| Category | Swamps |
| Continent | Brucrumus |
| Region | Hells Womb |
| Map | Lirgaza |
Ladneg is named for the scattered remnants that dot this expansive wetland. The fact that it is a swamp did not significantly influence the naming of this location. Across this wetland lie massive fragments of what was once an immense, alien-made structure. The stone and iron of these debris were once part of an unfathomably large, egg-shaped device utilized in bygone eras. This device was evidently destroyed and ended up strewn across the vast expanse of the swamp.
In the Demon Spawn War (89 GE - 269 GE), the Covenant battled hordes of demons that poured forth from the Abyss. One of the remarkable artifacts of this conflict was a colossal egg-shaped structure spanning ten miles in diameter, composed of strange stone and massive arching iron beams - a formidable war engine found adrift in the Sea of Entropy. Powered by entropic energy, it served as the prized possession of an ambitious and brilliant demon commander known as Demogorgon, whose intent was to transport an entire army between worlds.
The egg-shaped war chariot was designated Ladneg, for no other reason than a mane was limping by and Demogorgon inquired of its appellation. The wretched creature uttered its name, "Ladneg", whereupon Demogorgon crushed the sub-demon, declaring, "No, that is not so." He then gazed at me and gestured toward the smoky war chariot, pronouncing, "That is Ladneg," at which juncture I documented it as such.
My master then directed hundreds of artisans to spend a year meticulously stamping his name across the entire circumference of the device. They engraved "Ladneg" wherever they could. After much persuasion, and numerous grisly "convincer" deaths, all in a futile attempt to refocus him on the war rather than artisanal work, Demogorgon finally concluded the engraving and set Ladneg on the path of war. The primary power of this grand device was its ability to summon one demon from the other side, and then forge a chain linking all those within it. A single summoned demon could thus drag an entire army through with him. Demogorgon positioned himself at the heart of the device, surrounded by four legions. He then opened a channel between Abyssm and the world of Bal-Kriav. It was here we would venture to break past the formidable lines of the Covenant's renowned champion, the archangel Asmodeus.
The betrayal was crushing. They had been lying in wait, sealing the rift just as we emerged. The phenomenon was sundered, its other half vanishing into the unknown, likely shattering into a million fragments as it plummeted from the sky and slammed into Bal-Kriav's surface. The half on our side remained, still accessible, but leading only into a void, a yawning emptiness within. As for my lord, trapped inside when Ladneg was rent asunder, he narrowly escaped with his life. Only his remarkable power and the chaotic energy raging within him saved him from being torn apart by the closing gateway.
My lord dismissed the losses, "So we suffered the deaths of ten thousand soldiers, but do you see me? I now exist with two brains; I was formidable to be reckoned with before the incident, but now I am twice as brilliant. All within the Abyss and beyond will come to recognize and fear my name."
Lugúrz Lak Múl, the personal historian to Demogorgon, from the book "Ladneg Division"
Today, the remnants of this relic from the Lost Ages are scattered across a wetland. Massive chunks lie half-submerged in the sticky mud, providing a haven for peculiar creatures. The jumble of corroding beams protrude from mounds of debris or stand as spears in stagnant pools. The alien rubble and detritus bear Abyssal engravings, with the more intact pieces inscribed with the word "Ladneg".
The swamp is home to a diverse array of creatures and monsters native to this realm. While most are ordinary, a select few are born with demonic traits, and an even smaller number emerge as half-demons.
A stag is typically shy and elusive, but a demon-tainted stag is aggressive and cunning. They hunt to kill, primarily not for sustenance, but merely to slay whatever they encounter. Some may act normal, only to suddenly turn dark and feral. If such a stag survives its battles, it may temporarily revert to behaving like a typical stag. However, the chaos that burns in the blood of these creatures eventually cooks their brain, causing them to revert to their wicked and predatory ways. As for the more intelligent beings born in Ladneg, such as certain monsters and humanoids, they are simply evil. Few of them exhibit benign behavior, though there are occasional reports of half-demons from Ladneg leading relatively righteous lives, though they are scarce.
The Protectorates, my brother and sister, I caution you that in Ladneg, do not presume to be the purported hunter.
Oakenbeard, regional report at a Glade Summit - "The Formidable Demon Stags of Ladneg"