The 9th Age: Circling the Abyss (commonly refereed to as T9A: Circling the Abyss, T9A: CtA or simply Circling the Abyss) is a supplement to The 9th Age. It contains background information and art for the Daemon Legions and Warriors of the Dark Gods factions.
The first and only publication of the T9A: Circling the Abyss was released on the 17th of December 2018. It is available for download HERE.
T9A: Circling the Abyss is written as a single in-world source. It is presented as a single book with the title 'Circling the Abyss', and is written by Nazario Calegari (here on this site refereed to as a narrator). In the book. Calegari describes his journey into the Immortal Realm and the dominion of Father Chaos and the Dark Gods.
Sources within the book[]
T9A:Circling the Abyss contains only a single source, the book with the same title, written by Nazario Calegari. This is in general refereed to as: Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss (T9A: Circling the Abyss)
To give references with further detail, the separate parts can be specified as follows:
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part I - Nazario Calegari comes to the gates of Hell (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p4)[]
Calegari awakes in the Immortal realm and encounters the Betrayer, his guide in this place. The Betrayer take Calegari to a river.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part II - Gold Tarnished, Bettini’s Ruin (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p6)[]
Calegari comes to the Circle of Sugulag, God of Greed. He encounters an old friend, Alessandro Bettini, engaged in constant labour. Bettini came to this place after he turned to Sugulag to provide for his family, but the Elders in the town found out and struck him down.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part III - Appetites Unsated, Familial Tastes (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p8)[]
Calegari enters the Circle of Akaan, God of Gluttony. He encounters Bloat Flies, but the Betrayer lures them away with a chunk of meat. Afterwards they encountered other beings, seemingly part of the same family, busy consuming a daughter.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part IV - A Forlorn Forest, The Betrayer Dreams (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p10)[]
In the Circle of Nukuja, Goddess of Sloth, Calegari is told a prophecy and a warning. A whisper from a tree warns him of an elven threat from the west and of the Betrayer. When they encounter a Hope Harvester, Calegari has to drag the Betrayer with him to avoid the danger.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part V - Deceiver Détente, Unity and Division (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p12)[]
Entering the Circling of Kuulima, Goddess of Envy, Calegari and the Betrayer encounters a group of minor daemons that mimic their appearance. These scattered through when a mightier daemon approached, a Deceiver of Kuulima, who bars the traveller's way. The Betrayer and the Deceiver stare at each other for a while, but eventually lets them through. Calegari and the Betrayer have a conversation about the nature of the relationship between Warriors of the Dark Gods and Daemons.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part VI - Glory's End, the Lake of Blood, Banking on History (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p14)[]
The next circle was that of Savar, God of Pride. Calegari and the Betrayer spotted daemons here, but they seemd not interested. They also came upon a lake of a black-red liquid, in which people were trapped in agony. Among these were elves. Calegari also encountered a statue bearing the semblance of an old friend, Glauco Carbo, and discovered that the same was trapped inside the statue. He pleaded to Calegari to spread his name, but was toppled to the ground by the Betrayer.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part VII - The Black Wind, Ice and Fire, Enticing Entrapment (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p16)[]
Darkness surrounded Calegari and the Betrayer as they entered the Circle of Cibaresh, God of Lust. Calegari began feeling light-headed and strayed from the path towards misty figures in the gloom, but the Betrayer pulled him back. They made it too a block of ice with nude figures frozen within, each in a sexual pose. Calegari was convinced that each figure was conscious yet forever unable to fulfil its desires.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part VIII - The Way Barred, The Beacon Tower, The Mouths of Hell (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p18)[]
The final circle on Calegari's and the Betrayer's journey was that of Vanadra, Goddess of Wrath. The air was hot and stung to the skin. In the distance Calegari could see a tall tower, later revealed to be the Keep of Dal-Magoth, and behind it an impossible shape. They walked towards the tower. Passing beneath an archway in a wall, the Betrayer was cut off from advancing by portcullis of brass and iron. IImpish creatures manned the battlements, who shouted insults at the Betrayer. A daemon more powerful daemon, called Jorguuk, appeared. It exchanged words with the Betrayer and then let him through.
Coming up on Dal-Magoth, the being behind the tower became a bit closer. Calegari fails to recall it entirely, but it dominated the whole circle. He does recall that it had three maws, with a figure trapped in two of them. Jorguuk returned and revealed that one of the figures was Pontifex Ursino Del Mastro and the other the goblin Sturd. The third maw was intended for the Betrayer. But he took Calegrai and escaped up the stairs of the tower.
Nazario Calegari (953 A.S.) Circling the Abyss: part IX - Nazario returns to Vetia, the Betrayer unmasked (T9A: Circling the Abyss, p22)[]
Calegari emerges on the hillside where he had fallen asleep. He notices the Betrayer beside him. They speak and Calgari concludes that the Betrayer is in fact Warin, the Sunslayer.