The Darklands
Geography
The darklands can be roughly divided into three layers, although these divisions are not concrete. The first layer is much like an ordinary cave system, though far, far more expansive. However, its tunnels and caverns are relatively isolated and lonely, with very few sapient inhabitants. They are dangerous, of course, but in a more wild, untamed way than the lower levels. The most notable inhabitants are xulgaths, which once had a far more expansive civilization in the deeper layers, but have been driven toward the surface by war.
The second lair's caverns are far larger and more connected. As one delves deeper, the creatures and environments become stranger, warped by the bizarre energies from deep in the planet. This layer is home to widespread civilizations of duergar and deep orcs, gray-skinned members of those ancestries which never journeyed toward the surface. They are locked in eternal conflicts with each other and the creatures of the darklands.
The third layer defies all reason. Unbelievably huge caverns, which resist collapse through powerful magic, are home to entire ecosystems resembling those on the surface, but twisted and perverted. The sightless sea, a huge subterranean ocean, connects to the deepest depths of the oceans. The magical energies permeating this layer give its inhabitants strange powers which cause those in the higher layers to fear and respect them. Most notable are the alggollthu, aquatic and alien creatures inhabiting both the sightless sea and the oceans, and the urdefhans, daemon-worshipping humanoids with an unending appetite for destruction and death.
Ecosystem
Part of the reason for the first layer's emptiness is the lack of sustenance. Without access to the sun's light or the strong magic of the lower darklands, fungi form the base of the food chain. Often, these fungi form "forests" in caverns with rich nutrients and plentiful water. These serve a similar function to watering holes in deserts on the surface, allowing the creatures to eat and drink with relatively low risk of attack. Of course, safety is never guaranteed, and most creatures still spend as little time as possible in these locations.
By the time one reaches the second layer of the darklands, there begin to be pockets of the strong magic that the third layer is soaked in. The mushroom forests become far more common, sometimes accompanied by plants if there's a sufficient light source. Many orc and duergar settlements are built around such centers of resources, and they are hotly contested.
In the third layer, entire habitatats can form around magic lodes or thermal vents. The warmer environment and more widespread light also allow for more plant growth. In the smaller tunnels between these places, though, the isolation and darkness resumes.
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