Pandemonium (Dungeons & Dragons)

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:"Alternate meanings: See Pandæmonium"

In the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Windswept Depths of Pandemonium is the Outer plane where Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Neutral petitioners are sent after death. Pandemonium is a large, complex cavern that never ends. Compounding this problem, howling winds drive most of its residents mad. There are few creatures that are native to this plane; those individuals who do live there usually have no choice in the matter. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard "Dungeons & Dragons" "(D&D)" cosmology, used in the "Planescape", "Greyhawk" and some editions of the "Forgotten Realms" campaign settings.

In the Planescape campaign setting, Pandemonium houses the headquarters for the Bleak Cabal faction.

Layers

Each of the four layers of Pandemonium is successively deeper within the caverns.

The gnoll deity Gorellik wanders throughout Pandemonium.

*Norebo's realm of "The Big Gamble" is in Pandemonium. [Dragon magazine #86, page 32]

Pandesmos

Pandesmos is the largest and (relatively) most hospitable of the layers. The headwaters for the Styx are found here.

Pandesmos is the location of a number of godly realms, including Loki and Auril's realm of "Winter's Delight", Talos' realm of "Towers of Ruin", and Ho Masubi's realm of "Uchi-bi".

Cocytus

Cocytus is also known as the "layer of lamentation", for this is where the winds are the strongest.

Cocytus is the location of a number of godly realms, including the god Erythnul's realm of the "Fields of Malice", the bugbear deity Hruggek's realm of "Hruggekolohk", Cyric's realm of the "Shattered Castle".

Phlegethon

Phelgethon is the location of a number of godly realms, including the Queen of Air and Darkness's realm of the "Unseelie Court", Zeboim's realm of "The Maelstrom", and the derro deity Diirinka's realm of "Hidden Betrayal".

Agathion

Agathion mainly contains holes, which double as portals to other planes. This layer is filled with hidden caches of forbidden knowledge and inhuman creatures. It is notable that Orcus's wand was hidden here when he was slain

Historical inspiration

The name "Pandemonium" comes from Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell in John Milton's "Paradise Lost". The name means "all-demons" in Greek.

The Styx, Cocytus, and Phlegethon are rivers from Hades in Greek mythology, and Cocytus is also the name of the lowest level of Hell in The Divine Comedy.

Fauna

* Howling dragon

References

*Larme, John. "Dangerous Games? Censorship and "Child Protection" [http://www.members.tripod.com/anthonylarme/gc/gamesthesis.pdf] (2000).