Hi, I'm world building and my game worlds main antagonists are beings of the Abyss. It's a rather Lovecraftian bent, but with typical D&D tropes. My query is; what's the difference between the Abyss and the Far Realm? I'm breaking my brain trying to understand the Far Realm and how it relates, or doesn't, to the Abyss.
The Abyss is the chaotic evil plane where Demons and the Demon Lords come from. That are the guys fighting in the eternal Blood War against the Devils from the Nine Layers of Hell. And in addition the Demons try to infest other planes.
The Abyss is one of the Lower Outer Planes in the Great Wheel (representing the alignements). Most of the Gods of the D&D Multiverse somehow reside on the outer planes.
The Far Realm lies outside of the general layout of the planes and is the origin of most Aberrations and the enteties known as Old Ones. This is the more lovecraftian realm. It is mostly undefined and something even the Gods fear.
In the larger picture, the Far Realm is on the back of the piece of paper, hidden by a suspicious stain that may or may not be cherry coke.
lol! Luv this.
So, I sorta kinda slipped it onto my world. Rather like a suspicious stain. lol
The Far Realm
The insanity of the Far Realm, that other universe of warped and twisted matter and energy, touching this world and reshaping it into it's own madness is the ultimate goal of the invaders from the Abyss. No one truly knows how these beings come to this or why, for even they would be lost to this entropy. Some scholars call this slow death of multiple planes of existence “the Ending” and fear this existential threat to all existence. Creatures, monsters, and gods who are aware of this war across the planes fear this final death of everything.
Thus, Anaki very nearly became yet another lost world in this never ending conflict.
Some scholars believe that there is some connection to the Far Realm deep in the Abyssal planes of existence. Perhaps it's bottomless nature a paradox allowing the Far Realm to seep in. And it is there that the disease that marches over and consumes the multiverse is born, or originates. The demons and beings of the Abyss are but foot soldiers for a greater power, one that has no emotion or motive, but is only a force that slowly oozes across the multiverse, changing it to something no mind could perceive. Those that find even small connections to the beings or truths of the Far Realm, writing, ancient runes, or ruined temples, risk insanity. Thus, few people even know of the Far Realm, and any knowledge of it reserved for the wise.
It is thought that, perhaps through the demons of the Abyss, that creatures such as aboleths, mind flayers, beholders, and others originate in the Far Realm. Or were at least created or twisted into the weird monsters they are by some contact with the Far Realm. Others posit that beings known as the Elder Evils randomly “create” such beings to let loose onto the multiverse.
I like to describe it like this, with regards to the judeo-christian religion.
The celestial created this universe. The fiends were once celestial but they rebelled against them. Both the celestial and the fiends understand us and vice versa. The Fey are creatures from another, similar universe. They mostly understand us but are just a bit alien and neither we nor them truly 'get' each other. We can make deals with them, but will be very surprised at what they value (and vice versa).
The aberrations (far realms) are different. They are native to another, very very different universes They are neither good nor evil, they are alien. They should not really understand our world anymore than we can understand them. Trying to understand them makes us crazy and vice versa.
As a DM, I like to play the aberrations with very strange, almost random motivations. I like to pick one weird strange thing that each aberrant culture is 'obsessed' with. It might be a color, a number, romance books (which they do not read), a peculiar item, anything. The aberration does not understand the concept of trade, so they do not offer to 'buy' anything. Instead they kill for and steal the object that they could literally trade what they consider to be garbage to get their desire. A smart humanoid could figure out how to use this information, but it is difficult to do.
I like to describe it like this, with regards to the judeo-christian religion.
The celestial created this universe. The fiends were once celestial but they rebelled against them. Both the celestial and the fiends understand us and vice versa. The Fey are creatures from another, similar universe. They mostly understand us but are just a bit alien and neither we nor them truly 'get' each other. We can make deals with them, but will be very surprised at what they value (and vice versa).
The aberrations (far realms) are different. They are native to another, very very different universes They are neither good nor evil, they are alien. They should not really understand our world anymore than we can understand them. Trying to understand them makes us crazy and vice versa.
As a DM, I like to play the aberrations with very strange, almost random motivations. I like to pick one weird strange thing that each aberrant culture is 'obsessed' with. It might be a color, a number, romance books (which they do not read), a peculiar item, anything. The aberration does not understand the concept of trade, so they do not offer to 'buy' anything. Instead they kill for and steal the object that they could literally trade what they consider to be garbage to get their desire. A smart humanoid could figure out how to use this information, but it is difficult to do.
I would pay money to be a bard/paladin hunting abominations in your game. :)
I like to describe it like this, with regards to the judeo-christian religion.
The celestial created this universe. The fiends were once celestial but they rebelled against them. Both the celestial and the fiends understand us and vice versa. The Fey are creatures from another, similar universe. They mostly understand us but are just a bit alien and neither we nor them truly 'get' each other. We can make deals with them, but will be very surprised at what they value (and vice versa).
The aberrations (far realms) are different. They are native to another, very very different universes They are neither good nor evil, they are alien. They should not really understand our world anymore than we can understand them. Trying to understand them makes us crazy and vice versa.
As a DM, I like to play the aberrations with very strange, almost random motivations. I like to pick one weird strange thing that each aberrant culture is 'obsessed' with. It might be a color, a number, romance books (which they do not read), a peculiar item, anything. The aberration does not understand the concept of trade, so they do not offer to 'buy' anything. Instead they kill for and steal the object that they could literally trade what they consider to be garbage to get their desire. A smart humanoid could figure out how to use this information, but it is difficult to do.
I would pay money to be a bard/paladin hunting abominations in your game. :)
The Far Realm is a plane where the human mind would break and the human body would Mutate into an aberration (at least in my campaigns). Imagine the Upside-Down, if it did what I just said. The Abyss is the place where all demons reside. It used to have 666 layers, but is supposedly infinite now.
In the words of the great philosopher, Unicorse, "Aaaannnnd why should I care??"
Best quote from a book ever: "If you love with your eyes, death is forever. If you love with your heart, there is no such thing as parting."- Jonah Cook, Ascendant, Songs of Chaos by Michael R. Miller. Highly recommend
in the 3.5 days, there was an actual description of the far realm. it got thrown out the window so it can be whatever you want as long as you "accidentally" spill the cosmic horror in a-la Powerpuff girls.
the far realm is not.
it is outside the known universe.
it is outside time
it is outside space
it is outside comprehension by even the immortals
it is home to creatures the gods fear
there is a multiverse of things that are, and there is a multiverse of things that SOULD NOT BE.
it isn't supposed to be here
it is the realm of insanity
it is not hostile
it is not benign
IT SIMPLY IS
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pronouns: Any/All
About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Fun Fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
The Far Realm is a plane where the human mind would break and the human body would Mutate into an aberration (at least in my campaigns). Imagine the Upside-Down, if it did what I just said. The Abyss is the place where all demons reside. It used to have 666 layers, but is supposedly infinite now.
The Abyss has both 666 layers and infinite layers. It's a chaotic plane, what were you expecting?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
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Hi, I'm world building and my game worlds main antagonists are beings of the Abyss. It's a rather Lovecraftian bent, but with typical D&D tropes. My query is; what's the difference between the Abyss and the Far Realm? I'm breaking my brain trying to understand the Far Realm and how it relates, or doesn't, to the Abyss.
Thoughts?
The Abyss is the chaotic evil plane where Demons and the Demon Lords come from. That are the guys fighting in the eternal Blood War against the Devils from the Nine Layers of Hell. And in addition the Demons try to infest other planes.
The Abyss is one of the Lower Outer Planes in the Great Wheel (representing the alignements). Most of the Gods of the D&D Multiverse somehow reside on the outer planes.
The Far Realm lies outside of the general layout of the planes and is the origin of most Aberrations and the enteties known as Old Ones. This is the more lovecraftian realm. It is mostly undefined and something even the Gods fear.
Thank you! I was getting rather confused about the Far Realm and where it was, so to speak, in the larger picture. :)
In the larger picture, the Far Realm is on the back of the piece of paper, hidden by a suspicious stain that may or may not be cherry coke.
lol! Luv this.
So, I sorta kinda slipped it onto my world. Rather like a suspicious stain. lol
The Far Realm
The insanity of the Far Realm, that other universe of warped and twisted matter and energy, touching this world and reshaping it into it's own madness is the ultimate goal of the invaders from the Abyss. No one truly knows how these beings come to this or why, for even they would be lost to this entropy. Some scholars call this slow death of multiple planes of existence “the Ending” and fear this existential threat to all existence. Creatures, monsters, and gods who are aware of this war across the planes fear this final death of everything.
Thus, Anaki very nearly became yet another lost world in this never ending conflict.
Some scholars believe that there is some connection to the Far Realm deep in the Abyssal planes of existence. Perhaps it's bottomless nature a paradox allowing the Far Realm to seep in. And it is there that the disease that marches over and consumes the multiverse is born, or originates. The demons and beings of the Abyss are but foot soldiers for a greater power, one that has no emotion or motive, but is only a force that slowly oozes across the multiverse, changing it to something no mind could perceive. Those that find even small connections to the beings or truths of the Far Realm, writing, ancient runes, or ruined temples, risk insanity. Thus, few people even know of the Far Realm, and any knowledge of it reserved for the wise.
It is thought that, perhaps through the demons of the Abyss, that creatures such as aboleths, mind flayers, beholders, and others originate in the Far Realm. Or were at least created or twisted into the weird monsters they are by some contact with the Far Realm. Others posit that beings known as the Elder Evils randomly “create” such beings to let loose onto the multiverse.
Oh man... yes I edited that!
I like to describe it like this, with regards to the judeo-christian religion.
The celestial created this universe. The fiends were once celestial but they rebelled against them. Both the celestial and the fiends understand us and vice versa. The Fey are creatures from another, similar universe. They mostly understand us but are just a bit alien and neither we nor them truly 'get' each other. We can make deals with them, but will be very surprised at what they value (and vice versa).
The aberrations (far realms) are different. They are native to another, very very different universes They are neither good nor evil, they are alien. They should not really understand our world anymore than we can understand them. Trying to understand them makes us crazy and vice versa.
As a DM, I like to play the aberrations with very strange, almost random motivations. I like to pick one weird strange thing that each aberrant culture is 'obsessed' with. It might be a color, a number, romance books (which they do not read), a peculiar item, anything. The aberration does not understand the concept of trade, so they do not offer to 'buy' anything. Instead they kill for and steal the object that they could literally trade what they consider to be garbage to get their desire. A smart humanoid could figure out how to use this information, but it is difficult to do.
I would pay money to be a bard/paladin hunting abominations in your game. :)
I would be that Paladin:)
The Far Realm is a plane where the human mind would break and the human body would Mutate into an aberration (at least in my campaigns). Imagine the Upside-Down, if it did what I just said. The Abyss is the place where all demons reside. It used to have 666 layers, but is supposedly infinite now.
In the words of the great philosopher, Unicorse, "Aaaannnnd why should I care??"
Best quote from a book ever: "If you love with your eyes, death is forever. If you love with your heart, there is no such thing as parting."- Jonah Cook, Ascendant, Songs of Chaos by Michael R. Miller. Highly recommend
in the 3.5 days, there was an actual description of the far realm. it got thrown out the window so it can be whatever you want as long as you "accidentally" spill the cosmic horror in a-la Powerpuff girls.
the far realm is not.
it is outside the known universe.
it is outside time
it is outside space
it is outside comprehension by even the immortals
it is home to creatures the gods fear
there is a multiverse of things that are, and there is a multiverse of things that SOULD NOT BE.
it isn't supposed to be here
it is the realm of insanity
it is not hostile
it is not benign
IT SIMPLY IS
Pronouns: Any/All
About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Fun Fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
The Abyss has both 666 layers and infinite layers. It's a chaotic plane, what were you expecting?
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.