Ust Natha

Ust Natha is a drow city located in the Middledark of the Underdark. Its location corresponds roughly halfway between Kymal and Westruun, but a little further south. The city is small, existing entirely within a single large cavern with most of its living areas built inside of hollowed out stalagmites. The lighting in the city is provided by massive, bioluminescent mushrooms, or in places where space is limited, by bioluminescent mosses and fungi that can grow on walls and ceilings. 
Despite its size, it has become a major trading hub between the drow and other races. The city also has historical significance for the drow, as legends claim that Ust Natha is located close to the surface caves where the dark elves were forced to retreat after the Divergence. After many generations, these refugees evolved into the modern day drow.

Ust Natha must contend with several other Underdark settlements in the region, including a kuo-toa city and an illithid enclave. A nearby svirfneblin village is allowed to remain nominally independent as long as they supply a quota of slaves each year. The largest danger to Ust Natha is a recently awakened nest of phaerimm, located several miles beneath the city itself.

The city is controlled by several competing drow houses, the most powerful of which is the Despana family. While a majority of the city’s population are drow, in recent years the city has allowed a contingent of foreigners and even surface dwellers to take residence. This has been at the behest of Phaere Despana, who seeks to raise the fortunes of her house by creating a place within the Underdark where surface traders feel relatively safe. In addition to the drow population and surface traders, there are thousands of quaggoth and svirfneblin slaves that support the drow houses, and even a few Illithid and aboleth envoys can be found within the city.

Demographics

(80% drow, 5% quaggoth, 5% svirfneblin, 10% other)

Government

Matriarchal theocracy, ruled by powerful houses of drow, always led by female drow.

Defences

• Deep underground, difficult terrain to navigate in the dark
• Several monsters roam wild around the outskirts of the city
• Massive prison called Carcerus

Industry & Trade

• Spider silk cloth
• Poisons
• Rare mushrooms
• Bioluminescent pigments and dyes
• Massive slave trade

Slavery in Drow Society

All slaves and their families are the property of their owners, who could sell or rent them out at any time. Their lives can be harsh. Slaves are often whipped, branded or cruelly mistreated. Their owners could also kill them for any reason, and would face no punishment. Although the Drow accept slavery as the norm, some – like the current leader of the city, Phaere Despana – argue that slaves should at least be treated fairly, educated, and given the opportunity to earn their freedom and become citizens.

Essential labor

Slaves work everywhere – in private households, in mines and factories, and on farms. They also work for city governments on engineering projects such as roads, sewers, aqueducts and buildings. As a result, they merge easily into the population. More unique slaves - such as unusual races (tieflings, humans, aasimar, etc.) - are kept as status symbols by wealthier and more influential houses, as a sign of their rank. Humans, however, are considered poor slaves, due to their ridiculous need for sunlight to remain healthy, and tend to burn out quickly in the Underdark. 

Manumission

The current ruler of Ust Natha believes in allowing slaves to earn their freedom. Some drow have freed their slaves in considerable numbers: some freed them outright, while others have allowed them to buy their own freedom. The prospect of possible freedom through manumission encourages most slaves to be obedient and hard working.

Formal manumission was performed by a magistrate and gave freed slaves full citizenship in Ust Natha. The one exception was that they are not allowed to hold office. However, the law gave any children born to freed slaves, after formal manumission, full rights of citizenship, including the right to hold office. They could never, however, hold a position as a priestess of Lolth.

Infrastructure

• Complex sewerage system assisted by mushrooms that grow on waste found in the city's sewers. Extremely toxic to breathe due to the sheer number of spores in the air, but can be navigated with the correct equipment.
• Mage Education Tower
• Gendered Training Arenas
• Water purification system

Assets

• Fresh water
• Poisons
• Mushrooms
• Netherese artifacts
• Slaves
  
  

Trade Centre

Ust Natha’s trade center has a range of diverse items from across the surface world and the Underdark. Some items can always be found at the market. A customer can also spend 100 gp to get a roll on the rare item chart. They may roll a maximum of 5 times per day.

Aboleth Bowl

The most powerful items can be found at the aboleth bowl. The aboleth deal in ancient artifacts from civilizations long dead but dealing with them can be dangerous. The wealthier the customer (as displayed by the price of an item they want to purchase), the more likely the aboleth will simply try to take control of the situation in a way you may not expect.

Notable Locations

1. Aboleth Bowl. An aquatic building where visiting Aboleth stay. 
2. Achaierai Pen. Captured achaierai are brought here. 
3. Bazaar. Where all trade is done. 
4. Carcerus. A portal to Carceri and demodand guards makes this the perfect prison for the Underdark’s most dangerous criminals. 
5. Discourteous Dryad. A tavern run by tieflings, and the only place truly safe for surface dwellers in Ust Natha. 
6. Duergar’s Demise. A shop that sells illicit goods. 
7. Female Fighter Society. Where female drow are taught. 
8. House Claddath. A house with ties to Charthra. 
9. House Despana. The most powerful drow house in Ust Natha. 
10. House Jae’llat. One of Ust Natha’s founding houses. 
11. Malavon’s Tower. The home of Malavon Despana and where drow wizards are taught. 
12. Male Fighter Society. Where male drow are taught as warriors. 
13. Rothe Pens. Where herds of rothe are kept for future consumption. 
14. Temple to Lolth. The largest building in Ust Natha. 
15. Woolanth. Small library and one of the largest collections of knowledge on the nine hells in all of Exandria, including books that detail rare forms of magic and warlock pacts.

Founding Date

10 PD

Type

City

Population

7,500

Inhabitant Demonym

Ust Nathians

Location under

Underdark

Owner/Ruler

Matron Phaere Despana

Ruling/Owning Rank

Drow matriarchal theocracy

Owning Organization

Drow Dark Elves