Cathrys

Carceri — Layer the Second

The Oozing Jungle, the Scarlet Jungle

Themes of the Layer: Cathrys embodies a twisted philosophy of denial and guilt. Its vibrant but poisonous flora masks its danger, reflecting how the mind numbs itself to avoid painful truths. The razor-sharp grass and acid-seeping trees symbolise the sting of guilt and the searing agony of betrayal. Cathrys forces its denizens to confront their inner turmoil, making every step a painful reminder of past wrongs and broken promises, ensnaring them in a cycle of torment where denial fails to hide the excruciating reality.

Oh so you Made it to Cathrys, Berk?

So you’ve made it past Othrys, and now you’re setting foot in Cathrys. Congratulations. You’ve gone from the frying pan into a vat of acid. Cathrys is also known as the Crimson Jungle, and it’s the second layer of Carceri. And that means it’s at least twice as bad as the first. Oh yes, it’s a vile, festering mess of fetid acid rainforest and scarlet plains that’ll make you long for the good old days of simple, soul-crushing swamps and deadly quicksand.

The Crimson Jungle

First off, the jungles here are a real treat. Imagine a toxic forest where every tree, plant, and vine has it in for you. Even the air is laced with acidic vapours, with clouds of scouring mist forming cloud cover in the treetops. The jungle air burns your lungs every moment you breathe it in, so unless you’ve got a knack for acid resistance, you’re in for a world of hurt. At least once your nose is red raw you won’t be able to smell the stench of rot and decay any more. Silver linings, eh? And don’t forget to protect your clothes and armour too. The plants aren’t just acidic; they’re also aggressive. You can slash them back, sure, but their sap can burn through flesh and bone. Their leaves can be razor-sharp. The vines can grasp and trip and the carnivorous pitcher plants, well, I’m sure you can imagine what they do.

As for the licals: You’ll find savage tribes of petitioners that have abandoned any semblance of civilisation. They’re cannibals, murderers, and thieves, always on the hunt for their next victim. These petitioners have betrayed everything cultured, and now they revel in their bestial existence, roaming the jungle in violent, raging bands.

The Razorgrass Plains

If you think the jungle’s bad, frankly the scarlet plains of razorgrass ain’t much better. The grass here is sharp enough to slice through skin, making travel a real pain—literally. Hustle or run, and you’ll find your legs slashed and sliced. It’s a blood-red sea of pain, but hey, at least the air here doesn’t melt your face off.

Despite the dangers, the plains are where you’ll find the other type of petitioners, the nomads. These bashers move constantly, setting up camp just long enough to strip the area of resources before moving on. In life these berks were the sort of people who’d destroy their environment for the slightest profit, and Cathrys is providing their just desserts. They’ve adapted to this hellhole, using protective layers of slime and filth to shield them from the acid and the razorgrass. These folks are surprisingly peaceful, as long as you don’t cross them. Trade caravans even pass through here, bringing a semblance of normality to this chaotic plane. Just don’t think too hard about the real cost of the goods on offer.

Notable Sites

Now Cathrys isn’t all doom and gloom, though it is mostly that. Actually, that’s a lie, it only gets worse from here. Talona’s realm, the Palace of Poison Tears, can be found in Cathrys, along with some of the most toxic substances known to the multiverse. You can also find the Steading, home of the hill giant deity Grolantor. This power of hunting reckons that anyone that comes near his realm is fair game. You’ve been warned. These places are beacons of malevolence in an already nasty layer. Avoid them unless you’ve got a death wish.

Life in Cathrys is a constant struggle. The layer is the final resting place of those who forsook reason and civilisation, believing they’d find freedom in savagery. In death, they found a harsh reality where survival is the only law. The jungles are alive with the hiss of acidic plants and the screams of the unwary. The plains, while more habitable, are no picnic either. The petitioners here are always on edge, ready to fight or flee at a moment’s notice. But in a place where the air itself can kill you, the plants want to melt you, no wonder the locals as savage as a pack of starving barghests.

Stay sharp, stay cautious, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll make it through without losing too much skin. But don’t count on it. Cathrys is a layer designed to strip away all pretence and show you the raw, unfiltered brutality of life without civilisation. Enjoy your stay. I’m certain you won’t.

Locations of Cathrys

Apothecary of Sin (site)
- Manual of the Planes [3e] p105-106
Feculence (realm of Kiputytto; abandoned)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p182
Fetaphon (independent burg)
- Planes of Conflict [2e] Player’s Guide p18-19
Palace of Poison Tears (realm of Talona)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p181
Poisonous Swamps, the (realm of Scorpion)‡
Revere the Visitor (independent burg)‡
Shadowed Stones, the (site)‡
Siege of Cathrys (battlefield)
- Hellbound [2e] Dark of the War p31
Steading, the (realm of Grolantor)
- Bloodthirst (realm town)
- Harn Bonebreaker’s Fort (realm town)
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p183; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p175; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p19-20
Tor of Abonsam (realm of Nevena)
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p184
Venomous Ravine (realm of Thaargat)‡

Prisoner-Powers of Cathrys

Grolantor (giantish power of hunting and battle)
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p186; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p175; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p10,19-21; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p56; Well of Worlds [2e] p60,64
Kiputytto (Finnish power of disease; dead)
- Guide to the Astral Plane p38; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p182
Scorpion, the (grippli power of anger and murder)‡
Talona (Faerûnian power of poison)
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p187; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p171,181-182; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p11; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p56
Thaargat (orcish power of danger, herbalism, poisons, jungle crafts)‡

Movers and Shakers of Cathrys

De Kniss, Jack (ruler of Fetaphon)
- Planes of Conflict [2e] Player’s Guide p18
Nevena (gehreleth Countess of Cathrys / [she/her])
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p184

Bestiary of Cathrys

See also the longer list for creatures of multiple layers of Carceri here

Abrian
- Aggressive flightless Lower Planar ostriches with short arms. They hunt in flocks and have basic intelligence. Planescape Monstrous Compendium 2 [2e] p8-9; Fiend Folio [3e] p12
Ahool†
- Giant ape-bat hybrids with fleshy wings and clawed paws who dwell in jungle ruins. Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p15
Bloodthorn
- Tough carnivorous plant with delicious smelling berries it uses to lure prey. Appears as brambles with three inch long hollow spikes. Planescape Monstrous Compendium 2 [2e] p16-17; Fiend Folio [3e] p23-24
Mngwa†
- Large jungle cats with dark stripes, black teeth and claws and a black mane. The mngwa are malevolent jungle spirits who appear at night to destroy those who wrong them. Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p173

Canonical Sources

Hellbound [2e] Dark of the War p60
Monster Manual III [3e] p124 (plague brush)
Manual of the Planes [3e] p104-106
Manual of the Planes [5e] p181
On Hallowed Ground [2e] p175,181
Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p6,12-14,19-20; Monstrous Supplement p26-27; Player’s Guide p18
Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p56
Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p24

Canonwatch: Entries are from D&D canon unless otherwise marked, although when the canon is sparse I’ve got creative with the details; † adapted from a 3rd party publication; ‡ homebrew. Etymologywatch: I think the name Cathrys possibly comes from the Greek κατήρης, which means curse or damnation.

More details to follow!

Other Sources:

Jon Winter-Holt