Stygia

From NexusWiki

Stygia is the formal name for the plane of existence populated by all things evil and chaotic: demons, devils, their dark servants and even darker masters.

Stygia is a land of extremes. The bulk of the plane is filled with howling, screaming Frozen Wastes, punctuated by enormous, hellish Fire Pits. Standing dominant over the entire plane are several Iron Fortresses.

Movement in Stygia will cause damage to most characters. Characters who have become demons (either by selecting the Pariah or Defiler classes) will not suffer damage, nor will those who have learned the Planar Protection skill. Otherwise, this damage is unsoakable, as it is corrupting on a vile yet fundamental level.

[edit] Accessing Stygia

Access to Stygia is achieved through the use of a portal.

One such portal is located in a Forest (16, 12) near Iverson, one in a Forest (27,5) on Corpus Island, one inside an Oil Rig (77,69) owned by Webster Oil, one in a Forest (7,64) on Big Tease, one inside a Slum (61,60) on Harper Island, and another is within the Angelfall Nightclub (27,41) in Chuckwagon. Other portals lead to and from Paradise and Purgatorio. They take the form of a set of "Standing Stones". The character can choose to touch the standing stones, which will transport them into Stygia. A corresponding portal composed of swirling colours can be found at this location which allows access back to the mortal realm.

[edit] Features in Stygia

The primary terrain types of Stygia are Frozen Wastes, Fire Pits, and Iron Fortresses. However, there is a large Frozen Highway and Frozen River as well, as well as copious amounts of Lava, Blood Waste, Iron Waste, and Bone Land. In addition to this, recent thawing and melting of much of the Frozen Wastes of Stygia has revealed many habitable structures that had been hidden beneath the ice, including several notable structures.

The Iron Juggernaut
The purpose of the Iron Juggernaut is unknown. It is presumed that the Juggernaut is some sort of weapon, perhaps part of a forgotten war.

Route 666
Route 666 is a frozen highway that runs vaguely northwest to south east through the plane. It has, in several places, been covered over with snow from the frozen wastes.

The Pit of Azazel
The Pit of Azazel is located near the exact center of the plane (27,11). It is a bottomless pit surrounded by charred land.

The River Styx
The River Styx is a frozen river that crosses the plane at its approximate middle point. It is solid ice, and can be walked across easily.

The Iron Fortresses
There are a total of ten iron fortresses located in the plane. With the exception of the Tower of Insanity, all are surrounded by fire pits and lava.

The Iron Fortresses are:

• Fortress of Ruin
• The Tower of Insanity
• The Keep of the Ninth Gate
• The Nightmare Cascade
• C'Cha Mak-Thun
• The Death Cascade
• Oogmaru Dhazhal
• The Sundered Tower
• Iron Fang
• Akkaf Ma-Nethi

Ebony Towers
There are many ebony towers in Stygia. They are great sources of Soul Ice and Blood Ice, sometimes hold books and bones, and may hide potions and rings. They can be found at (16,17), (17,3), (7,16), (31,4), (33,17), (45,3), (50,4), and (45,18).

Circus Carnivorous
The inner area of the circus is dominated by an enormous dirt-covered, eliptical field. A series of stone seats rise around the entire area.

This arena-like structure is large, and was clearly designed to hold large audiences for events. The nature of these events though, is something one can only guess at.

Great Ziggurat
The interior of the ziggurat is dusty and dark. The surfaces of its walls crumble slightly to the touch.

The purpose of this imposing, ancient structure is unknown, though some presume that it once served as a throne to the Demon Lords of Stygia, whilst others speculate that it may have been used in ritualistic sacrificial ceremonies to the Elder Powers.

See Also
Map of Stygia
Map key

[edit] Neighborhoods

Stygia is a nightmarish plane of freezing winds and endless gloom. To organize this desolation, it has been divided into eleven districts, described below.

[edit] The Frozen Wastes

These lands are largely uninhabitable, and spread across much of northern Stygia in a band of snow and ice.

Gehenna
At the center of these westernmost wastes lies the Fortress of Ruin and its adjoining Damned Library, both well guarded by Firepits. To the southwest is a lonely satellite, the Tower of Insanity, noted for being the only Iron Fortress without its own Firepits.

Jahannam
Spreading across a large portion of eastern Stygia is Jahannam. It serves as a crossroads between Hades Tol, Penumbra, Xenapos, and Sanguinis Diabolus. The River Styx snakes through this no man's land, around numerous Ruins, and towards the Egg Fields in the east. Perhaps its most distinguishing feature are the Bonelands in the north.

Tartarus
Tartarus is a frozen desert that divides Stygia's west from east. The River Styx flows into it from Gehenna and out of it to Jahannam. In the southwest of this area lies The Nightmare Cascade and, farther south, an Ebony Tower.

The Iron Wastes
Not strictly composed of ice, the Iron Wastes are a wasteland of snow and rusting iron. At the center of this otherwise barren area stands the Iron Juggernaut, a gigantic construct apparently frozen in place.

[edit] The Firepits

These citadels provide resources and protection from the freezing cold, but they are by no means a refuge.

Azazel Makha
Lying in the heartland of Stygia, this region is bordered by a lava flow to the west, the Great Ziggurat to the east, and the egg fields to the north. The Pit of Azazel is perhaps Azazel Makha's most prominent feature, and the devastated surroundings are, incidentally, a fantastic source of Stygian coal. Nearby and to the west of this landmark are a Soul Orchard and the infamous Circus Carnivorous. In the southernmost reaches are The Death Cascade, its attendant Lava pools, and a Damned Library.

Dhazhal
East of the Iron Wastes and northwest of Tartarus lies Dhazhal, the smallest habitable district in Stygia. Its Firepits separate C'Cha Mak-Thun in the southwest from a collection of Stone Huts in the northeast. Between them lies an Ebony Tower and a large Stygian Foundry.

Hades Tol
North of Tartarus and Jahannam lies Hades Tol, with its expansive Firepits and Lava pools shielding Oogmaru Dhazhal from the Frozen Wastes. A Damned Library can be found in the west, with an Ebony Tower, Slave Pens, Dark Sanitarium, and Egg Fields in the southeast.

Penumbra
Penumbra is a smattering of Stone Huts, Damned Libraries, and other buildings tucked away in the extreme northeast of Stygia. It is home to a Black Prison, two Ebony Towers, an Iron Fortress named the Sundered Tower and the Dark Cathedral, Agh-Za-Haru Ma Khala.

Sanguinis Diabolus
This region extends from the extreme southeast of Stygia up to the Frozen Wastes of Jahannam and to the western limits of its Blood Wastes. The Iron Fortress Akkaf Ma-Nethi overlooks the frozen lake of blood to the west and the Firepits and Lava pools in the east. Amidst the Blood Waste are a large Damned Library, an Ebony Tower, a Black Prison, and a portal to Araboth, in Paradise.

Xenapos
Between Azazel Makha and Sanguinis Diabolus lies Xenapos. Instantly recognizable for the mysterious and powerful Great Ziggurat that stands along its western border, Xenapos is also home to a checkerboard of Stone Huts and Stygian Ruins. In the north, Iron Fang watches over a long field of Firepits. Scattered throughout the region are small Stygian Foundries, Dark Harems, a pair of Dark Sanitariums, and the largest Soul Orchard in the Nexus.

Zamhareer
Zamhareer boasts the largest Iron Fortress in Stygia, the Keep of the Ninth Gate. This oblong fortress is surrounded on both sides by Lava pools and Firepits, and is buttressed by an Iron Garrison, an Ebony Tower, a Damned Library, a Black Prison, and even its own Stygian Foundry. Route 666 passes through the Firepits to its postern gate. This forbidding structure watches over a portal to Xanadu, in Paradise.