Ust Natha

• Population: 7,500 (80% drow, 5% quaggoth, 5% svirfneblin, 10% other) • Government: Matriarchy/Theocracy (high priestess of Lolth) • Defense: Drow supported by quaggoth • Commerce: Fresh water, poisons, mushrooms, Netherese artifacts, slaves • Organizations: Adventurer’s Guild, Shadow Thieves • Religions: Lolth Ust Natha is a drow city located in the Middledark of the Underdark. Its location corresponds with the southwestern border of Amn and Tethyr on the surface world. The city is small, existing entirely within a single large cavern with most of its living areas built inside of hollowed out stalagmites. Despite its size, it has become a major trading hub between the drow and other races. The city also has historical significance for the drow, as legends claim that Ust Natha is located close to the surface caves where the Ilythiiri dark elves were forced to retreat after losing the fourth Crown war. After many generations, these Ilythiri refugees evolved into the modern day drow. Ust Natha must contend with several other Underdark settlements in the region, including a kuo-toa city and an illithid enclave. A nearby svirfneblin village is allowed to remain nominally independent as long as they supply a quota of slaves each year. The largest danger to Ust Natha is a recently awakened nest of phaerimm, located several miles beneath the city itself. The city is controlled by several competing drow houses, the most powerful of which is the Despana family. While a majority of the city’s population are drow, in recent decades the city has allowed a large contingent of foreigners to take residence. This has been at the behest of Phaere Despana, who seeks to raise the fortunes of her house by creating a place within the Underdark where surface traders feel relatively safe. Organizations such as the Shadow Thieves and Zhentarim now have permanent trading establishments within the city. In addition to the drow population and surface traders, there are thousands of quaggoth and svirfneblin slaves that support the drow houses, and even a few Illithid and aboleth envoys can be found within the city.

House Despana • Matron Mother: Phaere Despana • Patron: Qilue Despana • Head Wizard: Malavon Despana • Weapon Master: Chalinthra Despana House Despana is a drow noble house with branches in many drow cities of the Underdark. The largest branch is located in Ust Natha, but there are about a half-dozen other branches, including a small house in the city of Menzoberranzan. The house is headed by Matron Mother Phaere Despana, who killed her mother to take over the house more than a century ago. She is aided by a powerful archmage named Malavon, who joined her a few years ago when his branch of Despana was forced out of the drow city of Rilauven.

Carcerus This prison is used not only by Ust Natha, but by other drow cities such as Rilauven and Guallidurth; even non-drow cities such as the nearby dwarven city of Iltkazar use the prison on occasion for their worst criminals. It is considered by most Underdark denizens as unescapable and being consigned to the prison a fate worse than death. The reason for this is that it is run by demodands from the infernal plane of Carceri. A portal to the plane of Carceri is even located in its lower depths. Some of the prisoners rumored to be held in the prison include powerful drider, rogue illithid such as Alhoon and even a few specimens of phaerrim. Worst of all, some believe that the demodands keep a small number of bebilith that they have tortured into serving their needs. These spider-like creatures can unerringly pursue escaped prisoners anywhere across Faerûn