Ched Nasad

Ched Nasad, or The City of Shimmering Webs, lies in a great V-shaped cavern under the High Gap in the northern Graypeak Mountains. The grotto is nearly a mile high and a half mile wide at its largest. While the cavern roof is relatively flat, the grottos walls are so steeply pitched as to make it impossible for creatures other than spiders or lizards to stand upright. The drow of Ched Nasad have built their city atop slender filaments of magically calcified webbing that endlessly dance and flicker with the radiance of faerie fire. Over one hundred major layers of webwork stretch across the cavern, and hundreds of other near-vertical webs provide access for climbers from one level to the next. Individual dwellings, which resemble great hollow cocoons, are constructed both above and below the layers of webbing. Along the cavern walls, endless sheets of water drain down from the mountains above, nurturing a veritable jungle of molds, lichen, and fungi tended by slaves. The narrow cavern floor is reserved for small herds of deep rothé tended by goblin shepherds. It is located in the Upper Northdark,

The city has different factions, or houses, all of which vie for power. It is currently under the indirect rule of House Nasadra which is governed by Matron Aunrae Nasadra succeeded her grandmother as Matron Mother in 689 DR Recently there was a revolt in Menzoberranzan, which Resulted in nearly total anhilation of the cities core leaving only it's outer chambers intact.

Overview
Just under thirty thousand drow dwell in the City of Shimmering Webs; that figure has declined slightly in recent centuries. Approximately sixteen hundred drow are considered nobles, each of whom is a member of one of the one hundred or so noble houses. More than seventy thousand other inhabitants also dwell in Ched Nasad, serving the drow citizenry as slaves. Commonly seen races include dwarves, hobgoblins, orcs, quaggoths, svirfneblin, and thaaluud. No drow citizen of Ched Nasad is ever officially a slave, but many are slaves in all but name. Only drow battle captives won from outside the city can be held openly as slaves. Upwards of two thousand visitors reside in Ched Nasad at any given time, including powerful creatures such as aboleth, deep dragons, grell, illithids, and fiends from the lower planes. Eye tyrants are notable exceptions. The drow have warred with the beholders of the Graypeaks Hive for centuries and do not tolerate their presence in the city.

History
Ched Nasad was founded by exiles from Menzoberranzan who sided with House Nasadra against House S'sril following the near destruction of Menzoberranzan by the wizards of House Thaeyalla. Afterward, House Baenre proposed a compromise that those under the rule of House Nasadra would found another city to the glory of the Spider Queen while those who sided with House S'sril would remain. Lolth herself appeared in avatar form and blessed the wisdom and forbearance of House Baenre. The Spider Queen then laid down the Way of Lolth, the basic laws under which both cities were to live, and decreed that the two cities must remain friendly to one another. Although Ched Nasad is only several weeks away from Menzoberranzan, the Nasadran drow wandered for decades before founding their new city. Eventually the avatar of Lolth led House Nasadra and followers to the grotto where Ched Nasad now lies. Before vanishing, the avatar wove a great web from one wall to the other that then burst into flame. When the fires died down, the web had been transformed into stone, shimmering with fuetie fire. Since the citys founding in -3843 DR, the Nasadrans have continued to expand this handiwork. Shimmering webs now encompass the entire cavern. Ched Nasad flourishes despite centuries of fighting with the dwarves of Ammarindar, the beholders of the Graypeaks Hive, the phaerimm beneath Anauroch, and the fiends of Hellgate Keep. While the rule of the Spider Queens clergy and the noble houses is still absolute, both wizards and merchants wield influence and are in large part responsible for the citys prosperity. Much of Ched Nasads current fortune stems from its proximity to the caverns beneath ancient Netheril. Strong enough to hold their own against the phaerimm armies, the Nasadran drow periodically raid into the phaerimm lands known as the Buried Realms (see Environs of Ooltul). Although more than half of all raiding bands never return, the plunder recovered by those that do return is unmatched. For centuries these drow have traded remnants of Netheril's faded heritage. Merchant caravans ply regular subterranean trade routes beneath the northern and southern ends of the High Forest to trading partners in Menzoberranzan, Gracklstugh, Ch'Chitl, Eryndlyn, and points beyond.

Who Rules
The Council, composed of the matron mothers of the twelve highest-ranking noble houses. Currently, that roster includes Aunrae Nasadra of House Nasadra, Umrae D'Dgttu of House D'Dgttu, Drisinil Melarn of House Melarn, Shyntlara Auvryndar vampireof House Auvryndar, Inidil Mylyl of House Mylyl, Jyslin Aleanrahel of House Aleanrahel, Talabrina Claddath of House Claddath, Ulviirala Rilynt of House Rilynt'tar, Lirdnolu Maerret of House Maerret, Nedylene Zinard of House Zinard, Pellanistra Ousstyl of House Ousstyl, and ShriNeerune Hlaund of House Hlaund.

Environs
The environs of Ched Nasad are largely unworked. The stores of metal left after the fall of Ammarindar obviated the need to dig for more. The surrounding Underdark does bear the scars of countless spell battles, however, for the drow of Ched Nasad waged wars against beholders, dwarves, fiends, and phaerimm, with only brief interludes of peace. Although the existence of Ched Nasad is largely unknown in the Realms Above, its inhabitants are widely feared and hated throughout the Underdark of the North.