The Depths

The people of the City mostly live on the "surface," amidst the dark forest of crumbling towers, some of which reach miles above the "ground." Yet, for all the darkness and claustrophobia of the city above, the Depths are far darker, and far more confined. Within the bowels of the City of No End, countless machines labor to maintain a breathable atmosphere, gravity, fresh water, sewage disposal, and other such critical functions. The Depths are home to an inscrutable network of ancient systems and recycling complexes, many of which are millions of years old.

The people of the Depths are descended from the Diagnosticians of the City's golden age, who kept dutifully working their routines for hundreds of thousands of years after the government had collapsed, never questioning their tasks, beyond occasionally wondering why the inspections had stopped. In the deeper reaches of the underworld, many of them had no contact with the upper-folk whatsoever. They developed a spiritualistic religion based around the sometimes centuries-long cyclic functions of the deep machines, and have a great respect for prophecy and the anima of technology.

As the calorie nodes shut down one by one, the Pale Ones began to supplement their supplies by harvesting and refining hydraulic fluids and chemicals, and by hunting the mutated abominations that live in the pipes and recycling cesspools. Hunting is even more important to Depths culture than to the noble traditions of the surface dwellers. However, it is also far more dangerous under most circumstances.

In the Depths, ancient technology is not too difficult to come by. Hydraulic rifles and maintenance armor are staples for the nobility, and even the lower castes have access to automated transport. The Deep Clans export weapons and chemicals to the surface, and can influence the surface's transports through manipulation of the hydraulic web. Food has always been scarce in the Depths, though, and ever since Crom began to bring the pools back online the Pale Ones have been forbidden to touch them. As such, they import a great deal of food from the surface, even in addition to what the Receiver allots them for their service to the machines.

## Poligraphy

The Depths is divided into alternating "crust" and "gap" regions. An Upper Crust divides the City's surface from the Depths proper, and House Norn controls the High Gap and the Second Crust. Beyond lies the Second Gap and Low Crust, which marks the boundary between the Norn-controlled Depths and the mysterious Far Depths.

### Crust Layers

These sections of the Depths are solid blocks of material, filled with a maze of tunnels and rooms. Mainly dedicated to storage and computing, these rooms have become relatively unimportant to the Norns' ritual maintenance, and instead are used as residential areas, or are simply left empty.

### Gap Layers

The sections of the Depths are wide-open spaces, filled with jungles of meandering pipes, wires, and pumps. The Norns and other inhabitants of the Depths do most of their hunting here, preying on creatures that feed off of pipe condensation and chemical leaks. The Shamans roam the Gaps searching for dangerously large leaks, which they seal, or controllable leaks, which are used to harvest Chemicals. Many of these chemicals are refined into edible nutrient globs.

## Noble Houses

### House Norn

The Norns of the Depths are the greatest of the hydraulic families, and as such influence many of the transportation and plumbing systems of the mapped zones of the City. They cannot control all of the city’s internal machinery, but they have learned to predict what it will do by observing it carefully. The maintenance they and their serfs perform is critical to the old ways of life – even those still living as they did before the Receivers need the machinery the Norns watch over. Their Lord, Janrad, held the title of Receiver before his death. Their new Head of House must consolidate his power while seeking to follow in Janrad’s footsteps.

### House Zanon

Farms and hunts for food and chemicals, and forges its own arms. They are slow to action, but known for their impressive dedication to martial prowess. Lord Shem Zanon is currently a claimant for the Seer's Throne, being the closest legal relative of the late Ulrich Norn.

### House Thunder

Manufactures weapons and armor from scavenged Depths hydraulics. They rarely have contact with people from the surface, disdaining formal gatherings.

### House Animus

Dedicated to farming. They produce a good chunk of the Depths' native food supply, as well as their chemical production. They have a reputation for bizarre behavior, but are nevertheless respected by the Shamans for their scientific prowess. Under Lord Sammael Animus, they were the first vassal house to welcome the spread of Ascensionism into the Depths, accomplished by welcoming a missionary expedition led by Setheus Leibowitz. Seated at the Gates of Night. Currently ruled by Lord Manann Animus.

### House Raven

Provides trackers and architects to the Norns, helping to find and repair flaws in the Depths. Devout followers of Hypognosticism and mistrustful of Surfacers. Infamous for Zaros Raven's attempted assassination of Maido Dakku during the Great Interregnum, which caused the temporary death of Ser Maud Attlee. Seated at the Ravens' Nest. Currently ruled by Lord Burkhard Raven.

### House Warhawk

Unsurprisingly, very martially focused. They fund their sizeable military through production of chemicals and labortech. A longstanding ally of House Norn until recently, when Lord Ulrich Norn imposed sanctions on Lord Richter Warhawk for apparent crimes unknown to the Surfacers. Seated at Kastrus Aspidōn. Currently ruled by Lord Richter Warhawk.