Needle of Durun

The Needle of Durun was created by the Durun to imprison the souls of the Zurda. Within the Needle of Durun many creatures have come to life, and there are a great variety of mostly evil creatures and even factions. Navigation is nearly impossible within the needle of Durun, yet it can be split into 12 broad layers, each of which around the size of a continent or a world:   1. The basement, also known as the Prison of Neow;   2.The Hive, a layer overgrown with organic matter. It is the most common entry point of the Needles of Durun and is also hence where most of the death in the Spire occurs, the entire layer is the nest of an enormous slime god named Argadarth who sifts through the entire layer and causes insanity among any who travel though its ways;   3. The Junk jungle, a layer that served as the beginning of a faction of automatons that act as the police force of the Needle of Durun. It has since been left mostly abandoned besides an ancient god that formed near the origin of the Spire, he is known as the guardian, this layer has become home to many scavengers and those who have become adept to the thorny nature of the layer;   4. The void, A layer with a constant darkness. In this layer the darkness is alive, and if left without a light source it will attack any within it. There are some places where this darkness is thicker, and some where it looms, in some places the darkness is so thick that even with a light source it seems as though there is no ground to walk on. Most of the things that reside hear are spirits or other non-physical creatures. The few physical creatures that do reside in this layer tend to be luminescent as a means of avoiding the darkness. This layer is ultimately ruled by the hexaghoast, god of lost souls;   5. The ever city, a layer filled with occupants, and the least evil of all layers. This layer is more or less a city the size of a world, built from all manner of material. This layer is ruled by the god of machines and technology: Zarek, he is also known as the bronze giant, a name he earned by creating the Guardian. This realm is the most relevant for most mortals of the spire;   6. Mount. Vindex, a Layer that seems to be always slanting uphill, additionally flight is impossible on this layer. In this layer there are many areas that when entered can not be exited unless another who has entered the area is slain in combat, additionally magic is significantly weaker in this layer. Many of the inhabitants of this layer use these areas as traps for food or even entertainment. This floor has the most varied types of monsters who live here. Atop Mount. Vindex lies the Crown of ascension, an item that allows anyone to manipulate the geography of mt. Vindex, though there are limits to the transformations. Any who enter the final area of this layer have earned the right to duel whoever owns the crown. It is currently in possession of one whom very little is known about, he calls himself "champ".   7. The winding ways, A layer where portals can not be created by any means. Yet portals appear in the form of mirrors, lakes, boxes (coffins), buildings etc. Most disappear or change location after a single use of them, there are very few which have been figured out. This realm uses these portals to trap creatures inside it, while the plain itself is plagued, a plague that effects all who travel the plain, slowly transforming them into mindless husks, which are harvested by the ruler of this floor: Levia, goddess of corruption. She is amassing an army of ghouls, zombies and spirits, which she hopes to use to gain more territory in the Spire.   8. The Underworld, the largest of all the layers, estimated at 1/100 the size of the illuminated universe. This layer consists of an ever-expanding mass of a flesh-like substance. Most of this layer is simply the mass of flesh, its surface and the caves into its depths being only a percentile of the entire mass. Portals that are created here are immediately swallowed by the flesh like substance, the only way to leave or enter this realm is to be swallowed by the flesh. Creatures are teleported here or born here by a "pimple" of the earth popping to reveal its new arrival. There is no vegetation that can grow here and the only source of food are the arrivals on this layer. This layer is ruled by Karrow, god of crows, violence and masses.   9. Inaquos, also known as the hourglass, a layer that has its own rules of gravity. It is an enormous desert, but rather than the ground being a flat surface, it twists and turns through space in stripes about a kilometer wide, occasionally connecting to one another. These stripes themselves lack any coherent structure and bend through each other, where up is at one point could be down just a couple steps later. Water is a rare resource in this layer, yet lack of it is not the greatest fear. Storms ravage the land within the layer, storms so massive and strong they alter the shape of the very ground, needless to say navigation is near impossible in this layer. The storms themselves are magical, they are time storms, and getting trapped in one can feel like an entire lifetime, including ones own body shriveling away while one sees what would have been during ones lifetime. There are some safe havens from these storms, massive clusters of rock within which the few cities that are scattered throughout this layer are. This layer is ruled by Ovar, god of sand, withering and the flow of time.   10. Catalicum, the layer rumored to be the centerpiece of the needle of Durun. It is said that this layer keeps the spire from crumbling. The layer contains two planets that circle one another, Demerun and Decadar. A great distance from these a dome surrounds the planets, constantly illuminating the two planets. If any travel through the dome they enter the material realm inside of the sun, instantly getting incinerated. Within this layer is the base of operations for the automatons, and they have laws which they enforce very strictly, with overwhelming numbers and might. This layer is ruled by Donu and Deca, each dominating one of the planets. Donu and Deca are considered gods, in reality they are more ancient and unique.   11. The unknown layer. This layer is an odd one as it is split into 48 versions, it is where each of the souls of the Zurda are held. So far no one has ever managed to enter these layers. It is known that this layer exists.