Kal Eldrumm (Kal-ell-drum)

The "Elder City" of the dwarves was one of the first settlements established by the cave dwelling nomads of ancient times. It was the seat of the first dwarven civilization founded in the mid 7th millennia AC and stood proudly as a bastion in the dark for over three thousand years before it succumbed to Illithid invasion in the 4th millennia AC. Since then, the city has been a coveted prize for those that lurk in the darkness; changing hands between the mind flayers, drow, duergar, and more in the millennia since.
Currently, Kal Eldrumm has been under the rule of an eye tyrant beholder called Ralakor for the better part of three centuries. The beholder began life as the experiment of a drow wizard living in Kal Eldrumm who was able to use a combination of enchantments and dream communication to force another beholder to reproduce. The wizard absconded with the spore and raised it in her laboratory. Naturally, Ralakor eventually killed the wizard and took command of her underlings. He used the magic at his disposal to bolster himself and his new found henchmen (he absorbed much of the ways of wizardry before his "mistress" perished). In time, he rose to the very top of Kal Eldrumm, overthrowing the deep dragon that had enjoyed rulership for several centuries prior.
This came to an end when the offspring of the deep dragon returned to claim his birthright, striking an alliance with an adventuring party that had come to Kal Eldrumm in search for aid against Cataclysm on the surface. The party had need of a material found within Ralakor's lair, and so together, the dragon and the party fought and killed Ralakor, with the deep dragon, Ahrknagolz, taking the beholder's place on the sly.
Society Kal Eldrumm is a haven for all sapient races of the Underdark, at least from the hostile environment and ravenous predators of the deep tunnels. Truth be told, living within the confines of the yawning cavern is just as dangerous as roaming the Low Ways alone. The city's economy is built almost entirely on the trade of exotic goods, from ancient relics to exotic substances to people. Kal Eldrumm is one of the few places where drow and duergar will cooperate enough to trade for slaves and materials in a neutral environment. Then of course, there are the fighting pits and coliseum, which sees hosts of combatants either there by choice to win their fortune, or pressed into gladiator roles by their captors.
The primary permanent residents of the city are drow (primarily houses exiled from drow cities and those who escaped servitude), lizardfolk, kobolds, hobgoblins, and duergar (often mistrusted with the other races believing they seek a means of reclaiming their lost heritage)
While generally not residing permanently within the city, there can often be found deep gnomes, mind flayers, and drow envoys from other cities.
On many occasions, Kal Eldrumm also sees visitors from the surface; mischevious and dastardly sorts willing to brave the Underdark for access to knowledge, materials, and magic that can only be found within. Ralakor's personal collection is renowned throughout the underworld for his unique and exotic pieces.
Culture. In terms of culture, Kal Eldrumm shares some similarities with surface civilizations, but has many staggering differences. Like all Underdark cultures, the solar and lunar cycles used to keep time mean very little. Instead, daily routines are based around cycles of hunger. This has made breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours far more communal than on the surface.

• During these hours, most work is stopped and communal meals are shared; usually prepped before hand so everyone can eat at the same time. These are usually broken up by faction in Kal Eldrumm.
• Smaller time frames are tracked with timers of either sand/dirt or water. Large timekeepers can be found in most of Kal Eldrumm's squares.

Seasons are tracked by water levels rising and falling based on the dry and wet seasons of the surface as well as the hibernation cycles. Because climate is generally rather steady underground, there is no specific "harvest" season to track.
Food in the Underdark tends to be very intensely flavored and very salty. The primary source of protein comes from the oversized chitinous insects of the Underdark or reptile and fish meat. Vitamins and nutrients are derived from mushrooms and other fungi, lichen, and moss.

• Alcohol is derived from fermented lichen (the duergar make a particularly spicy brew from fire lichen) and mushrooms. Common surface brews made from wheat, potatoes, or grapes is all but unheard of down here.
• Similarly, there are a few types of mushrooms that when dried and brewed with hot water create an earthy, tea-like concoction.

Precious metals hold value here just as it does on the surface and Kal Eldrumm utilizes a currency system, but their more abundant nature and ease of access in the Underdark means their value is diminished, with everything costing around 1.5 to 2 times the amount it would cost on the surface.
Art is prominent in both duergar and drow culture and both can be found on display throughout the city. While the architecture of Kal Eldrumm is primarily dwarven, elven sculptures and jewelry can be found in abundance.