Abyssal Layer #436: The Mordant Tempest<br/>Even by the liberal standards of Abyssal Planes, the Mordant Tempest is a dismal and inhospitable place. It is superficially similar to the Shadowsea, Dagon's home, in that it is an ocean of infinite size and tremendous depth, and has a portal connecting it to the elder obryith's realm in the form of a great whirlpool. But where the Shadowsea is an ocean of water, the Mordant Tempest's endless depths are composed entirely of the most caustic and corrosive acids, capable of dissolving flesh in seconds and disintegrating even the hardest metals. Nor is it any more welcoming above the surface, for the sunless skies are blanketed with layers upon layers of roiling storm clouds that pour acid rain down into the oceans and lash out at the air with crackling bolts of lightning. The only breaks in the clouds are towering pillars of smooth bluesteel, the rare metal that forms the basis for alchemically treating metals to repel acid. Protruding miles above the surface of the sea through hundreds of layers of clouds, they are surrounded by rippling haloes of light from the non-stop barrages of electrical bolts that bombard them, and can function as natural lightning rods to give airborne travelers a momentary respite from the bombardment.<br/><br/>Despite this murderous environment, the Mordant Tempest possesses an unusually thriving ecology all of its own, at least below the surface. Sharks, squid, fish, and all manner of other aquatic life forms adapted to swim in and breathe liquid acid as if it were water dwell there, forming a complex food chain down to equally acid-adapted plant life and up to the warped kraken offspring of Garamorosh itself who cruise through the depths with endless hunger. These creatures provide hosts for the plane's native dybbuk inhabitants who make war on each other with possessed corpses, and the occasional prey of a unique type of demon almost identical to the yochlol handmaidens of Lolth save for their ability to take the form of monstrous squid instead of spiders. Among the clouds, fiendish storm elementals of all sizes cavort amidst the flashing lightning and burning raindrops. A quartet of myrmixicus demons rule as well from their airborne citadels, having sworn fealty to the betentacled lord of the plane and constantly squabbling amongst themselves over the exact boundaries of their respective quadrants extending outward from the great whirlpool that marks the Mordant Tempest's "center" and connects to the Shadowsea. Smaller vortexes connect the plane to various other oceanic Abyssal realms, but they appear and vanish seemingly at random.<br/><br/>Any visitor to the Mordant Tempest would be wise to know exactly where they are going and how to get there, lest they find whatever protections they brought against the plane's inherent traits failing at an inopportune moment, or simply having the misfortune of crossing paths with the mighty obyrith lord who rules its skies and sea. Garamorosh, after all, is always hungry for bodies, minds, and souls, and welcomes trespassers as easy and delicious meals.<br/><br/>Planar Traits:<br/><strong>Strongly Chaotic and Strongly Evil-aligned:</strong>Creatures that are not both Chaotic and Evil suffer a -2 penalty on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma-based checks, and a -4 penalty if they are neither Chaotic nor Evil.<br/><strong>Acid Rain</strong>: All exposed creatures and unattended objects suffer 4d6 acid damage per round (no save) while on the plane, ignoring hardness. If submerged in the acid ocean, the damage increases to 20d6 per round, ignoring hardness.<br/><strong>Electrical Storms:</strong>Any exposed creature above the surface is struck by 1d6 lightning bolts per round, each dealing 5d6 electric damage (Reflex DC30 half). If a creature is within 10ft of a bluesteel pillar, the lightning bolts are negated.<br/><strong>Fierce Winds:</strong>The churning winds of the plane's endless storms are as much a threat to airborne creatures as its rain is, battering away at even magically uplifted beings with thunderous force. Any corporeal flying creature on the plane has its maneuverability reduced by one step (perfect to good, good to average, average to poor, poor to clumsy) as long as it remains on the plane. Clumsy creatures remain clumsy.<br/><strong>Enhanced Magic:</strong>All spells with the [Acid] descriptor are both Maximized and Enlarged (as if the Maximize Spell and Enlarge Spell had been used on them, but the spells don’t require higher-level slots). All spells with the [Electric] descriptor are instead Empowered and Enlarged. Spells and spell-like abilities that are already maximized or enlarged are unaffected by this benefit.<br/><strong>Impeded Magic:</strong>Spells and spell-like abilities that manipulate the wind or weath (such as Gust of Wind, Control Winds, Control Weather, or any spell from the Windstorm or Storm domains) are impeded. Garamorosh's own innate Control Winds ability is exempt from this.<br/>