Vlyn'darastyl

Vlyn'darastyl is one of the largest drow settlements in Nexus' Underdark. However, it was not originally founded by the drow. Rather, it was the dwarven city of Auldbaern, in a time before the dwarven people now known as mountain dwarves had ever left their original homes beneath the earth. This came to an end when the drow invaded, either killing or taking prisoner most of the dwarf inhabitants while a scant few managed to flee. A number of dwarven features can still be seen in the city's architecture to this day, such as the squatter older buildings. Several statues throughout the city were clearly recarved to depict matron mothers as well. Either that, or these matron mothers were the most unusually stout drow to ever live.
One day, 962 years ago, a violent earthquake caused cracks in the bed of a massive underground river connected to the Black Loch that began leaking into many of the tunnels that led to Vlyn'darastyl. While large sections of the city were drowned, the drow were quick to respond to the crisis by using both the magic of the noble houses, theirs by divine right, and the muscles of prison laborers to dig a canal. This led the floodwaters away from Vlyn'darastyl and down sloping tunnels deeper into the Underdark and the water levels eventually stabilized. Further down the tunnels, two deep gnome cities, an illithid colony, and a smaller drow city were drowned. But the important thing was that Vlyn'darastyl was saved. In the years since then, the residents have managed to remove the excess water and reclaim the land they temporarily lost.
While there are many minor noble houses in Vlyn'darastyl, the oldest and most powerful among them are House Cull'thaine (the lead house), House Quinorrax, and House Vel'narras. In more recent times, House Baltiri and House Gaedre have also risen to power as powerful merchant clans. While the local Underdark's rise in trade can undoubtedly be attributed to the Deep Spire, so much as hinting that the traitorous House Vaerixas has had anything to do with either family's good fortune is a quick and proven method to find yourself on a sacrificial altar to Lolth. It goes without saying that all of Vlyn'darastyl refuses to trade with the Deep Spire directly, fully aware in House Vaerixas' part in the trade city's success.
As is the case in most drow settlements, Vlyn'darastyl's education system excels in training drow for their service to the Spider Queen. Male drow and females of commoner birth with the gift or aptitude for magic are taught at the Academy of Sorcery while the rest are trained at the Academy of War. Meanwhile, the noble-born women are educated at the Seminary of the Dark Mother as priestesses of Lolth.

Type

Large city