The Underdark

During the Sundering wars between the Elves and the Dark Elves, many of the Dark Elves fled underground into the tunnels and deep caverns of the Underdark. This is where they hid and grew in strength, this is where they forged their empires.

The Underdark is a vast network of caverns that lie underneath the Heartlands. Although the caverns extend the length and breadth of the Heartlands, the Tarantulas currently only control/inhabit those caverns beneath the lands of Cymria, Erin, Albion, Caledonia and portions of Norsca and Teutonia. The Underdark is a warm, damp realm, where the only light is supplied by phosphorous fungus and dangerous predators stalk deserted passageways looking for the unwary. It is an environment in which only the strong survive.

The inhabitants of the Underdark have sought out the largest most defensible caverns and built their heavily guarded walled cities, in which the various Houses of the Tarantulas have made their homes.



View Larger Image
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

The deep wastes is the most northern section of the Underdark. It is unknown how far this area stretches, it is presumed to stretch for the entirety of the Northern Wastes on the surface.

Even deep under the surface, extreme cold permeates the rock and life here is only for the extremely hardy or the foolish.

The only known city in this region is Ty'vanna, a city so renowned for being frozen it is often referred to as "The Crystal Forest"

The most notable feature of the area is the Ruins of De'Chienza, which serve as home to Lyanders Tomb - a once powerful and respected mage of the First Age.

This region has one city, and one major notable feature. The fortress of Nakkiga.

This fortress is buried deep in the Storm Spike mountains and is the home of House Cruentatus.

This region is named for the prominence of The Court of The Dark Angel, and their ancestor Lady Death

The ritual circle at Deaths Gate is known as The Home of Lady Death, causing the void gate buried in the circle to become known as Deaths Gate.

The name spread to the city and soon the entire area was known by the name. This area is an oddity amongst the underdark in being regularly exposed to the surface.

This region is governed by House Renor.

Aside from a few cities serving as way points, this area is largely uninhabited however it does provide many of the largest tunnels for routes into the northern sections of the Underdark

At the heart of this region lies The Great Lava Lake. A huge lake of molten lava fills the area, several daring cities have been founded in this area to exploit the rare and exotic materials that are created by the destruction the lava leaves behind.

Duanrahel was built to serve the dark elven council, for a millennia it was thought to be lost until it was refound several years ago. It is now maintained and ruled by House Arryvandar.

Taken from the ancient Elven word for 'outcast', Do'bluth is a haven for skulduggery and villainy. Similar to most Drow cities in that it's full of temples (nearly as many non-Lolth as Lolth ones) military outposts and slave-pits and the first thing people notice about its populace is that there are far more non-Drow than others of its size. This diversity is something the Drow of Karrash-Morr are very proud of.

This area is known for many variants of poisonous plants and animal life.

This record needs updating

The Labyrinth is the name given to the mazes that protect the Underdark academies. The underdark is known for being ever shifting, but the walls Labyrinth can change before your very eyes. Very few safe paths exist through and these are a closely guarded secret kept by the academies.

Heading out under the western surface oceans, much of this area is prone to flooding and is difficult to navigate. There are no known settlements of note within this region.

As with the surface, within much of the underdark you will find rivers and small lakes. However water will rather pool in certain areas. The largest is known as the Inland Sea. The entire region is crossed with major rivers all pooling together in the largest body of water in the Underdark. This sea is also home to the Tarantula Navy.

The Cave of Whispers serves as the current ruling seat for the Tarantula Faction.

Protected by the army of the Paladin Order Of Lolth, this area houses the most sacred relics of our past.

Located just a few days travel south of the great lava lake, Tol Galen nestles in a series of basalt chasms deep under Teutonia. The city is a hot and arid place, little like the other Underdark cities. The great sea of molten lava heats the air and dries the rock, forming a climate similar to that found way to the south. The city is built out of volcanic rock, hewn into blocks dragged by teams of Roth from the sea, giving the city a dark and brooding look. The rough surface of the blocks seems to swallow light and the city is a dark and gloomy place, the torch light illuminating the dark grey buildings only with effort and forming countless shadows.

The temperature here allows farmers to grow different crops, producing some of the more succulent fruits and rarer grains, a fact that traders take much advantage off. Many of the exports from Tol Galen make their way to the high tables of the great houses and providing a feast of succulent food and drink is a way of proving the status of the house. Also known for producing a number of heady vintages, Tol Galen caters for the upper end of the market€“ relying on other cities to provide it with staples.

At the heart of Ichi No Kage is the city of Sunder Falls. Tended by Clan Kage for many years, the city has locally become known as Ichi No Kage, however it was previously well known for the deep fortifications of the city, built into the very side of a waterfall.

Heading out under the eastern surface oceans, much of this area is prone to flooding and is difficult to navigate. There are no known settlements of note within this region.

The city lies just to the south of a major waterway and this route is navigable almost to the Cave of Whispers, forming a high speed travel route to those not able to use transport circles. Unfortunately for the city, this river is brackish and does not support life well, and as such is almost devoid of fish, though no one in the city knows why. Scouts have followed the river upstream but have been unable to follow the river through all its underground routes and paths to find the source of the pollution.

The lands to the west and east of the city are however fertile and large herds of Roth are cultivated, along with many differing staple crops, and the city has more than enough food for itself. Home to a number of significant temples, a number of craftsmen and all the other sundry services found in a city of this size, Trentarus is a viable and well balanced home to thousands of Drow.

This record needs updating

Located approximately half a mile beneath the City of York, Guallidurth is one of the best known Drow cities in the Underdark. Situated in one of the largest caverns seen to date, it stretches for nearly a mile in a sprawling limestone cavern, punctuated with craggy pillars, stalactites and stalagmites. Houses are carved out of the limestone in an almost random pattern with sweeping archways, walkways and coursing water dividing the area into a warren of passageways and districts.

Formerly the capital city of the Drow nation during the ascension of Val'Sharess Aurashnee Naxos D'Fey, it was home to many diplomatic buildings and the apparatus of government. None of this takes away from the fact that the one thing Guallidurth is really famous for is its temples. It is almost impossible to find a street or road without at least two temples, and often there are many more.

Olath Z'Ress is governed by The Cult from the city of Dark Haven.

Situated in a chain of hard-stone caverns, Olath Z'€™Ress stretches for nearly 4 miles. However, it does not cover 4 miles horizontally; The city is based around a huge vertical series of linked caverns, covering nearly a mile from the highest levels to the deepest caverns. Normally an unsustainable size, Olath Z'€™Rress survives only because of the excellent transport links and geography of the area.

It sits at the junction of three major trade-ways, and these routes are the largest and most stable routes in the Underdark, allowing for large caravans of food to be sent from the neighbouring cities. Huge stockrooms and silos allow for months of food to be stockpiled in the event of siege or supply problems, even for a city of this size. Deep wells provide icy cold, clear and fresh water that in the history of the city have never run dry. There is even some small amount of farming going on inside the outer ring of the city's defences on a few of the levels.

The city of Telantiwar was founded at the beginning of the Second Age. It was the throne for the new empire of the Dark Elves, and home to the new clan council made up the remaining dark elven clans. During the third age the various Houses of the Drow Empire start warring over the right to rule, until the city was eventually destroyed and sealed with Ritual Magic. To this day, the city of Telantiwar remains sealed and it's Ritual Circle inactive, yet the Paladins of the Order of Lolth still swear their oath to serve the Throne of Telantiwar above all else.

The nearest access to Telantiwar today is via Dark Haven

When Telantiwar was sealed, this region found itself on the wrong side of the empire. The road to Telantiwar became dangerous, and being on the far side of the road meant it quickly started to lose resources and alliances. In the many years that have followed the are has become a desperate battleground, with many minor houses constantly fighting for control of small towns and settlements.

This has resulted in the area in general being lawless, and travelling across this section of the Underdark is extremely hazardous.

This area is ruled by House Maelthra from the city of Rivenrock
This region is best known for the trade market at The Grand Bizarre, however it has never been the power in the region. The largest city in the area is Rivenrock and can be found under Southern Cymria, it sits on one of the few large rivers that link the Inland Sea with the Glimmersea. Combined with large trade routes linking it to the Grand Bizarre, and a number of nearby tunnels into Cymria the city boasts some excellent trade links.

The city was once known for its mines and skilled artisans. However in recent years the known mines have run dry and the noble houses that call Rivenrock home have taken advantage of the connections across the Underdark and into Cymria, bringing many luxuries from the surface and into the hands of the more deserving citizens of the Underdark. Whilst they can't compete with trading centres such as Tol Galen or The Grand Bizarre, they manage to bring in rare and exotic luxuries that are ordinarily hard to find and distribute easily. In recent times Rivenrock has begun to make a name for itself for its impressive elemental Spa's.

This region is governed by The Wolverines
Uzzi city is located under the centre of Albion. It is at a moderate depth, perhaps half a mile below the green rolling fields, set in a series of natural hollows.

The rock around Uzzi is a flaky shale-like substance, and is noted for its softness as a consequence cave-ins and rock movements are common in the city. The residents of Uzzi city have learnt to adapt to this by building pitched roofs on their buildings, sharply slanted eves designed to shed fallen debris.

Most people wear hard beaten helmets around their homes, and whilst going about their business, to protect them from the rain of debris. The constant fall of flakes and shards of rock is caused by the rock-maggots that infest the area,“ small burrowing creatures that munch their way through the rock leaving behind a maze of small fissures no bigger than a man'€™s wrist. Coating these fissures are the secretions of the maggots, a soft gossamer-like material that is highly prized for spinning and weaving.

Tal Hadrin is the most prominent city of the area. Despite its close connections to Dyur'Turic and Uzzi City, very little is known about this area.

The key feature of this area is the great chasm stretching hundreds of miles deep into the underdark. The creatures that call this section of the underdark home are especially viscous, with most residents of the Underdark giving the area a wide birth.

The great rift is the site of the recent defeat of Karuil Na-Sar Arryvandar, better known as The Guardian.

Almost due south of Exeter, and south west of Veldrinshaar, the city of Dyar'€™Turic homes many of the converts to the Drow way. Noted for having a higher population of non-Drow compared to any other underdark city, Dyar'€™Turic has an almost cosmopolitan air about it. Ruled over with an iron fist by House Rea'Morda, the non-Drow are kept firmly in their place, yet many of their ways slowly seep into Drow society.

The colleges in the city are noted for producing a higher than average number of excellent students and overall the population is better educated. Whether the Drow feel the need to assert their superiority over the other races more forcefully, or the nature of the city itself is responsible,€“ who can say? However, do not take this as a '€˜soft'€™ city,€“ death awaits those foolish enough to travel into the wrong area, and a misspoken word will still see you executed by an angry priestess.

Located off the south-west coast of Cyrmja, halfway to Erin the City of Souls is another deep city, nestled beneath the stormy waters of the Erin channel, and is home to House Mlezzir. Since the attack by the conclave this is now one of the southernmost cities in the Underdark and has radically changed in geography and form.

The lapping waters of the ocean are now to be found to the south were before hundreds of miles of caverns and paths lay, and a new smaller sea has formed to the west, cutting off routes towards Erin. Carried down by the enormous force of water huge shoals of fish are now trapped in this sea and almost overnight a fishing industry has emerged. Though lacking in experience the sailors and fishermen learn more of their craft every day and if the Tarantulas were to build themselves a navy you can be sure that it would be drawn from the City of Souls.

This record needs updating

Home of the Aztar, this area is a series of dangerous narrow tunnels with many flooded. The area is well known for being volcanic, a traite the Aztar have learnt to use to their full advantage.