Search for Pandemonium Fortress part 1, Into The Abyss (solo)

[Rahegalhoff]

A bright clear day in the Comb Mountains, at the far eastern edge of the island of Corone, the territory of Akashima. A man in leather armor stood atop a flat mountain. A shield was strapped to his back, and upon this were spikes embedded into its front. At his side was a Longsword. His hair and eyes were brown, and he stood atop the mountain with a feeling of trepidation, as he fingered the black and gold amulet hanging about his neck.

Before him stood a massive hole in the mountain top, as though it had once been blown open by an eruption. The man had to go down that hole, for that was no ordinary hole in a mountain that was an Extra-planar gateway to a place called The Abyss.

Within The Abyss lies a place called Pandemonium Fortress, within it lays the legendary substance known as Pandemonium. You must get as much as you can and bring it back. None have accomplished this feat and lived to tell the tale.

It was that last line that bothered him the most. It wasn’t that his life was particularly valuable, but did he want to throw it away like this? Yet he had no option, he couldn’t admit to the world that he was too cowardly to enter The Abyss, to even so much as take a few steps into it.

So, his heart pounding like a trapped beast, he inched forward toward the hole, and sat at the edge, his feet dangling over the side. He sat there, trying to work up the necessary courage to go further.

Small events can have a big impact. Far away, an errant gust of wind caused a giant to hurl a boulder harder than he intended. He only wanted to knock the annoying Roc out of the sky, not send a boulder sailing from his mountain and into another.

The Boulder flew, right into the side of the mountain Rahegalhoff was on, sending him forward, and into The Abyss. Rahegalhoff screamed bloody murder and swore vengeance upon the giant as he fell.

The light vanished, but then the walls began to glow a rainbow of colors, swirling and turning around him. It was obviously magic of some sort, but what kind, he didn’t know, until he impacted a wall, rolled off the side of a cliff and fell some more until he hit another cliff.

The light vanished after he stopped. He knew he should’ve died, at the speeds he was going, but he sustained no damage of any kind.
“Huh, must’ve been specially designed to help people enter the abyss.” He said as he stood up and dusted himself off. Little did he know that one did not simply walk into The Abyss, one either fell in, or was tossed in. No one entered of their own volition, no one.

[Rahegalhoff]

Rahegalhoff looked around him, wondering in what direction he should start looking.
A wind toyed with his hair, neither cool, nor warm. It was slow, and weak, as though it did not have much power. Though Rahegalhoff doubted he could properly identify the stone that made up the abyss, it was grey and had a soft luminescence to it. While one stone in and of itself couldn’t possibly illuminate the entire abyss, the entire abyss held the same level of luminescence the stone did. This resulted in a sort of twilight, casting everything in long shadows.

He heard the movement of things, perhaps they were far off echoes, and maybe they were close by. Rahegalhoff wasn’t sure, but it sounded like a massive swarm of insects. Clicking noises and wet mushy noises reached his ears. Whatever it, or they were, was feeding.

Looking down at his feet, he noticed he stood upon a ledge, from which ran a great stone bridge, to the far side of the gorge. To his left, and to his right, were other cliffs, and similar bridges, some going to caves, some going to blank walls, and others still, going nowhere.

Being in The Abyss was like being in a strange valley. Walls sloped upwards around him, disappearing into unfathomable distances. Looking down, one got the same feeling. It was almost sickening to look either direction, for there was no indicator how far the top was, or how far the bottom was, if there was such a thing as a bottom or a top to this place.

The wind shifted slightly, bringing to his ears soft ghostly whispers, yet his ears couldn’t discern what they said. The place brought a shiver to his spine, as he realized it was not going to be a pleasant task to find Pandemonium Fortress. Still, he couldn’t turn back.

“None have lived.” He told himself with a sigh.

Looking at the opposite end, he saw a cave mouth. He hoped it wasn’t the entrance to some fell thing’s lair. He supposed it wasn’t, after all, why send him here only to fail? He slowly crossed the bridge, but he didn’t want to. If he was to be entirely honest with himself, he’d much rather be in a nice safe tavern making idle boasts about how he’d willingly descend The Abyss alone to prove his courage.

No, he didn’t want to be here, legendary material or not, for this place scared him a little.

[Rahegalhoff]

Rahegalhoff walked across the bridge like a condemned man. He didn’t want to go forward; he couldn’t go back and admit to being a coward. He had utterly no choice in the matter, forward into the grim darkness of the deep abyss.

Help me. Save us. Redemption.

Ghostly cries wafted to his ears from some far off place, and the words made him shudder. He hoped to never return to this place. He watched a small roach with tentacles and more eyes than anything could ever need crawl past him. With a shudder he moved on, vowing to take no longer than necessary.

He stopped at the entrance to the cave before him, and looked back the way he had come. Looking up he saw a great light shining through a cave.

Must be where I fell in.

Rahegalhoff sighed, and turned to enter the cave, only to see someone in it, looking back at him with imploring eyes. They were trapped, some how stuck inside the wall, as though it had been made as soft as water at which point someone or something stuffed them in there and then made it solid rock again.

Rahegalhoff hurried over to the man, but realized the man had long since died sometime back. He backed away in fear, and spotted an entrance to a new part of the abyss. He hurried through it, simply wanting to be away from the dead man entombed in the wall.

This new part was much the same as the last part, with cliffs every which way. Yet here though, Rahegalhoff could actually see the inhabitants of the abyss. More roaches of the same type he saw earlier crawled about. He knew if he tried later he would be unable to accurately describe the things before him. One looked like a cross between a bat, a rooster, and a gopher. Yet it had scales like a dragon. It went drifting by on silent wings following its prey to its untimely doom. The thing’s prey looked like a cross between a Bass of the small mouth variety and a Chihuahua and was running down a slope.

The pair disappeared into the darkness as Rahegalhoff steeled his nerves to cross the gap on a narrow stone bridge once more. He got about halfway across when he heard something cry in the distance.

“Poor fishdog.” Rahegalhoff said, bowing his head for a moment of silence in the thing’s memory.

He heard a crumble behind him. The arch, unused to supporting weight, began to crack and crumble.

Rahegalhoff looked behind him and cursed, breaking into a run across the gap, not even pausing to think of the possibility of falling off. The entire bridge crumbled, falling into the abyss. Rahegalhoff eased over to the edge and peered down. He couldn’t see if it would ever hit bottom. He imagined it would eventually stop on a ledge somewhere. He heard a small boom from somewhere below, followed by an awful screeching unlike any he had heard before. He backed away, feeling a thrill of danger creeping up from the abyss. He darted down the path the fishdog had followed earlier, and turned at a cave entrance, hiding inside, deep at the back of the cave where it was dark from the outside.

A small platoon of demons flew up from the abyss. Rahegalhoff had heard of demons that inhabited the abyss, but never believed the stories. Everyone knew demons came from Haidia, and were currently in Haide. But then, where did those demons come from?

A big ugly green fellow with Damascus armor paused to inspect the blood spatter. He sniffed the air, and held his nose, flying on to rejoin his comrades. Rahegalhoff breathed a silent sigh of relief, as he slid down to sit down on the ground.

[Rahegalhoff]

In retrospect, Rahegalhoff decided he should’ve found a better place to hide. Fishdog’s blood smelled awful. He realized that was why the demon held its nose and flew off without discovering him. He had been hiding in there for quite some time, and things had become quiet. Now was a good time to move on and leave the stench behind him.

Venturing to the mouth of the cave, Rahegalhoff turned his head sideways to stare in wonder, for something red, and very similar to blood was crawling down the walls.

A common ordinary bat hung on the walls, seemingly out of place in this hell. It was asleep and unaware of the blood creeping towards it, until the blood flowed over it. The bat squeaked in terror and tried to fly away, but the blood pulled it back, and the bat sank beneath the blood, never to be seen again.

Rahegalhoff got a chill down his spine as he realized he just watched blood eat a live creature. The blood gathered into a single point, and formed an eye. It was an odd eye, for its pupil was shaped like an X. It looked around the area, and spotted Rahegalhoff. The eye turned into a mouth which let loose a gurgling roar as it began to come after Rahegalhoff.

Rahegalhoff turned and ran down the abyss, shrieking in terror all the way. The blood continued its pursuit, and spread out as Rahegalhoff raced past a variety of creatures, and these too were devoured by the blood, despite every attempt to get away.

One was faster than the fleeing knight, a little blue demon. It gestured at Rahegalhoff, and then leapt across a great gorge separating the two sides. A great wind was blowing up from the bottom of the abyss as Rahegalhoff mindlessly followed, and it was this that was blowing with enough force to allow Rahegalhoff to leap the great distance. He rolled with the landing, looked back, and saw the blood following. The pair turned and continued fleeing.

Down through a cave and across another bridge they ran, and ran right into the same platoon of demons from earlier. The little blue demon stopped, seemingly confident, and they grabbed Rahegalhoff. The leader of the group, a large yellow fellow wearing bright shiny armor glared at the blood, then inhaled deeply, and breathed a gout of flame at the blood.

The blood stopped in its tracks and reversed flow, afraid of the fire, and it seeped into some cracks in the all and disappeared. The demon turned and faced the small blue demon, and Rahegalhoff, who was still struggling to get away.

The larger screeched at the smaller, who whimpered in return. Then it turned and screeched at Rahegalhoff. When Rahegalhoff looked at the demon in confusion, something heavy hit him in the back of the skull and knocked him out.

[Rahegalhoff]

Rahegalhoff woke up in a prison cell. His sword, shield, pendant, and leather armor were all gone. He was given only a grey robe to wear, dusty from long periods of disuse. Throwing this on, he stood and grabbed the bars of his cell and rattled them. They rattled quite loudly.

“WHY AM I IN HERE?” Rahegalhoff demanded, yelling loudly.

The little blue demon wandered in and looked at Rahegalhoff in curiosity, and in turn, Rahegalhoff looked the little blue demon over. With a start, he realized it was only a little boy, not yet a fully grown demon. He was either in the platoon training for his future career, or his father was in that platoon. Either way, it explained why he ran right straight back to them and stopped in their company.

“Thank……You.” The little demon said in broken common, pausing and struggling to come up with the right words.

A screech made him flee, and the big yellow demon came in, now removed of his armor. He had a nice white shirt on, with some black breeches.

“I’m far more fluent, so let me say it for him. Thank you. If you had not been shrieking in a cowardly manner as you fled The Hunger, he most surly would’ve been eaten.” The big yellow demon said his common surprisingly smooth, like that of a nobleman.

“Your welcome, I think. Now tell me why I’m in this cell.” Rahegalhoff demanded.
“Well, that all depends on your answer to this question, what are you doing here in The Abyss?” The yellow demon asked.
“I’m looking for Pandemonium’s Fortress.” Rahegalhoff said.
The demon paled and took a few steps back.
“I’m assuming you know of it?” Rahegalhoff asked.
The demon cleared his throat and straightened.
“To answer your earlier question, you’re in there for your own good. For your second, yes, I do.” The demon said, then turned around and left.

Every attempt to get someone’s attention to let him out was met with utter failure. He couldn’t burrow out, the walls were solid rock, he was in the back of a cave somewhere.

Dejected, he sat on the bed in his cell to think. Eventually, after about an hour had passed, he ended up praying.
“Kajeenith, Dark Lord of The Void, Please, help me out of this situation.” Rahegalhoff prayed.

Just be glad you’re not drifting in the void again.

The words crossed his mind, an errant stray thought out of place with the rest. It took him a moment to realize it was an answer to his prayer.

Right at that moment, the door to the outer area opened again, and the big yellow demon returned with his things.
“It seems The Lord of The Abyss knows of your journey here and supports it. So I’m to let you go with all your supplies.” The big yellow demon called. The little blue demon from earlier ran in carrying all of Rahegalhoff’s things and set them on the floor inside the cell, then left. The Yellow demon followed him out.

Rahegalhoff quickly redressed and put everything back where it belonged, then walked out the door. He found himself in a large cavern, a military base of some sort. The Yellow demon was waiting for him.

“I tell you this only once. Pandemonium’s fortress is cursed. A strange black metal lurks there causing those who seek it to go mad. They rave about an unending hunger that cannot be satisfied, but it is not food they seek, it is battle! They lash out around them, slaying anything that moves, looking for bigger and better challenges.” The yellow demon said.

“And yet, that is the very substance I seek; the rare metal known as Pandemonium. I intend to get enough for a complete suit of armor, a shield, and a sword.” Rahegalhoff said.

The demon backed away a few steps, unwilling to be so near someone like Rahegalhoff.

“All roads lead to Abys Symal, just keep going down. From there you can find direction to Pandemonium’s Fortress.” The demon said as he walked away.

[Rahegalhoff]

Rahegalhoff walked with a troubled mind. Questions pervaded his every thought.

What is The Hunger? How did something like that come to be? Does it eat everything in its path or are there things besides fire it avoids? Are there other outposts along the way I can look for on the road to Abys Symal? Who is the Lord of The Abyss? How does he know of my quest here?

With a deep sigh, Rahegalhoff stopped at a cliff edge, and peered down in the inky blackness. A great pair of blue eyes stared back up at him. Shuddering, he took a step back.
“Well, it’s not all that bad here I guess, just takes some getting used to.” He said to himself, mostly to hear the sound of a human voice rather than any actual need to comment on anything.

He turned to continue on, and realized he was trapped. He could go back, but that was pointless, he’d only just return to the outpost. He thought of the great wind gusts that allowed him and the demon boy to leap across The Abyss, maybe there was one here that would carry him somewhere safely. He took a rock and tossed it a few feet in front of him. It fell, but not like it should’ve fallen. Rahegalhoff turned his head sideways in surprise as it landed on the wall.

“Sideways Gravity? I always thought things went down, not to the side.” He muttered to himself in confusion. He walked to the wall, and got a queasy feeling, like he was floating. With closer examination, he realized the walls were glowing differently here. They were slightly brighter, and a little greener in color, whereas the rest were more blueish.

“Well Raggy old boy, it was a good life.” He said, as he leapt off the cliff, and fell flat on the wall. Slowly he turned, and stood up.

He marveled at how differently things seemed from this perspective. The wall was now the floor, what was once the floor was now just an obstruction. He looked around, and what was once down, deeper and further into the abyss was now his left. He decided it was also south, for no other reason than that he felt it should be south. Direction was mostly meaningless anyway. So to his left he marched, deeper into the abyss.

The great blue eyes came forward slightly, but retreated when the sound of the knight’s sword being drawn rang in the air.

On and on he walked, a greater appreciation for the natural enchantments of nature filling him. Being able to directly walk into the abyss was speeding up his trip.

A great crack ran along the ground, and before this, the knight stopped. Fear and consternation raced through his mind on their way to his heart. The Abyss was distinctly different on the other side of the crack. It was all rock like what he was walking on now, certainly, but, it was breathing. The entire Abyss was pulsating, and throbbing like one massive living thing.

[Rahegalhoff]

Experimentally, Rahegalhoff poked at the rock with his sword. It didn’t sink in the rock like it was flesh, but the rock did begin to twist around the blade. Rahegalhoff jerked his sword away, and the twisting rock returned to normal.

He stepped on it, putting all his weight on it, and it held him like normal rock. The Rock twisted around his feet, and Rahegalhoff realized it was to the rock, what poking his own skin was to him. It was only the give of the rock, nothing more. He walked along, albeit a little slower to keep from tripping on the breathing rock.

He came to a great pillar going up to the ceiling. A road was carved upon it, and a sign engraved upon the road’s surface.
“Abys Symal” read the one part in common.
Rahegalhoff shrugged, and walked up the pillar, which was quite easy as Gravity turned with the pillar, which was glowing and throbbing like anything else.

The road lead along the ceiling, and turned into a cave. Rahegalhoff paused before the cave entrance, as it held a row of Stalactites and Stalagmites, which it bore as though it were teeth.

“If I enter, is this cave going to eat me alive?” Rahegalhoff asked himself.

Suddenly he rushed into the cave, for the faint cries of someone in distress reached his ears. When he reached the source of the cries, he stopped dead cold, no longer certain retreating in cowardice was such a bad idea anymore. The cave was full of people, and all were trapped in the wall. Elves, Gnomes, Fae, Goblins, Draconians, Humans, Mer, and other assorted creatures were all trapped in the wall.

Some were hanging by their genitalia, some by a leg, some by the tongues, and one who had no eyes was trapped by his empty sockets, as a massive hook ran in one and out the other.

The person crying was a woman whose stomach was gone, ripped off her body entirely. There was no more blood to be lost, and indeed, she looked to have been long dead, yet she did not decompose, nor rest quietly like a normal person.

“Help me kind sir, I beg you. A wicked demoness encased me in this wall for no good reason at all.” She cried.
“What? How?” Rahegalhoff asked, confused and repulsed by the dead woman’s appearance.
“I was once an important Coronian Lady. One evening’s indiscretions lead to an unwanted baby. But no one would help me. Hags wanted too much, or wanted the baby born. Healers wouldn’t end the pregnancy, and I couldn’t get lucky enough to simply lose it. I’m too important to be embarrassed by a baby. I have a social life and friends that demand my attention. I’m too important for motherhood. One sympathetic priest loaned me his books on Demonology. I read through them in fascination, and hit upon an apt solution. I contacted the Deadly Sin of Pride. Surly of all people she’d understand my situation. Beautiful women are too important to be bothered with squalling crying rugrats.
She was sympathetic to my case; I could still laugh it off as weight gain. I already planned to fire one of the cooks for making me fat. Her eyes twinkled in glee, it was an excellent plan. She agreed to help me for a price she would name later, she only needed me to bare myself unclothed and on the bed.

When I did so, she sliced my entire belly off! I bled so much I blacked out. When I awoke, I was here, and Pride was before me. She told me she kept all her children here, her price was to mother her newest child for eternity, my own baby. The wicked demoness, she had no cause! I’m innocent! I had to avoid embarrassment.” The woman in the wall said.

Rahegalhoff looked with a start and realized there was a baby sized niche in the wall.
“The brat grew up into a demon three centuries ago.” The woman remarked.

Rahegalhoff fled out the other side of the cave. He’d heard of The Seven Deadly Sins, but always thought them some imaginary part of religious doctrine to keep people in line, not an actual threat. He thought back to the first cave, and decided the dead man must’ve been a victim of Sloth. So there was Sloth, and Pride, what next?

[Rahegalhoff]

The Abyss had changed to reflect Pride. Rahegalhoff knew what the concept was, and was never of the mindset that excessive amounts of it were necessarily bad. Regardless, The Abyss had become almost mirror coated, to reflect Rahegalhoff back at himself many times over. Everywhere he turned, he was assaulted with his own image.

He walked along, unable to do naught but stare himself in the eyes. It encouraged him to concentrate more on himself, than his surroundings. He couldn’t help but pause to straighten out his armor a little, buff his shield with his arm, and stand up a little straighter.

I really am quite the looker in this armor aren’t I? No a bad sight if I do say so myself. Why, I’m quite possible both the best looking man here, and the most intimidating.

The thoughts crossed Rahegalhoff’s mind as he trudged down a slope. He shook his head and tried to pay more attention to his surroundings. He spotted towers carved out of the Stalagmites and Stalactites. In one instance, a mighty tower was carved from an entire column, its middle section having a feminine hourglass shape where the Stalactite and Stalagmite touched. Idly, Rahegalhoff wondered if the shape was deliberate, or natural.

He looked ahead, and saw a normal man, at least he thought it was a normal man, in plain brown monk robes, a hood obscuring all facial features. Gloves obscured his hands, and greaves protected his feet. Rahegalhoff certainly thought it was a human man at least, he walked like one.

Rahegalhoff walked over towards him, they were both walking in the same direction.
“Greetings stranger, I hope your not one of the monstrous inhabitants of The Abyss.” Rahegalhoff said by way of greetings.
“Perception is a matter of viewpoint. I am what I am. To some, I am indeed a great and terrible monster, to others I am a blessing.” The man said.
“Well, true, but what do you perceive yourself to be?” asked Rahegalhoff.
“A weary traveler, it is rude to only talk of one’s self though so I return your question to you.” The traveler said.
“I am a seeker of justice and vengeance.” Rahegalhoff said proudly.
“Is that how others see you, or how you see yourself?” the man asked.
To this Rahegalhoff had no response, he’d never once thought of how others might see him. He only thought of himself.
“I see you as a lost and confused person, falling down a great pit that seeks to consume you. Yet it is not too late for salvation, if you but ask.” The traveler said.
“Why do you say that?” Rahegalhoff asked, curious how the man could see so much.
“I see many things. Such is one of my gifts. I possess the ability to see the truth. It came from years of practice. But this is why some see me as a monster and others a blessing. Some despise the truth, especially of themselves, and in turn attack it. Others still seek the truth as a means to improve themselves.” The man said.
“Interesting, so, why not tell me your name and what you really are?” Rahegalhoff asked.
“I have told you what you can accept, which is in no part a lie, yet is not the greater truth. When you can accept the greater truth, I shall share it with you. To do so now would do more harm than good.” The traveler said.
“Well, what are you doing down here?” Rahegalhoff asked.
“Why do you insist on pestering me with questions?” the traveler replied irritated.
“Sorry. It’s just that Abys Symal lies in this direction, somewhere along this road, and we both travel it. I thought to travel with you for added safety, and to pass the time, maybe make a friend.” Rahegalhoff replied.
“Ah, the truth, alright then, I shall share with you a little more truth then. Like you, I seek things as well. I seek to rescue those that can be saved. Surly you remember the cavern you were just in, all those tortured souls? I seek to rescue them before they get to that state.” The traveler said, then sighed as though he didn’t always succeed.
“How benevolent of you.” Rahegalhoff said replied.
“Tell me, what form of justice and vengeance you seek.” the traveler asked in curiosity.
“I seek to burn the world clean of its sins. To make it pay for the crimes done to me, and others.”
“That must be some crime, for the world to burn for it. Tell me of this crime that the world should burn for your injustice.” The traveler asked, almost in the same tone a parent would use to indulge a child who suddenly came up with the notion that the family dog and cat should get married.
“My wife and son got murdered by a strange knight in black armor and I haven’t yet found the guilty party.” Rahegalhoff replied with a hint of anger and sorrow at the memory, anger at his own failure to avenge his fallen wife and son, and sorrow that they had been murdered while he remained helpless to defend them.
“I see, so is it better to destroy the world for one man’s crimes, rather than pursue him and bring him to Justice? And what of the crimes of others, what gives you the right to burn the world for their crimes, aren’t you just perpetuating the very cycle of injustice that robbed you of your family to begin with?” The man asked, then suddenly he disappeared with a crack of thunder, leaving a silenced Rahegalhoff to think about his parting remark.

[Rahegalhoff]

Rahegalhoff pondered why the traveler might suddenly disappear, and decided it was simply to emphasize his point. Rahegalhoff shrugged of most of the man’s words, but one point kept going through his mind over and over. The phrase “burn the world”.
He thought as he walked along, and finally decided that if the world was truly innocent, then it didn’t need to burn.

By this point he had entered another section of The Abyss. People were scattered everywhere, bound to chains. Each of them was frail, naught but skin and bones. Or so that’s what he thought, then he realized they were eating themselves! They caught sight of him, and lunged forward, stretching their chains to the limits, but couldn’t quite reach him. So long as he stayed on the path, he was just out of reach, a cruel torture played upon seemingly starved individuals.

“Why aren’t you people well fed? Starvation of prisoners is cruel. Someone should feed you.” Rahegalhoff said.

“Then give us your flesh to grind between our teeth.” Replied one.

“I will do no such thing. Why are you chained up anyway?” Rahegalhoff asked.

“In life we ate ourselves to death, more or less. But death does not take away our hunger. Gluttony tortures us for eternity.” Another said.

He was about to ask if they were referring to the deadly sin, or the crime, and realized there probably wasn’t any difference. He walked along, lost in his own thoughts.

Is the world truly innocent? What sort of a world allows beings like this to exist in the first place? Free will can only answer for so much before it becomes negligence. Before I only meant burn the world as in purify it, but seeing all this, seeing the levels sentient beings can sink to, beings that should know better, I begin to seriously consider actually burning the world. How can justice prevail when those that administer it are subject to the very same things they seek to judge? What of the gods? Surely out of all beings, they are beyond this. Yet then, what of the dark gods, if they can fall too, then how can anyone ever truly be considered worthy of administering justice? Aren’t we all then impure and worthy of fire?

“Kajeenith, my lord and savior, how can I administer justice and save this world, when its so full of evil?” Rahegalhoff asked aloud, praying to his god.

Suddenly in his minds eye he saw Kajeenith on top of the tower in The Void, speaking.

“The answer to your question will come in the fullness of time. Know that I am the only true path of justice, for I am not of this world. Even the gods that rule this world are of it, and so must be measured by the same method as those they rule over.”

Rahegalhoff shook his head, and continued on.

The Traveler reappeared minutes later.

“Sorry, had someone to save. So, how goes the journey, find what your looking for yet?” the traveler asked.

“Only more questions. Let me ask, since you seem to know so much. How can anyone ever deliver justice, if those that administer it, are subject to the same crimes they rule upon? Even the gods are known to fall to various failings.” Rahegalhoff asked.

“A god that can fall to crime is not truly a god at all.” The traveler said.

“What then is the point of faith? Why should I believe in a god, if he can fall just as easily as I can? It’s like a carousel, choose a god, hop on, and ride the ride. See the horrors spinning around you and pray you don’t fly off into sin. Don’t worry about the consequences; after all, your god does the same things, so why bother trying. Get reincarnated, choose another god, and ride the ride again. Round and round each soul goes on the carousel of life, a ride that never stops, and never ends.” Rahegalhoff said.

“Faith gives one hope, but it only works if you find the right god to believe in, a real one, not a false one.” The traveler said.

“There are no real gods of this world, so I refuse to believe in any of them. If I fail, it’s because of my own failing.” Rahegalhoff declared, to which the traveler merely shook his head in sadness.

“Ahh, behold, the sea of passion. All those in this sea have slept with Lust personally. Drained of any real emotion, they all grasp and grope at one another, trying to fill empty desires that cannot be satisfied. Beware, if you fall in, they will pull you under and make you as one of them.” The traveler said.

Rahegalhoff nodded, and turned upon the bridge, as it lead over the canyon. The canyon was filled with untold numbers of people, twisting, gasping, moaning, thrusting things into one another in a massive orgy without end. Rahegalhoff realized there was not a stitch of clothing to be seen, as hands rubbed bodies and lips kissed sensitive areas.

“What is the meaning of this?” Rahegalhoff asked.

“Sorry, but I know you will fall to darkness if you continue. I would rather see you become apart of The Sea of Passion than to allow you to become anything else. Your desire to not believe in a god confirmed my worst fears. It’s for the benefit of Althanas that you end here.” The Traveler said, and then lashed out at Rahegalhoff with a massive stroke of a broadsword.

Rahegalhoff back stepped parrying with his own sword to draw the blade upwards and away from his body. Not waiting for his opponent to do anything further, he drew close to his opponent and swung at The Traveler’s feet. The Traveler jumped, and as he did so, kicked at Rahegalhoff, sending the man stumbling backwards, and falling on to the bridge. Rahegalhoff was glad it was wide enough for two fat men to walk abreast with ease and comfort. The Traveler brought his blade down to kill Rahegalhoff, and Rahegalhoff knocked the blow away with his own blade. He kicked The Traveler in the chest, sending the traveler backwards in turn, while Rahegalhoff rolled to his feet. The bridge began to crack; it could not withstand the weight of the heavy broadsword. Rahegalhoff inhaled quickly, afraid it would crumble under him, but it held.

The traveler seemed to not notice the new crack in the bridge, and rushed towards Rahegalhoff, and swung. Rahegalhoff stepped backwards, and stumbled falling backwards and landing hard, the cracks spread beneath him, and the Traveler stepped forward, and swung again. Rahegalhoff blocked with his blade, but it fell out of his hand and skittered up the path. The ground began to sag dangerously under the men’s combined weight. Rahegalhoff smiled, raised his foot and brought it crashing back down. There was a loud dangerous pop, and the bridge all but gave out.

“If I am to drown in Passion’s sea, then we shall drown together.” He said, and as The Traveler tried to back peddle, he fell, the last blow needed to break the bridge in the middle. Rahegalhoff rolled over, and grasped at his ledge, and looked behind him. The rocks were pulled under, and the traveler ripped away his robes to reveal himself to be a glowing man of light, wings spread to carry him away to safety, but it was too late. Hands latched onto his foot, and people leaped out of the ocean and grabbed onto him, dragging him down to the surface. More people piled on top of him, ripping off his clothes.

“May you be damned to this place forever Rahegalhoff, and The Great Nether that goes with it! I’m not the only one of my kind. Others of The Light will find you, and make sure you meet your rightful end! Althanas doesn’t need to be destroyed, it needs to be helped!” The Traveler said, the last thing he was able to say as a woman threw herself on top of the now unclothed angel and pressed her lips to his.

As he was dragged under, Rahegalhoff smiled; as he saw the traveler’s hands almost unwillingly wrap themselves around the woman and puller her closer. Pulling himself to safety, he walked to his sword, and continued on.

[Rahegalhoff]

Rahegalhoff strode along confidently assured that there was nothing in The Abyss that could stop him in his tracks then he crested the hill, and stopped dead in his tracks in awe.

“Truly, if all seven sins are represented in this place, then I have found the home of Greed and its closest sibling Envy.”

From horizon to horizon was naught but mountains of gold, silver, bronze, mythril, Prevalida, Adamantine. Swords, Shields, Armors, other trinkets, there was enough money here to purchase the gods themselves and own them as servants.

“Dear gods, how much is the total value?” he asked no one in particular. Even the rocks that comprised the Abyss had become plated in gold and silver. The pathway had turned to pure bronze. Rahegalhoff walked along, unable to keep himself from smiling. His smile turned to a grin as he spotted a solid gold tree, with pure diamonds of the highest quality for fruit. Another had emeralds, further on a pool of sapphires looked inviting. Rubies glowed where a torch should’ve been.

Here and there, clearly magical objects glittered with unused magic as they lay atop heaps of money. In the distance a solid gold yacht looked ready to set sail. Rahegalhoff shook his head. Temptation to take a small handful that no one could possibly miss filled his mind. Then he thought better of it, as the memory of all the other caverns filled his mind. He didn’t know what would happen if he took some.

He did his best to ignore the vast hoards of money, and moved on. Here and there figures were stooped over, hidden behind piles of cash and feverishly counting the gold around them. They stopped occasionally to glare at him, as though daring him to take their gold.
Eventually, he left the money behind him.

Soon, his thoughts once more turned inward.

What’s the point? Why should I even bother trying to save anyone? It’s just a useless cycle that will repeat itself over and over for eternity. What good would my efforts be? Why should I be the hero, a poor bumbling fool out to save everyone he can in the hopes that someday it will all get better? Evil will still live on, and find new people to recruit for its cause, good will still sit idly by and do only the bare minimum, wringing its hands all the while saying there’s naught it can do or it would be on the same level as evil. No, their both two different sides of the same coin, deluding all into thinking there’s actually a point to life, that there is a reason to hold on and fight.

Around him, The Abyss had become grey and depressing. The ground still glowed, but it had lost its green coloring. The columns were grey, the stalactites and stalagmites were grey, and everything else was grey. Worse yet, everything seemed to be the same shade of grey, one thing blending into another, one rock apart of its neighbor. There were statues here and there, scattered throughout this section of The Abyss.

Not finding any suitable answers to his questions, Rahegalhoff sat down beside the statue of a man sitting down holding his head in his hands. Mirroring the statue, Rahegalhoff put his head in his hands too.

“Welcome.” The statue said quietly.

“You can talk?” Rahegalhoff asked.

“Of course I can, I am a person after all, not that it matters to anyone here. I was on a quest for Pandemonium, but realized it was a futile quest and sat down here to think it over. I haven’t yet found reason to get up again.” The statue said.

“Same story; I don’t know why I should get it. I wanted it to be a hero, to be the good guy, and finally deliver true justice to the world, yet it seems pointless.” Rahegalhoff said.

“It is pointless, what good is it going to do anyone to dash in and save some poor unfortunate soul who got in the wrong place at the wrong time, or crossed the wrong person, or met with ill circumstance? Sure, you save them, and then what? Gratitude? Money? Someone else will just get into trouble again.” The statue said.

“Right or another villain will just arise to take the first one’s place, then another, and another.” Rahegalhoff said.

“Exactly, so why should we waste our time doing anything?” the statue asked.

“I can’t think of anything else to do though, I’d go back to farming, but it just wouldn’t be the same. I’m no good at anything else; I’ll just sit here until the answer occurs to me.”

“Good luck, I’ve been sitting here for five thousand years and have yet to arrive at the answer.” The statue said.

Rahegalhoff sat there, his head in his hands, simply thinking. If he had been another traveler upon the path, he would’ve screamed at himself to get up, this place was draining his energy by the second. Slowly he began to turn grey, and stone seemed to settle upon his skin, turning him into a statue the same as any other. He had become trapped in the second deadliest part of The Abyss, The Caverns of Despair.

[Rahegalhoff]

Rahegalhoff continued to sit there, unaware of the trap he was in. The statue couldn't tell him, because when it was a man it didn't know either. Yet, the longer he sat there, the harder it would be to escape, until eventually, he would be a statue too.

Yet his mind continued to work.

“Is all this really worth it? What if I'm wrong?” he thought to himself.

The rock covering his body grew harder.

“Yet, I can't just sit here, I have to do something. Even if its wrong, I have to try. Yet still I must ask myself, is this the best way? It doesn't matter, its a course of action, a chance to heal. I can't let memories kill me.” He thought to himself.

He tried to move, but lethargy had set in, he couldn't muster the willpower to move.

“My Dark Lord, I pray, help me find the will to move.” he prayed.

But no answer came, he was abandoned, alone in his despair.

“Won't you listen? Won't you help? I am doing your will, but mine needs help, it lacks the strength to get me moving again.” he prayed harder.

Nothing.

“If you won't help me when I need you, why do I follow you?” he prayed.

“You are exactly where I want you. Leave me be, you are useless to me, and you question my will. Even if you had potential, you still failed to navigate past something as simple as unending despair fueled by your own mind. You aren't worth the initial help I gave you, so I shall abandon you.” The answer came from Rahegalhoff's own amulet, the words of his dark God.

“Won't any God help me?” Rahegalhoff cried in despair.

Grim determination filled him when no apparent help came. He tried to move, and barely got an arm moving. It reached out in the darkness, and Rahegalhoff gasped in surprise when a familiar hand grasped it and pulled him to his feet.

“YOU! But, I knocked you off the bridge when you tried to slay me! How are you free, and why do you help me?” Rahegalhoff asked as curiosity replaced lethargy.

“All a necessary ruse. You weren't ready to listen, yet still, you could see me, so I knew there was hope. I cannot be seen by those who are beyond my power. Even still, you cannot see me as truly am. When I fell, I stopped in mid-air. I showed you an illusion falling into the sea of passion. Now that you've been trapped by despair, and abandoned by your god, are you willing to listen?” The Traveler asked.

“Yes, I will listen.”

“Then let us continue, to Pandemonium Fortress. You must see this through to the end, before you can begin to truly change. Sloth's caverns of Despair cannot harm you anymore. No sin can touch you, so long as you are with me. Yet, even I shall leave you when we get to the pits of Wrath. You must face all that you are, without my help. If you cannot truly resist that which brought you here in the first place, then all my powers will be in vain, and you will cease to be able to see me. As for your earlier question before we crossed the sea of Passion, tell me, what if a man felt the allure of crime and sin, felt the strong pull of evil, but resisted? Would he not then be worthy of judging? What sort of Judgments should he hand out?” Traveler asked.

“Perhaps he would be worthy, but if so, maybe he should focus less on judging, and more on helping others, least those who fall where he has not, wind up like the tortured souls here. Only those who are beyond his help should be judged.” Rahegalhoff said.

“Indeed, but what if he had fallen, and climbed his way out of sin?”

“Then such a man would truly be worthy.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Eventually they came to the great Demon city of Abys Symal. A sign at the city limits proclaimed it the heart of The Abyss. The city itself seemed to be one massive sphere, at least the size of Radasanth. Indeed, it was as if they'd ripped the giant city out of the ground, balled it up, and made it stay that way. Everything seemed drawn towards it, as if it truly was both the heart, and the bottom of The Abyss. Pathways seemed to go where they wanted, heedless of gravity, each apparently holding their own variation of it.

“This place defies logic! What manner of wizardry could build this?” Rahegalhoff asked.

“None. The Abyss exists in such a manner that this city was naturally built this way. Be glad you have the protection of The Lord of The Abyss, or you would be sold as a slave instantly.” A guard standing by the gates said.

“How do you know I have his protection?” Rahegalhoff asked, curious as to how both this demon and the ones he encountered earlier could know such things, even though he had never encountered The Lord of The Abyss personally.

“By the amulet of course, you both wear The Dark Amulet. He proclaimed that any wearing The Dark Amulet was to be treated as his protected friend. You can see his, its around his neck. Rather, a likeness was made and put on his statue in the center of town. He points the way to one of two sacred locations in The Abyss. The first is the way to the bottom of The Abyss, where his lordship dwells with his seven deadly children. The second is to his oldest son's domain, Pandemonium Fortress.” The guard said.

“And how does one get to this statue? This town is not very straight forward.” Rahegalhoff said, glad this demon was so helpful.

“Why, by going straight of course. Up stairs, and down stairs, through alleys and across streets.” the demon said, then it chuckled as though it had said something funny.

Rahegalhoff sighed and continued on.

“The answer is obvious of course, we are going to spend quite some time in here. Demons are only so helpful when their forced to behave.” The Traveler noted.