The Netherworld: A Guide to Valeria's Underdark and The Abyss

 The Outer Ring: Level 1 - The Threshold Realms (Party Level 1-5 for Cities, 5-7 for Intersections)

This uppermost layer of Valeria's Underdark serves as the primary entry point and initial challenge zone for adventurers. It's where the surface world connects most closely to the darkness below, featuring four major, faction-controlled cities that are vital access points to "The Webs" (a rapid transit system to The Abyss). Each city is strategically located and surrounded by two distinct, hazardous territories that offer escalating challenges before leading deeper into the Underdark.

• Narathzul (Southeast - The Morequindi City)

  • The City: Narathzul (Internal Areas 1-23) is a sprawling Moriquendi metropolis, a complex tapestry of power, intrigue, and cruelty (Party Level 1-5 for encounters within). Its primary link to the surface is through Area 13 (The Grand Gate / Echoing Spires Gate to Beleriand), while Area 22 (The Sunken Ascent) offers a dedicated route to Level One of the Underdark.
  • Narathzul's Periphery: This immediate buffer zone (Party Level 2-4) encircles Narathzul, a less-maintained network of tunnels and resource-rich caverns. It is constantly patrolled by Moriquendi scouts and military outposts, where the Moriquendi conduct mining and resource gathering. It's a dangerous area with roaming Underdark creatures and potential pockets of resistance.
  • Echoing Spires: A distinctive geological region (Party Level 3-5) characterized by immense, naturally formed rock spires and colossal stalagmites/stalactites that reach dizzying heights. The cavern acoustics here cause sounds to reverberate and echo strangely. It might be a place of raw, unbound natural magic, or hide ancient, forgotten Moriquendi outposts or testing grounds.
  • Intersection to Level 2 (Via Obsidian Scar): The path from the Echoing Spires to the Obsidian Scar (Level 2) is often a series of descending, winding tunnels. The air grows colder and heavier, and the natural echoes of the Spires become muffled, replaced by the faint, unsettling sounds of grinding stone or distant, unseen currents. This geological transition, signaling a true drop in elevation and a shift in the rock's composition to sharper, more crystalline formations, begins the Level 5-7 challenge tier.
  Moriquendi

•  City):

• Khaz'Abar (Northwest - The Dwarven City):

  • The City: Khaz'Abar is a venerable dwarven city (Party Level 1-5 for internal encounters), a bastion of dwarven engineering and resilience, ruled by the Stonehammer Clan.
  • Khaz'Abar's Gates: This zone represents the heavily fortified and meticulously carved entrances to Khaz'Abar (Party Level 2-4). These are marvels of dwarven engineering, riddled with defensive mechanisms, traps, and vigilant dwarven patrols, connecting to both the surface world and the immediate Underdark.
  • Myconid Groves: Vast, humid caverns (Party Level 3-5) dominated by towering, bioluminescent fungi forests. The air here is thick with spores and rich earth. These groves are likely home to colonies of sentient Myconids (fungus folk) who might maintain a neutral stance, or be wary of the dwarf city. The groves could also contain rare fungal resources.
  • Intersection to Level 2 (Via Grimfang Citadel & Abyssal Mire): The pathways from Khaz'Abar and the Myconid Groves leading deeper are typically ancient dwarven tunnels or well-worn natural passages. To Grimfang Citadel (Level 2), the tunnels would show increasing signs of conflict and militaristic dwarven construction, perhaps even collapsed sections from past Duergar/Dwarven wars. This journey begins the Level 5-7 challenge tier. To the Abyssal Mire (Level 2), the tunnels become progressively damper, the air heavier with the scent of primordial decay and damp earth, and the bioluminescence dims, hinting at the stagnant, polluted waters ahead.

• Runney Eye Citadel (Northeast - The Goblin City):

  • The City: Runney Eye Citadel is the chaotic, cunning, and fiercely defended primary Goblin City (Party Level 1-5 internal encounters), a testament to goblin ingenuity and sheer numbers.
  • Whispering Chasm: A vast, deep fissure (Party Level 2-4) in the Underdark floor, stretching for unknown distances. The air here is often cold and carries faint, unsettling whispers or the rush of unseen currents, hinting at immense depths below or strange atmospheric phenomena. It is largely impassable, or offers treacherous, hidden paths only known to goblins and desperate travelers.
  • Runney Eye Warrens: A sprawling, disorganized network (Party Level 3-5) of crude tunnels and smaller caverns surrounding the main citadel. These warrens serve as the primary living and hunting grounds for the vast majority of Runney Eye's goblin population. They are crude, dangerous, and filled with goblin traps, patrols, and the general chaotic clutter of a large goblin horde.
  • Intersection to Level 2 (Via Obsidian Labyrinth & Cerebrum's Domain): The passages from the Runney Eye Warrens leading to the Obsidian Labyrinth (Level 2) are likely crude, irregular goblin-used tunnels, often covered in filth and hidden traps. These paths would eventually give way to a more alien, sleek architecture as one approaches the Labyrinth. This journey begins the Level 5-7 challenge tier. The transition to Cerebrum's Domain (Level 2) would be marked by a sudden, chilling psychic hum in the air and a shift in cavern structure, becoming unnaturally smooth and symmetrical, hinting at the Mind Flayer presence.

• Bloodfire Warrens Gnoles (Southwest - The Gnoll City):

  • The City: Bloodfire Warrens is the brutal, scavenged, and fiercely territorial primary Gnoll City (Party Level 1-5 internal encounters), a stronghold built on conquest and predation, ruled by savage chieftains.
  • Bloodfire Hunting Grounds: The primary hunting and raiding territory for the gnolls (Party Level 2-4). These caverns are rough, untamed, and literally littered with the bones and detritus of their prey. The air might carry the stench of blood, fear, and unwashed gnolls. It's a dangerous, constantly patrolled zone where few other creatures willingly venture.
  • Frozen Fangs: A colder, more crystalline region (Party Level 3-5) of the Underdark, characterized by immense, jagged formations of ice or white, tooth-like crystals. The frigid temperatures and patches of permafrost make travel treacherous. This area offers a stark contrast to the gnolls' usual warm, bloody lairs, perhaps serving as a natural barrier or a source of unique, cold-adapted creatures.
  • Intersection to Level 2 (Via Chitinous Wastes & Infernal Caverns): From the Bloodfire Hunting Grounds to the Chitinous Wastes (Level 2), the tunnels likely broaden, becoming dusty and echoing, often strewn with more hardened chitinous remains. This journey begins the Level 5-7 challenge tier. The path to the Infernal Caverns (Level 2) would be a sudden and dramatic shift, marked by a rapid increase in temperature, the pervasive smell of sulfur, and a distinct, hellish glow emanating from the depths, hinting at molten rock or fiery energies.

These Level 1 cities, along with their surrounding zones, are strategically critical due to housing the largest and most stable "way gates" to "The Webs," providing invaluable access to and from The Abyss.

The Middle Ring: Level 2 - The Deeper Territories (Party Level 6-9, Escalating to 10+)

Level 2 plunges adventurers into a realm of even greater danger and ancient horrors. The settlements here are often grim bastions in a hostile world, and the surrounding territories are wild, untamed, and deeply corrupted by their closer proximity to The Abyss. This level also features the direct transition points to the ultimate challenge of Level 3.

• Glimmerdelve (South - The Dark Gnome (Noldir) City):

  • The City: Glimmerdelve (Party Level 6-9 for internal encounters) was once a vibrant Noldir metropolis, but now lies in tragic disrepair, a testament to the Moriquendi destruction. The gnomes are desperately trying to rebuild, but are plagued by a horrific lycanthropic curse, transforming many into ravenous were-rats tied to the full moon, orchestrated by "the Master."
  • Zone 1: Glimmerdelve's Shadow: This is the immediate, desolate perimeter around Glimmerdelve (Party Level 6-8). It is perpetually cloaked in a pervasive shadow that seems to drain light and warmth.
  • Zone 2: Chitinous Wastes: A sprawling, desolate biome (Party Level 8-10) characterized by immense, skeletal remains of colossal insectoids or arachnids, forming a landscape of brittle, razor-sharp chitin. It's home to various monstrous insects, arachnids, or unique chitin-armored aberrations.
  • Note on Intersections to Level 3: From this region, the text describes intersections to Level 3 (Brimstone Flats) via Obsidian Scar (which the map shows connected to Glimmerdelve) and Infernal Caverns (which the map shows connected to Chitinous Wastes). These paths are geological descents into infernal lands (Level 15+ challenge tier), becoming increasingly jagged and hot, or superheated and scorching, with distinct signs of malevolent energy or hellish light.

• The Aboleths (West - The Abyssal Miles City):

  • The City: Abyssal Miles Aboleth (Party Level 10-13) is the primary domain of the Aboleths, ancient and tyrannical aquatic aberrations known for enslaving minds. Their cities are often partially or fully submerged within vast, murky, water-filled cavern complexes.
  • Zone 1: Abyssal Mire: A treacherous, perpetually gloomy bog or swamp of immense scale (Party Level 8-10). The ground is unstable, composed of thick, black mud and stagnant, fetid water. It serves as a hunting ground for the Aboleths' enslaved minions and a place of psychological torment.
  • Zone 2: Stillwaters of Lumnia: A region dominated by incredibly deep, dark, and seemingly bottomless subterranean lakes and calm, unmoving pools (Party Level 11-13). Despite their tranquility, these waters are immensely dangerous, hiding titanic aquatic predators or housing forgotten magical secrets.
  • Note on Intersections to Level 3: The text describes direct connections from Abyssal Miles Aboleth to The Abyss (Level 3) as often submerged tunnels or vast, watery chasms (Level 15+ challenge tier). These paths descend into unfathomable blackness, with overwhelming psychic interference, alien bioluminescence, and immense pressures.

• The Duergar (North - The Grimfang Citadel City):

  • The City: Grimfang Citadel (Party Level 7-10 for internal encounters) is a formidable fortress serving as the primary city and stronghold of the Duergar (Grey Dwarves). They are grim, brutal, and utterly ruthless, often employing slaves in their vast, industrialized mining and smithing operations.
  • Zone 1: Glooming Citadel: A formidable Duergar stronghold or major outpost (Party Level 7-9), potentially shrouded in perpetual magical dimness or smoke from its industrial operations. It may be heavily industrialized, serving as a vast forge or mining hub, often using enslaved labor.
  • Zone 2: Weebed Grottoes: A series of damp, claustrophobic grottoes and smaller caverns (Party Level 8-10) heavily infested with various types of spiders and their intricate, adhesive webs. The Duergar might use these as a source of raw materials, a hunting ground, or have a tense alliance with larger arachnid creatures.
  • Note on Intersections to Level 3: Direct connections from Grimfang Citadel to The Abyss (Level 3) are described as reinforced, brutalist tunnels (Level 15+ challenge tier). These paths show signs of Duergar excavation but also growing warped, with sulfur and superheated metal smells, distant screams, and potential Duergar traps and Abyssal-scarred veterans.

• The Mind Flayers (East - The Cerebrum City):

• The City: Cerebrum Mind Flayers (Party Level 10-13) is the horrifying domain of the Mind Flayers (Illithids), psionic terrors known for their vast intellect, brain consumption, and intricate, enslaved colonies. Their cities are often constructed from brain matter or pulsating organic matter.
• Zone 1: Cerebrum's Domain: The immediate region around the Mind Flayer city (Party Level 8-10), heavily patrolled by their thralls (enslaved humanoids) and intellect devourers. This area is where the Mind Flayers conduct their experiments on lesser beings and prepare individuals for enslavement.
• Zone 2: Obsidian Labyrinth: A sprawling, complex maze of tunnels and passages (Party Level 10-12) carved through jagged, jet-black obsidian rock. It is riddled with dead ends, traps, and hidden chambers, perfect for ensnaring intruders or holding captured thralls.
• Note on Intersections to Level 3: Direct connections from Cerebrum Mind Flayers to The Abyss (Level 3) are described as disturbingly clean and symmetrical pathways (Level 15+ challenge tier). They often have a faint psionic hum causing headaches and nausea, and might feature strange, pulsating organic architecture, with a terrifying silence broken only by illithid whispers.

The Inner Ring: Level 3 - The Abyss Core (Party Level 15+)

At the absolute center of the map lies Level 3, the very core of The Abyss, where the planar barriers are thinnest and Torog's tormented presence is most profound. This realm is an existential threat, capable of shattering minds and bodies, and is the source of the pervasive "madness fog" that emanates from Torog's anguish, which can be suppressed by underwater breathing.

• Brimstone Flats:

  • Description: An initial, vast layer of The Abyss, characterized by plains of scorched earth, rivers of sluggish, burning liquid, and geysers of noxious, sulfurous gas. The sky is perpetually a sickly, churning red or green. It is a land of raw, elemental torment, often swarming with lesser demons and tormented souls.
  • Intersections: Connects to the Obsidian Scar (Level 2) and the Infernal Caverns (Level 2), serving as a direct, geological descent into infernal lands.

• Soul Vortex:

  • Description: A horrifying, cyclonic region where the very essence of souls seems to be drawn into a perpetual, agonizing maelstrom. The air here is filled with the faint, ethereal screams of the damned, and visible currents of spectral energy swirl through the void. It is a place of profound spiritual destruction.
  • The Lost Library (Located within Soul Vortex): Tucked away within a miraculously stable, silent pocket of the Soul Vortex itself, the Great Library stands. It is a colossal, impossibly black edifice, its labyrinthine corridors lined with shelves of glowing tomes, scrolls of pure shadow, and crystalline tablets of forbidden knowledge. It is illuminated by a cold, ethereal light, and guarded by ancient, watchful spirits. It is here that Kozzmo Coalsparker, stripped of his memory and purpose, now resides, a living enigma amidst the lost lore.

• The Infernal Foundry:

  • Description: A vast, subterranean forge of unimaginable scale, where the very rock burns with hellish heat and molten rivers flow. This is where Abyssal metals are refined, and infernal war machines or unique demonic constructs are painfully wrought. The air is thick with smoke, ash, and the screams of enslaved elementals or lesser demons used as labor.
  • Intersections: Likely connects to the Brimstone Flats and other direct routes from the Level 2 citadels (e.g., Duergar paths seeking infernal materials).

• The Choking Maelstroms:

  • Description: Areas of the Abyss where the very air is a corrosive, swirling vortex of toxic gases, soul-draining vapors, or elemental chaos. Visibility is near zero, and exposure quickly strips flesh from bone or drives minds to madness. Survival here requires powerful magic or specialized planar resistances.
  • Intersections: Could connect any Level 2 zone directly to a particularly horrific part of the Abyss, representing a direct, lethal plunge.

• The Plains of Endless Screams:

  • Description: Vast, desolate plains stretching to a horizon that seems to twist and fold in upon itself. The ground is often barren, cracked, or littered with the petrified remains of failed invaders. The air is perpetually filled with the faint, yet maddeningly persistent, echoes of countless tortured souls, rising and falling in an eternal symphony of anguish. To spend too long here is to invite insanity.
  • Intersections: Often reached from the more generalized "empty" connections from Level 2, or used by roaming demonic legions.

• The Spire of Writhing Flesh:

  • Description: A horrifying, living mountain or colossal formation seemingly composed of countless fused, tortured bodies and organic matter, perpetually twitching and oozing. It is a monument to grotesque transformation and biological horror, possibly housing unique, flesh-warping demons or cults dedicated to perverse creation. The stench of decay and unnatural life is overwhelming.
  • Intersections: Could be a destination for those seeking forbidden biological knowledge or a source of warped creatures.

• The Bleeding Glaciers:

  • Description: Paradoxically, layers of the Abyss can manifest as colossal glaciers and ice formations that perpetually weep blood or corrosive ichor. The cold is absolute, soul-numbing, and the ice itself seems to be composed of solidified despair, often trapping the frozen forms of ancient, defeated demons or fallen champions.
  • Intersections: A brutal contrast to the fiery realms, offering a different kind of extreme environmental hazard.

• The Whispering Nexus:

  • Description: A particularly volatile and disorienting area where the boundaries between Abyssal layers are thin, and raw planar energy crackles in the air. Portals to other layers, or even other planes, can spontaneously open and close. The air is filled with a cacophony of whispers from across dimensions, making it incredibly difficult to think or navigate. Powerful demons or planar travelers might use this as a meeting point, or a place to harness raw, unfiltered chaos.
  • Intersections: A highly dangerous, unpredictable hub connecting to multiple points within the Abyss or even beyond.

Torog's Presence: The Engine of Anguish

Deep within the inner circle of The Abyss, particularly within the Brimstone Flats and the Soul Vortex, the pervasive, agonizing presence of Torog, The Anguished God, is most profound. He is the creator of the Netherworld, a realm born of his endless suffering, and he wanders through its depths, a living embodiment of torment. Torog's recent awakening has sent ripples of raw, malevolent energy throughout his creation, causing the planar rift between the Abyss and Valeria to weaken. This allows pockets of spectral power to leak into the Underdark, manifesting as a madness fog that causes extreme mental distress and eventual insanity. This pervasive, madness-inducing mist drifts through the deepest Underdark levels, particularly areas closest to the Abyss, emanating from where Torog himself wanders. Crucially, this madness-inducing fog can be suppressed or alleviated with underwater breathing.

The Webs: Highways Through Torment (The Netherworld's Freeway System)

Beyond the physical tunnels and the planar gates of the Underdark, The Webs are the true arteries of the Netherworld. These are massive, organic, and magically resonant pathways that exist outside regular time and space, functioning as a terrifying "freeway system."

• Transplanar Nature: The Webs allow for instantaneous or incredibly rapid travel across the infinite layers of The Abyss and between different planes. To traverse them is to briefly step into a reality unbound by conventional laws, offering unparalleled mobility across vast, otherwise impassable planar distances.
• Magical Way Gates: The Webs connect the Netherworld to the "outside world" (Valeria, and potentially other planes) through countless magically attuned way gates. These are not always visible structures but can be specific points of resonance within the environment.
• Level 1 Cities: Vital Nexus Points: The four major Level 1 netherworld cities – Khaz'Abar (Dwarven), Narathzul ( Moriquendi), Runney Eye Citadel (Goblin), and Bloodfire Warrens Gnoles (Gnoll) – are absolutely crucial. They house the biggest and most stable entrances (or "way gates") to The Webs. Control of these cities therefore means control over critical access points to and from The Abyss, making them invaluable strategic targets for both mortal powers and demonic forces alike.