Scar Valley

Scar Valley is a region of Crestfall, notable for serving as the backdrop for the final battle of the continent-spanning Millennium War.
A barren wasteland on the surface, the scorched, cracked landscape of Scar Valley belies a vibrant ecosystem deep beneath the earth, serving as the largest entryway into the Underdark.

Geography

On the surface, Scar Valley is an expanse of dry grey earth, its arid environment punctuated by strong winds blowing thick clouds of choking dust into the air. What little plant life in this place is hardy enough to endure the poor soil and unforgiving weather, and the seldom-seen beasts and other creatures which call this place home are similarly adapted for survival in the wastes.
A massive canyon, known as the Deepscar Chasm, is located at the heart of the valley. The Chasm is 15 kilometers wide and 5 kilometers deep, extending far below the surface of Scar Valley and into another world entirely: a vast underground network of caverns, tunnels almost as vast as the surface continent of Crestfall itself; this subterranean biome is commonly referred to as the Underdark.
The Deepscar Chasm is believed to be the largest and only significant gateway between the surface world of Crestfall and the Underdark. As a result, the area is considered a location of interest, both to those who would not wish to see the more malevolent creatures of the Underdark emerge to terrorize the surface (see below) as well as to those who see the Chasm as a veritable hub for trade and commerce between nations occupying the space both above and below the Chasm.

Ecosystem

In stark contrast to the barren surface of Scar Valley, the subterranean world of the Underdark is a surprisingly vibrant and expressive ecosystem home to a variety of creatures which would seem strange and potentially downright alien if observed by the surface world. In the untamed caverns dwell fearsome creatures such as the Grick, the Hooked Horror, the Cloaker and the Umber Hulk, among countlers other predatory creatures that can easily make a meal of an inexperienced adventurer.
Not all inhabitants of the underground are malicious, of course. The Underdark is home to a number of equally benign examples of flora and fauna, from bioluminescent moss clinging to spacious cavern walls to forests of tree-sized mushrooms to bizarre, floating jellyfish-like creatures known as "flumphs"which appear to be drawn to particularly strong emotions. Because the environment below Crestfall is almost as large as the environment above, it would stand to reason that this biome would be equally diverse and varied in terms of plant and animal species.

History

During the Pre-Vancian Era, the region which would later be known as Scar Valley was believed to be a lush and fertile landscape, heavily forested and rich with abundant natural resources. It is believed that this region was one of the first to be visited by the elves upon arriving on the Prime Material Plane from the Feywild, and was quickly claimed as a territory by one faction of elves in particular: the Eladrin of the Unseelie Court.
The Unseelie Eladrin would continue to hold this region up until the end of the Milennium War, wherein the valley would go on to become the backdrop for the final battle of this centuries-spanning conflict. What occurred in the aftermath of this battle has been lost to modern historians, though some key facts have been retained: it is known that during this final battle, both sides of the War were beset by the wizard Vance and his amassed forces. Vance, through the use of unknown magic, erased the knowledge of advanced magic from the minds of the opposing armies in an event that would be later known as the Fade. When the battle had concluded, the valley that had served as the battlefield was now a scoured wasteland, and both sides were too devastated by both casualties numbering in the thousands as well as the loss of their most powerful magic. As a result, the Millennium War, as well as the elves' control of Crestfall, was brought to a close.
Despite the scouring of the land and the heavy loss of life and infrastructure, the Unseelie Eladrin continued to persist in the valley; or rather, under it. Those who survived the aftermath of the final battle and the Fade fled underground, using what remaining magical and technological knowledge they had to attempt to rebuild their crumbling civilization. Due to their adaptable natures, the Unseelie Eladrin quickly adjusted to life underground, and would become the progenitors of the subterranean dark elves, also known as the Drow.

Demographics and Cultures

In the Modern Era, the Drow have managed to rebuild a flourishing civilization deep within the Underdark itself; the capital city of the Drow civilization, aptly named Deepscar, resides at the bottom of the Deepscar Chasm and is ruled by the reigning Drow monarch Queen Razelle and her consortium of spies and secret enforcers. While still unable to recover the bulk of magical knowledge that was lost in the Fade, the Drow have adapted to their current way of life by other means. Utilizing a luminescent gas known as neon, the Drow were able to light their cities without the need for sunlight, and full-body exploration gear such as the suits worn by the Iron Weavers allows even the furthest reaches of the Underdark to be carefully and skillfully explored by Drow scouts and adventurers.
As large as their influence has grown, however, the Drow are not the only inhabitants of the Underdark. Other sentient races that have adapted for life underground include the Duergar, the descendants of dwarves who never left the underground in favor of life on the surface, Svirfneblin, solitary gnomes who dwell on the fringes of Drow and Duergar societies, and Kobolds, small, dragon-worshipping reptiles that occasionally come into conflict with the other races of the Underdark.

Location under

Crestfall

Related Ethnicities

• Deep Gnomes
• Drow
• Duergar

Inhabiting Species

• Kobold