This thread is for all actions and events taking place in Underside, the sprawling network of underground caverns beneath the surface of the Nexus. Underside is a vast, largely unexplored territory of the world, seemingly going on forever in all directions as well as further down into the depths of the world – often lit in a dim glow by the strange plants and fungi which grow in those labyrinthine tunnels. The Underside is often considered a separate world beneath the feet of the Nexus, operating under strange, foreign rules and keeping its business where it belongs.
Main Locations
Spoiler
Undercity
Spoiler
Undercity is constantly expanding out into the tunnels, its hub located at the center of a large, open area in the rock. There, the city’s center is built into a massive stalactite, bridges extending to smaller ones in an expansive, web-like city above, even as buildings gaze up from below. It is lit by glowing blue crystals mined from the rock, used in lieu of lanterns or fire.
This city is ruled not by a single leader, but by a contingent of noble houses, each one involved in feuds and alliances with the others even as new houses spring up periodically throughout the city. The rules in the Undercity are simple – the nobles make the rules (so long as enough of them can agree on anything).
The one golden rule, however, is this: Undercity business is Undercity business - and if you mess with one of them, you mess with all of them. The Nobles may make the rules, but the citizen here are hard. They're a Family with a capital 'F', and nobody messes with family, be they topsider, outsider, noble, or even your own flesh and blood.
This isn't a haven for criminals and slavers, and the residents will let you learn that the hard way. Everyone here earned their keep, and pulls their weight in their own way. These people live in the harsh underground by choice.
They're fighters. They're survivors. And nobody messes with their family.
There is no one single description for the tunnels. The tunnels are not one location, but are instead a vast network of passageways and openings and nooks and crannies in the rock, some natural, some decidedly not. There are forests of towering, luminescent fungi, forgotten cities, rivers of water and magma, and cultures of all kinds. But the tunnels are not as romantic as they might sound – dark beasts lurk in the depths of the world, and one does not leave the relative safety of the Undercity without protection…
Rules
All forum rules apply, godmodding rules apply. No destroying the Undercity is probably the biggest thing, and I'd prefer that this not be used as a hideout for topside criminals. In any case, criminals from topside who bring their troubles to the Undercity will likely be dealt with in whatever way the nobles can agree on - and oh…
aemi rotates her shoulders, trying to get rid of the feeling "...thank you..."
The feeling persists for unusually long, but is otherwise easily dispelled by activity. "There you go. Now, please follow me." Charynrae will head towards a cocoon stuck straight to the ceiling of the tunnel the cocoons are in. The ceiling of this cocoon has a hole in it, as does the tunnel, and a rope ladder made of more silk descends from it. "This tunnel is private; there's nothing up there that shouldn't be. It leads to both Inside and Riverside; I'll show you the way." Charynrae ignores the ladder, and just floats into the air and up the tunnel.
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Always willing to run a dungeon for those who need somewhere to explore. Just PM me, and decide the character and location and I'll see what I can rummage up.
The feeling persists for unusually long, but is otherwise easily dispelled by activity. "There you go. Now, please follow me." Charynrae will head towards a cocoon stuck straight to the ceiling of the tunnel the cocoons are in. The ceiling of this cocoon has a hole in it, as does the tunnel, and a rope ladder made of more silk descends from it. "This tunnel is private; there's nothing up there that shouldn't be. It leads to both Inside and Riverside; I'll show you the way." Charynrae ignores the ladder, and just floats into the air and up the tunnel.
It's a long tunnel. Very long. There's the occasional spiderweb, and there's centipedes in the walls, but Charynrae's told them that Aemi's a friend and not to be eaten. At the top is a round room with three doors leading away from it. There's no light, though, so Aemi might not see this. "That door there leads to Inside. Don't take any of the turnings, just walk straight ahead." Charynrae's pointing to one of the doors marked with the word 'Inside' in Abyssal, although the no light in the room makes it hard to see.
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Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
I have a point!
Always willing to run a dungeon for those who need somewhere to explore. Just PM me, and decide the character and location and I'll see what I can rummage up.
The tunnel leads to the basement of the Temple of Dalachrech in the city of Inside. There are no lights on the entire trip, but as it is normal darkness mundane methods of light production or seeing in the dark work as normal. Charynrae returns down the dark tunnel she levitated up, although she can't levitate down so she walks upon one of the walls instead. The door is unlocked from this side, but there's no handle on the other side of the door nor any other way of opening it.
__________________
Semper in faecibus suvum, sole profundum variant.
Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
I have a point!
Always willing to run a dungeon for those who need somewhere to explore. Just PM me, and decide the character and location and I'll see what I can rummage up.
A slim figure of a man walks into the city. Her carries himself with grace and nobility, but he was dressed in rags. Grey and dirty scraps, scavenged from a dozen sources. His skin was pale, white like bleached bone. From his back spread a pair of wings, batlike, covered in short black fur. His ears were somewhat batlike as well, pointed, shaped almost like a leaf. Long hair, gone silver, flows down past his shoulders, though he still looked youthful, if very tired. He cranes his neck to take in the expanse of the city, his pink eyes scanning the heights of the buildings and the stalagtites hanging from the cieling.
The tunnel leads to the basement of the Temple of Dalachrech in the city of Inside. There are no lights on the entire trip, but as it is normal darkness mundane methods of light production or seeing in the dark work as normal. Charynrae returns down the dark tunnel she levitated up, although she can't levitate down so she walks upon one of the walls instead. The door is unlocked from this side, but there's no handle on the other side of the door nor any other way of opening it.
aemi will enter , and look for a way out of the temple
something oddly shaped, a large flat head with a tiny body underneath it, runs toward the ground beneath the temple of the lord of Intervertebrates.
Bump bump -pshhhHHHss- bump
Following it is a horde of luminiscent beetles and what can only be seen as blicd worms the size of small dogs, growing so close taht their luminiscence lights up the nature of the small being.
PhhhiiiiihhsHHss!
At closer inspection it appears to be a kobold, either mechanic or in steam-vented armour, carrying a large board with a manner of engine in one end.
She'll reach the Inside thread at the end of the tunnel. I'll post shortly.
Temple of Dalachrech- Kobold
There's a long, silk rope-ladder dangling from the ceiling. Due to the silk's nature, it's probably strong enough to hold a power-armoured/mechanical kobold. The ladder leads to a large group of silk cocoons, the smallest of which is big enough to be a shed on the surface. The ground underneath has a painted symbol underneath, the symbol of Dalachrech- a two-tailed scorpion. The horde of blind (?) worms and beetles might also calm down when they are under the Temple. Possibly not enough to stop chasing running prey, though.
__________________
Semper in faecibus suvum, sole profundum variant.
Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
I have a point!
Always willing to run a dungeon for those who need somewhere to explore. Just PM me, and decide the character and location and I'll see what I can rummage up.
A slim figure of a man walks into the city. Her carries himself with grace and nobility, but he was dressed in rags. Grey and dirty scraps, scavenged from a dozen sources. His skin was pale, white like bleached bone. From his back spread a pair of wings, batlike, covered in short black fur. His ears were somewhat batlike as well, pointed, shaped almost like a leaf. Long hair, gone silver, flows down past his shoulders, though he still looked youthful, if very tired. He cranes his neck to take in the expanse of the city, his pink eyes scanning the heights of the buildings and the stalagtites hanging from the cieling.
He'll come across a diminutive figure leaving the city. He's a gretchen, but the fey might assume he's a goblin. He does look like one except a bit smaller and lankier with a much bigger nose and ears. He's wearing only a pair of brown pants, too big welder's goggles, and a necklace made of at least a mouthful of big, sharp teeth.
When he encounters the pale skinned newcomer he covers the tooth necklace with one hand and asks. "Who're you." He peers upward suspiciously.
The man looks down at the curious goblin-like creature and tilts his head. "Who...who am I?" He echoes, his voice distant. It seemed like he hadn't spoken in a long time. He struggles to come up with the answer. It was so difficult to remember. "I am... They called me..." His face falls. "I cannot recall. It has been too long."
The newly named Batty chuckles. "I suppose that will have to do. It is good to meet you, Grot." He bows his head slightly in greeting. "I saw the light from the city. I was curious. This is... astounding." He says, looking back at the 'skyline'.
Grot looks back into the city. "Yeah, it's alright. Dry cave ta sleep in. Plentya mushrooms ta eat. Not much fer good scrap though." the gretchen points back the way the fey came. "Ya gotta good ta some dump caves fer that."
Grot scratches his head. "Two wheels, ya sit on it. Makes it so ya can go really fast." He imitates the sound of an engine. "Gunna paint it red. Make it go faster."
"No. I had nothing in particular in mind. Perhaps taking in the sights of the city." Batty looks down at Grot. "I presume you were going to search for scrap metal?"
"That was the plan." Grot says. And since Grot doesn't know the city well beside the goblin colony and Morty isn't on... "I'll be seein ya then. Come aroun the goblin cave sometime. I'll show ya my bike." He'll give he directions to the goblin colony and head off.
There's a long, silk rope-ladder dangling from the ceiling. Due to the silk's nature, it's probably strong enough to hold a power-armoured/mechanical kobold. The ladder leads to a large group of silk cocoons, the smallest of which is big enough to be a shed on the surface. The ground underneath has a painted symbol underneath, the symbol of Dalachrech- a two-tailed scorpion. The horde of blind (?) worms and beetles might also calm down when they are under the Temple. Possibly not enough to stop chasing running prey, though.
((Sorry, I missed this!))
The kobold sees the saving rope ladder and in a daring jump manages to grab onto it and climb up to the nearest cocoonbefore the ladder swings back.
"Piii"
It looks around, hoping there are no more giant creatures deciding to hunt it.
((And now I unfortunately have to deadtime... Timing!))
Temple of Dalachrech- Rope Ladder to Entrance Cocoon
The room inside is rather large, with a guestbook on a nearby table, but that is the only item of furniture in the room. There is lighting, provided by cat-sized red beetles with glowing green spots on their thoraxes; the beetles mainly stick to the walls and ceiling, but there's a few on the floor. They light the room as though each was a candle, but the light is steadier. The guestbook has been made out of wasp-paper, and is bound in leather embossed with two-tailed scorpion symbol. Next to it is a pencil.
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Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
I have a point!
Always willing to run a dungeon for those who need somewhere to explore. Just PM me, and decide the character and location and I'll see what I can rummage up.
The Kobold looks suspiciously at the glowing beetles but walks through the room and examines the pencil, biting it's end while examinating it.
It moves it's lens-covered eyes to the wasp paper book to examinate it too, lenses of varying design and colouration moving onto or away from it's basic goggles.
At last it writes a series of runes in the book, quite obviously a version of Draconic, and puts the pencil back.
The runes translate roughly to:
Spoiler
Hello, can you speak?
The Kobold will sit down and await something happening while making mends to it's board with various blowtorches and similar equipment from it's fingers or suit.
((Don't worry about it; I meant to poke you but kept forgetting myself))
The book, perhaps unsurprisingly, does not respond to the runes, although it looks like lots of previous people have written their names and the date inside.
Whilst the kobold works on his board, a drider enters. From the waist up, she's a young, pretty drow woman with long white hair and compound eyes. She's wearing undyed silk robes upon her torso, with the occasional sheet upon the predatory spider body her drow torso is attached to. "Oh, hello and welcome to the Temple of Dalachrech. I am Charynrae Baeld'alachrech, and you are?"
__________________
Semper in faecibus suvum, sole profundum variant.
Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
I have a point!
Always willing to run a dungeon for those who need somewhere to explore. Just PM me, and decide the character and location and I'll see what I can rummage up.
Last edited by Earl of Purple : 02-25-2011 at 05:44 PM.
The Kobold looks at the Drider and tilts it's head with a whistle of steam fro the vent on it's side.
"Uih?"
It looks back at the book and studies Charynrae's face before carefully trying to greet her in the Underdark and Merfolk languages, if her world had any language like those then it should sound like those.
Hearing the greeting in Undercommon, Charynrae repeats what she said in that language. Her voice is ever so slightly elvish-sounding, but the accent is drow. Merfolk, however, Charynrae doesn't understand and cannot recognise. There aren't many merfolk underground.
__________________
Semper in faecibus suvum, sole profundum variant.
Terrowin Avatar by HappyTurtle. Much thanks!
I have a point!
Always willing to run a dungeon for those who need somewhere to explore. Just PM me, and decide the character and location and I'll see what I can rummage up.
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