02 Cathrys

Location: Cathrys

Rumors

• Cathrys is a jungle prison-world where even the grass wants blood.
• Hidden acid pits lie beneath patches of harmless-looking growth.
• There are pockets within Cathrys that do not belong, bright places that feel divine rather than damned.

What is Known

• Cathrys is a layer of Carceri made of red jungle growth, razor grass, acid-saturated ground, and dangerous hidden pits.
• The worlds of Carceri are described as stringed like pearls, and Cathrys lies along that descent.
• Known features of the region encountered there include:
  • Razor-blade grass
  • Acid-saturated ground
  • Red jungle growth
  • Pools or bogs capable of hiding deadly creatures
  • A blackstone dock reached from the River Styx
  • A red cave with colossal iron doors
  • Abi’s hut, built from razor grass with matching furniture
  • A path leading toward The Steading
• A mezzoloth named Abi was encountered there and offered guidance deeper into the plane.
• Abi had not seen Loki or Idunn, despite the party seeking them.
• Abi is immune to the acid pits and cutting foliage of Cathrys, allowing her to guide others through it.
• The first major encounter in Cathrys involved black puddings rising from acid pools.
• The terrain itself functioned as an active hazard because of acid and razor grass.
• The party also encountered the Arch of Justice within Cathrys, where each traveler had to confess a deepest truth in order to pass onward.
• Abi described Minethys as the next lower layer, a cold and sandblasted wasteland.

History

• At the Arch of Justice, each member of the party revealed a hidden truth before being allowed onward into Cathrys.
• Upon arriving deeper within the plane, they immediately discovered its hostile terrain and were attacked by black puddings emerging from the acid pools.
• Abi later informed them that they were in Cathrys and that escape from the plane was nearly impossible.
• The party later followed Abi through Cathrys to her razor-grass hut, where she spoke of her shame and reluctance to approach The Steading.
• From there, Abi guided the party safely through hidden acid pits until the red jungle gave way to the green fields of The Steading.

People

Abi

• Mezzoloth guide who warned the party of danger and led them through Cathrys

Loose Threads

• What lies deeper in the red jungle and acid fields?
• Are there other divine or impossible pockets hidden within Cathrys?
• What became of the villages and survivors tied to Abi’s past?