(Archive) Yzrel-Vashremi

The undercity of Yzrel-Vashremi is close enough to the surface that it sees enough surface races to be familiar with them, yet far enough away from civilization that it enjoys a comfortable isolation from the world. Founded and ruled by the drow, it is a city state commanded by its wealthiest noble families, though the standing of those families is ever changing in the tumultuous political landscape that can be expected of their cutthroat and ambitious nature.

## History

The exact story of the city’s founding is unclear and subject to debate, but the prevailing theory is that the drow House Vashra were the first to plant their roots there, using the location’s proximity to the surface to collect resources and gain wealth with other settlements deeper in the dark. With the passing centuries, their enterprise grew from a glorified trade post into a city of commerce that commanded the wealth and resources for miles and miles, both above and below. Sensing the opportunity, more houses staked claims in the area, the most prominent of which was House Yzrel’eil. This house rivaled the size of House Vashra, but dwarfed them in ambition, and it was not long before quarrels over trade and territory became conflict, and war. House Yzrel’eil won this war, cutting House Vashra in half and sending it to the bottom of the nascent city’s hierarchy of nobility. But House Vashra crawled their way back to power, absorbing the membership of two other lesser houses and vying for dominance yet again. Fact and history during this point is unclear, as the espionage and infighting led a great deal of records to be destroyed, and those that survive are colored by bias and propaganda, oftentimes conflicting with other accounts of events.

Understanding their rivalry may destroy the city and leave everyone with nothing, House Vashra and House Yzrel'eil signed a treaty of sorts, coming together in alliance under the threat of mutually assured destruction. With this agreement between the two houses, the city came to its name, and a measure of peace was struck within its borders.

This lasted for a number of centuries, until House Vashra grew to the height of its wealth and strength, and declared itself the ruling family. Years passed as it used its strength to acquire even greater strength, by siphoning it from the lesser houses by way of taxation and annexation of the other houses markets and territories. On the 20th Year of the Saltborn, House Yzrel'eil banded together with some of the city's other houses, and overwhelmed House Vashra in sheer strength and number, correcting the mistake of their past and slaughtering all who carried the name Vashra.

In the present day, House Yzrel’eil has taken the title of their former rival, and adopted many of the very habits they rallied the other houses against. The current Matriarch, Calixto Yzrel'eil, has named herself Queen of the city-state, though the other houses that make up the city council have yet to formally recognize her as such. The current expectation is that they will soon be forced to.

## Economy

The city of Yzrel-Vashremi is supplied by a variety of different trades. Magic sustains much of the city's internal functions, as the magically gifted bloodline of House Vashra set the groundwork for its infrastructure and upkeep, and the magical prowess of the city's drow mages may be its chief export, most often selling their talents and secrets to neighboring Duergar strongholds and passing Svirfneblin caravans. War is an industry the drow thrive in, especially with the assistance and insights of its human population, many of which come from a background of war and having been exiled for it. This area of trade can be seen supplying goblins with greater weaponry than they can make themselves, though it's most often used by the city itself on expeditions of conquest, or by defending its territories. Surface resources are its most unique feature, as simple things such as grain and wood and medicinal herbs are exceedingly difficult to come by in the underdark, and make a fair amount of the city's fortune. Precious gems and rare metals are sometimes discovered in the city's infrequent mining operations, but unfortunately, those resources are rare and barren, and it is not quite so fortune in its location to be able to make a steady profit from those ventures. Slavery is more easily pursued as a result of the city's proximity to the surface, but even then, their surface region is such a remote location, slaves are difficult to find and catch, so most of the slaves in the city were born in captivity.

## Geography

The city itself is located some 10 miles under the surface, though the tunnels and cave systems used to reach the surface are a three-day journey away. On the surface, it is mostly surrounded by densely wooded forest and miles of swamplands. Underground, the city is situated on a plateau of sorts - a raised platform in the center of a vast and open underground cavern, on the edge of a cliff that drops a quarter mile into deeper darkness. The cavern lets out into a multitude of different tunnel systems, many of which stop with a dead end, while others branch like fractals designed to misdirect any travelers who explore them. As such, those who travel far enough away from the city find the way back harder and harder to remember with the twists and turns and climbs and drops associated with the journey. Trade doesn't reach far, and neither does knowledge of the city's existence.

## Demographics

Drow hold a wide majority in the city's population statistics, making up around 48% of the citizenry. Humans are the second most common race at 22% - though the word “citizen” does not apply to all of them, as most of these humans are kept as slaves by the other races. Duergar hold the next highest number, at 20%, while goblins make 6% (nearly all of whom are slaves), and other assorted races fill out the remaining 4%.