Narathzul's Periphery: The Outward Reach
(Party Level: 4-6)
Narathzul's Periphery is not simply the city's outskirts; it is a colossal expanse extending for approximately 100 miles in all directions from the Drow metropolis. This makes it a vast, sprawling "suburban" territory where Narathzul's influence is projected and its essential needs are met, though with rapidly diminishing control the further one ventures from the city's heart.
While the core areas immediately surrounding Narathzul (such as those depicted on our more detailed map) are densely managed, the Periphery as a whole is an enormous, complex network of tunnels, gargantuan caverns, and forgotten passages. Its primary purpose is the Drow's relentless resource gathering and strategic military projection. Numerous mining shafts delve deep within, yielding vital minerals, worked primarily by enslaved populations. Military outposts and training grounds, strategically positioned along key routes or at major intersections, serve as anchors for Drow dominion.
Drow presence is pervasive along established arteries and at crucial points, ensuring their control. Heavy and frequent patrols operate from critical gateways and outposts. However, the sheer 100-mile scale means that beyond these Drow-dominated arteries and outposts, vast stretches of the Periphery remain wild, untamed, and truly perilous. Roaming Underdark creatures are common in these remote sectors.
Pockets of desperate resistance—including former slaves, Drow followers of Eilistraee, and hardened bandits—find sanctuary and operate within these wilder, less-patrolled expanses, constantly at risk of discovery by Drow scouting parties or being devoured by the native fauna.
I. Zone Connections (Exit Points)
The Periphery connects Narathzul to the wider Underdark and beyond. These are the primary exit/entry points:
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Area 0 (Top Right): The Sunken Ascent / Gate to Narathzul City
- Connects To: Narathzul City Proper (Specifically Area 22: The Sunken Ascent).
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Area 6 (Middle Left): Descent to the Obsidian Scar / Resistance Ambushes
- Connects To: Obsidian Scar (Level 2 zone, Party Level 5-7, bordering Shadowstone).
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Area 10 (Bottom Center): Route to the Frozen Fangs
- Connects To: Frozen Fangs (Level 1 zone, Party Level 3-5, bordering Bloodfire Warrens Gnoles).
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Area 11 (Bottom Left): Trail towards Shadowstone's Shadow / Drow Border Outpost
- Connects To: Shadowstone's Shadow (Level 2 zone, Party Level 6-8, surrounding Shadowstone).
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Area 12 (Top Left): Passage to the Echoing Spires
- Connects To: Echoing Spires (Level 1 zone, Party Level 3-5, bordering Narathzul).
II. Detailed Zone Descriptions
Each numbered area on the map represents a significant location or type of terrain within this 100-mile expanse.
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Area 0: The Sunken Ascent / Gate to Narathzul City
- Function: Primary gateway connecting the Periphery directly to Narathzul City Proper (specifically Area 22: The Sunken Ascent).
- Appearance/Atmosphere: This is a formidable, carved passage, less grand than the surface gate but still imposing. It is well-lit by Drow standards and features reinforced walls and occasional guard towers carved into the rock. The air carries the faint hum of city activity and the distinct scent of ozone from magical wards.
- Inhabitants/Security: Heavy and frequent Drow patrols are present here, ensuring strict control over ingress and egress. Expect 4-6 Drow Warriors, potentially a Drow Elite Warrior or a Drow Mage/Priestess, and 2-3 Giant Spiders. Slave caravans and resource shipments frequently pass through here.
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Area 1: The Sunken Ascent Shipping Hub
- Function: Narathzul's primary logistical hub for all resources entering and leaving the city from the Underdark. A bustling nexus of Drow administration and enslaved labor.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: A sprawling, high-ceilinged cavern filled with large cargo containers, immense Drow-engineered lifting mechanisms, and makeshift holding pens for supplies. Air is thick with dust, the smell of minerals, and the sweat of laborers. Patrolled by Drow guards. Sounds of heavy carts, shouts of overseers, and the clatter of tools. A constant hum of activity.
- Specific Feature: Contains Mizzrym's Quay (The Contagion Hold), a clandestine and heavily guarded section of the hub. This "quay" or hidden holding area is where Deep Gnomes (or other sentient beings) are being smuggled in from deeper levels to be infected with the were-rat lycanthropy curse before being transported further.
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Area 2: Resistance Territory / Hidden Encampments
- Function: This cavern system is a significant operating ground and refuge for the Periphery's resistance elements.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: A complex network of natural caves, some narrow and winding, others opening into larger, more secluded chambers. Patches of dull, native bioluminescence offer dim light. Signs of makeshift camps, hidden supply caches, and worn paths are common. The air is damp and often carries the faint smell of smoke from concealed cooking fires.
- Inhabitants/Security: Home to roaming bands of bandits (former slaves and daring members of the resistance), cautious hermits, and secretive cells of followers of Eilistraee. These groups cooperate out of shared animosity towards the Drow. They use the terrain for cover and are adept at setting ambushes for Drow patrols who dare venture too deep.
- Specific Feature: Contains The Moonless Grotto, a hidden sacred place for followers of Eilistraee, characterized by its ethereal silvery glow mimicking moonlight and serving as a site for ritual dances.
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Area 3: The Bioluminescent Groves
- Function: A managed agricultural zone focused on cultivating various types of fungi as a primary food source for Narathzul. A small Drow/Half-Drow farming community.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: The cavern glows softly with the diverse hues of bioluminescent fungi, casting eerie but beautiful light. Air is humid and smells of rich earth and damp spores. Paths are often squelchy. Small, crude dwellings for the tenders are carved into the walls.
- Inhabitants/Security: Mostly lower-caste Drow commoners and Half-Drow who specialize in fungus cultivation. A few slave laborers assist. Drow patrols (1-2 Drow Warriors) pass through periodically to collect harvests and ensure security.
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Area 4: Resistance Territory / Staging Ground
- Function: A large, wilder cavern system utilized by the resistance for training, planning raids, and as a fallback position.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: A vast, unrefined cavern marked by large rock formations and numerous crevices, providing ample cover. Signs of temporary camps, crude training dummies, and lookout points can be found. The air is cool and still, carrying the scent of damp rock.
- Inhabitants/Security: More concentrated groups of resistance fighters, including former slaves, bandits, and dedicated followers of Eilistraee. They might have a more established, albeit hidden, base within this area, operating with greater autonomy due to its distance from main Drow strongholds.
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Area 5: The Beast Pens
- Function: A series of interconnected caverns dedicated to raising and breeding subterranean livestock for meat, hides, and other byproducts that feed Narathzul.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: Rough-hewn pens and corrals dominate the space. The air is thick with the earthy scent of beasts and hay-like subterranean vegetation. The sounds of feeding creatures, low growls, and cloven hooves echo through the rock. Dimly lit by Drow-placed lanterns.
- Inhabitants/Security: Primarily Drow beast-masters (often burly Drow warriors or specialized Drow commoners), along with a few gnoll or half-orc slaves trained in handling large creatures. Security is moderate, focused on containing the beasts and preventing theft.
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Area 6: Descent to the Obsidian Scar / Resistance Ambushes
- Function: This exit point leads deeper into the Underdark towards the Level 2 zone of the Obsidian Scar.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: The passages here grow steeper and more fractured, with exposed veins of dark, crystalline rock. The air becomes colder and heavier, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant, strange mineral deposits. Natural choke points and shadowed overlooks are abundant.
- Inhabitants/Security: Due to its distance from the city and strategic nature as a choke point, it is utilized by resistance elements for ambushes against Drow patrols or supply convoys heading to or from the deeper levels. Expect a constant tension between Drow scouts and the lurking resistance.
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Area 7: The Grimstone Quarry
- Function: A large, active mining camp, focusing on extracting various minerals vital to Narathzul. A brutal, dangerous, and highly productive operation.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: A vast, echoing cavern dominated by scaffolding, rockfalls, and the relentless clang of picks. Veins of glowing minerals pierce the darkness, illuminating the weary faces of the enslaved miners. Crude lifts descend into deeper shafts. The air is thick with dust, rock, and the metallic tang of blood. Overseers' whips crack frequently.
- Inhabitants/Security: A large population of enslaved non-Drow miners and a contingent of Drow overseers and Drow guards maintain order and production. Security is moderate to high, focused on containing the labor force.
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Area 8: The Crystal Spire of Arcanum (Dungeon)
- Function: This area contains The Crystal Spire of Arcanum, a long-abandoned or forgotten wizard's "tower" (a magically enhanced vertical structure) that holds a valuable spellbook.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: Deep within a vast, echoing cavern, a colossal, naturally formed stalagmite rises, intricately carved and imbued with ancient magical enhancements. Its interior ascends vertically through multiple levels, filled with arcane remnants and lingering magical energies. The air crackles with faint magic, and silence often reigns, broken only by distant drips or the hum of ancient wards.
- Threats: The Spire's dangers are primarily arcane and guardian-based: lingering magical constructs, magically sealed doors and wards, forgotten traps, and elemental guardians. Wild Underdark creatures may inhabit its outer, less protected levels.
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Area 9: Wilderness Area
- Function: This area represents a less-controlled, wilder section of the Periphery, left largely to its own devices by the Drow.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: Unpredictable and sprawling, characterized by natural cave formations, subterranean rivers or chasms, and areas of dense, wild fungi. The air is cool and damp, and the only sounds are the natural echoes of the deep.
- Inhabitants/Security: Contains uncontrolled monster lairs (e.g., Hook Horrors, Gricks, Oozes) and serves as raw, dangerous territory that both Drow patrols and resistance elements might traverse but not actively control. It's a place for unexpected discoveries or ambush sites.
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Area 10: Route to the Frozen Fangs
- Function: Exit point leading towards the colder, crystalline caverns of the Frozen Fangs.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: The passages here begin to show signs of extreme cold, with rime on the walls and occasional ice formations. The air grows noticeably colder, and the sounds of dripping water might be replaced by the subtle creak of ice.
- Inhabitants/Security: Less frequently patrolled by Drow than other exits, it's a prime hunting ground for cold-adapted Underdark creatures or aggressive Gnoll scouts from the Bloodfire Warrens.
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Area 11: Trail towards Shadowstone's Shadow / Drow Border Outpost
- Function: Exit point leading towards the desolate perimeter of Shadowstone, featuring a significant Drow outpost as a forward base for their occupation.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: The passages here grow noticeably darker, even by Underdark standards, and the air feels heavier and colder, carrying a faint, unsettling aura that hints at the pervasive gloom of Shadowstone's Shadow. The Drow outpost itself is a fortified structure carved into the rock.
- Inhabitants/Security: Regular Drow patrols sweep this area from the outpost, watching for escaped slaves, Deep Gnome movements, and any signs of the lycanthropic curse. The outpost is heavily guarded by Drow warriors and mages, potentially with Drow-controlled creatures. Due to their strict control, wild, uncontrolled monsters are rare in this immediate vicinity.
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Area 12: Passage to the Echoing Spires
- Function: Exit point leading towards the distinct geological region of the Echoing Spires.
- Appearance/Atmosphere: These passages are characterized by their unusual acoustics, causing sounds to reverberate and echo strangely. Immense rock formations resembling spires can be seen as one approaches the transition. The air carries an unusual quality, possibly hinting at raw, unbound natural magic.
- Inhabitants/Security: Less regularly patrolled by Drow than other exits. Contains hazards from environmental factors (disorienting echoes) and wilder Underdark creatures (e.g., Hook Horrors, Gricks) that stray from the Spires.
III. Notable NPCs of the Periphery
These individuals contribute to the dynamic social and political landscape of the Periphery.
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Drow Military & Overseers:
- Overseer Vran (Drow Male): A zealous and petty Drow, obsessed with quotas in the Grimstone Quarry (Area 7).
- Scout-Captain Veldrin (Drow Male): A grim, efficient officer leading Drow patrol units (operating between Area 0, 10, and 11).
- Commander Lyra Vae (Drow Priestess): Stern and ruthless, overseeing the Drow outpost at Area 11, focused on the Shadowstone situation.
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Miners (Enslaved):
- "Dusty" Gorgrim (Dwarf Slave): A grizzled veteran miner in the Grimstone Quarry (Area 7), knowledgeable about tunnels and Drow operations.
- "Shift-Slave" Elara (Deep Gnome Captive): A terrified Deep Gnome captive (Area 7 or 1), who observes unusual Drow activity.
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Smugglers (The Shroud's Outward Reach):
- "Whisper" Lyna (Half-Drow Female): An agile way-runner, operating discreet drop points and knowing hidden routes near the Gloomflow (Area 1 or 3).
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Farmers & Beast Herders:
- Myrla (Drow Commoner Female): A pragmatic fungus-tender in the Bioluminescent Groves (Area 3), possibly possessing knowledge of rare fungi.
- K'tharr (Half-Orc Male): A hardened beast-master tending livestock in The Beast Pens (Area 5), fiercely protective of his charges.
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Shopkeepers (Crude Supplies & Fences):
- "Grime" Jed (Human, former surface-dweller): Runs a basic supply stall near a Drow guard post (e.g., Area 1 or 6), also acts as a low-level fence.
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Resistance (Roaming Bands, Hermits, Eilistraee Followers, Former Slaves):
- Gorok Stonefoot (Deep Gnome Resistance Leader): The pragmatic, grim leader of a coordinated Deep Gnome and former-slave resistance cell (operating out of Areas 2 & 4).
- "Cinder" Ryn (Human Bandit Leader / Escaped Slave): The charismatic, ruthless leader of a smaller, more aggressive "bandit" crew (roaming between Areas 2 & 4, and potentially Area 6).
- Sister Lyra (Drow Priestess of Eilistraee): A covert spiritual guide and healer, offering solace and practical aid to those resisting Lolth (operates from a hidden shrine in Area 2 or 4).
- Old Maerl (Duergar Hermit & Tunnel Whisperer): A reclusive, ancient Duergar who knows hidden passages and monster territories (resides in Area 4, observes other zones).
IV. Key Quests and Missions
These missions provide direct hooks for player engagement within the Periphery.
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Quest 1: Investigate The Contagion Hold
- Acquisition Point: Clerics of Eilistraee (likely via Sister Lyra in Area 2).
- Target Location: Mizzrym's Quay (The Contagion Hold) within Area 1 (The Sunken Ascent Shipping Hub).
- Summary: Sister Lyra and other Eilistraee clerics have uncovered terrifying evidence of House Mizzrym's plot to smuggle and infect Deep Gnomes (or other sentient beings) with the were-rat lycanthropy curse. They need the PCs to infiltrate the secret section of the Docks (Mizzrym's Quay) to confirm the operation, rescue victims, and gather definitive proof of Mizzrym's vile intentions.
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Quest 2: Acquire The Crystal Spire Spellbook
- Acquisition Point: The Thieves' Guild (Area 3: The Shadowed Reach & Sunken Docks in Narathzul City).
- Target Location: The Crystal Spire of Arcanum in Area 8.
- Summary: A mysterious, wealthy wizard is paying "top dollar" through The Thieves' Guild for the acquisition of a potent spellbook from the long-abandoned Crystal Spire of Arcanum. The PCs are hired for profit, to retrieve the powerful arcane knowledge within, for reasons yet unknown to them.
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Potential Side Quests/Hooks:
- Slave Rescue: From The Grimstone Quarry (Area 7) or The Beast Pens (Area 5), possibly commissioned by Gorok Stonefoot.
- Supply Raid: Disrupting Drow convoys between Area 0 and the other zones, or stealing from The Sunken Ascent Shipping Hub (Area 1), potentially for "Cinder" Ryn or Gorok.
- Monster Hunting: Clearing a particularly dangerous monster lair (in Area 9 Wilderness) that threatens a resistance hideout or a Drow patrol route.
- Hidden Passage: Discovering a secret passage or resource suggested by Old Maerl.
- Contraband Delivery: A job for "Whisper" Lyna, delivering illicit goods through Drow-patrolled areas.
V. Basic Summary of Narathzul's Periphery
Narathzul's Periphery is a massive, 100-mile subterranean extension of the Drow city, serving as its dangerous "suburbs." It's a zone of vital resource extraction, Drow military operations, and strategic transit routes to deeper Underdark levels. While heavily patrolled by Drow forces, especially around key arteries and the border outpost at Area 11, its vastness allows for significant wilderness zones and numerous hidden pockets of resistance, composed of escaped slaves, defiant Drow followers of Eilistraee, and hardened bandits. The region is fraught with both Drow-imposed dangers and untamed Underdark threats, making it a challenging and morally complex environment for any adventurer (Party Level 4-6).
