Iron Wastes

The Iron Wastes are the 23rd layer of The Abyss, ruled over by the demon lord Kostchtchie, the Prince of Wrath. He presides over his realm from his home within the Glacier Citadel, where he is defended by a number of giants.

Geography

The Iron Wastes are home to a number of glaciers and mountains of ice with peaks that dominate the landscape, as well as ruins and caves that offer some respite against the harsh blizzards that consistently buffeted the layer.

Geographical Features

Blacksteam Rift is a glacial rift that offers warmth to those nearby. Screaming and wailing can often be heard from within the rift and, as a result, Kostchtchie orders his giants to deliver constant sacrifices of mammoth and dire walrus to appease Gogbehomel, a shivhad, who will on occasion wreak havoc on the layer.
The Howling Rift is a rift noted for the screaming noises that echo throughout the layer when wind passes through the crevasse. Frost worms live within tunnels and passageways within the rift, and on occasion young frost worms will come to the surface in search of food.

Notable Locations

• The Glacier Citadel is an ice fortress carved into a flowing glacier. The palace is inhabited by Kostchtchie and is able to shift in response to Kostchtchie's wishes. The upper levels of the citadel are filled with treasure and prizes won by Kostchtchie, including the head of Baymon, a demon lord; magical items; and gold and gems. The palace is also inhabited by Svafnir, a white dragon that aids Kostchtchie in battle; his trusted giant skalds and guards; and leucrottas who wander the halls in search of food.

• Volstaad is a small town that serves as a gathering area for Kostchtchie's warriors, who remain divided by old tribal ties they held before devoting themselves to service.

• The Stoldottir Gate is a portal to Ysgard opened by Kostchtchie when he sacrificed a daughter he had with Geirskögul, a valkyrie, which cemented a connection between The Abyss and Ysgard. Giants on both sides of the conflict constantly fight for control of the portal, and the portal itself is a large stone that told the story of its creation.

• The Gate of the Void stands between two statues dedicated to Orcus. The portal ends in a pit within the Endless Dark.

• The Gate of Seven Lights leads to a dungeon situated under the city of Seaquen in the Kingdom of Dassen, and eladrin are forced to guard their side of the portal to stop the flow of demons from entering.

• The Shrieking Gate emits a constant screaming noise and lead to the Castle of Tersoul.

• The Gate of Ruins offers entrance to Kalandurren, the Darkened Pillars, located in the Astral Sea, but rarely sees any use.

• The Eye of Veshvoriak is a rift on an otherwise-flat field of ice that goes down for several hundred feet. At the bottom of the rift is a single red eye, with a ring of stones near the cracks on the surface of the eye. Veshvoriak was an ancient demon lord trapped within the ice by Demogorgon in ages past. In return for completing jobs for the demon lord, Veshvoriak offered treasures and knowledge otherwise not accessible.

Inhabitants

The Iron Wastes are inhabited by Kostchtchie and by giants loyal to the Prince of Wrath. It is also inhabited by various demons, such as mavawhans and rageborn, as well as a small group of ice archons and ice devils who serve the archons. Other creatures that can be found included ice para-elementals, ice trolls, and remorhazes.

Type

Dimensional plane

Location under

The Abyss

Owner/Ruler

Kostchtchie

Characters in Location

• Kostchtchie