The Underground
The Underground is an immense, sprawling, labyrinthine system of sewer tunnels, cisterns, aquaducts, crypts, and many mysterious, hidden, forgotten, and perhaps even undiscovered redoubts, coves, hideaways and more. Built under the great city of Setrak at the same time as the above ground construction was underway, it was understood that this city was to be the center of not just Edrias, not just The Empire, but of the world. It was to be the cultural capstone of The Empire, a living, breathing, growing work of art that would put on display the greatness that was The Empire. Its architectural genius displayed in its beautiful skybound towers. Its defensive perfection shown in its masterfully crafted curtain walls, kill zone traps, defensive strongholds and more. Its cultural apex as a city housing the greatest entertainment, the finest food, the most breathtaking art.
The Underground was to be the hidden but oh so necessary but oh so inglorious second half of the city. A city nearly of its own, the residents of The Underground are oftentimes the spit upon and banished unclean who are unlucky enough to have been born, trafficked, sold, or otherwise arrive in the capital of The Empire. With true escape from the city bounds for these unclean types very rare as hardly anyone of any credibility does business up on the surface with the unclean, let alone ferry them out of the city. An act which has been noted to cause downturns in businesses for owners, friends and family turning against them, even violent reprisals resulting in the death of the individual who dared help them.
Regardless, The Underground in the thousand years since its relative inception, has assumed a life of its own, and a culture of its own. No longer shameful, downtrodden residents of a sewer system, left to wither and die forgotten and scorned. No, these hardy, proud people sometimes consider themselves residents of New Setrak, True Setrak, or Real Setrak. Claiming the name of the city that has scorned them as their own. They are tough, community based folk that are highly resistant to any efforts by Imperial law, military, news or otherwise 'surface' agencies to breach their closely-knit communities.
There's only one law in The Underground: Don't talk to the law.
Demographics
The Underground is massively comprised of 'unclean' peoples. Tiefling, Aasimar, Fey, and many other smaller minority groups that are deeped heretical, unclean spawn that are barely allowed to live are allowed to do so in the depths of The Underground. Roughly 95% of the population of The Underground are these peoples, with the remaining 5% being human, dwarf, and elf who for whatever reason choose to reside there.
Government
The government of The Underground is unironically ran rather well. A council much like The Empire itself with a democratically elected President that oversees and maintains the rule of law, the day to day affairs, and the general wellbeing of The Underground. The council oversees various aspects of the running and maintenance of The Underground with one notable caveat, they cannot have a standing military of any kind. The Empire enforces and does indeed at times remind the people of The Underground that their false sense of freedom and security is just that.
So called 'Red Raids' are crackdowns or more accurately, simply brutal attacks on businesses, civilians, government officials and anything else The Empire deems worthy, especially targeting of course Tieflings and Aasimar, often massacring in the thousands their number to supress their desire to rise up. Typically these Red Raids are hardly resisted, only fled from, for attacking back would merely result in reprisals of an even larger scale.
The President is elected once every 5 years, and strangely enough has a seat on the Setrak City Council, seen as a sort of envoy/ambassador to the strange and despised members of The Underground. More there to listen to threats, take orders under threat of violence and similar such actions, it is essentially entirely a sham seat meant to grant members of The Underground a measure of false equivalency.
Defences
The defenses of The Underground are rather unknown, with one of the ultimate ones being the dual thrat of the more narrow tunnels and the immensely confusing, labarynthine nature of the The Underground. Even if the Empire itself decided to put a significant effort into completely cleansing The Underground, it would be an immensely costly and timely task that would see significant casualities on both sides. This, and The Underground's more demure and calm nature hides it from immense scrutiny under most circumstances.
Industry & Trade
The industry and trade of The Underground is often fueled by black markets as well as quality goods sold and provided for cheaper prices than the more readily available but sometimes more prohibitavely expensive artisans. Also, the alcohol and firearm markets sees unique foundries and distillerys each, notably Underground Firearms and The Hidden Fungus Tap and Brewery making some of the best ale and Underground Fungus distilled hareck, a hard liquor.
Underground Firearms are known for their extreme durability, and some unique models that have provided residents of The Underground ways to better fight in their highly close quarters environment. The Wall-Breacher Shotgun, the Organism Detector, the Silver Needle Revolver, and more.
Infrastructure
Considering that The Underground is the sewer infrastructure of Setrak, this is already taken care of for residents there. Otherwise, the people of The Underground are remarkably resourceful and intelligent when it comes to working with what they have. Gathering and purchasing materials through human, elf, or dwarf members of their communities who are able to go up and purchase such goods, they are capable and have built somewhat impressive shantytown-esque settlements with some even being rather impressive.
Furthermore, over the massive man carved gulches that send sewage and garbage deep under the earth to sub-surface rivers, lakes and potentially even the Underdark itself, the people of The Underground on either side of these huge canyons have built cities connected over the gap by long, reinforced, magically maintained bridges that cross the immense spaces of open void air.
A recent project that has been undertaken in the last fifty years was the laying of track to implement their own makeshift mana-lev trolley to make it faster to get around The Underground, because right now it can take literal days to travel from one settlement or district to another.
Districts
The districts of The Underground are rather unique due to the entire settlement as it could be called existing underneath the city of Setrak. As such, what could be considered a district of Setrak and often is, is divided into subdistricts where appropriate. Note that while they are listed, they are not all contiguous or borderine one another, often times massive distances of sewage tunnels, newly carved walkways, actual waste disposal areas, massive cisterns, aquaducts and more stand between the districts of The Underground.
Some of the most notable settlements or districts are as follows:
The City of New Setrak: The settlement that earned The Underground its new and prideful name, New Setrak is actually rather impressively massive. It's center being located under the middle point of the southern section of The Imperial District, and expands out to nearly the southern end of Setrak itself. Widely considered to take up a considerable majority of The Underground, it is easily the most populated settlment, believed to constitute 70-85% of the total population of The Underground. The reason for this is rather simple, the living conditions together are much better than they are alone. Newer technology and magic can be utilized to reduce the chance of sickness, infection, and other diseases from spreading that might not be available in smaller, poorer Grounder towns/hamlets. The people of New Setrak have been able to forge an impressive hidden city right underneath the feet of everyday Setrakians.
In many ways, the ways of life here are somewhat analogous to their surface dwelling counterparts. Clubs, restaurants, smithies, even general stores in recent centuries have begun to pop up as it seems the economy of The Underground continues to grow. This is no surprise, as some surface dwellers venture into the dangerous and confusing monolithic brick walkways of The Underground to purchase blades from highly skilled artisans at reduced prices, sourced materials for their own projects, be they magical or mundane, and more, helping to stimulate the economy further. In fact there has been a growing rumor of begruding acceptance in some very limimed areas in the massive city that is Setrak, areas where some non human, dwarf, or elf individuals may sell their goods, but this is just a rumor.
New Setrak has the Underground Council Chamber or UCC, as well as the presidents home.
The Gulch: Another settlement that sometimes is used to refer to The Underground as a whole, The Gulch, or Gulchtown as it is sometimes called is a two sided city connected over a massive man carved canyon that spews out sewage water and trash to a seemingly limitless pit below. Massive bridges forged long ago and maintained with handed down technical expertise and magical ability keep the two sides of the town connected.
The Heap: The Heap is barely a settlement. Resided in by only the most destitute, hated, shunned, and exiled of even The Underground's inhabitants, it is essentially a small town built on top of a now inactive, yet still roughly have filled immense trash cistern. The above drop site sealed off due to logistical issues, now there is no worry of trash dropping down onto their heads. As such, it has gained a reputation and a growing population of very seedy individuals with extremely suspect motivations, intentions, and connections. It is said that the Black Markets of the Blackpath Coalition hawk their goods at full availability down here, unbothered by anyone. Yet it is a challenge to find the slippery Black Cloaks. The Heap in general is advised to be a dangerous, shady place rife with criminal activity that is far removed from even the relative safety of The Underground as it is essentially condemned as a 'free-town' of sorts not under the very limited and somewhat weak laws of The Underground's council and president.
Assets
The assets of The Underground are somewhat anemic in truth compared to essentially any other major Imperial settlement. It is believed that as a whole the government of The Underground is more wealthy and asset rich than initially believed, but the peacekeeping forces that maintain the rule of a somewhat shaky lawless land are not equipped with the best equipment and material that can be found.
Guilds and Factions
There are many guilds and factions that call this unique place their home. Countless unnamed small gangs, wraths, depraved cults and sinister groups call The Underground their home, an agreement between the Setrakian and New Setrakian governments for the Grounders to cull these groups wherever they may pop up, but alas, they are like a hydra.
More standard, simple gangs of thugs and theives roam The Underground looking for unexpected travelers, hapless Grounder merchants, or marks above ground in the shady, seedy parts of Setrak that look the other way for cloak and dagger laden thieves in the night looking for a home or business to hit.
House Justar of the Blackpath Coalition are notable key player and have both multiple Underground based warehouses and safehouses, but aboveground warehouses as well. Some rumor they even have elevators that travel from surface to underground to make smuggling their goods even easier.
The Blackpath Coalition itself is present here with all of the other houses at least in some way shape or form having some business presence here due to the fact it is the capital of The Empire. As such, their agents are greatly respected, asa well as their enforcers who can somewhat be seen as something close to an official military force in a very loose sense due to the understanding and respect held between the families and the President of The Underground.
Points of interest
Founding Date
13th Fea, 1 PFE
Alternative Name(s)
New Setrak, The Deep Slums, The Unclean Pit, Real Setrak, The Gulch
Population
Precise number unknown, speculated anywhere from 10 - 100 million or more.
Inhabitant Demonym
Grounder
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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