New Hallownest
The capital and largest civilized settlement in Darkhome, New Hallownest was founded on the site of a former drow city by the refugees of the old Kingdom of Hallownest. It is largely populated by humanoid insects that originated in the dream of Hallownest, though some more typical (and not-so-typical) Renedge residents have moved in since New Hallownest's founding.
Demographics
Species: 436 death phase spiders (1 gargantuan, 8 huge, 85 large, 191 medium, 151 small), 380 Hallownestian bugs, 191 darklings, 1 Ex-Vessel, 11 Vessels, 22 dwarves, 1 aasimar, 1 yuki-onna, 9 humans, 1 kobold, 1 half-elf, 1 spidertaur, 1 giant bat, 1 cave fisher, 9 Ebraxians.
Government
New Hallownest is technically a monarchy under the rulership of King Knight, but Knight serves primarily as an arbitrator, representative, and troubleshooter. Most government decisions are made by a city council, overseen by the king, that consists of elected representatives from each of various interests or industries, such as miners, merchants, or guards. The king’s sister, Hornet, has the position of Royal Protector and is effectively a seneschal, handling executive duties when Knight is busy hunting down threats or saving the world.
Control of the citizenry is fairly loose aside from security edicts and the usual laws against murder, theft, and so on. Control of the military (known as the Sentries) is much more regimented, with standardized equipment and a firm schedule of training and patrols. The Sentry regulars are led by the energetic and stern Sentry Commander Igleth. The elite Great Sentries are led by the more taciturn Great Sentry Commander Terekk, who serves as an elite strike team leader and as an advisor to Commander Igleth.
For taxation, a set government budget is decided on for a given fiscal period, and each citizen pays into that budget in proportion to their personal wealth. This system of communal responsibility originated in the recovering Kingdom of Hallownest and has survived the exodus to New Hallownest, having been adapted to fit the Jeritorian calendar. Tax collection occurs towards the end of May of every year. This being the Underdark, a large portion of the annual budget goes into military spending by necessity.
Control of the citizenry is fairly loose aside from security edicts and the usual laws against murder, theft, and so on. Control of the military (known as the Sentries) is much more regimented, with standardized equipment and a firm schedule of training and patrols. The Sentry regulars are led by the energetic and stern Sentry Commander Igleth. The elite Great Sentries are led by the more taciturn Great Sentry Commander Terekk, who serves as an elite strike team leader and as an advisor to Commander Igleth.
For taxation, a set government budget is decided on for a given fiscal period, and each citizen pays into that budget in proportion to their personal wealth. This system of communal responsibility originated in the recovering Kingdom of Hallownest and has survived the exodus to New Hallownest, having been adapted to fit the Jeritorian calendar. Tax collection occurs towards the end of May of every year. This being the Underdark, a large portion of the annual budget goes into military spending by necessity.
Defences
New Hallownest is built atop a raised plateau in the middle of a vast cave. The natural moat this creates around the city, known as the Deeps by the city's inhabitants, is two hundred feet deep and a third of a mile across at its narrowest point. To bolster its defensive utility further, it was permanently sanctified to the power of good by Chaun Tur and the Alvidarian High Paladin Thyren during the Necropolis War. The pit is broken only by bridges to the northwest and southeast, the rail line to the west, and a wall connection to the northeast, all of which are fortified by gates and guard posts.
For defensive coordination, there is a dwarf-built/upgraded structure near the center of the city, designed as a fortified command center for use in the Necropolis War.
The walls were bolstered by Ba'alzamon Dreamender in late 23 ARL. His summoned builders constructed several layers of walls with arrow slits, designed to easily allow falling back from one wall to the next. The walls are about 4 feet thick and have apertures for frag-carrots (grown in special planters thanks to a visiting bunny-person) to be thrown through. The passages through the walls at the bridge entrances are large enough for big bugs or trade vehicles to pass through. Spiked pit moats with drawbridges have been set up at the gates into the city cavern.
Industry & Trade
The economy is fairly standard for a settlement of New Hallownest’s size, producing basic goods and food sufficient to support the population. Miners mine for resources, farmers produce food, merchants distribute goods, craftsbugs work stone, metal, and cloth, and laborers provide physical support. Various goods are traded with Alvidar by the southern road and with the Thorandul Empire by the western rail line.
Infrastructure
Bug City Station: A large train station set in the southwestern outcropping of the city, with rail lines bridging the chasm to the west. The local station for the railway network built by the dwarves of the Thorandul Empire to carry supplies and personnel during the Necropolis War. It was named after the first name the dwarves heard for the city; given that most of the population who knew the real name didn’t speak Common, it’s understandable that the Alvidarian nickname was encountered instead.
Districts
Central: The majority of New Hallownest is built on the cavern's central plateau. This is where most residents live, where the Sentries are garrisoned, and where most businesses can be found.
The Outcrop: A second, smaller plateau exists to the southwest of Central, connected to the main plateau by a winding ridge that has been flattened into a roadway. Formerly the seat of power for a drow faction, it now serves primarily as the home of Bug City Station and as a logistics center.
The Webs: A collection of eight wide structures resembling stalactite-like webs, hanging from the ceiling of the cavern above Central and encircling the Black Palace. These are the home of the dimensional spiders led by the great Zolsikar, now integrated into New Hallownest society. Access is largely limited to those with flight or superb climbing ability.
Assets
Thanks to a woman who fell into the Underdark from another dimension and was saved and brought to New Hallownest by the Sentries, the city has a few planter boxes that grow carrots that, if their tops are twisted or snapped off, explode like grenades when thrown.
The king of New Hallownest has collected a large store of equipment and supplies for the city, detailed below. This is not an exhaustive list; the city has other stores of resources and more mundane equipment not listed here. Some of the items mention the persons or groups they've been assigned to.
49 +5 nails for sentries
100 +5 nail-lances for lance sentries
10 +5 nails for Vessels
58 +5 nails for Fools
80 +5 crescent daggers for Sturdy Fools
18 +5 greatnails (1.5 hand) for Great Sentries
5 +5 nail-lances for Fool Champion
21 +5 greatclubs for crossroads guards
4 +5 greatnails for nailmasters and nailsage
2 +5 nails for Quirrel and Iselda
6 +5 nail-lances for Mantis Lords
1 +5 longnail for God Tamer
1 +5 needle for Hornet
1 +5 spear for Fool Beastmaster
x20 +1 knives,
x10 +2 knives,
x6 +3 knives,
x4 +4 ranseurs
x1 +5 mancatcher
x1 +3 sacrificial jagged stone/obsidian knife
x2 Practice Shamshir (no damage, causes extra pain)
Grindstone Sword (+2 shortsword, gives +2 for about an hour to any sword you sharpen with it, does abrasion damage)[Sentry Commander Igleth]
Astral Spear (weapon plus depends on user, targets alignments)[Hornet]
Stalking Warsword of Alacrity +2 (crit on 19-20, invisibility on any round you don't move, attack, cast spell, +2 to initiative, +2 attacks)[Nailmaster Mato]
Golden Sword: +5 longsword that counts as a firebrand, icebrand or lightning blade determined randomly when first wielded in combat by any given wielder. It will always be the same element for the same wielder from that point forward.[Hollow Knight, who gets icebrand effect]
x8 pointy sticks made of a silver-ish clear material that identify as lightning lances (1d6 damage melee or fire a lightning blast 1xday for 5d8 non magical lightning damage, high backfire chance if used by a non-Grell)
Longsword of the knight +2: Warns user if area legally (feudal system) owned is under threat or liege is in danger.
+2 Rider’s Armor (rider and mount share some stats)[God Tamer]
Grand Gloves of Shielding and Performance (+4 ac, cast Shield at will, increase Minimum dmg to 5)[Snail Shaman]
Bracers of Safety and Aid (Feign Death, and Share Strength)[Great Sentry Commander Terekk],
Ringed Bracer (blocking and binding +6)[Ogrim]
Black Juju Robe (AC -10, 35% MR, +4 to saves)[Snail Shaman]
Workman’s Hammer (very magical, +10 to Crafting checks for woodworking/carpentry)[Menderbug Overseer]
Blackened Full Plate of Durence: AC -15, 30% true MR, immune to imprisonment, emotion, teleportation, polymorph, mental attacks, poison, disease, 1/2 fire/force/lightning, +4 Con.[Hollow Knight]
Golden Plate of The Champion: “Some combination of intelligent armor/personality-affecting/ possessed armor. Grants AC and HP, attacks and damage of the 'Champion'. This is a considerable boost for most, a bit less impressive than say Hornet or the Hollow Knight in most regards except for health which is quite impressive. (All stats are somewhat variable depending on wearer and their compatibility with the armor, in general a lvl 15 solo encounter equivalent or so.)”
Shield of the Green Eye: large shield +5, Truesight, psionic-not magical.[Great Sentry Commander Terekk]
Drow Chain +5 x4 suits
Drow Chain +3 x8 suits
Drow Chain +2 x10 suits
Grindstone x4 worth 100gp each
Deluxe manacles, 2 lb. x25 worth 50gp each
Sedan chair, 60 lb. x9 worth 1200gp each
Siege ram x2 worth 20000gp each
behir eggs (viable and alive, require being buried, heat and lightning source intermittently to be hatched)
behir components (would be good for AC and lightning resistance, good scale mail style armor or up to a shortsword equivalent weapon (possibly spear/polearm))
3348 Brass coins with a serpent, 248 silver cubes with stars and 155 golden spheres with a skull theme (looted from gargoyle encounter)
5000 10' wooden poles
30 tons of random (melded?) swords from sword golems in Malakai’s Forge. Approx. 105,000 gp worth of metal/swords. Approx. 15,000 swords.
Major circlet of blasting worth 23760gp
Ring of protection +2 worth 8000gp
4 scrolls of Cure Light Wounds
1 scroll of Neutralize Poison
5 scrolls of Cure Disease
Weapons
Armor
Mundane items
Consumables
History
New Hallownest was founded on April 9th, 23 ARL, by some of the refugees of the fading dream of Hallownest. The "civilized" bugs of old Hallownest designed New Hallownest to be a continuation of their recovering kingdom, with the same structure and economy translated into a new location. The chosen location for this settlement was an empty drow city that had recently been taken by the Coalition in the Necropolis War. Alvidar granted the territory to the refugees in exchange for their assistance in the war and the use of the city (and Darkhome as a whole) as a strongpoint against Ancient Alvidarian forces.
Since the founding, the populace of New Hallownest has been working to settle in, properly secure the area, and get their economy adapted and growing once more.
The population was dramatically bolstered in late September of 23 ARL with the integration of Zolsikar's colony of death phase spiders and a collection of darkling refugees. The spiders in particular appreciate living and being treated as people, and have taken to wearing Hallownest-style masks.
Points of interest
Government
Businesses and utilities
Altars and temples
Leyline nexus
New Hallownest is placed on/in a leyline nexus of Renedge.Magical influences
A dream blossom has been planted in the eastern portion of the city. The blossom is growing into an empathic plant that absorbs the 'vibes' in an area and reflects them statistically to thinking beings in the area. Depending on the vibes provided, it could result in a horrible monster or be fairly beneficial. It also grows an adjacent dreamrealm to wherever it's planted. This blossom was planted in late August, 23 ARL.Geography
Deep in the Underdark, built atop a plateau within a large cavern.
Natural Resources
New Hallownest's natural resources are largely limited to stone and minerals, and even the latter is primarily from a weak lead vein. The city does have a natural water supply, which is part of why the drow chose this spot for a settlement.
Table of Contents
Maps
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New Hallownest map
A smaller-scale map of the city of New Hallownest.
Founding Date
April 9th, 23 ARL
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
Bug City
Type
Capital
Population
420
Inhabitant Demonym
Hallownestian
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Related Reports (Primary)
- 2020/03/15: Battle at New Hallownest Report
- 2020/10/25: Second Battle of New Hallownest Report
- 2020/11/18: Downtime and Prep Report
- 2021/10/06: Returning Home Report
- 2022/09/28: Underdark Delving Part 1 Report
- 2022/10/05: Underdark Delving Part 2 Report
- 2022/12/07: Downtime Report
- 2023/02/08: The Vault Part 5 and Fungal Rescue Report
- 2023/03/14: Fungicide aftermath Report
- 2024/02/21: Cleanup Report
Related Reports (Secondary)
Related Plots
Comments