The Abyss is an infinite plane of chaos and evil. Unlike the Nine Hells' strict hierarchy, the Abyss is chaotic and unorganized.

The Abyss is one of the Outer Planes,^[1] separated during the Era of Reclamation from the mortal planes by the Divine Gate. The mad deity Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion, dreams its infinite depths and demon hordes into being, and since Tharizdun's defeat at the hands of the Dawnfather in the Calamity the god has been shackled in the deepest pits of the Abyss.^[2][3]

History

Before the Calamity

The Abyss was once a formless void of pure chaos, a byproduct of the gods' creation. When the Protean Gods split in the Schism, with the Betrayer Gods fighting on the side of the Primordials to eradicate the mortal races, creatures of chaos spilled from the Abyss onto Exandria to feed on the dead and suffering mortals, and these demons turned cruel. The Chained Oblivion barreled into the midst of the conflict, and when the Betrayer Gods (with whom it was later categorized) were banished to secluded prison planes, presumably the Chained Oblivion was sent to the Abyss. In the age that followed, the banished entities warped their prisons into reflections of their wickedness; the Abyss was twisted into a plane of evil.^[4][5]

Since ancient times, the demons of the Abyss have been at war with the devils of the Nine Hells in a conflict known as the Blood War.^[6]

The Calamity

During the Calamity, the Demon Princes of the Abyss had a rare moment of unity, and they all had seats in the dark temple of Bazzoxan.^[7] Tomes in the Betrayers' Rise record the demon lords' alliances with the Betrayer Gods during the Calamity.^[8]

Arcane devices called Abyssal anchors can slowly tear holes through the barriers between the Abyss and the Prime Material Plane; they were used during the Calamity to allow demon generals to invade various places in Exandria.^[9]

A connection to the Abyss helps give Blightshore's Cauldron Sea its hostile character.^[10]

Era of Reclamation

Around 795 PD, a group of dungeoneers accidentally reactivated the gateway to the Abyss within the Betrayer's Rise beneath Bazzoxan. The gateway remained open through at least 836 PD, requiring a full-time containment effort by the Aurora Watch.^[11][12] In the Call of the Netherdeep adventure module, set in 836 PD, the Player Characters may be drawn through a 10'x20' portal to the Abyss, emerging into a vast whirlwind of poisonous gas accompanied by the screams of countless damned souls.^[13]

During the War of Ash and Light (835–836 PD), the Angel of Irons cult used crude versions of Abyssal anchors to cause demonic incursions in the Kryn Dynasty.^[14]

During his time in the ruins of Aeor after the apogee solstice of 843 PD, Ludinus Da'leth used the Gate spell to open a temporary portal to the Abyss so that Bells Hells could push the Grand Demon of Loathing Dominox through it. When they did, Teven Klask killed him within the Abyss and thus permanently destroyed him. Shortly afterwards, Ludinus ended the spell, as he realized Orym of the Air Ashari intended to push him through the portal too.^[15]

Creatures

Many beings reside within the Abyss, primarily demons. Presumably all types of demons can be found there, but the following creatures have been summoned directly from the Abyss, have been seen emerging through portals from the Abyss, or are explicitly mentioned as being denizens of the Abyss:

• Barlguras - Summoned by Fjord more than once.^[16][17][18]
• Chasmes^[19][18]
• Dybbuks^[20]
• Glabrezus^[21]
• Gloomstalkers^[18]
• Goristros^[22][23]
• Manes^[18]
• Quasits^[18]
• Shadow demons^[18]
• Shoosuvas^[24]
• Succubi and incubi^[25]
• Vrocks^[13]

Notable demons

Demon Lords

• Orcus: Demon Prince of the Undead^[26] and particular enemy of the Raven Queen.^[27]
• Yeenoghu: A demon lord of hunger and destruction chiefly worshiped by evil gnolls.^[28]
• Graz'zt: Demon Prince of Indulgence, Dark Prince of the Argent Palace, whom Obann once served as his Master of Wills.^[29] King Trist Drassig pledged himself to Graz'zt during the Scattered War, and Graz'zt sent a horde of demons to fight on Drassig's side during the Battle of the Umbra Hills.^[30]
• Baphomet: The Horned King, Demon Prince of Beasts, master of minotaurs and other demonic bestial creatures.^[31][32]

Grand Demons

• Dominox: Grand Demon of Loathing.^[33]

Other demons

• 

  Orthax: Shadow demon who made pacts of vengeance with Percival de Rolo and later Anna Ripley.^[34]
• Juurezel: A glabrezu (treachery demon) who infiltrated (and trapped the souls of) the family of Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei II and grew increasingly bold in his influence until Vox Machina rooted him out; he killed Pike Trickfoot before he was defeated.^[35]
• Yenk: A goristro from the Endless Maze who devoured the Spire of Conflux and its previous wielder, Joran the Sea-Speaker, around the early fifth century PD.^[36][37] Vox Machina used a Gate scroll to rip him from the Abyss in order to draw in and soften up Vorugal.^[38]

Points of interest

• The Endless Maze: The layer where Baphomet resides.^[39]
• Azzatar: The domain Graz'zt controls.^[30]
• Thanatos: The layer over which Orcus reigns.^[40]
• Demonweb: The domain of Lolth, the Spider Queen, is tethered to the Abyss.^[41] Also called the Dreadnest.^[42]

Trivia

• Beauregard Lionett and Yasha Nydoorin visited the Abyss at some point before 844 PD.^[43]

References

1. ↑ See "Causatum" (2x70) at 57:19.
2. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 19.
3. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 28.
4. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, pp. 13–15.
5. ↑ See CR Cooldown - C3 E103 (subscription required), where Matt states: "In the middle of all of this, the Chained Oblivion just kind of– which is its own entity that technically is considered part of the pantheon from a "We have to categorize these together," but is not part of whatever the gods are. It is just more of a cosmic horror entity that barreled in in the middle of all this, and everyone went like, "AHHH! Who are you!? No! No! No! No!" (transcript).
6. ↑ See "Voice of the Tempest" (1x90) at 2:01:40.
7. ↑ See "Beneath Bazzoxan" (2x66) at 2:14:44.
8. ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 67.
9. ↑ See "Duplicity" (2x55) at 4:16:53.
10. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 151.
11. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, pp. 134–135.
12. ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 5. More generally, see pp. 49, 52, and 62–75.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 72.
14. ↑ See "Duplicity" (2x55) at 4:16:53.
15. ↑ See "The Nox Engine" (3x98) from 3:07:12 through 3:34:09.
16. ↑ See "In Hot Water" (2x43) at 57:27.
17. ↑ See "Chases and Trees" (2x65) at 1:54:47.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5} This type of creature may emerge from the Abyssal portals in the Betrayers' Rise. See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 63.
19. ↑ See "Perspective" (2x59) at 1:18:45.  The Mighty Nein fought chasmes in the Braan.
20. ↑ The Mighty Nein don't recognize the jellyfish-like entity that has come through a tear caused by an Abyssal anchor, but Matthew Mercer confirmed its identity in a tweet on April 26, 2019.  See "A Turtle By Any Other Name" (2x60) at 12:31.
21. ↑ See "The Story of Vox Machina" (Sx06) at 16:59.
22. ↑ See "Vorugal" (1x71).
23. ↑ See "The Search For Grog" (Sx42) at 3:48:02.  Keyleth Shapechanges into a goristro.
24. ↑ The Mighty Nein fought three of these demons who had come through a tear caused by an Abyssal anchor.  See from 2x52 through 2:11:40.
25. ↑ See "Vox Machina Go to Hell" (1x91) at 0:31:57.
26. ↑ See "Glass and Bone" (1x08) at 0:55:41.
27. ↑ See "Into the Frostweald" (1x48) at 1:30:44.
28. ↑ See "The Howling Mines" (2x06) at 49:38.  Mollymauk recalls some details about Yeenoghu and the Abyss.
29. ↑ See "Between the Lines" (2x78) at 3:19:54.
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1} See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 64.
31. ↑ See "Causatum" (2x70) at 1:12:12.
32. ↑ See "Between the Lines" (2x78) at 2:46:56.
33. ↑ See "Ancient Sins" (3x97) at 3:11:07.
34. ↑ See "Talks Machina: Campaign Wrap-up" (Sx31) at 45:25.
35. ↑ See "The Story of Vox Machina" (Sx06) from 15:32 through 17:52.  The story of Uriel coming under demonic influence starts at 6:46, but the confrontation is described in those later minutes.
36. ↑ See "Duskmeadow" (1x57) at 3:06:25.
37. ↑ See "A Name Is Earned" (1x49) from 4:46:03 through 4:46:22.
38. ↑ See "Vorugal" (1x71) at 2:22:55.
39. ↑ See "A Name Is Earned" (1x49) at 4:45:43.
40. ↑ See "Voice of the Tempest" (1x90) at 1:26:11.
41. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 27.
42. ↑ See The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen #2.
43. ↑ See "Welcome, Campers!" (WWx01) at 0:47:05.

Art:

1. ↑ Fan art of the Abyss, by Cecil Krchman (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Fan art of the Umbra Gate in Bazzoxan, by Miloš Radojkić (source). Used with permission.
3. ↑ Official art of Juurezel, by Titmouse from The Legend of Vox Machina teaser trailer. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.