The Undercity
An intricate network of tunnels runs beneath the city of Kiniswell. Deeper than any dare to know, these catacombs were built over the course of two hundred years as the great city it once was slowly sank into the earth beneath it. Few know its true history, though many make use of the hidden paths every day.
Purpose / Function
While the Catacombs are rather extensive and serve many purposes for many people, arguably the most common use of the tunnels is as housing for the homeless and as a discreet area for those on the other side of the law to conduct business. Some storefronts have direct access from their shops and sell some of their more illicit or exclusive items in the second level's Black Market. It is also where folk with less than legal professions, such as assassins go to seek work, or are sought out.
Some sections closer to the surface have been walled off. These are the emergency escape tunnels of nobility living within the city and only go one way, straight from the manor to beyond the city's walls. Some folk don't consider these areas to be truly part of the catacombs any longer, and only those with specific intentions will seek to have those tunnels marked on any maps.
Other sections of tunnels have been repurposed into an intricate sewer network serving the city proper. Waste is carried through tunnel systems specifically designed to cleanse it and keep the smell from reaching back to the surface. The water then splits, some of it feeding back into the river, while the rest empties into an underground lake several levels below. Fresh water is brought in from the top of the river bend to come out publicly accessible pumps in the street, or in private taps installed in the houses of richer citizens and in businesses such as restaurants.
History
No one really knows when the catacombs fully sank beneath the ground. Kiniswell was built atop of them with hardly anyone knowing they were even there. It's also difficult to say when they were rediscovered, as well, given that no one carrying out covert illegal operations would be stupid enough as to keep a record of such things.
It is certain that the catacombs were found by city officials within the last three hundred years, as that is when the sewer systems were first installed.
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