The Clinging Forest
Location: Abyss / Layer 4—Grand Abyss / Middle Vorago
So the Clinging Forest? That’s a right nasty patch of the Grand Abyss, for sure. Picture a sprawling jungle of twisted trees, wicked thorns and choking vines, all gripping the sheer cliffside of that infinite chasm like a leech on a careless bog-snorkler. The place is alive in ways that’ll make your skin crawl. The trees have roots like talons, which dig right into the stone, and they’re able to creep—slowly shifting to better cling to the cliff, or to snatch prey. The vines are even worse. Some are sentient, some venomous, and all of them hungry. Nastiest of all are the carnivorous plants—noxious pitchers, sticky sunflies and spiny snapping jaw cacti that catch and digest falling petitioners to sustain themselves. Bioluminescent fungus casts a sickly green glow throughout the tangled undergrowth, giving the Clinging Forest a vile, wicked aura. The whole forest feeds off the suffering of the poor sods here, thriving where no plant life should. The chant goes that this grotesque parody of a forest grew from seeds of chaos scattered during the Grand Abyss’s creation. Its ecosystem is one of destruction and reformation, where only the most adaptable, predatory, and opportunistic species can thrive.
Dangers of the Clinging Forest
The air is thick with vicious, stinging insects and disease-riddled Abyssal mosquitos, which can grow to the size of dogs. Agile climbing snakes make their lairs in viper trees, making it difficult to distinguish animal from plant. Noxious herbs and poisonous plants are the norm here, although may are said to be useful as spell components.
The weather here is even barmier than the rest of the layer, if that’s possible. Clouds of heavy acidic mist cling to the forest, rolling down the cliff’s surface with a downdraft that makes flying difficult, blowing falling sods towards the treeline and the ever-patient plant maws, and providing good cover for lurking predators. Rarely, there are blood rain storms, which is truly horrific for planewalkers but loved by the thirsty plantlife. And sometimes it’s eerily still, but don’t be fooled—that’s when the forest itself gets restless and goes on the move.
This place is crawling with bestial tanar’ri and even a few qlippoth. You’ve got vine-covered dretches skulking about and vrock nests hidden among the branches. Bar-lgura, the leaping demons, also dwell in these parts, particularly those outcast from the Screaming Jungle (layer 88) and the Guttering Grove (layer 90). Gates to both of those layers are said to be located somewhere in the forest’s heights. Watch out for the bebiliths too; they love ambushing prey from above.
The darkest tales tell of the Qhorr’Zyrrath, one of the thulgant—a truly nightmarish qlippoth horror that hunts tanar’ri—a writhing masses of eyes and tendrils that blends right into the dark forest itself.Â
The Snapping Bridge
The Snapping Bridge is a sentient, carnivorous structure of interwoven vines, plants, and tendrils that spans the chasm of the Grand Abyss, luring planewalkers into its grasp. Its strategy to capture prey is cunning, for communally, the plants possess an eerie intelligence.
The Snapping Bridge attempts to lure victims by appearing stable and inviting, with lush greenery and vibrant flowers to masking its true nature. It emits sweet, intoxicating scents to attract travellers, producing a delicious nectar with a narcotic and hallucinogenic effect to dull the senses and lower inhibitions. The vines tend to form handrails and footholds as planewalkers approach, to give the illusion of safety. If it spots a planewalker who is at risk of falling, it will send out tendrils that mimic helpful ropes to “save” them. Of course, this are all traps.
How It Captures Prey
Once a traveller steps onto the bridge, it waits for them to reach its midpoint before activating its trap. The bridge’s engulfing vines rapidly coil around victims, immobilising them with sticky secretions. Traps open beneath victim’s feet, pulling them into digestion pools. These secretions also contain corrosive enzymes which rapidly eat through armour and tenderise victims for consumption.
The Snapping Bridge’s vines can whip out into the catch falling petitioners mid-air, pulling them up into its mass for consumption, ensuring no potential meal escapes. The cunning plants also seem to know the value of treasures, because the choicest of items are presented as tempting lures. The Snapping Bridge is a malevolent ecosystem through and through, only seeking to deceive and devour all who dare cross it.
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. Stats for the thulgant qlippoth [PF2e] can be found here. This location is a homebrew addition to Abyssal lore.
