'Jealous of the unique relationship between the elemental planes and the prime material, some dark powers of the outer planes have fabricated living conduits that masquerade as living vortices, so that they might meddle further in the affairs of the tiny world of Athas.'
If a fiend has a Living Conduit masquerading as a Living Vortex, it basically channels spell energy drawn from the Lower Planes(Most likely Baator, the Pact Primeval applies to devils, not demons. Devils can convert souls directly into divine energy for magical use). Archfiends are able to grant spells, drawing the power from the Lower Planes and the souls being tormented and consumed therein. They do not receive any energy directly from their worshipers, except for sacrifices. And they can grant spells to whomever they want.
A prospective SK(maybe Farcluun, he burned an entire tribe of halflings to fuel his Dragon Transformation, this is definitely his kind of thing) who has communication with a powerful Baatorian (maybe Mephistopheles or Asmodeus may send an emissary through one of their conduits) could negotiate for the use of clerical spells for their templars, granted by the emissary's master. Perhaps a levy equal to what the SKs used to pay the Dragon would suffice.
Any archfiend would be delighted to recieve a steady flow of living people, complete with unclaimed souls. No pesky gods with a legitimate claim to them. Delivered right to their own domain, without any need to comb the River Styx for their soul-shells, because they're still wrapped in living meat. The Archfiend gets their sick jollies torturing them to death or experimenting on them, or using them as breeding stock to create an army of Half-fiend Athasians(yikes!). The possibilities are limitless, and since the gods do not have anything to do with Athas, this could be done in total stealth. Bargains could be struck by the SK and the fiends, maybe for additional sacrifices, the SK could recieve lands in other planes, or benefits beyond the granting of Templar spells.
I was surprised I never noticed that tiny passage in Dragon Kings before. It opens up a ton of possibilities, and explains why fiends occasionally show up on Athas, but never in numbers. I would think that the devils would want to keep as small a footprint as possible, just because there is a minute, minuscule chance that a deity could discover what they are up to, and try to put a stop to it. Or worse yet, copy the Fiendish technique. Instead of sacrifices, the outer planes would gain power by recieving the willing souls of Athasians. maybe they could develop a special Last Rites spell, to intercept or call back the souls of the departed faithful from the Grey and send them through the conduit to their reward. That small, hard to miss passage in Dragon Kings opens up the possibility for a true afterlife for Athasians.
This also presents a possibility for why the Kreen have an afterlife. maybe the Kreen Great One and his Avangion friend opened up a Living Conduit to the Beastlands. Maybe, even though he was working with an Avangion, his limited understanding of the Fiend's methods only let him open a one way conduit, to the Beastlands. And the gate key is faith in the Great One. A gate key can be anything, even words have been used, so it's not too farfetched that on Athas, a psionic trigger(even just a thought) would be the key of choice. Since the portal is only one way, he had no way to open dialogue with any gods. But he could spare the fate of the Grey to anyone who has an alignment compatible with the Beastlands, and faith in the Great One. Kreen racial memory would guide their could to the giant stone Kreen Head in the desert, wherein could lie the conduit). Concerning their memories of Kano and the galug(Cania and the gelugons), a thri-kreen with faith(or maybe just the racial memory) of the Great One could pass through the conduit to the Beastlands, but upon arrival, their soul would gravitate towards the plane that matched their alignment. Evil Kreen go to Baator.
A similar idea posits that Psionics the Rebirth races, were all instigated by Fiends for their own purposes. The nature benders could have been their disposable stooges. The Brown Tide and following Green Age provide a reason to artificially modify themselves(never understood why, but maybe an inexplicable compulsion sent from a subtle fiend could explain it. Suddenly, instead of a planet full of little useless(non-feral) Rhulisti,)who were basically screwed without their lifeshaped tech until they went feral)to a whole region(possibly planet) full of ultra-tough facsimiles of the races the fiends are more accustomed to working with(dominating and using)with built in Psionic capability across the board.
Cool ideas, but to be true to the letter of the passage, the Far Realm is not an outer plane. the Far Realm is much farther away.
Yes, but the cosmology has changed. Fairly radically, in terms of placement. Now, the "inner planes" (elemental planes) and the "outer planes" (the wheel) are, metaphysically speaking, approximately the same distance from the "material plane". There is certainly plenty of leeway, and with something as ephemeral and vague of planar cosmology, plenty can be lost in interpretation. ;) Thus, the "letter of the passage" needn't hold 100% true.
Besides, the Far Realm seems to fit better in this particular area, IMHO. Devils have...other concerns. Temptation of mortals, spiritual currency, and all that. Thus, due to the Grey, their interest in Athas would likely be more limited. Intrigued, perhaps, but with much less to gain. Not only are souls ensnared by the Grey, there are less of them, what with Athas being a dying, post-apocalyptic world. The Far Realm, however...psychic links, biogenetic engineering, no interference from those pesky gods and devils, etc. There are also hints of such, with the Crimson Monolith and its pulsing, living, cyclopean self tied to celestial alignments. As I said, this just fits the Athasian mythos more accurately.
I'd say Athas in general has more contact with the Far Realms than normal, and more contact with the primordial-related aspects of the Elemental Chaos (i.e. less contact with efreets and demons, more with elementals, primordials, titans, etc). The Manual of the Planes describes both the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos as being effectively infinite, with many areas far off the beaten path.
The Astral Sea section in particular explicitly mentions that other material worlds and the parts of the Astral Sea linked to them are very, very distant from those in the Points of Light setting, and take immensely long journeys to get to, even by spelljammer. They say it is much easier to get there by knowing how to portal there, not travel the distance by 'jammer, etc. Thus, I'd suggest that the Athasian area of the multiverse is extremely distant and isolated, in an area void of Astral Dominions, yet located nearby Tu'narath, City of the Githyanki (being far from Astral Dominions is likely something Vlaakith the Lich-Queen would look favorably upon, not-so-coincidentally). There are likely extraordinarily few color veil portals linking areas even NEARBY Athas' area of the Astral Sea, due to the utter lack of Astral Dominions and their veils of color borders. Meaning such travel must be done the old-fashioned way. Making it very difficult indeed, and not worth it. Plus, knowledge of this ravaged world wouldn't be passed on to the rest of the cosmology as readily. Sigil is likely the only consistent manner in which Athasians can travel beyond their isolation, barring artifacts such as the Planar Gate.
Similarly, to fit with what we know of Athasian cosmology, I'd say that Athas lies closer, metaphysically, to an area of the Elemental Chaos that is particularly contentious between the elements, and particularly lacking in Water. I'd say it lies in an area where Fire, Earth, Air and Water are not blended together, but rather are actively at war with one another. Water is losing the war, and how (possibly due to the machinations of specific beings). I'd also suggest that the living vortices are, or were, native to this area and areas around it. Most of the vortices in the specific area nearby Athas have been slain, or permanently bonded to Athasian natives, both mortal and immortal.
The Black might very well be a particularly bleak and barren area of the Shadowfell, reflective of Athas itself. This essentially empty, permanently dark area of the Shadowfell lies far from Orcus, the Raven Queen, and the other great powers present in that bleak realm. The Dead Land was perhaps caused by a powerful ritual causing an immense worldfall from the Shadowfell. One which was permanent, or near-permanent, and particularly insidious.
As for the Feywild, it is likewise reflective of the world it mirrors. Thus, the few lush areas would be extraordinarily lush, while most of the Athasian Feywild would instead be dramatically more bleak and desolate than Athas itself. Mayhaps the kreen are linked to the Athasian Feywild. A fey version of the Crimson Savannah, for example, would be vast, extremely lush, yet insanely deadly, populated by insectoids of infinite variety, and deadly plants of the animate and inanimate variety. Every blade of grass can cut like the sharpest knife, and any non-grass you run into in such an area might very well be sentient and waiting to devour you. Perhaps this is why the kreen racial memory is so complete, for their hivemind is linked to a great racial hivemind possessing the memories of all of their ancestors in the Feywild; A link they are likely unaware of. The Feywild is definitely the most difficult to fit into the cosmology, but I think it is possible. Perhaps the fey crossings into the Athasian Feywild are more difficult to traverse, with very little in the way of natural crossings, and no eladrin constructs such as menhirs, sylvan glades, standing stones, obelisks, faerie rings, etc. Thus, getting to the Feywild is harder on Athas than perhaps any other world.
Thus, the Athasian cosmology APPEARS quite different, but isn't. Rather, it simply exists, consistently, in isolated parts throughout the cosmology.
The whole paragraph is -
The direct paths from the prime material to the outer planes are called conduits. Anchored firmly at two locations, one on the prime and one in an outer plane, these wormhole conduits ferry beings back and forth regularly. On the prime, fixed locations such as temples are ideal anchors for conduits. Jealous of the unique relationship between the elemental planes and the prime material, some dark powers of the outer planes have fabricated living conduits that masquerade as living vortices, so that they might meddle further in the affairs of the tiny world of Athas.
What this says to me is that these "living conduits" are akin to gates between two locations, one on Athas and it's counterpart in the outer planes. As long as they have a gate open, they can pour energy through the gate to provide divine magic. However, unlike the living vortices, the living conduits fashioned by the fiends can be closed. That could be a great theme for an adventure.
I remember that line, Terminus. It has the feeling of a plot line introduced, but never developed.
The whole paragraph is -
The direct paths from the prime material to the outer planes are called conduits. Anchored firmly at two locations, one on the prime and one in an outer plane, these wormhole conduits ferry beings back and forth regularly. On the prime, fixed locations such as temples are ideal anchors for conduits. Jealous of the unique relationship between the elemental planes and the prime material, some dark powers of the outer planes have fabricated living conduits that masquerade as living vortices, so that they might meddle further in the affairs of the tiny world of Athas.
What this says to me is that these "living conduits" are akin to gates between two locations, one on Athas and it's counterpart in the outer planes. As long as they have a gate open, they can pour energy through the gate to provide divine magic. However, unlike the living vortices, the living conduits fashioned by the fiends can be closed. That could be a great theme for an adventure.
I totally agree. Their could be many effective ways to cut off a conduit, from spells to physically blocking its aperture, like in Stargate. Maybe the Great Kreen Head doesn't contain the way to the Beastlands, but instead blocks the Galug(Gelugons) of Kano(Cania) from entering Athas. Perhaps it contains both, but only the spirits of the departed can pass through the stone. That would explain why demons aren't pouring through, and why the Kreen , alone among all the races of Athas, have an outer-planar afterlife, AND somehow manage to reincarnate BACK ON ATHAS! Perhaps a gate key (the racial memory of the Great One, or even the Kreen soul could be the key!) could be needed to use either conduit, and the racial memory serves to guide the souls of departed Kreen to the Great Kreen Head, like in one of my previous posts. There, they gravitate to the conduit matching their alignment.
And the passage from DK seems to imply that there could be quite a few of these conduits.
Devils have...other concerns. Temptation of mortals, spiritual currency, and all that. Thus, due to the Grey, their interest in Athas would likely be more limited. Intrigued, perhaps, but with much less to gain. Not only are souls ensnared by the Grey, there are less of them, what with Athas being a dying, post-apocalyptic world.
If there is a conduit to Baator present, one can transport live captives directly to Baator. Once there, you can either breed these ultra-tough Athasians into a half-fiend army, or else just use them like unto cattle. The Pact Primeval between the gods and Asmodeus sstates that he receives and is entitled to all the souls who do not follow the gods. NOBODY on Athas believes in any god that actually exists. Fake, nonexistent deities don't count, which is why when anybody exclusively worships a devil or demon,Asmodeus gets their soul after death.(except when one is on Athas or Faerun, because of the Grey and the Wall, respectively. Once the poor Athasian is outside the Grey,stuck in a pen in Baator, unless he somehow comes to believe in a god before he is killed or inducted into Devil worship(which I assume all breeding\slave\soldier stock would be),Asmodeus gets their soul, no contest. No need to fish them out of the Styx or anything. Like walking Big Macs for the legions of Baator. if the fiends weren't interested in the meat, they could have some diabolical contraption set up to kill all incoming travelers from Athas, thus speeding their souls along directly to Asmodeus. And Asmodeus can only use Faithless souls for his greatest plan - he will absorb them until he has enough power to destroy the Great Wheel cosmology, as stated in the 2e Planescape material. Athas can provide more of these rare souls than any other place, because by default, ANYONE from Athas who goes anywhere else in the cosmos and dies before taking the time to learn about a god and find true faith, will have their soul consumed by Asmodeus. So even if he only gets a few thousand of these souls a year, thats an order of magnitude greater than what he would receive from any world with true gods. Athas is like a diamond mine for the Lord of the Nine, and any fiend who went to Athas and procured these special souls for him would no doubt be in his favor.
If there is a conduit to Baator present, one can transport live captives directly to Baator. Once there, you can either breed these ultra-tough Athasians into a half-fiend army, or else just use them like unto cattle. The Pact Primeval between the gods and Asmodeus sstates that he receives and is entitled to all the souls who do not follow the gods. NOBODY on Athas believes in any god that actually exists. Fake, nonexistent deities don't count, which is why when anybody exclusively worships a devil or demon,Asmodeus gets their soul after death.(except when one is on Athas or Faerun, because of the Grey and the Wall, respectively. Once the poor Athasian is outside the Grey,stuck in a pen in Baator, unless he somehow comes to believe in a god before he is killed or inducted into Devil worship(which I assume all breeding\slave\soldier stock would be),Asmodeus gets their soul, no contest. No need to fish them out of the Styx or anything. Like walking Big Macs for the legions of Baator. if the fiends weren't interested in the meat, they could have some diabolical contraption set up to kill all incoming travelers from Athas, thus speeding their souls along directly to Asmodeus. And Asmodeus can only use Faithless souls for his greatest plan - he will absorb them until he has enough power to destroy the Great Wheel cosmology, as stated in the 2e Planescape material. Athas can provide more of these rare souls than any other place, because by default, ANYONE from Athas who goes anywhere else in the cosmos and dies before taking the time to learn about a god and find true faith, will have their soul consumed by Asmodeus. So even if he only gets a few thousand of these souls a year, thats an order of magnitude greater than what he would receive from any world with true gods. Athas is like a diamond mine for the Lord of the Nine, and any fiend who went to Athas and procured these special souls for him would no doubt be in his favor.
It could be a good adventure, having the PCs join with templars to fight the devil worshipers and their vile rites. Imagine having devil worshipers make templars look like the model of morality and good manners! LOL. Better the devil you know...
Hell, you could even have an aspect of one of the arch dukes or dukes of hell appear, granting spells to worshipers in places like Draj, Raam, Balic, or Tyr, all places that have a void in the power structure since the demise of their sorcerer-kings. If you accept the retraining rules of 3E for former templars, then you could have some quite powerful devil worshipers (although I would apply some sort of penalty - something like 3/4 of their original levels). Draj would be perfect, with their cultural acceptance of human sacrifice.
The plots almost write themselves. An adventure path style adventure as seen in the latter days of Dungeon Magazine when it was published by Paizo would be perfect for this theme. An adventure starting at 1st level and the denouement 20th level would be great. Preferably ending with the characters leading an army against the fiends minions (who are by this time in charge of the city), and the PCs having a final showdown with the aspect of the fiend on top of whatever monument is famous in the city (temple of the moon in Draj, ziggurat in Tyr, etc).
Perhaps the evil plotline in an adventure path could be preventing an aspect of Asmodeus from finding a way to send the stolen souls of sacrifices directly through the conduit back home to Baator without having to send their living bodies or himself through the conduit( otherwise, the grey would just absorb the disembodied souls). Or perhaps this enterprising Aspect is close to finding a way to obtain a true elemental Vortex, drawing power from the elemental planes. This would make their operations on Athas completely costless, in terms of magical energy resources. Fiends are adept at running cults of themselves under multiple identities, and granting them all spells. the Aspect of Asmodeus could operate on Athas with absolute secrecy, since there would be no energy mysteriously disappearing from Baator to power cleric spells on Athas.If both of these goals were accomplished, and if he covered his tracks well. the Aspect could just hide himself under a rock somewhere, to avoid detection, and operate through mind-controlled agents or cultists. Asmodeus is crafty enough to pull this off, and if he did, he'd have undisputed access to the very power source he needs to destroy the Multiverse and remake it as he sees fit. An adventure path pitting the protagonists against the Aspect and his goals could well lead into epic levels and metamorphosis.
Dragon Kings, p-66 -
'Jealous of the unique relationship between the elemental planes and the prime material, some dark powers of the outer planes have fabricated living conduits that masquerade as living vortices, so that they might meddle further in the affairs of the tiny world of Athas.'
From 'A Guide to hell, p. 10' - (Images, sorry, my doc wasn't OCR)
And here's where things come together - 'a Guide to Hell, p.50'-
Bel discovers Athas on his own, fabricates his living conduits, and gets busted by Asmodeus, who realizes that Athas could be the crown jewel in his master plan to destroy the cosmos. All those 'faithless' souls, unknown and unclaimable by any god, his by right of the Pact Primeval. And he gets to show up, handily dispatch his minion, and blackmail the rulers of the land for a slave levy in exchange for saving them from Bel. Asmodeus is smart enough to farm Athas for 'faithless' rather than just harvest the planet all at once. He is the grand champion of the slow game. This potentially huge plotline could help revert Athas to something closer to the first box set, if one wished. Perhaps Nibenay or Hamanu finds the portal to baator. Maybe even Dregoth (it's canon that he has bargains with Baatorians, he's most likely to find out about any conduits leading there, and the only SK with a significant degree of experience with Devils). They try to bargian with Asmodeus, but he pretends to refuse. An aspect of Asmodeus could easily arrive on Athas in the guise of Borys the Dragon,claiming to have had some contingency plan for if Rikus killed him, or just claiming to be truly immortal.He then publicly destroys Bel in full view of the nearest SK,and commands that the Levy resume from all city-states at double, maybe even triple the previous rate, under the premise that he must now not only reinforce Rajaat's prison, but keep Bel out, as well as Asmodeus. Slave farming would become a necessary enterprise. And since one faithless, unknown,unclaimable soul is as good as another, thousands of Athasians could be born in massive slave birthing complexes, only to immediately be torn from their mothers and cast to 'The Dragon' or his local agent, for delivery to the 'Dragon' or a Gate leading to him, and get devoured upon arrival, body and soul.This method, vile and disturbing as it is, would be the only way to sustain such a huge levy in the Tablelands.
The only other alternative is to reach out far beyond all the known lands and find regions of Athas where other people live, and give THEM to the dragon. But that isn't as reliable or easy as slave ranches. I realize how dark this is, but I'm trying to 'realistically' picture what Asmodeus would do to Athas.With discretion, any SK could pull this off without the public ever knowing a thing (as I believe even the most bitter, beaten slave would eventually revolt if confronted with the reality that his Sorceror-Monarch sacrifices 3000 infants or so a year to the Dragon,for unknown reasons.And if that Aspect of Asmodeus pretending to be Borys decides to take over Borys' old city-state, and senses the Dark Lens in the lava, (Asmodeus will NOT miss that kind of thing), the Multiverse is in some serious s***.
heck, this could even serve as the origins of Elans on Athas - Converted from regular humans or elves to Elans, so they could live perfectly well with no food and water(elans can simple 'eat' 1 pp per day) and live forever unless killed. Lock 3000 Elan females in a remote location, magically induce a pregnancy(Elans are sterile by nature, but magic or psionics could circumvent this), and just leave. Make sure there is no way out, heck, restrain them all. Psionically compel them to sustain themselves, even if they want to die. Don't bother telling them what the fate of the offspring is, it'll just make them harder to manage. Bam. Levy paid. Since this requires no resources or commodities other than the initial costs of the complex and the creation of the Elans, as elans do not require food or drink, the only person who even needs to know the human ranches exist is the SK who sponsors it, and the 'Dragon', so he can stop by and devour his levy. the 'Dragon' would probably create his own slave ranches on Ur-Draxa, to maximize the number of faithless souls he can get out of Athas. The place is everything Asmodeus could ever have dreamed of a Prime world being.It's like a world full of Athar(Who most OBVIOUSLY had a distant origin of their Faction on Athas. From aGtH, p.50 -
Everything about their philosophy says they found out the truth about the Dragon Kings,who present themselves as gods, and decided to spread the word about 'gods', after they escaped from Athas(They could have been the ones who created the Planar Gate!) Everything about the Athar, even the NAME, screams out that their founders were among those few to escape Athas. Too bad their souls, and the souls of everyone they convinced of their philosophy, are being devoured by Asmodeus.
And also has made me realize, the only way to construct a reliable path to or from Athas is to make a LIVING path(conduit or vortex, other than the planar Mirror, which may incorporate both) Ironic, for a world bearing many inhabitants who believe it to be dying.
This fits this line of discussion PERFECTLY........The two settings together contain the makings of an EPIC adventure path!
And also has made me realize, the only way to construct a reliable path to or from Athas is to make a LIVING path(conduit or vortex, other than the planar Mirror, which may incorporate both) Ironic, for a world bearing many inhabitants who believe it to be dying.
Indeed. All good ideas... of course, difficult to implements. A lot of work for a DM.
Alternatively, one could convert one of the fiend related adventure paths that exist in Dragon Magazine, and try to fit it into Athas. Some of the seedy locations could be converted to city states that lack authority. Scuttlecove could be Balic, for example. It takes a little bit of doing, but far less that designing it all by yourself. You could take it from several different adventure paths as well, the ones involving fiends.
One of the problems with the new setting (introduced in the revised box) is the lack of adventure ideas in the cities without sorcerer kings. This concept you are advocating, Terminus, could help resolve this problem.
To try and say it briefly, I surmise that Asmodeus designed Athas and the Grey in secret, before he and Jazirian split up, seeding it with the forerunners of the Rhulisti, who would feed the Grey with their faithless souls, and Asmodeus could come and devour the grey when it was time to launch Armageddon. Unfortunately, it would take a long, uncertain time to get there, because he designed the Grey to inhibit travel by gods, (Of whom he is secretly one, a Greater Power! read post 13). But it would be there, waiting. Then the gods(the generation AFTER Asmodeus and Jazirian) and the Primordials had their little war, and the Primordials fled to Athas, and went so far in their bid to keep the Gods out of Athas that they started granting spells, so people would have no reason to seek true gods. So Athas goes on for thusands of years, and somewhere along the line, Bel finds out how to develop a Living Conduit, and begins to have subtle interaction with Athas. During this time, a demon sired Rajaat the Warbringer with a Pyreen woman, and the fugly little mutant develops Defiling magic to fill the void left by the planet's denial to him of the Druid powers that are the Pyreen birthright(the Spirit of Athas is subservient to the Primordials, and would never let an Outer Planar being, from the realms where gods live, touch its soul). Vague, inborn memories of the Hells and their inhabitants inspire Rajaat to create many monsters and undead, as well as the Dragon Metamorphosis. Athasian Dragons look more like a cross betwen a Vrock and a Pit Fiend than any dragon from another plane. I suspect Rajaat may be the son of Asmodeus, himself, who covertly visited Athas(as an avatar) through Bel's Living Conduits and left his seed to do his work. (of course, I doubt Rajaat knows the identity of his father, but Asmodeac lineage would certainly explain Rajaat's power and immortality. Asmodeus is wise enough to predict how the future of Athas would turn out,and left to let Athas continue to pump souls into the Grey, for his eventual consumption.
Then Bel discovers how to become a god(Maybe he finds Dregoth's notes, and revises them to include an even larger sacrificial component, to assure success). Asmodeus can no longer let him run rampant, but he has to do it in such manner that nobody decides to worship their 'savior' when he reins Bel in, because of Asmodeus' status as a Greater Power, however hidden. Their souls would still be his, but they wouldn't be the faithless prizes he requires most.
So he 'refuses to help' if he is requested to assist. Then he shows up in the guise of the Dragon, removes Bel, and demands a huge levy, ostensibly to keep Rajaat's prison sealed, and Bel and Asmodeus out. The Sorceror Kings would never dare refuse this reborn, more powerful Dragon, and Asmodeus could increase the speed at which his true body healed, by consuming the faithless Levy, and every other soul on Athas would just be added to the Grey (AKA Asmodeus' Pantry) for consumption just before Armageddon.
From 'A Guide to Hell', p.3 -
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Alternatively, Asmodeus and Ahriman had their seperate origins. Then Asmodeus travels to the Hells with his original crew(some of the Archfiends) and the Erinyes. Asmodeus claims the lowest layer for himself, and goes there to establish his power base. Ahriman consumes him upon arrival, and subsumes and usurps his identity. Maybe he just Mind Seeds him or something. In any case, on some fundamental level, he absorbs Asmodeus, who becomes the 'public' face of Ahriman. thus, Ahriman remains both active and hidden.The original 'Asmodeus' is long since a tasty and fortunate snack for Ahriman, who uses his face and name to meet his goals.For all intents and purposes, Asmodeus no longer exists as a separate entity, in anything but name.
Dragon Kings p. 66 -
'Jealous of the unique relationship between the elemental planes and the prime material, some dark powers of the outer planes have fabricated living conduits that masquerade as living vortices, so that they might meddle further in the affairs of the tiny world of Athas.'
Guide to Hell, p. 10 -
DMs who don't want to delve into the violence and bigotry that lurk in the hearts of men may be more amenable to a classic confrontation between good and evil. In this last scenario, the forces of Hell are more than interested in the PCs' home world: they want to destroy it. The DM needs to come up with two ideas for this campaign to work-a compelling reason for the forces of Hell to unleash themselves on a Prime world, and a way to get them there. He or she also needs to decide which devil is behind the invasion. For an operation of such scale, one of the lords is certainly appropriate.
A diabolic army may want to invade a Prime world for a number of reasons. They may have been tipped off that the tanar'ri are planning to invade, so they preempt their hated enemies to deny them the prize. Maybe the baatezu legions need some new recruits, and the PCs' world has a high number of lawful evil inhabitants. By invading and killing off the population, the army provides an influx of new lemures for Hell. Or perhaps mortals from this world killed an important member of the infernal hierarchy (such as Martinet, Asmodeus's constable). It's not as easy for an army of devils to travel across the planes as one might think. While erinyes can travel to the Prime at will, most other devils can't. This is why the invasion route is of vital importance. Agents of the diabolic army may have to create a new gate or activate an old one. The army may also have to travel to another plane to find a gate to the right world. All of these possibilities allow the DM to create some interesting adventures.
For the purposes of the campaign, the threat of invasion may well be enough. Stopping the invasion before it occurs is adventure enough for many parties. However, there is something to be said for running a truly apocalyptic campaign, and playing through the invasion can be a great gaming experience. Imagine the desperate battles against legions of devils, the frantic parties seeking aid from the Upper Planes, and the climactic battle of good versus evil.
Example: Bel, the Warlord of Avernus and Lord of the First, has uncovered a ritual that will let him ascend to true godhood. The catch is that the ritual requires the sacrifice of a million mortals in a single night. Bel plans an invasion of the PCs' world in secret. No word of his plans can slip out, or the full weight of the other Lords of the Nine will fall on him. Bel has tremendous resources, especially because he is on the front line of the Blood War. He uses his scouts to find a gate in the Gray Wastes' that leads to the PCs' world. He then plans an offensive against the tanar'ri on that plane, clearing his plans with the Dark Eight (the pit fiend generals in charge of the war). Only when the army reaches the Gray Wastes are Bel's true plans revealed, and he takes his vast legions to the PCs' world before anyone can stop him. The PCs are then caught up in an apocalyptic battle to save their world. They may discover that Bel is in a state of rebellion against the other Lords of the Nine. They may find themselves in the odd position of traveling to Hell to gain the aid of archdevils. In the end, Asmodeus may rein in Bel and save the PCs' world, but the price he asks will be a terrible one.
And here's why the price will be so terrible, from a Guide to Hell,p. 49-50 -
The assumption of mortals and gods alike is that Hell is but another cog in the machinery of the planes. This is a lie, and its perpetuation is Asmodeus's greatest triumph. An oft-overlooked piece of planar cosmology is that belief is required to be reborn in the afterlife. That is, a mortal must believe in something to become a petitioner. In worlds in which the power of the gods is manifested through clerical spells, belief isn't hard to come by. However, there are always those who reject the divinity of the powers and the existence of an afterlife. It is thought that the spirits of these unbelievers, lacking the will to continue on, simply cease to exist when the body dies. This too is a misconception.
Unbelief is the tool of the Lord of Lies, and those who die believing in nothing are reborn on the ninth layer of Hell regardless of alignment. These unfortunates are the true damned of the universe. While other petitioners strive to merge with their deities, the unbelievers are consumed by Asmodeus in the depths of Hell. -This painful process takes centuries to complete, during which time the unbelievers maintain full awareness. They vividly experience the loss of every ounce of their true essence, as Asmodeus slowly destroys all that they were and any hope that they could be again. Such spirits are utterly eradicated and cannot be brought back to life by any spell or power. So while the rest the powers feed on belief, the Lord of Lies lives on unbelief. His true agenda is to promote lack of faith, not to fool mortals into embracing evil.
The entire machinery of Hell, from the Blood War to the temptation of mortals to the politics of the infernal courts, is nothing but a smokescreen. All of that leads to an altogether more frightening question: Why does a god need to consume the souls of the dead? The answer relates back to Asmodeus's fall into the Pit. When he and Jazirian tore apart, they left much of their power dispersed among the planes. It is this raw energy that holds the Outer Planes together in the Great Ring. Asmodeus, weakened by this loss of power and the fall, craves a return to his former glory. Since the fall, he has been unable to leave the confines of Hell. He needs the soul energy of the unbelievers, a rare commodity gathered in trickles over the course of centuries, to heal the wounds he suffered during his struggle WIth Jazirian. On the day his wounds cease bleeding, Asmodeus will be able to break free from the confines of Hell and reclaim his power from the planes.
If this event should come to pass, it could be the end of everything. Lacking the power of law to hold them together, the planes would fragment and possibly collapse. Gods and mortals would be thrown into turmoil, and the entire universe could slide back into chaos. This, in fact, is the outcome Asmodeus desires. He knows that he would survive Armageddon and could then rebuild the universe to suit himself. He regards his cooperation with Jazirian as a fatal mistake, one he would not repeat the second time around. If billions of beings must die so Asmodeus can remake the universe to his liking, so be it. This is the true threat of Hell.
GtH p.50, the Athar (They HAVE to have their origins with Athas) -
The planes are home to many factions that each has a different view of the way the universe works. The factions have competing philosophies, and each seeks converts across the planes. The Athar, also known as the Lost and the Defiers, are Asmodeus's favorite group. They believe that the powers are a bunch of frauds. In their view, the gods are powerful beings, but they are not divine. The Athar believe that everyone has the potential to become that powerful, given the right circumstances, but that might doesn't equal godliness.
If this sounds perfect for Asmodeus, it is. The ironic part is that he didn't even found the Athar. They sprang up on their own, independent of Hell. However, the philosophy of the Athar is so ideal for Asmodeus's purposes that he watches their activities and provides covert assistance to them when necessary. The Athar have no idea that the Lord of Lies is on their side, and Asmodeus is careful to disguise any aid he gives them. For more information about the factions in general and the Athar in particular, see the PLANESCAPE boxed set or the Planewalker's Handbook.
here's some info about Jazirian, who may be the only hope if Asmodeus ever sets up shop on Athas,and her shared history with Asmodeus from Guide to Hell, p. 3 -
Serpents of Law
Being a Treatise on the Cosmic Serpents, the Birth of the Outer Planes, and the the Fall of Ahriman. The universe, at its birth, was little more than swirling chaos. A primordial soup of infinite possibilities, the cosmos was both everything and nothing. Through some unknown process, forms coalesced out of the chaos, including the planes themselves and those beings later known as gods. Some of these newborn powers reveled in the chaos, while others abhorred it. The conflict between these two groups, between Law and Chaos, defined the planes and the laws that they would obey.
The mightiest of Law's champions were the Twin Serpents. These Cosmic Serpents expressed the duality of Law, and were unstoppable when they worked together. Jazirian, winged and feathered, dedicated herself to the cause of good, while Ahriman, scaled and forked of tongue, embraced the darker path of evil. Despite their differences, they were first and foremost agents of Law. Sending their coils out into the endless chaos, Jazirian and Ahriman created the first ring, so establishing a fundamental principle of the planes. When Ahriman took Jazirian's tail in his mouth and she did the same with his, they demarcated the plane now known as the Outlands. Since this plane was created by the interaction of Law and Chaos, and was bordered by both Good and Evil, it became the plane of true neutrality. With the Outlands defined, the other planes fell in around it, creating what became known as the Great Ring. This construction-a central plane of neutrality with sixteen other planes of all alignments arrayed around it-is popularly known as the Outer Planes.
Jazirian and Ahriman's ouroboros had instituted the unity of rings already, establishing the importance of rings in planar geography and philosophy. The Twin Serpents then turned their attention to the other laws that would rule the planes. In honor of their triple aspects-Law, Good, and Evil-the serpents established the law of threes, decreeing the importance of the number three in all spheres. After applying this law, they decided they needed another law to complete their triumvirate. Both agreed they should define the center of the universe, about which they would remain coiled. Despite the clear advantages of choosing the Outlands, a place already given over to neutrality, Jazirian pushed for Mount Celestia, while Ahriman agitated for the inverted mountain of Baator. For the first time, the Twin Serpents disregarded the importance of law. Ahriman wanted the plane of law and evil to have pride of place, while Jazirian felt the same way about the home of law and good.
The two Cosmic Serpents struggled back and forth, neither willing to concede the point in the interest of law. The Great Ring shook as the two serpents rocked the foundation of the Outer Planes. With Jazirian pulling toward Heaven and Ahriman straining toward Hell, the two serpents tore themselves apart. Jazirian, free at last from her evil consort, flew up to Mount Celestia, also known as the Seven Heavens. Her tail, its tip bitten off by her rival, scattered blood among the Upper Planes. Where each drop landed, a couatl sprang up fully formed.
Meanwhile, Ahriman, lacking the wings of Jazirian, fell into the Pit of Baator. The fall was long and deposited the great serpent on the lowest level of the Pit. He too bled as he fell, and his tainted vitae gave birth to the devils of Baator. Ahriman, damaged from his fall and embittered from his struggle with Jazirian, embraced these dark offspring as his own.
With the unity of law broken, no center of the universe was chosen, and so it has remained. The planes, envisioned by the forces of law as bordered and finite, now stretched on into infinity. Paradoxically, the lack of a center became the embodiment of the third law the Twin Serpents desired-a nod to chaos in an orderly universe.
Both Jazirian and Ahriman were weakened by their struggle. They had invested a great deal of their power in defining the Outer Planes and were much diminished in the aftermath of their battle. So it was that the other gods usurped them, founding pantheons and spreading their influence throughout the planes. But neither Jazirian nor Ahriman has passed beyond, as much as the multiverse would like to forget them. One day, a force of darkness may erupt from the Pit of Baator, and only Jazirian would stand in the way of the utter annihilation of the cosmos. Pray that day does not come.
Guide to Hell, p.48 -
Asmodeus
The story of Ahriman and Jazirian is true, at least as far as Asmodeus is concerned. After the Fall, Ahriman reinvented himself as the lord of Baator. As he watched from the Pit, the planes populated themselves with gods, monsters, and mortals. Since few beings survived from the early days of creation, the true identity of Ahriman and Jazirian remained unknown. Ahriman confused matters further by changing his name to Asmodeus and posing as a near-power at best. Although he clearly operated by a different set of rules, Asmodeus aroused little suspicion. He was a lord of evil, that was clear, but his powers and agenda remained obscure.
In truth, Asmodeus is a greater power, just like Jazirian. However, the Twin Serpents predate the rule of belief in the planes. They neither gain power from the adoration of mortals, nor lose it from lack of worship. They have no priests and can grant no spells. This only helps Asmodeus convince his enemies that he is not a real power. Meanwhile, he toils on the lowest layer of Hell, weaving a web of lies that stretches back to the beginning of time. A being of incredible intelligence and evil, Asmodeus has been advancing a plan hatched long ago. The Outer Planes face annihilation, but no whisper of the threat has escaped from the Pit.
Asmodeus is often referred to as the Lord of Lies, and for good reason. Still, he remains a power of law. His plan, simmering slowly in the depths of Hell, has three parts, obeying the Law of Threes and serving the cause of evil simultaneously. The three prongs of his plan are the Blood War, the Politics of Nobility, and Armageddon.'
Concerning Jazirian,from aGtH, p 50-
'Jazirian
Jazirian is the only one who knows the true nature of Asmodeus. She could tell the gods of law and good about the early days of the universe, and the role she and Asmodeus played in its formation. She has not. She prefers to stay quietly in the background and gather information.
Her children, the couatl, are powerful creatures imbued with Jazirian's magic. They are spread out among the planes, gathering intelligence and sending it back to Jazirian. From this information and her own efforts, Jazirian is trying to figure out what Asmodeus is up to. She has several theories at the moment, but she has not come to any definite conclusions.
Like Asmodeus, Jazirian prefers to pose as something less than she is. She is known as the god of the couatl, and that is enough for her. Although worried about what Asmodeus might do, she hopes that there is enough law within him still to prevent him from instigating Armageddon. Should that day ever come, however, she is ready to summon all her children from all the planes to confront her former consort. She believes that the laws of the universe must be upheld, not recast to suit the needs of the powerful.'
I hope this helps garner community support for the idea of a Fiendish invasion of Athas as a major story arc. I'm toying with an idea about Athas having been designed, complete with the Grey and separate Inner Planes, to hide and protect the Dark Lens, which is nothing less than the egg from which Asmodeus hatched,in the murky lost depths of time, and it is far more powerful than anyone has conceived. A wielder possessed of supreme skill and a Divine spark could potentially seal Asmodeus away in its depths forever. Maybe even drain HIS essence away as a source of magic and power, like Asmodeus and his foul ilk have been doing since the beginning of mortal time. it would be well within the power of someone wielding an Asmodeus-empowered Dark Lens to restore all of Athas to the Green Age, or even the Blue Age.
If I'm not mistaken, I think CbtSS stated that the fiends intended to betray Dregoth and invade Athas.
p.79 -
'Fiends from the Outer Planes Appendix (MC10) can travel to and from Athas at will, but do so rarely, only when summoned by dragons or great wizards.'
The only reason Fiends wouldn't SWARM a Prime material world to which they could FREELY travel(due to their Living Conduits, no doubt!) is if their masters had greater plans, and commanded them not to travel to Athas.Summonings of vast power(like those potentially employed by a Dragon or an Archmage) can apparently override these orders.
Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs p. 116 says rajaat could summon fiends, and did, and they are still bound in his citadel in the swamp!
'If the DM desires further adventures in the swamp dealing with Rajaat’s sorcery, the heroes can make Intelligence checks to notice that there is an inscription hidden on the carvings on the central fountain. This inscription gives directions to another citadel
of Rajaat’s—one where he actually developed some primary sorcerous knowledge. This place is filled with monstrous creations and random magical energies and effects. The monsters should be much more powerful than those found here, including horrors like
nightmare beasts, so-uts, elemental creatures, and imprisoned fiends from the Lower Planes. The farther they push into the swamp, and the more closely the PCs get to Rajaat’s true citadel (where most of his actual magical research and experimentation
took place), the more horrible the monsters become and the more the bizarre and potent magical effects and alterations increase. Rajaat’s true citadel should be a place so twisted by magic that all natural forces and laws break down—twisted and changed
by aeons of out-of-control defiler sorcery.'
Could it be that Rajaat's experimentations are what tipped the Fiends off to the existence of Athas in the first place? Or is the idea that he is a half-fiend correct, and he instinctively knew that other planes existed besides the elemental, and sought to discover and master them?
Regarding CbtSS - p. 62-
'You gaze upon a large, ornate mirror. The glass does not reflect your own image, however, but a scene from some other world. Instead of sand and heat, everything through the mirror is covered in solid whiteness and it looks very, very cold. A vast army of terrible creatures—some like the ones you fought here and in Kragmorta, others like red, scaly giants with wings—readies itself for war. Encounters The planar gate currently looks upon Baator and the icy realm of Stygia. An army of baatezu patiently wait for
Dregoth to open the Baator side of the gate so they can march on Athas.'
'If the PCs destroy the planar gate, they cause a major delay in Dregoth’s campaign of conquest and revenge. They keep the baatezu from bringing the Blood War to Athas, and they halt Dregoth’s experiments in attaining god hood'
p.54 -
'Dregoth made a deal with a baatezu warlord. The undead dragon king needs troops to wage his war against the city-states of the other sorcerer-kings. The baatezu seek to dominate the Prime Material Plane and its natives to gain an advantage in their long-fought Blood War with the tanar’ri. Dregoth, of course, believes that the baatezu will obey him. In truth, they only need Dregoth to show them the way to Athas. Then they plan to take control of the world and its inhabitants-including the Dread King. This small band of green abishai were the first baatezu to step through the planar gate. The others wait patiently for Dregoth to open the portal again.'
Hmmm, p. 54 seems to indicate that the Baatezu didn't know the way to Athas, prior to CbtSS. it seems conspicuous that Bel discovers a way to Godhood and a planet to commit a covert genocide on (Guide to Hell), right after Baator has dealings with Dregoth concerning an invasion of the as-yet-hidden Athas. i think it's an absolute certainty that Athas is his target. All of the existing material supports this. Dregoth's research into converting an existing Living Vortex into a Living Conduit may have given the fiends all the knowledge they needed to create the Living Conduits they are known to possess. Creating a new Vortex to alter into a Conduit wouldn't be too much trouble for an Archduke of Hell, I would think.