Llurth Dreier

Llurth Dreir, known as "the Accursed City", was a drow city in the Great Bhaerynden domain of the Underdark.

Geography
It lay in a remote middledark region of the Underdark, almost 10 miles (16 kilometers) under the Shaar grasslands and a long way west or northwest of the Great Rift, part of the Great Bhaerynden domain or the Deepwild. In past ages, a river rich in nutrients descended winding from the surface and fill a huge subterranean lake, carving out a cluster of vast but shallow caverns. Over still more millennia, the water level subsided again, emptying the caverns. All that remained by the 14th century DR was a greatly reduced body of water called Llurthogl surrounded by extensive fertile mud flats.

History
In centuries past, the drow of Llurth Dreir somehow offended their goddess Lolth, and she withdrew her support from them. The city fell into strife, with House feuds out of control, and the drow turned to other gods of the Dark Seldarine.

Eventually, a frightful avatar of Ghaunadaur emerged from the depths of Llurthogl. Many of the Houses elected to worship it and make sacrifices to it, desiring the power to obliterate their rivals, but this was largely futile.

After Chansreena (princess) Alabhansree Alanasker of Ormpur went missing in the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR, there were reports she was held in the slave pits of Llurth Dreir. High Suikh (king) Helbareim Alanasker hired a number of adventuring companies to rescue her, but the reports were found to be completely false by 1372 DR.

Description
Once a large and mighty city, by 1372 DR, Llurth Dreir occupied three huge caverns. These were home to nearly 60,000 drow, known as the Dreiryn, and over 100,000 slaves. There were also uncounted jellies, oozes, and slimes, which were revered and cultivated.

The drow Houses stayed safe inside their black towers, and offered a piffling degree of protection to those who offered them tribute. Their slaves, dwelling in abject misery, were otherwise almost completely ignored, left to fend for themselves and eke out a living. The black towers held some wealth, but all outside was utterly squalid. There were vast farms of fungi.

Culture
The Accursed City was a wretched hive of scum and villainy, a horrible cesspool of a city, without even the culture and arrogance of a typical drow settlement.

Ignored by Lolth, the Dreiryn paid homage to other drow gods, such as Kiaransalee, Vhaeraun, and even Eilistraee, but most followed Ghaunadaur, whose avatar lurked right there in the city. Each House had adopted one god or another, and quashed the worship of other gods. The clergy of Ghaunadaur practically ruled the city. It was whispered that the ancient Ilythiiri order of Ghaunadaur crusaders called the Fanatics of the Overflowing Pit lingered on in some form in Llurth Dreir.

Society
The noble Houses of Llurth Dreir engaged in endless feuds, unrestrained by any sense of shame or style. They regularly raided the fields of rival Houses to steal food and kidnap people to serve as slaves or sacrifices to Ghaunadaur.

Woefully weakened, Llurth Dreir was protected only by its remoteness; there was no rival close enough who'd care to crush it. In any case, it was practically worthless. Its only real defense was the lurking avatar of Ghaunadaur, which no force would dare face, if it would even move to defend its worshipers.

Appearances

 * Novels:
 * Ascendancy of the Last


 * Magazines:
 * Polyhedron #140: "Llurth Dreir: City of Ooze"