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Blood Tor

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The Blood Tor was the 13th layer of the Abyss, home of the Maid of Misfortune, Beshaba, and the Bitch Queen, Umberlee.[1] In the World Tree cosmology, the Blood Tor was considered the part of the Barrens of Doom and Despair in Gehenna.[3]

“
Beshaba's realm is the thirteenth layer of the Abyss. Long ago, the layer was flooded to prevent the baatezu from ever invading it again. Umberlee, the evil goddess of the sea, makes her realm in those waters. Towering over the waters is the Blood Tor, a massive rocky peak that some sages say rivals Mt. Olympus in size. Beshaba and her court live in a cavern complex within the mountain, somewhere near the pinnacle.
”
— Selûne, The Moonmaiden.[4]

Geography[]

The Blood Tor was one of the layers of the Abyss survivable by mortals and planewalkers. The Tor was a large peak of black rock, surrounded by a complex of steep boulder-strewn slopes, tress-like ridges, and treacherous ravines and chasms.[5] That mountain complex rose up high above the blood-red waters of the River of Blood, which crashed against the rock with the anger of a fierce storm—the domain of Umberlee, the goddess of seas and oceans on Toril.[6] Red streams ran down the black rocky hill and joined with the red waters underneath the Tor. It was said that the red rivulets were the blood shed by victims of misfortune on Toril.[3] The rocky mountainside was blasted by powerful winds making surface traversal a taxing and dangerous task.[5] The realm of the Blood Tor was illuminated; however, it was unclear what was the source of light.[7]

Black rocks of the Blood Tor hid numerous caverns, often used by Beshaba's devotees and servants. The goddess herself was known to use caves with pools of blood-red water as her scrying bowls as she dispensed cruel punishments on those who slighted her.[8] A sprawling cave system closer to the pinnacle of the Tor was the home and place of worship for Beshaba's devotees.[4] Entrances into the cave system of Beshaba's court were well-hidden secret doors. Behind them, travelers could find stairs that let up the mountain, hallways, caves, shrines, and temples to the Lady of Misfortune.[9]

A single tower of granite stood on the summit of the Blood Tor—the palace of the goddess of ill luck Beshaba.[2][3]

The Blood Tor held portals to other layers of the Abyss.[10]

Flora & Fauna[]

Very little vegetation could be found on the Blood Tor. The most common plant life was the red and black lichen that grew on the black and grey rocks of Beshaba's mountain.[7]

The 13th layer of the Abyss was home to huge black stags, totem servants of Beshaba. These creatures haunted the visitors of the Maid of Misfortune's realm.[11][6] Among the wildlife of the Blood Tor, visitors could encounter creatures such as pest-like eyewings[8] and deadly fetch.[12]

History[]

The Blood Tor was considered one of the greatest tanar'ri military successes of the Blood War. The layer was the site of a major but unsuccessful baatezu blitz.[6]

In the Year of the Banner, 1368 DR, Beshaba used one of her blood-water scrying pools to punish Doljust, an aging nobleman who had displeased the goddess of ill-luck. She watched Doljust as he faced off against a werebat. The creature's cave had two dead toddlers in front of it, which was a grim omen of things to come. The goddess swayed the noble's hound, forcing the beast to pounce at the lycanthrope as Doljust swung his sword. As the man mourned his beloved dying dog, Beshaba's vengeance became apparent. Doljust swung his blade once again at a sound that came from behind. A moment later, another, smaller werebat, cleaved by Doljust's sword, shifted back to its humanoid form. The adolescent werebeast was a young child who whispered "grandfather" as he died in his older relative's arms. Satisfied with her work, Beshaba dismissed the scrying spell and left the cave with the blood-red pool.[13]

Later the same year, a group of adventurers, sent by Beshaba's fellow Torillian deity Finder Wyvernspur, arrived at the Blood Tor. Joel the Rebel Bard, a winged fighter named Jasmine, and a cheerful kender called Emilo Haversack traveled the deadly slopes of the Tor towards Beshaba's tower, thinking that the Lady of Misfortune was behind recent power surges that plagued Beshaba's sister Tymora. During their travels, Iyachtu Xvim attempted to lead the group to certain death in the guise of a god from the world of Krynn, Sirrion. The adventurers faced a deadly fetch, survived, and eventually discovered the Beshaba suffered the same affliction as her sister, sending waves and quakes of her divine power across the Blood Tor and wreaking havoc on Toril.[12]

Following the events of the Spellplague of 1385 DR, the Blood Tor became part of Tempus's divine realm of the Warrior's Rest in Limbo.[2]

Notable Locations[]

  • Gallowshill, a cloistered fortress on the Blood Tor that belonged to a marilith general Taramanda. The fortress was closed to all by the general's most trusted advisers.[14]

Inhabitants[]

The goddess herself resided in the granite tower, served by petitioners, alu-fiends,[15] and other abyssal creatures. Beshaba was occasionally visited by her good consort Tempus.[2]

Notable Individuals[]

  • Airdna and Okim, Beshaba's loyal servant alu-fiends circa 1368 DR.[8]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Novels
Tymora's Luck

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 181. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 65. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 145. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 105. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 1560768746.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 106. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  9. ↑ Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 126–127. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  10. ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 144. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  11. ↑ Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 106–107. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 120–124. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  13. ↑ Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 1, pp. 9–10. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
  14. ↑ Colin McComb, Monte Cook (July 1996). “The Dark of the War”. In Ray Vallese ed. Hellbound: The Blood War (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-0407-0.
  15. ↑ Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 129–131. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
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