Lower Deep

The temperature had dropped significantly. Gone were the tiny mushrooms and lichens, and gone were the trails of glowing rocks on the walls, left there by long-ago miners. It was silent but for the regular dripping of water in some far-off tunnel. The walls were slick with moisture, and tiny streams slid silents down the sloping floor. I had entered Lower Deep.

Lower Deep is one of the lowest sections of the Deep, superseding only the Plunge below it. Lower Deep is largely unexplored by surface folk as its unwelcoming nature makes it rather unappealing.

The Deepest Stone

Lower Deep, as its name suggests, is very deep in the rock of Galactus. It covers the Plunge, and icy, seemingly bottomless ocean home to the strangest life forms known to folk. Because of Lower Deep's proximity to this region, it is an incredibly damp place. Seemingly every tunnel and cavern are dripping with water, and many passages and caves are completely submerged. Lower Deep is also a very cold place. In some areas, the temperatures drop so low that even saltwater freezes. In other areas, it is simply uncomfortable for warm-blooded life. It is too cold to sustain the same growth as in the higher layers of the Deep, so Lower Deep is seemingly devoid of life. However, there are some creatures that survive in this barren environment. These are the rock creatures, who come in various shapes and sizes. They live on stone itself, gnawing out long, winding tunnels. Not many explorers come to Lower Deep. Most folk find that its environment is too wet or too cold, or simply find no interest in the bare rock of this layer. However, some dedicated researchers have found their way into Lower Deep and managed to glean information about the empty passages in the bowels of Galactus.

The Research Circles

There are no native folk in Lower Deep in common knowledge, but some researchers still roam the icy caverns in search of some lost civilization. Others wish to discover more about the rocks of Lower Deep themselves, the mysterious rock creatures, or some of the metals and minerals found in the stone. To survive in Lower Deep, researchers have managed to establish a loose trading network with the cities and settlements of the Deep above them. They receive shipments of food and research supplies, and trade amongst themselves where necessary. Geologists or the occasional miner living in Lower Deep collect precious metals and gems to use to buy resources from the upper layers. Among the researchers, who live in small circles of folk interested in the same topics, knowledge is used as a currency. Although discoveries are often guarded with fierce jealousy, an interesting tidbit that might prove useful in a different field of study will be shared in exchange for food or supplies. Most researchers in Lower Deep value academic integrity and have a sense of solidarity with other circles, but some less well-intentioned academics or those folk known as knowledge snipers will steal the research of others to try and pass off as their own or bring back to the surface for profit. Some academies, such as Ashann's Academy for Gifted Wizards in Rosewick, have academic programs where students spend a term or two in Lower Deep, assisting a research circle in their quest for information. These students often return to those research circles after graduation, providing Lower Deep's research culture with new vigor and fresh ideas. Some research circles live permanently in Lower Deep, while others venture down for a few years or until they achieve their goal before returning, publishing papers on their findings. Some of the most well-known research circles in Lower Deep are focused on subjects such as the presence of magic crystals in Lower Deep, the biology of the rock creatures, and the formation of some of the rarest gems in Galactus, many of which are still unnamed.