Underdark

The Underdark is a vast underground environment in the world of Exandria. A dark and hostile place, the Underdark is almost a world unto itself, with civilizations, monsters, politics, economies, and threats that may interact only sporadically or indirectly with the surface world. Notably, the Underdark has significant connections to the Far Realm, from which many aberrations emerge.

Geography

Tal'Dorei Crystalfen Caverns: Deep beneath the Bladeshimmer Shoreline and even running beneath the ocean floor, the caverns were colonized before the Age of Arcanum by aboleths and other aberrations from the Far Realm. That civilization was gradually expanding toward the surface until it was literally crushed by forces unleashed in the final battle of the Calamity that tore through Exandria. Because of long exposure to psychic energies, the caverns have veins of azuremite, one of the substances that can be refined to make suude. Ruins of Salar: Salar, the Unseeable City, was the capital of the aberrations' civilization. Its ruins are in the deepest part of the Crystalfen Caverns, directly beneath Emon. Trysta excavates and studies the ruins. The Emberhold: A duergar stronghold accessible via the mines beneath Kraghammer, after miles of walking. Came under K'Varn's control. Yug'Voril: An ancient city lately controlled by an illithid colony that also fell under K'Varn's thrall. Even the illithid don't know who originally built it. Close to a rift with the Far Realm. Nearby there are veins of blue crystal matching the description of azuremite, but Vox Machina couldn't identify it at the time. Vulkanon: The city-state, deep in the magma tunnels of the Cliffkeep Mountains, that serves as the center of fire giant civilization. Produces high-quality arms and occasionally allies with the duergar of the Emberhold. Ruhn-Shak: A small drow city beneath the Stormcrest Mountains, devoted to Lolth, the Spider Queen but driven to the brink of destruction by the maddening whispers of aberrations and Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion. Wildemount The Kryn Dynasty—particularly the Aurora Watch, with its magically controlled purple worms—largely controls the Underdark of continental Wildemount. They send assassins and spies, collectively called the Lens, through the Underdark to infiltrate other lands and seek out Luxon Beacons. Duergar hostile to the Kryn control perhaps a dozen small outposts. Deep gnomes also have some small settlements in the Underdark, and remain neutral between the Kryn and duergar. Other Notable Locations The Bastille of Torment, deep under the Dunrock Mountains, is presumably part of the Underdark. Torog used the Bastille to torture the enemies of the Betrayer Gods during the Age of Arcanum. Fire giant citadel beneath the northern Ashkeeper Peaks. Miskath Pit: In Blightshore, a sinkhole of untold depth that blends the Underdark with the Far Realm. The Winding Core: A sliver of the Underdark on Rumblecusp.

Type

Subcontinent

Location under

Exandria

Included Organizations