Thank you for playing! I think you're confusing abyss with multiple height layers, which the game certainly fails to inform the player about adequately. Try pressing +/- keys or using the scroll-wheel to move the camera between layers, or click on the portraits of your minions to focus on them (camera will focus on their position and the same layer they're at). It's a 3D world presented in layered 2d planes ala Dwarf Fortress ;-)