What's Hiding in the Outlands?

A mysterious body is hidden at the base of the Spire in the Outlands, who or what could it be?
More on Vecna: • Vecna Explained | D&D ...
Best ways to support
✅ SHARE W/ FRIENDS ► / jorphdan
✅ PATREON ► / jorphdan
🎲 2nd Channel (The Junction) - / @jocularjunction
🚀 substack.com/@jorphdan
👾 Discord Server - bit.ly/Jorphdan
🐦 Twitter - / jorphdan
🔷 Bluesky - bsky.app/profile/jorphdan.bsk...
🕹️Twitch - / jorphdan
🎙️ Podcast! - podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... or / @smrpgshow
🐉 DMsGuild Adventures! bit.ly/PHsGuild
👕 Channel Merch! bit.ly/3gYzCCT
💳 Affiliate Links 🏦
Dungeon Masters Guild - bit.ly/PHsGuild
DriveThruRPG - bit.ly/33ZbP24
dScryb - dscryb.com/jorphdan
Amazon Store - amzn.to/3HLpiuU
itch.io - jorphdan.itch.io/?ac=tRH6cQqSZvG
Humble Bundle - www.humblebundle.com/store?pa...
Kobold Press - koboldpress.com/kpstore?raf=r...
Video Specific References:
Tales from the Infinite Staircase (2e) preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/p...
Sigil and the Outlands (5e) amzn.to/3QLYdiH
Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II (2e) preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/p...
Morte’s Planar Parade (5e) amzn.to/3QLYdiH
Turn of Fortune’s Wheel (5e) amzn.to/3QLYdiH
Planescape Campaign Setting (2e) preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/p...
I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. dig.ccmixter.org/files/grapes/... Ft: J Lang, Morusque
Any links to products or services may be affiliate links that give me a small kickback at no cost to you, with no influence on the content. Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to create videos for you each week!
#Jorphdan #Planescape #DnDLore

[@a.dykeman1980]

I think the one idea that stuck out to me, in all of this, is that most of the detritus inside The Spire is actually fragments of broken blades… like the wreath of blades that surrounds The Lady of Pain. That connection may or may not be intended, but it fascinates me nonetheless.

[@MoonGoblin]

If your theory about magic of the planes being channelled through the spire is correct, the 'anti-magic' effect might be due to magic being absorbed as soon as it is cast. That would also explain why the effect is stronger the closer one gets to the spire, and it may be more of an unintentional side effect than some intentionally created defense against gods and magic users.

[@NoConsequenc3]

could also be why someone can ascend there - they grab that magic for themselves

[@Immopimmo]

-'I hate these filthy Rilmani. With enemies you know where they stand but with Neutrals, who knows? It sickens me.'

[@BobWorldBuilder]

I think you’ve cracked the code yet again!

[@FoxBatinaHat]

There's 7 copies of the Book of Vile darkness in the multiverse- each a projection of each other. its a unique artifact - (conceptually) like a mirror image on a grand similacrum scale. I think the Rilmani are very much Myr-like now. You're right. They do look like something out of mtg

[@daanopdebeeck2312]

About the mystery of the obelisks, as you mentioned before, they are most likely multiversal gateways (or nodes) created by the Spellweavers. The Netherese Empire researched it, probably devised some magical items from it, or tried to replicate it in any way but failed to do so. I highly advice you to read the FR wiki on the Spellweavers! According to the wiki, it's suggested they met their end by reuniting all the planes or trying to ascend their entire civilization to godhood. I quote "an event of apocalyptic proportions that would kill all, including the gods themselves." Well this sounds like something Vecna would get behind, a big multiversal reset button to remake reality as he pleases...**evil laugh**

[@micahmiley6675]

The God Jergal is actually one of the last remaining spellweavers also, I believe he's been trying to figure out a way to reset the multiverse back to before his race met its tragic end.

[@briancorvello3620]

7:33 The final page of Die Vecna Die claims that Vecna was unceremoniously dumped on his homeworld of Oerth, losing all of the power he stole from Sigil and from Iuz; both villains were humiliated by the result, but both survived. Though it is still very likely the "black hole" was created by the Lady and even more likelier that Vecna is plotting revenge.

[@Kugo]

NEW JORPHDAN VIDEO

[@Jorphdan]

it's happening!!!

[@chancefortune6333]

The idea of the spire and The Outlands always gave me a Stephen King's Dark Tower vibe.

[@beatleblev]

I have used it for just that purpose in a Rifts/D&D/Kingverse mashup campaign.

[@Swan234]

As soon as he said laylines I thought the same

[@yesmilord2350]

A lore video! I'm so happy you made one! I love them so much and it's been so long.

[@jaredeschweiler3505]

The Frog God is Wastari or Ramenos. God of bullywugs and lost all their followers because they are the god of sloth too. Funny they don't die from no worshippers, and poetically makes sense. Their power could also be passively keeping vecna or aoskar contained. Would love if Aoskar and Vecna teamed up to conquer Sigil. God of Secrets and God of Portals = multiversal campaign of conquest.

[@Dirt_the_Cook]

Please make more Planescape content! Would love to see more, especially with the new box recently released helping put Planescape on peoples minds. This is a really interesting take and would love to hear more from ya.

[@VoiceofGeekdom]

In the artwork for the Rilmani city of Dendradis in Turn of Fortune's Wheel, you can see the corpse of a dead god inside the spire (the design looks a bit like a Celestial from Marvel Comics). This giant corpse is also described in the flavor text at the beginning of the chapter and IIRC it's also mentioned in the Sigil and the Outlands book. Who do you think this is? According to AD&D lore, apparently, Aoskar's body was cast into the Astral Plane ... but that would be my best guess based upon what the Scholar says about the foundation of the city. Any thoughts? And yes, the possible connection to Vecna's reemergence is definitely intriguing.

[@digunder14]

looking at the artwork, it looks more like the spellweavers than anything

[@VoiceofGeekdom]

Could be related, the arms are definitely similar.

[@zmishiymishi5349]

Whoa, lots of stuff i didnt knew about! i remember how my dm recreated some of scenes from Vecna modules. We indeed were fighting Vecna in Sygil... Well, half of our team did... The other half was fighting Lady of Pain in the name of Vecna. That was a fun finale.

[@paulwarren29]

i don't think you can fight the lady of pain

[@HerrLokiZockt]

@@paulwarren29 Yeah, since basically her stat block is basically just the words: You die. Painfully. I consider it as a liberty by the dm to make the Lady fightable. Considering that she was able to beat a god of portals into oblivion I consider it a big liberty, but well, as long as the players had fun.

[@picklejho69]

You can fight the Lady of Pain if you so choose, but there is no possible scenario in which one could even harm her, let alone defea her in any way. The accepted wisdom comes from her just straight up not having a stat block, and that is very much intentional. You cannot harm her, or affect her in any way except to irritate or please her with your actions. So you'd best hope you're acting to please, because otherwise your best possible future is getting Mazed.

[@nathanpfirman625]

This is exactly what I’ve been needing. For such an important and central (literally) plane I’ve always wondered why it doesn’t have the attention it deserves. Meanwhile standard cities like Waterdeep that are just cool gathering places for games and stuff meanwhile the grand scheme of stuff in dnd barely ever gets the attention it needs. Like why don’t we ever get campaigns where we’re like level 15 and we’re in sigil sent by gods to take their place as some of their strongest clerics. Like why isn’t the Outland getting the attention it needs. The Outland is just soo cool. It’s got aspects from nearly every plane. You got plane travelers from every plane there. You got portals everywhere. Like why isn’t it getting tons of lore added to it and covered.

[@johngleeman8347]

Do you like the rilmani's new robotic look Jorphdan? It certainly surprised me to see such a major alteration to their appearance.

[@Chonk_enthusiest]

I'd be pretty suprised if the body under This new city wasn't Aoskar, considering what the secrets of eternity said. I do also think that there is some legitimacy to the other 3 too, and while everything being in a bag of holding would be dumb, if explained in an interesting way, I think it could work.

[@digunder14]

to my knowledge vecna was never imprisoned after his defeat in sigil, especially not in 5e, so that seems like a massive potential hole in the theory of it being vecna

[@lorensoth4365]

Not necessarily. The Heroes of the Realms game established that 2E Vecna, 3E Vecna, and 5E Vecna all exist different. He is still stuck in Ravenloft, did fall from Sigil, and is a God as in 5E

[@adrianalva3455]

It's not Vecna. He had his shot. If he is relevant in the coming story, i think it will just to unleash the real threat. Like when Azuth fell through the Planes to be captured/consumed by Asmodeus, Vecna crashing through the Planes will break the last lock that anyone would want open. Bear with me. You make it a point to describe how space and distance are not defined things in the Outlands. If everywhere can be anywhere at any given moment, so can nowhere. "Out in the middle of nowhere" is not that far away from anywhere. Nowhere... hmmm. So, when gods want to lock something, or someone, away so no one will ever find it, they put it "no where". Never to be found. So of course, Vecna crashes into the wall next door. Tharizdun is breaking free. Since Shar failed in her task to unravel the universe, whispered (important point) to her when she delved too deep in the Shadow and brushed the borders of Oblivion, now he will have a chance to do it himself. Reality managed to survive a goddess merely tainted with the madness and chaos of the Far realms. Now they have to contend with the real, undiluted thing. This could be big.

[@Satori2046]

Planescape is just a marvel of a setting. Thanks for the video !

[@kedraroth]

Good to see you back! I was hoping for you to talk about this and Planescape 5e

[@JustinTotino]

Fantastic video and thanks for the info! One of my groups just hit level 13 and are starting to look into planar travel, one character's backstory linking to Sigil, so hinting at this stuff in my gameplay will be fun.

[@DorsonKieffer]

This is awesome. Please do more. Thank you!

[@mr7oclock346]

I have a character I played in Planescape that I now use as an NPC in my Waterdeep campaign. So, I don't care what WOTC is doing, but I'm going to be using something like this as plot hook later. The character is a Bard who was in Sigil during Die Vecna Die, but now runs music shop in Waterdeep. Since the character is a mentor to the party's bard, this could make for an episode close out to the adventure. Nothing is more epic than facing off against Vecna, THE Big Bad Evil Guy of D&D.

[@jonathancampbell5231]

I think Vecna has been active since after 2E in various places, so I doubt it's his body. As far as I'm aware, he's been a Lesser Deity since 3E.

[@jefflawless7911]

@2:44 ... oooh!, that's where Dendradis came from!

[@almitrahopkins1873]

Dendrochronology is the dating of things by studying the rings built up over time in the wood of the structure. Dendradis likely has something within its core taken from Dis in the Nine Hells that is slowly being wrapped in rings to bury it forever in a place where all magic does not function. What in Dis was too dangerous to leave imprisoned there? This is likely a retelling of the Hellgate Keep story in the Forgotten Realms on a Planescape scale. Something so evil that it couldn’t be left in the prison of the Nine Hells that a new prison had to be created on the Spire to hold it. It’s fascinating to speculate on it.

[@SeraphimKnight]

The original rilmani design was kind of ugly but it was quirky and memorable. The redesign just looks, exactly as you pointed out, like a generic random construct to me.

[@Kakkarot211]

So glad to see a new video from you and another video on obelisks

[@BrycePerry]

I thought the black hole that Vecna was pulled through took him to the Demiplane of Dread.

[@Ironbreeze53]

Orion is out of the bag…the 🐈 the cat is out of the bag & the galaxies are in the bag.The multiverses is in a bag marbles.

[@Nox-eg3rq]

So the last secret from the yogaloth is simply the dm putting his notes of the dnd season in his backpack and going back home 😂😂😂 cheeky refers to reality lol

[@HellsCourtesy]

After the new release of the planescape books (which I totally pirated) I was wondering when a video would come about the outlands. So glad to get to watch this, unfortunately delayed as no time as of this moment. very sad and tragic.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

"As above it is also below"

[@IsAStormComing]

Cool story Jorf

[@misterdonwaters]

Hey @jorphan ! 20:17 How about “But the hand of Vecna was treacherous, and it fell from its parasitic host and flowed towards the Lich, suddenly at one again with its real owner.”? I feel Vecna would have enough power to command his undead flesh like that. Also, do a vid about this one: What happens to a Dragon’s soul when it dies? An underworld for Dragons? What if a Dragon sold its soul for power? Is a Dragon Soul worth more in Avernus? Can a Dragon be cursed with Vampirism? Were-Dragons? Were-Cats who are gnomes or halflings in non-were form? Do the vid and please make a pdf of it with your writer friends for sale with no cut of any profit for me. Just mention me as inspiration for the ideas if you feel like

[@Faerie_King]

a race of powerful neutral beings who seek to preserve multiversal balance entombing a wildly destabilizing being like Vecna after a failed attempt to increase his ability to sew chaos exponentially ...sounds about right to me

[@cameronpearce5943]

At my table I’m switching out the book of vile darkness from this and Key’s and my Halloween Netherese Lich Tomb one shot with pages of vile darkness, through which Vecna is using to communicate and send out evil beings to find his hand and eye currently in possession of Arkhan’s on his second Draconic incursion of Toril, and the eye with Emirikol the Chaotic currently imprisoned below the Doom Vault

[@minimoose7890]

Have a good day!

[@chakatBombshell]

Living close to the Spire is a wonderful place to be a gunslinger, eat hot lead magic users!

[@unrellated]

Wait, does it actually say anywhere that Sum of All is gone? The way you explain it, it sounds like it could still be around, somewhere adjacent to Dendradis.

[@Jorphdan]

It could still be around, it's just in a similar location, and the city of the Rilmani.

[@marc09969]

already had a campaign about a being imprisoned in the Spire, tough not Vecna, it was inspired by Ptolus and Faction War intro

[@jon5620]

Silly Vecna sure is going to the maximum trouble to become a god. All you gotta do is grab/make a god-killing artifact, shank up a dumb and silly god like Cyric or Malar, then survive your trial with AO. Done and done.

[@kaemonbonet4931]

Aoskar sounds a lot like AO. The lady of blades sounds like she could have a stolen portfolio from the god of portals. Or, could both be an aspect of AO? Perhaps this is some part of the nature of the time shenanigans, the ripples from the second sundering are still being effected and as old gods and new attepmt to circumvent the tablets of fate, the timeline is damaged.

[@3rddimensionthe]

nice

[@Grinnar]

Vecna summoning past versions of himself to become a Voltron of undeath?

[@fistimusmaximus6576]

isnt venca a deity though? or has 5e changed that? Not a fan of the magic the gathering influence on dnd, Seems less gritty, strange and weird and more cartoon like. I know magic has always been loosely linked but they have allowed the artstyle etc to merge.

[@Kiljoy_]

Vecna atleast in 2nd edition went to Ravenloft

[@fistimusmaximus6576]

please tell me the brought back the planescape cant? Berk!

[@Vast3.14]

Guess the mysterious outcome.. but yes, yes it's Vecna 😅

[@wbbartlett]

I'm surprised there isn't a city of the "Kitchen Sink" seeing as 5e tries to cram everything else into its silly settings.

[@themalcontent100]

What is the worst possible thing WOTC can do to the setting and that will be it.

[@solomani5959]

I’ll stick with the original products. I’ll pick this up when it’s bargain bin.

[@stephenclements6158]

Wow, they just give away the whole metaplot in an adventure. Way to ruin the mystery, WotC.

[@alexeisenhauer5874]

The creators of planescape have come out and said Sigil is pronounced the same here as anywhere else. “Si-jil “

[@ckmishn3664]

A shame Planescape wasn't "problematic" like Dark Sun, or WotC might have left it alone.