The Great Below

Home to various denizens of the deep, the Great Below (also known as Svartalfheimr in the North) is a sprawling mass of interconnected tunnels and underground chambers beneath much of north western Arlyss. Believed to stretch from the Great Wood in the west to the Badlands in the East and as far north as the world's end mountains, this region has long been a mystery to most of the world. Some believe it was carved out by aberrations who traveled to Arlyss in the Mythic Age, and that their machinations have influenced life on Arlyss for thousands of years.

Major Settlements

Anun: Home to six houses of Dark Elves, all vying for control over the city and the favor of their god Illuun (The Whisperer in the Dark). Chief among them is House Newydd, led by high matriarch Anyara. The dark elves of Anun venture out into the great below seeking slaves to work their fields and mine the rare adamantine ore they use for their weapons and armor, all in an effort to wage their eternal war on their most hated enemies the Illithid (and their Duergar followers).
Nidavellir: Once home to Duergar (a race of ashen-skinned dwarves brought to Arlyss as slaves by the Illithid) who broke free from the mind flayers and founded their own kingdom, Nidavellir is now nothing more than an undead-haunted ruin. Here, the sword of Surtr was forged and plunged the city into ruin when their efforts attracted the attentions of a Balor and his demon hosts.
Deep Home: Home to the deep gnomes of the Great Below, Deep Home is a series of connected tunnels running through one of the underground mountain ranges of the Great Below. Its location is a well-kept secret among the deep gnomes, so much so that travelers undergo a process of magical memory erasure when leaving for any extended period of time. There, the deep gnomes mine and craft much as their surface cousins do (though they might find to be more akin to the surface dwarves) and generally try to stay away from the slavers of the great below who find them exceptional targets for enslaving. Their deep connection to the earth makes them exceptional geomancers, and their most powerful mages are able to summon powerful earth elementals to defend them.

Society and Religion

Most societies in the Great Below revolve around servitude to one of the many Aberrations that make it their domain. The Dark Elves worship the aboleths, while the Duergar serve the mind flayers (as slaves or willing followers) and most other life forms try to stay away from them. Myconid colonies live in harmony with the fungal forests of the Great Below, living in a hive mind that connects every member of their society (including the fungal zombies they create from the dead). Meanwhile, Kuo-toa tribes worship their mad gods and try to survive in the ever dangerous depths and orcs come and go from their tunnels across the mountains. The deep gnomes try to live quiet lives in secrecy, but often find themselves traveling to find better mining sites to fuel their earthen creations. All of these societies seek only one thing: survival in an ever-deadly world.

Maps

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  Nidavellir

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  The Great Below