Black Loch

The Black Loch is a large Underground sea on the middle layer of the Underdark. Fed by numerous rivers and steams that lead down into the the earth, the Black Loch itself runs out into the Sunless Sea at the supposed bottom of the Underdark. The Black Loch is the congregation point of uncountable tunnels, cracks and shafts.

## Locations in the Black Loch

### The Torrents

One of the fastest and most dangerous routes to the Black Loch. The torrents are a series of cascading waterfalls leading down into the Underdark. The Torrents begins when a river on the surface dips below and mountains, then contains down for over a mile. Whilst most paths down require days of narrow stairway and tunnel, The Torrents will get you to Black Loch in a hour. Due to the nature of the Cascades, anyone who enters this way will in all likelihood need to find another way out again.

#### Deep Spire

Deep Spire is a trading settlement carved into a large column of rock rising from the sea. Once just a pillar of rock, a clan of Underdark Orcs decided it would serve as their future home, carving out a settlement through it. The Broken Spine Clan turned the pillar into a fortress, which grew into a trading hub for the entire Black Loch.

### The Ilse of Ash

#### The Smoldering Abyss

The Smoldering Abyss is a part of the Black Loch almost no one even knows exists. It’s a deep, underwater trench at the bottom of a larger underwater trench at the bottom of the loch. And, in a place where no one even wants to think about what might be under the surface of the sea, places like this tend to go unnoticed.

It is home to a giant sea monster called "The Whisperer". The huge black beast with rubbering tentacles has a wide fanged mouth like an Anglerfish. While not a kraken, it's still the thing sailors of the loch fear the most. Fortunately for the sailors, the Whisperer hasn’t been seen in almost 250 years and many believe it to be dead. Unfortunately, they’re wrong and it’s not. It’s hibernating here and it’s about to wake up.

The place gets its name from the smoking rocks. They are a type of hydrothermal vent knowns as a *black smoker*. They are like tiny underwater volcanos that pump boiling hot water filled with minerals into the sea. Because of them the water here is fairly warm.

### The Deep Reaches

The deep reaches are the furthest reaches of the loch. This is a seldom traveled area and subject to many rumors. Many explorers, treasure seekers, adventuring band and even whole Orc raiding parties have gone missing within,

#### The Myconids of Hyphis

Hyphis is a myconid colon built around a huge sentient mushroom known as the Red Warden. The Warden is not a myconid itself, but the myconids of the colony can communicated with it and regard it with great respect. The Red Warden supposedly has the ability to see and hear anything that happens in the vicinity of its spores, which have spread to nearly every corner of the Black Loch. This combined with the Warden's near perfect memory means the mysterious mushroom can recall nearly anything that happened anywhere in the loch for who knows how long?

#### The Blind Colossus

A huge, eyeless statue standing in the middle of the loch. It has a interior. TO BE EXPANDED.

#### **Ruins of Gyan’dis**

Gyan’dis is an old illithid settlement lying in ruins. The levels are connected by vertical shafts that the Illithids levitated through. Today the place is abandoned and ruined, with a illithid or elder brain in sight. There is said to be a neothelid living inside the ruins.

#### Abloleth Lair

The lair of an aboleth named Psor’il and its minions. TO BE EXPANDED.