Erelhei-Cinlu The World of Greyhawk & The World of Greyhawk Wiki The current year for our World of Greyhawk campaign is set during 579CY. Inspired By Gary Gygax

Erelhei-Cinlu is a massive Drow city-state located in the heart of the Underdark, within the Vault of the Drow. It is the principal city of the drow, built after the wars between the light elves and dark elves, and uncounted centuries old. Just the sheer mention of the city brings feer to those who are not native to this city.

House Eilservs was long the most powerful of Erelhei-Cinlu's noble houses, and long believed that the city should be ruled by a single queen of their house.

When the other noble houses allied against the Eilservs to prevent this from happening, the Eilservs renounced the worship of the demon queen Lolth, turning instead to an Elder Elemental God - Tharizdun. They then attempted to establish a puppet kingdom in the surface world dedicated to the worship of their new deity, hoping this would bring them enough power that their claims to supreme power in the Vault could no longer be denied.

This scheme was thwarted by a band of adventurers. The same adventuring party then entered the Vault itself and assaulted the Eilservs estates and the Great Fane of Lolth itself. In the aftermath the Eilservs were ruined, their wealth and power shattered, and vengeful priestesses of Lolth turned on them to exile what remained. Many fled to the lesser drow city of Angrimm, which was subsequently overrun by the ghouls of the White Kingdom.

Erelhei-Cinlu lies in a huge cavern, over six miles long and nearly as wide, beneath the Hellfurnaces known as the Vault (also known as the Vault of the Drow). A huge chunk of tumkeoite on the ceiling of the Vault gives the appearance of an alien moon, whilst much smaller deposits of other exotic minerals give one the impression of an starry night sky. Major bodies of water within the Vault include the Pitchy Flow, the Weeping Spring that flows north and west into it, and the Mere of Glooms in the midst of the Weeping Spring.

Much of the Vault is filled with forests of lichens, crystalline growths, and fungi. Merchant estates are scattered south of the city, as are fortresses for the male and female orders of warriors. The city itself is built on the southern bank of the Pitchy Flow in the northern corner of the Vault. A single structure, the Flying Bridge, connects Erelhei-Cinlu with the other side of the Pitchy Flow. Across the river is a plateau containing the estates of the noble houses, and a tunnel leading to the Great Fane of Lolth.

The city of Erelhei-Cinlu is surrounded by a 40-foot-tall wall of seamless polished basalt, interrupted by 40-foot square towers at regular intervals. On the shores of the river, the wall is 50 feet high and without towers; the river wall is the exclusive domain of female soldiers.

The buildings of Erelhei-Cinlu are alien and strangely disturbing to human eyes, its streets narrow and crooked. Erelhei-Cinlu boasts a population of some 27,000 souls. 74% of these are drow, 5% are troglodytes, 2% are bugbears, 4% are surface dwellers, 1% are mind flayers, 2% are trolls, 2% are yugoloths, 3% are demons, 5% are orcs and 2% are goblin.

The principal religion of Erelhei-Cinlu is the worship of Lolth, the Spider Queen, whose greatest temple on Oerth is the Great Fane. Other deities worshiped by the drow of Erelhei-Cinlu include Keptolo, who is Lolth's Eager Consort, Kiaransali, and Zinzerena.

Keptolo's temple is found in the center of the Concourse, where the main streets of the city intersect like the nexus of a web. The priesthood of Kiaransali is dominant in the Ghetto of Chattels, though always under the supervision of Lolth's priestesses.

The Great Fane of Lolth is located in a separate cavern; worshipers must leave the city and cross the Pitchy Flow and the nobles' estates to reach it. In the Ghetto of Foreigners, along the Street of Lies, the drow permit the temples of deities worshiped by other races, including Nerull, Boccob, Ralishaz, Incabulos, Erythnul, Beltar, Raxivort, Vecna, and Tharizdun, though the temple of Tharizdun is more of a museum than an active place of worship (Dragon #298, 77). After the resurrection of Orcus, one of his temples is said to be found here as well. The drow speak their own dialects of the Elven language mixed with Undercommon, the common tongue of the Underdark.

Ruling Houses
1) House Eilservs
2) House Kilsek
3) House Despana
4) House Noquar
5) House Everhate
6) House Godeep
7) House Tormtor
8) House Aleval

Drow often use Elven and Undercommon interchangeably, creating an effective pidgin language at times. Other races who come to the Vault of the Drow, including duergar, illithids, humans, and others, have their own languages but Undercommon serves as the lingua franca for trade.

A road leading from nearby tunnels and caverns opens from a fissure in the Vault's southern wall, leading past a fortress called the Black Tower a mile north before reaching the city proper. All non-citizens must stop at the Tower to be inspected; they are given green silk cloaks to indicate that they have been cleared. Foreigners without these cloaks are normally killed or enslaved by the drow in short order.

Noalith Mei'q The World of Greyhawk & The World of Greyhawk Wiki The current year for our World of Greyhawk campaign is set during 579CY. Inspired By Gary Gygax

Noalith Mei'q (pronounced: Noah-Lith-MAY-Q), which means "Neutral Trading" is a small trading outpost situated in an underground cavern three miles below the surface. Its exact location is not known by many from the surface. The nearest drow settlement is Erelhei-Cinlu which is over thirty miles away to the south.

This trade outpost is a black market located somewhere in the "Middledark" away from any major Underdark settlements. It is a meeting point for traders, vendors and travelers of all Underdark races who come together on neutral territory. Its location is known to few only and safe passage to it is rare. Adventurers from the surface often use it as a basis for deeper explorations.

Noalith Mei'q has endured for centuries as a neutral outpost where Drow, duergar, svirfneblin, and surface dwellers can meet and trade without fearing for their lives. Despite its usefulness and the safety it enjoys. Noalith Mei'q has never become a proper town. Those who maintain it as a trade hub have resisted any urge for expansion, apart from installing basic infrastructure to assist with commercial activities.

The outpost is a free trade outpost and a major trading hub in the Underdark. It’s known as the Outpost of Tears because of the constant, ever-present rain "condensation from Darklake" that falls in and around the outpost. Built inside of a massive stone column (and surrounding stalactite structures), the outpost is a haven for pirates, outcasts, and entrepreneurs alike. Many merchants and traders have carved out decent lives for themselves here, and it is generally more safe here than the wilds of the Underdark.

The outpost is roughly thirty days' travel from Mantol-Derith, and 40+ days from any other settlement. Thousands of years' worth of trickling water carved out the cavern where the drow, duergar, and svirfneblin established Noalith Mei'q. Multiple warehouses have been excavated at the corners of the cavern, each controlled by an enclave and containing offices and temporary lodgings for its merchants. The location of Noalith Mei'q is a well-guarded secret, and the influence and power merchants gain from access to it isn’t something they want to share.

Normally, life in Noalith Mei'q is regulated by three simple covenants: no stealing of goods from fellow merchants, no disguising of goods by any means, and no use of magic during negotiations and haggling. The punishment for breaking any covenant is equally straightforward: the violator is wrapped in chains and tossed into the Blacklake which is near the settlement.

The outpost is located in a large natural cavern and it is heavily guarded and protected by strong magic. The cavern is naturally formed by water because of its proximity to the Blacklake, and is filled with waterfalls, pools, and streams. Its walls are filled with multicolored crystals and gems. Bridges across the various streams are carved from crystal. The outpost itself is primarily comprised trade caravans and campsites. At most times it has small groups of merchants of many races: drow, illithid, svirfneblin, and duergar. Bugbear mercenaries are often spotted here as well.

Notable Locations
• The Nameless Inn
• Tenements
• Warehouses

This outpost is a major tradehub for much of the Underdark, Noalith Mei'q is one of the few bustling economies below the surface. The Blacklake provides a multitude of fish, and the naturally growing mushrooms which bloom in the central market are harvested for their nutritious internal stalks.

Government
The outpost does not have a formal form of governance, but a leader from each of the four major factions "Drow from House Drez`lyn, Illithid, Svirfneblin and Duergar" was appointed to solve disputes when they arise. The only certain laws of the city are the strict prohibition of magic used in altering goods for sale, trade negotiations, or disguising one's self through magic.

Defenses
The trade outpost is heavily guarded with two sets of permanent mercenary guards and a force of Drow from the city of Orthae Qu'lith appointed by House Drez`lyn.