Necrotic Caverns
A cavern in the Shadowfell, one of the largest caverns in the Universe and prized and contested over due to the crystals which contain necrotic energy. Its primary connection to the World of Mortals is through a large opening known as the Maw of Death which opens to just beneath the palace of the Kingdom of South Belahir in Gartos.
Geography
From the Maw the main area of the cavern immediately opens up, the wall going straight up. If the cavern were overlaid with the World of Mortals based on the position of the Maw in both, half of the city of Gartos would be in the cavern. The area below the Maw is a fertile plain of moldy dirt with hundreds of square miles cut through with streams where mushrooms grow. Small crystals barely large enough to see grow in the streams, but never grow to harvestable size. This area houses a couple of castles, but not many. This area also houses many giant spiders. The cavern ceiling is over a mile above this area. Above the plains is a plateau made of rough lightly sloping rock elevated from the plains by around a hundred feet. This area houses only one castle, belonging to a Vampire Lord, whose castle makes the rest look pitiful. This area also has many rivers and ranges from 60 to 6000 feet across, but is nearly empty of giant spiders and mushrooms. Beyond that the cavern splits into three large sections, each of which leading to another cavern system and that have a few springs, and each has one major river. Most of the castles are built along one of the rivers or at one of the springs.
Fauna & Flora
Elves, mushrooms, moss, algae, giant spiders. There used to be lizards, snakes, birds, trees and small rodents, along with crops like dandelions, wheat, corn, and even a few cows.
Natural Resources
Mushrooms from the rocks, stone from the rocks, necrotic energy crystals from the walls, spider meat from giant spiders, water from streams. There used to be sunlight from the Maw, wood from trees, and food from fields.
History
After the Shadowfell was created the Night Hags quickly settled the area, harvesting and eating the crystals that grow there. Once Elves Fled into the Shadowfell they also quickly settled the cavern and forced out the Night Hags. They didn't have a usage for the crystals, but used them in jewelry and settled the area peacefully, with a mutual agreement with Belahir of peaceful coexistence. After around two centuries a neighboring tribe discovered that the crystals had immense necrotic energies and started to invade. A couple of other neighboring kingdoms decided that if the area was important to that tribe, it had to Ben important, and so they attacked, and the combined might of the two kingdoms wiped out the tribe. At some point during this both of the kingdoms learned of the energies in the crystals and started warring for control. This was also the main event that revealed that the Shadowfell and Feywild don't experience time in the same way, as the kingdoms in the Shadowfell had a few decades of history where the World of Mortals only had a few months. Belahir approached the tribes and offered protection in return for open trade of the crystals. The resident tribes accepted, and started harvesting the crystals for trade with Belahir for goods and protection. The Death Maw opening was kept under keen guard, but after Gartos became a capitol, it was decided that even having the passage exposed posed too much of a risk, despite the benefits of trade. So, the opening on the World of Mortals side was protected through a series of enchantments and illusions, while on the Shadowfell side it was protected through a set of magical steel doors. Once the opening was closed, no more guards were sent in, leaving the remaining guards inside to fend for themselves. Some of the guards decided to surrender, eventually getting freedom, while some decided to keep fighting, getting slaughtered over a few years with the help of residents, and some decided to run, surviving and forming a new type of magic that allowed them to manipulate shadows. While they formed those techniques, a three way struggle over the area of this cavern took place, one more kingdom having emerged in the intervening time. During this period the war raged, with the kingdoms trying multiple times to establish permanent colonies, only for the other two to form a temporary alliance and destroy it, but with constant raids all the kingdoms got a portion of the crystals they wanted, albeit at a lower quality. Eventually the guards who had fled became strong enough to fight back. Their new magics allowed them to meld into the shadows and assault the enemy without them even knowing where the attackers were, with some squadrons of guards being taken out by only three combatants. During this time they got the full support of the inhabitants and started building infrastructure. The enemy kingdoms started bringing lights, and the fighters had to fall back to the castles and walls they had built in preparation, holding out for years. Eventually the other kingdoms started ignoring the isolated castles, focusing on their war with each other, and trade between the castles and the kingdoms started. This allowed each castle to focus on developing the shadow arts more.
Tourism
As the area in general is now a war zone, tourism is limited, although some of the wealthiest thrill seekers travel to the castles.
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