Where exactly is the Blood Rift? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Where exactly is the Blood Rift?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Feb 25, 2006 13:14:52 Hey,

I am running a 3.5 Planescape Campaign, and the father of one of the PCs -- an aasimar -- is being held by Inthracis from WotSQ, Book 6.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=books/fr/resurrectioncp

My question is this: Where is the Blood Rift? I flipped through the Manual of Planes, but couldn't find the plane. Gehenna?

And please answer a question this time, instead of simply lurking around. Thank you.
#2
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Feb 25, 2006 13:24:54 It's a plane in the 3.x Forgotten Realms retroactive cosmology that didn't exist previously. It's a thinly veiled replacement for Gehenna and the Gray Waste with elements of both cobbled together.

To be kind, it's Bizarro Gehenna, or perhaps the 3e FR equivalent of the August Derleth version of HP Lovecraft's work; it's planar pastiche of the highest order. When there's Inthracis replacing Anthraxus with a straight face... ;)

Within the bizarro FR cosmology, the Blood Rift is situated between its clone of the Abyss and Baator (which are exactly like the Great Wheel's Abyss and Baator but have absolutely nothing to do with them and never have, because you know, its always been like that).
#3
zombiegleemax
Feb 25, 2006 13:38:45
It's a plane in the 3.x Forgotten Realms retroactive cosmology that didn't exist previously. It's a thinly veiled replacement for Gehenna and the Gray Waste with elements of both cobbled together.

To be kind, it's Bizarro Gehenna, or perhaps the 3e FR equivalent of the August Derleth version of HP Lovecraft's work; it's planar pastiche of the highest order. When there's Inthracis replacing Anthraxus with a straight face... ;)

Within the bizarro FR cosmology, the Blood Rift is situated between its clone of the Abyss and Baator (which are exactly like the Great Wheel's Abyss and Baator but have absolutely nothing to do with them and never have, because you know, its always been like that).

First of all, let me say that being addressed by a yugoloth, especially Shemeska of Sigil, fills me with boundless joy.
Anyway, do you think I can place Calaas -- the Blood Rift's largest volcano -- in Gehenna, eliminating the Blood Rift completely? Or maybe put only the Corpsehaven (where the aasimar's father's soul is being held for bizarre experiments and torture) into the Crawling City?
On a side note, Inthracis is a pretty interesting villain, if not a tad bit obnoxious.
#4
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Feb 25, 2006 14:18:32
First of all, let me say that being addressed by a yugoloth, especially Shemeska of Sigil, fills me with boundless joy.
Anyway, do you think I can place Calaas -- the Blood Rift's largest volcano -- in Gehenna, eliminating the Blood Rift completely? Or maybe put only the Corpsehaven (where the aasimar's father's soul is being held for bizarre experiments and torture) into the Crawling City?
On a side note, Inthracis is a pretty interesting villain, if not a tad bit obnoxious.

Calaas = Khalas. It's just a mispelled 'replacement' for that Gehennan Mount. Just stick Corpsehaven there on Khalas.

Inthracis is interesting, but... I have some issues with how the character was ultimately handled, and with some of the yugoloth lore contained within the novel (the background reading on the fiends in general was lacking in multiple places in that novel. Kemp is a good author, I enjoy his stuff, but the fiends were sloppy in some specific cases).
#5
ripvanwormer
Feb 25, 2006 19:24:52 Inthracis is a pastiche of Anthraxus, the former Oinoloth in the Great Wheel cosmology. He's presented as the second most powerful yugoloth in the multiverse, second only to the General of Gehenna's equivalent, and as such he's is a little lacking.

However, if you take him out of that context and just make him a powerful yugoloth in Khalas, those problems largely disappear.
#6
gray_richardson
Feb 25, 2006 21:32:41 In my mind, Inthracis is likely an avatar/aspect of the Greyhawk Anthraxus spun off many eons ago to head up opperations in the FR cosmology. They were once the same being, but now they are different.

Their personal histories would have begun to diverge around the time that Inthracis was split off. Now, after so many eons, you would expect to see several differences between them. Different experiences, different personalities, different goals and motivations.

Originally there were no fiends in the FR cosmology. But then Shar went to war with Selûne over the creation of the sun. Shar went outside the universe, beyond deepest shadow to the Great Wheel. She brought over yugoloths, demons and devils. Fiendish mercenaries of every kind. The archfiends sent over avatars of themselves to lead Shar's armies against Selûne and Chauntea.

After the War of Light and Darkness had ended, the fiends took up residence in the Barrens of Doom & Despair. Over time they recreated versions of their home planes and broke them off from the Barrens of Doom and Despair (some say the gods who lived there kicked them out for raising so much hell.)

The Abyss and the Nine Hells of the FR cosmology are very similar to their Great Wheel counterparts, nearly indistinguishable, although there are a few differences.

The Blood Rift only resembles Gehenna in a few places. Especially in so far as the yugoloths have raised a huge volcano named Calaas that they fashioned in the image of Khalas. The rest of the plane bears more resemblance to the plane of the Barrens of Doom & Despair that it was split off from.

Of course, if you go with Planescape's Great Wheel, as Shemmy suggests, then you can simply relocate Inthracis and his ilk to Khalas without any problems. You just have to decide whether he corresponds to Anthraxus or to ignore the link and treat him as a unique character.
#7
zombiegleemax
Feb 26, 2006 1:32:15 Hmm. Treating him as a unique character sounds better IMHO.
#8
zombiegleemax
Mar 03, 2006 4:24:09 While we're on the subject... it htink it's been asked before... has anyone actually statted up the Altraloths?
#9
ripvanwormer
Mar 03, 2006 11:30:02
While we're on the subject... it htink it's been asked before... has anyone actually statted up the Altraloths?

Taba was statted in this thread. Anthraxus is here, and Charon is here.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Feb 25, 2006 13:14:52	Hey, I am running a 3.5 Planescape Campaign, and the father of one of the PCs -- an aasimar -- is being held by Inthracis from WotSQ, Book 6. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=books/fr/resurrectioncp My question is this: Where is the Blood Rift? I flipped through the Manual of Planes, but couldn't find the plane. Gehenna? And please answer a question this time, instead of simply lurking around. Thank you.
#2 Shemeska_the_Marauder Feb 25, 2006 13:24:54	It's a plane in the 3.x Forgotten Realms retroactive cosmology that didn't exist previously. It's a thinly veiled replacement for Gehenna and the Gray Waste with elements of both cobbled together. To be kind, it's Bizarro Gehenna, or perhaps the 3e FR equivalent of the August Derleth version of HP Lovecraft's work; it's planar pastiche of the highest order. When there's Inthracis replacing Anthraxus with a straight face... ;) Within the bizarro FR cosmology, the Blood Rift is situated between its clone of the Abyss and Baator (which are exactly like the Great Wheel's Abyss and Baator but have absolutely nothing to do with them and never have, because you know, its always been like that).
#3 zombiegleemax Feb 25, 2006 13:38:45	It's a plane in the 3.x Forgotten Realms retroactive cosmology that didn't exist previously. It's a thinly veiled replacement for Gehenna and the Gray Waste with elements of both cobbled together. To be kind, it's Bizarro Gehenna, or perhaps the 3e FR equivalent of the August Derleth version of HP Lovecraft's work; it's planar pastiche of the highest order. When there's Inthracis replacing Anthraxus with a straight face... ;) Within the bizarro FR cosmology, the Blood Rift is situated between its clone of the Abyss and Baator (which are exactly like the Great Wheel's Abyss and Baator but have absolutely nothing to do with them and never have, because you know, its always been like that). First of all, let me say that being addressed by a yugoloth, especially Shemeska of Sigil, fills me with boundless joy. Anyway, do you think I can place Calaas -- the Blood Rift's largest volcano -- in Gehenna, eliminating the Blood Rift completely? Or maybe put only the Corpsehaven (where the aasimar's father's soul is being held for bizarre experiments and torture) into the Crawling City? On a side note, Inthracis is a pretty interesting villain, if not a tad bit obnoxious.
#4 Shemeska_the_Marauder Feb 25, 2006 14:18:32	First of all, let me say that being addressed by a yugoloth, especially Shemeska of Sigil, fills me with boundless joy. Anyway, do you think I can place Calaas -- the Blood Rift's largest volcano -- in Gehenna, eliminating the Blood Rift completely? Or maybe put only the Corpsehaven (where the aasimar's father's soul is being held for bizarre experiments and torture) into the Crawling City? On a side note, Inthracis is a pretty interesting villain, if not a tad bit obnoxious. Calaas = Khalas. It's just a mispelled 'replacement' for that Gehennan Mount. Just stick Corpsehaven there on Khalas. Inthracis is interesting, but... I have some issues with how the character was ultimately handled, and with some of the yugoloth lore contained within the novel (the background reading on the fiends in general was lacking in multiple places in that novel. Kemp is a good author, I enjoy his stuff, but the fiends were sloppy in some specific cases).
#5 ripvanwormer Feb 25, 2006 19:24:52	Inthracis is a pastiche of Anthraxus, the former Oinoloth in the Great Wheel cosmology. He's presented as the second most powerful yugoloth in the multiverse, second only to the General of Gehenna's equivalent, and as such he's is a little lacking. However, if you take him out of that context and just make him a powerful yugoloth in Khalas, those problems largely disappear.
#6 gray_richardson Feb 25, 2006 21:32:41	In my mind, Inthracis is likely an avatar/aspect of the Greyhawk Anthraxus spun off many eons ago to head up opperations in the FR cosmology. They were once the same being, but now they are different. Their personal histories would have begun to diverge around the time that Inthracis was split off. Now, after so many eons, you would expect to see several differences between them. Different experiences, different personalities, different goals and motivations. Originally there were no fiends in the FR cosmology. But then Shar went to war with Selûne over the creation of the sun. Shar went outside the universe, beyond deepest shadow to the Great Wheel. She brought over yugoloths, demons and devils. Fiendish mercenaries of every kind. The archfiends sent over avatars of themselves to lead Shar's armies against Selûne and Chauntea. After the War of Light and Darkness had ended, the fiends took up residence in the Barrens of Doom & Despair. Over time they recreated versions of their home planes and broke them off from the Barrens of Doom and Despair (some say the gods who lived there kicked them out for raising so much hell.) The Abyss and the Nine Hells of the FR cosmology are very similar to their Great Wheel counterparts, nearly indistinguishable, although there are a few differences. The Blood Rift only resembles Gehenna in a few places. Especially in so far as the yugoloths have raised a huge volcano named Calaas that they fashioned in the image of Khalas. The rest of the plane bears more resemblance to the plane of the Barrens of Doom & Despair that it was split off from. Of course, if you go with Planescape's Great Wheel, as Shemmy suggests, then you can simply relocate Inthracis and his ilk to Khalas without any problems. You just have to decide whether he corresponds to Anthraxus or to ignore the link and treat him as a unique character.
#7 zombiegleemax Feb 26, 2006 1:32:15	Hmm. Treating him as a unique character sounds better IMHO.
#8 zombiegleemax Mar 03, 2006 4:24:09	While we're on the subject... it htink it's been asked before... has anyone actually statted up the Altraloths?
#9 ripvanwormer Mar 03, 2006 11:30:02	While we're on the subject... it htink it's been asked before... has anyone actually statted up the Altraloths? Taba was statted in this thread. Anthraxus is here, and Charon is here.