They Who Gnaw the Earth

In the deepest depths of the Underdark, there is no light. No glowing lichen or explorer's torch rallies against the shadows, for all life knows that this is a realm in which it does not belong. Even the dead dare not languish in these pits. For countless miles, caverns twist through complete darkness in total silence. It is a place entirely unsuited for mortalkind. Regardless, some souls have ventured into the great below. Some label these pathfinders as brave and courageous, but most instead deem them insane. Those who return often bring tales of an unnerving nature.

Entombed in forgotten recesses are vast troves of eggs, or so the legends say. Endless seas of opalescent shells that lie dormant and silent. They are as hard as diamonds and weigh more than lead, yet are no larger than a watermelon. Curiously, nobody has ever seen evidence that any of these eggs have hatched. Perhaps they are little more than a peculiar stone formation, caused by phenomena that is not yet understood, or perhaps they are the fossils who long since became inert. Though these are not the tales that explorers yearn to tell.

Amongst the deepest denizens, the Drow and the Duergar that make their homes where even their brethren deem too deep, fear is no stranger. They whisper of strange noises that can only be heard within utmost silence: scuttling, slithering, breathing. Their tales speak of something unseen below. Within such communities, these peculiar sounds are believed to be the mother of these unearthly eggs; a being known as the Fathomless Queen. She tirelessly skulks through the shadows, laying vast clutches of eggs in dismal burrows, and awaiting an unknowable omen. According to legend, when the Queen receives this portent, she will release an otherworldly screech and awaken her brood.

To the tune of several billion cracking shells, They Who Gnaw the Earth shall awaken. As they spill from their nurseries in droves, they will devour everything in sight, save for one another. Solid rock will be shredded beneath a cascade of teeth as the horde begins their crusade towards the surface. In their wake, nothing will remain. Subterranean cities, mighty strongholds, and ageless monstrosities will all be consumed. The only survivors will be those who flee. Thankfully, They Who Gnaw the Earth are not unstoppable. The broods are mindless and unwavering in their pursuit, only striving to climb further and further upwards, towards their inevitable doom. Creatures born amidst the deepest shadows are truly alien to the radiant sunlight of the surface, and so, when they leave the darkness and bask in its glory, they will not survive. Their flesh will sizzle away until nothing remains. Still, the results of their onslaught will never be truly repaired.

It is thought that many aeons ago, They Who Gnaw the Earth carved the Underdark. Whilst the mighty Giants were credited with their work, these shadowy sculptors were struck from the records for some forgotten transgression, and cursed to forever linger in their godless tombs. Tales such as these have captured the interest of the invading Enmanari. To them, an endless horde that has been betrayed by the Gods of Baelonmor is an irresistible ally. This attractiveness is enhanced by the fact that They Who Gnaw the Earth are already sequestered away beneath their enemies' homelands, eagerly awaiting for the opportunity to burst forth. Fortunately, despite the best efforts of the Enmanari, they are yet to discover the key to unleashing the swarms, though perhaps it is only a matter of time until they do.