D24.360 Rhizome of Earth - Prison of Cantholoqe, Saintess of Beasts

An infernal demiplane that contains the Rhizome of Earth, one the 7 ancient, transcendent arcane nodes responsible for creating the Rootwall which barred the Dwarves of Craagveald from delving deeper.

The plane is filled a viciously eddying pool of unusually cold, viscous mud which can harm those not resistant to cold.

Moving across he mud when encumbered may cause one to begin sinking, but may prevent one from being carried by the mud eddies.

At the centre of the prison appears to be the horizontally bisected corpse of Cantholoqe, Saintess of Beasts who appears to be leaking crimson mud from her wounds.

Meditating some distance away is the naked Frost Giantess Xabbu who has a 30ft long nodachi made of Everice resting next to her, which exudes an aura of frost that hardens the mud around her, preventing her from sinking.

When a sentient creature approaches, Xabbu will begin to awaken and will ask if the creature knows how to leave the Demiplane.

She will say that she has killed the imprisoned Saintess, and tried to destroy the Rhizome, but to no avail.

In actuality, Cantholoqe is dangerously close to assimilating with the Rhizome, which would grant her heavenly defying powers and freedom from her prison.

Only by tracing the flow of her mud essence deep within the depths to her 5 holy nascent animal apparitions - the Calf, Chick, Foal, Piglet and Pup, and destroying them will extinguish her reforming soul, thereby destroying the Rhizome.

Despite their appearance, the apparitions are extremely crafty and powerful, and will rely on careful, lethal attacks to defeat creatures.

Should one stay within for more than 2 weeks, Cantholoqe ascends, and will flood the demiplane with Primordial Mud, which is capable of obliterating all matter not made of Everice.

Should one somehow have a flask of Everice and manage to escape with some Primordial Mud, they may discover contact with certain terrifying otherworldly beings.