Deep Territory

At the conclusion of the Second Chaos Incursion, a well-armed city state had managed to claim one of the Imperial Provinces through guile, skill, and bloody-mindedness. Seeing as there were multiple other countries between the city state and this land, they opted instead to sell it to one of their trading partners: the Queendoms of the Deep, far below the earth. Finding it to suit their needs, the shadow-fuelled elven rulers of the Depths claimed the region (and much of the surrounding Provinces) for their own, working great and powerful magics to blanket the land in eternal twilight, such that the curse of the sun could not harm their delicate works.

They operate on a pseudo-feudal matriarchal system, with the Territory further subdivided between various Great Houses, with multiple classes of citizenry (both freemen and those that sold themselves into serfdom for safety and security), cottagers that dwell on the outskirts and are given tacit acceptance by the Lady, and those members of the Priesthood of the Depths, who are expected to be both a byline between the citizens and Ladies while also being considered superior to the aristocracy as an organisation. The Deep Territories greatly prize magic, counting it second only to the guile, pragmatism, and constant infighting that they view as a way to strengthen themselves and ensure they never truly fall, despite it all. It is commonly accepted for the nobility to make games with each others’ lives, sending assassins and fighting duels should they sense weakness, just as it is common for upward mobility to involve the murder of your one-time superior – it is a land of might makes right, still stuck in the desperate mentality fostered between the rise of Jisanland against the Ezzerric Tribes in antiquity, and whatever horrors they have endured as a society ever since.

Geography

The geography and expansionism of the Deep Territory cannot be understood without mention of its colonizing nation, the Queendoms of the Deep.

Much of the Queendoms are within the Depths, a vast network of cave systems, caverns, and tunnels deep beneath the earth, where the veil between the Mundane and the Adjacent is thin. Due to this thin veil, among other reasons, much of the region is naturally extremely magically potent: the stone, minerals, and even the air itself carries potent magical radiation that the Deep Elves adapted to rely on millennia ago. Due to this reliance, there are few surface holdings of the Queendoms, as they cannot exist long-term in areas that are not thick with similar magics. The Deep Territory is the largest known holding of this type, and the only one considered a country in its own right.

There are few major cities of one thousand or more, with the capital city having near five thousand inhabitants, but these are greater supported by the more haphazard satellite towns that spring up for any reason under the sun (from the original workers surrounding a wizard’s tower to the simple trading towns that support the surrounding farm communities), which are typically one to three hundred in population. These towns are supported by the surrounding farmsteads for mile on end, and are most often populated by serfs under the management of the local noble House. Each major town will be within a certain distance of at least a small shrine to Shearra, the Spider-Goddess, staffed by a single priestess (often with one or more apprentices). This shrine is expected to be the first point of call for the problems of the citizenry. In this way, they act as liasons between the citizens and the nobles, while having on paper higher authority due to their ability to call on the forces of the Church, which forms the official government and maintains its power through forging plots and infighting between the noble houses. In practice, the noble houses hold power in the outer regions, due to their greater numbers of powerful combat-trained individuals, for all Deep Elves – no matter their distance from the Core – have passed through the three branches of the Academy, through travel to a larger city or through private tutoring.

The predominant terrain of the Deep Territories are hills, mountains, and forestland, making their major food sources come from ranching with the exception of the south-eastern farming communities, while their greatest resource productions come in the form of spidersilk farming, forestry and charcoal burning, and mining.

Key Features

Autumn Basin

The Autumn basin is a large impact crater with a boreal forest microbiome contained within, where all liquids that touch the ground are converted to the appearence of blood. Much of the region's plantlife and animals have a similar blood-coloured theme. This is more heavily detailed in the Provinces section.

The Cage

The Cage is a small mountain range in the north-east, bordering the Borderlands and a currently unnamed Imperial Province. The name in Ester predates the surrounding nations, and is believed to be a translation from the Jissanic name of the mountains, whose origins have been lost to time.

Clawmark Mountains

The Clawmarks are a moderately sized mountain range located almost entirely with Deep borders. It features in several folk tales of the region, often granting its name and creation myth as being the dent pressed into the sky when an immense monster tried to break free from the earth it was entombed within. This belief is often followed with the reminder of its curious feature, bearing a single unbroken ridge line and no true peak.

Crowcall Forest

The Crowcall is a moderately sized dense forest that dominates the south-western Deep Territories. Being heavily saturated in magic, it has always been the site of strange happenings, a breeding ground for monsters, and home to migratory Brayherds that travelled to and from the more northern forests for winter, often heralding a wave of raiding and destruction against settled nations. The Deep Territories are currently in a tense peace with them, neither side yet willing to suffer the harm that would come from attacking the other.

Darkcall Marshes

The Darkcall Marshes are a recent phenomenon, one of the major sites of bloodshed during the Hundred Years' War. Saturated with necromancy and divine energy, soaked to the bedrock in death and blood, the land took a form of its own, becoming hostile to all life that enters it. It is a land of deep red pools and ambulatory masses that crawl from within, spelling death and destruction to all nearby - though fortunately, these "blood jellies" do not roam far from the damp soil that gave them birth. Despite the danger, this is an uncommon site for adventurers, as the plantlife and crimson fluids are valued greatly by magi and alchemists.

Most every region has a different name for the place - the Blood Marshes are another common name in Ester, and the official (but rarely used) name in High Ezerric is Aphyon wun Dro, or "Death in Life".

Holdscar Mountains

The Holdscare mountain range is located in what was once Chuder territory, now a no-man's-land between the Deep Territories, the Borderlands, and a currently unnamed Imperial Province. Where it was once an important mining region, it formed a significant obstacle to Chuder manoeuvring, contributing to the attrition battles that formed the Darkcall Marshes at its feet as thousands of conscripts at a time were sent to relieve and retake the border forts located there. Now, it is believed to be home to migratory Brayherd following the loss of land they were once able to utilise in what is now the Borderlands - supposedly, they inhabit the abandoned mines, giving them miles of dense cave networks to call home.

Lastcall Woods

The Lastcall Woods have had numerous reasons behind their naming over the centuries, but most recently it has been due to being the "last call" for natural resources, hunting, and foraging before entering the Borderlands. Wrapping around the southern end of the Cage, this small area of forestland is carefully maintained through copsing on its outskirts, the long-lived elves being no stranger to long-term planning and resource conservation in the case it may be useful later on. Naturally, that is not to say that the deeper woods are not treacherous - far from it. This is still within the Deep Territories, after all.

Redfall Woods

The Redfall is a small area of forested hills in the middle of the south-eastern plains, renowned for the fact is filled to the brim with horrors. There are more legends surrounding the woods than there are of any other feature within the Territories, and foolhardy nobles have been throwing themselves into it with gleeful abandon over the years. Few return, and fewer still whole - and of those who do make it back, it is rare for them to bring tales of more than death. There are whispers of drakes within the trees, great wyrms slumbering beneath the roots, and capricious elves that seem to be almost omnipotent in their domains as they are cruel in their pleasures.

Provinces

The Territory is divided into sixteen regions referred to as principalities, and each are named for the House that controls them. Despite this, some of them are known more by the name of an interesting geogrpahic feature.

House Qaa'ethran (Autumn Basin)

A roughly circular region created during the final years of the Hundred Years War, with the calling of a meteor to strike a pitched battle between many dug-in magi that were holding out. The resulting crater is extremely deep – the exterior of the walls raise a good three hundred odd feet. The interior depth varies, with the deepest being the southern edge at a dozen chains (placing it at near 360 feet below the surrounding hillsides), while the northernmost regions are slanted upwards, with walls a mere 150 feet deep. The region is approximately 50 miles wide, making it approximately the size of Gloucestershire.

The north holds the only natural access point, a narrow chasm carved through the rock by unknown processes shortly after the bowl’s formation. This area is maintained under permanent garrison by the Lords. In the south-east, there is a pully-based elevator system that opens into the domain of Exalted Matriarch Phillash Shan’Larra.

Blood Lake

Initially believed to be runoff from the Darkcall Marshes, a great deal of red-coloured liquid flows through the region, collecting in a pool in the southern end of the basin. Now, it is known that most any fluid generated in the region – whether that be by rainfall, melting ice, or even tapping trees – will appear as red as blood. The red liquid is highly valued for its refinement into various alchemical and spell components, but is extremely hazardous, causing transformation and corruption when absorbed via skin contact.

The lake itself contains a great chasm a short distance from shore, its true depths unknown to this day – certainly beyond the range of most conjurors and their familiars. These depths are routinely used for fishing, and constitute one of the sources of food within the region.

On the south-east shore, there is a small temple dug into the cliff. It was once home to the Order of Blood, before they began terrorist activities in opposition of the practices of the local Paladin Order. On the north-western shore, there is a large and ill-maintained alchemical facility dedicated to the study of herblore. On the northern shore there is a prominent facility for the conversion of lakewater into reagents. This is a costly and time-consuming process, compounded by the danger in handling the fluid.

Silverspire Mountain

The central peak is a vast column of dust and debris, impacted and reinforced by its status as a magical focus – the immense pressure transmuting this into a dense peak of metamorphic rock. The top is perpetually capped in snow and ice, and is orbited by several large shards of free-floating blue crystals through which magic may be greatly amplified, allowing the conjuring of works of magic. These stones are currently used to reinforce the Shadowveil over the region, allowing those who dwell there to more easily retain drowic abilities. These crystals are running out of power, and falling to the earth over time. Presently, they are being reinforced with magical energy drawn from the Blood Lake, though the concerns of necromantic taint have rendered the purification process too slow to halt the decay.

The mountain once contained a great deal of silver, as verified by dwarven prospectors during the initial year of resettlement. While it also once housed a significant amount of mithral, that has been thoroughly mined by this point, and had once been the main draw for the region. Now, the mine mostly reveals copper - in the wake of the continuous hazards of mere existence in the region, it has been largely abandoned.

Inhabitants

The majority of the citizens of the region live in the southern central and south-west regions, generally being split into two divisions – central Floodlanders and western Outlanders.

The floodlands form a major breadbowl of the region. Experiencing frequent flooding, the supposed capital, Mournhold, is a walled city whose buildings are constructed to float on top of flood-water, with an extensive series of tunnels located beneath the earth that were originally intended as defensive points. Now, they form an extensive sewer system. The region surrounding the city consists of great expanses of polders, where water-loving grain is farmed year-round. This city is home to the Scavenger’s Guild, where adventurers may hire non-combat assistants with the understanding that their mortal remains are to be collected by said hirelings. Studded across the region are small towns and villages that form important gathering points and trade centres, funnelling their produce across the region. The region is primarily fed by polders that farm non-magical crops, and unique variants termed Wintergrowth that function best in low temperatures.

The outlands were originally settled by refugees from the collapse of Chuder, and while they have a reputation for being a stubborn, insular bunch, they are fiercely defensive of those that follow these footsteps. The original, and to this day largest, settlement is called Outfeld. It is in the outlands that much primary resource production occurs, with goats farmed for wool and milk, and sections of forest dedicated to copsing and even boat-making. It should be noted that Outfeld has an extremely mixed religion, being a hybridisation of post-Silanism, Estorn Chaos, and Surface Deepism.

The local nobility are based out of their fortress-manor against the southern base of the Silverspire, though they have historically been highly involved in the day-to-day running of the region. This has dropped off significantly as the region fell into ruin. The manor also holds extensive facilities for storing resources – primarily granaries and storehouses for lumber and charcoal.

Located between the Manor and the capital city is the chapter-fortress of the Order of the Depths. While they have a low population, they are extremely active, maintaining only a dozen of reserve fighters at any one time. The support staff remains one of the primary employers of the region, if you extend it to include contracted smiths and other such figures.

Located between the Manor and Outfeld is a fortified abbey dedicated to Shearra. Where it was once a community focal point and defensive fallback position, it fell into disuse over time with the region, and quickly began to drop from the public eye as its stewards lost the numbers to host large numbers of people. This was further compounded by the paranoia of one of the earlier heads of the facility, who believed that the surrounding villagers were under suspicion for membership in the Blood Cult.

The west holds a disused Sorcere, once a great position for the training of mages and seclusion from the surrounding world. Now, it is known primarily for its unopened vaults, whose method of access was lost with the previous custodians during the Moonless Massacre.

In the far north-east, the fortress-city of Cavewatch was founded to be host to adventurers seeking to conquer the Dungeon. Following the general lack of success, much of the city now lies empty.

It must be noted that the Basin is a harsh, and incredibly dangerous, place with a very low population for its size. Much of what was once built lays in ruin, abandoned either by assault, drying up of promised resources, or even simple time. There is little draw to remain in the Basin if you are able to escape it, as vanishingly few of the resources held in the region are truly worth the danger present when they are also apparent in neighbouring, safer areas.

Points of Interest

There is a large complex in the north-east, once designated as an underground shelter carved through magic to safeguard inhabitants during the Hundred Years War. The local Paladin Order was founded to defend against the threats within as a primary target. Following the general lack of success in exploring the region, the upper levels have been converted into a dungeon, typically holding political prisoners or otherwise those who cannot be risked being found.

There is a grove dedicated to Nareth somewhere near the western shore of the lake.

There is blasted remains of a dig site in the west, where Jissanic artefacts had once been found. The only thing to emerge from that pit is death.

Wildlife

The region is home to a wide variety of dangerous creatures, all in differing segments of the basin.

The entire region is home to a number of megafauna, rarely seen or hunted due to the reverence shown by many of the non-elven populace.

The south-east holds aerial predators in the form of Vlos Triel, large and thin creatures with bat-like wings and a round body that trails into a wispy tail. They typically glide at night until they spy a lone target or livestock, before swooping down soundlessly to capture the creature and bite into the back of the neck, severing the spine and allowing them to devour the target with ease. They are a menace to ranchers, but are easily dissuaded with fire and any sign of resistance, being relatively vulnerable to injury due to the thin membrane of their wings.

The south-west is home to Vlos Fuer’Yon, armoured beasts with six legs and a short tail. While they have large snouts, they do not possess eyes, relying solely on hearing to hunt. While very dangerous, their signs are easy to spot, and are frequently dispatched through specialised hunting parties armed with black powder weapons.

The north-east holds blood flies, large winged beasts that feast on magic – and especially magic users. Capable of growing up to eight feet long, these creatures will hunt prey at night, flying with a characteristic droning until they are able to grab the target and attack them with their proboscis – this is invariably fatal due the size of the implement, being relatively similar to a longsword. Should you survive a bite, the wound is almost certainly infected with disease carried by the creature’s prior victims. They lay eggs in still water, with these nymphs feeding on algae and organic matter until they pupate and hatch into true blood flies. Due to the severe threat blood flies pose, the north-east is largely uninhabited.

Near the Dungeon, there are a number of snake species, though most are incapable of harming humans. Instead, they are often preyed upon by Blood Flies.

The north-west holds the most dangerous, and rarest seen – an infestation by beings known as Ph’Zhin Tanth, or Worms That Walk. These are humanoid entities composed of masses of writhing insects that feasted on the remains of powerful spellcasters, now given to a singular mind of their own and the powers the magus had in life. Worse still, while the initial years saw them easily defeated in their madness, those that remain have been shown to be wickedly intelligent – it is rumoured that they even hold the intact souls and minds of those dead wizards, driven to destroy the nation that killed them. These days, the Ph’Zhin Tanth are the primary targets of the local Paladin Order.

Also found in the north-west is a type of large snail, often hunted and scavenged for its succulent meat.

Culture

Deep Elves are a matriarchal, often cut-throat society dominated by the Priests of Shearra. This society is strictly stratified, with Deep Elves forming its upper echelons and a form of nobility – split between the Merchant Clans and Noble Houses. They are all inherently magical, likely due in part to the radiation they have come to depend upon. This radiation is strongest in the core regions, giving those who spend a significant amount of time there a significant boost in power compared to those who dwell in the outer regions. Given that after around a month at lower levels of magical radiation, your “inherent” powers fade, those of the outer regions are considered Lesser Deepkin, those of the Core are considered True Deepkin, and those dwelling outside of the Deep Territories are not considered to be deep elves - they are often given the simple moniker of "dark elves".

This leads to an interesting dynamic between the Merchant and Noble Houses, as the Merchant houses must travel beyond their borders as a matter of course. This is in large part why Merchant houses are considered below Noble houses, with many trying to spend as much time in the Core regions as possible, and often making uses of passages via the Underdark, which is naturally saturated in such magical radiation.

Surface settlements have an unnaturally high amount of mages, particularly wild mages. Due to their emphasis on raiding and adventuring, along with the constant danger of infighting, much of the six-decade training in the Academies teaches such things as stealth and situational awareness, with a particular focus on locating hidden entrances, corridors, and the like, which are a staple of deepkin architecture as well as their common targets.

Holidays

Full Moon: Every full moon is celebrated communally, typically through group rituals, dancing, and the like in the region’s temple of Shearra. The actual practices vary by the whims of the local high priestess, being designed to maximise the useable magic generated by the event. Occurs over midnight 23 and 24 on short months and midnight 24 on long months.

Candlenight: The entire night is expected to be spent awake, being instead spent meditating and either centring yourself or preparing for a difficult task. This frequently involves crafting something, often a form of weapon, poison, or spell among the upper classes. Held on 10/01.

Kidding: Kidding is a celebration of the newborn livestock and other such animals, with a particular focus on goats. Held on 26/02.

Chaos Reigns: A controversial holiday, with some seeing it as the day their people were butchered, and others seeing it as the day they claimed freedom. The Priesthood of Shearra mostly attempts to use it as a celebration of multiculturalism and a coming together of people. Held on 31/03.

Harvest: Held at the conclusion of the spring harvest, this is a day of celebration making use of many of the leafy greens and grains harvested throughout the prior month, often in the form of a noodle soup with a flavourful broth. Held on 39/03.

Glory: Originally celebrating the turning back of the First Chaos Incursion, it has been twisted to instead celebrate the armed forces. Held on 14/04.

Cap Secaz: A minor celebration around the consumption of food – in this case, mushroom products. Held on 31/04.

Baker’s Day: A minor summer festival, Baker’s Day aims to use up all the dessicated and powder-based goods that had been collected for the previous seasons before they would go off, usually in the forms of pancakes, crepes, pies, and other pastries – usually slathered in honey and ground sugar from the vegetables harvested in spring. Held on 10/05.

Matron’s Day: Gifts are to be given to the matriarch of the House. Often, if you are a member of an organisation such as the Priesthood or a knightly order, it would instead go to the head of your order, but those particularly kind-hearted or dutiful will sometimes give offerings to both your ultimate superior (as the “holiday” intends) and your mother. Held on 20/06.

Proving: A grand tournament, where people test themselves against one another on supposedly even ground. While the stakes must be set and agreed to by both participants, it is not uncommon for honour duels to the death on this day, as it is both easier and more satisfying to kill legally in front of a crowd than to utilise assassination. Held on 29/06.

Blooding: The Blooding is a life passage event for those that graduate the Three Pillars (academy of blades, sorcere, and grand temple) in which they are unleashed in a hunt or quest. While these days it is typical to be unleashed to hunt wildlife or undead, it used to be common to hunt villagers of neighbouring kingdoms. Your Blooding is completed when you have taken life, though most make it a sport and celebration to claim as many souls as they can without being injured. For those not participating in the hunt itself, this is a night of raucous dancing and celebration. Held on the night of 10/07.

Bread Day: Held at the conclusion of the autumn harvest, this is a day of celebration making use of the many sweet fruits and their products (such as wine), typically accompanied by fried breads and meats from earlier in the year. Held on 29/07.

Day of the Lady: A holiday in which sacrifices are burned as offerings to Shearra. While this is typically in the form of grains or livestock, it is not uncommon for humanoids to be sacrificed in this way if they are known enemies of the people, such as captured enemy nobility. Held on 10/08.

Masquerade: For the following two days, all identifying features are hidden, while outfits are often tailored to show off skin. The Masquerade is a practice originally followed to protect people from daemons by disguising as them while the walls between worlds are thin, though the drow (amongst others) instead use it to emulate demons, who they respect and find kinship with – though keeping your own identity thoroughly a secret remains key. Typical garbs include good leather boots or sandals, a cloak, a fantastical and often monstrous mask, and low-coverage clothing such as a train and chest wraps or sheer silks from the east. Held on the day of the full moon in Laus, the 8th month.

Harrowing: A ritual through which you open yourself to otherworldly influences, purging yourself of your negative energies and shame gathered through the year. This is usually done by a priest of Lolth conjuring a spirit and using its power to symbolically remove negative influences, which is often a visceral experience to the partaker. Depending on the priest, spirit, and if the partaker chooses to go harder as they feel they must use this to seek penance for some act, this may involve anything up to full-on possession for a period of time, though requesting atonement through this will usually have the partaker being sent on some manner of quest by the entity. Held on 10/09.

Spiderdance: A celebration of the spiders whose silk they harvest, shortly after most every brood has hatched. Held on 11/09.

Blades’ Fall: A holiday during which the participants must fast for the day, in remembrance of the Descent of the Deepkin. Held on 20/10.

Holdnight: A day dedicated to the telling of stories, often drawn from the experiences of a priest or the one who mentored them. That being said, it will always begin with the Descent of the Deepkin, and will usually encourage others to tell a tale surrounding their own cultural roots. Held on 24/10.

Remembrance Day: A day of mourning and reflection, ostensibly over those who perished during the year and particularly in any conflicts. Held on 16/11.

Pyrenight: The coldest night of the year is marked with celebrations involving the burning of copious bonfires, and many exhilarating activities surrounding them local to the region – as an example, in one village it is the done thing to leap over the flames, and in another prospective couples dance in the narrow strip between two fires. Held on 30/11.

Shadow Dance: A masked fertility ritual, in which the night is spent wearing only the mask. During this event, it is typical to hide your own identity in every way and to not be beholden to social ties that bind people, such as marriage or partnership. This being an orgiastic affair, a large number of children in a given year are sired from this, with no truly known bloodline – this ties in heavily with the deepkin philosophies on communal child rearing, as this being something people typically care about was not given any thought until outsiders began to be more involved with the culture. It should be noted that many deepkin believe those born during the weakened veil of Laus are likely to be affected by otherworldly powers and beings, potentially marking them as powerful wielders of magic – while those outside the deepkin often view such births with suspicion, due to the belief that such a thing is at best an affliction, and at worst a changeling or cambion. Held on the night of 10/12.

History

The history of the Deep Territories are long, varied, and often apocryphal, with many quietly doubting that the history espoused by the Priesthood is objective truth rather than mere mythology.

The surface settlement project began in 1074 PS, counting the years following the fall of Jisanland as much of the surface is wont to do. In the official years of the Deep Elf Calendar, it was in the year 7831, though this calendar system is rarely used outside of the clergy. It was initially begun when the leaders of Anar Lagaz sold a section of land to Matriarch Phillash of House Shan'larra, who brokered deals with other Houses and individuals to stabilise the capital city over the course of twenty years.

In the year 1098, they successfully enacted a Realms-spell which blanketed current and future urban centers in perpetual shadow, allowing the deep elf nobility to live openly without fear of the damage caused to their works and abilities by the sunlight. This done, they began their conquest in earnest.

I will spare you the details of every town bent over the barrel, over natural disaster twisted to their own ends, every ancient horror quietly unleashed upon the unsuspecting - even many of the battles and politics that occurred after being caught for the first time.

The first important case of this was the counter-attacks by the Kingdom of Chuder, which would spark into the Hundred Years' War in 1131. The tactics used would grow ever more destructive over time, with deep elf wizardry never something shied away from. By the end of it all, all that remains of the Kingdom of Chuder is what is now known as the Borderlands, a blasted wasteland of nightmares that walk and hidden riches waiting for any foolhardy enough to claim them - at this point, largely left behind by whatever petty warlord tried to set up a micronation in the wastes this week.

By 1250, the realm had taken a form easily recognisable even today.

Economics

Coinage

Drow coinage holds several key denominations. A key fact is that due to the manufacturing process occuring in regions of high magic, this is somewhat baked into the coinage itself - it can be detected via spells that reveal the presence of magic, making it extremely difficult to counterfeit.

Realms are the highest form of coin, rarely seen and used primarily by noble houses and the priesthood itself for major projects. They are formed through a magical process used upon mithril, the details of which are considered a state secret. They appear as a silvery disc, impossibly light, marked simply with an embossed rune on each side - the first letter used to spell the word Realm in High Ezerric. One Realm is roughly equivalent to 36 Gold Pieces.

Spidermarks, often simply called Spiders, are the highest denomination of coin that can be typically expected to be seen. They consist of an inner disc of gold and an outer ring of platinum, pressed to bear the image of a spider, hence their name. One spidermark is roughly equivalent to 7.2 Gold Pieces, or 72 Silver Pieces.

Webmarks, often known as Webs, are a coinage commonly used amongst freedmen and urbanites. They consist of a disc of pure silver, embossed with the image of a web. One webmark is equivalent to 3.6 Silver Pieces, or 36 Copper Pieces.

Favours are black coins formed from a rarely used alloy known as hepatizon, with legends claiming they were originally forged using the melted scraps of craftsmen before being granted to especially "favoured" servants. Whatever the case, these simple coins are the common fare used by even serfs and other landbound figures, being roughly equivalent to 3 Copper Pieces each.

Duties, Taxes, Tithes, and Tolls

Duties are fees paid for the import of goods. Due to the state of the land, this is not required on foodstuffs, but is required on most other trade goods – one tenth of the value of any trade goods, and a further two tenths of the value of any weapons, armour, or magical items. Naturally, this includes “equipped” pieces.

Foreign currencies have an excise of one third of their value when being exchanged, with money-lenders typically pocketing enough difference as profit such that you are granted half the value of your coinage. Fortunately, hack-gild is a recognised currency in many regions, and while it frequently requires exchanging for use in more settled lands, it escapes this excise – typically a fifth of the hack-gild is pocketed by moneylenders as profit.

There is an excise placed on magic users, requiring a dozen spidermarks per year for a badge of office that denotes one as qualified in the use of magic. At early levels this instead covered by the one apprenticed under, who claims them using an apprentice’s seal until such time as they are capable of casting spells of a given power. When such a spell is demonstrated, it forms a masterpiece, and the caster is marked for inspection by a priestess of Shearra. This inspection will test their loyalty to Shearra via either mental inspection or a dangerous test given by the summoned demon of a senior priestess – this test will often focus on the elimination of an enemy of the priesthood, the acquiring of a powerful relic for the priesthood, or require the mage to kill someone close to themselves as a cruel test of loyalty. Frequently, these will be combined. If during the yearly recertification, the presiding priestess decides that the loyalty of a mage is lacking, they may demand this test re-occur. Failing the test will usually result in the transformation into a pseudo-arachnid (if a deep elf), or imprisonment or exile (if non-elven).

There is a different excise placed on priests of other faiths, in the form of a preacher’s licence. This costs one Spidermark per issue, and must be renewed yearly. If this faith comes with magic, then places of worship must pay three Webmarks per month for the stationing of a local handler, potentially more if the handler deems it necessary (and is approved by the local Church) – this is especially true if the place of worship is used by a practice capable of summoning.

The Church claims regular tithes from land-owners, typically equal to one tenth of their income. This is collected over the course of the month, and is not dependant on the land-owner’s religious status.

The Nobility claims tithes from its Citizens (not peasants or serfs) equal to 10% of produce (be that in the form of goods or money), collected over the course of the month. Serfs and Peasants circumvent this by being mandated to work the Manor Fields for two months of the year, all goods produced from this being the noble’s property.

The Crown claims a 10% tithe of income from the nobility, expected to be collected in a lump sum by the end of a given season.

The Deep mandates a 20% tithe from the Crown, to be given in lump sums once per season.

For how this matters to Adventurers:

Tolls are paid and priced at varying levels, and are done so at toll stations at specific points. The most common of these are as follows:

Exterior toll houses: crossing the border from a neighbouring nation brings with it a toll of one Webmark per person or animal. You may petition for free access regardless of citizenship status, which is typically done in the case of refugees and asylum-seekers – the likelihood of success various depending on which noble is petitioned for this.

Toll roads: regular toll stations are placed roughly where major roads cross the borders of different principalities. These interior migration tolls are generally pretty cheap, being three Favours per head or animal.

Toll bridges: most bridges have an associated toll house at one end. These will typically ask for a Favour per head and animal, which ostensibly goes to bridge maintenance. Particularly impressive bridges, such as stone and brickwork, will often be twice that, while those in outer regions and composed of cheap lumber may instead by a single Favour total, often gaining names like Favourhead Bridge.

Wall access: gaining access to a walled town or fort will usually require toll at entrance, and is only possible during daylight hours. This will often be one to three favours per head and animal, plus an extra fee for those that are heavily armed – this can usually be waived by having a promissory note that you are acting on behalf of a known figure. Citizens of the walled area do not need to pay this fee.

Inner Wall Access: many large towns or cities have an inner walled area, within which drow reside. For non-drow to enter, you must pay a fee – usually a single Webmark if the region is in the outer territories, or as many as five Webmarks in an inner territory.

Citizenship

To become a citizen of a region, you must present yourself to the local authority and request citizenship. Acceptance will usually require a certain length of time lived in the local area, and either an amount of money (often half a dozen Webmarks in cheaper regions, or a dozen Spidermarks in the particularly expensive) or services rendered to the local Lady. Citizenry brings with it enhanced protections under law, waives many fees for travel within the region, and allows public advertisement of work and the owning of property in the local area.

Languages

While a small nation, the surface Deep Territories are extremely multicultural, serving as a form of melting pot and a major throughpoint of many trade networks – even including the southern silk road. The languages there reflect both this and their turbulent history of expansionism.

The primary spoken language is Ester, though Deep Tongue is very common among the middle and upper classes. Much of the legal documentation, theological texts, arcane research and the like is written in the preferred tongue of the nobility, High Ezzerric, but much of the documents created prior to the Deep Elf takeover of the nation are written in Dagzi, requiring knowledge of both among the academic community. Finally, most traders and travellers make heavy use of Tradetongue.

Demographics

It should be noted that while the Deep Elf nobility has a relatively high population, they are extremely uncommon outside of specific settlements, where they make up nearly the entire population. This is the case for the capital city, and such places as Deep religious centres and knightly bastions. They also have a high rate of those species often dealt a poor hand by other cultures, owing both to policies aimed at keeping lasting peace and the recent initiative of the Great House designated to represent those loyal to the Territory – headed by a Flakka knight rather than a Deep Elf, as is traditional.

28% Human
18% Goblin
12% Other (Halfling, etc.)
11% Deep Elf
8% Elf
7% Dwarf
6% Orc
3% Akhsharn
3% Kithleen
2% Flakka
2% Tauric

Click here to return to the World Hub, or here to return to the home page.