The Abyss

The Abyss is a deep and inhospitable Chthonian Sphere which is the source of magma and ocean currents. Its ruler is Ashalla.

## The Abyss

### Location

Chthonian Sphere, very deep beneath Galbar.

## Influence

The Abyss is the source of the elemental forces which drive many changes upon the landscape of Galbar. Virtually all magma is sourced from the bottom of the Abyss, drawn up to Galbar's surface through Muspelheim.

The turbulent currents in the Abyss drive the ocean currents and storms of Galbar.

Volcanoes and volcanic gases can trace their source back to the Abyss, although these things almost always pass through Muspelheim, which provides the impetus for these things to rise from the depths and penetrate the surface as volcanic vents and volcanoes. However, deep sea trenches have a closer than usual connection to the Abyss, so volcanic vents there sometimes bypass Muspelheim.

From K'nell's gift of sleep to the ocean, the Abyss drives the ocean of Galbar to undergo a regular cycle of rest and activity - tides.

## Physical Description

The Abyss is a dark and cavernous place, too deep for sunlight to penetrate. Most of the Abyss is filled with sea-water as dark as the depths of the ocean. In stark contrast to the cold, dark water above, the lower part of the Abyss is made of molten rock. A thin layer of igneous stone separates the water and magma, this layer constantly being broken by shifting currents and reformed as the magma is cooled by the water. The heat of this layer drives turbulent currents within the water of the Abyss, which in turn drives the ocean currents and storms of Galbar. The magma also provides the main source of illumination in the Abyss, meaning it is not totally dark. While darkness still characterises much of the Abyss, bioluminescent life is abundant and provides lights like a starry sky.

In some places, the magma is not content to sit at the bottom of the Abyss, but instead strives to rise through the water to Galbar above. If successful, these spots of rising magma are drawn by Muspelheim to create volcanoes upon the surface of Galbar. However, these rising pillars of magma are unstable things, prone to shifting, collapsing and rising again. This leaves an intricate pattern of igneous rock columns which can be found throughout the Abyss.

Volcanic gases rise up from some of the cracks in the bottom of the Abyss. This injects heat and minerals into the water, and these columns of bubbling gases continue to rise and fuel volcanic vents both terrestrial and marine.

As a Sphere of water, lava and stone, air is scarce in the Abyss, and what pockets of 'air' are present is mostly unbreathable volcanic gas. Furthermore, the great depth of the Abyss means that the water is under immense pressure. This makes the Abyss a hostile place for surface-dwellers. However, the Abyss can support properly adapted life, with potential ecosystems leaching energy from the volcanic vents.

## Ecology

There is life in the Abyss which was created by Ashalla. The base of the ecology are extremophilic chemosynthetic archaea which life in symbiosis with corals and tube worms. Biomatter not available from the volcanic gases trickles down from the oceans above. Other creatures such as copepods, shrimps, spider crabs, fanged fish, and large-eyed cephalopods to fill out the food web. Almost all of these species are minimally pigmented or clear, but they are also bioluminescent. They use their bioluminescence as alarms to indicate distress when attacked by predators, or as signals to communicate with each other. Some can even spray bioluminescent ink. This bioluminescence adds colour, light and beauty to the Abyss which was not present before.

The apex predator of the Abyss are the deep-terrors, which nest in the Sphere and guard it from intruders. However, adult deep-terrors hunt in the oceans of Galbar, since the creatures of the Abyss are too small to properly feed such large beasts.

The Abyssal Leviathan lairs in the Abyss when it is not performing tasks on Galbar. While in the Abyss, it hibernates in the magma, although it may stir to defend the Abyss from invaders.

Iron Carrionfish sometimes visit the Abyss, since some were blessed by Ashalla to survive the conditions in the Abyss. Such sightings are rare since there is little food for them in the Abyss.

## Location

The Abyss is a Chthonic Sphere. It is deep beneath Galbar, closer to the Core than the Middle Sphere. It is theoretically reachable via natural connections from Galbar, through the deepest parts of the ocean or in the bowels of volcanoes, but such natural connections are unreliable and dangerous to traverse. The most reliable passage to the Abyss is via the Abyssal Rift, although this passage is as hazardous as the Abyss itself.

The Abyss neighbours Ehomakwoi, the Sphere of Stone, where these two elemental Spheres complement each other.

The Abyss's influence bubbles up through the Purlieu in a similar manner to how it influences Galbar, although accessing the Abyss from the Purlieu is just as difficult as accessing it from Galbar.

Most of the Abyss's magma is channelled through Muspelheim to fuel its great volcanoes.

Some of the Abyss's magma seeps into the Pit of Trials.

## References

1. ↑ Tides become a thing - https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4947985
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ashalla populates the Abyss and creates the deep-terrors - https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4903039
3. ↑ Ashalla and Narzhak create the Abyssal Leviathan and bring some Iron Carrionfish to the Abyss - https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4888919