.Beyond Countless Doorways Preview: A Look at Kin-Li'in

An excerpt from "The Burning Shadows of Kin-Li'in" by Monte Cook

Kin-Li’in is a hellish plane of extreme heat and frigid cold. Demons cavort among the blasting geysers of fire and frost in a bacchanal of horror, rejoicing in their own destructive and perverted natures.

Although many kinds of demon inhabit Kin-Li’in, chief among them is the terrorite, a monstrosity so perverse that even its shadow brings woe. The entire plane lies underground, an endless succession of caves of ice and fire. The plane itself bears a magical infection that gives a twisted kind of life to the shadows of all creatures that dare enter its confines.

A Subterranean Hell

Some say that Kin-Li’in is the deepest level of the Underland (see Chapter One: The Countless Worlds). Some say it helped inspire the concept of the “evil underworld.” In any event, the plane Kin-Li’in has no “surface.” The entire plane consists of caverns and tunnels, most of which appear to be natural, glistening with stalactites and stalagmites like wet fangs. Maps of Kin-Li’in are notoriously useless, because the plane is so unstable. Passages collapse and new ones open up all the time. Sometimes it simply becomes impossible to get from point A to point B, even if it was once easily done. Most of the inhabitants are demons and, frankly, these issues don’t bother them—they can teleport where they need to go. They often ignore the passages, considering them a nuisance or a liability. Some demons intentionally collapse any passages leading to their lairs.

Temperature in Kin-Li’in varies widely. Extreme chill permeates some places, as one might expect deep under the ground. Other areas are insufferably hot, as one might anticipate if moving through volcanic caverns. Blasts of hot air rush down a passage only to be followed by a cloying cold. Patches of turbid ice and frost quickly melt into feculent pools in the lowest parts of a cave, only to eventually freeze again. The changing temperatures actually make the plane rather windy, which is not something most people expect underground. The wind, of course, is the least of a traveler’s worries.

Geysers of Flame and Frost

The most prominent feature of this underground realm is also its most dangerous. Vents throughout Kin-Li’in create drastic fluctuations in temperature as they unpredictably blast gouts of fire and hot air or frost as well as frigid air. These inherently magical vents lie everywhere on the plane: on cavern floors, tunnel walls, and even the ceilings. Pick a given spot, and there’s a 1 in 6 chance a geyser could erupt and affect that space. Once established that a geyser could in fact erupt in a particular space, the chance of it doing so while a creature is nearby is 1 in 20 (movement often triggers an eruption).

To simplify, if the group of PCs consists of four to eight characters, assume that after every two minutes of movement some of them (roll 1d4–1 to determine how many) must make Reflex saves to avoid damage from a random nearby geyser, as determined on the table below. A successful saving throw indicates that a character takes half damage. The higher the roll, the larger the geyser. If a geyser affects more than one character, it’s shooting its jet horizontally across the group from a wall.

Throughout their journey, the DM should describe the nearby (but too distant to threaten) geyser eruptions that occur all around the player characters almost all the time. The eruptions are so frequent, in fact, that the dark caves almost always enjoy at least a little illumination from the fire blasts.

Characters can search for a safe spot to stop, but unless they make a successful Search check (DC 15), there might be a hidden geyser in the area that they are unaware of. Hidden geysers are always of the smallest variety (DC 16, 5d6 points of damage) and have a 1 percent chance per minute of blasting resting characters.

During every encounter in Kin-Li’in, the DM should roll a d20 each round. On a roll of 1, a random geyser blasts 1d4–1 characters (roll on table above).

Hell’s Faithful

The demons of Kin-Li’in do not worship gods. Instead, they revere Kin-Li’in itself. Kin-Li’in, in their view, manifests itself in two ways—as fire and frost—so they worship those elements as higher powers. But this religious belief does not draw the inhabitants of Kin-Li’in together. Instead, being demons, they find it cause for still further contention. Every demon on the plane worships either fire or frost, and each group hates the other. Devout demons, it turns out, give new meaning to the term “fanatic,” and their intolerance for the opposing fellowship knows no bounds nor shred of logic. A weaker demon of one belief will throw itself upon a much more powerful adherent of the opposing faith.
There is no dogma or code of behavior associated with either cult. Each creed focuses purely on the reverence of its chosen element’s destructive power and the respect the demons have for that power’s ability to maim, slay, and bring pain and sorrow. Followers of a non-evil god whose portfolio includes either fire or cold would find no kinship among these demons, nor sympathy for their convictions.

Recent History in Hell

A demon prince named Beligos once ruled all of Kin-Li’in, serving as the planar warden and a purveyor of evil. About 10 years ago, however, a group of bold heroes, armed with gifts from the angels of Justiral (see Chapter Five: The Crystal Roads of Deluer), bearded the archfiend in his own lair and put him to the (holy) sword. Beligos’ Palace, a hideous edifice of bone and dried flesh that rose like a column a mile wide and a thousand feet tall, collapsed around them. The heroes got away safely, and Beligos’ body lay amid the ruins of his former home. In the wake of Beligos’ death, the entire plane erupted into chaos and warfare, although a newcomer might not have been able to notice the difference. Minor demon despots attempted to ascend Beligos’ throne. The result of the conflict was wildly inconclusive.

No one rules Kin-Li’in now. If one demon did ever rise to the position Beligos once held, the newly crowned demon prince would certainly lead the forces of this hell in a war of retribution against the celestials of Justiral.

Now that Beligos is gone, however, the most powerful demons* within Kin-Li’in are the terrorites (see page 96). Although no single terrorite has managed to claim control of the plane, as a group they have managed to infect Kin-Li’in with something called the Shadow Plague.

* There are no mariliths or balors in Kin-Li’in.

The Shadow Plague

Although as individuals they make war, as a group the terrorites hold the power of Kin-Li’in. And so, while each one would rather see himself as the sole ruler of the plane and holds nothing but contempt for his rivals, all terrorites see other demons as even worse (and nondemons as less than that). So, in a way, they work together to make clear their hold on the plane first and foremost, and then struggle among themselves secondarily. To this end, they spawned a magical disease called the Shadow Plague that infects not other beings, but the plane of Kin-Li’in itself.

The Shadow Plague makes all creatures’ shadows perilous, much in the way the terrorites’ shadows are naturally dangerous. Each day while one is in Kin-Li’in, there is a 1 in 6 chance that one’s shadow, at an unexpected time, takes on a life of its own and attacks the creature that casts it. Usually, the shadow waits until its creature is most vulnerable. These animated shadows are like standard undead shadows, except they are not undead but outsiders; DMs need not change any shadow statistics or traits, only the spells and effects that can affect them. They do not create spawn, and their attacks can be described as having a “burning” quality upon any living thing they touch, although the attack is not actually heat or acid related—it is spiritual. Undead and constructs remain immune to the attacks of their shadows and can ignore them; the frustrated shadow stays with the undead or construct and attacks living creatures the undead or construct comes near (although the shadow is not under the control of the undead or construct).

If defeated, the shadow disappears. For this reason, most creatures on the plane do not have shadows. The loss of a shadow diminishes a creature in a metaphysical way. The shadowless suffer a –1 morale penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks. A creature that leaves Kin-Li’in regains its normal shadow, but if that creature returns to Kin-Li’in, it is subject to subsequent attacks by its new shadow as normal. The terrorites’ shadows are immune to this animation.

An animated shadow that slays its caster takes on the caster’s form instead of its normal black color and gains all its memories, powers, skills, ability scores, and so on. The shadow even gets the original creature’s equipment. The new shadow creature is chaotic evil and has its own motivations, although it obeys the commands of a terrorite it comes in contact with. It cannot leave Kin-Li’in. Only a true resurrection spell can return the original creature to life; it suffers a special –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks until its shadow form is slain. A creature slain by its shadow and brought back to life by means of true resurrection cast while in Kin-Li’in still has no shadow (thus the total penalty for attacks, saves, and checks is –3). A resurrected creature slain by its shadow may regain a normal shadow on another plane, but returning to Kin-Li’in makes it subject to further attacks by its previous shadow. This means that a creature, slain by its shadow more than once, could have more than one shadow form of itself wandering the passages of this hellish plane.

Nar-Har’an

A city composed of winding mazes and well-guarded caverns, Nar-Har’an reeks of evil. It is a city only in the sense that its caves and tunnels contain a much higher concentration of demons and other malevolent inhabitants than most other portions of the plane. It does not have buildings and streets—the streets are simply wide passages connecting the various caves.

Nar-Har’an presents some real challenges in getting around, since one must always go through one or more caves to get to the passage that leads where you want to go. But these caves are the homes, shops, festhalls, and torture dens of the residents. For demons, this is no problem—they can teleport wherever they want. Nondemons must make their way carefully and hope they don’t disturb someone more powerful than they.

The Mothery Mixen

This cave, called a festhall by the natives, is the closest thing to a tavern in Nar-Har’an. Nondemons might actually find solace here, to an extent. The Mothery Mixen is operated by a half-demon ogre-mage named Youmish. He brews a concoction he calls “moltwater,” a foul drink no one would wish upon their worst enemy. Those with demon blood favor it, however, and it’s the only liquor Youmish serves. His food choices are yet more disturbing.

The crowd at the Mothery Mixen comprises a mixture of races. In addition to a handful of planar-traveling humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes, a visitor will find tieflings, githyanki, a dark elf or two, a visiting slaad, a few demons (particularly succubi, who enjoy the clientele), and perhaps even a vampire or a mind flayer.

Planar travelers come here to find out information about the plane (or other hells), to learn dark secrets like foul incantations or forbidden eldritch inventions, or to purchase evil magic items, poisons, and even vials of pure disease. It might be the safest place for such travelers in Kin-Li’in. But it’s still extremely dangerous.

Some patrons play a game called Kevils, also known as Deadman’s Bones. It’s a fairly complex game of tossed dice and numbered tiles. Travelers may have the misfortune of meeting a human named Colonus Breedbate, often found playing Kevils here. This is not actually Colonus, but his shadow form. The real Colonus was killed by his animated shadow more than a year ago (see the “The Shadow Plague,” page 89), and the shadow took his form. Shadow Colonus preys upon visitors to Kin-Li’in by selling them directions that lead them to near-certain death, then collecting their possessions from their bodies. Sometimes he works out arrangements with demonic natives to send off-world prey their way in exchange for some or all of the victim’s loot. Other times, he simply lures the unwary into a cavern sure to be scoured by a powerful flame geyser or buried in a rockslide.

Colonus has spread rumors that he is a possible contact for travelers looking for information and pays those that send him “referrals” a cut of whatever he can get. He even has managed to make it known off-plane that travelers who come to Kin-Li’in should seek him out. This shadow-form creature speaks Abyssal, Aquan, and Infernal in addition to Common.

COLONUS BREEDBATE, male shadow-form human Sor12: CR 12; Medium humanoid; HD 12d4; hp 33; Init +0; Speed 30 feet; AC 14 (armor +4), touch 10, flat-footed 14; BAB +6; Grapple +6; Attack +8 melee (1d6+2, critical 20/x2, club), or +8 ranged (1d6+2, critical 20/x2, club); Full Attack +8/+3 melee (1d6+2, critical 20/x2, club), or +8/+3 ranged (1d6+2, critical 20/x2, club); AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +10; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 19

Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Concentration +5, Craft (weaponsmithing) +7, Diplomacy +9, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +11, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Listen +9, Move Silently +2, Search +8, Spellcraft +5, Spot +5; Craft Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Heighten Spell, Persuasive, Silent Spell, Spell Penetration

Possessions: +4 bracers of armor, +2 evil outsider bane club,+1 club, wand of summon monster II (18 charges), potions of cure light wounds, gaseous form, haste, and heroism, hell coins (2), 45 gp

Spells Known (6/7/7/7/7/5/3): 0—acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic, flare, light, mage hand, mending, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—charm person, chill touch, comprehend languages, magic missile, shield; 2nd—bear’s endurance, locate object, obscure object, scorching ray, spider climb; 3rd—blink, fireball, fly, major image; 4th—charm monster, dimension door, polymorph; 5th—blight, prying eyes; 6th–summon monster VI

The Font of Fire

The adherents of fire, who call themselves the Seared, hold one place on the plane sacred (using that term loosely). This place, the site of the largest of the flame-spouting geysers, they call the Font of Fire. Here demonic clerics lead unholy rites in the name of the flames of Kin-Li’in.

Joaalrenag is a glabrezu that serves as the High Priest of Fire by right of might. Although the fire of Kin-Li’in is no god, these demon clerics of fire can tap into its vigor to cast cleric spells. However, because this is more their own doing than that of the nonsentient fire, they cannot manage greater than 3rd-level spells.

Joaalrenag frequently sends babau assassins to infiltrate the ranks of the priests of frost to slay whom they can. These assassins rarely succeed, but their number is virtually limitless, making them as useful as they are expendable.

Visitors can find the Seared throughout the plane, not just at the Font of Fire. Though some keep their religious affiliation secret, others proclaim it proudly and wear one of various fiery symbols, often as a brand burned right into their flesh. Usually these unabashed demons attack a follower of frost on sight, if they see the appropriate symbol.

The Font of Frost

The worshippers of frost in Kin-Li’in refer to their flock as the Frigid. The Frigid gather about the greatest of the cold geysers called the Font of Frost. The demon clerics of frost dance and cavort atop a small frozen lake that surrounds the font, holding violent, bacchanalian services to revere the cold power manifest in Kin-Li’in.

A hateful and devious succubus named Ulan holds the position of the High Priestess of Frost. She takes many forms, but wears her crown of frost in all her guises. Ulan’s fellow priests are mostly babau demons, although a number of hezrou serve as unholy knights (guards/enforcers). As with the clerics of fire, these clerics of frost can draw upon its power to cast up to 3rd-level cleric spells.

Crown of Frost: The ingenious artificers of this small crown crafted it of solid ice. Its ever-cold form never melts. The wearer gains immunity to cold and can use cone of cold and wall of ice each three times per day.
Moderate evocation; caster level 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, cone of cold, protection from energy, wall of ice; Price 86,400 gp; 2 lbs.

See Beyond Countless Doorways for more on this plane, including Xar-el’s Warren, details on the Awakened One,
Inhabitants of Kin-Li'in, a new demon—the terrorite—and adventure hooks to use in the plane.

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