Zhanduril

Little known among the surface dwellers of the Crystal Dimension, the subterranean city of Zhanduril is a major force in Crystal's Underground. Though it has a low population for a Drow city, Zhanduril is the true political center of the Dark Elven race. Perhaps due to that low population and the fact that Zhandurans all live in one large cavern, it is even more seething with tension and intrigue than the average Drow city. A hive of unbridled decadence, vicious cruelty, naked ambition, paranoia and literal backstabbing, Zhanduril is the sparkling crown jewel of Dark Elven civilization.

It was the first of what would in later years come to be known as the Seven Cities of the Drow, and its epithet is the City of Shadow.

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Land

Zhanduril proper occupies a large, roughly egg-shaped cavern located in the upper reaches of the Underground, approximately one week's march from the Toroian woods on the surface. The cavern is slightly shy of eight miles across at its widest point, and its ceiling is well over a thousand feet high. Zhanduril's territory stretches for several hundred miles in each direction, into the region known as the Mantle, and ends at the River Tethryn far to the south.

Unlike the Dwarves of the Underground Kingdom, the Drow have drastically altered their environment, sculpting the stone through magic into breathtaking works of art, a shadowy reflection of surface Elven architecture. Zhanduran architecture is a harmonious, darkly beautiful blend of form and function, and only one stone in the entire city has been left in its natural state: an enormous pillar known as Narbondel, which serves as the city's timekeeping device.

The city is divided into several distinct districts, sharply divided along class lines. The heart of power and influence lies on the large plateau in the southwestern corner, known as the Qu'ellarzorl, and is somewhat separated from the rest of the city by a forest of giant mushrooms. The Qu'ellarzorl is home to Zhanduril's most powerful noble families, who occupy sprawling, heavily fortified compounds with spectacular mansions and hundreds of slaves. Houses Everhate and de'Camyras, ranked one and two respectively, make their home there as did the ill-fated House Aleanrahel.

Linoinmyr lies north of the Qu'ellarzorl, along the cavern's western wall, and is where most of the older noble houses reside. At the edge of the mushroom forest at the foot of Qu'ellarzorl lies the trendy Narbondellyn district, home of the Narbondel pillar as well as various upscale boutiques and festhalls. Its proximity to the Qu'ellarzorl makes it an ideal home for the ambitious, nouveau-riche noble houses (though "nouveau-riche" is a very relative term when dealing with such a long-lived race).

In the center of Zhanduril lies Narbondel, an enormous, natural rock pillar that stretches from the cavern's floor all the way up to the ceiling. At the beginning of each day, the Archmage of Zhanduril casts a powerful fire spell into its base that is timed to the movement of the sun aboveground. To the infravision-enhanced eyes of the Dark Elves, a spiral pattern slowly works its way up the pillar until the entire thing glows bright red, allowing them to keep time. At approximately midnight, the spell expires and the pillar fades, a period known rather poetically as "The Black Death of Narbondel".

On the other side of Narbondel is the Bazaar, an ongoing trade fair, as well as Raethlaine, home to wealthy commoners and non-drow. East of Raethlaine lies Luen'myr ("Eastmyr", which Zhanduran nobles derisively refer to as "mere east"), a working class neighborhood of commoners, less-established merchants, etc. On the far eastern end of the cavern are the slums of Zhanduril, the impoverished, crime-ridden area known as the Braeryn. This rough district is home to the few free humanoids in the city (ogres, goblins and the like), destitute drow commoners, etc. A popular activity for young noble drow, particularly if they've had too much to drink, is going on "hunts" in the Braeryn--though inebriated ones tend not to make it out alive. Adjacent to the Braeryn is Zhanduril's "breadbasket" of a sort, the Donigarten district. Dozens of species of edible mushrooms are cultivated in sprawling fungi farms. A naturally occurring lake, also called Donigarten, rests in a sunken basin in the easternmost-point of the cavern. Its cool waters cultivate moss beds, irrigate fungi dungfields, hold several varieties of fish and eels, and serves as the city's reservoir. An island in the center of the lake is home to ranches where rothe (large, subterranean cattle-esque creatures) are raised for meat and leather.

The other large plateau in Zhanduril, Tier Breche lies in a large cul-de-sac in the north-central wall of the cavern and is home to the Academy (the terms are used somewhat interchangeably). The Academy is a complex made up of three schools: the pyramid-shaped Melee-Magthere, the school of fighters; the spiraling tower Sorcere, the school of wizards; and Arach-Tinilith, the spider-shaped temple where the priestesses of Sindrai'el are trained, which is the most politically powerful of the three (the Headmistress of Arach-Tinilith is always the Matron Mistress of the Academy itself).

Population

Zhanduril's populace is a hodgepodge of Dark Elves and the various races they've enslaved: sylphs, a smattering of humans and dwarves, creatures from the Land of Monsters, and miscellaneous humanoids (goblins, ogres, etc.). Dark Elves are actually outnumbered by the so-called "lesser" races, but rebellions don't seem to be a problem; several have been attempted in the past, only to be crushed swiftly and harshly by the martial and magical prowess of the Dark Elven elite, and these slaughters stand as well-heeded object lessons. Like all Sindralese Dark Elven cities, Zhanduril is deeply xenophobic and treats outsiders with suspicion and contempt.

Religion and Government

The two are discussed together, because as in all Dark Elven cities, the two are tightly intertwined. Zhanduril is a fascist matriarchal theocracy, and is utterly dominated by the Ara'yathrin, the sinister, power-hungry priestesses of the evil Goddess Sindrai'el.

Sindrai'el is the de facto deity of Zhanduril, and her worship dominates almost every aspect of life in the city. Even the mention of other Gods is strictly proscribed. Worship of other Gods (even Selvetarm) is punishable by death, but covert sects are known to exist. There is a little-known, ancient shrine to Kiaransalee hidden in the depths of Donigarten, and covert groups of Vhaeraunites are a constant thorn in the side of the Ara'yathrin. The vast majority of Eilistraeen Zhandurans end up fleeing to the surface, but it is whispered very quietly that there is a secret portal somewhere in the city that leads to an Eilistraeen temple on Crystal's surface. Investigations always turn up empty-handed, however.

Zhanduril's noble houses are ruled by the Ara'yathrin, and form the nucleus of Zhanduril's power structure. The head of the household is always the most powerful high priestess in the family, who is known as the Matron Mother, and rules her house with an iron fist. Next in line are her daughters, known as Princesses, and are ranked according to age. They are followed by the male officers of the house: the Patron (Matron Mother's lover), Weapon Master (pre-eminent warrior of the house, and chief military strategist), and House Wizard (leading wizard of the house, who trains the mages). They are at last followed by the noble sons, also ranked according to age: Elderboy, Secondboy, etc. Noble sons generally also serve as the male officers of a house, with the obvious exception of house Patron. They are appointed at will by the Matron Mother. The rest of the house consists of commoners: soldiers, wizards, servants and the like. Only nobles are permitted to carry the name of their house, though particularly talented commoners have been known to be "adopted" by Matron Mothers (or taken as Patrons) and take the name of the house.

Zhanduril has scores of noble houses, and all are strictly ranked in order of relative power. The Matron Mothers of the top ten houses serve on the Ruling Council, which runs the city on paper. In truth, it is Lady Ambika Everhate, Matron Mother of Zhanduril's First House, who is the ruler of Zhanduril, and the Ruling Council defers to her on almost every issue.

The current Ruling Council (in order of House Rank):

1. Matron Ambika Everhate of House Everhate

2. Matron Ilivarra de'Camyras of House de'Camyras

3. Matron Larynda Melarn of House Melarn

4. Matron Sinafae al'Drakchyrre of House al'Drakchyrre

5. Matron Jhanniss Helviiryn of House Helviiryn

6. Matron Alysse Fey-Branche of House Fey-Branche

7. Matron Zilvra Arabani of House Arabani

8. Matron Malice Despana of House Despana

9. Matron Haelra Tanyr of House Tanyr-Thal

10. Matron Akordia Lysaen of House Lysaen

Economy

Zhanduril's economy is, all things considered, surprisingly stable and booming. Merchants from across the Underground do business in its Bazaar, and there are even humans who show up from time to time, mostly from Aryth. Zhanduril's currency is known as the or'a (plural: or'an), coins of hard crystal etched with spiders that are considered the trade standard in the Upper Underground.

The city's major exports are shadow ink (mixed from the scales of deep dragons, and highly prized for its magical properties), rothe products (meat, milk and leather), gourmet mushrooms, pyrimo (a type of fish found only in Donigarten), fine weapons and armor, musical instruments, herbal medicines, sculpture and other objects d'art, jewelry, textiles (spidersilk garments are always in high demand), scented oils (perfumes and aphrodisiacs), poisons, riding lizards (bred and trained), and Alyrluath (an exquisite wine highly prized on the surface). Foods from the surface, particularly fruits and grains, are the major imports, as are luxury items such as perfumes (especially ones distilled from surface flowers). Zhanduril's major trading partners are Lith My'athar, Karsoulithyl, Chaulssin, the duergar city of Dagra, and the neutral Underground trade enclave known as Undermarket. Most of Zhanduril's surface goods are imported from Baron, though strangely this does not include items associated with modern living. It is thought that faerzress, the peculiar radiation found in pockets throughout the Underground that gives Drow equipment quasi-magical properties, interferes greatly with the operation of most modern gadgets, including weaponry.

Merchant guilds enjoy a certain amount of power in the city, and are one of the few avenues of advancement for Drow commoners who don't serve a particular noble house. House Everhate, always on the lookout for seditious Zhandurans, quietly purchased a controlling interest in the Black Moss Company, the largest of the merchant guilds. In response to this, several of House Everhate's rivals (led by House de'Camyras) have formed their own consortium, the Crystal Spider. Stirring the pot, agents of House de'Camyras recently discovered an untapped vein of adamantium deep in Sylphan territory, and there have been quite a few skirmishes in those tunnels.

Law

Zhanduril is ruled by the Way of Sindrai'el, a collection of often conflicting regulations and taboos. It is too long to mention in full here, but some general tenets are included. Sindrai'el is the One True Deity. Blasphemy against her, and speaking the name of false Gods as well as worshipping them are punishable by death. Questioning the word of an Ara'yathri is a heinous offense, and the offended priestess may punish the transgressor however she sees fit, unless the commoner is the servant of a noble house (in which case the priestess and the Matron Mother must agree to a punishment). Certain hairstyles are proscribed from certain social classes; only nobles are permitted to wear their hair long, and slaves are always shaved bald. Any Drow who wears the insignia of a house not their own without permission of the Matron Mother of that house, or who tries to pass as a different rank by wearing a proscribed hairstyle or altering their attire are to be put to death. Non-Drow who attempt to pass themselves off as a particular Drow, a Drow of noble rank, or of a house other than their own are also put to death. Males are to behave submissively and must not speak while in the presence of females unless commanded to do so by one. Mistreatment of spiders and creatures belonging to a particular house is punishable by fines and flogging. Those who kill spiders are put to death.

Ara'yathrin serve as judge, jury, and executioner, and are free to exercise their power with impunity (read: at their whims). The Ruling Council is the ultimate arbiter of Zhanduran justice, but in reality, "Zhanduran justice" is a joke. The only real law is to not get caught--and those stupid enough to get caught deserve whatever's coming to them. Social Darwinism lies at the core of Zhanduran society. The Way of Sindrai'el teaches that the most important thing in a Drow's life is station, and it is to be gained and retained by any means necessary. Drow are taught this from birth, and clamor for greater power their entire lives. A Zhanduran's first loyalty is to the Spider Queen, and only other loyalty is to herself. Sindrai'el delights in setting Drow against Drow for her own amusement, and feels that it culls the weak from the herd, leaving only the strongest and most cunning to do her bidding. However, doing these things openly is strictly prohibited--open fighting in the streets is unseemly and barbaric. Subtlety and subterfuge are more civilized. For this reason, assassinations are a routine affair, as are spying and sabotage. Alliances are formed for as long as it benefits both parties, and most often end with a poisoned dagger in the ribs. So long as the guilty party is not caught, they remain within the law. Zhanduril's noble houses are constantly scheming against each other, and full blown anarchy would be the rule of the day (as it was in the city's infancy) were it not for the strict regulations on intrahouse warfare devised by the Ruling Council millennia ago. A house which attacks another must utterly crush that house, leaving absolutely no trace of their involvement, or survivors that can bear witness against the attackers. A survivor is defined as a noble member of the target house. Should a noble survive and bear witness to the Ruling Council of the attackers' involvement, the full weight of Zhanduran justice will fall on the perpetrating house. The combined might of Zhanduril (including the Academy) will utterly destroy the perpetrators, down to the last child, and their names will be forgotten. If two or more houses conspire to attack another house, all guilty parties will be destroyed. House Everhate holds itself above this last rule, apparently with the approval of Sindrai'el.

Slavery is also legal, and is in fact the backbone of Zhanduran society. No Zhanduran Drow can legally be enslaved by another, though most commoners are slaves in everything but name. Battle captives from other Drow cities may be held openly as slaves. In theory, races that are capable of magic use are not to be enslaved (they are considered civilized as opposed to mindless savages), but in practice any non-Drow who proves themselves useful is held as a slave. The treatment of slaves is completely up to the owner, and there are no prohibitions on punishment or duties that may be set for them. Slaves who refuse orders are put to death.

Internal Politics

A couple of interhouse wars aside, the rank of the noble houses has been stable for years now. House Everhate's grip on Zhanduril is as tight as ever, but a recent embarrassing setback has tarnished the house's luster. Lady Ambika's youngest son, the rebellious Solaufein, had a secret affair with Kariza de'Camyras, who was the youngest daughter of her hated rival Matron Ilivarra. The two young drow rejected Sindrai'el, became worshippers of Eilistraee, and defected from Zhanduril to the surface. Solaufein was killed shortly thereafter, but Lady Ambika's inability to control her own son made her lose quite a bit of respect. On the other hand, House de'Camyras, the city's powerful Second House, was left in turmoil due to Kariza's apostasy and eventual defection, which cost them Sindrai'el's favor. Matron Ilivarra, who is lenient toward her house males, immediately directed her wrath at her Patron and Weapon Master, Zaknafein, who is Kariza's father. He and his not-so-secret lover Shalnazar, the House Wizard, extensively trained Kariza during her formative years and both men are known to be less than enthusiastic worshippers of Sindrai'el. They denied involvement, and Ilivarra could not afford to sacrifice them--not with the houses below them breathing down her neck. For the first time in centuries, the top two houses are vulnerable, and there could be a violent shakeup ahead.

Foreign Politics

For the most part, Zhanduril is far too concerned with its own internal squabbles to pay much attention to its neighbors in the Underground. Its foreign policy has been staunchly isolationist, with few exceptions. Officially, Zhanduril is allied only with Lith My'athar, which was founded some millennia ago by the Zhanduran House My'athar (with Lady Ambika's blessing) after a disastrous citywide war. Unofficially, House Everhate has been known to meddle in the affairs of the top houses in other Drow cities, in order to keep them off balance. Lady Ambika also keeps an eye on especially powerful Ara'yathrin.

Relations with the surface world are chilly. In antiquity, Zhanduril was allied with Scande. It also enjoyed a cozy relationship with the Ticonderan Empire under the reign of Empress Salynae XXIII, who was a worshipper of the Spider Queen and unbeknownst to most, had Drow blood (her mother was half-Drow, a daughter of House Arabani). When Salynae was overthrown by the TFF, the relationship cooled, and ceased entirely during the Great War when Zhanduril elected to officially stay out of it. However, Zhanduran mercenaries and assassins will hire themselves out to the highest bidder, and are believed to have involved themselves in nearly every major conflict of the last two thousand years. Lady Ambika feigns ignorance, of course, and eagerly collects the information culled by these agents in their travels. In recent years, they've played a more and more muted role as the surface world leaps past them in technology, but it's safe to say that wherever there is intrigue, there will always be a Drow from Zhanduril.

Regular raids of Elven territories are conducted, and are always surgical strikes meant to strike the most fear into Elven hearts and do the most damage to their villages. These attacks are brutal, filled with atrocities, and always take place at night, due to the Drow sensitivity to light. They are seen as a rite of passage for Zhanduran youth.

Military

Zhanduril does not have a standing army, but more than half the Drow in the city are soldiers of a noble house. Most houses augment their Drow soldiers with large numbers of slave troops, who are considered expendable. Houses are required to contribute soldiers to the defense of the city, as well as regular patrols. Melee-Magthere trains the city's warriors, not only in the arts of combat but also in tactics and strategy. Patrols of senior Academy students are led by priestesses in the environs in the immediate area of the city, known as the Mantle, and keep the dangerous monsters of the Underground out of the city. In all military actions, spellcasters are integral to success, and units are always led by Ara'yathrin, with wizards providing crucial firepower.

Technologically speaking, Zhanduril is rather backward, especially when compared to modern superpowers such as Tasnica. However, Zhanduran Drow are some of the fiercest soldiers in the Web, made of tougher stuff than most. The brutality of day-to-day life in Zhanduril ensures that only the strongest, most cunning and resourceful Drow survive to fight another day, and that is precisely as Sindrai'el likes it. Other nations of the Web would do well not to underestimate the denizens of this twisted city--and pray they keep their sinister eyes firmly on the Underground.

People

• Lady Ambika Everhate, First Matron of Zhanduril, established the city in the far mists of antiquity. She is the eldest and most favored of Sindrai'el's three disciples, and her enormous power has allowed her to rule Zhanduril--and the Drow race--with an iron fist for thousands of years. Her unusual, copper-colored hair and amber eyes lend her a sense of exotic beauty, but she is utterly cold and calculating, even for a Matron Mother. One should be very, very afraid if Ambika cracks a smile. Her usual calm and unflappable demeanor has been challenged of late by the humiliation she suffered at the hands of her youngest son, and she has largely taken it out on Elderboy Nalfein.

• Lord Nalfein Everhate, Archmage of Zhanduril, is the Elderboy of House Everhate, Headmaster of Sorcere, and the most powerful wizard in the city. Though he has held his position for hundreds of years, he has always been extremely bitter toward the matriarchy. Nalfein knows that he could be a king anywhere else, and yet an accident of birth has left him forced to kowtow to even the lowliest priestesses of his house. Nalfein despises his mother, but is too afraid to challenge her directly, and instead likes to lash out against her in passive-aggressive fashion. Solaufein's death has affected him much more than he cares to admit.

• Matron Ilivarra de'Camyras, Second Matron, is Lady Ambika's hated rival, and the only Ara'yathri to approach her in power. She has led House de'Camyras from obscurity to nearly the pinnacle of power in a record 200 years, despite the distinct lack of priestesses in the family. Her reputation for being lenient toward males allowed her to develop a force of fighters and mages second to none. Ilivarra is also a vicious warrior, and is the only Matron Mother known to actually engage enemy drow in melee combat. Statuesque, voluptuous, and stunning, Ilivarra is rather notorious for having a voracious sexual appetite. She counts the mercenary leader Phaelarn and Nalfein Everhate among her many, many lovers.

• Kariza de'Camyras, Sixth Princess of House de'Camyras, is the city's most famous exile. She was born to Matron Ilivarra the night the de'Camyrans destroyed a rival house. Kariza was the result of the deadly and dangerous Ilhar Velve ritual, the pinnacle of priestly Drow magic, and was gifted with tremendous spiritual power. In an unheard of move, after Kariza received her acolyte's robes, she was placed under the care of her father Zaknafein, and his lover Shalnazar to learn the intricacies of melee combat and magic. Kariza excelled very strongly at both arts. However, she shared her father and Shalnazar's disdain of the evils of their society. In a very real sense, she was their child, and they gave her the kind of love Drow never know from their parents. After Kariza's defection, she became a ranger and Sword Dancer priestess of Eilistraee, and currently serves as High Priestess of the Temple of the Silver Crescent. Known to her colleagues as the Dark Huntress, she is beautiful and melancholy, much like her Goddess, and mourns Solaufein's loss on a daily basis. She has dedicated her life to helping likeminded Drow escape the evils of Zhanduril and start new lives on the surface. Kariza has an obscenely high price on her head, although she is largely presumed dead by most in the city.

• Phaelarn Vrinn, leader of the Veld'Z'ress mercenary band, is in many ways a maverick when it comes to Zhanduran males. He enjoys power on an unprecedented scale, and has Matron Mothers, even Lady Ambika herself, clamoring for his attention. His band is made up largely of houseless males who were displaced during various interhouse wars, but also has a sizable number of commoners. He is a cosmopolitan, gorgeous male, charming and amiable, and has a wealth of contacts all over the Web. Phaelarn has been around, in every sense of the phrase, and more than anything is a true survivor. He has thrived for centuries by making himself and his men indispensable to important people, and is largely outside the established power structure of Zhanduril.