've sized the cutter up to see how much of a threat she really is. And while they're doing that, she can size them up as well, so when the fight does come, she knows whether to stay or run. That brings up the third trick to dealing with the natives: Don’t be afraid to flee. It’s much better for bashers to pack it in and move along when outmatched, because they can always come back better prepared. In effect, they've won even though they fled, because now they have information they didn’t have before. Pianae Pouics. IF Sigil is, as some claim, the heart of the planes, faction politics is the lifeblood pumping. through that heart. And Sigil’s factions reach outward to the rest of the planes as well, affecting much of what transpires there, However, not everyone on the planes gives a fig about Sigil’s factions. The most obvious example is the denizens of the prime worlds, who ate as clueless about the factions as they are about other planes in general. But even on the other planes, a lot of souls are either ignorant of the factions or disdainful of them, In fact, in some places, local philosophies or concems outshine Sigil’s factions in importance. Within the githzerai strongholds in Limbo, for instance, the politics of ter- rain shaping is extremely important. And from Ysgard there has spread a philosophical outlook whose adher- ents are known as the Ring-givers. These and other ex- amples are detailed later in this book, with the planes on which they're most commonly found. Among Cagers, it’s common practice to refer to such groups as sects, so as not to confuse them with the factions who run the various aspects of Sigil. Now, that may seem a pretty pretentious attitude for Cagers to take, but considering how snobbish and self-absorbed they can be, it’s a wonder they deign to recognize out- lying groups at all. +64Edited by Foxit PDF Editor IN+#e Se ire tiecian and he knows the dark B Y SS of the Abyss better than most. Catch him athe right moment and he'll even pass on some helpful advice about the place. According to old Rule-of-Three actly three priorities in the raging madness of the Abyss: surviving finding an exit port, and getting out Only a barmy or a Bleaker goes into the Abyss mor than once. Sure, there's always some addle-cove who ont believe is that bad, A blood knows it’s worse Even in the Abyss there's bad and there's worse plac layers steal memories, others ro bodies fom within, some slowly freeze all living things into stone. Those ae the good layers. On the a berk’s got ex- Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 There's a tanar'ri living in § FOr Evaluation Only. the air is pure smoke, Fires, lightning.ana poison aon t bother tanar'ri, so some of the layers that they inhabit slerable. Still, the most layers of the Abyss are desolate bui dark of it's th not unlivable, at least not for bloods with priestly and wizardly magic at their disposal, Trouble is, eventually a berk’s bound to walk through the rong gate and wind up on a layer she can't survive. A trip to an unknown layer is a quick way (0 wind up in the dead-book So the Abyss is a nightmare where everything rots and nothing pure can survive. Most cutters sus- pect as much. Here's the chant on how to come here and live to brag about it, according to Rule-of-Thret ways to do business with the tanar'ri — guess how many. If'a bloods good enough, he can deal from strength. If he ain't that strong, and not many are, he’s got to either play the tanar'ri off against each “o, other or pay outrageous bribes that might not hold firm. Th third, truest, and most costly way for a basher to There'ssurvive a trip to the Abyss is to make himself usef ‘one of the bloods here, a true tanar'ri with a stronghold and the power to enforce a pass of safe-conduct Rule-of Three says there’s also three (naturally) quick ways for a cutter to give the tanar'ri the laugh. They've worked many a time to give a basher a second chance Tanar'ri are always suspicious of each another When a fiend asks awkward questions, start talking about his enemies and watch him twiteh, In the Abyss, everyone's looking over their shoulders. Never underestimate the value of a little gar- nish, While a guardian of Bator takes his responsibili ties seriously, a tanar'ri does his duty only if he might be caught, So long as the bribe isn’t insulting, he'll pocket it. Whether he stays bribed is another question. Though the tanar'r all fear the lords, they ain’t loyal. Remember that, and tum it against them. Offer a tanar'ri power or revenge, and he may turn stag ‘A word of advice to mages: The Abyss corrupts both spells and mages. Furthermore, because some wiz ards enslave fiends, the tanar'ri take their revenge by hunting down spelleasters like dogs. What's more, any magic draws attention in the Abyss, and that’s some= thing a basher don’t want here ~ especially since magie can easily backlash op its caster. Knowing that magic brings attention is all very grand — but the real question is, how much canja basher get away with?-Mostly, riling the tanarti is what brings down trouble. On the open layels withouy a single ruling lord 75. RUNDE S Sas UABIATURRES 5 MERCY. UP@SSTBLE, ayo S POWER aL LWA MAFTERS. ? te wet cat ies 2°: {go off more or less the way they're supposed to. ‘Course, even iffa spell goes off, it ain't always helpful; the Abyss corrupts everything, even magic. Summonings, div inations, and alterations are risky, and necromancy works almost too well. A mage shouldn't use it un- less her back’s really 10 the v Like evil itself, the forms of Abyss infinite: towering beasts of sheer power, tiny scavengers like gremlins and var- gouilles, and servants like the spying eye- wings and the quasits. The masters of the Abyss are the tanar'ri, who tule absolutely and without pity. Mortals that dwell in the Abyss are a foul lot of killers, thugs, and traitors: Those that rub shoulders with the tanar'ri and survive to tell about it are tough as coffin nails. No faction rules from the Abyss, for the Abyssal lords won't tolerate thr The real allegiance of most creatures of the Abyss is to raw, naked powerGOP Pe THE PLAIN @F + INFINI+E POR+ALS + Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. The Plain is the way to the infinite layers of the Abyss, but it's a miserable place, its rocky ground cratered with gaping holes and dotted with iron fortresses under g red sun, The craters are portals to every other layer of the Abyss, the entrance to the depths. A berk can't get anywhere without passing through the Plain first. More important, it’s the best way to get out of the Abyss, with portals to Pandemonium, Sigil, and the As- tral. Sure, bashers can make quick escapes from the Ahyss by sailing down the Styx, but that leads deeper into the other Lower Planes, and sailing: down the Styx often makes a bad joumey worse The Infinite Plain being what it is, a wise cutter don’t plan on a long stay: He plans quick raids into the depths or alliances with the local lords. Sure, the tanar'ri have hot tempers and long knives, but they'll keep their word as long as a basher is useful, or until they're bored with him, whichever comes first. A berk can't fight his way through every enemy in the Abyss, so a sharp cutter chooses allies that he can deal with when they turn on him. The best way to travel the Plain and learn the chant of the Abyss is by staying at the fortress of Bro- ken Reach, A succubus named Red Shroud built it on top of the Plague-Mort portal in the Outlands over two hundred years ago. Like a stinging beetle’s nest, the Broken Reach is defended fiercely (but haphazardly), 90 a quiet basher can slip past the defenders at the gate. If a cutter don’t make a fuss going in, no one blocks the way when he comes back out. From the outside, the Broken Reach is a set of crumbling towers, surrounded by outworks of trenches, walls, and spiky barricades. The important sectors of the Broken Reach are underground; the portal to Plague-Mort itseff is beneath the main hall, and is, sealed off with a 20-ton slab of basalt when danger threatens. The Abyss sees few willing visitors, but a berk can hear the accents of Sigil, the gibbering of Pandemo- nium, and the stutters of the githzerai among the hub- bub. There's enough traffic that the Reach keeps small but lavish guest chambers directly off the main hall, Don't be fooled by its seeming Civility: The Broken Reach don’t give anyone second chances, and a basher who isn’t prepared won't sure of anyone, and it devours the weak. For the strong, the Reach is a gathering point, a rallying point for fol- lowers, a place for fiery speeches against the baatezu; it focuses power and attention. Combat is more or less forbidden within the Reach, but death-matches happen every hour just outside the walls. Red Shroud, a flame-haired taskmistress, en- forces the rules with an iron will. She made her reput tion as a poisoner and a font of dependable inform: tion. Under her guidance, its thick walls have protected it against five determined assaults, including attacks by tanar'ri mobs, githzerai, and even a minor Abyssal lord Red’s authority covers everything within the walls, and she doesn’t let vendettas threaten her guests. Like wise, Red encourages the molydei to search for con- scripts elsewhere. But Red does demand obedience from all her guests, and she expects them to help enforce her fragile peace whenever anyone breaks the truce. Some~ times she orders the death of someone who simply en- rages her, perhaps by wearing, turquoise (an oracle told her the stone is unlucky}. or by snoring, or by ordering cheap drinks, Sometimes she does it just because she ca Rumors say that Red’s consort can influence her but she draws and quarters anyone who suggests it within her walls. Red's fourth {and current) consort is a nalfeshnee named Ygrax the Skullbiter. He's been a bit ddim ever since he was wounded in the Blood War, and he seems content with a life of doglike panting whet ever his mistress approaches, and is an obedient slave to her every whim, It's too convincing to be an act The Reach keeps good supplies of food and drink on hand, and its armory can outfit a small company of mercenaries in time of need — but Red likes to turn a hefty profit, and so all costs for goods are tripled. The bill of fare in the Reach usually reads something like this: fried lemure, fish soup, stewed fireweed, tamor tu bers, roast ratatosk, poached Varrangoin eggs, and led abyssal bat. The cellars are decently stocked with spirits, including Trav’s larval beer (1 cp), Redcastle ale (ep), viperwine (venomous to everyone but tanar'ti, 4 gpl. Stygian mineral waters (4 sp), fermented boat's, blood (5 gp, said to increase a basher's strength), and, most prized of all, curdled aasimon blood (200 gp+). A Bleaker dwarf with a withered arm has come from Sigil and has spent hours negotiating with Red. No one’s sure why. Some say it's because a raid’s sup- posed to go off soon against Mithrengo, the nearest fortress on the Plain. Others say Red’s expanding her little empire, or she’s eliminating a rival — still others say she's capturing a new consort. No one seems to consider that she might not be behind the raid at all That's how powerful the fear of her is among the “ri Take it to heart, berk +104Lookout spire \ Mithrengo Broken Reach Pivanbrat -— reac s ae ea ed OL ea coe) ceed Sea re eae Seed aaa eee) ed ee] eed ord a Pr eae eed far right lies Cane ee ae The spire on ee ed Cea Ped Cee ed Pada fortress of Ee (close left). Md Per ard rd Oa Cee ead Peg Pe layers of Thanatos, Cs era sac) DreesEdited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, For Evaluation Only. ZRIN+OR, + +ne VIPER FORES+ + Viper trees are common throughout Azzagrat, a set of three Abyssal layers ruled by a single lord named Graz’zt. Entire groves stand around many of the realm's palaces and towns. Rumor has it that at least one of Graz’ar’s layers was once part of the Gray Waste, since shifted into his realm, and that this accounts for the large numbers of viper trees in the woodlands called Zrintor, the Viper Forest. The forest stands on the first layer of the Triple Realm (the 45th layer of the Abyss), a doused, muted, and subdued layer. The screams and torments of the lesser and least tanar‘ri and unfortunate planars fade into the background, nothing stands out, nothing's very noticeable, everything seems equally gray. This general fading makes stealth easier but it also makes the first layer of Azzagrat difficult to keep in mind. Travelers can't remember details of the forest or towns they saw here, though they remember the creatures and goods. In fact, all of Azzagrat is confusing because the three layers, are constantly overlapping and moving through each other, fiery gates opening, between them at random. ‘Some cutters, exhausted and staggering after fighting and bribing their way past layers and armies of tanar'ri, enter the three layers of Azzagrat and let down, their guard. After all, the three layers look like a safer place than most in the Abyss; there’s no hordes of clawed, drooling fiends, there's no fiery skies, no poi- son geysers, and no ranks of least and lesser tanar'ri on every side. The wide rolling forest of Zrintor provides cover, food, and protection against tanar'ri, The fact that the trees’ branches are serpents is a minor problem. Don't be a fool! Azzagrat’s dangers are worse than most in the Abyss, because a cutter can’t see ‘em com- ing. The Viper Forest isn't a safehouse; it's a whispering. wood of thinking, striking trees — creatures that allow some visitors to pass through unharmed and attack others mercilessly. Some bubbers even say that the trees, can tear off their own branches, that they become writhing serpents that follow and poison a body. There's a secret to getting through the Viper Forest, and most cutters don't tell it for nothing. I's like this: Berks who stroll into the woods by day usually don't live long. Those who go at night survive, because they carry torches, lanterns, or other sources of fire. Light Jone, even magical light, ain't enough. The serpent trees fear flames more than anything, so don't ever let @ campfire go out in the Viper Forest. ‘Course, just avoid- ing death don’t mean a berk’s out of the woods. Forest fires are a danger throughout Zrintor; when they rage, nothing but the will of Graz‘zt can quench the fires, and Graz’2t enjoys the screaming of the trees as the flames render them into ashes. The fires 2o003- 200 | volatile trectop to the next in moderate winds, spre: ing faster than a cantering warhorse. The fires are as powerful as a dragon's breath, and much less suscepti- ble to flattery and bribery. Also, the forest recovers quickly from fires. New growth begins within hours, so burning a path out is likely to roast a cutter instead. According to Rule-of-Three, there's three ways out of Zrintor. One of the common threads between the lay- ers of Azzagrat is the River of Salt, a sparkling crys- talline mass of moving minerals that are somehow liq- uid and solid simultaneously. Floating a magical ship or raft down the river usually leads quickly to the forest's edge. A berk’s got to be careful, though: Creatures un- fortunate enough to fall into the river are ground under by the rasping masses of sharp salt crystals. Anything that isn't choked by the salty dusts is usually reduced to a reddish paste within a few minutes That's the hardest way. It's sometimes easier just to ook for the ovens. From place to place, gates open be- tween the three layers, gates that burn like ovens of green fire. Walking into one of them leads from one layer's “oven” to another's; tanar'ti are unaffected by fire, but sods who aren't ready are in for a hot time. Naturally some of the ovens ain’t gates at all ~ that's the tanar'ri idea of a joke. The last way takes the most courage, but it always, works. The Abyssal lord Graz'2t rules his realm from the shadows in the realms largest city, a place called Zel- atar — a city of alu-fiends, cambions, nabassu, shadow fiends, slow shadows, succubi, and tieflings. Graz’zt himself rules from the Argent Palace, a place of ivory towers and cold, mirrored halls. The palace is a fright eningly clean, echoing place where visitors often lose their guides to the ravenous, mad bodaks that guard it The Palace is said to contain a direct, mature conduit to the Plain of Infinite Portals and other layers of the Abyss. as well as conduits to Pandemonium and Gehenna. The city of Zelatar also connects to the other two layers of the triple realm, where Zrintor don't exist. Go to the city, find one of the other layers, and walk out where the forest ain't. The trouble with this method is that Graz’2t and his councilors hunt petitioners and planars in the Viper Forest, and the closer a basher gets to Zelatar, the greater the chance he'll become their prey, Graz’2t is a sporting lord, though: Those who survive for a day and 4 night are allowed to go free. Tanar’ri that survive his hunt are transformed into yore powerful forms. +134Edited by Foxit PDF Editor + NARATFYR Bashers who've been to Naratyr shudder at the memory, but any fool set on plunging into the Abyss needs to know about the Lower Reaches. Called the City of the Dead, Naratyr is the capital city of Kiaransalee, the drow goddess of vengeance and the undead, and the entire layer is her realm. Like the rest of the Abyss, it ain't for the weak or the cowardly. Naratyr is a town built on icy river bluffs, with its lower reaches right along the waterline and its heights in the airless ice of Thanatos, the 113th layer of the Abyss. Don’t sound safe, does it? The city is the only habitable, civilized part of Thanatos, the Belly of Death, a cold layer of ice, thin air, and a black, moonlit sky, a place that belongs to the un- dead more than to the tanar'ri. Nothing truly lives here: no fields of forests, not even twisted groves of hardy viper trees. Quick as thought, any poor berk that dies in Thanatos becomes ane of the power's servants, undead mostly but sometimes manes, dretch, or rutterkin. The transformation takes an hour or so, and, for the plane petitioners, it’s permanent. No one knows how planars change back, but sometimes they do ~ if they're lucky enough, and have powerful enough friends. Built near the waters of the River Styx, Naratyr is a curiously silent and cold city, its streets often empty for hours at a time, Peaceful, really THE LOWER REACHES The Lower Reaches are important to a planewalker be- cause they're safe. There ain't many bolt holes available in the Abyss, so listen close. The undead won't enter the Lower Reaches because it’s only for the unthinking un~ dead. Lesser tanar'ri won't go because they're terrified, The greater tanar'ri think they'll be transformed into undead, though no one’s ever seen it done (except maybe in the Winter Palace itself). Even the Abyssal lords won't follow a basher into the Lower Reaches; the chant is that Kiaransalee sucked the life Force out of the last lord to rule Thanatos, and the Lower Reaches are her feeding grounds. The truth is, the Lower Reaches are a chilled, ignored sanctu- ary of the Abyss, a place that the drow and the undead sim- ply don’t give a damn for. If the living wander among the trash, well, they'll just be undead that much sooner. Zombies, skeletons, and a few Dustmen wander the Lower Reaches, picking through, the refuse that the intelligent undead above throw to the scavengers below. Granted, it’s +144 Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. Upper Reaches with their vampires, banshees, and con- stant ghast patrols; the Lower Reaches’ worst threats are mindless puddings, cranium rats, and other scavengers There’s even the Scavenger's Luck, a tavern with the Finest rot-gut and the foulest rations on the layer. THE UPPER REACHES Upper, airless Naratyr is home to warring bands of vampires, banshees, and spectres, all striving to outdo ‘each other in fawning service to their mistress. They are constantly searching for living flesh to convert into new undead slaves to please their harsh goddess. The militia is called the Ivory Mace, a rag-tag gang of ghouls led by ghasts or wraiths. The captains of the Ivory Mace are babau; beware their deadly song, Though Kiaransalee issues decrees from her night- mare throne of zombies and skeletons, the city’s da} to-day ruler is Rauva Cormrael, a powertul priestess from the Prime, Her grip tightens when Kiaransalee withdraws to the Forbidden Citadel, a fortress many leagues away over the frozen wastes. Rauva’s manor's high up in the Upper Reaches, guarded by scarab bee- tles the size of horses. Ain't many services in Upper Naratyr, except for the tanar'ri and some undead. Upper Naratyr has but a single tavern for the warm folk, and few shops: The dead need no food or goods. Food, drink, and a warm bed are available at the Bottomless Well, an inn run by Crimson Mol, a constantly muttering basher who cleans his mugs obsessively with a bloody rag. The customers may still live, but their shuffling gait and numb speech are signs of their deep weariness and helplessness. Most of them are members of the Dustmen. The Dead are the ‘most powerful faction on the layer; they're good guides for visitors, and they know where (0 find the best air, food, and water. Most undead ignore travelers accom- panied by a Dustman. The Dead know they've got a lock on the living, and charge accordingly. Undead slaves and servants are available for any berk who can stand the stench, and the costs are right enough, not more than a copper a day. Tanar'ri keep huge entourages of useless servants just to impress the Clueless. Most other goods ain't available; food costs triple the usual prices, since so few need it On the heights above even the thin air of the Upp Reaches lies the Winter Palace of Kiaransalee. Its car~ pets are woven from the hair of its former occupants, and the interior walls are made of flesh. In summer @ egent called Rotting Jack rules the city in Kiaransalee’s place, ignoring Rauva’s commands. In winter, Kiaransa- lee herself rules from Naratyr. He DEAD are M@RE RELIABLE +HAN +He LIVING, — HISSBODA ef NARAFYRThe Upper and Lower Reaches of the city of Naratyr, a realm of the undead on the 118th layeF of the Abyss:@D YY lores, bur nar of esa tand of fields, or Pers: eerste Beare ree ree area ee oe ee ee ee ere hea ee AOS ie a ae ae ee a ee See a a ee “Course, like cnr the acklash is stronger if a spell Magic re quires small sacrifices to the nature spirits that rule every brook and grove of the plane. Spell keys in Ar- borea take the form of ritual offerings to the earth and na~ ture spirits that make the spells function, Wine, oat cakes, milk gold, olive oil, fine idols, un blemished animals, and a mage’sblood are typi- cal offer ings that , make magic possible. Unfortu nately, each school and sometimes each spell has its own offering that serves a key, enough to make even iage’s head ache, Arboreans live unrestrained lives of hedonism. Lots of bashers think it’s because Arborea is the home of the Sensates, but that’s only half the chant. After all, the curses of the powers in bring about tragic ends, including such ugly fates as exile, slavery, patricide, and blindness. Comparing oneself favorably to the gods, failing to make a sacrifice, offering an insufh cient sacrifice, breaking an oath — these things are all trouble. Sad truth is, any sod can make a mistake, but in Arborea the powers might hold it against him. That's chaos, but it ain’t pretty The greatest numbers of petitioners are the elves of Arvandor and = the humans of Olympus. Sen- sates can be found in both camps, and the fac- tion seems.to rule the plane. In addition, the peti- tioners of Arborea include almost all sylvan races from centaurs, elves, gnomes, and humans to satyrs, nixies, and harpies. They're the commoners of the plane, tend- ing to the good of the woodlands and meadows. Though not as wild as the Beastlands, Arborea still has, many ancient groves in need of care. The Arborean pe- titioners treat this work with as much diligence and concern as peasants treat their crops els where. The petitioners are just pikers com pared to the nature spirits that rue the land: every tree, every brook, and every hillock of Ar- borea, The elfin asrai are the water spirits, the powerful reads rule every peak — including Mount Olympus — and dryads and sylphs rule the woods and the \ +n in many springs, sacred groves, and cient caverns of prophecy and judg- ment — small shrines alert travelers that a spirit lives nearby. Ignoring them brings bad luck, and any traveler barmy enough to give em the laugh pays the price. Worse are the bacchae: roving gangs of bubbers, capering half-mad mobs of pleasure and destruction that roam the countryside. If they tell a basher to drink with them, she drinks. Trouble is, she’s like to become one of them if she starts to enjoy their company and they accept her. Petitioners in Arborea don't always stay petitioners until they merge with the plane ~ they become bacchae as often as planars do. How it happens isn't clear, but the magic of music and dance is said to trigger it. The powers blame the creation of the bacchae ‘on Dionysus, though Pan is sometimes named as well. Whatever their origins, they're a danger to all trav especially those who provoke them. Most any- thing provokes the bacchae: failure to offer wine, offering inferior wine, ot failing to be as joyous and drunk as they Y Philosophers of Thrassos and the Guvners still argue whether petitioners who become bacchae ever regain (a their normal form. ‘Course, what really matters is that they lost i eet in the first place. A basher should just be grateful that no planar's ever become one against his will,+ GRANDFA+HER @AK # First thing to know is that only the Clueless ask to meet Grandfather Oak. It ain't a person, it’s a town, though a cutter wouldn’t know that from all the elves who go about calling it “him” or “our grandfather.” Entire vil- lages are nestled in his branches, and each one of his flat leaves can bear a dozen elves’ weight. The elves'll rattle their bone-boxes about Grandfather's moods, whims, and wishes, but the plain facts are that Grand- father Oak is the greatest and oldest tree of Arvandor, a gigantic tree with entire tribes of elves living in the leafy top and in the wide hollows between trunk and branches. A great dell between two of its roots is a chapel to Labelas Enoreth, the elven god of longevity. Grandfather Oak's name and respect ain't so strange: just think of the lonely astral sailors who refer to their ship as a woman. The elves have shi ing wood for countless generations, and elven genera- tions at that. Grandfather's living quarters are built in the higher branches using deadwood brought up from the forest floor. The oldest shelters have become over- grown with Grandfather’s wood. The elves also keep many guest chambers, small entrances carved into the trunk itself, like squirrel holes. Food grows on vines and orchards up and down the trunk. Before rushing off to see Arborea’s wonderland, remember that there's a sweaty side to living at the top of an oak. Criminals and visitors are sometimes pressed into pulling up water, earth, and deadwood on the tree's, ancient winches and pulleys (if a sweet elven lass asks a cutter to help her, he'd best say no). Since hauling water up the tree is such back-breaking work, the elves, also use rain-gathering gutters and huge collection bar- rels. When an elven cook turns a wooden spigot, water rushes through the spliced branches and pipes and into the pot Gnarled and ancient, Grandfather Oak's high-up is himself an ancient treant named Moss-Among-His- Roots, Wind-In-His-Leaves. He's creaky and weathei even for a treant, with cracked bark, yellowed leaves, nd patched limbs, and a single remaining arm, Lots of berks think that Moss-Among-His-Roots, Wind-In- His-Leaves is dying, but the old tree has life in him yet. Most planewalkers find that Moss-Among-His- Roots, Wind-In-His-Leaves is too slow about his delib- erations (even a yes-or-no question may take a day to answer). A typical preamble to one of Old Mossy’s an= swers runs something like, “Become one with the woods, we are all trees in the forest. Hear the song of the forest, and thrive as the forest thrives. Ponder each, action, and grow slowly into the path that leads to joy. Slow and steady, do nothing in haste.” And that’s him just clear- ing his woody throat. For quicker Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. ever nani-eiven warliuE wit att Eye HU! Cuatacter. Ey Judgments are recognized as just and binding within the limits of Grandfather Oak, though some treants, grumble at his “hurried, slap-dash” approach. Tree-folk, of course, outlive even the elves, so most bashers un- derstand that their view of time is more patient than practical ‘The gray elves who live around the oak are bound by their own laws, appealing not to Trillamir but to their High King, Labelas Thenorean, and his court. They keep to themselves near Grandfather's roots. King Thenorean’s wise rule has been a blessing to the often isolated gray elves, and his many children, grandchil- dren, and great grandchildren are sought after as advi- sors in all the elven courts. His warrior priesthood keeps Grandfather Oak safe from giants, titans, and the giant predators that roam the forest floor of Arvandor. Knights of the post beware: Sharping and robbing are risky here. The entire town turns out for a week of drill and archery practice twice a year, so everyone's @ constable. The gray elves post a permanent guard at the roots who catch those who hope to slip away. Patrols wander up and down the trunk both day and night, and even the quickest cutpurse can't outrun arrows. The elves also depend on the warning of the nearby forest cre tures; the cries of birds and squirrels are taken seriously, A berk can’t just light a fire wherever he pleases: Boulders have been brought up into the higher branches as fire platforms for cooking, tanning, and metalwork ing, and building fires elsewhere is forbidden, Since the oak’s wood is green, fires don’t spread easily except in late autumn, when dry leaves still hang from the branches. Instead of fire, Grandfather Oak is lit with magical light, so he has a soft, golden glow even in windy nights. ‘All services requiring fire cost more than usual; ironmongering, laundry, hot bathwater, and brewing and distilling all cost double. Leather and horn are rare in town; the elves substitute feathers and a forest form of flax taken from Grandfather's acorn husks ‘The Oak was famed for its spider silk eons the trade died after Lolth’s followers were banished. The entrances to those workshops have grown over, and, though no high-up has ruled against it, no elves go here. No one knows what remains in the empty spaces under the bark. The town’s elven woodcarvers are exceptionally talented and their work doesn’t cost a wagonload of Jink. The greatest is Woodmaster Morellian, famed for his black walnut carvings. Morellian is venerable even among elves, for he’s seen more than 1,000 summers. He carves onily one piece a year, auctioned off at mid- summer. Morellian’s apprentice, a strange pale elf named Pomeriel of the Birch, is expected to carry on his work and is said to be a sorceress besides + 18+Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. + M@UN+ OLYMPUS The Olympian powers themselves dwell in halls and temples on Mount Olympus, which towers above all other places in the realm of Olympus. Far above the clouds and cares of petitioners, a lucky wayfarer may catch a glimpse of the powers as they send their proxies up and down the mountain to their many supplicants. The legends say that just being closer to the mountain brings a faster answer to a worshiper's prayers. Travelers claim that just by standing on the peak, a basher can sec for miles in any direction, Just by focus ing right, the Guvners declare, a soul can see almost anything going on within a hundred miles, and sharp- eyed cutters who squint just right can sometimes see into the other two layers of Arborea, to the stormy wa ters and spiral sea-city of Elshava in the second layer and the white sand wastes of Amun=thys, the only realm of the third layer. Mount Olympus is 4 cloud-wreathed land of plenty, its slopes strewn with abundant olive graves, its lush foothills echoing with bleating sheep and clear ‘shepherd pipes, the south slope home to fertile vine- ‘yards, and everywhere the small orchards of oranges ‘and apples. Its woods and defies are filled with the laughter of satyrs, nymphs, and syiphs. = Hidden paths lead through the mountain to other planes: @ wrong turn can lead a pilgrim to the depths of the Gray Waste or to a random prime world. The spirits of stone guard these paths, for the powers are jealous of their shortcuts, The portals of Olympus are open to anyone brave enought travel them, the way the'branches of Yggdrasil are. There's adark to” them, though: Some af the secret paths reveal themselves only to worshipers of the Ulympian powers. Others attempting to Follow 4 Seat see oeseraee hidden paths are vy and a waste ‘of time worse than the Hive for those who ain't worshipers. Considering that the portals of Olympus only lead to three Lower Planes and a number of odd Prime worlds, hough, doesn’t give a basher much reason to go poking around where he doesn’t belong, Each temple has a small outer shrine for offerings es, a huge statue of the deity made of ivory, and sac gold, silver, or precious stone. The temples and homes Of the powers themselves are the site of many portals to other planes; the entrance to the power’s actual home is. Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. 7 usually well disguised, ‘some say by Hermes or Pan, the trickster gods, others say by Hephaestus, the smith. Zeus's domain is the greatest of all, a citadel of polished marble and gold that stands at the highest peak. Here the father of the Olympian gods rules alo side Hera, his wife. Oddly, only their worshipers can sce the entrance to their temple. Aphrodite lives in a nearby palace of mirrorlike quartz and gems, where every surface reflects her own beauty. The entrance is hidden within a magical mirror, and at least one of its paths leads to the Gilded Hall of the Sensates. The stories tell that few who enter can find their way out, and those who do are vain forever after. For many of Aphrodite's worshipers, that don't seem like much of a change. Apollo's temple and stage of beaten gold radiate internal sunlight. The Sensates love this place, and their poets are often found here declaiming verses to honor the god of poetry. Plays are often progress in Apollo's amphitheater, ‘a white marble semicircle © carved into the southern mountainside. The lair of Ares is a massive battlement near the portal that leads © down from Mount Olympus to all the spheres RE where the pantheon is worshiped, mirroring the hall Of Athena, who dwells in a palace on the far side of that portal, Ares's citadel is said to be made of bone, Athena's of iron, Berks who rattle on about visiting the palaces are probably pulling a cutter’s leg, for both are as difficult to enter as any fortress. Dionysus's palace is overrun with vines, each hang- ing heavy with grapes. Bacchae keep the hearth burning nd the festival going even when the power's away, but few others would dare Hermes lives in a den of gambling within the mountain itself. This hall is perpetually shrouded in darkness to the eyes of all visitors except his wor- shipers, and the entrance to Hermes’ cavern sometimes leads somewhere unexpected — after all, he is a power of travel. Poseidon lives on the second layer of the plane though he maintains a seaside shrine near Mount Olympus. Hades rules in the Gray Waste and rarely vis its Mount Olympus. The lesser powers ~ such as Artemis, Demeter, Nike, and Tyche — have smaller homes among the huge and dominating temples and estates. Pan and the titan Prometheus live in the hinter~ lands of the realm, and they rarely come to Mount Olympus at allEdited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. + THE GILDED HALL # Between Arvandor and Olympus, near the city of Brightwater, lies the Gilded Hall of the Sensates, a place devoted to beauty and pleasure. The festivals never stop here, every race can speak to every other, and all sad- ness is banished within its gleaming walls. The Olympians say that Aphrodite herself crafted the achingly beautiful spires and gracefully curving halls of the Gilded Hall, and that the waters of Canathas, the fountain of youth, were used t0 mix its mortar. Fiends have been killed by the sight of it, so powerful is the Gilded Hall’s sharp and piercing beauty. Miraculous cures have been achieved by those who've been allowed to stay by the hall’s ecstatis, its magical restora~ tion of the spirit, The elves have their own name for the Gilded Hall: They call it Perlamia, and visit it as pilgrims. The elves claim that Hanali had a hhand in building the hall, laying the enchantments that create its shimmering beauty. Their poems speak of Per- lamia as a person, a creature that does nothing but spread joy. Their sagas say that Perlamia sings when the hall is empty or silent, and that it speaks to the down- hearted, telling them how to recover what they have lost. Others claim the palace of the Sensates ain't alive, but haunted by the spirits of those caught by its splendor. Describing the Gilded Hall is a thankless task. It stands midway between the realms of Arvandor and Olympus, and though it lies in the valley between the two, it seems to command the surrounding countryside as surely as if it were atop a hill. The palace of the Sen- sates has an overwhelming, thundering glory that stops, Viewers in their tracks and strikes each heart in a differ- cent light, as if it were magically tailored to appeal to every eye differently. Bariaur compare it to a fine rear- ing filly, and dwarves speak of it as being constantly smelted and recast. Elven poets say it lives, constantly breathing, reborn, and they have despaired of finding, words for its beauty, its radiance, and the joy it brings to even the most downcast of souls. The Gilded Hall has been the target of fiendish at- tacks because of its beauty, which the tanar'ri and baatezu alike cannot abide. Least fiends are slain by the sight of the Gilded Hall, but all others are just enraged by it. Raids from the Lower Planes are common. In purely architectural terms, the Gilded Hall is a palace of melded, flowing domes and eighteen large and small towers, all to point. Its entrances aren't obvious at first; the visitor must follow a path of discovery toward the entrances, which are hidden behind hedges, walls, or curving paths. Its enormous gardens are always blooming, and the smell of flowers is enough to make a basher sick after a few days. Sensates seem immune to the stench. The view from inside is almost as dazzling as the outside — wrapped in mirrors and gilded with sheets of gold on every surface. The view is rich, luxurious, and open to all visitors who agree to obey the rules of the Sensates — which are not rules at all, but the motto of the hall: no compulsions, only persuasio ‘The party never ceases in the Gilded Hall. Different wings wake and sleep during the night and during the day: dinner parties, hunts, picnic outings, garden par- ties, masked balls, and all-night drinking binges are all part of the hall’s daily schedule. Oddly, the Gilded Hall never becomes overwhelmed with dirt and trash. Though it brings out the beast in most visitors, the Gilded Hall is one of the few places where the bacchae seem tamed, even civilized enough to bathe. As long as they are within the palace walls, they neither destroy property nor convert others into bacchae. The Sensates have trouble leaving the Gilded Hall: it traps them like flies in its web, for what fool would want to leave paradise? Some Sensates have lived out their entire lives within the mirrored halls, and it’s said many are buried on the grounds. When the Hall’s Sensates aren't drinking and dancing, many of them spend their time looking for Canathas, the pool of beauty that the elves call Ever- gold, Evergold is the Fountain of Youth, the elixir that halts all corruption. All it takes is a single sip and the years fall away, and a berk becomes a driven man, as commanding and inspiring as a factol, The Sensates are always yammering about it But a berk’s gotta think: If it were that easy, every- one and his brother would already be as handsome as a deva, and one look around Sigil shows a basher that ain't the case. The trouble with the Evergold is that its effects are temporary and only the powers seem able to find it — which don't stop every empty-headed Sensate from looking for it in Hanali’s crystal palace in Arvan dor, or in Sune's sector of Brightwater, or elsewhere. Regardless of where itis, the pool always shimmers and shines with a rich golden luster that make it impossible to mistake for ordinary water. The basher who brings some to the Gilded Hall can name his price. THANK Y®U, WILL. mere WINE? — AIDAN oF tHe SENSAFESInterior of the Gilded HallEdited by Fos Foxit POF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 "Any euttér headed for Limbo needs: beware ofthe plane's chaotie.ele- ental natiare!’Sec, Limbo's composed of this Sort OF stew of things. The bréth” is unformed earth, air, fire, and water in such a @ mix that itdoesn’t really reséffible any of its four © elements. The natives call this batkground elemental mix by lots of different. terms: broth, soup, chaos mat ter, and primal chans, fora few examples. Chaos matter is hard to describe to those who haven’texperiericed it befozp. f's a sort of swirling, hazy, dry fluid that’s just opaque enough to cut off visibility beyond a few yards, Bie gaan gray 0 4 7 it; a berk just hangs theré Pr6v! Tem is, body can’t breathe-i, thorotigh 20 For Evaluation Only. ‘complex an environment, oe thinking terrain into being ig that-as soon.a8 the cutter stops, oficen-) aisSolvingg hack into soup. However, there are sOme ot with ike jnnareBility fo min= tain, terrain withouty = cifically cone and it dissolves things it cofyes oo in contact with. Sonmei@w, 2 though, the slaadi are immune’ tits effects = they:swim along ‘through it comfortable as can. be — and Lfinbo's peti- Honers actually take their physical being from this Droth, So naturally they're comfortable in ittoo. But'don't go getting the idea that primal Chaos just stays chaotic. It isn't even stable in that way. Parts GE Metaup ateyorever BoslesMPig Into more normal types Of terrain — meadows, mountains, streams, and Even woods, — eventually t0 dissolve back into broth Witat makes Limbo liveable to souls other than the Basted ot oe Siboasisttot’ | ge) "pide ANE Saget 4 sponds @ a thinking beings Re Sous iy cofeeaugrng ite task, a cutter.can make it coalesce into firm ground with bitathable aif, regular-gravity, and even plant life, ‘Matter of-fact, really bright individuals can think Toth ilextcoce ana al ecrligs ate Bcycnic anime, The Tefal lal ae Table-at the bottam ofthis, eae a arch isiikethaviggaiperfech ame ‘ory:-Beings are’eithet born with if or they're not. Butnnlike assoul With a perfect memoryesey angmnarch’s talent fas to be trained t@wWork. Si the native cultures OFLinibo have a way of fect budding anérchs from the rank and file, so:that they” can train them, int the Chaos-shaping proficienty: é or ‘a, oF 7Pe Corte ea WALK +He AIR: DRINK +He EAR+H; CN Sia: 2eL8 , CONDI Za es a Ce GREETING ome sau a @ p rene eee me Frac Om eL EVEL vs Bor cece eu yi PA tyEdited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For THE AN. Evaluation Only. (Chaos Masters, Groundsmen) Stet Puiosoriy. Unlike many sects, the Anarch’s Guild has a specific local focus of purpose, rather than one that can be adopted across the planes. But in this case, the term “local” still covers a lot of ground, be- cause the sect is pretty widespread within Limbo, Outside that plane, however, the sect has no real purpose to speak of, so the chance of encounter- ing one of its members elsewhere is just about nil See, the Anarch’s Guild exists specifically fo train anarchs in the chaos-shaping pre ciency. And since chaos shaping wot only within the mutable conditions Limbo, there's not much point to tf guild elsewhere, That's especially t considering how valued anarchs are in those areas of Limbo inhabited by anyone but sl nd petitioners, Other races dwelling here need an an arch or two if they Ww: their habitations continue to exist. So d treat anarchs as something special. As a sult, not too many anarchs have any son or desire to wander away from hot It’s a cushy job, Pr figure. Jey PLANE OF INFLUENCE. Limbo. Ga ALuirs AND EveMies. There really aren't any traditional allies or enemies to this guild, other than those applicable to the: githzerai in general. The Anarch's Guild is actually a githzerai institution. Given how insular the mem: bers of that race are, it’s a wonder that anyone from any other race ever learned the chaos-shaping proficiency. Nevertheless, over the ages the githzerai have taught a few non-githzerai souls here and there, usually in return for some really reat service to a githzerai cause, Some of those i viduals, in turn, set up their own training schools in other places, following the Anarch’s Guild’s traditions and teachings, but not officially recognized as branches of that guild. Whenever the githzerai refer to a branch of \ the Anarch's Guild, then, they KX specifically mean one in a githze rai city, To anyone else, the title refers to any location that’s teaching chaos-shaping mastery, githzerai or not. Adventurers should be aware, however, that some of the non-githzerai branches have really bastardized the traditional teachings, and there’s no guarantee that they know any- thing about the chaos-shaping profi- ciency at all Bewerirs. The main benefit of being a member of this sect is the chance to learn the chaos-shaping. proficiency. Those interested should be aware that in the hands of a master, higher levels of training, in that profi- ciency allow for some really amazing effects. For example, githzerai cities are noted for being of such large size that only a god should be able to maintain them, There are three possi- ble reasons for this: There are lots of ge- nius-level githzerai anarchs; githzerai an- archs divide up sections of the city and maintain them separately; or githzerai an- archs are able to train themselves to achieve phenomenal results with the chaos-shaping. proficiency. The first possibility ~ though conceiv- able = doesn’t seem likely. The second possibility is contradicted by the fact that the anarchs in each city tend to dwell close together, typically within one centrally located Anarch’s Guild facility, and that puts them away from areas they would need to be inhabiting in order to The third possibility, however, is very likely, especially given that githzerai cities typically possess exotic wildlife that’s probably thought into being rather than culled from some other plane Resrmictions. Members of this guild have a duty to help maintain their local city. Anarchs found wander- ing the planes as adventurers are usually scomed by their fellows. ‘Course, the most significant restriction is that chaos shaping doesn’t work outside of Limbo. TH@SE wee CON+ROL +e +ERRAIN, C@N+RO@L +42 BA++LE — ANARCH’S GUILD PROVERB + 26+Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 THE For Evaluation only. (Chameleons, Turncoats) Srey Puiosorny. It's a common saying among Chameleons that the more a body learns, the more ‘questions he has, Learning is, more than anything else, 1 process of finding out how little a body really knows. Just as soon as a body thinks he’s, learned the dark of things, along. comes a new bit of infor- mation to prove him wrong, Eventually a soul has to admit that the multiverse is too big for a mortal to ever really un derstand. Even the powers seem in the dark as often as not, so only a berk ever swears that anything's 100% sure. But that doesn’t stop people from trying to understand. See, believing exactly nothing leaves a berk with exactly nothing to do. A body can’t chart a course of action if he thinks every direction is equally senseless. So people go about their lives, piecing together things they earn, till they've got some sort of workable structure of beliefs to guide their action Problem is, all too many berks try to make those structures permanent They start ignoring bits of knowledge that contradict their views, and start harping on the points they're most sure of, Pretty soon, they're preaching their credos to everyone who comes along. as if convincing enough other souls makes their theories the truth. But deep down in- side, where they won't even admit it to themselves, they're full of fear that they might be wrong, Mean while the multiverse just goes on about its business, not giving a fig for what they do or don't believe On the other hand, there’s something really liberat: ing in a soul admitting he don’t know for sure how things work. Cutters like this still have to come up with some theory to live by, but they know it’s artificial, so they keep in mind that it’s only temporary. The more they learn, the more they revise their theory, and when ultimately they see something that works better, they chuck the old theory out with few regrets. They know that while they'll likely never find ultimate Truth, that doesn’t stop them from working on improvement. PrinaRy PLANE OF INFLUENCE. The Converts are strongest in Limbo, where nothing is for certain, and it seems that the sect took its start here. But the group also suits the Outlands, where balance in all things is emphasized. The Converts have no fac- tol, being instead a free league of like minds. Auuies an Enemies. The Conv sidered too much of a null cipher to have ‘cnemies or allies, except those of what ever faction they currently adhere piiry. Membership in the Converts is open to any race or class. But crea- tures of lawful alignment never join, because they can- not accept the sect’s teach: ing that there is no way of knowing ultimate truth Benes. A Chameleon can belong to one other faction, as long. as he meets its prereq- uisites. He gains the full benefits of that faction. Later, he can change t0 a different Faction, los- ing the benefits of the first and gaining those of the second instead. He can do this any number of times, Restrict Chameleon is subject to its restrictions. In addition, once he has left a faction, he can never return to it. He's 9 see the limitations in its world view. While belonging to another faction, a @H! + +HINGS SEE CAN | BE FACTION I'D NEVER L@@KED WAY, P@IN+ PAR+ Now? (b — PERMILLON oF +He CONVER+S +274 !All right. So a basher’s ready (0 go to Limbo, aware that the terrain is perpetually in flux, but knowing. that it can be stabilized by a strong will. She sets off, confi- dent that she can impose order on the place. All prob- lems taken care of, right? Wrong, Because a basher can't impose order on the natives. They have to be related to on their own terms. Trouble is, this is one area in which Limbo is 50 excep- tionally chaotic that it isn’t even consistent to its own, inconsistency. A basher can't even trust the plane’s in- habitants to be dependably chaotic. Most of them are downright orderly in some ways, at least sometimes. A traveler has to know the dark of who acts how and when, This is especially true of the slaadi and githzerai GI+HZERAL COME IN #wo +Y PES: HARDHEADED, 10 S+UBBORN, — MARIVUS QUINCE, mencnad Some cutters have characterized the slaadi as basically giant, carnivorous frogs that just happen to be able to talk — and that description is fairly apt. For most hu- mans, it might be easiest to compare the slaadi to bar arian nomads. The creatures have loyalty to nothing but their own kind, and have respect for no other cul- ture, They seem to view all other creatures as beasts to be used as they sce fit. Slaadi cannot be reasoned with or bargained with; they cannot be bought off with trib tute nor appealed to for mercy. Like the Fated, they con- sider themselves to own whatever they can take, This all springs from the slaadi reverence of per- sonal strength. And that, in turn, arises from their physical relationship with the plane of Limbo. See, the slaadi are perfectly at home in the raw chaos of Limbo’s primal matter. This means that they have no real need to collect personal possessions. A slaad just takes what it wants, when it needs it. So to their minds, the being most able to take is the being most revered. In other words, strongest is best The slaadi see nothing wrong in a stronger being forcing a weaker one to do its bidding. This attitude is so ingrained that weaker slaadi would never think of banding together to overthrow a bully, the way that hu mans do. Instead, they consider it a stronger slaad’s right to bully them. By the same token, this affects the slaadi’s mode of battle. Whether hunting or raiding, they never actually cooperate in combat. If four slaadi were facing one human warrior, for instance, they would take turns fighting that soul. Only if the first slaad were defeated would the next begin to fight. and so on, On the one hand, this means that one good fighter could conceivably hold off an entire horde of sl On the other hand, it means that theEdited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. fighter can't just defeat their toughest member and scare the others ay. And that tenacity can be wing when a basher's trying to leave in a hurry. One very important note for new visitors to Limbo: Relative strength among slaadi is reflected in forehead markings. Red marked slaadi are the weakest (though they're still the equivalent of a seasoned war- rior), Blue are stronger, green moreso, and gray ab- solutely deadly. Once in a great while, a basher might actually meet something even tougher: a death slaad. ‘That's nothing to worry about, however. See. for most cutters a death slaad means instant destruction, and worrying about it ahead of time won't make things any Technically, the githzerai aren't really native to Limbo: they originally came here from elsewhere. But they've been on the plane for so long that most cutters consider them natives. In terms of their behavior, however, their extraplanar origins certainly tell. Originally, the githzerai ancestors were humans enslaved by the evil illithid race. Eventually they were lead to freedom by a great female warrior named Gith, Upon gaining that freedom, the people immediately be- 29 divided. Ac cording to legend, a man named Zerthimon came forth to challenge Gith for leadership of the newly freed slaves. A great battle was fought between the'two factions, in which Zerthimon was killed. But his followers fled to Limbo, where they became the githzerai, The rest of the people became known as the githyanki, and took up residence on the Astral Plane. The two groups have hated each other ferociously ever since Because of their history as an oppressed race, and a splinter group of it at that, the githzerai are a suspi- cious, insular people. Unlike the githyanki, they're not evil, but they're certainly not at all friendly to outsiders They burn with the fires of fanatical faith in them~ selves, and hatred toward the githyanki. This leaves them little time or energy for other things — such as dealings with outsiders. Consequently, cutters who visit a githzerai city feel always on the outside of things, and continually scrutinized as a possible agent for the hated githyanki. Foreigners are expected to stay within pre scribed areas of githzerai cities, unless they're escorted by a githzerai, and woe betide the berk who decides to ‘go walkabout” outside the foreign quarter. ‘As intense as the githzerai are, some souls find it difficult to consider them chaotic. But keep in mind that while the githzerai are fiercely loyal to their race and ultimate leader, theirs is the loyalty of individuals, not the compliance of slaves. Having escaped from bondage once, they prize individual freedom above all else.Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. + PINWHEEL # Deep within Limbo’s ever-changing, soup lies one bit of terrain that remains surprisingly constant throughout time without the preserving attention of powers or an archs, Most commonly referred to as Pinwheel its constant spin and the streamers of half-formed mat- ter that cling to its edges ~ this location is the site at which the World Ash Yggdrasil connects to the plane. For most beings, the fact that Pinwheel is home to a branch of Yggdrasil is explana tion enough for the island's existence. As they see it, Yggdrasil reaches into Limbo and, by virtue of its own sta bility, imposes stability on this locale, giving rise to the island. But other souls aren’t so sure. They point out that Yggdrasil isn’t a thinking being, so it doesn’t make sense for it to im- pose stability on Limbo’s soup. To their mind, a branch of the World Ash could just as easily drop into chaos matter without any local effect at all — and in fact that's more probable. So they suspect that Yggdrasil reaches here because Pinwheel is stable, rather than the other way around. That leaves, then, the obvious ques tion: How is this island stable without a guiding intelli- sence? A lot of beings have suggested theories to answer that question. Some say that obviously Pinwheel is th realm of a forgotten power, one who's destined to re turn some day and claim it once again. Other, more scholarly types hypothesize that the island is the center of Limbo, and that as such it’s a sort of focal point, so naturally it remains solid. A few berks even say the is land itself is a sleeping god, and offer it worship. Course, to most cutters it doesn't matter why the place exists, its just enough that it does Pinwheel is a vast dise of forested ground 150 miles in radius, with its due to — air, Is heavily forested, and the forest ranges from pine and fir near the site’s raised center, where Yggdrasil can be found, to humid jungle at its edges, The site serves as home for an incredible variety of animal life, including some really big, really vicious types. As a matter of fact, Pinwheel’s animal that no one tries population is so thick, and so sav to dwell here. Pinwheel bears a Jot of similarities to normal is lands on other planes. For one thing, it has a roughly circular shape, though that’s a bit misleading. The re- ally solid, stable area is more kidney-shaped. But as the island spins within the soup of chaos, that chaos matter esces into bits of ground that swirl out like streamers from the coastline. And in the indented side of the istand, an eddy is ‘caused in a whirl of chaos matter as Pinwheel spins. Within that eddy. the streamers are longer thicker, and more entwined, filling in the indentation 10 give the island a more circular look. But this se no region is usually referred to as the swamp, bec matter how solid it looks, its still prone to change un- sly. Up near one end of the kidney, the istand is pierced through with enormous holes, and chaos matter from beneath comes bubbling up to form “lakes.” These pools are laid out in a chain, and together form something of a natural barrier to the wildlife on the island. When an- archs visit, they pull the chaos matter up from those pools and create enormous walls of stone or vegetation to fully encircle the region. (‘Course, this wall dissolves back away once they've left) The area inside is a full 50 miles across, and serves as an excellent neutral mi place for Limbo’s inhabitants. For that reason, there's been a huge guidon constructed in the center of the region, in the form of a three-sided pyramid of granite and marble, Fully four stories tall, it’s big, enough to withstand the curiesity of Pinwheel’s biggest animals when there’s nobody here to pow-wow Again, like most islands, Pinwheel rises at its cen~ ter to a mountainous peak. That’s where the branch of Yggdrasil connects. Up here, the forest consists primar- ily of pines and firs, As a cutter descends, those give way to leafy things like maples and oaks in the middle range. Then finally, out near the coast, the forest becomes a veritable jungle of exotic trees, vines, experere) See Pe spot within ed Cd eee stable existence, free: eas ares oe ee read neutral er) Pai)Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. P AN DE pe N PO Ma, cin terecrenion es sins a % anyone ever comes here. But Pandemonium THE sees its share of travelers as well So, what are the troubles the plane How L ING La WY DD recent wert. tney'r tree-fotd (oto ing the Rule of Threes): deafness, madness, and blindness The most noticeable thing about the plane of Pandemonium ithe noise. Course that's something Hike saying that the most noticeable thing about fires that's hot. Pandemonium cestes nose the way Hire creates heat, Wins blow through the planes twisty maze of caverns eternally, incessantly, and ~ in most places — deafeningly. There fone iee tops to not aneteye wracking moaning, but that’s about the best of it. For every one such “safe” place, there's a dozen where it blows with hurricane force or worse. Naturally the locals have learned all the quietest, safest routes and stick to th Unfortunately, that doesn’t solve their problems entirely. See, the noise isn’t just deafening; it's also maddening. The constant howling is enough to drive a basher batty after a while. As a matter of fact everyone who hangs around the plane Yong enough eventually gors crazy. The trick is keeping that madness from crimping a cutter’s style. Anyone who's been to the plane for any length of time knows the dark of what that mean. For those that havent been Hee st mh wae explaining They eer igure outa survive when he ie comes, or they'll lose control and die. That's Nature's way. R vasive as the noise — the plane is dark, Pandemonium is utterly and completely without light sources. The only light anywhere on the plane is that maintained by beings living hee: And with the raging wind, — TWI+CHING keeping most lights alive is pretty tricky business. Flames are out of the @RLAND® oF tue question except indoors, behind tightly sealed walls. That leaves magi MADH@®USE cal light as a trave only alternative, and even that has its problems. For one thing, some parts of the plane soak light up like some sort of sponge. For another, carrying a light makes a body extremely visible to thing lurking inthe darkness. Finally, between the wind and the plane’s magical nature, casting even a simple continual light spell can be iky Funny thing a sal would think tata traveler would notice that darknes ist thing of, Given that mes folks ely on sight a thei number one sense, it would seem that blindness would rate right up there as Ie number one concern, But tha Just goes to show ust how thoroughly noiy Pandemonium The howling wind such nin diate problem that even blindness takes a back seat in terms of immedi- For the plane that's supposedly the least populated of all the Outer Planes, there's a surprisingly high number of folks dwelling here, and theyre of just about every imaginable race Many of thet are bashers FIGH+ING WIND BIGG +324Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. who were banished here by one powerful enemy’ OL or another, and for one reason or another ’ never managed to leave, There are whole cities full of these sorts. Some ane. fairly open to travelers; others are ary or even downright hostile 16 outsiders, Add wind madness to that mix, and it can be trou- blesome to figure out how to deal with' people en= countered on the plane, Cutters are best to Keep = an open mind, an open eye, a civil hand on a sword + everywhtre they. go on the plahe, The plane also sees a Jot off travelers from. 3 the Abyss and Limbo. Quite often, creatures, who don't wai to be see q stepping from 4 one of those planes into the Outlands, ke a lite ide trip hough Pandemo: cially given ay that the portalll such on this plane are usually un- this plane just arent much interested it a fighting over possessidl of it, They have their own little hidey-hole realms, and that’s about a much as they care for) Course, the Bleakers tra here quite a lot as wel, £6,568 madness up close and persortllEdited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. + THE HARMONICA + Most of Pandemonium’s layers are composed of pas: sages that're apparently natural in origin. But the plane’s second layer is unusual in that its caverns and nels all bear the marks of chisels, as if they'd all -n hand carved from solid rock in some ancient mil- lennium. It's chilling to think of all those endless miles, of tunnel carved by beings long since extinct, for some unknown purpose. Now, normally a soul can ignore those ancient chisel marks and just go about its business. Over the ages, the winds have smoothed them a bit, giving the tunnels a more natural look. But there are places where the ancient laborers’ handiwork just can’t be ignored One such is a site that travelers have taken to calling the Harmonica, There've been a lot of theories put forth as to the original purpose of the enormous cavern called the Harmonica. Some souls believe that it’s a sort of am phitheater, built for demigods to look down on arena competitions on the floors far below. Others think it’s nothing more than an artwork done on a st dous scale, Still others believe it to be a place for invoking dark powers. A few believe it to be Pande- monium’s physical heart, driving the constant winds throughout the plane like lifeblood through monumen- tal arteries of stone. There are all sorts of rumors as to the site’s magi- cal powers. There are those who believe that a cutter who finds its very center will receive immortality Others say that it can grant a soul's fondest desires. But for every story of the site granting a boon, there's at least one dark legend of harm it gives. Curses, lycan- thropy, disintegration, disease, mutation, and having one’s spirit torn to pieces and eaten by dark powers, all these have been attributed to the site at one time or an- other. Basically, the site is a huge, spherical cavern about ten miles in diameter, filled with hundreds upon hun- dreds of stupendous columns, But given the site's size cutter to see enough of the cavern to truly appreciate its gargantuan scale Keep in mind that gravity is toward the walls on this layer of the plane, which means that a cutter can walk completely around the sphere in any direction Between the columns, the walls are pierced by multiple hundreds of tunnel entrances, which means the site can be accessed from all sides. It also means that the site is a meeting place for winds from all corners of Cocytus. {It reverberates with a sound so powerful, the vibrations can be felt in tunnels up to 20 miles away, like the tremors of an earth- quake.) Stairways spiral up- ward around each of the columns in the cavern, ostensibly to provide for climbing, There are several problems with this, however, For one thing, the stairsteps are all waist-high on a human, which makes for ex- hausting climbing, especially considering that the columns are each literally miles high. For another thing, the columns are also pierced with holes of all sizes, and the wind filling the cavern rushes through them unexpectedly, making any perch treacherous, to say the least. The wailing set up by the wind rushing. through these holes runs from one end of the scale 10 the other, and beyond. At the lowest end, the sound re verberates below the threshold of human hearing, set- ting up a painful vibration in a being’s bones, and mak- ing the rocky steps seem slippery from their shivering. But it rises from there discordanily, eventually to reach tones so shrill they shatter glass and crystal and make the brain feel as if it were afire. Few souls have ever made their way more than partway up a column before either giving up and turning back or being blown off 1d dashed against a cavern wall. But some who have made it to the top of a column have learned a final, cruel jest of the site’s designers: Apparently only a very few of the columns actually reach to the center of the cavern, The vast majority peter out less than halfway there, Unfortunately, given the scale of the site and the dark- ness, there's no good way to tell if a column reaches all the way, other than climbing it Anyone hoping to visit the Harmonica and climb to the center of the site should be advised that, because of the wind, it’s virtually impossible to cast any spell that uses somatic or material components. +344Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only.Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. + THE SCALY D®G INN On the third layer of Pandemonium — called Phlegethon by most — there's alittle town called Windglum, which serves as a common meeting ground and outfitting place for travelers. That's despite the fact that its cit zens are, by and large, some of the most suspicious and unfriendly souls on all the Outer Planes. See, they have a real chip on their shoulders toward outsiders they're all here because they were banished to the plane by one enemy or another. The meeting place most frequented by travelers in this paranoid little town is a hostel known as the Scaly Dog Inn. Ir’s the one place in town where a plane-walk- ing cutter can sit down and feel at home among like souls, The Sealy Dog has been around for a long time and it’s always been a place the locals sent visitors to for lodging. Until recently, it’s had a pretty unsavory reputation. Just a little over a year ago, however, a new fellow named Hagus Gimerack was banished to the plane, found his way to the town of Windglum, applied for citizenship, and bought the Scaly Dog with jewelry he was carrying on him at the time. He set about ex panding the place (by buying neighboring bits of real estate) and repairing its reputation (by cracking the heads of troublemakers who came to visit). Before long, ‘word got out that the Scaly Dog was under new man. agement, and the number of customers began to in- crease. AS a result, the inn continues to expand, Hagus Gimerack is an outgoing cutter, friendly as long as it’s business, but not much interested in any thing else. Like most everyone else on Pandemonium he’s a bit touched with madness, but he doesn’t let it show as often as most. Maybe that’s why he’s so de voted to the inn, because it gives him a concrete center to focus on, keeping the madness at bay. > don’t want to have a lot to do with out siders, Gimerack has to staff the inn with people who are just passing through. That precludes a list- ing of staff members in this account. The Scaly Dog is a pretty un- usually laid out place, due to the strange way in which it has grown, It occupies parts of three buildings 1o- cated at the Intersection of Barker Street and Bent Axle Road, plus a set of rooms upstairs, built over the inter- section itself: Originally, the inn only occupied the area now known as the Common Room. What's now the private dining room served as a kitchen, and customers slept on pallets along the walls. Right after buying the place Gimerack picked up an upstairs apartment across the street (the right half of what's now the second floor), and had a stairway built in the alley just beyond the downstairs privies, to give access to that set of rooms. Putting the guest rooms upstairs meant that the could stay open to serve food and drink later hours, which certainly didn’t hurt business at all In fact, just three months later, Gimerack was able to pick up the other half of the upstairs, plus the store: room downstairs behind the bar. Only problem was, the little kitchen couldn't keep up with the increased busi ness, so he turned it into a private dining room and bought the corner storefront across the street to make a bigger kitchen. The paired stairs were built at that time, so that food could be carried up, across, and down rather than through the street its! Acquisition of the building that now serves as owner's quarters, servants’ quarters, and secondary storeroom happened just months ago; Gimerack plans another set of stairs leading from those quarters to the upstairs hallway in order to completely connect the inn. Services found here are the usual for an inn, In ad- dition, a lot of travelers find the place handy as a sort of hiring hall for adventurers. If nothing else, it's a rel- atively safe haven against the constant winds. — WILFIN S+RABILE, RULER OF WINDGLUM +364Be Teaveler3 Seeking shelter trom Pandemonium's maddening wind’ may fihd lodging at the BSpabiRog Inn on the plane's third layer. Thaligh it’ faund within tHe xehophobie town of GWindglum, it’s friendlier to travelers thari almost all. gther,jocations onthe planes. es oe 3 2Sre Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. THE Dilorwsenseny (Exiles, Chippers) Sect Puitosoray. In order to understand the fellowship that calls itself the Dispossessed, a basher first has 10 understand its unofficial parent group, the Banished, Pandemonium and Carceri are the {ovo most common planes for be- ings to find themselves exiled 10 hen they offend some signit= icant ruler, wizard, or power, Pandemonium in particular has so many of these exiles who have taken up permanent residence that planar trav lets have come to refer to them specifically as the Banished. But the Banished aren't really organized into any official sort of group, any more than peasants are, oF hermits. I's just a convenient term for referring to beings of a particular origi of whom have a similar grudge against the rest of creation. By and large, Pandemonium’s Banished clump together in insular little communities that view all outsiders with at least some measure of hostility However, there are some mem: bers of the Banished who take their chip-on-the-shoulder atti- tude out across the planes, seeking to prove that their worth against whatever the multiverse can throw their way. Many of them belong to a sort of loose fellowship, with se- cret handshakes, passwords, and other recognition signals. They call their order the Dispossessed an obvious reference to the Bam ished, which they consider a derogatory term. (Interestingly enough, members of the Dispossessed still usually refer to those exiles who elus- ter together as the Banished.) From the point of view of the Dispossessed, life has cast them aside, treating them as if they weren't worthy to play with the big rollers. Their major motivation is t0 show the rest of creation that it was wrong. in treating, them with contempt, that they are each a force to be reckoned with. So they wander about the planes, rufMling, feathers and picking fights to prove their mettle. Eventu ally, most make a point of lookin up the individuals who originally exiled them and getting revenge. 7S most Printany F I 1. Not surprisingly, this sect is strongest in Pandemonium, where it took its start lis members also frequent Carceri, where exiles are often even more in need of a helping hand. Finally, because Cagers make such a big deal of their town's importance quite a few Dispossessed are finding their way to Sigil just looking for trouble as a chance to prove that its citizens ain't such hot stuff Ni Exrnies. Given their an tagonistic attitude, the Dis: possessed don’t really have any allies, They won't admit to ever needing anybody clse’s help, and most every- body finds their constant posturing annoying. None- theless, members of the Fated, In- deps, Anarchists, and Signers often find something to admire in this sect’s take-on-the-world attitude. The Harmonium, on the other hand, finds them particularly antagonizing, Bu Anyone who has been exiled is eligible for membership in the Dispossessed. Cur- rent members of the sect are always on the lookout for newly banished bashers, ready to offer a helping hand and an earful of bitter gall to get a newcomer started on a life of vengeance and one-upmanship. But woe to those exiles who refuse the message. They are scorned by the Dis- possessed as milksops 100 weak to stand up and face a hostile universe, and as such are fit only to be kicked aside like dogs. i Due to their hard-headedness, members of the Dispossessed receive a bonus of +1 to saving throws versus all mental attacks. In ad= dition, when rolling for hit points, Dispossessed roll rivice and take the better roll R Outside their own sect, Dispossessed suffer a ~2 reaction adjustment because of their antag WH® D® +ALKING Y®U WANNA — AGN@SSUS oF tne DISP@SSESSED HINK RK U+SIDE? +384It’s been pointed out many times that Pandemoni hardly the most well visited of planes, That's especially true of the plane’s lower layers. In particular, Agathion — the fourth layer ~ is so inhospitable that virtually no one goes here. No power holds a stronghold here species call it home: no So where do descriptions of it come from? We there are wo primary sources, The fst sacred texts tom various afferent wort (and who knovs wher they got ther information from The second are rae and consequently renowned ~ expealtions. Bot vibe Agathe a layer of bubbles a sll oe, if guerily connect by passages The sacred texts go an to Speak ofthe layer as apace the gods stash thelr most prectbns Hessureh aie mast HMLOUs muster Ad an the legendary expediions bear witness tn agree ment, One such example ithe legend of Shekel Acconling to tlcs, more than ten thonsanel Yous ago, Shekelor was the greatest mage In Sig But he anted more; he wanted to replace the Lady of Pan at ey’a mystical ruler Heving seen the sry tell oles who fd ted to overoow ber, Shekel cad yvulnrelliy to expt in the Lady. Foal, insoi Sel lang site tests founda hint hata wear éven more anclent ies had nearly brought her do Bu lately the Lady of Patn had prevale, ana iegedly bourd te old wizard’ unguenchable A an orb, then hid it away. Further searching y 4 4 cd Shekcor to believe that she bad seocted the orb in Agetion; and arcane texts for some secret that could reveal eventually he pieced together clues leading him to believe he could fi Shekelor quietly gathered a band of mighty beings and left Sigil to search Agathion for the orb. Nothing more: as heard of Shekelor for fully half a century In his ab= \d the location, So. sence, his servitors, went in readiness for his return, and attempting to disguise the Eventually, however, People spoke here and act that he was gon hispers of his absence began to circulate. P there had beer Then one day, unexpectedly, a portal opened into the middle of a public hall of the City Courts, and Shekelor himself stumbled out, ragged, bloodied, wild= eyed, and shedding light through his skin as if his inter nal org 1s were flamin in an inferno, He loosed two fistfuls of glittering gems upon the ground, and two, words escaped his lips, “The spiders!” Then th internal flames burst through his skin, and Shekelor was any wonder that the Lady of Pain,Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. THE BAP ELE EL DS eit ese OF YSGARD © mormon ttnirmnersi tts carthbergs grind together constantly in Nidavellir, whereas in the other two layers the earthbergs rarely collide The battlcields and mountains of Ysgard are strange; it’s weather is as fierce and proud as its petitioners, as stubborn and as violent. Its soarifig mountains, deep fjorts, and dark cavers are home to the most bloodthirsty petitioners of the Upper Planes. Because Ysgard's petition ers have been slain in battle a thousand times, they have no fear of death: They know cach of the valkyries by name. Since the petitioners, have no care for their own lives, they live for battle, and they treat all visitors as potential kills. Fortunately, Ysgard’s sparsely settled. This is a plane of biting winds and sharp seasons. Winter's a time of darkness and bitter killing cold. Summer nights bring mild breezes and roa GL@RI@US DEA+H the midnight sun though the light shines from the burning, underside of the great earthbergs. When the earthbergs, meron : Jf collide, cart SKOL quakes shake the = The RAIN sas LEAK. i ee a VARERIt LONER Se igre iets tos valkyries glide across the void on their winged ste bout for most sods it’s not that easy Ysgard’s magic is contained in the runes, carved mystic symbols that gover spells. For a few spells, a cutter's got to know not just runes but also kennings, a sort of word play that calls a ship a "sea-steed” and calls an eagle the “vulture of battle. The Ysgardians may all act like warriors, but scratch the surface of a warrior and find a failed poe The best-known realms are the realms of the Norse: Alfheir Asgard, Jotunheim (home of the Norse giants), and Vanaheim. The realms of Ysgard are built around the halls — places of feasts, rich al ‘and good company — located near traditional battlegrotinds, Don’t go to their halls expecting an easy time: Ysgardians are stubborn berks, and they think charity's an insult Few towns exist in Ysgard; the rugged petitioners prefer to'make it on their own, in small settlements and scattered villages. When they do gather together they meet in the great halls of the plane for mead, song, and batile, Many Ysgardians are members of the Fated. The Fated’s fortress, called Rowan’s Hall or the Heartless Hall, is a single great citadel of stone and timber, rising like a mountain from the midst of a great forest. Some say there's a conduit to the Outlands froma there, lead~ ing to the grove of the Norns. Outside the halls of the Norse, the bariaur, the fensir, and giants live on the fringes. The fensir are an intelligent but secretive race, excel~ lent herbalists but shy despite their size and strength. The herds of bariaur and clans of giants roam the plains between the Norse halls. The bariaur flocks roam from hall to hall, never staying anywhere long, and always ready to defend themselves from the bloodthirsty petitioners. Most petitioners leave the bariaur alone, but a few leatherheaded, glory- seeking fools never realize that the bariaur aren’t reborn each morning. As a resultEdited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 the bariaur shoot For Evaluation Only. ask questions later. They . y fine line between the of the plains the des highlands, Like all nomads, the I ain't all Norsemen in Y from the Norse halls, the moon gods rule a silver realm ona milky sea, a place called the Gates of the Moon, Rumors say that the over the boundary from Arborea, connecting Ysgard to the planar highway, but the link is as: womeri proxies called the lllendi. The cat-godd keeps her realm her. on, pleasure, and sharp-clawed denizens oll spring-at a cutter the momeft he turns her back. Ysiard. may be counted among the Upper Planes, but not all ofits inhabitants are as uprightEdited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. + THE WORLD ASH, + YGGDRASIL Yggdrasil’s an odd place, even among the planes. It's a tree, but it’s also a portal, a great highway between the planes. It’s the home of the ratatosk, the squirrel-folk. Never give one of the scampering little monsters a handout; he'll follow a berk forever waiting for another. Instead, hire the ratatosk as guides, for they know every branch and portal of the great tree, even the root that is said to lead into the rafters of the Carpenter's Guildhall in Sigil — though some say it ain't the guildhall but the gallows. Bloods among the Athar say that the Norse pan- theon gained its power from the World Ash; every cutter knows the story of how Odin, their high-up man, hung from Yggdrasil for many days and nights until the runes were revealed to him. Less know that when the final days and Ragnarok is at hand, the prophecies say that Nidhogg the serpent-wyrm will gnaw through Yggdra sil's root, When the tree falls, so do the Norse powers. Yaggidrasil is a silver-barked ash, a tree with shim- mering blue-black, oval leaves and a very rough, flak- ing bark that resembles a plowed field of gray clay. Footing can be treacherous, though spiked boots help. The branches rise from Yggdrasil’s trunk like . .. well, like enormous trees. Branches are miles long, and not, all of them have portals at the end, so long dead-end detours are common for groups traveling without a guide or directions. The World Ash is guarded by creatures that never leave its shade, creatures that live and die on its bark Yggdrasil’s eagles and the ratatosk are the least of them. All along its length, Yggdrasil’s bark and heart- ‘wood are home to enormous burrowing beetles, and its leaves and fungi feed entire herds of wild boar. The biggest and most terrible guardians are at the gates, where the roots and branches reach across the planar boundaries — for instance, at the World Ash’s access to Niflheim. Called the land of mists, Niffheim is a layer of the Gray Waste that lies below Yggdrasil’s roots and is guarded by Nidhogg, a fell dragon that'll put a berk in the dead-book and crack the bones he leaves behind. Even the battle-hungry Ysgardians think twice before making those trips. Besides Nidhogg, other guardians include aasimon in the upper branches, yugoloths in the lower ones, and Heimdall’s petitioners near Ysgard. Many a high-up wants to control the entrances to his realm, but, be- Yawdra- sil’s branches are ofien shifted by astral winds, the gates move from place to place, as a tree's branches sway and bend. Mapping out Yggdrasil’s branches is difficult work, but the list below covers the best-known and most reli- able portals of the ancient ash: to a cavern near Glo- rium, into the heart of Ysgard, deep into the foggy wastes of Niflheim, and to the Prime. Its smaller roots reach Loki’s secret Winter Hall in Pandemonium, the Norn's well in the Outlands, the sunny glades of the elves of Arborea, and the cold plains of Jotunheim among the giants. In fact, Yggdrasil’s branches reach through the worlds and planes to every place where the Norse gods are worshiped, so there's more branches than taverns in Sigil. Just because a cutter knows where he's going doesn’t mean that he'll get there. Yggdrasil connects planes very quickly and di rectly, and few journeys on the World Ash take more than a week. However, traveling along the trunk isn’t without risks. Other than its creatures, the risks include falling into the Astral and walking down the wrong. branch to an unexpected plan Falling is a problem because gravity shifts along, Yggdrasil’s mountain-sized trunk. Along long sections it’s simply toward the center of the trunk, but as a pla- nar portal approaches, the great tree's gravity slowly matches local gravity. What this means is that a tra ler can suddenly find herself walking along the bottom of a branch and plummeting to her destination much faster than she intended, head-first. A smart traveler watches to see where the moss is worn into a path to see which side of a branch-portal is safe. A traveler can fall into the Astral if he loses con- tact with the plane-spanning wood. Unless he can grab it again quickly, Yggdrasil usually dumps the victim into the middle of the Asiral. Companions leaping off after him, and ropes thrown out after him rarely snake through the planes to quite the same spot. Ratatosk and other native creatures are immune, but others need to keep a tight grip. Walking along the wrong branch can lead a berk out into a forest that ain’t part of Yggdrasil, a forest of viper trees in the Gray Waste, or the High Grove of Altheim, or even a scrawny woods in the Prime, To get back, turn around immediately and climb the nearest tree; sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t. This is what the ratatosk call “falling off the Tree.” DOWN +REE NS E BACK — TISK +He RAFAF@SK +424dited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. il reaches through the layere and planes to all places where the ecient Here it io shown. 2 Mimirs Wellin Jotunheim on the first layer rter's Hall in Fande 1. anid to the depths of the Gray Waste, ~~ hogg the serpent- ally gnaws on the roots of the Tree.Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 THE R For Evaluation only. (Bargainers, Beggars} p The universe belongs to those who can give it up. A berk only gets as good as she gives: What- ever a great blood gives away comes back to her. If she can give her last morsel and convince others to do like- wise, all the universe will be laid at her feet. Barmy as this might sound to a tiefling on the streets of Sigil, in Ysgard it actually seems to work. The lust for material things binds a soul to the universe, keeping a berk in debt to it; poverty releases it. 4 from bondage to the world. The multiverse is a set of sticky traps to catch the greedy. A Derk who ignores it can con trol herself and the uni: Through poverty, a cutter gains her heart's dé sire: peace, power, or affil ity to the gods. A great leader gives everything to her followers. A great ma- gician spends all she has to gather knowledge, and great priest devotes her life to a power ! 1 The Ring- givers are slowly gather- ing power around the Great Ring, but at the cost of seeing their be- liefs interpreted differ ently on other planes. They are powerful in Yoqard and Limbo, and rapidly gaining followers in Pandemonium (if a basher doesn’t have much, it isn’t hard to give it up) and — oddly enough ~ among tieflings and bards in the Abyss. Abyssal Ring-givers believe the universe owes them something in exchange for their gifts. These Ring- givers can make pacts with tanar'ri that the fiends (sometimes) honor for a time, and for this reason they are sought after as guides in the Abyss. “ NV @+HER WILL ¢ \ ‘Though they share the same plane, the Bargainers and the Fated hate each other. The Fated can take what they want from the Bargainers (and do), but they always seem to pay for it in the end. The Bargainers consider the Sensates depraved, will- ingly throwing themselves into the un verse’s traps. The Ring-givers are allied with the Ciphers; both agree } that action is the key. The Ciphers just don’t know that giving is the right action, I The Ring- givers are open to all ices, classes, and align- ments, though lawful nd evil members are less common than chaotic and good ones. Most rogue members are bards, not thieves. Iis priesis serve powers of ideas and abstractions. No Ring- "giving priest serves a power of mate rial things, like creation, wealth, or the elements. Anyone who accepts gifts is obliged to the Ring-giver. The Bargainer gains a +1 to +4 adjust- ‘ment to her reaction roll with that person, depending on the gift’s value. In addition, once per level a Ring-giver can claim a favor from an NPC no more power ful than twice her own level or Hit Dice. The favor depends as much on the NPC as on the Bargainer: Abyssal lords provide much smaller favors than petitioners. The DM must judge the Ring-giver’s generosity and lack of ma- terial things and adjust the NPC's obligation accord- ingly. itesinuc nies, Ring-givers never own anything; they accept gifis and wealth but always pass them on. They share spells freely and even give magical items away to strangers after a few days. Ring-givers neither buy nor sell anything ~ others provide food and shelter, or they make them for themselves. Evil Bargainers never give gifts without claiming favors later. — FACH@L INGWE oF tHe RING-GIVERS +444Edited by Fo: Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 POF Editor For Evaluation only. + THE HIGH GROVE + or ALFHEIM The elves of Ysgard gather for two great/fairs each year in Alfheim. Hoth take place at the High Grove, at the spring ahd the atitumn equinoxes. The spring festival Freya's Fest, is'@ dance that celebrates the return of the land’s femtility, vith the petitioners leaving two by two ‘until dawn, when the field is empty again. Frey's Fest, the harvest festival in the autumn, is a huge gluttonous feed. -aichancétp show off riches, a time for wasteful display © by the righest cutters, and a chance to see old friends ama f neW.ones befare the days grow short and winter in: Every elf is welcome to share the revels The High Grove itself is a stand of more than a © hundred’énormous sequoias, tedwoad trees standing “Tiundredg of fect tall and-as much as 50 feet wide. The ‘ees are epnnecied by rope bridges, and platforms circle © spine of the larger giants: These platforms are the d elves. The stalfeases that lead up to the plat around ithe outside of the trees to the first up.in Softlylined nests catved into the hon ts ne swayit oe yose for the Rl & spel! energy. for Fe the high. od harvests, Sometimes for revenge, and sometimes for Pp ion fitpm enemies, but the elves always keep hem as\seerghas they can. If a yisitor gfn't amelf, he ain't welcome at their private parties’ though aifew berks say there's a Way (0 creep in undetected. If there is, no one’s tattlingsthelr bone-box about it — anno fonder, since the elves would surefy feather the poor idiots with arndws asisoon as they fieard about it In the summer, a small pack/of ratatosk comes to ard the Higit Groves In winterya great druid called ‘of the'Benf Oak watches ovenit, and the elve iS Beep ‘Watchful eye out as he grove may be si midst of the year, butt ”+ BREIDABLIK # Every basher with a pair of eyes agrees that Breidablik, or "Broad Splendor,” is the most beautiful hall of the plane, Baldur's standards are very exacting; only the most beautiful petitioners are found here, all others are tumed away. Though they are as capable of feats of valor as others, they're more vain, and mocking their fear of scarring is a sure way to start a fight. ‘Those who know say that Breidablik is as beautiful as the Gilded Hall of the Sensates, but rowdier, more full of life, blood, and spirit. Breidablik has an uncon- scious beauty, a handsome face that doesn't know or care about its power over others. Even with a black eye, sears, or a broken nose, Breidablik is fair, graceful, and proud, ‘Though Baldur, the god of beauty and charisma, owns the hall, he spends little or no time here, occupied as he is elsewhere wooing beautiful powers and reward- ing his followers. The Wise Councilors of Baldur the Beautiful act as the hall's rulers in his stead. There's one councilor for each of the aspects of Baldur the Beauti- ful: a warrior, a sage, and a handsome man. At the mo- ment, these three are Jarnskeggi the Snow-haired, Nauma the Hair-splitter, and Toki Melnirson. The entire eastern wing of Breidablik is an enor- mous stable, where Sleipnir is said to have been born. The white horses are famous for their patience, their loyalty, and their intelligence, but they aren't for sale All the white horses of Breidablik are loaned to heroes of the hall by the Wise Councilors, much as a liege Joans land to a vassal. At Baldur's whim, he provides his horses as favors to his champions when they go on, a quest Each pillar is carved with the faces of Baldur’s bravest and most handsome followers, thousands upon, thousands of them. Some of these are overlaid with, hammered gold or silver, and the sagas say that each, face is a petitioner who now lives on, absorbed into the plane. It's said that a priest of Baldur can call upon the knowledge of any of them by casting a speak with dead spell; since many of them were great warriors or mages, this is no small feat The goblets in Breidablik are all jewel-encrusted, even if only with mica, agates, or pyrite; a toast is a bright, glittering thing in Baldur's hall, where it is inuly, as the kenning has it, @ “feast of stars.” Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. fe been known fo stretch the truth. The soldiers of Breidablik are the only militia in Ysgard with uniforms — but none of the uniforms match. Every petitioner carries a blazing spear, Baldur's weapon. Bright cloaks with gold stitching are common, as are weapons with gold inlays. Though the dazzling look of the troops make some addle-coves think they're easy marks, in fact Baldur's petitioners are as fast and strong as any. Their bards claim that they are even more dangerous because Breidablik’s petitioners place more importance on battle magic than most Norse peti~ tioners Fine clothes, rich jewelry, and other beautiful things are sold from the long tables in the Dwarves’ Hall. More than anything else, the Dwarves’ Hall is known for its goblets and embroidery. One old crone by the name of Lena Svavasdottir sometimes wanders the outer chambers and courtyards of the hall selling po: tions of invulnerability to any champion who under- takes a quest for her, but when she does she’s mobbed by willing heroes, so striking a bargain with her is as much a matter of luck as skill Breidablik’s bards are, without question, the best of the Norse skalds. Unlike the bards of other halls, they sing of the glory of wealth, beauty, and love as well as the glory of baitle. Novice bards can lea much from Baldur's followers, especially the art of insult and satire (reducing the target's reaction rolls by 2), but these skills are shared only with the greatest of bards. Bards also train to advance levels here. Breidablik has seen three evil omens lately: ravens roosting in the eaves, a raiding fensir who carried off a brewmistress, and a thousand barrels of wine that sud~ denly soured into vinegar. No one is sure what has drawn the Norns’ wrath, but the petitioners are expect- ing raiding parties and demands for sacrifices soon Dark rumors say that a lottery will be held to find a vic~ tim for a sacrifice in the old style. Several dwarves have died of poisoning lately; no one knows who did it or why, for their goods remained untouched, Some bards claim that the dwarves sold false gemstones or gold tainted with base metals, but others say that the dwarves weren't forgets, but spies from Nidavellir. A few claim the deaths were faked. The dwarves have demanded a hefty weregild, a bloodprice, or they threaten to take their own vengeance. The Wise Coun- ilors are considering banning dwarves from the hall entirely, though their glittering wares would surely be missed. +464Edited by Foxit PDF Editor ©) Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 For Evaluation Only. | OE \Greidablik, Baldur's hall. All of the halls of the Norse powers are constructed similarly.Edited by Foxit PDF Editor Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2003 - 2009 THE + INFINI+FE SFAIRCASE is the goal of ever ries tell that it jen the moo! shore Moon to all the cities that exist, anywhere nthe plan all the cities that ever were or will he, front the cities of the devas (though they have no airs) to the darkened halls of Dis and the other anthills of all directions, landing. Each landing has its own door, and each door is said to lead to a different city nite Staircase is the best sh Here se doesn’t just lead up and down, but in hanges from landing to Some say that the Inf: tcut on the Great R the chant: The keys to the doors of the Infinite Staircase are mysteries, riddles, and puzzle: lillendi, the snake-wouien that rule Moon. Those who offend the Moon Goddess are For Evaluation Only. here by her servants, The stories all spiral, windin don y that the through all time and space say is that it’s an architect's nightmare, B ment of the staircase is different, from windin staircases to sweeping open narrow past steep stone stairs and broad wooden ones. The sta slit almost everywhere by torches, lanterns, or mag the dark passages are said to lead to night here all magic fails or where visitors age nd dic It's easy to get lost, as stairs branch off in all die rections and circle round each other. Some even say that the Staircase is never the same path twice, that it is always under construction (though its build only heard and never seen), and that strange crea~ tures of elemental time supervise its operation, Though the staircase leads every where, i's not easy for a basher to get “where she wants to go. Since each landing leads to a different city and the staircase leads to an infinite number of different planes, not ‘everyone can find or open the right door. Legends say that @ the staircase ‘to the city of her heart’s de- Sire, but only, once. The only if a soul finds hetPoe Pa Dany WEY cee NNN) | Vera “A Oa} 5) ay NS WANS) AGNI TMi aa eaecone a book Aes GUIDE AT Aaa C= OLS ie cy Nae Sci Ss