Kearackinin
Abyss — Layer the Seventh
Phantoas, The Phantom Plane
Editor’s note: Kearackinin is a sealed layer of the Abyss, meaning planewalkers can’t just pop in and out on a jaunt. The chant on the layer is hard to acquire and unreliable. After a lot of digging I located and garnished an old, blind khaasta shaman and he allowed me to record several fireside stories being told to young khaasta. Bear in mind that this old codger is probably not the most unbiased storyteller, but in the case of Kearackinin chant, it’s a seller’s market. Treat this chant with skepticism…
Gather close, little hatchlings, and listen well. The mistsss rise thick tonight, and the swamp whispers sssecrets only the wise can hear. I am T’ssarra, the Wise One, shaman of the Old Ways, Keeper of the Tales of our people. Tonight, I shall tell you of Kearackinin—yesss, the Phantom Plane—the sacred and cursed realm where the god-king Sess’innek reigns eternal. But beware, for this is no tale for the faint of ssscale. This is the truth of our people, and it is as dark as the waters that cradle usss.
The Nature of Evil: Long ago hatchlings, before Sess’innek’s rise, we khaasta were but scattered tribes, bound to a weak creator who cared little for our ssstrength. Then came Sess’innek, the six-armed god-king, who showed us a new path—a path of power through sssubmission and sssubjugation. He taught that strength is not born from purity but from domination. To rule is to consume, to twist, to make all things bow before your will.
In his realm of Kearackinin, his truth is etched into every root and ripple. The ssswamp itself is alive with his will—it is a predator that devours the weak and hones the ssstrong. To walk this plane is to feel the hot breath of the swamp upon you, testing your worth. Those who falter are swallowed by the mire; those who endure are remade into something greater.
The Chant: Now hatchlings, Kearackinin is not like the cosy swamp half-world we live on here in Yggdrasil—it is a dark place where nightmares take root and grow like vinesss. The air hangs heavy with mist that clings to your scales, thick with the stench of sulfur and death. The mangroves are ancient and twisted, their bark slick with ichor that dripsss like blood. The stagnant water stretches endlessly, broken only by the ripples of unseen horrorsss lurking beneath.
The sky above gives no comfort. It churns with bile-black cloudsss that glow with unholy fire. Green lightning cracks across the heavens in jagged streaks, illuminating fleeting shapes in the swamp—monstrous formsss that vanish as quickly as they appear. Even the light here lies; reflections in the water show not what is but what might be, visions of terror or temptation meant to lure you astray.
The Dangers of Kearackinin: The swamp hungersss. It breathes and shifts like a living thing, its roots writhing beneath your feet to drag you into its depthsss. The waters are tainted with madness; drink from them, and your mind will twist until you no longer know yourself. And then there are the creaturesss—ah, yes hatchlings!—the poisoned children of Sess’innek who disobeyed his will.
Hydras with too many heads to count prowl these waters, dripping with death. Black dragons roost in the shallows, their eyes coloured with malice. But most fearsome of all are the Lizard Kingsss—our god-king’s chosen few among the ancestors. They are not like us anymore; they have been perfected. Their scales shine with Abyssal power, their claws rend steel as easily as flesh. Their strength protects the faithful of Sess’innek from the monsters. Submit to the Emperor Lizard and you will reap the benefits.
At the heart of Kearackinin stands Sess’innek’s Throne—a ziggurat so vast it scrapes the churning skiesss. Built from bone and scale and anger, it pulses with an aura that makes even the lizard kings tremble. It is said that those who climb its steps without permission are struck down by bolts of green fire.
Powers of Note: Sess’innek the Emperor Lizard (planar tanar’ri lord / demipower of domineering civilisation [he/him] / CE)
Surviving Kearackinin: Listen well now hatchlings! Should you find yourself lost in Kearackinin—and pray you do not—you must remember this: survival depends on the favour of Sess’innek. They say that he sees all who walk his realm; and he judges all who dare set foot upon his unholy ground.
Do not drink of the waters; they will rot you from within. Do not trust what you see; the swamp thrives on deception. Stay close to the civilised lands, the burgs, the glorious bastions of Sess’innek. And above all else, do not anger the Emperor Lizard or his chosen ones—they are his claws made flesh.
So now you know, little hatchlings. You know why we honour Sess’innek and why we fear him too. His realm is a dark reflection of what may become of us if we fail to heed these warnings. Tread carefully in this life… for all ill paths lead to Kearackinin.
Getting there: Editor’s note: T’ssarra does not mention the sealed nature of the layer here, this is explained in another myth he told the hatchlings on the following night. Planewalkers should note that all gates to the layer, from Pazunia, the Grand Abyss or elsewhere, have been sealed by Sess’innek. There are rumours of portals leading into the layer but these tend to be transient or shifting in nature. I like to imagine a battle of wills between the Emperor Lizard and the Lady of Pain. Actually scratch that, it’s best not to think about Her Serenity at all really. As you were.
Known Locations of Kearackinin
- Black Mirror Pools (site)‡
- Breeding Grounds, the (site)‡
- Emerald Crucible (site)‡
- Gates Hermetic, the (gates)‡
- Glimmering Spires, the (site)‡
- Marshlight Citadel (site)‡
- Obsidian Cradle (site)‡
- Phantom Glades (site)‡
- Sess’innek’s Throne (realm of Sess’innek)‡
- Viscous Labyrinth (site)‡
- Wailing Marshes (site)‡
Khaasta Myths of the Phantom Plane
- A Brief History of Kearackinin‡
- The Gates Hermetic: The Story of a Sealed Layer‡
- The ‘Discovery’ of Kearackinin‡
Movers and Shakers
- Sess’innek the Emperor Lizard
Canonical References
- Fiendish Codex 1 [3e] p156 (brief mention)
- Monster Mythology [2e] p102 (entry on Sess’Innek)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p49,177 (brief mentions)
- Planes of Chaos Abyss Poster [2e] (brief layer description); Book of Chaos p20,87 (brief mentions)
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. Only the vaguest of information is available in the canon—the sealed nature of the layer, the presence of Sess’innek and his likely motivations, and the ‘discovery’ of the layer by Mordenkainen. All the rest is speculation and homebrew…
