*INTERDICTED LAYER*
by Decree of the Fraternity of Order
Wormblood
Abyss — Layer the Fifth
Also known as: Wyrmblood
The Nature of Evil: Only the strong deserve to survive. Cull the weak by spreading plagues and illness, to slay the sick, the infirm and the frail. Weaken the strong so they have to fight to survive, until only the strongest of them will remain.
Ruler: Lordship over this layer was contested. Well; more like unwanted. The perilous nature of this layer deter most other creatures from even visiting it, much less setting up fortresses or strongholds.
The Chant: So, you’re wandering into Wormblood, huh? Strap in, ’cause I’m gonna give you the chant on why this place should be on your “avoid like the plague” list—and trust me, that ain’t just a figure of speech. You might as well be painting a target on your back for one of the nastiest diseases in the multiverse. It’s not just any disease, mind you—it’s wormblood. Catch it, and you might as well say goodbye to your normal, non-wormy blood. Picture this—your veins turn into wriggling nests of worms. Yeah, you heard that right.
It doesn’t happen immediately, oh no, that’d be far too easy. Between a day and six after catching it, a cutter starts to feel pain all over her body, an itching under the skin. This grows and worsens until after a further six weeks, with the worms feasting and festering under your skin until you’re wishing for a quick exit—and the poor sod can do nothing for the the pain and anguish. During this time the worms are growing from tiny parasites into fat leeches, blood-gorged and acidic to the touch. Once symptoms are discovered, nothing short of a wish can end the victim’s torment. Anything less and even though a victim might feel a bit better, they’ll still be dead within the year. And during the whole period, from first infection to death, it’s highly contagious; travellers from Wormblood are banned from Sigil by order of the Harmonium.
Don’t think the layer itself is any less dreadful; it’s like a fever dream turned nightmare. You’ll be wading through a forest of giant fungus and slogging through marshes of moulds and rots. The air’s so thick with decay, it feels like you’re swimming through it. Otyughs, meazels, and ghoulish undead—quite likely previous berks who had the same exploring bug as you—are your new neighbours here, so if you’re not up for a welcoming committee of disease and death, best stay clear. Oh, and let’s not forget that pleasant jaundice sky and the charming yellow earth. Even the most foolhardy demons steer clear of this place—it’s like the Abyss itself decided to cook up a realm that’s a torture chamber for those who dare to tread.
So, heed the touts’ advice, mate. Avoid Wormblood like the bubonic. Your blood—wormy or not—will thank you for it.
Powers of Note: The foul Abyssal Lord Kyuss is the most powerful blood on this terrible layer, a demon of disease and pestilence, who dwells in the Pit of Rot. Although since he’s imprisoned, he doesn’t do much of the day-to-day in Wormblood. Instead the Plaguebearers, a mad cult which worships him, enact his twisted wishes which they received in dreams. The leader of these addled beings is Verolax the Decayed, a witch from the prime who is more zombie than human these days.
Locations of Wormblood
- City of Caran [independent burg]‡
- Gruel Pits [district]
- Sludge Alleys [district]
- Wretched Ward [district]
- Festering Swamp, the [site]‡
- Black Tower, the [site]‡
- Fungus Eternal, the [site]‡
- Mhallon, the Iron Fortress [site]‡
- Pit of Rot, the [site and prison-realm of Kyuss]‡
- River Pyriphlegethon [planar pathway]‡
- River Styx [planar pathway]
Movers and Shakers of Wormblood
- Guaiaco [Muckborn leader of the Plaguebearer resistance]‡
- Kyuss, the Worm that Walks [Great Old One and de-facto ruler of the layer]
- The Plaguebearers [sect of Kyuss worshippers]‡
- Verolax the Decayed [sectol of the Plaguebearers]‡
Sources: Jon Winter-Holt. The layer is canonical but all the additional details are homebrewed—the Planes of Chaos [2e] Abyss poster map gives very little information on this layer. The layer is mentioned in the Fiendish Codex 1 [3e] but again no details.
