In the bosom of the Earth - An underdark civilization quest

You are the children of the dragons. This has always been at the core of kobolds' identity. Most of your people have never met one of your creators, of course, as dragons' numbers were decimated by both their pyrrhic victory over the giants and the following elven rebellions. Nowadays, most of your once wise overlords subsist as apex predators in remote parts of the world, the grudging cooperation that allowed them to build a society long gone. The temptation to seek one out to serve is always present, but you know they can no longer provide the comforting leadership you miss.

Tired of this wandering and accepting of those truths, your tribe has elected to settle. But the underdark is vast, and you have seen quite a bit of it through your past travels. Knowing your desire to put roots down, your tribe reviews the past locations it has passed through. A few still coherent kobold elders fascinated by mapping the cave networks of your home are consulted and encouraged to share their memories. Tales are recited and dissected for oral records of interesting locations they involve. Slowly, a list of possibilities emerges as everyone tallies the numerous possibilities, both distant and ambitious or close at hand and easy to grasp. Debates rage among your people, spearheaded by the younger kobolds not yet fallen to fascination.

As the question of settlement location runs through your tribe, you are amazed by the width and breadth of options coming up. Even as more cautious kobolds start eliminating the areas you assume to already be claimed by some of their inhabitants, possibilities still remain numerous. Is the underdark so empty that it would provide you with such endless choice of settlement? Kobolds inclined to remember tales of meeting other societies contemporary to yours suggest you simply are one of the firsts to think about abandoning your wanderings. Your own stories do speak of ruins dotting the tunnels of your underground home, and you've met some older sedentary species, while legends filter upward about the cities of the depth dwellers, further down. But the children of the great surface wars appear to be nomadic to this day. Maybe none of you ever learned to stop fleeing the destruction you escaped?

The sobering realization that you've been lost in your own grief for so long is tempered by your newfound will to rebuild. Younger kobolds are shaking with barely contained excitement in their eagerness to explore every nook and cranny of their new homes, and even older tribespeople manage to pull themselves out of their fascination long enough to share in the debates.


Your most knowledgeable tribespeople have narrowed down your options enough to let everyone weigh on the choice based on their preferences. It's time to pick your new home.


[] The Spire
The Spire is a large stone pillar ranging from the underdark's surface layer caves to the depths of its second layer, punching through the vast open cavern of the undersea. The Spire itself is riddled with a network of spiraling caves and chambers, connecting its top and bottom, as well as opening onto the sea. It is a common point of passage straight from the depths to the surface as well as a great place to access the bounty of the undersea. Though those are great opportunities, both travelers and the watery depths can bring dangers to your settlement.

[] The Bay
This well protected bay rests on the side of the undersea's wide caverns. The water is quiet but full of fish behind its rocky entrance, while the back of it forms a comfortable chamber for settlement. The surrounding shores are impassable rocky walls, making it an isolated safe haven this side of the underground sea. Smaller tunnels extend behind the main room in a labyrinth before connecting to the underdark's first layer. The Bay is definitely a safe option with its generous waters and concealed core, but it could be lacking in space, requiring more distant expansion if your tribe grows too much.

[] The Burrows
At the uppermost edge of the underdark, this dense network of caves and chambers lies close to the surface. It is set below a sparsely populated hilly region with numerous cave entrances. Anyone settling here could easily start exploring the overworld and have plenty of paths to retreat to. It also connects to the underdark's first layer through defensible paths. Small halls are common among the tunnels, providing enough room for inhabitants. It has attracted surface raiders interested in a forward base in the past and may host remnants of those. It's also vulnerable to retaliation from the surface if exposed and lacks some of the more exotic resources of the depths.

[] The Column
This location is an extinguished volcano's main vent. It goes straight from the depths to the surface in a large vertical cave. Secondary vents branch from it in all directions, forming a network of thin tunnels around the main shaft. The Column itself disappears into the depths, the magmatic chamber beyond the first two layers of the underdark. Its insides are carved by rough paths and massive stone stairs, letting people travel up and down as well as find the various secondary entrances. It's thus well connected at every layer. The secondary tunnels and small chambers dotting them offer enough living room, but the large amount of connections is a danger as much as it is an opportunity.

[] The Rift
Through dramatic geological events, this part of the underdark has become exposed to the surface in a long jagged opening. The Rift runs as far down as the first layer, cutting through the earth. There, it connects to the rest of the underground world through small tunnels branching away from its path. Water also flows down from the surface into it, running in a river up to one of its edges, where it flows into a gently sloped cavern. The Rift offers a unique climate affected by the surface's sun and seasons, where plants grow more easily during summer but winter can be harsh. It is also possible to claim up and down to the surface through carved passages in its cliffs.

[] The Cathedral
If you are willing to go deeper, the underdark reveals its wonders. The so-called Cathedral is a large cavern filled with brightly colored crystalline formations. Any light brought into it reflects onto its walls beautifully, dazzling anyone within. Water also seeps through the ceiling, dripping down the crystals and pooling on the cave's floor. The whole area seems to gather magic in the colored rocks, and can be exploited by a mage aware of its properties. It can be entered by using ropes to go down the large central hole that connects it to the first layer. It is also connected by thin defensible tunnels to the rest of the second layer it's a part of.

[] The Forest
Of all your candidates for settlement, the Forest is the biggest. This enormous cave spans the first and second layer. Colossal stone pillars buttress the very spacious area, some big enough to have paths carved in them. But what makes the Forest distinctive is the thick cover of giant bioluminescent mushrooms sprouting from its floor. Waterfalls drip from the roof and first layer tunnels into the cave, feeding its vegetation. Small connections to the second layer can also be found, though the large area covered by the forest is surprisingly unconnected to the depths below. Under the softly illuminated cover, it is easy to hide, while the flora provide food and building material. Of course, it's unlikely that such a large space remains uninhabited, even if you do not remember any large scale group claiming it.