The Wretched

A land of emptiness and foul monsters, the Wretched is an echo of the Material Reality. The plane exists in constant extremes, with days that last mere hour and nights that last half as much. The beating sun boils oceans and the emptiness of night chills enough to leave the same oceans frozen for morning. Referred to as a hell, the only creatures that you'll find here are creatures that cannot or will not die. Whether they be fiendish, undead, or simply banished from any other realm, the residents of the Wretched are, just like the name, absolutely wretched.

Demons and Devils and the Outcasts

A fiend is a type of creature formed from desperation and generations of simply not having enough. Fiends, by definition, are creatures who's souls were forged within the Wretched. They're inherently selfish, with generations of hungry ancestors and instinctual desperation have been imprinted so permanently on their souls that it stains their every action. Even fiends who wish for good find themselves simply not capable of shaking their selfish instincts. Some may fight them off, but they always loom. That devil on their shoulder, so to speak, encouraging their evils, their thefts, and their betrayals. Fiends fall into three vague classifications. Demons, Devils, and the outcasts. Demons are beings born originally within the wretched, with no origin leading elsewhere. There are many kinds of demon, but all stem from the lands of pain and desperation that are the Wretched. Devils are beings born of the wretched, similar to Demons, but influenced incredibly by the lingering divine magic from the worlds creation. There are far fewer devils than demons, as the original great devils keep their councils small. Most devils were made by another devil, rather than created naturally like the original lords and ladies were. The remainder of fiends fall into the others. Fiends that don't fall under the classification of demon or devil are simply known as outcasts. Creatures who's souls are fiendish but stem from another origin. Some particularly evil hags from the Surreal may use Wretched magic so much that their soul becomes stained with it, or creatures banished from other planes may find their children influenced in such horrible ways that their soul becomes fiendish.

Geography

The lands of the Wretched are an awful barren wasteland, with notable locations or landmarks dotted so far from one another that a person could explore for weeks and find nothing but lifeless wasteland. No fauna nor flora dares exist within these lands, as those that do are quickly consumed by the monstrous residents. Navigation here is incredibly difficult without magic, as items like compasses simply do not function here. Memory and personal trails are some of the few ways to ensure you don't lose yourself in the rocky fields or dead forests of the lands.

The Broken Kingdoms

Built from bone, sand, and blood, the Broken Kingdoms are a number of disconnected fiendish 'countries' ruled by various fiendish lords. It's not uncommon for these powerful beings to alter their lands, giving them more life or character, but as is the nature of the Wretched with every addition twice as much is taken away. For every oasis, every green tree, every pocket of happiness, more is taken away. The oasis may be comfortable, but the residents grow hungry much faster. The tree may bare fruit, but the fruit may bring incredible thirst.

Existence Undying

The creatures of the Wretched die young, with the rate of aging across the realm sped up to roughly ten times its original pace. Fiends, though, are immune to this influence. The majority of creatures within the Wretched find themselves able to go months hungry, though the pain for those months will be unbearable. Because of this, the most common cause of death to creatures within the Wretched, is becoming food to the others.

Type

Dimensional plane

Included Locations