Realms Below: FR Underdark

[Alcareru]

After days of travel you arrive in Eartheart, the temple city of the gold dwarves of the Great Rift. This underground metropolis is not just a center of shrines and temples- it is also a bustling nexus of trade, a gateway to the dwarven settlements in the region known as the Deepwild. Indeed, you could sense that Eartheart nearly crackled with the energy and vitality of the dwarves, as its inhabitants worked to carve out their own personal empires and fortunes.

This energy made Eartheart not just a magnet for spiritual pilgrims-it also drew wanderers from both the Underdark and the surface world. And to members of those races that dwelt inthe Reams Below, this relative backwater in the south was an all too rare oasis in the harsh environment of the Underdark.

The majority of the non dwarven visitors dwelt in the Alien Quarter of the city, a warren of old inns, shops specializing in exotic Underdark goods, and run down taverns. The svirfneblin are the most populous of the alien races, and have established their own section of the city. Here are located some of the finest forges in Eartheart, and experienced Underdark guides could be hired here for those brave souls heading to the Deepwild.

The great ziggarut like temples dominate the dark "skyline" of the city. Towering over the small stone homes of the undercity's populace, they stand as a constant reminder of the Dwarf deities favor. The tops of the temples disappear into the roof of the cavern that houses the undercity, and emerge like the tips of icebergs on the surface above. These sacred places are off limits to non dwarves by law, and the army of the dwarves, the Steel Shields, enforce this and other prohibitions. But a foreigner in the city can travel to most any other destination of the city safely and receive little more than a disdainful look, provided he or she keeps the peace.

In a popular Alien Quarter emporium named Kepek's, customers would gather to swap rumors, make deals, and hatch plots. Here in a dark corner of this shabby crowded tavern, a group of Underdark natives gather.....

 

[Uriel]

Rogoth listened to the clamour about him, his senses honed to a level that the sighted folk could not fathom. The grimlock was far less coarse and afr more intelligent that those around him might think. His Hunt-Bonded friend knew this, of course, though few others suspected the truth.

Signaling for a tankard of bitter dwarf ale, Rogoth kept his Munraka, his eyeless sight, acute. There were always dangers in a city, hidden dangers.
Of course, dangers lurked everywhere, least of all, the underdark. It was just that Rogoth was used to dealing with those...the Drow, rampaging umber hulks,troglodytes and all of the other nefarious monsters that made the wilds their home. It was in cities that Rogoth found distaeful dangers, an assassin's dagger, politics and religion. Chuckling to himself at the thoughts, Rogoth realized that the three were often the same thing in the City, or at least were connected.
Sipping his ale again, the Grimlock settled into a more relaxed state, confident in the relative safety of the Tavern.

 

[Alcareru]

Rogoth listened to the clamour about him, his senses honed to a level that the sighted folk could not fathom. The grimlock was far less coarse and afr more intelligent that those around him might think. His Hunt-Bonded friend knew this, of course, though few others suspected the truth.

Signaling for a tankard of bitter dwarf ale, Rogoth kept his Munraka, his eyeless sight, acute. There were always dangers in a city, hidden dangers.
Of course, dangers lurked everywhere, least of all, the underdark. It was just that Rogoth was used to dealing with those...the Drow, rampaging umber hulks,troglodytes and all of the other nefarious monsters that made the wilds their home. It was in cities that Rogoth found distaeful dangers, an assassin's dagger, politics and religion. Chuckling to himself at the thoughts, Rogoth realized that the three were often the same thing in the City, or at least were connected.
Sipping his ale again, the Grimlock settled into a more relaxed state, confident in the relative safety of the Tavern.

The grimlock could sense the tavern was a smallish space. It was crowded too from what he could perceive, as the scents of many species registered with his olfactory memory. Underdark races:Chitines, deep gnomes, orc and half orc; and even a few surface dwellers: rock gnomes, halflings and humans.

The place was full of sound too. Half a dozen dialects and languages filtered through and intermixed with each other. Undercommon and Common were most prevelent, and the grimlock could hear from snippets of conversations, boasts and oaths that the presence of his species was not something the residents of the Alien Quarter were accustomed to.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Denasa - Female Gloaming Sorcerer

*Denasa flutters daintily onto a stool, holding a glass of pale lavender wine, probably not from this tavern. She gazes tightly at the grimlock and twitches her lips. She doesn't care for his slovenly appearance, but there were rumors of interesting travel and new sights to see. She sighs.*

The things I do to go new places. I wonder what other degenerates they've dug up for this journey, she thinks, giving a little miffed sound.

*She waits, her skin at a faint glow scarcely brighter than candlelight, shining through the elaborate, flowing tattoos on her hands. Legs, her hairy spider familiar, as large as the grimlock's hand, idly walks down her arm and back up to her shoulder, much as a human would pace. Denasa waits to see who else will show up, fluttering her wings occasionally and tossing back her long black hair, affecting a little pout.*

 

[deadestdai]

Solli managed to dart into Kapek's between the legs of a rude human who didn't think to look down as he left the establishment and almost decided to shank the get for his rudeness. He wasn't too fond of surface dwellers.

Scampering through the crowds of knees, thighs and ankles, he saw Rogoth and jumped onto the vacant stool that was at Rogoth's table. He chuckled at the dispariging glances taht other patrons gave the ugly Grimlock.

The fools judge by appearance. I hope they don't decide to voice their opinions lest the truth be realised.

He looked for a waitress to order and beer and suddenly became rather entranced with the floaty wing-ed thing sat by herself with the pet vermin crawling all over her arm.

O my.....

 

[Alcareru]

Outside the crowded bar, Denasa and Solli can see a small detachment from the Steel Shields, the dwarven army, making their rounds. The guards, it seem, make hourly tours of the Alien Quarter. "Eighteenth hour and alls well," one of the scale-mailed dwarf guards bellows out onto the darkened street.

Kepeks was small, a single story buildling like many in Eartheart, made of unmortared stone. The tavern, the Emporium, was only a single room but was adjacent to Kepek's Inn and Kepek's General Goods. It also only had half a flat wooden roof, something that appeared as either a mistake or a half hearted aesethic dicesion, given the fact the tavern was underground and wood must be quite expensive.

Inside the tavern, the gloaming and the deep gnome can look past the rather varied crowd of patrons and see a rock gnome seated in a high chair behind a simple plank bar set between two large casks which served as the taverns point of sale. The gnome is dressed in dark brown clothing, with russet hair and outrageously large muttonchops. From his throne like chair the gnome barks orders at two harried bartenders, both rock gnomes, who furiously work to service the crowd. Two large half orcs armed with truncheons flank the bar, scanning the crowd for signs of trouble.

Occasionally, the seated gnome glances over at Rogoth. His nose wrinkles in a look of displeasure before returning to his routine of giving commands. A few of the patrons gawk at the gloaming, taking in both her physical form and the attractive necklace she wears around her small neck.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Denasa, female gloaming sorcerer

*Denasa smiles at the other patrons who are staring at her, accepting the attention as is her due. Seeing the ugly deep gnome next to the grimlock stare and her and Legs, she gives a bit of a giggle. Letting Legs walk on her face and down her chest, the spider begins to crawl in a rather deliberate pattern of interlocking spirals.*

*Looking over at the rock gnome tending to the bar, she realizes that in her thirst she's already drained the glass. Raising it up to be clearly visible and slightly increasing the intensity of her glow, she waits for someone to serve her.*

 

[deadestdai]

Deciding that missing the opportunity to win a smashing looking thing like this gloaming and "own her" ( ) as his own, would be an utter waste - Solli mutters his intetions to Rogoth and hops from his barstool and saunters over to the winged beauty with the intention of winning her affections.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Denasa, female gloaming sorcerer

*The gloaming looks down at the ugly svirfneblin from her perch on the stool and gives a small sniff of distaste. Taking her spider from its idle wanderings, she puts it on her hand and puts it down at the deep gnome's eye level.*

"Say 'hello' Legs," she says sweetly. Legs obliges by raising both front legs and waving them, showing a great deal of fang in the process.

 

[deadestdai]

Cheerfully ignoring the spider so-much-as-to see it as a handy snack in the future, Solli flashes his best filed-down-pointy-toothed smile at the wee wing'ed lass and does his best to obviously stare at her chest whislt replying, Charmed I'm sure. What's yer name lassie?