PDA

View Full Version : Looking for flavor descriptions/ encounters/ scenes for a trip to the abyss



Kol Korran
2015-08-09, 12:50 AM
Hi folks! Looking for some help in turning a special roleplay experience all the better. The party will venture into an abyssal realm in the next session. The realm is a strign of isles, with a tropical jungle feel about them, with a single huge metropolis with millions of demons and other extraterestial inhabiting it. The party will make soem time in the isles, and soem tiem in the city. It's worthy of note to mention that the realm is rueld by a demon lord of lust, darkness, secrecy and assassinations. She was the first succubus, that has risen to demon lrod status by assassinatign other demon lrods and absorbing their power (The many islesi n her realm are the remants of her former "targets") Her potfolio reflects in her realm.

The city itself is a major metropolis, the abyss greatest trade hub, which cater for all wants, desires, temptations and sins. Run by lots of powerful succubi.

What am I looking for? I'm looking for all kind of touches to enhance the experience of explorign this strange, evil themed, alien realm. I'm looking for either descriptiosn of sensations, sights, sounds, and such. Also for all kind of little scenes, or encoutners which adds to the feel. The main experiences I'd like to capture are:
- An alien world: The abyss is not the real world, it works differently. I'd love to make it feel as such. A place which feels.. abnormal, with some of the basic rules not functioning as expected, with strange experiences, sensations, and so on. Aiming at soem confusion, some wonder, some puzzlment, some weariness.
- Evil plane, run by demons: The players should feel out of place. This place is not run by their kind. They are the strangers here. This place belogns to THEM, and they are far from kind... With demons being the exemplifiers of chaos, evil, violence, danger, power struggles, temptations and so on, I'd love this to be very much felt, vey much evident.
- Themes of darkness, seduction, trickery, lust: As the themes of the demon lord who created this realm these should feel abundent. Some of the descritpions of the city include this (For example, you cannot really find an inn that is not a borthel as well), but I'd like... more. :smallsmile:
- Huge metropolis, where ANYTHING you want can be found, be it items, sensations, caterign to sins, depravations, desires, addictions, wants, infromation, and more. Thjis should feel something similar to the major trade hubs of our world, onyl with a fantasy feel, and a demonic run feel.

I have heard a lot of Planescape, and Sigil, and would try to look for some inspiration from there (even though I knwo there are many differences), but I'd love to hear what sort of ways you guys used to enahcne planar travel, especially abyssal travel. This is the first time we do this in our group. I'd like it to feel quite special, a new experience, a bit like travelign to a whole new place, a whoel new world.

Thanks in advance, Kol. :smallsmile:

NichG
2015-08-09, 02:30 AM
My first thought is, try to find some pieces of common sense that seem self-evident about the themes of this place as they'd operate in the normal world, and then twist them and make a 'new' common sense for this Abyssal realm. Just like how common sense 'seems' logical but often isn't actually based on logic, the beings of this realm don't feel that their alien common sense is illogical even when presented with arguments to that point by outsiders who don't share it.

Furthermore, since this is a place of torment and evil, those whose psychologies aren't aligned to it may be in for a lose-lose situation. Constant pain is great if you're hard-wired to treat it like pleasure, but not so much otherwise.

So for example, the realm has the themes of both lust and assassination. What if there is somewhat of a minor black widow aspect to everything - lust and sexual feelings in general have a tendency to form and form strongly within this realm, but the actual act of sex causes those feelings to randomly and without warning twist and turn into hatred and disgust. Which can end in assassination in some cases. However, every native to the plane knows this, and yet they still actively pursue it - it is completely natural to them. They even still have political marriages and alliances and things like that, despite the fact that doing things that way is basically guaranteeing future betrayal. Its not from logic, but rather from pride and a sense of power - an alliance that lasts through a millennium of mutual hatred is feared and respected, because the allies must invariably be completely repulsed by each other and want nothing more than to bring about each other's ultimate downfall and destruction - and yet they still manage to remain together despite that.

For Secrecy, it feels like gaining knowledge in the city should be painful, or at least unwise. Perhaps there are many horrible things going on, but all are hidden, and those who do not know about them are completely safe from them. The realm cloaks them in illusion, even protects people from the consequences of the horrific realities. But learning the secrets actually makes the illusions go away, makes the protections dissolve.

Also, with both darkness and secrecy, that suggests an element of shame to me. So perhaps culturally, the norm is for everyone's face to be hidden at all times. Masks, cowled cloaks, etc. However, whatever is hidden will gradually develop an increasing sense of shame associated with it. And this is expected: publically revealing something to dissipate that shame just results in others in society punishing and scorning the person for revealing it, for being weak. So it's lose/lose, unless you like shame or scorn.

Which is the trick - if you're a demon, you do. The demons themselves actually 'like' the feeling of revulsion and shame and hatred and scorn in some sense. Its not pleasure, because they really do have to be different things. But to them, its self-affirming. Its like how sometimes it feels good to be angry, because it feels productive or centering somehow even if its a negative emotion. To the demons, a really good dose of self-hatred gets them up in the morning and fills them with energy throughout the day. That tension, which might drive a mortal to suicide or self-destructive behavior, makes the demon want to live even more and fills them with intense purpose: "I hate what I am, and it's the world's fault, and making the world suffer from what it has made me into will feel really good."

Basically the idea is, create an environment and society which would be totally non-functional if it were occupied by normal, rational people. And then have it be the home of beings who actually are able to embrace the awful and draw strength from it. Not convert it into something else or experience positive things instead, but actually take everything terrible and destructive about those things and yet seek them even more.

Anyhow, if you do all that and go all out, its easy to go a bit overboard and make something very un-fun to interact with (after all, the Abyss is supposed to be a pretty horrible place). So I'd have some mechanism for dialing it back for the PCs - some protection they have, or some affordance they're given due to the business they're on, or even just some ability to actually locally turn things around and actually fight back against the awful (this is the same game where the PCs are proto-divinities, right?).

For imagery, I'd suggest architecture which looks very plain if directly illuminated, but in darkness things pick up mysterious or smoky characteristics. There's a book about Japanese aesthetics 'In Praise of Shadows' which talks about, for example, the beauty inherent in tarnish, how darkened alcoves such that you just barely cannot see detail can enhance things that would seem simple if fully illuminated (e.g. calligraphy, shown in an environment which is too dark to actually attempt to read, instead just suggests flowing shape). That sort of thing - artful use of negative space, enhancing things by hiding them, etc, I'd expect to be used at a very high level, especially when you approach the Succubus' dwelling.

It needn't just be light - any perceptual sense could be dulled to enhance the appreciation of a moment or impression, to make things more than they actually are. I could imagine alleyways in the city where sound is muffled, yet hosting a street musician whose song is just at the edge of awareness, present but impossible to make out. A restaurant where you are fed a numbing herb first to suppress some aspects of your sense of taste, and then fed simple food with a single artful 'trick' to be appreciated, impossible to detect if not for the fact that your senses of sweetness and saltiness have been suppressed. Merchants who you interact with through a paper screen that obscures all but their silhouette, buying items that you aren't able to fully see.

Elvenoutrider
2015-08-09, 09:41 AM
A few thoughts: the trees are made of suicide victims twisted into writhing pained positions while crows peck at their organs and eyes which continuously regrow. In death they are denied the bodies they gave up on life. Some of the newer souls may beg and grasp at the pcs. Inhabiting these forests are all manner of fiendish versions of material plane animals, parties of demons out to collect new souls or torment existing ones. The ocs could come across devil commandos. As they get closer to the city they trees form the shape that seem to wrap around eacjother but never touching - people who gave their bodies freely in life confined to an eternity of being inches from their lover but never being able to actually touch them again. You should have an encounter here with a creature focused on incapacitation and grappling while minion creatures attack the weakened players - play the theme of helplessness and being taken advantage of.

As for the demon city, this is a city of otherworldly pleasure where you can delve into your darkest desires, have a slave of any race to do what you want with. Drugs from all places in the universe are available, and pimp and drug lords rule the city. It is a constant struggle for dominance - exactly what the chaotic demons want. Keep in mind for the denizens of the lower planes hell is heaven. This is where they want to be. Pcs will need to establish their dominance to stay safe and avoid hurting anyone stronger. Weaker creatures will offer their services for safety, but the more weaker creatures they draw, the bigger targets they will become.

Those are my ideas for now. Hope they help

Anxe
2015-08-09, 11:08 AM
The Shivering Isles expansion from Elder Scrolls: Oblivion dealt with a jungle island realm of hell. That should give you some ideas. Dante's Inferno should also give you some.

Kol Korran
2015-08-11, 04:37 AM
My first thought is, try to find some pieces of common sense that seem self-evident about the themes of this place as they'd operate in the normal world, and then twist them and make a 'new' common sense for this Abyssal realm. Just like how common sense 'seems' logical but often isn't actually based on logic, the beings of this realm don't feel that their alien common sense is illogical even when presented with arguments to that point by outsiders who don't share it.

Furthermore, since this is a place of torment and evil, those whose psychologies aren't aligned to it may be in for a lose-lose situation. Constant pain is great if you're hard-wired to treat it like pleasure, but not so much otherwise.

So for example, the realm has the themes of both lust and assassination. What if there is somewhat of a minor black widow aspect to everything - lust and sexual feelings in general have a tendency to form and form strongly within this realm, but the actual act of sex causes those feelings to randomly and without warning twist and turn into hatred and disgust. Which can end in assassination in some cases....

Also, with both darkness and secrecy, that suggests an element of shame to me....

...Basically the idea is, create an environment and society which would be totally non-functional if it were occupied by normal, rational people. And then have it be the home of beings who actually are able to embrace the awful and draw strength from it. Not convert it into something else or experience positive things instead, but actually take everything terrible and destructive about those things and yet seek them even more.
You raise quite interesting ideas and an intriguing approach. It's a bit difficult for me to wrap my mind around it, I will need to think about it some more. This has interesting potential, I will need to explore it some more...


Anyhow, if you do all that and go all out, its easy to go a bit overboard and make something very un-fun to interact with (after all, the Abyss is supposed to be a pretty horrible place). So I'd have some mechanism for dialing it back for the PCs - some protection they have, or some affordance they're given due to the business they're on, or even just some ability to actually locally turn things around and actually fight back against the awful (this is the same game where the PCs are proto-divinities, right?). It is the same group. Again, i will need to think of this.


For imagery, I'd suggest architecture which looks very plain if directly illuminated, but in darkness things pick up mysterious or smoky characteristics. There's a book about Japanese aesthetics 'In Praise of Shadows' which talks about, for example, the beauty inherent in tarnish, how darkened alcoves such that you just barely cannot see detail can enhance things that would seem simple if fully illuminated (e.g. calligraphy, shown in an environment which is too dark to actually attempt to read, instead just suggests flowing shape). That sort of thing - artful use of negative space, enhancing things by hiding them, etc, I'd expect to be used at a very high level, especially when you approach the Succubus' dwelling.

It needn't just be light - any perceptual sense could be dulled to enhance the appreciation of a moment or impression, to make things more than they actually are. I could imagine alleyways in the city where sound is muffled, yet hosting a street musician whose song is just at the edge of awareness, present but impossible to make out. A restaurant where you are fed a numbing herb first to suppress some aspects of your sense of taste, and then fed simple food with a single artful 'trick' to be appreciated, impossible to detect if not for the fact that your senses of sweetness and saltiness have been suppressed. Merchants who you interact with through a paper screen that obscures all but their silhouette, buying items that you aren't able to fully see.
Again, you raise some interesting indeed. It may be quite hard to represent this continuously as a DM, and keep it surprising, but it's interesting. Maybe for some parts of the city, or some parts of thought. Hmmm...
---------------------------------------------------------------


A few thoughts: the trees are made of suicide victims twisted into writhing pained positions while crows peck at their organs and eyes which continuously regrow. In death they are denied the bodies they gave up on life. Some of the newer souls may beg and grasp at the pcs. Inhabiting these forests are all manner of fiendish versions of material plane animals, parties of demons out to collect new souls or torment existing ones. The ocs could come across devil commandos. As they get closer to the city they trees form the shape that seem to wrap around each other but never touching - people who gave their bodies freely in life confined to an eternity of being inches from their lover but never being able to actually touch them again. You should have an encounter here with a creature focused on incapacitation and grappling while minion creatures attack the weakened players - play the theme of helplessness and being taken advantage of.
This is intriguing. I liked the idea of trees made out of past souls, trying to reach each other, though for some reason I see this more fitting for public gardens in the city. Or perhaps their souls are embedded in the buildings themselves?


As for the demon city, this is a city of otherworldly pleasure where you can delve into your darkest desires, have a slave of any race to do what you want with. Drugs from all places in the universe are available, and pimp and drug lords rule the city. It is a constant struggle for dominance - exactly what the chaotic demons want. Keep in mind for the denizens of the lower planes hell is heaven. This is where they want to be. Pcs will need to establish their dominance to stay safe and avoid hurting anyone stronger. Weaker creatures will offer their services for safety, but the more weaker creatures they draw, the bigger targets they will become.

Those are my ideas for now. Hope they help
That is pretty much what I had in mind. I was hoping forsuggestiosn of specific charcters/ encounters/ scenes and such. :smallsmile:
--------------------------------------------------------------------


The Shivering Isles expansion from Elder Scrolls: Oblivion dealt with a jungle island realm of hell. That should give you some ideas. Dante's Inferno should also give you some. I'm not sure I'll have time to look into these two, but I will try.

TheCountAlucard
2015-08-11, 05:55 AM
Huh, I thought I'd already said something to you about all this in the past. :smallconfused:

Anyway, for the jungle, one "trickery" theme you could do is having features turn out to be something different than what they appear to be. That boulder is really a dormant monster. The pool/spring/fountain of clear water? Actually poison.

For some fun alien features of the demon city, perhaps take in a bit of the Lovecraft feel by having it use bizarre geometries - a tower is helical and spiral-shaped, far taller than you would have thought possible; when standing by it, the position of the sun overhead becomes distorted. You can't decide whether a door inside lays flat like a trap-door, or slantwise like an outside cellar-door. And so on.

goto124
2015-08-11, 06:34 AM
What sort of adventurer sees a pool of water and thinks it isn't poison? :smalltongue:

Kol Korran
2015-08-11, 07:03 AM
Huh, I thought I'd already said something to you about all this in the past. :smallconfused:
...
You have, in a way. Some months ago I had a thread about random encounters in the Worldwound, a blasted area affected by Abyssal energies. And I had a thread about encounters in the city, to which you responded, but others did not. I was trying a bit of a different approach here though... I'm using that as well, but that was mostly for desert like wilderness and a sort of a post apocalyptic landscape. Here my focus was mroe on the major city, and the jungle.

I will most likely use some abnormal sensorial input, possibly with some strange geometrics, though not to the extent of the Far Realms (I'd like to leave that till we visit there! :smallamused:) But the advice is good, and appreciated. I was lookign more for specific encounters, scenes and the like. Oh well...

Eldan
2015-08-11, 05:29 PM
Have you looked into the canon realms in D&D that resemble these? Specifically, I'm thinking of Shendilavri,

Shendilavri is ruled by Malcanthet, Queen of the Succubi, who sounds a bit similar to your demon lord. I don't know much about her Realm.

Azzagrat is Graz'zts realm and the largest demon city. Graz'zt's palace has 66 ivory towers, scattered over three layers, which are connected by the Salt River, which is filled with tears and the oven gates, which are blazing hot furnaces, through which travellers must crawl. Some are also just ovens with no portals, Graz'zt thinks it's funny.
Apart from the city, the three layers of Graz'zts realm also feature the Viper jungle, which is exactly what it sounds like: a jungle where the trees have living, striking vipers instead of branches. Graz'zt is a lover of simple elegance and art, almost always clad in simple white with little jewelry. His art is often incredibly perverse and twisted, featuring torture and sex. He also likes to impale traitors, then keep them healed so they never quite die.

Broken Reach is a trade city on the Plane of a Thousand Portals. It's ruled by Red Shroud, a succubus who is a daughter of Malcanthet and Pazuzu. She's famous as an information broker and her city is special in that direct violence is not allowed. Except from her enforcers, of course. Most of it is kept underground to make the city more secure (it is almost constantly under siege, this being the Abyss), but it also has the largest market in the Abyss.

I'm sure you can find some Wiki entries on all of them. Or ask Afro.

Oberon Kenobi
2015-08-11, 06:00 PM
Kill Six Billion Demons (http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/ksbd-2-25/) is absolutely dripping (http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/228/) with metropolitan abyssal flavor (http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/kill-six-billion-demons-chapter-4/). Pick pretty much any page in the archives, you'll probably find something to use. :smallcool:

Kol Korran
2015-08-12, 07:28 AM
Have you looked into the canon realms in D&D that resemble these? Specifically, I'm thinking of Shendilavri,

Shendilavri is ruled by Malcanthet, Queen of the Succubi, who sounds a bit similar to your demon lord. I don't know much about her Realm.

Azzagrat is Graz'zts realm and the largest demon city. Graz'zt's palace has 66 ivory towers, scattered over three layers, which are connected by the Salt River, which is filled with tears and the oven gates, which are blazing hot furnaces, through which travellers must crawl. Some are also just ovens with no portals, Graz'zt thinks it's funny.
Apart from the city, the three layers of Graz'zts realm also feature the Viper jungle, which is exactly what it sounds like: a jungle where the trees have living, striking vipers instead of branches. Graz'zt is a lover of simple elegance and art, almost always clad in simple white with little jewelry. His art is often incredibly perverse and twisted, featuring torture and sex. He also likes to impale traitors, then keep them healed so they never quite die.

Broken Reach is a trade city on the Plane of a Thousand Portals. It's ruled by Red Shroud, a succubus who is a daughter of Malcanthet and Pazuzu. She's famous as an information broker and her city is special in that direct violence is not allowed. Except from her enforcers, of course. Most of it is kept underground to make the city more secure (it is almost constantly under siege, this being the Abyss), but it also has the largest market in the Abyss.

I'm sure you can find some Wiki entries on all of them. Or ask Afro.
Currently at work, I will check upon this tomorrow.

Kill Six Billion Demons (http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/ksbd-2-25/) is absolutely dripping (http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/228/) with metropolitan abyssal flavor (http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/kill-six-billion-demons-chapter-4/). Pick pretty much any page in the archives, you'll probably find something to use. :smallcool:
This Looks...so brilliant! And awesome! I will have to check more of it when I get back home tomorrow. Thanks a lot!

Cluedrew
2015-08-12, 09:07 PM
Kill Six Billion Demons (http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/ksbd-2-25/)
I didn't even really like the story but that is one of the first things that came to mind. Another was:

"You see a really long time ago some big hero tried to take down the Duke, lost and the Duke had him nailed to the gate. In the servants nailed him to both sides and sealed the gates shut."
"They haven't taken him down?"
"They've tried... I don't know much about what happened but he is still there and we have to go around."