Three days later, near Delantal.
In a wilderness of towering mountains and dense forests, a group used the terrain for cover as they quietly approached the fallen region ravaged by demons.
These were the troops led by Master Augut.
"Lord Augut, the scouts have returned from the front."
"Bring them here. I have questions for them."
"Yes, sir."
Before long, several professionals dressed as Rangers were brought over.
The head scout saluted. "Grand Mage, the leader of this demon army is a Balor named Onikrodi, reportedly the overlord of the 853rd layer of the Abyssal Depths.
"His personal guard consists mainly of Flame Demons..."
Augut listened intently.
These were otherworldly creatures that had crossed between planes. Although they possessed an obvious social structure, they were often treated as wild monsters, difficult to distinguish from one another.
Most so-called overlords of a layer were temporary rulers, their banners flying over strongholds that changed hands constantly.
A Greater Demon might rule an entire layer in all his fearsome glory today, only to die in another world tomorrow or become a stepping stone for a challenger.
Still, anyone who could claim the title of a layer's overlord was unquestionably powerful.
Their homeland, the Abyssal Depths, was a gathering place for all ugliness, evil, and chaos, where countless forms of malevolent spirit took physical shape.
Its layers spiraled downward, leading into ever crueler, more evil bottomless realms.
The Abyssal Depths was generally believed to have 666 layers, but its actual number might be far greater. Its horrors, cruelty, distortions, and perversities were closely linked to the development of the human world. (Note: this setting comes from the D&D 3R rulebook, with some modifications.)
The layer Onikrodi ruled lay beyond the first 666, suggesting he was a rising newcomer who had only recently seized power.