Citadel Svart
Location: Abyss / Layer 4—Grand Abyss
Citadel Svart is a unique Doomguard fortress in the Grand Abyss that studies the psionic aspects of entropy, namely the entropy of the mind. Svart is built among a mass of leaking, oozing shadows fused with entropic psionic ectoplasm.
The Sinker philosophy practiced in Citadel Svart focuses on the intersection of entropy and psionics. Chant goes they use a life-draining psionic helm, acquired from the Arcane, to sustain the fortress’s structure. These cutters follow a more esoteric and experimental branch of Doomguard ideology, exploring both how mental energies can be harnessed to accelerate decay, and how Abyssal energies can cause mental decline.
The relationship between the Doomguard at Citadel Svart and the tanar’ri is fraught. The Sinkers view the tanar’ri as tools to be used in their pursuit of entropy. Meanwhile, the tanar’ri tend to see the Doomguard mortals as potential pawns to use for their own horrible schemes. The result is something of a competition; a rivalry where each side tries to outdo the other in spreading entropy.
Visually, Citadel Svart is a stark contrast to the solid structures typical of the Grand Abyss. It appears as a crumbling fortress build atop an enormous skull. It’s usually surrounded by a dark, amorphous mass of writhing shadows and ectoplasm, which constantly shifts and reforms. At the core of the structure, the psionic helm acts as a focus point, pulsing with malevolent energies as it sustains the dark and twisted philosophical experiments the Sinkers call the Entropic Enlightenment. Chant goes this sinister project aims to accelerate the decay of consciousness itself, pushing the boundaries of entropy beyond mere physical matter.
The Doomguard high-up running the experiments in Citadel Svart is an enigmatic figure known as Vex the Unraveller (planar ambition incarnate [they/them] / Doomguard / CE). Once a brilliant mortal philosopher-mage, Vex’s obsession with entropy led them to sacrifice their physical form, transforming themselves into a being of pure thought and decay.
Vex now exists as a swirling vortex of entropic energy, occasionally coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape composed of crackling black lightning and swirling void-stuff. Their “voice” is a discordant chorus of whispers that seems to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Driven by a thirst for knowledge about the nature of chaotic reality, Vex sees the dissolution of consciousness as the key to unlocking the universe’s deepest secrets. After shedding their physical form, Vex became a being like an incarnate—one of those strange creatures that embody abstract principles. In their singleminded pursuit of entropy, Vex is apparently some kind of embodiment of boundless ambition.
Despite a fearsome reputation, Vex maintains a twisted sense of ethics. They genuinely believes the work of the Sinkers in Citadel Svart will ultimately benefit the multiverse by hastening its journey towards perfect entropy. This conviction makes them all the more dangerous, as they’re willing to go to extreme lengths in pursuit of these goals.
Doomguard experimental philosophers here have discovered that by harnessing the psionic ectoplasm that sustains their fortress, they can create a field of pure entropy that affects the mind. They’re learning ways to break down thought patterns, memories, and even the very essence of self, reducing sentient beings to their most primal, chaotic state.
To test their theory, they’ve constructed a chamber deep within Citadel Svart called The Void of Unbecoming. Here, they subject volunteers (although more commonly unwilling captives) to prolonged exposure to their entropic field. The results are so far horrifying:
Some subjects experience rapid mental deterioration, their personalities fragmenting into conflicting shards. Others enter a state of primordial awareness, stripped of all higher cognitive functions but hyper-attuned to the underlying chaos of the multiverse. A rare few emerge transformed, their minds reshaped into something alien and incomprehensible, possessing insights that even the Doomguard psychics find disturbing.
The Sinkers believe that by pushing consciousness to its breaking point, they can reveal fundamental truths about the nature of existence and accelerate the universe’s journey towards its ultimate end. They see themselves as midwives to oblivion, guiding reality towards its final, perfect state of dissolution. In this, they are aligned with the Morthbrood, that sinister witch-cult of Nastrond. Several prominent cutters in the Citadel are also cultists.
This experiment has not gone unnoticed. Rumours of the Doomguard’s work have reached other factions. The Fraternity of Order view it as an existential threat to all sentient life. The Heralds of Dust tacitly approve however, wondering whether the Doomguard may have accidentally discovered True Death. Meanwhile, the Abyssal lord Ardat has started to stick her beak (and noses) in, seeing potential applications for such weaponised entropy in the Blood War.
As the project progresses, the fabric of reality around Citadel Svart has started to fray, creating unpredictable ripples through this part of the Grand Abyss. The Doomguard press on, driven by their nihilistic philosophy, eager to discover the cosmic consequences their actions may unleash.
Sources:
- Dragon Magazine #233 p24, Fiendish Fortresses (background on tanar’ri citadels)
- Planescape Monstrous Compendium [2e] p58 (incarnates)
- Jon Winter-Holt
- Ripvanwormer