Taureluum

Taureluum is the Drow capital city of the Hollow Mountains. The city lies in the enormous cavern of the underground Lake of Crystals. The water level of the lake varies wildly depending on the weather of the surface world. Some days it is only a foot or two deep but on particularly rainy days it can rise to 30 or more feet.

Governing Body

Taureluum is governed by a council comprised primarily of the heads of noble families, with additional spots reserved for important community members, such as guild masters and archmagis.

Council Members

• Lord Gulatar Mourndyn
• Lady Aunra Tore'lyr
• Lord Tarhrys Alelyl
• Lady Temiira Hun'tyl
• Archmage (Lord) Syrfein Mlezzir
• Archmage Fenwyn Koretan
• Guildmaster Hesta Claddep (textiles)
• Guildmaster Nimloth Mlezzorzza (artificery)
• General Faelene Teken'ani
• Headmistress Haelna Myval
• Head Priestess Halisstra Yauntyrr
• High Priestess Maydiira Melate
• High Priestess Nevari Elendur (represented by Head Priest Tebros Melsek)

Districts

The Sky Gate: home to the Halls of Vashana
The Pendent Spire: governmental and religious buildings
The Shimmering Tower: high end commercial district and location of most guildhalls
The Outer Pillar: the district closest to the Crystal Falls, mix of commercial and residential buildings, more non-drow and temporary residents than other areas of Taureluum
The Granite Pillar: a largely middle class residential district
The Lake District: a floating district that rises and falls with the water level, mostly working class residential and commercial buildings
The Artificery: a commercial district with 8 magic shops
The Crystal Meadow: a temple district at the center of Taureluum, sits in a magical dome within the lake, beneath the Pendent Spire and Ebon Tower, and requires permission to enter
Panrian's Hollow: a narrow, snaking passage leads from beneath the Prismatic Step out into a long cavern and the northern slope of the mountain.
The Prismatic Step: location of the grand estates of the 5 noble drow families.

Civic and Religious Buildings

The Halls of Vashana: (The Sky Gate) a magic institute started by Vashana herself to teach the art of Arcana.
The Artificer's Guildhall: (The Artificery) all legitimate magic enchantment businesses are associated with this guildhall
The Weaver's Hall: (The Shimmering Tower) guild for anyone involved with textiles
The Forge Hall: (The Shimmering Tower) guild of weapons and armor makers
The House of Tranquility: (The Pendent Spire) a hospital run by a priest of the Matron
The Ebon Library: (The Crystal Meadow) a grand library and temple to Shaemora
The Twilight Tower: (The Crystal Meadow) a beautiful tower enveloped in glittering obsidian tile, home of the high priestess of Vashana
Temple of the Three Sisters: (The Pendent Spire) a large temple complex that contains the individual temples of the Three Sisters and a shared meeting place

Businesses

Taverns:

The Chubby Carrot Tavern: This friendly tavern is located at the heart of the Lake District.
Barkeeper: A very friendly, plump halfling woman simply called Auntie, known for her great advice.
Green Jelly: this slightly sour green drink tastes of apple and has little gelatinous cubes that taste of melon. Makes the drinker's muscles feel loose, giving a +5 bonus to dexterity saving throws and performance checks made for dancing. 5 sp

The Gilded Fey Lounge: Located in the Shimmering Tower district, this bar is attached to a high class inn and those who do not meet their standards of appearance are not allowed in. If one deemed unworthy attempts to enter anyway, the bouncer (Mason, a dark skinned earth genasi with veins of gold) will polymorph the offending person into a fish and toss them into the nearby canal.
Barkeeper: A proud drow man named Lesmyr Do'ett, a great conversationalist, but only if he deems you worthy. Particularly interested in Planar Children.
Pixie Cider: Served by the teaspoon, this surprisingly potent, glittering drink leaves the drinker seeing stars and 'pixie dust' trails behind all other creatures for 1d4 hours. 1 gp

The Toothy Cucumber: This tavern is located in the Lake District and attracts the uncouth crowd unwelcome in the Chubby Carrot.
Barkeeper: A burly half-drow man named Kelok Habban, gruff and unlikely to entertain conversation.
Mindflayer: Brewed with the sole intent of forgetting whatever trouble you may cause under it's influence. Only 1 shot is needed for "I DID WHAT?!" to take effect... "I DID WHAT?!": Until your next long rest your INT is lowered by 10. Note: Your Int can never decrease below 1. 2sp

The Laughing Bees: Located on the Granite Pillar, this tavern has an extensive selection of meads.
Barkeeper: an eccentric middle aged drow woman named Viira Elpryn, constantly espousing the medical benefits of mead.
Wanderer's Mead: this sweet, slightly floral mead fills the drinker with confidence. 3sp

The Jade Dragon: Located on the Granite Pillar, both a teahouse and a tavern.
Barkeeper: An elegant sea elf woman named Tahara Ise, very soft spoken.
Silver Mist: a very relaxing tea that opens the drinker's mind. 5sp

The Private Bone Pub: Located on the Outer Pillar, this silk swathed tavern is also a brothel.
Barkeeper: a well endowed, red haired human woman named Lila, always trying to upsell customers.
The Redheaded Harlot: a very strong drink, the sweet strawberry and honey mixed in does little to hide the burn of alcohol. 2sp

The Raven's Roost: Located on the Outer Pillar.
Barkeeper: a half drow man named Zeerin Helviir.
Devil's Tongue: a black drink with red shimmers, causes the drinker to feel fuzzy in the head. 3sp

Hotels and Boarding Houses

Telorra's Boarding House: located in Granite Pillar district, this modest boarding house contains 12 rooms

Magic Shops

The Bleeding Banshee: (The Outer Pillar) weapons shop, both mundane and magical
The Lonely Imp: (The Outer Pillar) Sketchy magic shop, owned by Lucian Darkwater
The Falling Feather: (The Outer Pillar) adventuring gear and common magic items
The Glass Owl: (The Shimmering Tower) an exorbitantly expensive magic shop specializing in extremely rare and legendary magic items, operated by the Mourndyn family.
The Arcane Shield: (The Artificery) a magic shop specializing in abjuration based enchantments, owned by an elderly, battle scarred drow woman named Moru Medai
The Hidden Human: (The Artificery) a magic shop specializing in illusion enchantments, owned by Odi Dethul
The Friendly Familiar: (The Artificery) a conjuration magic shop owned by a young half-drow man named Brex Nyldandri
The Majestic Mummy: (The Artificery) a necromancy magic shop owned by a bubbly drow woman named Halropa Yazozrul
The Siren's Song: (The Artificery) an enchantment magic shop owned by a gorgeous drow woman named Lilasi Oldru
The Clairvoyant's Candle: (The Artificery) a divination magic shop owned by a sea elf man named Taokash Iandall
The Altered Form: (The Artificery) a transmutation magic shop owned by a drow woman named Shrinara Ygu
The Starry Crown: (The Artificery) an evocation magic shop owned by a drow woman named Nyndy Niuma

Misc. Shops

Raven Quill Tattoos: (The Outer Pillar) Operated by a Drow woman named Sabala Melrae
The Silken Needle: (The Shimmering Tower) a fine tailor popular with the noble families, operated by a drow woman named Mykvirsho Seinni

Uncovered Cultural Facts

• The Drow, while quite welcoming to outsiders in other regards, are incredibly secretive about certain aspects of their culture. It is very rare for a non-Drow to be allowed to take part in weddings, funerals, or birth rituals.
• While many other elven groups of Istros have little regard for punctuality and are typically incredibly late to scheduled meetings, the Drow view lateness as a great offense.
• There are five noble Drow families- Mourndyn, Tore'lyr, Alelyl, Hun'tyl, and Mlezzir
• The city is governed by a high council with 13 representatives
• Shoes are not to be worn indoors.
• Meetings, regardless of their purpose, always start with the attendants drinking a small cup of an alcoholic beverage called Suhto and end with a different drink called Yulda. The person who sought the meeting is expected to provide the drinks.
• Nude bathing in the Crystal Lake is frowned upon, however, bathing in completely sheer clothing is completely acceptable and, in fact, the norm. There are multiple clothiers in Taureluum that specialize in such garments.
• It is completely unacceptable to use fire within Taureluum, an ancient law stemming from the Drow's history of living deeper in the mountain, where a burning fire could lead to suffocation.

Industry & Trade

Hollow Mountains Overview

The agricultural practices of the Hollow Mountains in general would seem quite unusual to a surface dweller. As the typical livestock of Istros wouldn't take well to underground life, the agriculture of the area is instead based around the native creatures of the Underdark.

Spider Silk

One of the most lucrative industries is the spider farms that maintain clutters of specially bred spiders. For farms specializing in fine woven silk, the spiders are typically fist sized and very colorful. Weaving spiders produce iridescent white web that, when in light, shimmers with the dominant color of the spider that produced it. Most farms weave this web by hand into silk for garment making, but there are a handful with awakened spiders who do the detailed weaving themselves. The more common type of spider farms breed Cord Spiders, massive spiders that produce a particularly strong web ideal for ropes and cables. This web is typically sold for construction purposes or ship rigging.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms make up a large portion of the food supply for the Hollow Mountains. There are a number of small villages around Taureluum that tend mushroom groves of various types.

• Bluecaps: two foot tall mushrooms with wide caps. The mushrooms themselves are not edible, but their spores can be used like flour.
• Zurkwood: a massive mushroom that can reach a height of thirty to forty feet. Its large grain-like spores are edible and can be ground to a flour or treated like a nut, but zurkhwood is more important for its hard and woody stalks. Zurkhwood is one of the few sources of timber in the Underdark, used to make furniture, containers, bridges, and rafts, among other things. Skilled crafters can use stains, sanding, and polishing to bring out different patterns in zurkhwood.
• Fire Lichen: Pale orange-white in color, fire lichen thrives on warmth, so it grows in regions of geothermal heat. Fire lichen can be ground and fermented into a hot, spicy paste, which is spread on sporebread or added to soups or stews to flavor them. Drow also ferment fire lichen into a fiercely hot liquor.
• Ripplebark: a shelf-like fungus that resembles a mass of rotting flesh. It is surprisingly edible. Though it can be eaten raw, it tastes better roasted.
• Trillimac: a mushroom that grows to a height of four to five feet, and has a broad gray-green cap and a light gray stalk. The cap’s leathery surface can be cut and cleaned for use in making maps, hats, and scrolls (its surface takes on dyes and inks well). The stalk can be cleaned, soaked in water for an hour, then dried to make a palatable food akin to bread.
• Magma Caps: Black mushrooms with red, glowing gills. Used to brew an unusual alcohol with an earthy flavor and faint glow.

Magic Items

While much of the production of magical goods has been shunned on the surface world, it continues to flourish in the Hollow Mountains.

Type

Capital

Related Reports (Primary)

• 05: Welcome to Taureluum

Related Historical Events

• 1118 - 1119 A.A.
  The Shadowed Death