Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan) (32 page)

Higher Realms

Curriculum Vitae: College of Wizardry

University of the Council States

The World of Astlan, is but many of a large number of worlds that exist in transcendental spaces beyond the vision of mere mortals. 

These transcendent realms are the homes of beings of both great beneficence and terrible malevolence.  These realms include the Worlds of Men, the Deific Realms of the Gods, the Elemental Planes of Nature, the Astral Plane and lastly the dreaded Abyss.

Linking all of these realms of existence is the Astral Plane, it provides the bridge to all other transcendent worlds.  We mortals exist in the Worlds of Men, yet the Planes of Man are many, Astlan is simply one version of diverse set of "alternate realities."  Similarly the Deific Realms are composed of many worlds each ruled by a mighty pantheon of divine beings.  There are 5 Elemental Planes corresponding to each of the five elemental forces.  Lastly, there is but one Abyss, where all that is evil in both the higher and lower realms are consigned to eternal damnation and suffering.

Infinite Worlds that Might Have Been

The planes of man are the multiple planes of existence upon which mankind (mankind here includes elvenkind, dwarvenkind, and other sentient races) reside. In principle there are an infinite number of planes of man, but only those most recently divergent from our own are accessible. Thus only the plane of Astlan, and major alternate versions of Astlan are accessible. Rumors persists of methods of traveling to other planes with alternate physical laws, but the Astral Plane certainly does not link the Astlanian worlds to them. Incidentally, note that not all the divergent Astlanian worlds use the same name. We use the name of our own reality to describe all those planes of man where the same laws of magical science and nature apply. Thus only the planes of man where the same laws of nature and magic apply, are accessible via the Astral Plane. Certainly, no individuals from other planes of men have ever been seen, nor has anyone ever found a point of egress to one of these planes on the Astral Plane

Theories do abound that methods similar to the very direct Demonic Gateway spell could potentially be used to contact such worlds. However, no such spells currently exist.

Finally, there seems to be some sort of minimal quanta of difference necessary to access the true "alternate realities."  Theory suggests that one should be able to reach worlds in which a loved one did not die, etc.  However, to date, no one has been able to fine tune or adjust any spell tight enough to select out such worlds.  Currently only Astlanian
-like worlds separated by a certain minimal amount of change are accessible.  Typically these are worlds in which major events had very different outcomes. 

The reasons for this are not known, however theoreticians have hypothesized a set of Laws of Plausibility that require understanding of extremely advanced mathematics and wizardry to comprehend. 
Essentially, many of the alternate possibility worlds (i.e. did I have coffee or tea this morning) diverge only for short durations before collapsing back into the primary reality wave function.  Hence, some suggest, the reason you may not be able to remember what you had this morning for breakfast in 20 years is because that information has been lost in the collapse of the current probability wave.  In simpler, more philosophical terms, neither the past nor the future exist, only the present is real.

The Home of the Gods

The planes of the gods are relatively unknown and hard to classify scientifically. For detailed, if highly unsubstantiated, views on these different planes it is perhaps best, if not wisest, to hold converse with a cleric of a particular pantheon in whose plane one is interested.

They will certainly give you very good ideas about what their deity has told them about the plane and their 'afterlife,' but since most deities seem to have aversions to speaking to reliable witnesses (they only speak to prophets and fanatics. Of course, admittedly, speaking to a deity may very well make one a prophet or fanatic, but this is beside the point
.) Despite wizardly skepticism of various deities and religions, there is absolutely no doubt that such beings do exist. Their presence and power, as well as the effects achieved by their clerics cannot be denied. Too many instances of apparent divine interventions on scales beyond normal wizardry have occurred, to discount their existence.

The Elemental Planes

The elemental planes are five planes that consist of nothing but raw elemental forces. The five elemental planes are: Fire, Earth, Water, Air and Spirit. The plane of Spirit is also sometimes referred to as the plane of Anima, or even in some circles as the plane of the Element of Raw Man. This represents the fact that mankind as represented on the planes of men is the quintessential embodiment of spirit in flesh, the ideal union to which both spirit and matter aspire. In general, the elemental planes are of a harsh and inhospitable nature to both physical flesh and spirit. They are nothing but raw elemental forces and forms. It is from conflux of these 5 planes that the planes of men are formed.

Verigas, High Priest to the god Tiernon, in the city of Gizzor Del walked surreptitiously down the long corridor of his own temple.  It was late at night, and while no one would really stop to question the high priest, in the unlikely event he encountered anyone, he really didn't want to raise even the  possibility of questions about where he was going.  At last he stopped at the correct spot along the ornately carved wall of the corridor.  He scanned quickly to make sure no one else was in the corridor; there was no one.  The wall depicted various blessings of the god Tiernon being bestowed upon loyal followers.  Verigas placed his hands in two specific locations, mumbled a short phrase and pushed.  The indentations on which he pushed, receded into the wall.

There was a soft click, and a panel
separated itself from the wall.  The carvings were so finely wrought that no one would notice the outline of the panel when it was sealed.  Verigas pushed on the panel, revealing a small room with a ladder leading down through a hole in the floor.  Verigas, looked once again to make sure no one was present and stepped inside.  He quickly shut the panel behind him.  Down the ladder he climbed, down into a tunnel running below the temple. 

It was truly a shame, Verigas reflected, that he, the High Priest, had to skulk about in his own temple.  Unfortunately, while what he was doing was for the greater glory of Tiernon, if his superiors in the Supreme Temple of Tiernon were to find out, they'd have him excommunicated.  They were a little bit conservative.  It wasn't precisely that Tiernon had, himself, ever forbidden the summoning of demons, he'd simply advised against it, except in the most dire of situations.

It had been complete coincidence that Verigas had discovered the Book of Reskelion four years ago.  He'd been digging through old boxes in the temple library's storage room, when he'd found it sealed in a wooden box with guard spells on it.  Curious, he'd spent many hours to safely open the box, and found the only treatise on demonology ever written by a priest of Tiernon.  The book even had recipes for summoning demons!

He'd known that the church superiors had forbidden such spells, but how could he resist.  Think of the good that could be done by the right individual.  A priest of high moral fiber, in complete control of a minion of evil could make the foul creature do deeds to serve all mankind.    The
temptation had been too much.  After much searching and studying, he'd been able to decode the name of a lower demon, which had been carefully hidden in the text of the book.  He'd been scared to death the first time he'd summoned the demon, but he'd taken all the proper precautions and Tiernon had protected him. 

At first he'd had little use for the demon he'd bound, but eventually he found small things the demon could do to further the aims of the church.  Punishing the wicked for example.  The demon was also extremely useful to influence those who were intransigent to the desires of the local temple.  A little demonic visit, and they'd soon be banging on the temple door for help.  Naturally, the god Tiernon
always came through, after a small donation or favor was done, and the demonic plague would end. 

Verigas made his way down the
tunnel; eventually it left the grounds of the temple and went out underneath the city proper.  It ended soon in another ladder, this one led up into another small room.  After opening a secret door in this room and stepping through, Verigas was in a small chapel he'd built in what used to be a private residence in the city.  There were only two ways into the room, one the secret passageway he'd just taken and the second a door to a back ally that was completely barred from this side.  The only other door in the room led to a small living area.

Th
e chapel room was Verigas' demon summoning room.  Over the years he'd gathered all the necessary paraphernalia to conjure his particular demon, as well as the tools to summon others if he ever so chose.  With a little judicious prodding, Krysfalkenon, the demon he'd first summoned, had been able to acquire for him some other texts on demonology.  These later books, from wizards, were not quite so useful for spell casting as the first book, but their general information level was most useful.  Having read the books, he knew that these wizards were exactly what many had suspected, vast perpetrators of sin and evil.  Any group of people so well versed in the demonic arts couldn't be good.  For one thing, they didn't have the moral guidance of religion to help them, nor, Verigas was sure, the overall moral fiber that one such as he had to resist the call of evil.

Verigas went about the room, making sure everything was as he'd last left it.  He always kept the room prepared for summoning
; one never knew when one might need a demon in a hurry.  He lit the many candles in the room, pausing to say small prayers now and then as appropriate.  Soon the room was filled with warm, glowing light.  He then went to his wardrobe and began to don the proper vestments for the summoning.

It was nothing too fancy, simply the appropriate robes and a few specific talismans of power.  He then cleansed his hands in the
Basin of Purification, offering up a small prayer to Tiernon that his hands might be consecrated for Holy Action.  At this point, he walked over to the main pentacles and began lighting the braziers, being careful not to break any of the carefully etched lines on the floor.  Soon all was in readiness.  The main brazier was burning, and his small votive brazier was also going.

He began with a small ritual to exorcise any evil spirits within the room, and then brought up the Immaculate Holy Wards of  Lesser Demon Containment.  The pentacles seemed to glow with power.  It was time, Verigas thought.  He began to chant, slowly at first and then with more vigor.  Reaching out with his mind and soul, searching for the demon he was summoning.  "Krysfalkenon, it is I thy Master Verigas, I summon thee.  By the rites of high binding, thou art mine to summon.  I summon thee.  The angels of Tiernon witness my commands, I summon thee to this room.  Come by thy true name Krysfalkenon!  Come I conjure thee."  Vergias felt a
slight stirring in the flames; the demon had been a bit reluctant; he wouldn't tolerate that.  The demon should know who was master.

"By the Holy Azrael and Azaphael, I summon thee.  Come
st thee, o demon Krysfalkenon.  Thy Holy Master Verigas calls thee to do his bidding.  Answer demon!  The Lord Tiernon will not tolerate insubordination to his Blessed Priests.  Come demon! I conjure thee by thy true name.  Come demon, come now."  There! Verigas felt the demon.  It was about time, he'd have to teach this demon a lesson.  He stared into the primary brazier and continued.   "I sense thee, demon, getest thee into this chamber.  Come, come into this most Holy Place of Power!"

Verigas could feel the demon forming in the flames.  Strangely, Krysfalkenon seemed to be manifesting a bit more powerfully than usual.  Suddenly Verigas felt the demon backing off, as if it were changing its mind.  "Arrest
est thou demon.  Thou canst not depart!  I have summoned thee, thou must come!"  commanded Verigas.  He was tired of playing these games; why wasn't the demon behaving in its usual manner.

Suddenly, a tremendously deep bass voice, like thunder on a cloudless night, rang through the room.  "Don't worry, I am coming."  Verigas nearly swallowed his brain.  That was not, NOT the voice of Krysfalkenon.  Krysfalkenon had a high pitched whiny voice.  What had he done? 
Tiernon above! Below and all around.  Protect thy servant.
Verigas prayed suddenly. 

How could this have happened
?  He'd gotten the wrong demon!  Tiernon's  mercy.  He was doomed.  This thing, by voice alone, by actions as well, had to be something seriously more powerful than  Krysfalkenon.  He'd seen warnings of such dangers in the wizard's books, but never heeded them. Even though they said such an occurrence was extremely rare.  What could he do? 

Not knowing what else there was to do, he began reversing the spell.  Trying to send the demon back.  "Return demon, return from whence thou hast come! "  This wasn't going to work!  He began chanting in the Holy Tongue of Tiernon.  Saint Brian's Exorcism should get rid of anything reasonable.  The flame in the primary brazier didn't shrink like it should have, instead it began to grow.  Sweat began to drip down Verigas' forehead.  The center of the flame seemed to ripple, as if the space was being disturbed in some strange manner.  The exorcism wasn't working!

The only thing he had left was Exorcism True, it was supposed to work against any spirit or demon.  Unfortunately it wasn't a ritual he cast often.  In fact, never before.  It was in the Most Blessed Thirteenth Order of Holiness, more powerful than a Miracle even!  If he could get it right, it would exorcise anything but a Greater Demon or Arch Demon, and it might even work on them.  For the ritual, quite a bit of motion was necessary, Verigas was up dancing around in time with the chant.  He'd never prayed so hard in his life.  He glanced worriedly at his wards.  If only he'd cast more powerful ones.  He didn't know anything better than Esther's Holy Wards of Intermediate Demon Containment, but surely that would have been enough!  If nothing else, it would have at least been better.

Suddenly, a hole seemed to open in the middle of the flame.  A hole in the very reality of existence
!  Verigas  had never even heard of this happening before. 
Tiernon! Forgive me, I know not what I've done.  I'll never conjure another demon, just let this exorcism work!
   The hole ripped wider, suddenly Verigas could see what was on the other side.  It was HUGE!  Unreal, beyond his worst possible nightmares.  He'd seen demons summoned by others, including wizards.  He'd never seen anything this big and powerful.  It was easily twice as massive as any of the Higher Demons that were used in the most deadly and world shaking battles.  Only rough sketches in some of the wizard's books gave him any clue.  The thing had to be at least a Greater Demon!  He was dead! His soul was about to be consumed by the Forces of Evil for all his Sins and Trespasses. 

Oh!  He knew now the errors of his ways.  His foolishness!  He saw it all flash before his eyes, in what he knew were the last few moments of his life.  His soul would never go on to join Tiernon in Tierhallenon!  It would be fodder to a Greater Demon's lust.  Verigas screamed for his lost soul.  He screamed for the ignoble infamy of his loss.  He screamed a scream of infinite sorrow at the loss of his Immortal Soul and the Extinguishment of His Flame!  Through tear streaked eyes, from a face pointed towards the sky, Verigas saw the Demon step through the hole, into the room.  It was smiling a twisted grin of Supreme Evil, sure now of its Evil Victory over the Forces of Good.

Verigas fell to the floor, weeping bitter tears of defeat and sorrow.   His chanting ceased, he knew he could not succeed.  He was doomed!  Vaguely, in a state of near hysterical weeping, Verigas watched the demon step over the Wards of Containment without a pause.  Verigas thought he was at his endurance's limit, he thought he'd seen the worst possible fate, but what he saw next made him throw up from fear and lose his bowels simultaneously.  It wasn't just one demon!  A second one emerged behind the first.  Smaller, but incredibly bizarre.  It had four arms and four legs and was flying on humming bird wings.  Further, Verigas could see more beings through the hole preparing to  come through!  It wasn't just a Greater Demon!  It was an entire horde of demons!  Verigas had unleashed an Army of Darkness upon the unsuspecting city of Gizzor Del!

"Tiernon, Tiernon, for thy love of man! Have mercy on thy people!  Why must they pay for my sins!"  Verigas mumbled bitterly and incoherently.  The entire city would be destroyed, the souls of entire families would be consumed by demons!  All because of him!  Next through the hole, Verigas noted in his now
completely hysterical state, were two humans, a young man and a teenage girl.  Both were ragged and dirty.  Obviously they'd been held prisoner and tortured in the Abyss!   Now the demons were bringing them back.  But why? Verigas wondered.  And then he knew.  Once again, he sank to an even deeper level of despair.  Human sacrifices!  That was it.  They would sacrifice the humans to make a bigger gateway for all the demons from the Abyss to come through!  He'd heard of such things, he was sure.

Then, then the final confirmation. The confirmation Verigas couldn't bear.  Through the hole next came a young child.  A child.  Nightmare of nightmares!  Legends ran deep, but Verigas knew!  A Demon Prince could only be summoned by a virgin sacrifice.  However, it had never been done before,  no Demon Prince had ever entered Astlan before, it required too much power, too many sacrifices.   This was it.  Not only a Greater Demon, not only an Army of Demons, not only a Huge Army of the Damned, but an Army of Ultimate Evil led by a Demon Prince.  Truly it was time for the Last Battle, Ragnarok, the
Apocalypse,  Armegeddon, the End.  While Verigas' religion didn't endorse any such belief, he knew of many that did, and this was surely confirmation.  It was the End of All and it was all Verigas' fault.  He couldn’t handle anymore.  Verigas fell over and passed out.

As oblivion was claiming him, deliriously, he almost thought he heard the Greater Demon exclaim, "What the hell? What is it with you people and fainting?   Does everybody on the damn planet do it?"