Sunday, January 29, 2023
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Friday, January 27, 2023
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Monday, January 23, 2023
Eighteen years ago, Teagel Manor stood as a symbol of triumph and prosperity on the southern frontier near the northern reaches of the Oyt Forest. The manor was built by Lord Vincent Teagel, a renowned adventurer whose exploits had become the stuff of local legend. Having spent decades battling monstrous creatures, exploring forgotten ruins, and amassing considerable wealth from his adventures, Teagel eventually retired from a life of danger.
Seeking peace and comfort in his later years, he constructed an extravagant manor house where he intended to spend the remainder of his days surrounded by the rewards of a lifetime of heroism. For seven years, Lord Teagel lived quietly within his estate, becoming a familiar and respected figure throughout the region. He frequently traveled to the nearby settlement of Orlane, where he maintained friendships and often shared tales of his adventures with locals eager to hear them.
In the months that followed, friends, hired investigators, and local authorities searched tirelessly for clues. The manor was examined, the surrounding wilderness scoured, and countless rumors investigated. Despite these efforts, no evidence was ever uncovered. There were no signs of a struggle, no ransom demands, and no indication that Lord Teagel had left of his own accord. As the years passed and no new leads emerged, the investigation gradually faded into memory. Eventually, even the most determined searchers were forced to accept that the mystery might never be solved.
Since then, Teagel Manor has stood abandoned, slowly succumbing to decay and neglect. The once-proud estate has become a place of dark rumors and fearful speculation. Travelers report seeing strange creatures entering and leaving the crumbling halls, and many believe the manor has become infested with all manner of foul beasts. Adding to its mystery are persistent legends claiming that Lord Teagel excavated a vast network of tunnels beneath the manor and concealed much of his legendary fortune within them. Whether these stories are true remains unknown. With the estate now overrun by dangerous creatures and haunted by its grim reputation, few are willing to risk exploring its depths, leaving the secrets of Teagel Manor buried beneath stone, darkness, and time.
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Friday, January 20, 2023
Each Tenement is furnished with only the finest furniture and bed linens. The rooms are all dimly lit and very private. Many higher class merchants frequent these apartments while they visit the city to sell wares.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Here you will find an inn alive with its own consciousness, brimming with curios, 'tamed' monsters and intriguing characters from all races. This serves as a resting locale as well as a discussion center, all nestled within the depths of the Underdark. However, caution is advised; one of the proprietors, a Drow, finds herself on her kin's "most wanted" list, and that seemingly ordinary cloak by the entrance? It could very well be a cloaker in disguise . . .
Welcome to the mysterious world of the Nameless Inn, a place shrouded in mystery and whispered legends. Nestled in the depths of the Underdark within this secluded trading outpost, the inn is a subject of many tales and few truths.
It serves as a sanctuary, a respite from the relentless dangers of the subterranean wilds. The inn is governed by a set of rules, chief among them being a strict prohibition against combat within its walls. This law ensures that all who seek shelter under its roof, regardless of their race or business, are afforded protection. This protection is a rare commodity, and as such, the inn demands a substantial fee for its services.
The inn is owned and operated by Chaelsi, a mysterious and regal drow, a drow elf whose reputation is as solid as her reputation suggests. Chaelsi had added to the inn's unique charm over the years but ensures that its rules are strictly enforced.
For those who rent rooms here, the inn might represent many possibilities. It could be a place to rest and prepare for the next leg of their journey or it could simply be a nice place to rest and relax while traders sell goods here.
So, welcome to the Nameless Inn. The doors are always open, but remember, behave yourself and abide by its rules, for they are the thin line between safety and peril . . .
BREAKFAST
Peppered Bread: 7cp
Oatmeal: 3sp
Boiled Goose Eggs: 1sp
Surfaceberry Tart: 1sp
Chicken Eggs: 1sp
Dryroot Porridge: 1sp
Fruit and Cheese: 8cp
Cheese Omelet: 7cp
Fried Potato Wedges: 7cp
AFTERNOON MEALS
Beef Stew: 1sp
Giant Centipede Curry: 9cp
Poached Salmon: 2sp
Spiced Sausages: 1sp
Riding Lizard Tenderloin & Gravy: 2sp
Roast Goat & Cheese: 1cp
Shellfish Platter: 2sp
Roasted Deep Beetles: 9cp
Rothé Stew: 1gp
Stockpot Stew: 1sp
Stockpot Soup: 1sp
Pickled Cave Lizard: 1sp
Crayfish Stew: 4cp
Steak and Kidney Pie: 2sp
BEVERAGES
Bitter Black Ale: 10cp
Whiskey: 6cp
Rum: 7cp
Beer: 2cp
Heavy Beer: 3sp
Kulg: 4cp
Magenta Moss Wine: 1sp
Bitter Black Ale: 2sp
Bitter Black Mead: 3sp
Spiderbllod Wine: 1sp
Mushroom Mead: 9cp
Hill Cider: 1sp
Goblin Piss: 2sp
Ale: 4cp
Mead: 1sp
ROOM NIGHTLY PRICES
Standard Suite: 1gp
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Velkyn'keeshe (pronounced: Velkyn-Keeshe) is a small drow outpost of the city of Orthae Qu'lith. It is specifically used to collect slaves captured in various raids before taking them to the city as workers or sacrifices to Lolth. The commander of the outpost was Ilvara Druu’zel of House Druu’zel and her senior officials were Ezra Quenthel of House Quenthel and Jezzara Thex of House Thex.
Velkyn'keeshe (Drowic for 'Unseen Dagger') is a small drow outpost in the Northdark. It is subject to the laws and dictates of Orthae Qu'lith, and was established as a joint operation between Houses Druu’zel, Quenthel, and Thex, although recently tensions have flared up between House Qhenthel and Thex. Its purpose is to collect slaves captured in various raids, before taking those captives to Orthae Qu'lith to be workers or sacrifices to Lolth. Velkyn'keeshe is located high in a cavern, built 150 feet above its rocky floor.
Three caves and two hanging towers surrounding a platform make up the main part of the outpost, housing its drow warriors. The largest of the hanging towers is reserved for the priestesses and the shrine of Lolth, while the other is a guard tower opposite the cave used to hold slaves. North of the slave pen is the den of the outpost's quaggoth servants. Velkyn'keeshe, being just a small slaver's outpost subject to the great city of Orthae Qu'lith, has a simple power structure. At its head is the Mistress of Velkyn'keeshe, the drow elf, Ezra Druu’zel, with a junior priestess present to learn from the mistress.
Below both priestesses are the elite drow males, and below them were the garrison's warriors and quaggoth servants. Since the outpost's founding, the outpost has changed leadership three times, being led each time by a High Priestess of House Druu’zel. During that time House Druu’zel has supplied the most elites and soldiers, as well as the most young priestesses, "House Quenthel and Thex have provided fewer since they are smaller houses", though the male scion that House Quenthel sent held the spot of Captain for over nearly a century before he was demoted.
As of 579CY, Velkyn'keeshe is being led by Mistress Ilvara Druu’zel, with a single Druu’zel junior priestess under her command. Her captain of the guard was at one point the respected Jordayn Druu’zel, until she replaced him as both a captain and her lover with the younger male Ezra Quenthel, whos skill is hardly worth mentioning but Ilvara approves of him so for now he retains his position.
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
The Shrine of Lolth stands as the most important public temple dedicated to the Spider Queen within the Northdark district of Orthae Qu'lith. Revered by the city's faithful and feared by those who dare question the will of the Dark Mother, the shrine serves as both a place of worship and a symbol of Lolth's ever-present influence over drow society. The temple is overseen by a number of acolytes drawn from several noble houses, each eager to demonstrate their devotion and gain favor in the eyes of Lolth and the priesthood.
The shrine is hidden within a vast cavern deep beneath the surface, accessible only through a network of tunnels known locally as the Shadows. Concealed behind a natural wall of stone, the temple's entrance is marked by elegant masonry that contrasts sharply with the surrounding rock.
At the heart of the cavern rests the shrine itself, an architectural masterpiece of drow craftsmanship. Built atop a rocky outcropping rising above the cavern floor, the temple's circular platform is adorned with an intricate spider-web pattern that radiates outward from a magnificent central throne. Surrounding the platform are eight enormous leg-like structures fashioned in the image of a spider's limbs, arching upward and outward in a style unmistakably associated with Lolth and her faithful. The entire structure possesses a haunting beauty, blending elegance with an ever-present sense of menace.
The shrine is maintained by devoted acolytes who dedicate their lives to increasing the power and influence of the Dark Mother. Standing eternal vigil over the holy site are two colossal drider constructs, ancient guardians imbued with potent magical abilities. One possesses the power to channel restorative energies into favored priestesses, rejuvenating them through a beam of divine power. The other serves as a weapon of destruction, capable of unleashing devastating magical assaults against any intruder foolish enough to violate the sanctity of Lolth's hallowed domain.
Monday, January 16, 2023
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Drez`lyn - Cleric (18)
Nobles: 63
Priestesses: 47
High Priestesses: 16
House Males: 16
Fighters: 4
Wizards: 12
Drow Soldiers: 2,600 (known)
Formations: 325 Elite Foot (female)
675 Archers
1,200 Foot
400 Lizriders
Slave Force:
Formations:
700 (at house proper)
200 goblin foot
150 orc spearcasters
100 gnoll archers
150 bugbears
75 ogre
boulder-hurlers
25 minotaur foot
Friday, January 13, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Vendrea - Cleric (18)
Nobles: 48
Priestesses: 11
High Priestesses: 3
House Males: 37
Fighters: 20
Wizards: 17
Drow Soldiers: 1,000 total
Formations: 50 Elite Foot (female)
200 Elite Foot (male)
200 Archers
350 Foot
200 Lizriders
Slave Force:
Formations:
1,100 total
300 goblin foot
200 goblin archers
150 orc spearcasters
250 ogrillons
(home-bred)
150 bugbears
50 ogres
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Tier`Dal - Cleric (16)
Nobles: 32
Priestesses: 22
High Priestesses: 6
House Males: 10
Fighters: 4
Wizards: 6
Drow Soldiers:
Formations:
450 total
300 Elite Foot
75 Archers
75 Lizriders
Slave Force: 600 total
Formations: 600 kobold
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Mizzra - Cleric (16)
Nobles: 40
Priestesses: 22
High Priestesses: 5
House Males: 18
Fighters: 12
Wizards: 6
Drow Soldiers:
Formations:
750 total
100 Elite Foot (female)
200 Archers
300 Foot
150 Lizriders
800 total
400 goblin foot
100 goblin archers
100 orc spearcasters
100 bugbears
100 trolls
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Naezrym - Cleric (15)
Nobles: 36
Priestesses: 14
High priestesses: 5
House Males: 22
Mages: 21
Fighters: 1
Drow Soldiers: 250 total
Formations: 60 Elite Foot (female)
100 Archers
80 Foot
20 Lizriders
Slave Force:
Formations:
500 total
200 goblin foot
100 goblin archers
100 orc spearthrowers
100 bugbears
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Kenafae - (17)
Nobles: 19
Priestesses: 12
High Priestesses: 4
House Males: 7
Fighters: 2
Wizards: 5
Drow Soldiers: 400 total
Formations: 100 Elite Foot
100 Archers
150 Foot
50 Lizriders
Slave Force:
Formations:
600 total
200 goblin foot
200 goblin archers
100 orc spearcasters
100 bugbears
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Druu’zel - Cleric (15)
Nobles: 16
Priestesses: 8
High Priestesses: 3
House Males: 6
Fighters: 3
Wizards: 3
Drow Soldiers: 300 total
Formations: 150 Archers
100 Foot
50 Lizriders
Slave Force: 400 total
Formations: 200 goblin foot
100 orc spearcasters
100 bugbears
Friday, January 6, 2023
Matron Mother: Matron Daelryn - Cleric (16)
Nobles: 12
Priestesses: 7
High Priestesses: 4
House Males: 5
Fighters: 2
Wizards: 3
Drow Soldiers: 300 total
Formations: 50 Elite Foot
100 Archers
100 Foot
50 Lizriders
Slave Force: 400 total
Formations: 200 goblin foot
200 goblin archers
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Orthae Qu'lith, the City of Spiders, is a smaller underground drow city-state "when compared to Erelhei-Cinlu" deep beneath the surface in the Underdark. Orthae Qu'lith is one of the lesser known drow cities beneath the Flanaess, being a relatively unknown city "even with it being as older city" located in a massive, natural Underoerth cavern "properly named the Underchasm" which is located beneath the Dim Forest.
The roof of "the Underchasm" rises over 1,000 feet above the floor. The massive cavern has powerful magic embedded into it to reduce echos from all the noise coming from the city itself. The city has a single massive gate located on each end of the gigantic chasm allowing entrance to the city by those who are not native to Orthae Qu'lith, and both the north & south gates are heavily guarded. These gates open into the front of the city, while the city proper is heavily fortified and guarded deep within the central section of the cavern.
Orthae Qu'lith is located in a huge rectangular-shaped underground chasm, some two miles long and a thousand feet high. The drow call the the Underchasm, Verldrin Araj or "Shadowed Vengenace". The city is mainly carved from a dark colored calcite and it is filled with blue, green, and violet faerie fire. Buildings were often covered with the city's main motif: "In the service of Lolth".
Notable Locations
• Shrine of Lolth
• Dark Domain
• Tier Breche
Districts
• Commons
• The Grove
• Westway
• Ugulur Veldrin
• Eastway
Orthae Qu'lith is mostly built on the floor of the Underchasm but above the natural bottom of its cavern and many large stuctures are built into the walls and ceiling of this massive underground chasm that house the drow noble houses which watch over the city from above. A total of around 40 drow houses exist in the city, eight of which are noble houses. Buildings of note in the city include guilds for female and male fighters as well as for wizards, and a grand temple of Lolth "Fane of Lolth" at its eastern end. In a typical drow fashion, Orthae Qu'lith is run on the basis of several competing houses led by matron mothers, including a local branch of the Drez`lyn family.
Though the majority of its citizens are drow, it also houses a number of members of other races at a given time who are allowed to stay in the Eastway District. Besides the presence of slaves . . . beholders, illithid, githyanki, aboleths and other non drow races have been known to visit the city at times.
The city is heated and illuminated by a large, 1,000-foot-tall rock column named Kyorlin Alva "the Watching Light". The Archmage of the city casts a fire spell at its base each night, creating a band of heat that slowly travels up the column, eventually dying out at the peak and then descending. This "lava-like" glow provides both heat and light to the city, and the rising and falling band of heat serves as a clock.
Ruling Houses
1) House Drez`lyn
2) House Vendrea
3) House Tier`Dal
4) House Mizzra
5) House Naezrym
6) House Kenafae
7) House Druu’zel
8) House Daelryn
Drow from Orthae Qu'lith tend to be very well equipped and well trained for the Underdark. It is perfectly ordinary for them to be equipped with adamantine weapons, shields and elven chain mail and field plate mail with great enhancement bonus.
The city has many different houses, all of which vie for power. As it is a matriarchal society, however, only female drow truly hold any real power, especially the high priestesses of Lolth from the ruling eight houses. Most of the ruling noble houses are built on higher elevations which allows them to be easier to defend in case of attack.
Although drow culture is matriarchal, a few male drow in the city hold "some" political power, including Kren Drez`lyn, the archmage of the city, and Bregan Tanor'Thar, leader of the mercenary band D'Aerthe Phaeril, which is often utilized by House Drez`lyn. Despite it being a lesser known city compared to other major drow cities within the Underdark, the ancient drow city of Orthae Qu'lith stays out of the business of other rival drow cities to conduct it's own affairs.
Over the many centuries, Orthae Qu'lith has gained the respect from other drow cities and is well respected "mostly, out of fear" from most other underdark cities in the region. It continues to conduct slave operations on the surface and it still has dealings with the slaver organizations to keep the slave population up.
Monday, January 2, 2023
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)