Shadowfen

Shadowfen is a large region that lies upon a jagged headland on the coast of the Dawn Sea. This kingdom is dominated by treacherous mire and fringed by saltmarshes on its shores. The western edge of the kingdom borders Bargob, while part of the northern border is shared with Warmwood. Though the surface of this kingdom supports little civilisation save for a scattering of goblin tribes, the true kingdom lies deep underground. A series of sinkholes, the largest of which being Yarrig's Maw, lead to an endless network of great caverns known as the underdark.

## Geography

Shadowfen is the flattest region of Andara, consisting of nothing more than low-lying bogs, fens and marshes on its surface. Were it not for the almost permanent layer of thick fog that hangs in the air, one would be able to see for miles in all directions at any point in the region. Traversing the surface is almost impossible to the untrained outsider, as hidden sinkholes and pools can swallow a goliath in a matter of minutes. Towards the coastal marshes, the kingdom can be traversed by means of canoe or kayak, but for the most part Shadowfen must be traversed on foot. The largest of the sinkholes will invariably lead to the underdark, a minimally less treacherous than the surface.

The caves of the underdark vary greatly; from smooth tunnels hewn by great subterranean burrowers to impossibly deep ravines with no visible floor. Many of the caverns are somewhat flooded, with murky water flowing in from the surface or the river Werg in the north-western reaches of the underdark. The deepfolk are mostly restricted to living in the upper to middle layers of the underdark; such is the nature of flowing water that it has flooded most of the lowest regions into an unlivable region of aphotic water where horrid, tentacled beings reside.

## Settlements

Most of the deepfolk reside in great cities far from the eyes of those who live on the surface, and those who do not must carve out a living in fortified caves or the ruins of previous settlement endeavours.

### Kezzesh

The grand city of Kezzesh is a curios city that seems to spread vertically, rather than horizontally like conventional cities. Those who call this immense spire of civilisation home claim it to be over two thousand years old, which supports the theory that deepfolk existed around the same time as the rest of the world but were only discovered after the Adventus Arcanum caused the surface of the highest caverns to open into great sinkholes. The deepfolk refer to the appearance of the sinkholes as the Days of Burning Light, in reference to their aversion to sunlight and the trouble it caused their civilisation. The city of Kezzesh is mostly drow in construction and populace, but is open to all civilised folk who call the underdark their home. Its ruler, Queen Olorae, ensures that the talents of her svirfneblin and duergar neighbours are not wasted, understanding that putting aside their differences is best for all kingdoms.

### Gürdensvaar

Though the location is not known to outsiders, stories have existed among dwarves for centuries about another great dwarvern city far below the ground to the east. This city of legend is Gürdensvaar, a great fortress surrounded by a moat of magma that is the home of clan Drnunthr, the only major clan of duergar known to exist. These cynical folk keep to themselves, and a scarce few will head as close to the surface as Kezzesh, let alone breach the surface itself. The city itself is not open to outsiders, and scarcely engages with trade outside of other small settlements of duergar.

### Yarrig's Gullet

This large town is burrowed into the walls of Yarrig's Maw, and is the highest deepfolk settlement known to exist. Thriving on trade, this settlement is the link between the underdark and the surface, both socially and geographically. Constructed by the svirfneblin, these deep gnomes are the primary inhabitants of this town though many drow reside here as well. Because of its commercial nature, Yarrig's Gullet is the most welcoming to outsiders, and a few surface dwelling races are known to dwell here too.

## Culture and Tradition

Shadowfen is considered to have two distinct cultures, that of the deepfolk and that of the goblin tribes. Despite this, deepfolk culture is more readily associated with the kingdom due to the sheer size difference in their civilisation.

### Religion

The deepfolk follow a religion known as the Deep Faith, a localised religion which has a relatively small pantheon when compared to the faiths of the surface. the Deep Faith has three primary deities associated with the three races; Eilistraee of the drow, Laduguer of the duergar and Segojan Earthcaller of the svirfneblin. Worship of Muluurunur, the true neutral abberant lord of knowledge, darkness and dreams is also common amongst the deepfolk. There are rumoured to be cults of Lolth in the deepest recesses of Kezzesh, though Queen Olorae denies the existence of such violence. Finally, worship of some of the evil Andaran deities like Morken Farn, Kavaaneah and Yemmog is also slightly more prevalent in the underdark than elsewhere in Andara.

As for the goblin tribes, religion is a relatively small part of their culture. What little worship and prayer the goblins partake in is devoted to the gods of the Wild Faith though Therro, spirit of the hunt is by far the most worshipped of all of them.

### Marriage and Family

For all deepfolk, marriage is a commitment that can last multiple centuries, and is thus taken very seriously. Selecting a partner is a huge part of an individual's life in the underdark, and it is not uncommon for courting to take over a decade. When two individuals do decide to wed, they do so in a ceremony devoted to their race's specific deity. In cases where a deepfolk marries a race outside of their own, the ceremony remains devoted to the deepfolk spouse's chosen deity, though deepfolk scarcely marry outside of their own race. This is partly due to societal norms, and partly because of how long the courting process takes. It is rare that a surface dweller will be present in the underdark for long enough to court a deepfolk individual for marriage. Breeding with surface dwellers out of wedlock is far more common however, and the most common offspring of these unions are dusklings. Aside from dusklings, another form of deepfolk halfbreeds are grey orcs, who are so abundant due to the proximity of the drow and orcish kingdoms.

As for goblins, marriage is all but a foreign concept. For goblins, breeding is part necessity and part earned right. When a tribes numbers grow low, the most successful warriors and smartest females are permitted by the tribe's leader to produce offspring, with the intent of creating babies that will be worth the time and effort it takes to raise them.

### Food and Drink

The diet of the deepfolk is famously an acquired taste. Much of the local crops and meats have strong, strange flavours that can be overpowering to surface dwellers, and many of the fungi contain alkaloids which deepfolk are resistant to, but surface dwellers must spend weeks building up this resistance to overcome hallucinations and upset stomachs. However, it is undeniable that the flesh of a cave fisher, which tastes like lobster soaked in fine wine, is a delicacy to deepfolk and surface dweller alike. Similarly, the blood of this creature is a strong alcohol which can be consumed neat or mixed with other spirits to create delicious alcoholic beverages.

Goblin cuisine is centered around preservation; a tribe never knows when their next meal will come a long, so wasting food is not an option. Thus, goblins are masters of fermentation and pickling, and much of their food keeps indefinitely. The acrid and sour smells of their food stores dissuade hungry animals from investigating, and often have the same effect on would-be thieves from other races. The goblin expertise in fermentation of course allows them to make a number of alcohols, though due to the availability of ingredients this is usually some form of wine brewed from wild berries.