City of Lights

The City of Lights, more recently coined "Molassia" by some of the adventurers who visited it, is an abandoned drow city located on the continent. It seems likely it was abandoned during the Cataclysm. The main entrance is perhaps a half hour's journey northeast of the original site of New Gork. It was used as an evacuation site during the Great Storm of 2324, at the end of season 3.

## Geography and Architecture

The City of Lights can be accessed from many caverns and tunnels connecting it to the surface, the average of which is 100 feet below ground. The caverns range from 40 to 70 feet tall and 300 to 1000 feet long. The architecture is a mix of pre-Cataclysm style and natural cave features, with streets chiseled into the stone floor, buildings extending into cavern walls, and public spaces around underwater pools. The buildings are made of chiseled stone bricks, and have glass windows and rooftop terraces.

When it was discovered, the ground of the City of Lights was blanketed in three feet of poisonous spores, and was unsafe for most lifeforms. However, during the evacuation to the city in 2324, bridges were built between the buildings, allowing for safe shelter on the rooftops, and in the ensuing years, a number of caverns were cleared of spores.

## Engineering and Important Discoveries

The original residents of the City of Lights were adept engineers. Bioluminescent fungi in lampposts gives the area pockets of dim light, and each cavern has a cistern for collecting water that drips along the sides and ceiling.

### Constructs

The City of Lights houses numerous mostly-dormant constructs, which operate like eusocial constructs. They can communicate with each other in close range, and at longer range using relays in the caverns. In 2324, during season 3, Danara Willanora, the Head of the New Gork Forge, recovered one of these constructs and used it to create a similar fleet of helper constructs for New Gork.

### Slimes

In early 2372, during season 5, a group of explorers and adventurers discovered what appeared to be an abandoned research facility in the basement of one of the buildings in a relatively unexplored cavern. It appeared to be a moderately recent addition, at least within the last several centuries, as opposed to the city's pre-Cataclysm construction, though it was long since abandoned as well. Based on the remains of an old journal, it was surmised to have been built by a group hoping to harness the continent's magic to enhance potions. Unfortunately for the explorers, some form of sentient slime had all but taken over the area, its powers enhanced by the spoiled remains of the potions.

When the initial party returned with tales of this encounter, a young researcher who went alternately by the names of Kai and Kaya took interest in these adaptive slimes and began their own experiments on what remained, eventually developing the first metallic slimes. These initial forays inadvertently took on a little too much life of their own, but the research showed promise.

#### "Kor," the Caffeinated Slime

The slime encountered by the initial explorers. Kor was found to be in possession of an enchanted kettle which continuously renewed its caffeination, and was surmised to have absorbed a number of spoiled potions as well which enhanced its size, speed, and strength. It was grayish brown in color, and though it showed remarkable camouflaging abilities, was constantly surrounded by a strong, bitter scent. In addition to the acidic properties common to slimes, Kor was poisonous and caused those who came in close contact to become hyperaware of their surroundings and unable to sleep.

#### "Shimmer," the Mirrored Slime

One of Kai's experiments with quicksilver. Shimmer had a silver, mirror-like surface and exhibited high surface tension at room temperature. It was poisonous, with close contact resulting in a laundry list of symptoms (see below), and showed a strong reaction to temperature changes, with higher temperatures resulting in loss of cohesion and increased speed and vice versa. At extremely high temperatures, it released poisonous fumes as well. Shimmer also exhibited a natural repulsion of arcane interaction, reflecting spells and the like. It was less acidic than other slimes.

Symptoms of Shimmer's poison included itching, redness of skin, chest pain, difficulty breathing, flaking or shedding of skin, light sensitivity, memory impairment, insomnia, loss of muscle coordination, loss of strength, cognitive impairment, loss of hair, delirium, and hallucinations.

#### "Lola," the Liquid Steel Slime

One of Kai's experiments with mixed metals. Lola had a metallic surface and was more acidic than its counterpart, Shimmer. Lola exhibited an exceedingly strange response to physical interaction, acting as a liquid when relaxed but gaining cohesion under duress.

#### "Poseidon," the Arcane Slime

The lab was designed such that two rooms were situated below the others, with one of these sealed with a thick iron door. Kai opened this door while exploring the area, saw a "sea of slime" beyond it, and promptly shut it again. Unfortunately, whatever arcane protections had been on the door were broken, and Poseidon soon emerged. Before it could cause too much damage, Kai hired a group of adventurers to take it out.

Poseidon was surmised to have absorbed the remains of the other slimes, as it exhibited some similar abilities, though in reduced capacity. The most notable of Poseidon's abilities were to emit powerfully poisonous gases which could sap the energy of those who breathed them, and to send out darts of energy. Although the latter was ultimately of minor arcane power, the fact a slime could command any sort of magic was all but unheard of previously.