The Abyss is a nightmarish dimension, infamous for its ruthless demon inhabitants and harsh, lethal environment. It is a realm where might rules, and the powerful demons inflict pain, suffering, and oppression upon mortals. The very land itself seems hostile to human life, with parched earth, famine, and drought defining its atmosphere. Fear and violence are ever-present, and demons thrive on torment, prolonging suffering rather than granting quick deaths.

For the unfortunate mortals trapped in the Abyss, life is one of fear, despair, and loss of humanity. Even these humans, raised in the shadow of demonic cruelty, can become twisted, reflecting the merciless nature of their tormentors. The Abyss is not merely a place of physical destruction but a realm where virtues like kindness, mercy, and hope are systematically stripped away.

Demons are natural tormentors, born to inflict suffering and chaos. They take pleasure in drawing out the agony of their victims and revel in the psychological torture of denying them release. These beings are intrinsically evil, having spread their influence through sheer numbers and aggressiveness. Wherever they go, they bring destruction, cruelty, and misery.

In this dimension, demons rule supreme, and mortals rarely escape, let alone survive, this accursed place. Those who do rarely return the same, forever marked by the horrors they've witnessed.

This terrifying realm is a place where order disintegrates. Time flows erratically; space warps and distorts, and the laws of physics are subject to the whims of the chaotic energies that suffuse the plane. The Abyss is not just a single environment, but rather a confluence of nightmares, with each layer possessing its own unique horrors, ruled by demon lords who constantly vie for supremacy. These lords, demonic entities of unimaginable power, have shaped their domains into grotesque reflections of their own vile natures.

The rivalry between demons and Devils has been a long-standing and violent conflict, escalating into full-scale war on numerous occasions. This cosmic struggle often involves mortal beings, who are manipulated as pawns in the grand scheme of power, retribution, and control. Mortals, with their unpredictable nature and free will, play a significant role in these cosmic "chess matches," sometimes shifting the balance of power between demons, Devils, and other divine forces representing order or goodness. Demons have always existed and continue to spread their influence, driven by ambition, cruelty, and the desire for domination.

Demon Society

Demon society in the Abyss is hierarchical, brutal, and driven by power. Cities are usually governed by Princes or Lords, who have risen to their positions through cunning, ruthlessness, and ambition. Each city serves a specific purpose, often as centers of commerce or war, and is tightly controlled by the local ruler. These rulers enforce their will through a selection of minions, with power dynamics filtering down through Greater Demons to Lesser Demons and Sub-Demons, who are often at the bottom of the hierarchy.

Demon society thrives on fear, intimidation, and cruelty. There is no concept of mercy, kindness, or compassion, those are seen as weaknesses. Instead, demons live by deceit, backstabbing, and brutality, constantly seeking personal gain and power. The more ruthless and bloodthirsty a demon, the more likely they are to maintain their position. Every interaction, whether social or business, is underscored by distrust and suspicion, with bribery and betrayal being common and accepted practices.

Despite their chaotic and violent nature, demons do exhibit social behavior. They gather to boast about their conquests, share stories of terror, and gossip about the plans of Demon Lords such as Modeus and Andras. However, these gatherings are far from peaceful, often devolving into brawls or acts of violence, reflecting their inherent love of cruelty.

In this twisted society, even the most menial tasks are performed under duress, and when not engaged in work, demons indulge in acts of depravity and cruelty that only their kind could enjoy. Power and domination are central to their existence, with every demon living to torment and subjugate those weaker than themselves. The demon world is one where trust is nonexistent, and betrayal is a daily reality. Even in moments of revelry, demons live under the shadow of violence and mistrust, making the Abyss a domain of constant suffering, fear, and chaos.

A Crossroads of Darkness

The Abyss is often described as a crossroads of darkness, a juncture between the most malevolent planes in the multiverse. It is said that the boundaries between worlds grow thin in the Abyss, making it a place where the very notion of reality bends and breaks. Portals and rifts to other realms tear open without warning, and vast chasms plunge into unseen depths, leading to deeper, even more twisted layers. Those who dare venture into the Abyss may find themselves unexpectedly thrust into different worlds or dimensions, only to be lost forever in the chaos.

The terrain itself is unpredictable. Mountains rise and crumble in a matter of hours; rivers of molten lava or freezing acid carve through landscapes of twisted rock and bone. In some places, gravity shifts erratically, and the skies churn with unnatural storms of fire, ash, or darkness. The ground may tremble with tremors of rage or open into bottomless pits, swallowing anything that dares approach. Some layers exist in eternal night, lit only by baleful fires and the distant glow of malevolent stars, while others may be flooded by endless, acidic oceans or boiling seas of blood.

The Essence of Chaos and Destruction

At its core, the Abyss is chaos made manifest. It is a place where the primordial forces of destruction hold sway, and every inch of the plane radiates a sense of inevitable decay and annihilation. Entire landscapes are built upon the bones of forgotten wars, with ancient battlefields stretching across miles, littered with the remains of the fallen. Rivers of blood and bile flow from these accursed lands, merging with the Abyss's poisonous seas, forming a nightmarish ecosystem fueled by pain and suffering.

Dark magic saturates the air and ground, and those who dwell within this dimension are twisted by its influence. Demonic hordes, formed from the souls of the damned, writhe and seethe across the landscape, eternally driven by their insatiable appetites for destruction. These demons come in countless forms, from the lowly manes, pitiful creatures reduced to mindless servants. to towering balors, embodying the pure fury of the Abyss itself.

The Haunting Presence of Souls

The very air of the Abyss resonates with the cries of tormented souls. The souls of mortals condemned to the Abyss do not simply perish, they become part of the dark tapestry of the plane itself. Their essence is twisted into new, agonized forms, their memories and identities stripped away until they are reduced to a shadow of their former selves. These tortured spirits roam the Abyss, haunting its many layers, trapped in a cycle of eternal suffering. It is whispered that in the deepest layers, the screams of the tormented are so loud and omnipresent that they can drive even the most resilient minds to madness.

Some of these souls are consumed by the Abyss itself, while others are hunted by its denizens. The Abyss feeds on pain, and it delights in corrupting and destroying anything that enters its grasp. Despair and madness are the plane's tools, used to slowly erode the sanity of all who traverse its treacherous depths. Many who enter never leave, their minds broken and their bodies twisted into grotesque shapes that serve the will of the Abyss for eternity.

The Lurking Horrors

Beyond the demonic hordes, the Abyss is home to eldritch horrors that defy description. These beings, primordial forces of entropy, dwell in the deepest recesses of the plane, lying dormant for eons until roused by the chaos around them. They are older than the demon lords who rule over individual layers, and their motives are inscrutable. Some whisper that these ancient horrors are the true masters of the Abyss, watching silently from the shadows, their influence subtly warping the plane in ways no mortal or demon can comprehend.

While the Abyss is ruled by fiercely territorial demon princes, their power is not absolute. The shifting nature of the plane makes rulership tenuous, with new forces constantly rising and old ones falling into oblivion. The political landscape of the Abyss is one of endless war and betrayal, where alliances last only as long as they serve the purpose of personal gain. Demon lords covet each other's layers and realms, and they fight relentless battles to expand their influence. Yet, even the mightiest of them know that the Abyss itself cannot be truly tamed, it is too vast, too chaotic, too hungry for destruction.

The Infinite Maw

At its heart, the Abyss is a place of unending hunger. The entire plane seems to be devouring itself, perpetually feeding on the chaos it generates. This hunger is reflected in the countless demons that constantly seek to destroy, consume, and corrupt. It is said that the Abyss will one day swallow everything, leaving nothing but darkness and ruin in its wake.

In its vast, ever-shifting expanse, the Abyss stands as a testament to the ultimate destruction and the insatiable chaos that underpins the multiverse. No mortal can fully comprehend its scale or fathom its mysteries, for it is an infinite, ever-expanding labyrinth where chaos reigns supreme and all things eventually fall into ruin. To enter the Abyss is to confront the very essence of evil, a malevolent force that devours all in its path.

Life for mortal slaves in the Abyss is nothing short of Hell itself. The oppressive environment is just the beginning of their suffering. Slaves are routinely beaten, whipped, and abused daily as a form of "motivation," leaving them physically and mentally broken. The constant cruelty and torment break the spirits of most slaves long before they die, reducing them to mere shells of their former selves.

Approximately 15% of the enslaved mortals adapt to this harsh reality by adopting the demons' philosophy of "might makes right." These individuals turn into bullies and brutes, mimicking their demonic masters in order to survive. They steal, hoard food and water, and often rise to become cruel taskmasters, killers, and tyrants themselves. The demons take pride in this transformation, deriving a sadistic sense of satisfaction when they manage to corrupt an idealistic mortal into becoming as monstrous as they are.

Generations of enslavement have turned many mortals into twisted versions of their former selves. The typical alignment of a slave born and raised in the Abyss is Anarchist (40%), Miscreant (30%), or Diabolic (15%). Freshly enslaved mortals from other dimensions can start with any alignment, but half of them succumb to selfishness, cruelty, or desperation within 1D6 years. These individuals quickly learn that survival in the Abyss means abandoning compassion, hope, and moral integrity, embracing deceit, theft, and brutality as essential tools for staying alive.

Those rare individuals who manage to retain their compassion and humanity often do not last long, with their survival time averaging no more than 1D4 years. The relentless pressure and cruelty of the Abyss wear them down until they, too, are either destroyed or twisted beyond recognition.

Demonkind, for its part, revels in this corrupting influence. To them, turning mortals into monsters is a sign of their power, and they view all mortals as weak creatures ripe for domination and manipulation. In the cities and realms of the Abyss, where demons rule with an iron fist, mortal slaves are seen as little more than tools to exploit, corrupt, and discard.

Slaves in the Abyss are marked to signify their bondage, and no slave is allowed to wander freely without a visible mark. A mortal found without the "slave mark" is often presumed to be an escaped slave or a potential threat, leading to their swift recapture or punishment. Most slaves are locked up in cages, pens, barns, or dungeons at the end of their workday. House servants may receive slightly better accommodations, such as rooms in the servants' quarters or private cells, though even these can range from basic to luxurious depending on the whims of their demonic masters.

When new slaves are brought in, they are caged and marked as quickly as possible. This mark often takes the form of a tattoo, branding, or scar, prominently displayed on their neck, arm, or chest. Once marked, slaves are evaluated for their strengths and abilities by a Taskmaster, assigned to a specific job, or sold to external clients. The jobs given to slaves typically last for the rest of their lives, with positions ranging from couriers and laborers to administrative tasks. Though some jobs are more physically demanding than others, the vast majority of slaves face abuse, overwork, and short life expectancies.

For hard laborers, their grueling tasks often limit their lifespan to just 1D6+1 years, while slaves in less physically demanding roles may survive for 2D6+4 years. Even in these lesser roles, long work hours, harassment, and frequent punishment ensure that no slave's life is easy. Every month spent in the Abyss is said to feel like a year, with time seemingly drawn out by the torturous environment.

Not all slaves in the Abyss are human or even mortal. There are supernatural beings, creatures of magic that serve in the Abyss. Some serve willingly, while others are enslaved after opposing demonkind or angering a Demon Lord. Many individuals who have fought against demons are given the choice between prolonged torture and death or serving as slaves, often in the ongoing Minion War. Those who choose to fight in the war dream of escape, though most die in service before they ever get the chance.

Among slaves, there are also Generational Slaves—those born into slavery, often serving their demon masters for generations. These generational slaves often fill specific occupational roles, with common Occupational Character Classes (O.C.C.s) including:

• Laborer/Peasant/Farmer
• Mercenary Soldier
• Grunt
• Bounty Hunter
• Bandit

More skilled generational slaves may serve as:

• Scholar/Storyteller
• Entertainer
• Handyman
• Barmaid (Server)

On rare occasions, slaves with specialized skills may be better treated, receiving special privileges in exchange for absolute loyalty to their demonic masters. These elite slaves typically hold more value and may serve key roles in their demon lord's plans. In Hades, generational slaves are often as selfish and evil as the demons they serve, shaped by the brutal environment and the "might makes right" philosophy of demon society. Their alignments reflect this, with the majority leaning toward selfish or malevolent dispositions:

• Anarchist (40%): These slaves follow no laws but their own, driven by personal freedom and survival, with little regard for others.
• Miscreant (30%): These are opportunistic, unscrupulous, and villainous slaves who will do anything to further their own interests.
• Diabolic (15%): The most evil, embracing cruelty and destruction without hesitation.
• Aberrant (5%): Some slaves adopt a twisted form of honor, adhering to personal codes even within the chaos of Hades.
• Other (10%): A small fraction may be of varying alignments, but most are broken or shaped by their harsh reality.

Sensitivity to Light: Generational slaves, especially those born and raised in Hades, have adapted to the dark, oppressive environment of the demon realm. However, their eyes are sensitive to sunlight and bright light, causing them pain and discomfort when exposed. In daylight or bright indoor lighting, they suffer the following penalties:

• Vision reduced to 500 feet (152 meters).
• -1 on initiative.
• -2 to Perception Rolls.
• -1 to strike, parry, dodge, and all other combat rolls.

Consequences for Runaways: Runaway slaves, particularly those from generational lines, invoke the rage of their demon masters. They are hunted down or have bounties placed on their heads. If recaptured, they face severe punishment:

• Torture, beatings, and forced labor in the most punishing tasks.
• Any further acts of defiance or escape attempts lead to execution.

The Sextiles

Before demons made their home in the Abyss, this realm of pure evil and chaos was ruled by the Old Ones, ancient and malevolent beings who predated even the gods. In its primordial state, the Abyss was not the complex and layered expanse it is today but consisted of only six vast regions, each a primal manifestation of entropy and unbridled destruction. These six realms were the Sextiles, each one embodying a unique aspect of the cosmic chaos that defined the Abyss.

These Sextiles were not merely domains but cosmic entities themselves, each representing a different facet of absolute disorder. The Old Ones, beings of immense power, controlled these regions, shaping and twisting reality in ways that defied comprehension. The laws of nature had no meaning in their domains, and the very essence of these realms thrived on madness and destruction, seeping into the multiverse like a creeping plague.

For eons, the Old Ones reigned, their dark influence stretching beyond the Abyss, threatening to unmake creation itself. But as their power grew, the gods and other cosmic forces rose against them. A cataclysmic war was waged across the planes, and after great sacrifice, the Old Ones were defeated. Unable to be destroyed, they were instead cast into an eternal slumber, trapped in forgotten voids where their minds still dream in the dark recesses of the Abyss.

With the Old Ones' fall, the once-unified Sextiles began to fracture and divide. Their defeat triggered a profound disruption in the fabric of the Abyss, causing each of the original six realms to split into 111 layers, resulting in the 666-layered plane known today. This division was not an act of creation but rather a shattering, the Sextiles splintering into countless realms that reflect the chaotic nature of their origin. Each layer, though part of a greater whole, became its own world, shaped by the lingering essence of the Old Ones' influence.

Even in their absence, the Old Ones' power continues to permeate the Abyss. The Sextiles, now fragmented into 666 layers, still carry echoes of the primal chaos from which they were born. The boundaries between the layers are fluid and unstable, shifting and warping like the dreams of the slumbering Old Ones. The demons that later came to inhabit the Abyss are themselves mere interlopers, creatures who found a home in the layers but are forever dwarfed by the ancient powers that once ruled it.

The first Sextile, known as Zhar'kthul, represents the threshold of chaos, and though it has splintered into many layers, the presence of the Old Ones' influence is still palpable. The deeper layers, divided among the other Sextiles, retain the essence of the original primal forces, with each region bearing remnants of the Old Ones' power and designs.

Though the Old Ones sleep, their dark legacy remains woven into the very essence of the Abyss. Many scholars believe that the division of the Sextiles was not a permanent fracturing but a temporary state, a pause in the inevitable return of the Old Ones' influence. Some speculate that the layers may one day re-merge, reforming the six Sextiles as they once were, heralding the return of the Old Ones and their reign of endless chaos.

The demons that dwell within these fragmented layers now unknowingly guard the secrets of the Old Ones, each layer a prison or tomb, hiding pieces of the ancient beings' power. For those brave or foolish enough to venture into the deepest layers of the Abyss, the promise of unlocking the Old Ones' forgotten might is a temptation that has led many to their doom. Yet, despite the dangers and horrors of the Abyss, it remains a realm shaped by the slumbering gods of chaos, a place where the truth of creation's fragility is ever present, and the threat of the Old Ones' return looms like a dark storm on the horizon.