User blog:Pr41s3th3$un/The Underdark and the Drow

Introduction

The Underdark is a vast expanse of underground caverns that seems to go on almost forever. It is infused with a special arcane radiation known as faerzress that has shielded the Underdark from the changes to the surface world caused by the Demon Lord and as result is filled with ancient beasts and fiends who have remained unchanged by the Demon Lord's mutagen.

Faerzress

​Faerzress is a special arcane radiation that is unique to the Underdark. The full extent of its properties are unknown to those of the surface but what is know is that it is able to totally block the mutagen commonly know as "demonic energy" and that it is extremely dangerous to mamono who when exposed suffer gruesome and more often than not fatal symptoms not unlike the effects of intense nuclear radiation exposure. This has made faerzress extremely sought after my the Order but all attempts to delve into the Underdark to harvest it have resulted in failure as no members of any of the expeditions were able to make it back to the surface falling either to the wroth of ancient fiends or to the merciless blades of the Drow.

Drow

Drow are a variety of elf that inhabit the Underdark. They are not the only race hardy enough to make their home in the demon filled caverns but they are by far the most hostile. They slaughter or enslave anyone they find in the Underdark and even occasionally venture to the surface to pillage nearby settlements. These raids are especially devastating to communities containing mamono as drow fresh out of the Underdark are saturated with faerzress and will temporarily contaminate any area they venture to. Despite their vile reputation it is not unheard of for drow fed up with the wickedness of their old world to leave the Underdark in an attempt to start new lives on the surface. It is however very difficult for these drow to find acceptance on the surface as they are often shunned by either human or elven communities fearing treachery and violence or mamono communities fearing contamination, but despite these barriers their situations are not completely hopeless as trust can over time be gained and if they remain out of the Underdark long enough the amount of faerzress they radiate will gradually decrease.

(The information in this article is based on the Underdark from the Forgotten Realms series)