The Dreadlake

Somewhere in the Underdark, there lies a lake of salt, black water. Denizens of the Underdark named it the Dreadlake, as the lake is a fathomless depth filled with the unliving remains of sailors, pirates, krakens and other sea monsters. The Dreadlake is situated between the Crystal Cavern and the Root Basin, one day north of Shorthaven. Some believe that in the depths of the Dreadlake there lies a kingdom, ruled by a king that drowned long ago, but the inky blackness of the lake is nigh impenetrable by sight, and the host of hostile creatures that dwell in it keeps all but the most curious explorers at bay.
Being a fruitful item for superstition and countless stories, it comes as no surprise that the Dreadlake has its share of mythos. Most notably, scholars believe it to be the Origin of the Oceans, which if true would mean that all oceans are connected to it via Similarity. Other stories include sights of rising, upside down shipwrecks, sightings of gigantic serpentlike monsters with multiple eyes, the ringing of ship bells and reflections of the stars in the water. That last bit would not be so strange for a normal lake, but given that there is a solid rock ceiling above the lake, which is situated at least a mile underground, this is rather concerning.
Many link the lake with the Abyss, the second layer of the Chaos realm, and speculate that the large serpentlike creatures, if the stories are true, could be Primordial Serpents, the oldest Chaos denizens known to myth, and that the stars may be reflections of whatever lies beneath the Abyss, if such a place exists in the first place.

Alternative Name(s)

Origin of the Oceans, the Door to the Fathomless Depths, the Bed of Salt.

Location under

Underdark