Undearth

'They say that, in the older times, light gave strength to a person. That since our ancestors chose to run, chose to dig, we have slowly become weaker and weaker over time. No one knows how far down humanity has gone in the last six centuries. We dig in the same direction as those before. Are we even digging down? For all the Fourman know we could be digging left, or right...or even back up.' - A miner, thinking out loud.   Undearth is a man-made subterreanan world. It continually expands as humanity dig further down. The reasons as to why humanity are digging down are not known by those digging. There are many stories, many rumours of plagues, deamons, magic that forced the ancestors to take the drastic decision to burrow civilisation down into the ground. All everyone knows is that they must not return to the surface. Those brave few who have ventured back have never been seen again. The people of Undearth don't know much about their world, but they know they have to keep moving Down.   Humanity is not one united front however, over the centuries many factions of people have broken off from the core settlement, forming their own mining tribes. Some disagreed with the direction, they thought Down was another way. There are many colonies now, scattered at different points underground. But they are connected.   When the first miners began their descent, they knew they would need sunlight to survive underground. So they installed a window to the surface, a large glass tube, 20 foot in diametre that funnels light down from the surface. As the people dig further down they must also continue to extend the column to follow them. It does not provide much light, but enough to keep crops growing. There have been fights over the light. It is a precious commodity in Undearth. As people fractured into different groups they create smaller columns to attach to the main pillar. When they go their own way they want to take the light with them.   'Light is not a right! It is a servant of our civilisation. OUR civilisation. You cannot decide to leave and think you have any claim to the light built for the sole purpose of our city. You choose to exile yourself in darkness. I will not stop you. But I will stop you from stealing the light of the people' - A leader of Undearth speaking to potential deserters.