City of Deep Shadows

[Ebiris]

Ched Nymiir is a Drow city situated in the middle reaches of Faerun's Underdark, located beneath the Rasheman region on the surface.

The city itself is primarily built upon several layers of a titanic calcified spider-web suspended over an abyss that stretches from the lower edges of the Upperdark all the way down to the far depths of the Lowerdark. The ancient strands of web are dozens of feet wide in some cases, with many platforms filling in the gaps between them in order to provide more living space. The walls of the Abyss themselves are also dotted with Drow residences and walkways carved into the sides, while the Western edge of the city opens up into a large water-filled cavern that provides much of the city's food supply.

As with most Drow cities, power is uneasily shared between the nobles of the Great Houses, the clergy of Lolth's church, and the rare few individuals powerful enough to go at alone without the support of either. Listed below are some of these power blocs.

House Sengir

Ruled by Matron Haelde, the House is an old one that has seen its fortunes rise and fall over the centuries. Affiliated closely with House Aleval, at times it has seemed like Sengir might be fully absorbed by its larger cousins. Haelde has recently started to put more distance with her allies, forseeing an ascendance for her House and not wanting the spoils to be shared.

Still, though, the House remains a small one and its position precarious. House Sengir is involved primarily in the trade of slaves from less civilised and weaker races, although they have been known to conduct raids on more dangerous underdark denizens for the purpose of acquiring artifacts and rare goods.

House Vae

Ruled by Matron Sereska, House Vae is a mercantile House first and foremost. They control several portals outside of Ched Nymiir, allowing their members to reach far off markets across Faerun, and charging a hefty toll for any others who would seek to use them. Extremely prosperous due to their near monopoly on exotic trade, they guard their position jealously. Those who mock House Vae as effete merchants had best watch their backs, as such wealth allows them to employ the finest assassins in the trade.

However, all is not well in House Vae, as Sereska has recently had to fend off challenges from disaffected younger members who agitate for more bloodthirsty paths to power. Of note has been a sudden glut in surface races being brought to the slave-market by Vae's scions, considering 'livestock' has never been much of their stock in trade.

House DeVir

Ruled by Matron Valshere, House DeVir is a House on the wane. In times past they were renowned for their skill at arms, producing some of Ched Nymiir's finest warriors, and breeding numerous magical beasts and giant spiders to serve as mounts and guardians for them. A recent campaign against the surface worlders was flung back by unexpectedly high resistance from a fully mobilised army of Rashemi berserkers and Hathran witches, aided by mighty spirit beasts. In the aftermath of this debacle, the house was fractured by vicious infighting which saw much of their holdings gutted and their forces depleted.

Valshere managed to gain control during this chaos, slaying her mother in a pitched battle that spilled onto the streets and culminated with her knocking the former Matron into the endless depths below the city in full view of over a dozen witnesses. Yet some whisper that Matron Triezyl still lives, and plots revenge against her treacherous daughter, for she was far too old and clever to have truly been defeated by a relative unknown as Valshere. For her part, the new Matron of House DeVir is more concerned with rebuilding her House's strength as many others in Ched Nymiir now look on it as a particularly juicy meal.

House Aleval

Ruled by Matron Mevremas, House Aleval is a conservative House, steeped in the politics of Ched Nymiir but with very little presence outside of its confines. For centuries they have played a delicate balancing act, employing honeyed words and hidden blades to insinuate themselves with rival Houses and take advantage of both their successes and weaknesses. Most of the more powerful Houses loathe Aleval quite openly, but thanks to the network of favours and obligations built up by Mevremas's crafty diplomacy, they can never afford to act upon their hatred.

Many of the lesser Houses owe significant debts to House Aleval, yet the House tends to treat generously with its weaker debtors, drawing them closer and closer into its webs until they are all but proxies of the larger House, and frequently grateful for it.

House Talrath

Ruled by Matron Shehirae, House Talrath are the sole surviving member of Ched Nymiir's founding Houses. This House holds records and secrets supposedly dating back to the Drow Exodus, and boasts access to arcane secrets exceeding the vain High Magic of the surface elves. Bound fiends are a common sight within Talrath holdings, and beneath the steely gaze of their dark elf taskmasters, even Tanar'ri and Baatezu have been seen to work in harmony.

House Talrath's power has remained constant throught Ched Nymiir's history, never first among Houses (their apparent disdain for divine magic, and 'soft' treatment of talented male spellcasters ensures they never received full-throated backing from any of the temples), but always holding a seemingly unassailable position among the upper reaches of society. Shehirae has ruled her House well for two hundred years, and shows every indication of going for another couple of centuries.

Academy of Sorcere

Perhaps the most reliable way for a male to gain power without the backing of a noble House, Sorcere shows no shortage of applicants from all reaches of Drow society - whether commoners seeking power and station, or House scions receiving tuition that they might better serve their elders, many come to the dark tower of Sorcere. Fewer leave, however, for the instructers are harsh and unforgiving of failure.

Currently Sorcere is overseen by Archmage Zulith, who recently assumed power when his predecessor was devoured by an improperly bound Pit Fiend. Sorcere maintains cordial relations with most of the noble Houses, who benefit from having their members trained there. The exception is House Talrath, which refuses to send any of its members to the Academy. Graduates of Sorcere tend to have a strong rivalry with spellcasters from that House.

Fane of the Demonweb

The Fane is the oldest church dedicated to Lolth within Ched Nymiir, and Arachne Min'Gorad rules over it with an iron fist. All who enter the city are expected to make a token offering to demonstrate Lolth's superiority, and all noble Houses must submit themselves to the church and its edicts. All non-noble families are expected to give their first daughter to the church - frequently these unfortunate babes are simply sacrificed in grisly rituals to appease the the Spider Queen, but those whom Lolth smiles on are raised within the church, where they can achieve a measure of power and greatness.

None in Ched Nymiir would dare to defy the church of Lolth, at least not openly. That said, the priestesses tend to exercise some degree of care in exercising their authority, as more than one has met their end in short order after affronting a powerful noble. Any who are found to have harmed a cleric of Lolth are naturally punished to a quite horrific extent, but many deaths go mysteriously unresolved.

The Talon of Tiamat

The Church of Lolth rules supreme in Ched Nymiir, as is proper. And while none would dare to openly worship a member of the Seldarine (or even the Dark Seldarine), the followers of foreign deities are begrudgingly tolerated, so long as they don't defy Lolth's supremacy. Xanos Azureclaw only appeared in the city two years ago, where he swiftly proceeded to erect a shrine to the Mother of all Dragons. Most consider the half-human/half-dragon to be insane, for despite his impassioned preaching, few show any interest in paying homage to Tiamat. Nonetheless, he does provide temple services and divine spellcasting at affordable prices, and many (particularly non-drow visitors) choose to visit him for healing and curse removal.

Min'Gorad appears to have some appreciation for the Talon of Tiamat, having invited Xanos to services at the High Fane on occassion, where he has shown an appropriate semblance of respect - although his own invitations for return visits honouring Tiamat have failed to bear any fruit. Despite the tacit approval of Lolth's church, many an impetous Drow youth has targetted the half-dragon cleric and his small temple. Their charred corpses stand as testament to the Talon's ability to defend himself with a typical draconic ferocity.

Cammong Tong

The assassins' guild is a secretive organisation in Ched Nymiir, oft spoken of but rarely seen. While most Houses have their own skilled killers serving directly, the Cammong Tong is renowned as the true elite of the shadowed depths. While an independent organisation, the Tong enjoys a degree of protection from the church of Lolth, owing to a publicised agreement that no Matron Mother, nor High Priestess may be targetted for assassination at any price. All below are fair game, however, though the assassins charge a hefty fee for their services.

The inner workings of the Cammong Tong are not common knowledge, although they do maintain a small and spartan guildhouse within the lower reaches of Ched Nymiir, where prospective clients can negotiate services.

Jaegyn Dur'rist

Run by the renowned general Jaerik, this mercenary company is one of the most feared groups in the Underdark. Formerly a retainer of House Despana, Jaerik struck out on his own when the House was exterminated over a century ago. Originally starting with just a small band of dispossessed Drow warriors, the Jeagyn Dur'rist has grown into a two-hundred strong company of elite warriors. Within its ranks, the company boasts a significant minority of non-drow, with underdark and surface races represented in equal measure, along with a small group of outsiders.

Jearik is known as a harsh but fair leader, and has led his forces in battles all over Faerun - whether aiding Thayans in breaching Aglarondan defences, or doing battle with Netherese Shades at the behest of Cormyrian merchant barons, they will fight for any cause so long as the price is right. When the best is called for, Jaegyn Dur'rist is near the top of the list.