Colothys

Carceri — Layer the Fourth

The Chain of Betrayal, Spires of Treachery, Climber’s Doom

Themes of the Layer: Treachery, deceit, and a relentless struggle against the harsh, jagged landscape. Truth is scarce, and every interaction is a game of manipulation. Survival and escape from this prison layer come not through brute strength but through cunning, deception, and the ability to outwit both the environment and one’s peers. Reality is as treacherous as the cliffs, and only those who can navigate both stand a chance of finding their way out.

The Lay of the Land

Ah, Colothys! The fourth layer of Carceri, known fondly as “Climber’s Doom” and less fondly as “the Spires of Treachery.” If you’re one of those barmy sods who thinks scaling sheer cliffs sounds like a lark, then have I got the holiday spot for you! Here you’ll find endless jagged, blood-red mountains stabbing the sky, peaks so high they practically scrape the stars (or they would if Carceri had anything so nice as stars). And the valleys? Those are deep enough to swallow your hopes, dreams, and quite likely, your corpse.

Now cutter, I ain’t one to sugarcoat things, so let’s get straight to it—Colothys is a hellscape, plain and simple. The mountains here aren’t your typical Prime fare; they’re vertical death traps, with surfaces so smooth you’d swear they were polished by some malevolent hand. Finding a flat bit of ground to rest your weary bones? Forget it. If you’re lucky, you might find a ledge wide enough for half a foot. But don’t get too comfortable—rockslides are a favourite pastime of the locals, and by locals, I mean the malevolent mountains themselves. They’ve got a nasty habit of crumbling at the worst possible moment, taking you and anything unlucky enough to be in your path straight to the abyss below. I’m not saying the spires of Colothys are sentient, but they’re certainly aware enough of climbers to be unkind to them. I wasn’t joking when I called this place the Spires of Treachery, you know.

Prisoners of Colothys

Speaking of locals, let me rattle my bone-box about the sods who call this miserable place home. Of course, you’ve got your standard fare of petitioners, the poor souls who betrayed their way into this layer of the afterlife. They’re a crafty lot, as you’d expect, with legs like tree trunks and hooves sharp enough to cling to those near-vertical cliffs. Then there are the doppelgangers. Chant goes these tricksy creatures are native to Colothys. I’m telling the truth when I say the doppelgangers are literally immune to the truth; they simply have no understanding of the concept. These shapeshifters are the reason no one believes a word spoken in this place, and trust me, you shouldn’t either. Conversations here are less about sharing information and more about a sport—who can twist the truth just right to get what they want while giving nothing away.

Key Features of the Layer

If you’re wandering through Colothys, you’ll likely come across some of the doppelganger villages. Picture a collection of hovels clinging to the mountainside like limpets, connected by bridges of razorvine—yes, that same razorvine in the Cage that’ll cut you to ribbons if you’re not careful. These villages are precarious at best, built to be torn down and relocated at a moment’s notice when the inevitable rockslides come barreling through. And if you’re thinking of staying the night, I’d reconsider; the lodgings might be free, but the price you pay in treachery and lies isn’t worth the bedbugs. You can thank me later.

Now, not everything in Colothys is rock and ruin. The layer has its share of dark wonders, like Crius’ Temple, a grim edifice dedicated to the eponymous Titan. If you’re keen on worshipping at the feet of a dethroned deity, it’s the place to be. But tread carefully—devotion here is as steep as the cliffs, and the Titans don’t take kindly to insincere prayers. Then there’s Ellaniath, the hidden realm of Vhaeraun, the drow god of thieves. It sounds like a dark haven for those who favour walking in shadows, but getting there? That’s another matter entirely. The location of this realm is not known. The chant goes that Vhaeraun steals the knowledge of its location from anyone who leaves the place.

And finally, let’s not forget the Land of the Hunt, where Malar, the Faerûnian power of the savage hunt, rules. The only thing scarier than the cliffs here are the beasts that roam them, guided by Malar’s cruel will.

Dangers of Colothys

Now let’s be honest, you didn’t come to Colothys for the sightseeing. You came for the challenge, didn’t you? To prove you can conquer the unconquerable. Well, here’s the rub: Colothys ain’t just a test of your physical strength; it’s a test of your wit, your will, and your capacity for deception. The longer a body stays, the more the place seeps into you, twisting your words until you’re not sure if you’re lying to others or to yourself. Some say it’s the layer’s magic, others reckon it’s the influence of the doppelgangers. Either way, after a week or two, you’ll find it hard to speak plain truth, even if you wanted to. You’ll be a master of deception, sure, but try persuading anyone of anything truthful, and you’ll trip over your own tongue.

Now, there’s talk of a few hardy souls who’ve made names for themselves here—mountaineers from across the planes who come to scale the peaks of Colothys just to say they did. Most of them end up as stains at the bottom of a canyon, but a few, the really barmy ones, manage to reach the summits. What they find there? Usually nothing but a view of more mountains, more chasms, and the unsettling realization that there’s nowhere to go but down. But that’s Colothys all over—always one step ahead, always ready to pull the rug (or the rock) out from under you.

So, you still think you want to visit Colothys? Pack light, trust no one, and keep your wits about you. And whatever you do, don’t look down. The mountains have a way of making sure you’ll regret that. Oh, and one last thing—when you’re scrambling up those cliffs and the ground starts to tremble, remember this: it’s not just the rocks that want to see you fall. Everything here, from the terrain to the people, is waiting for you to slip up. Good luck, berk. You’re going to need it.

Locations of Colothys

Crius’ Temple (realm of Crius)
- Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p21; Well of Worlds [2e] p58,65-69
Ellaniath (realm of Vhaeraun; location unknown)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p100-101
Gallowshome (independent burg)
- Planes of Conflict [2e] Player’s Guide p19
Gaola (independent burg)
- Well of Worlds [2e] p60,65
Garden of Malice (site)
- Manual of the Planes [3e] p106
Hidden Gate, The (gate)
- Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p39
Land of the Hunt (realm of Malar)
- Stalking Grounds (site)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p181; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p21-22; Player’s Guide p18; Something Wild [2e] p4,8,15,27,31-35,38
Paths of Fear (realm of Stribog)‡
Right to Silence (realm)‡
Steading, the (realm)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p175; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p19-20
Straifling (independent burg)
- Well of Worlds [2e] p58,60,64-65,71
Vault, the (site)
- Manual of the Planes [3e] p183; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p22-23; Adventures in Conflict p18,21-23; Something Wild [2e] p4,20,25,31-32,35,38

Prisoner-Powers of Colothys

Crius (Titan of sinister ambition)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p123,128; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p18,21; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p56; Well of Worlds [2e] p58,60,65-69,71
Malar (Faerûnian power of hunters, beasts, monsters and blood)
- Dragon Magazine #350 p55; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p26,99,171,181; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p10-11,21-22; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p56; Something Wild [2e] p3-4,8,10,17-18,23-24,26-40,48-49,51,55,59-60; Planewalker’;s Handbook [2e] p20
Stribog (Slavic power of the wind)‡
Vhaerun (Dark Seldarine power of thieves, territory and males)
- Dragon Magazine #359 p66; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p94,100-101,173; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p11

Movers and Shakers

Deliverers (cult of Malar)
- Something Wild [2e] p4-5,8,14,16,21,24,26,28-31,33-35,40,43,47,49-51,54,60
Garond the Claw (planar tiefling wizard [he/him] leader of the Deliverers / CE)
- Something Wild [2e] p2-4,8-9,17,24-31,38-40,43,45,48-51,54,58,63
Krell (planar arcanoloth yugoloth [she/her] / NE)
- Well of Worlds [2e] p62,71
Thaman, Warden Staccato (planar tiefling fighter [he/him] / Mercykillers / LE); runs the Vault
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p183; Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p22; Adventures in Conflict 18,22
Verxor (gehreleth Sovereign of Colothys [he/him], wandering)
- Manual of the Planes [5e] p184

Creatures of Colothys

Odopi (twisted abomination with hundreds of arms, each with a hand with an eyeball in the palm)
- Dragon Magazine #330 p24; Monster Manual III [3e] p114-115

Canonical Sources

Monster Manual [3e] p114
Manual of the Planes [3e] p105-106
On Hallowed Ground [2e] p1100,173,181
Planes of Conflict [2e] Liber Malevolentiae p6,10-12,14,21-23; Adventures in Conflict p18,21-23; Player’s Guide p18-19
Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p56
Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p39
Something Wild [2e] 2,4,25-39
Well of Worlds [2e] 56-71

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.

More details to follow!

Other Sources:

Jon Winter-Holt
Atlas of the Planes: Colothys