theluckyflame

[theluckyflame]

The Northdark: Settlements

This domain is one of the most infamous of the Underdark’s regions. It rests under the North and East of the city of Waterdeep. The lowest minor domain of the Northdark domain is the Lowerdark below the region known as the Northwest Faerûn, the Lower Northdark had the Buried Realms to the east and Netherese Caverns to the south.

Gracklstugh

Gracklstugh is another city that rests in the Northdark. Also known as the City of Blades, this Duergar settlement rests on the shores of the Darklake. The city is located five miles beneath the Evermoors, as well as beneath the Dessarin River valley and the Uthgardt ancestor mound Flintrock. It sits about 100 Miles (160.934 Km) away from Menzoberranzan. Accessing Gracklstugh is possible through several routes, including caves found within the Sword Mountains, tunnels from Beldabar's Rest in Yartar, tunnels from Luskan and Mithral Hall, and a major trade route from Skullport through the Labyrinth.

The cavern city slopes down on the Eastern portion to join the Darklake at a port, the city is lit by the glow of firelight, from smelters and foundries nestled among the stalagmites. The acrid air, laden with the sounds of metal ringing, smiths roaring, and hissing steam creates a persistent smog, one known to cause a chronic, sometimes fatal cough colloquially known as Grackle-Lung. 

Gracklstugh is made up of several districts, including

Laduguer's Furrow, also known as "the Cleft," is a rift 200 feet deep and 500 feet wide which splits the city in half North-South. The walls of the rift are lined with carved dwellings and the eastern section houses the derro quarter. Twelve stone bridges across it connect the Northfurrow District to the Southfurrow District.

Northfurrow District is the area north of Laduguer's Furrow, which encompasses Darklake District along with the residences of those whose clan specializes in crafts and other commercial goods. This district is also the only part of the city where outsiders are allowed to reside. The Darklake Docks are located at the northernmost section of the district.

Southfurrow District, found South of Laduguer's Furrow is home to the more prestigious clans of Gracklstugh. The area is also home to the lair of the red dragon Themberchaud. Themberchaud's Lair, also known as The lair of the Wyrmsmith of Gracklstugh, is located in a large side cavern in the south part of the city. Southfurrow is also home to Cairngorm Cavern, and the Hold of the Deepking. The Deepking's Hall, Gracklstugh's palace has a large gate with no decorations. The guards, called the Stone Guards, generally remained invisible while on watch. The palace had a waiting suite with simple and functional furnishings, as well as a small slitlike window out over the city. The palace had a large portcullis and a large stairway that led to the vast throne room, where the majority of the decorative embellishments lay. Intricately carved gems and stones adorn the walls, and the throne itself is a unique work of craftsmanship, being adorned with new features and embellishments replacing those previous with each king, the old gems and decorations being incorporated into the walls of the throne room to honor the legacy of each monarch. Access to the Southfurrow district by unauthorized non-natives is strictly prohibited. Artisans reside in this district, and are seldom found elsewhere. Specialized artisan goods are relegated to the wealthy as a signifier of status due to the heavy emphasis on utilitarianism amongst the commonfolk of the city. 

Cairngorm Cavern is a remote district somewhat removed from the main cavern. It houses the stone giants of Clan Cairngorm.

Darklake District,the name for the docks on the shore of the Darklake in the North, were the poorest and most dangerous district of the city due to the high traffic of outsiders, including slavers, pirates, and other outsiders. Blade Bazaar is the town square and marketplace located in the Darklake District. It’s surrounded by low buildings and weaponsmiths. In 1372 DR, a duergar captain in service of Laird Thrazgud sold armor and weapons from minor drow houses here. Also present are several inns and taverns,. One of which is a fortress-like inn located a few blocks from the wharves called The Cold Foundry. The sign for the establishment is in Undercommon and Dwarvish. The inn is composed of a wall around free-standing blockhouses holding the rooms. A pen outside the front gate houses pack lizards. It also includes a freestanding building that can be rented out, featuring eight rooms on two floors which are acceptable for drow-sized humanoids. The Shattered Spire is a ramshackle tavern that is located atop a broken stalagmite rising from the Darklake , connected to the mainland by a rope bridge. The Gohlbrorn's Lair is a low-quality but safe inn due to its location beneath the Blade Bazaar in the docks district.

The Business District is filled with merchants, and is the second most wealthy of the districts Gracklstugh. After goods are refined and produced, the merchants of the business district deal with distribution to either the city’s populace, or the travelling merchants from the port. 

The majority of the city’s population is made up of duergar, but other members of free citizens include derro, druzagon, orogs, and stone giants. Slave populations- composed of goblins, shield dwarves, orcs, svirfneblin, and humans- made up the major unspecialized labor forces of the city’s production. Exports from Gracklstugh include metal armor, blades and weapons, arrowheads, fish, locks, mining equipment, smithing equipment, and other tools. Production is managed by the major noble clans of the city, the lords of which are referred to as Lairds. Power is split between these clans (especially the merchants), the Deepking, and the derro savants residing in the city. Entities holding power were the Council of Lairds, the derro Council of Savants, Clan Cairngorm (a power clan of stone giants), and the Merchant Council.

Different clans’ productive exports include:

Cahaldrho: Ale brewers

Dunnhaer: Traditional crafters

Ekhlond: Experimental crafters/inventors

Gallakh: Beast rearers/tamers

Haundavar: Builders, stonemasons

Immur: Weaponsmiths

Muzgardt: Merchants

Nauvrim: Mercenaries

Takhul: Clergy, alchemy

Thuldark: Landlords, merchants

Xardelvar: Xarrorn

Xundom: Kavalrachni 

Gracklstugh’s military is one of the most infamous in the Underdark, though lacking arcane and divine casters. Psionicists are the only notable equivalents to magicians. All male citizens are required to serve a period in the military, though many of the city’s women do enlist as well, as militia participation is valued as an honorable position to hold.

Military positions included the Stone Guard, which serve as the King’s secret police. They number nearly 500 experienced duergar soldiers. Equipped with black plate mail, battleaxes, and shields and carried serrated short swords, known as King's Blades, with which their position could be recognized by; high rank is indicated by strips of gold filigree on their helms. The city's clan lairds could muster additional forces when needed. Another militant rank is known as Darkhafts- the Deepking’s secret psionic agents. They often accompanied duergar merchants as overseers and spies. Kavalrachni ride giant tarantulas called "steeders." Clan Xundom makes up the bulk of this calvary. Xarrorn are flame lance specialists, made up primarily by Clan Xardelvar. Finally, Clan Cairngorm is a clan of 50 stone giants residing in Gracklstugh. While not officially part of the military, the stone giants are prepared to defend the city from any attacks.

Gracklstugh has strong trade relations with Menzoberranzan (except in times of war), Mantol-Derith, Skullport, Sshamath, and Ooltul. There are tense relations between the duergar of the city and any non duergar, both in the city and in their trade relations, which are relegated to strictly business coordination. Oftentimes their pragmatism is viewed as isolationism and ruthlessness, though in the event of conflict they are far more likely to take slaves than kill their enemies. Coins in Gracklstugh are minted with the face of the current duergar monarch on one side, and the mind flayer skull symbol of Deep Duerra on the other, with the dwarvish phrase "As low as we can go" on the rim of the coin. 

[theluckyflame]

The Northdark: Settlements

This domain is one of the most infamous of the Underdark’s regions. It rests under the North and East of the city of Waterdeep. The lowest minor domain of the Northdark domain is the Lowerdark below the region known as the Northwest Faerûn, the Lower Northdark had the Buried Realms to the east and Netherese Caverns to the south.

Ched Nasad

Ched Nasad, also known as City of Shimmering Webs or City of Webs, was a city situated in the Middle Northdark before it was destroyed in 1372 DR. The City of Webs lay beneath the High Gap in the northern Graypeak Mountains. In the Underdark, to the immediate west is the great Araumycos fungus. To the south were the remnants of the Graypeaks Hive of beholders. To the east of the city were the phaerimm-held lands of ancient Netheril. To the far north was the dwarven Fardrimm. The city has surface connections via tunnels to the North, through Ammarindar. These tunnels eventually lead to orc-held caverns in the Nether Mountains and the Fardrimm. Access points along the way can be found through the Nameless Dungeon, Hellgate Dell, and the ruins of Myth Glaurach. Menzoberranzan is a journey of several tendays to the Northwest on the other side of Araumycos. The path through Ammarindar is the quickest journey between Menzoberranzan and Ched Nasad, but it is less traveled because of the danger that lurks along the way. 

A portal to the ruins of Hlaungadath in Anauroch was located in the Dangling Tower. It is through this portal that Quenthel Baenre, Halisstra Melarn, and their companions were able to escape the destruction of Ched Nasad in 1372 DR. The city, once a shimmering metropolis built upon petrified spiderweb and lit by faerie fire, is now reduced to rubble, with only the few structures built into the cavern walls remaining. The bottom of the chasm has begun melding with the Shadowfell. Gangs, many run by non-drow ex-slaves, cropped up in the area. 

House Teh'Kinrelliz was one house that survived because its noble members were away on a chitine hunt. Because of its size, it quickly rose to a position of power, setting up tools for reclamation at the edge of the city's pit and capturing slaves to do the work for them.

[theluckyflame]

The Northdark: Settlements

This domain is one of the most infamous of the Underdark’s regions. It rests under the North and East of the city of Waterdeep. The lowest minor domain of the Northdark domain is the Lowerdark below the region known as the Northwest Faerûn, the Lower Northdark had the Buried Realms to the east and Netherese Caverns to the south.

Ch'Chitl

Ch’Chitl is a city located 18 miles (28.9 km) beneath the foothills of the Sword Mountains, near Waterdeep. The city was populated by mind flayers, in an inconspicuous warren of tunnels and caves. Six spiral staircases led down from caverns inhabited by quoggoth to the Ring Caverns, which are carved from ancient igneous stones. Mind flayers live in the six Ring Caverns, which each have an outer ring surrounding a circular central plaza, linked by tubes. Ch'Chitl is accessible primarily from Undermountain, from Dolblunde via tunnels from Maden's Tomb Tor, and from the catacombs of the House of Stone. Other access points include the hamlets of Bowshot and Gillian's Hill near Daggerford. Denizens of Ch'Chitl could also easily access the trading routes to Skullport, and use those to access Eryndlyn, Gracklstugh, the mines of Mirabar, and other further away enclaves.

[theluckyflame]

The Northdark: Settlements

This domain is one of the most infamous of the Underdark’s regions. It rests under the North and East of the city of Waterdeep. The lowest minor domain of the Northdark domain is the Lowerdark below the region known as the Northwest Faerûn, the Lower Northdark had the Buried Realms to the east and Netherese Caverns to the south.

Blingdenstone

Blingendstone is a Svirfneblin city 45 miles (72.42 m) to the West of Menzoberranzan in the Upperdark under the Silver Marches near Mistral Hall. The entrance to the city itself was a set of stone stairs leading to a large iron gate. The city itself is a large, winding maze designed to ward off intruders. Many of the buildings themselves appear to be simple piles of rocks, but in actuality, the organic appearance is meant to camouflage genuine structures. Blingendstone is home to an earth node that the people of the city call the Speaking Stones, and an entrance to Wormwrithings.

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark: Domains

Because the Underdark exists as a series of interconnected caves and caverns, it is rarely possible to directly travel from one portion of it to the next. The Underdark is divided into several domains that are similar to the continents above.

The Northdark

This domain is one of the most infamous of the Underdark’s regions. It rests under the North and East of the city of Waterdeep. The lowest minor domain of the Northdark domain is the Lowerdark below the region known as the Northwest Faerûn, the Lower Northdark had the Buried Realms to the east and Netherese Caverns to the south.

Its notable major caverns include the Heartcoil Deeps, a series of caverns that twisted in on themselves, constantly rife with conflict. The Heartcoil Deeps are a nexus for esoteric, arcane, and extraplanar powers and patrons eager to bestow dark gifts onto desperate or lost travelers. The tunnels nearest the surface are lit by luminescent moss, but the stones within the deepest tunnels glow themselves. Many of the cavern walls are adorned with petroglyphs and other cave art done by stone giants. The Heartcoil Deeps are situated beneath Harvestshield Mountain, not far from Waterdeep. Also connected to the tunnels of the Deeps are tunnels connected to the Frostsilver Mines.

In the deepest part of the tunnel system, there is a community of stone giants, including the artist Kulnajriem. The area is also home to monsters and aberrations alike. In the tunnels above the stone giant’s territory, Bellorath’s Cult, a group of minotaur who prey on Underdark travellers resides, this area overlaps with the hunting ground of a pack of Umber Hulks. Nearer to the surface is a lair full of cloakers, whose leftover prey often draws the attention of swarms of carrion crawlers. This area is also patrolled by hostile stone golems created by wizards from Chauntea's Citadel to defend themselves against incursions from below.

Other major geographical features include Nuur Throth, the Sharnlands, and the Whispering Caverns, which is an expansive network deep beneath the Crag Mountains. It is located not far off from passageways that were once part of the ruined dwarven kingdom of Delzoun. Here can be found a wide variety of underground plant life, including skullcap mushrooms and bitter-berry plants. 

While there is no governing body of the Whispering Caverns, they appeared to be under the influence of House Xorlarrin of Q'Xorlarrin and originally Menzoberranzan. There is a prominent outpost established in the region, and often raid the surface land known as Rothé Valley for slaves. 

Also within the caverns is a massive crystalline monolith known as the Iron Heart. Floating in the spacious caverns in a manner similar to an earthmote, the Iron Heart draws speculation and wonder from the scholars and explorers in the area. 

Notable settlements within the Whispering Caverns include the Crucible, a massive duergar fortress and home to the Wrathforge, Steelshear Mines, the duergar-controlled mine that produces hellthorn, a red-hued metal associated with the lower planes, Verdant Caves, a series of caves lush with life and safe foods for the passing traveller, and Zesraena, an abandoned drow city that was used as a refuge for surface-dwelling travelers. The Whispering Caverns are home to a large community of duergar dwarves, drow that relocated from nearby subterranean metropolises, and a community of mind flayers that spend their time searching for one of their lost gods.

The Northdark is also home to Araumycos, a massive fungal growth inhabiting the Upper Northdark, and beneath the High Forest between the cities of Menzoberranzan and Ched Nasad. Araumycos is immune to magic and greatly resistant to psionic energy. Some areas of Araumycos can be attacked with normal weapons or are vulnerable to fire, acid, and other means, but destroyed parts grow back within a short time. Prior to the Spellplague, it was assumed the fungus was unaware of intruders and their destructive ways, but there are rumors that suggest otherwise. Araumycos has several lethal defenses, such as poisonous gas and enormous psionic power, and it is able to manifest slimy creatures similar to oozes. Araumycos is also rumored to be able to use spores to dominate the will of victims and emit substances that could animate skeletal remains upon which they clung.

From time to time, without explanation, large sections of Araumycos wither and decay, revealing ancient, undisturbed caverns. These caverns sometimes contained ancient ruins and were greatly sought after (especially by the Shade Enclave). They were eventually reclaimed, either in hours or centuries. Blacktooth Rock is an intersection of tunnels carved by dwarves in ruined Ammarindar named for the large black stalactite that looked like a fang biting into the fungus. The area is still filled with Araumycos, but is passable.

Northdark Settlements

Blingdenstone Ch'Chitl Ched Nasad Gracklstugh Menzoberranzan Reeshov

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark: Domains

Because the Underdark exists as a series of interconnected caves and caverns, it is rarely possible to directly travel from one portion of it to the next. The Underdark is divided into several domains that are similar to the continents above.

Great Bhaerynden

It is also known to local Gold Dwarves as the Deepwilds, Deep Lands or simply the Deeps, Great Bhaerynden is situated beneath the sprawling plains of Shaar, in the South-central region of Faerûn.

Great Bhaerynden is a massive domain within the Underdark, and is home to a myriad of unique geographical features. The Great Rift, one of such features- a cavern exposing the Underdark to the sky, was a part of the Upperdark serving as the center of civilization for gold dwarves. The Great Rift was formed in -76000 DR, when a series of magical explosions rocked the cavern and destroyed the nation of Telantiwar. Telantiwar was a drow nation situated in the former dwarven nation known as Bhaerynden. drow invaded and seized the nation, but eventually fled or died during the massive collapse that created the Great Rift, and the gold dwarves were able to reclaim their ancestral homeland. Major portions of it were destroyed in the spellplague, the Western half of the Great Rift collapsed when rifts opened up beneath the Sea of Falling Stars.

In addition to the Great Rift, Great Bhaerynden is home to the Chasm of Spiders, Lightdrinker- a deep abyss and shadowcrossing that formed during the spellplague in 1385 DR, and the Underchasm, a canyon created in the Spellplague that runs north to south from Akanûl to the borders of Halruaa. Bluesky Cavern and the Whistlecavern are notable caves in Great Bhaerynden. The Long Road, an expansive tunnel stretching all the way from the Deep Wastes, and The Wyrmcaves, a network of interconnected caverns that were home to a powerful family of black dragons are some of the tunnels found in the region.

Great Bhaerynden is also home to Blackrock Anvil- a natural lava cascade, the Fuirgar Air-Shafts- air vents created by Dwarves to bring more fresh air into the Deep Lands, Needle Leap, a natural stone bridge overtop a rift, and Rootstalk, an enormous living fungal organism that covered every inch of a cavern that was 1 mile (1,600 m) in diameter. The majority of its body was hollowed out into passages and chambers for housing humans, myconids, and other fungal parasites.

There are several notable water features housed in Great Bhaerynden as well. The Darkgulf, the Falls of Myndyp, the Lightless Sea- also known as the Undersea, The River of the Serpent, and the River of Shaar, to name a few. Others include The Deepfall, a massive underground waterfall that rests at the Northern end of the Great Rift, that feeds the River Shaar into the deeper regions of Great Bhaerynden, Riftlake, a large body of water in the Great Rift that the River Shaar originated from The River of the Serpent, and Selendar, a river formed from the water pumped out by the Pumps of Pyraddin.

The civilizations of Great Bhaerynen are plentiful compared to the rest of the domains of the Underdark. Several dwarven settlements are still standing, and not just those belonging to the duergar. Major kingdoms include Bhaerynden, the first great kingdom of dwarves, and Deep Realm and East Rift, larger dwarven kingdoms found within the Great Rift and on the shelf of the Underchasm respectively.

Smaller settlements of this nature include Wildstar, a small dwarven stronghold, Helmstar, an independent trading outpost, and Earth’s End- a small city formerly inhabited by only dwarves that became an outpost for the Elemental Plane of Earth. Others include Deepburrow, a halfling city situated mostly above the surface, and Fluvenilstra, a settlement in the Lowerdark home to the largest abundance of edible flora in the Underdark, inhabited primarily by Slyth, though myconoids, grimlocks, deep gnomes, and genasi also populate the garden city.

Ruins of Great Bhaerynden include Velm’s Brace, a dwarven outpost that fell to centuries ago, now believed to be haunted, Underhome, which was significantly damaged and abandoned in the Spellplague, now inhabited by refugees of the drow city Lurth Dreier, which was destroyed in the forming of the Underchasm and is now known as the Oozing Ruin.

Another drow ruin includes Golothaer, a city formerly a part of the first drow realm in the Underdark. Following a civil war, some of the drow of the nation followed Menzoberra the Kinless, a priestess of Lolth, to form Menzoberranzan in the Northern Underdark.

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark: Domains

Because the Underdark exists as a series of interconnected caves and caverns, it is rarely possible to directly travel from one portion of it to the next. The Underdark is divided into several domains that are similar to the continents above.

The Glimmersea

Also known as the Sea of the Starry Night, the Glimmersea is a vast ocean filling dozens of huge vaults, some thousands of feet (hundreds of meters) high beneath the surface of Toril, specifically beneath the Sea of Fallen Stars, with the exception of the Eastern Reach of the Sea of Fallen stars, and some other areas, where the Glimmersea stretches to reach below Altumbel and Aglarond.

The sea was formed during the Spellplague, when massive rifts opened up in the Underdark in the areas beneath the Sea of Fallen Stars, causing some of the water to drain down into the Underdark, and back up through strange pillars of water influenced by magic cast by the inhabitants of the Glimmersea.

The colloquial name comes from the luminescent larvae living on the ceiling of the cavern the sea occupies, that reflect on the glassy surface of the water, giving the illusion of sailing through a sea made up of the night sky.

The Glimmersea, however beautiful, is fraught with danger. The larvae themselves will wait for passers by, be that intrepid sailors or young Kua-toa or Sahuagin, and drop down to latch onto and feed on the unsuspecting victim. In the shallows, outposts belonging to the Sahuagin and Kua-toa can be found, along with covens of sea hags and the occasional elemental. In the deepest depths of the Glimmersea, reaching more than 20 miles beneath the surface of toril, cities of ancient, powerful aboleth are situated.

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark: Domains

Because the Underdark exists as a series of interconnected caves and caverns, it is rarely possible to directly travel from one portion of it to the next. The Underdark is divided into several domains that are similar to the continents above.

The Earthroot

The Earthroot is stationed beneath the Unapproachable East, beneath Thay and the Sunrise Mountains. Very few people know of its existence and fewer still have made attempts to explore and map the winding tunnels and hidden caverns.

Active cities and settlements located in the Earthroot include Undrek’Thoz, a system of Lolthsworn Drow cities connected via portal in the middledark, a kingdom of Duergar called Fraaszummdin.

There are several ruins scattered about the Earthroot as well, most notably the ruins of Imaskar, below the Endless Wastes, in the easternmost portion of the Earthroot, which became home to the surviving people of the nation, who would become known as Deep Imaskari, a race of strange looking humans with unusually long lifespans, especially adapted both physically and magically to life in the Underdark. Other ruins include those of Nar and Raumathar.

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark: Domains

Because the Underdark exists as a series of interconnected caves and caverns, it is rarely possible to directly travel from one portion of it to the next. The Underdark is divided into several domains that are similar to the continents above.

The Deep Wastes

Situated below Dragon Coast, Turmish, Chessenta, and the Orsaun Mountains, the Darklands are a massive portion of the Underdark. Its most populous city is the Duergar stronghold Dunspeirrin, home to populations of enslaved drow, humans, shield dwarves, deep gnomes.The Deep Wastes

A smaller domain, the Deep Wastes rests beneath the Dalelands and Moonsea. Its home to a drow city known as Maerimydra, which briefly held the surface city of Shadowdale before its falling, but now sits in ruin. The Deep Wastes are home to the infamous and eerie Lorosfyr cavern in the Lowerdark of the region, the House of Deep Consumption, and the drowned city of Multum.

Inhabited locations of the Deep Wastes include Blessed Seahaven, a Kuo-toan settlement in the lowerdark, an unusually civilized goblinoid hamlet known as Brikklext, a small settlement of aberrations, and Maerimydra.

Maerimydra is the largest settlement of the Deep Wastes, a drow city with a long history, having formerly fallen and risen again as a haven for drow exiles. After extensive struggle, an alliance of Eilistraen followers, Agents of the Harpers, the Zhentarim, the Emerald Enclave, the Lords' Alliance and the Order of the Gauntlet came to offer help to the local forces, which included: the drow of Szith Morcane, led by archmage Solom Ned'razak, the warriors following Elanil Elassidil of the Hillsfar rebellion, the Red Plumes guided by First Lord Vuhm Yestral, the myconids of Sporedome, and the illithids of Ryxyg. A group of Sword Dancers, led by high priestess Saradreza Oussmtor, were able to banish the demon lord Graz'zt and reclaim the fallen city.

It henceforth was home to a diverse population of Myconoids and illithids in addition to duergar and drow. There are several notable connections to the surface in Maerimydra, along with connections to the Shadowdark- though many, if not all of those access points have been sealed off

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark: Domains

Because the Underdark exists as a series of interconnected caves and caverns, it is rarely possible to directly travel from one portion of it to the next. The Underdark is divided into several domains that are similar to the continents above.

The Darklands

Situated below Dragon Coast, Turmish, Chessenta, and the Orsaun Mountains, the Darklands are a massive portion of the Underdark. Its most populous city is the Duergar stronghold Dunspeirrin, home to populations of enslaved drow, humans, shield dwarves, deep gnomes.

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark: Domains

Because the Underdark exists as a series of interconnected caves and caverns, it is rarely possible to directly travel from one portion of it to the next. The Underdark is divided into several domains that are similar to the continents above.

The Buried Realms

Bordered by the Sharnwall, a magical wall created by the sharn in order to imprison the phaerimm, the Buried Realms lay beneath the expansive desert Anauroch. The wall prevented the escaping of the aberrant phaerimm, but other creatures could cross freely through it. Deep-reaching catacombs of Oreme of Isstosseffifil intersected with the Buried Realms, making it an access point to the surface. Nethrese ruins could also be found in the Buried Realms, however the threat of the Phaerimm discouraged any other settlements from appearing, and the only other notable populations are enslaved by the Phaerimm.

[theluckyflame]

Drow: Elves of the Underdark

In Lolthite city-states, the organization of the Church rules with an iron fist. Total theocracy was the only accepted form of government; there were no courts, only Priestesses of aristocratic houses whose word was final law. Slavery runs rampant, with many cities having over a 2:1 ratio of enslaved to free people, and harsh class and gender divides even among the free drow kept wealth in the hands of the noble houses. The rule of drow society above all others, above even their official laws, is that survival and success belong to those who take it by force.

A Lawful Society for a Chaotic Goddess

Lolthite drow society was intensely matriarchal. Clerics were never men, even on the very rare chances that they were not women. Cleric women from within noble Houses were priestesses, and the head of a noble House was called the Matron Mother. Through them, the formal rules of society were enforced, a set of laws called the Way of Lolth.

Men were considered the property of their houses and “unclean” in the Way of Lolth, and although technically not slaves, were to follow their betters’ every whim. A male drow refusing the advances of a woman of higher station was a crime punishable by castration and slavery of the lowest order– as castration robbed them of the only use they provided to their women. Most drow men only had social currency if they were born to the matriarch of a noble House, and most drow women of such houses would select their suitors based on appearance or physical prowess from the common folk; these commoner men had no choice but to join the family and hope it benefited them in the long run.

Lolthite drow society is seated in its largest City-State of Menzoberranzan, where the Council– the organization of Matron Mothers from all the extant ruling houses– gather. Houses are ranked by power, as the final say in decisions is echoed in a classic drow phrase: might is right. Each House has its own properties, though there are sections such as the city where all intersect. There have never been more than 20 houses ruling Menzoberranzan, though in present there are only 6. The only unchanging position is House Baenre, which was the first House to form and has not given its seat up in the history of the city.

While broadly the practice of eugenics has fallen to the wayside in the broader scale of drow society, Lolthite noble Houses still fiercely follow the practice. Any children being born showing signs of possible surface lineage, mental deficiency, physical disability, or other “undesirable” traits would be killed as infants. Still later in life, drow that exhibited transgender identity were also often killed, as they were either seen as making a mockery of divine womanhood.

The houses are as follows:

House Baenre. Often viewed as Lolth’s preferred house, their Clerical powers allowed them to rise to power initially and they still have a better command of divine magic than the other Houses. The House has had the highest number of High Priestesses of any House and currently contains heads of both the magical branches of Tier Breche, the Drow training academy. They also own Black Claw Mercantile, one of the two mercantile companies of the city. House Baenre is represented in color by red and black with gold filigree.

House Faen Tlabbar. Rose to second-house status on a technicality, upon the consolidation of Houses Del’Armgo and Fey-Branche into House Baenre. Widely thought of as the most fervently devoted to Lolth of the houses, although their power comes from bloodline psionics, unfortunately the result of human intermingling over 1000 years ago. They are represented in color by blue and black with silver filigree.

House Mizzrym. Known to be famed illusionists, the third house is notably young compared to the other noble houses, gaining territory and wealth by willfully opening merchant trade with members outside of their race. They are represented in color by green and black with silver filigree.

House Xorlarrin. This house is, at the moment, broadly propped up by House Baenre’s power; they needed more bodies, and the remnants of the Houses Xorlarrin and Do’Urden needed some charade of dignity to keep existing. The Xorlarrin bloodline is regarded as the most magical House, with their wizards having enough power that their influence is almost– almost– comparable to that of the house’s less impressive Priestesses. They are represented by dark yellow and black with gold filigree.

House Vandree. This house is most notable for its interest in surface raiding, collecting many artifacts as souvenirs; most notable of these are their drinking goblets, all fashioned from human skulls. Their colors are purple and black with silver filigree.

House Melarn. While militarily a strong house, their stringency in following the Way of Lolth and propensity for accusing others of blasphemy makes them deeply unpopular with the other houses. A failed siege on House Xorlarrin caused them to dramatically fall to the lowest ranking of the ruling houses. Their colors are orange and black with silver filigree.

There are other, smaller noble houses as well; remnants of old families long deprived of their numbers and wealth in quantities that truly represented power in Menzoberranzan. These people still lived more comfortably than commoners, and perhaps even had the odd Priestess among their numbers, but did not have any formal say in goings-on in the city.

In such a striated society, life for Houseless drow is harsh. They are kept in poverty, desperately living meal to meal under the reign of the Priestesses and Houses. Stringent rules punishable by death demanded they not wear any house colors or insignia, and any day could end in a public beating or assault at the hands of a Priestess who smelled weakness on you. As such, all drow have developed a level of stoicism– weakness is death, and the ability to pull one over on the person beside you can be the difference between pain and a promotion. Arrogance and greed are rewarded at every turn, with love and vulnerability only serving as ways to be exploited.

[theluckyflame]

The Underdark

Also known as: Deepearth; the Lightless Lands; the Night Below; the Realms Below

Geography

An enormous system of subterranean caves, caverns, and tunnels located beneath the surface of Toril, the Underdark is divided into three depth levels.

Upperdark:

The inhabited karst landscape beneath Toril, where travellers from the surface and denizens of the Underdark most often met. The Upperdark spans 3 Miles (4.8 Km) below the surface. The Upperdark is home to significant caverns and tunnels such as the Labyrinth- a system of lava tubes spanning across the northern Underdark and into the Middledark- and Wormwrithings, a tunnel system intersected by natural caves that were believed to have originally been formed by a colony of purple worms that were repurposed by a variety of races.

The Upperdark, due to its proximity to the surface and subsequent environment, which is comparably more inhabitable than a large portion of the lower portion of the Underdark, is a notably diverse level of the Underdark, being home not only to Menzoberranzan, the largest Drow settlement, but was also host to several cities of Deep Gnomes, Dwarves, Goblinoids, Aberrations, and other bands of peoples who were able to successfully settle in the region. Several of the current cities exist on and in the ruins of former Dwarven settlements. 

Middledark:  

The Middledark is home to the majority of the cities in the Underdark. It rests 3-10 Miles (4.8-16.1 Km) beneath the surface of Toril. It intersects with portions of The Labyrinth, It comprises several large caverns, and home to Darklake, a massive lake spanning more than 100 miles across, located within the North Middledark. The duergar use this lake for travel, though it can take up to two days to traverse. There are rumors of a portal connecting Darklake to the rivers of Skullport- a subterranean crime city located on Nethrese ruins far below Waterdeep, the lowest levels of which intersect with certain caverns of the Underdark. 

Also located in the Middledark is Mantol-Derith, a merchant city resting on the Southwest shore of Darklake, populated by several merchant groups from different races populating the Underdark. Though, not many knew of the city’s exact location, and the city is primarily composed of caravans and campsites. Drow make up the majority of the middle dark, although there are several areas populated by Druegar, and sparse populations of other races living throughout the sprawling caverns. 

Lowerdark:

The most treacherous and least explored region of the Underdark, the Lowerdark rests 10 Miles (16.1 Km) beneath the surface of Toril. The Lowerdark is marred by deep chasms, such as the Lorosfyr chasm- notable for its complete unending silence, broken only by eerie whispering, and the Throrgar Chasm, also called the Shrieking Abyss due to the screaming winds coming from the depths, and the fact that it served as a portal to Pandemonium. 

There are several caverns that are also notable within the Lowerdark, including Cloakerhaven, a settlement made up of hundreds of cloakers 500 feet (150 m) wide and 200 feet (61 m) high. Nuur Throth, another notable cave, can be found beneath the Sword Mountains in the Lower Western Northdark. Sheets of wizard fire are constant in the upper portions of the cave, providing light for sussur trees to grow in clusters around strange stones that serve as covers for deep wells. An Earth Node rests at the center of this cavern, and casters using the spell node door are able to use this travel between several similar stones scattered across Northern Faerun.

The Sharnlands are a massive complex of caves and caverns interconnected beneath Delimbiyr Vale, home to the largest (though not a large) population of Sharn. The Lowerdark is home to a surprising number of races and settlements, including cities of aberrations, lizardfolk, Kuah Toa, and a particular race of humans called Deep Imaskari, who are the only remnants of a race believed to be lost to time. 

[theluckyflame]

Drow: Elves of the Underdark

The most populous race of the underdark, the expansive empire of the Drow spans much of the Underdark and even, very rarely, on the surface. With their reputation for cruelty and steadfast devotion to their dark goddess only rivaled by the rumors of their otherworldly beauty, the Drow are looked at by outsiders with fear and awe.

Living in Darkness

Adapted to the nutrient-sparse and almost completely dark environment of the underdark, drow were the second-shortest of the elven races. There was very little height variation between sexes, like all elves, and they averaged between 4’7” and 5”5” feet tall. Due to eugenics pushed by the Church of Lolth– both the dominant religious organization and the governing body of most Drow states– as well as the necessities of maintaining body weight in an environment where food can be scarce, drow tend to be more muscular and stocky than other elves, and more prone to fluctuations in weight.

Drow ears are also a bit of a novelty among elves; the only elven race with larger ears is the shadar-kai of the shadowfell. Drow ears tend to point down and back compared to other elves, and are particularly mobile as well, able to turn around almost fully behind a drow's head to more acutely pick up sounds directly behind them. Skin

Skin tones range from a medium, stony gray to almost black, with undertones ranging from cyan to deep purple. Their dark flesh extends to their gums and tongue, which consistently range in shades of purple, from almost-pink to indigo.

Among most drow populations, this color range is more restricted-- Lolthite society praises dark, warm skin for the contrast it provides against (ideally) white hair and red eyes. Beauty standards aside, the emphasis on physical appearance in drow society and history of eugenics does promote a smaller gene pool and less physical diversity in traits such as skin tone. Change in this can be observed in Eilistraean drow, though, who are heavily encouraged to intermingle with other races!

Eyes

Drow eyes can run in almost every light color; while red is the most common, lilac, pink, and silver were also frequently noted. Blue or purple eyes were thought to indicate human ancestry, and though they occurred naturally among pure drow populations, were broadly seen as undesirable. A drow’s darkvision is very keen. It is the best darkvision of any race without magical enhancements; their pupils tend not to constrict as effectively as surface races, both allowing them to take in more light in these dim environments but also making them very susceptible to eyestrain when exposed to bright daylight conditions.

A common myth perpetuated among surface dwellers was that a drow’s eye color changed with their mood, with the eyes getting more red as they got angrier. This is likely due to the way less pigmented eye colors (with red eyes having no color pigment at all) are more impaired by bright light than darker eye colors such as blue and purple. Red-eyed drow, thus, are often forced to squint to see in daylight, contributing to an “angry” look.

Hair

Their hair, following this trend, also was very light, and naturally thick, coarse, and typically straight, although light curl and wave patterns aren’t exceedingly uncommon. White is significantly the most common hair color, with many outside Drow society believing it to be the only color Drow hair can come in. Less common shades of gray and silver are associated with mental deficiency. Platinum blond may occur on occasion, though is far more common in half-drow than full-blooded drow and as such can be looked upon with suspicion by others.

[theluckyflame]

this blog serves as a wiki for our players in our campaigns to reference for their own purposes. our goal here is to use our knowledge as anthropologists and writers to develop parts of the forgotten realms into more cohesive, plausible, and nuanced subjects-- and to develop portions of the worldbuilding into places or organizations we want to play in! this can range from feywilds xenobiology to tethryn cuisine's variations from its coastal east to its rolling agrarian west.

there is also going to be a huge amount of complete homebrew on this blog-- new cities, towns, businesses, and key public figures whose information is going to show up alongside the "canon" information without any notice. it's safe to call everything you see here full homebrew; we're keeping the forgotten realms property attached due to the fact it IS what we're using for our bones and I don't want to discredit the decades of work put into this world.

what's canon at our table doesn't have to be at yours, but we hope you can find something useful for your game while you're here!

use note: we kindly ask you do not use any of our homebrew worldbuilding, settings, characters, or organizations for any streamed/videoed/recorded campaigns or related creative endeavors. we have poured a lot of heart into this and don't want it used for someone else's content or profit.

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drow

xenobiology lolthite society the church of lolth vhaerunian society

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