The fictional Underdark's physical characteristics are based upon conditions in real-

world caverns deep underground, only at immense size. Within the contet of a game,
the Underdark is etremely dangerous, especially to non-native characters and
creatures. There are the usual dangers associated with caverns! claustrophobia,
occasional poor air circulation, and getting lost. "ave floor and ceiling collapses are also
a hazard.
There is no light ecept for occasional patches of phosphorescent fungus# most
Underdark inhabitants either have highly developed senses other than sight or have
developed darkvision.$note %& 'ood can be etremely difficult to find, and much of the
natural vegetation is poisonous. (n addition, potable water is seldom easy to locate. (n
the 'orgotten )ealms setting, the Underdark is permeated with a magical energy the
*row call faerzress, which is used as a source of energy by the native plant life but
which interferes with scrying and teleportation spells.
+lowing stones on the ceiling light up the air and fill it with an energy of seemingly
limitless raw power with no distinguishable source. The tall fungi pillars and stalactites
glowing with violet foilage as well as the insects and darker things that skitter through on
their own missions all seem to thrive on this power. The rock-crystals that eude this
strange power interfere with most magic and make things like teleportation and scrying
very difficult and likely to fail at best.
'ungul ,abryth -'ungus-.en, The party walks into what appears to be a forest of large
mushrooms but the mushrooms come to life and start attacking them./ -The entire area
appears to be made of one giant type of fungus that is not 0ust a giant ecosystem, but a
living being itself. (t changes the directions of the party, healing itself 1uickly, closing off
corridors that were once open and leading there wherever.
The "offin - The underdark is etremely dangerous. 2ven the most stoic party can find
themselves at odds with what lies in the darkness beyond. (n the darkness it is easy to
get lost, for caves that seemed wider when you entered to become increasingly tight.
)ockslides are common and can leave a party trapped and without air, food, or light.
"laustrophobia is inevitable. This is the coffin.
The 3iege - The party comes upon a town of dark gnomes that seem very gloomy and
sad. When asked why they reveal that the usual goblins -bugbears, trolls, hobgoblins/
that tried to raid their city every once and awhile and was repelled have gathered
together to form a small horde. 4ntop of that, their leader died in his sleep and the net
two that were appointed similiarly died in mysterious and suspicious ways - because of
this no one wishes to take on the role of leadership to help prepare the city for siege and
so they have all 0ust consigned themselves to being slaughtered or enslaved.
-----------------------------------------
The Tower - 5 rumor says that the 3tone stalagtite tower guarded by undead and some
other beasties is a house to great treasure at the tower top. -6ossibly a demon princess
or some other trap/ The party find a small looking fort guarded by undead, zombies,
skeleton warriors and stone gargoyles.
To lich or not to lich - There is a great manor, one of the very few of it's kind, built on the
edge of the market district but all the *row give it a wide birth. When asked about it they
are told it is home to a powerful lich. 2sroh has information saying otherwise however
-7ehehe/ The ,ich that made his residence there was ancient and had ascended to
something more powerful then a lich and had left this plane to eplore others. The house
has been abandoned and left untouched so long that the more powerful magic traps and
guardians had long been disabled due to the absence of the masters magic. 2sroh is so
sure he is willing to lead a party inside right to the treasure, asking only that if he can get
them their safely they not touch anything but the treasure. - 7e himself wants a couple
powerful magic items that appear as only mundane things, one of them is the liches sku