The Abyss
(https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Abyss)
The Infinite Layers of the Abyss was the birth place of the demons, a chaotic evil universe unto itself with uncountable layers of infinite variety connected haphazardly. The Abyss's place in the cosmology of the Forgotten Realms shifted over time, but the nature of the plane remained fairly constant: a violent, malevolent place where the strong survived on the backs of the weak, the weak conspired to overthrow the strong, alliances only lasted while convenient, and the landscape itself tortured the mind and body of all who dared to pass. Layers:
The number of layers in the Abyss was unknown and perhaps unknowable, with at least 679 having been catalogued but this article attempts to list them regardless of which cosmology model was in favour at the time of discovery. Each layer had its own characteristics, which were as varied as the demons themselves. All types of terrain, atmosphere, weather, gravity, and material composition were represented in the myriad layers. Some examples were: Plain of Infinite Portals- Pazuzu
The Gaping Maw- Demogorgon
Thanatos- Orcus
The Demonweb- Lolth
The Endless Maze- Baphomet
The Triple Realm- Graz’zt
Death Dells- Yeenoghu
Hollow Heart- Fraz-Urb'luu
Shedaklah/Molor- Juiblex
Shedaklah- Zuggtmoy
Lovers Lake- Elrith Despite its name and notoriety for being never-ending, it was not known whether the layers of the Abyss were truly infinite in number. Part of the reason for this was that some places might have been so absolutely inhospitable that none, not mortal, nor god, nor demon lords themselves could survive (the deeper layers reportedly having been even worse in the past), and hence were not known about. While the hundreds of layers of the Abyss might seem to utterly eclipse all other Outer planes put together, this figure was misleading. Besides the issue of uninhabitability, layers and divine realms, the personal territories of powers, were often one in the same in the Abyss, whereas other planes often had several realms on one layer. Exacerbating the problem, and another reason why the Abyssal layers could not be properly counted, was that the number was always in a state of flux. In the very depths of the Abyss, the heart of the plane was constantly cleaving through the primal foundations of the cosmos, as it had since before the dawn of mortals, spawning new layers. Arguably worse, if a demonic invasion was allowed to fester, entire worlds could fall into the Abyss, becoming the basis of new layers and realms. Conversely, the Abyss was also capable of losing layers. The individual layers of the Abyss had primal urges and a constant need for nourishment, shrinking and weakened until nothing was left if not fed. Alternatively, they might be absorbed by other layers, only able to escape this state by acquiring sufficient sustenance. Occasionally the battling of demons over control of a layer could become so cataclysmic that the entire realm was outright obliterated. Layers could also be intentionally removed, such as when Lolth expended much of her divine energy separating the Demonweb Pits, or when a pantheon of offended deities ripped out and condensed a demon lord's entire layer (with him still in it) and cast it into the Astral plane. Despite this ending in the Abyss, much like a hungry, rudely awakened beast, almost instantly striking down the entire pantheon in that case, the attack itself was successful, leaving nothing but a void and their own decomposing divine corpses. It was also a possibility that destroyed layers were capable of being reborn elsewhere in the Abyss, although this was not a certainty. This was ignoring the fact that layers were shaped by the conscious manipulations and subconscious wills of its resident demon lord, and so even the nature of a single layer could become obsolete by the time such information was established.
The Infinite Layers of the Abyss was the birth place of the demons, a chaotic evil universe unto itself with uncountable layers of infinite variety connected haphazardly. The Abyss's place in the cosmology of the Forgotten Realms shifted over time, but the nature of the plane remained fairly constant: a violent, malevolent place where the strong survived on the backs of the weak, the weak conspired to overthrow the strong, alliances only lasted while convenient, and the landscape itself tortured the mind and body of all who dared to pass. Layers:
The number of layers in the Abyss was unknown and perhaps unknowable, with at least 679 having been catalogued but this article attempts to list them regardless of which cosmology model was in favour at the time of discovery. Each layer had its own characteristics, which were as varied as the demons themselves. All types of terrain, atmosphere, weather, gravity, and material composition were represented in the myriad layers. Some examples were: Plain of Infinite Portals- Pazuzu
The Gaping Maw- Demogorgon
Thanatos- Orcus
The Demonweb- Lolth
The Endless Maze- Baphomet
The Triple Realm- Graz’zt
Death Dells- Yeenoghu
Hollow Heart- Fraz-Urb'luu
Shedaklah/Molor- Juiblex
Shedaklah- Zuggtmoy
Lovers Lake- Elrith Despite its name and notoriety for being never-ending, it was not known whether the layers of the Abyss were truly infinite in number. Part of the reason for this was that some places might have been so absolutely inhospitable that none, not mortal, nor god, nor demon lords themselves could survive (the deeper layers reportedly having been even worse in the past), and hence were not known about. While the hundreds of layers of the Abyss might seem to utterly eclipse all other Outer planes put together, this figure was misleading. Besides the issue of uninhabitability, layers and divine realms, the personal territories of powers, were often one in the same in the Abyss, whereas other planes often had several realms on one layer. Exacerbating the problem, and another reason why the Abyssal layers could not be properly counted, was that the number was always in a state of flux. In the very depths of the Abyss, the heart of the plane was constantly cleaving through the primal foundations of the cosmos, as it had since before the dawn of mortals, spawning new layers. Arguably worse, if a demonic invasion was allowed to fester, entire worlds could fall into the Abyss, becoming the basis of new layers and realms. Conversely, the Abyss was also capable of losing layers. The individual layers of the Abyss had primal urges and a constant need for nourishment, shrinking and weakened until nothing was left if not fed. Alternatively, they might be absorbed by other layers, only able to escape this state by acquiring sufficient sustenance. Occasionally the battling of demons over control of a layer could become so cataclysmic that the entire realm was outright obliterated. Layers could also be intentionally removed, such as when Lolth expended much of her divine energy separating the Demonweb Pits, or when a pantheon of offended deities ripped out and condensed a demon lord's entire layer (with him still in it) and cast it into the Astral plane. Despite this ending in the Abyss, much like a hungry, rudely awakened beast, almost instantly striking down the entire pantheon in that case, the attack itself was successful, leaving nothing but a void and their own decomposing divine corpses. It was also a possibility that destroyed layers were capable of being reborn elsewhere in the Abyss, although this was not a certainty. This was ignoring the fact that layers were shaped by the conscious manipulations and subconscious wills of its resident demon lord, and so even the nature of a single layer could become obsolete by the time such information was established.
Geography
In the Great Wheel cosmology model, the Abyss was an Outer plane on the Great Wheel connected to the Astral plane, Pandemonium, Carceri, and the Outlands. Some estimated that the Abyss had 666 layers, while the Fraternity of Order claimed to have catalogued 679 layers. It was possible that the number of layers was infinite, but no one could be certain. The first layer, named Pazunia after the demon lord Pazuzu, was described as a barren, dusty place baking under a red sun, broken only by great iron fortresses, huge holes in the ground, and the river Styx. Some branches of the Styx flowed down the holes (which were conduits to the various layers) and some of these holes supplied water to the Styx in reverse waterfalls.
When the Great Wheel model was replaced by the World Tree cosmology model, the river Styx was renamed the River of Blood and it flowed through all the fiendish planes (except for the Supreme Throne and the Demonweb Pits) originating in the Abyss, passing through the Blood Rift—an unusual plane that connected the Abyss with the Nine Hells—bringing the demons even closer to their arch-enemies the devils, resulting in the Blood War. Cosmologists found evidence of portals between the Abyss and the Barrens of Doom and Despair, Clangor, the Demonweb Pits, and Hammergrim, with intermittent portals to Deep Caverns and Fated Depths. The Astral plane connected all of the fiendish planes to the Prime Material Plane, but not directly to each other.
After the Spellplague, Asmodeus consumed the essence of the fallen Azuth and ended the Blood War by casting the Abyss to the furthest depths of the Elemental Chaos. The World Axis cosmology described the ruined Abyss as a domain with ever-changing features and realms, where the demons waged futile wars over meaningless empires. Once again the river Styx flowed through the Nine Hells and the Abyss, but then emptied its pollution into the Astral Sea. Other than the Styx or braving the Elemental Chaos, the only known passages to the Abyss were found in the Demonweb Pits, the Dismal Caverns, and Nishrek.
Alternative Name(s)
The Infinite Layers
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
Included Locations
Ruling/Owning Rank
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