The Worldwound

"One day I will knock on the doors of Heaven, and you will have to answer."

Deskari, Lord of Locusts

The Worldwound is the name given to the demon-haunted wasteland that covers the eastern half of the land of Mendev. It was created in an unknown year roughly a century before the First Mendevian Crusade, when a planar tear to the Abyss opened in the barbarian land of Sarkoris. Although it has been contained by the ceaseless efforts of the crusaders of Mendev and by the fortunate geographical location in the middle of the Sinnar Ocean, it remains one of the greatest threats to life on the face of Lloegyr.
No verifiable accounts of the Wound's opening are known, but the tales tell of the land splitting apart in a matter of moments, causing entire settlements to plummet into the abyssal depths below. Thousands of Sarkorians perished in mere minutes, and thousands more were rounded up and pressed into chattel slavery by the encroaching demons. When all was settled and done, the result was a disgusting gash upon the face of Lloegyr that spanned hundreds of miles across, constituting a major region all unto itself.
The Worldwound is one of the only stable, permanent portals to another plane on Lloegyr, and is almost certainly the most massive. Any being is free to pass to and from the Prime Material and the Abyss through the Worldwound, provided they are able to reach it, though arriving in precise locations is quite difficult due to the Wound's chaotic nature. Were demons capable of mass organization, it would almost certainly be the perfect staging ground for a mass invasion of the mortal world; however, few demon lords have shown interest in exploiting the Worldwound besides Deskari and his occasional allies.
According to all known arcane theory, a planar rift on the size, scale, and longevity of the Worldwound should not be possible. Yet it exists, and has for nearly two-hundred years. The sheer impossibility of the Worldwound is a testament to the boundless possibility that planar Chaos embodies, and it also means that sealing the Worldwound will likely be just as esoterically impractical.

Iz

If the demons have anything resembling a capital in the Worldwound, then it is most assuredly Iz. Once the unofficial capital of Sarkoris, Iz has been infested by demons pouring out of the nearby center of the Worldwound for over two centuries, and little remains of its former glory.
No crusader has ever set foot in Iz and lived. However, scouts sent deep into the Worldwound have confirmed that it is utterly swarming with demons, and is also likely the favored lair of the balor Khorramzadeh the Storm King.

Notable Individuals

Deskari, Demon Lord of Locusts

Demon Lord - Male - Chaotic Evil - Birth Date Unknown

The demon lord of locusts, swarms, and infestation. Deskari takes the form of a gargantuan insectoid monstrosity, who flies through the air with wings comprised of clouds of locusts. He wields a gigantic scythe known as Riftcarver, which was carved from the spine of his own mother, a massive insectoid demon quite like himself.
Deskari is the greatest enemy of the Crusaders of Mendev, for it was his machinations and scheming with Areelu Vorlesh that caused the opening of a rift between Lloegyr and the Abyss. Long has Deskari and his servants infested the Worldwound and its surrounding lands, and though he has employed an array of demonic allies over the years, Deskari considers the Worldwound his own personal project and commands a majority of the forces that pass through it.
Although an unfathomably powerful being capable of besting thousands of mortals single-handedly, Deskari has known his only death at the hands of the First Crusade, where he was slain by the legendary Sir Mendev. Since this defeat, Deskari has not shown his face on the Prime Material again, instead choosing to command his legions of minions from his lair in the Abyss. The wisest crusaders take this prolonged retreat not as a sign of cowardice, but as a showing of intelligence and an advancement in demonic strategy. The next time Deskari emerges on the Prime Material Plane will surely be because he believes he has won the final victory against the Mendevian crusades.
For more information, see the article on Deskari, Demon Lord of Locusts.

Baphomet, Demon Lord of the Ivory Labyrinth

Demon Lord - Male - Chaotic Evil - Unknown Birthdate

Although Deskari has known many allies (and enemies) among the demon lords seeking to profit from the Worldwound, none have been a steadfast co-conspirator in the struggle against the crusades as long as Baphomet. The Prince of Beasts and Father of Minotaurs takes a special delight in desecrating that which is considered holy by Muir and Thyr, and thus his interest in antagonizing the crusades is made obvious.
Baphomet's minions, although vastly outnumbered by Deskari's on the Prime Material, are notorious for their proficiency in subterfuge and infiltration. Most cults and conspiracies that spring up to compromise the purity of the crusades are the handiwork of Baphomet's cultists, with the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth being by far the most successful at this task.
For more information, see the article on ​Baphomet, Prince of Beasts, Demon Lord of Minotaurs.

Khorramzadeh the Storm King

Balor - Male - Chaotic Evil - Birth Date Unknown
Khorramzadeh, known far and wide as the Storm King, is the mightiest demon to ever emerge from the Worldwound - save for Deskari himself. His appearance sparked the Fourth Crusade, for his might and tactical genius proved such a threat that the Wardstone of Kenabres was critically endangered before the intervention of the dragon Terendelev.
Although he was driven back at the exhausting Fourth Crusade's conclusion, Khorramzadeh remains in the Worldwound, lurking in the lost city of Iz where he surely gathers his strength and his forces, hoping to once again lay siege of Kenabres and take the head of the silver dragon that robbed him of his prize. Although he is one of Deskari's most powerful servants, many suspect that Khorramzadeh seeks to become a demon lord in his own right through his conquests in the prime material.

Zurha Aponavicius

Marilith - Female - Chaotic Evil - Birth Date Unknown

Although the fall of Drezen is often cited as being the work of the clever lilitu Minagho, it would not have been possible without the martial might of Zurha Aponavicius and her demonic minions. When the Sword of Valor was taken from Drezen's citadel, Aponavicius fell upon the city like a bloodthirsty hound, slaughtering every man, woman, and child within its walls.
Aponavicius now rules her prize like a queen, and has repelled many attempts by the crusaders to retake the city. Naught but her sound defeat and assured death would suffice to claim the city from demonic hands.

Minagho

Lilitu - Female - Chaotic Evil - Birth Date Unknown

A master of corruption, seduction, and deception who was the primary mind behind the fall of Drezen. Despite her alien beauty and delicate demeanor, this servant of Baphomet has earned a reputation as one of the most deadly demons to ever be encountered by the crusaders. Minagho has cajoled clerics and paladins counting themselves as some of the most devout and stoic servants of the Muse, and made them commit atrocities while barely lifting a finger herself. It is said that Minagho once impersonated an angelic messenger, and manipulated the captain of a knightly order into gouging out and eating his own eyes so that he would no longer be able to look upon the demonic blasphemies of the Worldwound.
Minagho's greatest conquest thus far, however, has been the tempting of Staunton Vhane. Since winning Drezen, Minagho has yet to replicate such a devastating blow to the crusaders in the decades since. Yet still does Staunton see her in every shadow, fearing when next she will whisper gentle promises into his vulnerable mind.

Lictor Zerichar of the Godclaw

Zariel Tiefling - Male - Lawful Evil - Born c. 3481
Lictor Zerichar is the highest authority and supreme commander of the Order of the Godclaw, an order of Hellknights that claim their citadel in the lands of the Worldwound itself as their home. A champion of the pentad of lawful gods known as the Godclaw, Zerichar is one of the fiercest enemies of demonkind in the vicinity of Mendev, even surrounded by righteous crusaders as he is.
A capable general, shrewd diplomat, and a brutally powerful warrior, Zerichar was the obvious candidate for the rank of Lictor after the death of his predecessor. Zerichar shares Prelate Hulrun's suspicions of the relative inactivity from the Worldwound in recent years. Thus he seeks cooperation with the crusades despite years of a rocky relationship with Mendev, and wishes to deploy his hellknights in a proper Fifth Crusade should the opportunity arise.

Areelu Vorlesh, Architect of the Worldwound

Sarkorian Human - Female - Chaotic Evil - Birth Date Unknown (c. Pre-3300s)

Although her name lives on in infamy for her role in creating the Worldwound, precious little is known about Areelu Vorlesh, dubbed by her fellow Sarkorians as the Betrayer of Humanity. She was an unmatched arcanist among the dreaded witches of Sarkoris, but even her near-cataclysmic magical power and her alliance with Deskari should not have been enough to create the insult to all life that is the Worldwound. How she brought about such a feat remains unknown, and may never be known.
After the Worldwound was inflicted upon Lloegyr, knowledge of Areelu's whereabouts were lost as well. Some believe that she perished to her own blasphemous creation, while others believe she descended to the Abyss, finally relinquishing her humanity in earnest to embrace demonhood. Her motivations for such evil, and the lengths to which she went to make her dreaded creation a reality, are all shrouded in mystery.
All that is known is that should anyone ever uncover the secrets of the Architect of the Worldwound, they will surely wield unimaginable destructive power just as she once did.

Portraits

Deskari, Lord of Locusts

Baphomet, Lord of the Ivory Labyrinth

Khorramzadeh the Storm King

Zurha Aponavicius

Minagho

Lictor Zerichar of the Godclaw

Areelu Vorlesh, Architect of the Worldwound