Pandemonium (Dungeons & Dragons)

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Alternate meanings: See Pandæmonium

In the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Windswept Depths of Pandemonium is the Outer plane where Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Neutral petitioners are sent after death. Pandemonium is a large, complex cavern that never ends. Compounding this problem, howling winds drive most of its residents mad. There are few creatures that are native to this plane; those individuals who do live there usually have no choice in the matter. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape, Greyhawk and some editions of the Forgotten Realms campaign settings.

In the Planescape campaign setting, Pandemonium houses the headquarters for the Bleak Cabal faction.

Contents

[edit] Layers

Each of the four layers of Pandemonium is successively deeper within the caverns.

The gnoll deity Gorellik wanders throughout Pandemonium.

  • Norebo's realm of The Big Gamble is in Pandemonium.[1]

[edit] Pandesmos

Pandesmos is the largest and (relatively) most hospitable of the layers. The headwaters for the Styx are found here.

Pandesmos is the location of a number of godly realms, including Loki and Auril's realm of Winter's Delight, Talos' realm of Towers of Ruin, and Ho Masubi's realm of Uchi-bi.

[edit] Cocytus

Cocytus is also known as the "layer of lamentation", for this is where the winds are the strongest.

Cocytus is the location of a number of godly realms, including the god Erythnul's realm of the Fields of Malice, the bugbear deity Hruggek's realm of Hruggekolohk, Cyric's realm of the Shattered Castle.

[edit] Phlegethon

Phelgethon is the location of a number of godly realms, including the Queen of Air and Darkness's realm of the Unseelie Court, Zeboim's realm of The Maelstrom, and the derro deity Diirinka's realm of Hidden Betrayal.

[edit] Agathion

Agathion mainly contains holes, which double as portals to other planes. This layer is filled with hidden caches of forbidden knowledge and inhuman creatures. It is notable that Orcus's wand was hidden here when he was slain

[edit] Historical inspiration

The name Pandemonium comes from Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell in John Milton's Paradise Lost. The name means "all-demons" in Greek.

Cocytus and Phlegethon are two of the rivers from Hades in Greek mythology, and Cocytus is also the name of the lowest level of Hell in The Divine Comedy.

[edit] Fauna

[edit] References

  • Larme, John. Dangerous Games? Censorship and "Child Protection" [1] (2000).
  1. ^ Dragon magazine #86, page 32


Outer Planes
Celestia Bytopia Elysium Beastlands Arborea
Arcadia ↑Good↑ Ysgard
Mechanus ←Lawful Outlands Chaotic→ Limbo
Acheron ↓Evil↓ Pandemonium
Baator Gehenna Hades Carceri Abyss
Languages