Undrek'Thoz was a confederation of drow cities, called segments, beneath Thay. The ten cities that comprised Undrek'Thok were spread across the Middledark, each connected to the others by way of Portals. The Matron mothers that ruled were kept in check by a monastic order known as the Blackened Fist.
History[]
Originally the far flung segments of Undrek'Thok were all independant drow cities, spread throughout the eastern Middledark. In 114 DR, the drow sent representatives from the various segments and concluded that they should band together for mutual protection, this took the form of a web of Portals that connected each city.
Over the intervening two hundred years, the cities Mezrylornyl and Sshurlynder joined the web, further increasing the power of the greater Undek'Thoz metropolis.
Necromancy is the favored expression of the Art in this segment. Skeletons outnumber salves and the resident's undead servants sometimes attack nondrow. Slaying or destroying such a creature is as bad as killing a slakve and anyone who does must make reparations to the owner.
House V'Ruuktaal is the second great House of Vrasl and came to it's illustrious position very recently in a bloody and sudden coup of the former second house. Their position secure, at least for the moment. The members of this House begin make their mark in the Segemented City, in Vrasl and perhaps beyond.
Segments[]
The following segments make up Undrek’Thoz Brundag (under Amrutlar) Drezz’Lynur (under Surthay) Fyvrek’Zek (under Thaymount) Jenn’Yxir (under Pyarados) Mezrylornyl (under Lake Thaylambar) Nanitaran (under Delhumide) Phaundakulzan (under Thesk Mountains) Sshurlynder (under High Thay) Trun’Zoyl’Zl ’(under Tyraturos) Vrasl (under the Sunrise Mountains)
Population 20,748 free; Isolated ( drow 94%, human 2%, derro 1%, illithid 1%, kuo-toa 1%, tiefling 1%); 39,655 slaves (orc 39%, halfling 29%, human 19%, goblin 5%, hobgoblin 4%, shield dwarf 2%, ogre 1%).
All the segments that make up Undrek’Thoz are spread throughout the Middledark at different depths beneath the Plateau of Thay, and each is a small city unto itself. The reliable portals connecting the cities effectively erase the geographical distance between them, making them one large metropolis.
This arrangement was originally intended to allow member cities to ally without threatening a single city’s resources. But every drow who has reached maturity knows that today’s friend is tomorrow’s rival in the complex political maneuvers of the race. Thus, as a safety precaution, the drow built these portals so that no metal would pass through. This limitation was designed to prevent wealth from flowing too easily between cities, but more importantly, to cut down on assassinations and invasions by preventing weapons and armor from passing through. Thus, when a traveler steps through one of these portals, any metal on her body clatters noisily to the floor in the city she just left.
This restriction hasn’t actually stopped either economic flow or assassination attempts, though it did change both considerably. Now each segment issues its own vellum scrip to cover payments between cities. Scrip notes from any segment are honored throughout the greater metropolis, except when the seller finds it expedient not to do so. Gems and favors are also widely used in payment.
The art of assassination has progressed in a more roundabout way. Rock or bone weapons are considered laughable and in incredibly poor taste, but living killers are a different story. The Houses all keep dangerous pets to provide portable lethality, and important drow always carry pets with them. Monstrous spiders are natural favorites, but snakes, shocker lizards, and poisonous vermin are also common. Stirges have recently come into fashion as well, although they are difficult to come by in the blackness of the Middledark.
A new martial arts tradition has also risen in Undrek’Thoz— the Blackened Fist. Members of this order constitute an actual social class in the city in addition to the traditional priestess, wizard, merchant, and soldier classes. A monk of the Blackened Fist coats her right hand up to the forearm in pitch or henna, blotting out even the bits of shading that drow skin usually has. (This difference is notable to drow, but a character of any other race needs to make a DC 30 Spot check to even notice anything different about such a monk’s right hand.) The drow Houses all contribute young children to the order so that each can have a cadre of loyal killers who can travel through the portals to carry out assassinations. The monks of the Blackened Fist also swear allegiance at a lesser level to their order at the House of Lightless Truth, which is located in the Brundag segment.
As the lawful monastic tradition took hold in Undrek’Thoz, it colored its practitioners’ loyalties. While they can understand the lust for power, these contemplative monks often come to question their mistresses’ self-destructive pursuit of it. They tend to be circumspect in their allegiance to their fellows, because it is clear that the House Matrons will destroy them if they ever suspect that a male-dominated, lawful order might rise to challenge the traditional elite. However, the ongoing silence of Lolth offers the Blackened Fist with an opportunity that is rapidly growing too enticing to pass up.
For now, the monks are bound by their oaths to remain loyal to both their Houses and the Spider Queen. But the leaders of the order have quietly begun to sound out some of the more prominent male wizards and fighters of Undrek’Thoz about moving against the Matrons. The Blackened Fist has prepared a plan to seize control of the city and rule from the monastery, in case the opportunity actually presents itself.
Blackened Fist: The Blackened Fist is an organization whose membership numbers about 200 monks, most of whom are at least 6th level. The Blackened Fist also welcomes multiclassed shadowdancers and assassins to join, and a number of its members also have levels in these prestige classes.